This was Charlotte’s reaction when I gave her her new Crocodile Creek backpack this week.

The great people at Crocodile Creek let me pick a pack from their multiple adorable designs.  It was love at first sight for me when I saw the ladybug.  I was all like, “ZOMG! It has buttons for spots!  Ahhh!  My child must have it!”

Clearly Charlotte loves it too.  Her new thing is kissing things she loves.  She gave the ladybug a smooch.

I wasn’t sure if my toddler would like a backpack or use it, but more and more toddlers and preschoolers at her school are bringing backpacks.  Another friend of mine carries a backpack with snacks, toys, and diapers when they’re on-the-go instead of lugging her big diaper bag.  It makes sense.  It’s smaller and lighter than a big bag when I already have my purse, and Charlotte can carry it because her other new thing is “I hold it!”

Crocodile Creek’s colors are bright and their designs are beautiful and unique!  Check out the robot!  Ah!  If your kid is a dinosaur superfan, or ballerina girl, he or she can get matching backpack, lunchbox, drinking bottle, icepacks etc.

This backpack is seriously roomy as Charlotte was able to put a bunch of her books, a ball, one of my shoes, and Elmo in the bag.

The backpack isn’t the first time I’ve used a Crocodile Creek product.  I bought a really cute bib last year too.  I have no picture as I am quite confident my mom stole it to keep at her house for when Charlotte comes to visit.  I found it at Whole Foods which made me very happy.  I knew their products were eco-friendly.

I do not endorse companies or products on Somebody’s Parents unless I really like them.  If I wouldn’t use it, I won’t write about it.  Period.  I just learned of an incident that made me like Crocodile Creek even more.  They discovered the 2012 production of their Snack Keeper Sets had a durability issue and would sometimes break if dropped.  Crocodile Creek has been in business for 25 years with no problems and this was completely unacceptable for them.  They pride themselves on safety and quality.

So what did they do?  They are offering a complete refund of the Snack Keeper Sets.  If you bought one you will get your money back and get 25% off anything you buy from Crocodile Creek from now until April.

 What else are they doing?  They’re offering a backpack of your choice to one lucky Somebody’s Parents reader, a $29.99 value.  Take a look!

How can you win?

• Leave a comment here telling me which design you like best, or the one you think your kid would like the most.  (You can get the design of your choice based on availability.)
• “Like” Crocodile Creek on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
• “Like” Somebody’s Parents on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

That’s it!  I’ll pick a winner before the end of the month.

Disclaimer: Crocodile Creek gave me a backpack.  My opinions however, were totally free and totally honest.

I think all bloggers get a kick out of seeing the search engine queries that land someone on their site. Some of my recents are “Sasquatch arm”, “conversion van sink”, and “sinus pot.” Nice, right?

A search term I saw yesterday chilled my blood and turned my stomach.

“naked baby girls in the bathtub”

Oh, holy Sandusky! Who is the perverted Jon Benet Ramsey fan that Googled that?! I know that that search could have been totally innocuous, but as a parent I was freaked out. I scoured old posts for any picture of Charlotte in the bathtub on the blog. There was only one. I took it down immediately. I don’t take completely nude photos of my child that show genitals in any way. I certainly NEVER put them online. This photo was very innocent and really only showed Charlotte’s bubble covered head, but still.

I Tweeted this problem out to get response from other bloggers. One said “I get that and worse in my stats. I’ve learned there are freaks out there and there’s nothing we can do about it. Try to ignore.” Another said, “People are disgusting and no one should ever take a picture of their child in a bathtub and put it on the Internet, ever.”

I’ve heard the horror stories from bloggers about others using the pictures of their children to start their own fake blog. This story of someone using a child’s likeness on a t-shirt in Brazil is bizarre.

I knew the risk of putting my life on the Internet when I started blogging. I’ve heard remarks from other parents about overexposing my child. I’m confident in my ability to protect her and still write a blog. This is really the only negative thing that has happened to me aside from the occasional weird or rude comment. (I don’t really mind those. At least someone read it.)

