Last Saturday, our Dallas Dads Group had the honor of working with Britax to hold a car seat safety workshop at the DFW Family Expo. I’m not sure why, but I enjoy going to expos even though I’m not a big fan of crowds. Even more so when the crowds have crazy kids running all over the place. Oops, that was us!
We went into the event with our crazy animal toddler safely contained in her Boba Baby Carrier nice a snug with Going Mom. Britax was setup in a prime location at the entrance for all to see and had their car seat safety workshop sign displayed for all to see. Britax is a major supporter of our nationwide City Dads Group, and it was exciting to be part of their event! First, we rendezvoused with all of the dads and the Britax team who graciously provided lunch for our group, it was time to explore. But, I think it was right after the picture with the abominable snow-dog that Avery could no longer be confined to staring up at and pushing Mommy’s chin. With that, Kelley set Avery free into the wild, errr….expo. Avery wasted no time! Even with the two of us, Kelley and I could hardly keep track of our little girl. How do those little legs get so far so fast?! Not that I ever want anything to do with Nesquick or the like, but we were thankful for their booth having these large dice. Until, that is, she tried to run away with them. We took the dice away and returned them which obviously meant toddler meltdown. Using our brains, we tossed Avery in a nearby bounce house in hopes of cheering her up Phew, I think it worked! Silly kid had a ball dancing, clapping and even playing with other kids. Or getting pushed down by them, but she had fun and that’s what matters most! The hard part was getting her back out, and then figuring out how to calm her down again. Thankfully, the force was with us when something strange caught her attention. Storm Troops and Darth Vader?! Score! Obviously, we had to pose with the Dark Side, and Darth Vader was there too. 😉
I wasn’t there, but some of the dads and their kids gathered for a (friendly?) group photo.
Pretty cool stuff, huh? Avery was getting very obnoxious and hungry, but she wasn’t nursing with Going Mom very well because so much was going on. I gave her some organic applesauce in a squeeze pouch, yes, like I once said I’d never do, which only helped for maybe 3.23 minutes.
Then it was off on another rampant tour of the expo grounds.
No fear, this child, no fear. It was almost time for the main event, Britax’s Car Seat Safety Workshop, so we made our way back to the front to join the rest of the crowd eager to learn about #BritaxSafety. The beautiful and kind Britax ladies, Kate and Sarah, put on an excellent workshop jam-packed with useful information.
Did you know heavy jackets and other winter clothing should be removed before putting your kid in their car seat and that the chest clip on car seats should be at armpit level? Or that you should keep your child rear facing at least to 2 years old and longer if the weight limit of your car seat allows? Also, it’s better to tighten the straps until you think it’s good enough, and then pull some more since 60% of the harnesses are not tight enough.
When it comes to our kids and safety, Britax has us covered. We have their Boulevard ClickTight Car Seat, and Avery loves it. Not to mention we love all of it’s safety features and easy installation.
Happy in her Britax Car Seat!
Unfortunately, Avery kept on getting more and more irritable, and Kelley had to put her back in the Boba and try her best to keep her calm.
But it wasn’t long until all was lost and Going Mom gave “the look” letting me know we were already pushing our luck.
She frantically went to the car in hopes that Avery would nurse better there, and I stayed until the workshop was over. Right after it ended, I had to bail. I know we were already pushing our luck, but I wish we could’ve stayed just a little longer since we missed out on the great group photo taken just minutes after we left.
Great group of dads and their families right there! Sorry we missed it, but at least we were able to get our photo with Kate from Britax. Thank you, Kate, for taking time to pose with us!
All in all, it was a wonderful experience, and despite Avery’s craziness, I’m glad she got to experience something new. Plus, she slept very good that night!
Are you part of any parenting groups?
Do you still have a kid in car seats? Do they still sit rear-facing?
We went to the DFW Family Expo on Saturday to join our Dallas Dads Group and Britax for a great time. Kelley put her Boba Babywearing skills to the test while there, but it wasn’t long until Avery was out and running around everywhere!
Britax put on a very detailed and informative workshop on car seat safety and we all walked away with vital information on how to keep our kids safe in the car. Avery hasn’t been around large crowds before, so she was basically crazy the entire time.
Despite the craziness, I always enjoy hanging with our Dallas Dads Group, and when Going Mom and Avery can join, all the better! I’ll give the full story on our adventure soon.
Yesterday, Tuesday, we hit 70 degrees and the sun finally poked through after its brief hiatus. Texas hardly had it bad when compared to places like Boston this winter, but it’s been crappy enough to warrant a deep desire for Spring’s arrival.
Truthfully, I was ready for spring and summer back in November, I just prefer sweating over shivering any day! With the better weather, I wanted to get Avery outside to run around a little, but first we had to make a trip to two stores. Luckily, she didn’t mind since it means getting to ride in her new Britax Boulevard ClickTight car seat.
