Well, pictures, anyway.
So check out what Nana sent as an early Christmas present for A.
It's a gigantic toddler in a backpack! Just what he needed!
Actually, it is just what he needed. A. has been complaining pretty much since Cubby was born that we didn't have an appropriate backpack to carry him with us hiking and stuff. Since I don't really like hiking and stuff*, I was not too motivated to remedy the situation. We tried a couple of different carriers loaned to us by friends, but they weren't comfortable for either A. or Cubby, so we didn't use them.
Then my mom mentioned this wonderful carrier my brother got for his daughter and asked if we might want one. About two weeks later, the Deuter Kid Comfort II arrived.
Cue the angel music.
A. loves this thing. It's a serious pack, built just like real hiking packs for adults. That means it fits his big frame and has enough support and straps that A. can strap Cubby to his back with a minimum of discomfort.
Cubby also loves this thing. We took it out of the box and he immediately tried to climb in it. "Pack?" he asked, right before scrambling into it on the living room floor and falling over in it.
There was no injury to either Cubby or the pack.
So where did we take this wondrous contrivance on its maiden voyage?
How about a bucolic hike through the countryside?
To dig out a well.
That's right. We strapped Cubby into the pack and carried him through the fields behind A.'s grandma's house so A. could dig out her well and fix her slow water problem. That is, A. carried Cubby. I carried that long-ass shovel you see there.
It was approximately 20 degrees with a stiff wind when we did this. Cubby was not amused. He watched the digging for about thirty seconds before he hid behind my legs and repeated, "Cold? Cold? Cold?" (Translation: GOD, MOM. IT'S COLD, OKAY? GET ME OUT OF HERE.)
Luckily, it only took about five minutes for A. to clear the well, and then he carried Cubby back to Grandma's house, where we went inside and luxuriated in her 75-degree house for half an hour while Cubby played with her walking canes.
A. also used the pack the next morning to take Cubby out when he went out to do various chores. It was even colder then, and Cubby was even less amused. But despite our questionable choice of activities with the pack, Cubby still loves it and I foresee much use of it in the future.
Good job, Nana.
* AT ALL, which is just a cruel joke, since I married Mr. Outdoors and then gave birth to Mr. Junior Outdoors.
Just remember Cubby will not be moving and he's little, so it's easy for him to get hypothermic, while A is overheating carrying all that extra weight around. Another thing, Cubby's pants will tend to hike up, leaving his bare legs exposed and vulnerable to windburn and frostbite. Learned these lessons the hard way many decades ago on the farm carrying kids around in backpacks. Solved the problems with a heavy snowsuit and long wool socks that up over the legs of the snow suit and kept the legs from being exposed. Oh, warm boots, the feet get especially cold just hanging there. In really heavy wind I used to wrap a wool blanket (twin sized cut down to so it didn't drag on the ground) right around the whole backpack, kid and all. Sort of like wraping us in a shawl. That is really cozy for the kid. Farm kids are tough, 20 below and they still go out to work.
ReplyDeleteAwesome. Don't forget Baca in the equation. Sooooo glad it works. Now A can enjoy having Cubby with him, and mom can enjoy some time without him. Best I can do to help, since I'm obviously not close enough to periodically do the Nana thing of taking Cubby with me.
ReplyDeleteLove the backpack! What a great way to carry Cubby around on hikes. Maybe think of it as your guarantee for alone time? A and Cubby can tromp off through the bushes while you stay home with a good book!
ReplyDeleteWow. No outdoorsing and yet, you live at Blackrock. Brave woman, you.
ReplyDelete