Again, this could be a totally innocent thing and someone was looking for some type of Anne Geddes cute picture. But, “naked baby girls in the bathtub” does have a creepy, pedophilia vibe. The worse part? It got four clicks to my site! Someone searched that four times!

If you’re a parent, what would you do if you were me? I mean, show me a parent in 2012 that hasn’t posted an adorable bubble bath picture of their kids on Facebook or a blog? Am I overreacting? Be honest. Seriously.

This is What I Wore Wednesday Football Edition!

It’s becoming a regular thing now for me to link up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday.

In the south we wear sundresses to tailgate for football games.  We stayed home for football this weekend, so I kept it casual.

Saturday, of course were the college games.  Auburn was first.  We couldn’t tailgate with Tiger fans in the “Loveliest Village on the Plains” but I still felt like looking cute in orange and blue.  The later game was our UNC Tar Heels.  I quickly threw on my favorite Carolina t-shirt and jeans for the second game.  I didn’t feel much like wearing a skirt.

Auburn

Orange tank: Old Navy

Navy skirt: New York & Company

Navy necklace: Target

Navy headband with white polka dots: Target

Flip-Flops: Rainbows

Carolina

Jeans: Citizens of Humanity

T-shirt: PressBox

Flip-Flops: Rainbows

Sunday was NFL time!  We went out to lunch with friends, each couple donned their respective team’s apparel.  Greyson and I of course wore Carolina Panthers garb.  This is me channeling my inner Cam Newton with my best “Heisman” pose.

T-shirt: Old Navy

Skirt: Target

Flip Flops: Rainbows (in black, the above are in brown)

My husband makes fun of me every time he has to take my picture for one of these.  But, this week he didn’t mind so much.  Particularly because it distracted him from these losing games.  Yep.  Our team lost every. single. game.  Oh well!  Here’s to a better season with more cute football outfits.

Who takes your pictures for WIWW?  What do you wear for football? 

http://remember911tribute.blogspot.com

I didn’t get the chance to visit the World Trade Center Memorial when I was in New York for BlogHer ’12 last month. My new friends Diana and Rebecca did. I sat in the airport waiting for my flight and saw Diana send out a picture like this one on Instagram.

My stomach flipped and my heart dropped. Why hadn’t I heard about the pregnant women with “and her unborn child” written alongside their names?

Last year on the 10th anniversary of that terrible day I watched the memorial opening on television with the rest of the nation. I believe it’s important to grieve and remember each year. We have to.

This year I will be thinking of all of the victims, but especially the 11 mothers’ names etched into the stone where those incredible buildings once stood. 10 known expectant mothers were killed 09/11/01. (An eleventh died in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and is also part of the memorial.) 10 of those babies were due in late 2001 or early 2002. They would be 10 1/2 now, probably 5th graders. 5th graders who love Justin Bieber and study fractions. They would have mothers. They would have families who couldn’t imagine the horrors of that day. We would be living in a country with less stringent airport regulations and less fear.

Today I mourn those children. I mourn with their families. I mourn our nation that will never be the same.

“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.”
-Bruce Lee

I have had willow trees on my mind all day today. I can’t remember the last time I thought about a willow tree. I’m quite sure I have never thought about them many times in one day. But it’s not everyday a new little Willow comes into your life.

Meet my new cousin Willow Ivy. My cousin Scott, his sweet wife Allison, and 3-year-old daughter Lana welcomed Willow yesterday.

I can’t wait to meet her and smooch her cheeks! I showed Charlotte pictures of her today. She grinned, pointed, and clapped her hands with a giggle.

I know this quote is by Bruce Lee. I know he is a martial arts movie star. I understand that is kind of funny for a quote relating to a new baby, but read it again. Welcome Willow! I’m confident you can can live up to your name, staying strong in life’s winds.