
Last night was exciting. Baxter has been walking with assistance for quite a while. We’re not the type of parents to thrust the next development phase on the boy. Right or wrong, we figure he’ll get there when he get’s there. But frankly, I think he’s toying with us at this stage.
So as we sat facing each other, I pointed BB towards Mom, just like on the diaper commercials (we learn all our parenting skills from diaper commercials), and off he went. First attempt was a total success. The next two or three saw more confidence, longer ‘strides’ and a shared enthusiasm. There was applause and a hint of proud tears. Then the wheels fell off the cart and we were back to basics. It was fun while it lasted. ‘Baby steps’ as they say.
While on the subject of mobility, Amy and I invested in a bike trailer. It fits two kids, has a ton of storage and was a snap to assemble. It is massive—I think Amy was considering it for our next property move—but light as a feather and Canadian-made (an honest referral and hats off to the folks at Wike). That said, the inaugural flight was not fully witnessed by Baxter as his face was mostly covered by a cheap, ill-suited helmet, and I fear I missed one of the several seat snaps, leaving him less vertical, shall we say.
It was a smooth ride along the Lakeshore bike path to Amy’s studio in the Distillery District where all connections and harnesses were inspected (improved) and given the mommy seal-of-approval. The ride home was actually enjoyed by my passenger. The sun was shinning, the air was warm and the view was good (anything’s better than the inside of a helmet). The most fun about the bike trailer, besides the room for toys, blankies and friends, is that you’re always sitting on the axel, so bumps are a blast! Or at least they will be. For now, I’m slowing for bumps, seeing as there’s little trust after the first trip.
Baby steps.

There is much to report. Google’s self-driving car, pregnancy must-haves, more Fifty Shades of Grey, mason jars and sandwich bags—they all caught my attention this week.
1. The movie What to Expect When You’re Expecting is coming out next week. With a star studded cast (Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez), it’s sure to be a hit with moms. We’re excited—especially after we received a nice big package to the office promoting the movie. What did we find inside the box? Condoms and a Trojan Vibrating Touch (that would be a mini-vibrator that attaches to your finger—yes). Pregnancy must–haves? The promoters did include a few other items such as a very large pickle, a First Response pregnancy kit and some Nair hair removal products. I’m not sure about all of you, but pregnancy seems a whole lot more fun than what my memory serves. Babymoon, anyone?
2. Google just announced that the first ever self-driving car passed its drivers test. Let’s review. A car that drives itself. Think of the hands-free opportunities this provides for moms. Did the baby keep you up all night? Have a nap in your car. Hungry toddlers, dropped toys and sibling spats can all be solved without having to turn around and drive off the road. Finally, all that pesky traffic isn’t your problem. You can watch a movie with your kids, text, sext, read, apply makeup, surf and parent all at the same time. A world of opportunity awaits you in your car. Note that you have to live in Nevada first—it’s the only state that will allow it for now. (Side bar: what would we do without the state of Nevada?)
Let’s wait to see who slaps the first Baby on Board sticker to their Google car. Britney?

3. The fascination with Fifty Shades of Grey just isn’t going away anytime soon. Apparently, well over 2,000,000 copies of the book have been sold and even more on Kindle. Here’s a hilarious skit on SNL I wanted to share with you. Is mommy porn the new reality TV? I suppose things could be worse.

4. Have you stuffed anything into a mason jar recently? If you have, then apparently you’re on trend. Foodies and decorators can’t get enough of this classic container. It seems that everywhere I look these days, I see them. What’s amazing is the speed at which their popularity has risen. Should we be crediting Pinterest for this? Whatever the reason, I’m definitely going to dig out my old jars and use them.
5. Worried about your kids’ lunch getting stolen or traded? Tired of not being able to control the lunch situation? Make sure they eat what you pack with these handy disposables. The Anti-Theft Lunch Bags might not be the most eco-friendly option but you can be sure nobody else will touch your kids’ lunch. Helicopter mom or hilarious mom?

Comments
LOL! I love the sandwich bags! Hillarious. And the self driving car… sign me up! Any extra nap time I can get is welcomed!
another great round up! OK - gotta go google that SNL skit!!