Walking Wednesday!

 Our original plans for International Babywearing Week Walking Wednesday was to go to the local pumpkin patch, but with the rain and yucky weather we had that day, we changed it to a Mall Walk at the last minute. Lucky, some of our members were still able to join us! We walked around the Chesterfield Towne Center mall (after of course a group stop at Starbucks!), wandering around stores and eventually stopping at the play area to let our littles burn off some energy and even make some new friends!

With International Babywearing Week 2011 coming to a close, we have one event left for the River City Babywearers! Tomorrow from 9am to 12 noon some of the leaders will be working "Shout It Saturday" at the Brandermill Farmer's Market in Midlothian, with a booth sharing information on the joys and benefits of babywearing as well as carrier demonstrations and trials. We'll also have fresh hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls, so stop by first thing in the morning to visit us and maybe even do some shopping at this awesome outdoor market!
   October has been a busy month for the River City Babywearers! Our monthly meeting will take place at 2:30pm at Franklin Goose in Carytown, with our information session running until 3:30 or so and allowing chat and trials until around 4, where we're we'll be participating in the 2011 SCarytown fall Celebration, letting the kids trick or treat and maybe even doing a decorated carrier competition! Watch our facebook page for more details and hopefully we'll see you soon!

Make it Monday!

  To celebrate international babywearing week 2011's "Make it Monday" River City Babywearers made no-sew ponchos and back carrying jackets to bring in the fall weather. We had a great meeting with snacks, movies, kid cloth, and all kinds of adventures at the library! The kids were wonderful and loved running around the library, playing dress-up, and exploring different textures while watching our mommys. Some of the kids even got their own ponchos from let over cloth! Join us tomorrow for "Wear-it-wednesday" at the Ashland Berry Farm to wear our group t-shirts and of course our babies while we ride the hayride and pick pumpkins!

   

Maymont Nature Center Meeting

         This weekend's meeting looked like it was going to be gloomy but actually ended up being a lot of fun! Because of the rain and race outside, we took our meeting inside Maymont Park's Nature Center. It was "Free Museum" day, so we were all able to print our passes and get in for free! We met at the Cafe inside and took the kids through the exhibits together. In addition to all the animals in tanks, cages, and displays, it was also "Meet the Reptiles" day so there were staffers bringing out turtles, snakes, and lizards for the kids to meet and touch.

 Once we were through the regular exhibits, we found the "Discovery Room" in the back of the building, which is where they normally hold their Toddler Time classes during the week, so it is equipped with toys, books, puzzles, and displays to help the kids further understand the James River and Chesapeake Bay regions. The kids had a blast playing with the toys, feeling the pelts, looking at the shadow boxes, and playing with the 3D tree and felt diagrams on two walls depicting the various habitats of all the animals in our area! It didn't turn out the way we expected, but it was definitely a great way to spend a raining morning with friends!
    In other news, we have some new VBE's in the group! Volunteer Babywearing Educators, or VBE's, are people who have passed an evaluation by Babywearing International and are able to assist with carriers and help teach new carries. They had to be proficient in front, back, and hip carries with wraps, SSCs (Ergos, Bobas, Becos, etc), Ringslings, Pouches, and MeiTais and be able to answer various troubleshooting questions. Please join us in congratulating Courtney, Alexis, Kati, Sara, and Kit!
   Coming up October 10th we are going to be Celebrating International Babywearing Week, "A World Of Possibilities" with thousands of other babywearers around the world by having a week day meeting and learning to make Babywearing Jackets and Ponchos. Please join us if you are able! Monday of that week is known as "Make it Monday" with BWI, so if you have any other crafts or DIY projects you'd like to learn, suggest it here or on our facebook page!