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baby crownature learningoutdoorsafety tipstoddler
A fluffy baby crow sitting in the grass looking up at the camera

So Your Toddler Brought a Live Baby Crow Into the Kitchen

Beau was standing in the middle of my kitchen holding what looked like a dusty, highly aggressive potato. Dirt was falling onto my freshly swept linoleum, our golden retriever was losing his absolute mind by the back door, and an...

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baby safetynature learningoutdoorparenting tipstoddler
Small spotted wild kitten hiding in suburban backyard bushes

Found A Baby Bobcat In Your Yard? Read This First

My husband came through the back door holding a dirty garden towel. He looked weirdly proud of himself. Inside the towel was a hissing, spotted furball about the size of a baked potato. He told me he saved a stray...

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90s nostalgiababy gearoutdoorparenting humourproduct guidesurvival
Marcus looking stressed while packing a massive diaper bag by the front door

Why a Real Babys Day Out Requires a Massive Deployment Pipeline

I was standing by the open door of my Honda Civic, sweating through a flannel shirt in 60-degree Portland weather, holding a diaper bag that weighed roughly the same as a car battery. My 11-month-old son was strapped into his...

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early developmentnature learningoutdoorparenting humoursafesafe sleep
A confused toddler pointing at a baby skunk under a wooden backyard deck

That Time My Toddler Tried To Pet A Baby Skunk In The Backyard

I was wearing my husband's college sweatpants with the mysterious bleach stain on the knee, holding my third cup of reheated dark roast, just staring blankly at the azalea bushes when Leo screamed, "MOMMY, SPICY KITTEN!" I froze. It was...

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6-month-oldgearoutdoorparenthoodtravel
A dad pushing a jogging stroller on a paved trail while looking exhausted

Debugging the Jogging Stroller: When Can We Actually Run?

I was exactly 400 meters into my first postpartum run around Mt. Tabor, pushing our everyday walking stroller, when the front wheel hit a stray pinecone and the entire chassis vibrated like a smartphone receiving an emergency alert. Inside the...

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baby gearboundariesmaternal mental healthoutdoorrainbow baby
Tired mom sitting on the floor with a dog and baby gear scattered around

Miss Nikki Baby, Rainbow Babies, and Tuning Out the Internet Noise

I spent the entirety of my second pregnancy locked in the downstairs half-bath, doom-scrolling baby forums until my legs fell asleep and my phone battery hit two percent. I was convinced every tiny twinge was a catastrophe, and I was...

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6-month-oldanimal learninganxietybaby sleepearly developmentoutdoor
Marcus holding a sleepy baby in an owl sleep sack next to a stack of toddler books.

The Baby Owl Bug: Sleep Hacks, Separation Panic and Bird Law

My mom told me on Tuesday to just let him cry it out because he's testing my authority, which is hilarious because he's eleven months old and mostly communicates by blowing raspberries at the dog. On Wednesday, our ultra-crunchy Portland...

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baby safetynature learningoutdoorparenting humoursummer baby
A tiny baby hummingbird resting safely on a green leaf outdoors

Dear Jess: What I Wish I Knew Before the Baby Hummingbird Incident

Dear Jess of last May, put down the plastic eye dropper and step away from the kitchen counter before you inadvertently commit a federal wildlife crime. Right now, the baby is strapped to your sweaty chest in the carrier, the...

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animal learningbabyoutdoorparenting humoursafety tipstoddler
A confused dad holding twin girls looking at a small wild canine in a garden

Surviving a baby coyote encounter with jetlagged twin toddlers

It was 4:17 in the morning in suburban California, and I was losing my mind. We had foolishly decided to drag our two-year-old twin girls on a twelve-hour flight from Heathrow to Los Angeles to visit my wife's brother, operating...

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