We’re back from Daytona Beach. Oh wait, I forgot to tell you all that we left on Friday morning afternoon. I was way too busy with woefully inadequate preparation efforts to post anything indicating that we were leaving for a weekend getaway.

This was Twilli’s first extended roadtrip and she did great. She did a lot better than her parents. We forgot to pack several items and stopped at Target while en route.

We forgot a few things at Target, so we made another stop at Publix.

We forgot a few things at Publix. At this point, we just said, “aw #$%!&* it!”

Traveling with a baby is only slightly less complicated than the task General Eisenhower had commanding the Allies in World War II. Fortunately, the only thing at stake is the sanity of a family unit rather than freedom and democracy in Europe.

Some highlights from our trip:

• Twilli got to meet her grandfather for the first time.
• We could see the ocean through our hotel window while lying in bed.
• Beth at Mom is Just a Nickname talked her family into meeting up with us in St. Augustine. We spent the afternoon strolling through the historic district together.

The return trip was much smoother. Our battle with entropy was not of the same magnitude it was on Friday morning and afternoon. The unnecessary stuff we brought didn’t need to be loaded back in to the car, saving us some time. Despite our difficulties, this was some much-needed time away from home to recharge the batteries.

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 No, I’m not really a slacker. I am still finding my way through this new routine and schedule. It’s been a little rough. I’m out the door at 6:30 am on days I take the bus.

After pondering my circumstances for about 8 nanoseconds, I determined that I have a strong preference for the work-at-home-dad lifestyle. Right now, the job provides a much better paycheck than being a WAHD.

This is the first time I’ve ever had anything resembling an exit strategy when starting a new job. The irony is, my goal is to end up back where I was before I found this job, except with more money.

I continue to harbor delusions of grandeur. Maybe I can pull this off. I’m aiming to post 3 times a week. And when I say 3 times a week, I want it to be quality content, not these “having a 9-5 job takes time away from blogging” posts.

Digital Photography Has Revolutionized the Way We Preserve Family Memories

Within a week of getting your first digital camera, you already know why it’s so awesome to have one. It takes a little longer to realize the bad that comes with the good. You have a hard drive full of photos and they’re all disorganized.

My method of organizing photos requires no special software and works on any operating system. What’s even more amazing is, my method is free and easy.
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Renee and I became babywearing enthusiasts out of our quest to maintain the highest level of productivity possible. What I didn’t anticipate was how much extra closeness that it fosters.

We do things very counter-intuitively in the U.S. Babies are weaned off the breast by 6 months and potty training doesn’t start until age 2. Attachment parenting practitioners start potty training by 6 months and continue breastfeeding for 2 years.

Most of the baby carriers available have a feminine design aesthetic. Some can be made masculine with a different choice of fabric print, such as soft structured carriers and mei tais. The ring slings, moby wraps, and pouches are more feminine to me.

Baby carriers come in a variety of designs. You will have to try them on for yourself to see which ones work best for you. Try meetup.com or Yahoo! Groups to find a babywearing meeting in your area. At such meetings, you’ll be able to try on a wide variety of carriers and get expert instruction on how to properly wear them.

It wasn’t long before I discovered that the Ergo Baby is my favorite. It’s a soft structured carrier. Renee’s DIY Scandi-style Mei Tai is challenging for the top spot. That’s what I’m using in the picture above.

The fun doesn’t have to end when your infant becomes a toddler. I’ve seen children as old as 4 being worn in a carrier.

There are many benefits of babywearing. Even if you don’t believe in attachment parenting, there are pragmatic considerations.

• You have two hands free.
• No need to navigate a bulky stroller in crowded areas.
• It’s much safer than putting the infant car seat in the shopping cart.
• Managing multiple children becomes easier.

Give babywearing a chance. If your wife has been the sole baby wearer, she may have one or more carriers with a feminine design. Get over your machismo. At least try it in the safety of your own home. You may end up liking it enough to get a carrier of your own.

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I get up at seven, yeah
And I go to work at nine
I got no time for livin’
Yes, I’m workin’ all the time It seems to me
I could live my life
A lot better than I think I am
I guess that’s why they call me
They call me the working man

-Rush “Working Man”

I have received an overwhelming show of support in my new venture as a 9-5 dad (actually an 8-5 dad). Thank you all!
The “50-50-50 Plan” has caused a stir. I will definitely be fleshing that concept out more and writing about it soon. In theory, it’s brilliant. In practice, one of the “50’s” has expanded. Unfortunately, it’s not the 50 I want to see expand.

I’ve elected to use public transit for my commute. There are many great reasons to do so. Frugal Dad is tossing around the idea of riding his bike to work to save money and lose weight. The buses here have bike racks, so I do a combination of both. 12 miles each way is a little ambitious in my current state of fitness.
Unlike the hero in the tale penned by a trio of Canadian rockers, I don’t get up at 7. It’s more like 5:15. The bus comes at 6:40. Hence, the expansion of one of the “50’s.” Fortunately, that time is spent catching up with my favorite bloggers, reading a good old fashioned book, or taking a cat nap. Try those activities while driving!

I haven’t ruled out driving to work a couple days a week. I win back some time, but I can’t double dip.

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