Seriously love this seat and it was a breeze to install. We’re keeping her rear facing as long as possible since it’s the safest way, and the Britax seat allows us to continue doing so up to 40 pounds! Plus, Avery’s not complaining one bit.
After making it back from the stores, Avery was hungry and needed to eat before anything else happened. Going Mom and I taught her a few sign language essentials with one of them being “more”. Now the girl ALWAYS wants more!
Yep, that’s her sign. I’m trying to allow her more freedom in feeding herself if it’s finger foods, so I gave her a few pieces of NuttZo Banana Bread to keep her happy. So much for that, she just stuffed her face with all of the pieces while simultaneously signing for “more”.
Crazy kid. It took her five minutes just finish chewing everything! Needless to say, I think she spent some time reflecting on her actions….
After eating, I put Avery in our B.O.B. jogging stroller to go for a quick run to a nearby playground. The kind folks, I mean elves, at Soft Star Shoes just sent me a pair of their Moc3 barefoot running shoes to review, so I figured it would be a great time to give them a test run. <—Would you call that a pun or not? I can’t tell.
Yes, I wore socks, and no, you really don’t have to. I just prefer to use socks until I am sure I really like things enough to go sans sock. Running in these shoes is so liberating with their zero drop Vibram soles and the fact that they weigh less than 5oz. I actually have been spending all day in the shoes and am only getting more attached to them each day.
Check back later for a full review, and then even later for another review of their kids’ shoes for Avery. I can’t wait to get some on our little girl to keep her feet safe while still “grounding” with the earth. Until then, her Bootzies work fine, they just run the risk of getting holes when worn too much outdoors.
Yep, like at a playground with mulch and concrete. Probably not the best for cotton, but she didn’t seem too concerned. She was, however, intrigued by the wood pieces scattered everywhere and made sure to inspect them thoroughly.
Yep, this one’s wood too.
Somehow I managed to climb the small play-structure with Avery to take her down a few times. The rest of time I just followed her around as she explored…..and randomly clapped.
Outside playtime was over when Avery ran back to her stroller, basically letting me know it was over. Fair enough.
I made another fun run round with Avery in the stroller to soak up the warm weather and get a little extra “go” time in the minimal Soft Star Shoes for the last time of the day. Verdict? Still love’em. I could never find a shoe I was comfortable in wearing around the house that I could also make a mad dash outside at any given moment, but these are it! If you haven’t tried them before, give them a go if you get the chance, and make sure to pick some up for your little one too.
Once back home, I turned on Pandora so Avery and I could dance around the house. And by dance, I mean she brings all of her toys from her playroom into the kitchen as I prepare dinner and make a green smoothie for Kelley and I.
This has been a long, hard week for my wife, actually the past several weeks have been trying, and she was stuck at work again last night. In hopes that it would help a little, I made one of her favorite breakfasts ahead of time to be ready in the morning.
Peanut butter oatmeal with chia seeds, cinnamon, and a big spoonful of NuttZo. I added a lot of blueberries too, but didn’t take a picture. Trust me, the blueberries are not to be taken lightly around here, and Going Mom has a specific measurement I keep messing up. The measurement? A lot!
She’s probably enjoying (I hope) this right now just as this is live. I’ll let you know if I added enough blueberries. Or maybe she will…….
And before I go, I had a pun to share. It’s nothing spectacular, but as a proclaimed lover of puns, I want to start sharing at least one with each post I write. Today, in anticipation of spring coming up, I have a seasonal pun.
After a rough winter, the trees will be relieved when spring comes.
I know, not the best tree pun, but I went out on a limb here. Maybe I’ll branch out for the next one. 🙂
What’s the weather like where you are now?
Do you like puns or despise them?
An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.
First, we rendezvoused with all of the dads and the Britax team who graciously provided lunch for our group, it was time to explore. 
But, I think it was right after the picture with the abominable snow-dog that Avery could no longer be confined to staring up at and pushing Mommy’s chin. 
With that, Kelley set Avery free into the wild, errr….expo. Avery wasted no time! 
Even with the two of us, Kelley and I could hardly keep track of our little girl. How do those little legs get so far so fast?! Not that I ever want anything to do with Nesquick or the like, but we were thankful for their booth having these large dice. 
Until, that is, she tried to run away with them. We took the dice away and returned them which obviously meant toddler meltdown. Using our brains, we tossed Avery in a nearby bounce house in hopes of cheering her up 
Phew, I think it worked! 
Silly kid had a ball dancing, clapping and even playing with other kids. Or getting pushed down by them, but she had fun and that’s what matters most! 
The hard part was getting her back out, and then figuring out how to calm her down again. Thankfully, the force was with us when something strange caught her attention. 
Storm Troops and Darth Vader?! Score! Obviously, we had to pose with the Dark Side, and Darth Vader was there too. 😉 
