Friday, August 8, 2008

Trading diapers for beer

While I am a regular at the Clemson-Central babywearing group, before last night I had never been to the Greenville meeting. It was an hour away, and since the same topics were covered I figured I wasn't missing enough to warrant a trek out to Greenville. But I was wrong.

I rode with Janet and we left our sweet babies at home. At the meeting I met Kawani, whom I'd already been blog-stalking only slightly. There was also a lady with six children from 19 years to 11 months, all homeschooled, and I got some great advice from her! (My idea of how I'd like to homeschool Suzi is taking shape, and soon I'm going to do a post on my tentative plan.) Several people tried my carriers on for size--especially the hotslings, which would be perfect for airport babywearing--so I'm glad I took them with me.

We had to be out of the library at precisely 8:15 (bummer) but Carey, Janet and I went to a bar in downtown Greenville and ordered black bean hummus and a pitcher of beer. Sitting in a bar drinking and talking without cigarette smoke was heaven. I may have gone downtown more often in college if that had been an option. Anyway, I still owed Carey $10 for some diapers she gave us for Suzi, so I paid for some of her beer and now I think we are just about square. Diapers for beer is a novel setup, I think. It was not the type of beer I would usually drink, but the emptier my glass became, the better it tasted. I might even try it again someday.

I feel so lucky to have met my babywearing friends. Who'd have thought that going to one meeting to learn how to work a baby carrier could change the way I parent?

Definitely going to Greenville next month.

And, as promised, a little video from Clemson...




Suzi was standing off to the side, wide-eyed, like I can haz cereal too? And she did get some a few seconds later.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did I ever mention that half of my family is from Anderson? My sister is even a TL Hanna alumni. Not interesting perhaps, but all true.

Laura said...

LOL. Diapers for beer. Love it.

Next week you'll be swapping a BBSlen for a mani/pedi. ;)

I do love how little things can make such a big impact. I think it was my "guilt" over cosleeping that made me pick up a copy of The Baby Book. Now it's been four years of drinking the AP Kool-Aid. Tee hee.

Erin said...

I so love bars that are smoke-free! Unfortunately, none around here are, but when we visited NYC, I was so thrilled to be able to get a drink WITHOUT smelling like a stale ashtray.

Jules said...

I recently bartered a cloth dipe for my share of gas money on a playdate. And I bartered a pedicure and dinner (with beer) for an Ellaroo MT!

If only doctors and dentists would go back to bartering. Not quite bartering, but my grandfather sold a cow for my mom's college tuition.

Jenny said...

Actually, my father-in-law does barter for dental care. They have a cousin who's a dentist, and he does amazing landscape work (has a degree in horticulture from Clemson). It's a good thing, because I don't have the best teeth in the world and it's nice to go to someone I know I can trust. My FIL also sold his cow to buy my MIL her engagement ring!