I think I am carseat'ed out for the day (rambling)

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
I'm doing five private checks this week, no six, just got another for Saturday morning. I think I did two last week, four the week before. Today I did a four hour check with SK at a local BRU and I am sunburned. You can see where the sunblock covered and where it didn't. I did a private check this evening and actually came across an expired Roundabout. For some reason I never see expired Britaxes. They're always everything else. Luckily their little one is still little, so they're going to put her back into her infant seat (without LATCH in the center of their Toyota this time) while they do some shopping. They got the "get out of jail free" card where I just installed their seat and let them leave that way (rethreaded the harness for them, the whole bit) just so I know she's as safe as possible on the drive home.

I got to see some doozies today at the check. First off, one of my instructors was there. The nice lady, not EI. Oh thank goodness not EI. I butted heads on the second car I think with the coordinator, also an instructor. She said the more developed child should get the outboard and the lesser developed get the middle (FFing vs RFing). I said of course the other way. And as it turned out the mom didn't want to be pressured into putting them next to each other (I mention it, or take a glance and see why maybe the baby isn't in the middle, maybe the front seat is very far back so the driver fits and the seat won't fit in the middle.....). But the coordinator didn't like me explaining my side as she went to get paperwork, I could tell. Whatever, she's wrong. LOL RFing compensates for the lack of ossification. Hence the whole RFing thing....

When was LATCH required in vehicles? Top tether anchors? Another guy said 1999 for anchors and 2001 for LATCH and I thought it was cars made after September 1, 2000 for anchors and cars made after September 1, 2001 for LATCH (happy birthday LATCH!).

Anyway, my favorite was the little guy who was graduating from his Snugride to a brand spanking new Triumph Advance. 2002 Chevy Trailblazer. The son-in-law, the child's dad, had installed the infant seat. I went over because I saw someone was going to install a new Triumph, I hadn't seen that yet. We checked quickly the Snugride as it had come in. Man oh man. That guy never consulted anything with "manual" in the title. He had it installed in the center with the LATCH strap going out and down and anchoring to the tether anchors (which on the Trailblazer you can get to by sticking your hand through the bight). The Trailblazer didn't have LATCH, just the anchors, so that was error number one. Number two, the Trailblazer didn't allow center installations. It said so clearly in the manual. Oh man. That guy worked hard for that installation too. It took two of us to get it out. I like the new Triumph installed, though the contour of the backseat made the door side knob hard to use.

Let's see, nothing expired, but a Century 11 months from going. A great AOE installation that took two of us 45 minutes to figure out how to get it to work. The poor mom had done nothing right. Center LATCH install in a Toyota, the harness was too loose, she had a mat under it. Just ugh.

We did 32 seats in four hours. The time went by so quickly. I had a lot of fun. It was nice to see my instructor (PI, for those who remember those updates. She ended up with her new baby in a Boulevard from birth that her coworkers gave her. HUH? Whatever). She and I are on the same page. I met quite a few Durham County Traffic cops and they were nice. Some of them were young and cocky, but hey, when you're 28 and you have a motorcycle, siren, gun, and badge, you're likely to be a bit cocky. Why they weren't wearing full face helmets and body protection was beyond me.

I can't wait to see what the statistics were on today's check. I had some that were only minorly wrong (needed tightening only or something) but that's still wrong. I have yet to see a seat I'd not change a thing on. I got to show a mom how to install a Safeseat 1 with the seatbelt. LOL I think that was the fastest check of the afternoon (she didn't have the bucket, just the base, she wasn't expecting to run into a check). She honestly looked shocked when I showed her how it worked. "That's it?" LOL Yup! Three steps. Thread, tighten, lock.

Ok, I'm pooped. I've got three more private checks this week, and then the next two Wednesdays I'm filling in at a fire station in Raleigh since they've just stopped doing checks. Then I finally get my first really local check, right here in my town, at the end of the month. Apparently the administrator for SafeKids NC lives about two miles from me. LOL

Wendy
 
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TN Mary

New member
Keep up the good work Wendy!

Remember, whenever it gets frustrating, tiring or boring, YOU ARE making a difference in children's lives!! :thumbsup:
 

CRS

Senior Community Member
ohhhhhhhhhhhh jealous jealous jealous am I! hehehehe.

YOU ROCK WENDY!
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
WTG, Wendy! I've been busy too. Two weeks ago I did a presentation for a local Mom's Club, turns out the dh of the lady who invited me does a local radio morning show and asked me to come on last week for a quick spot, and in the last week I've done two phone consultations, a seat check, and I have two more seat checks this weekend....
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
ohhhhhhhhhhhh jealous jealous jealous am I! hehehehe.

YOU ROCK WENDY!

I'm jealous of you, you're coming into spring. It has been SO HOT here. I think in August there was one day that was 89, the rest were 90 degrees or hotter. September hasn't been much better, mostly mid 90s, today may have not gotten to 90. I am sunburned and exhausted to the bone. Too much sun. :) Maybe I should have done what the police officers did and not yelled "dibs!" every time I was free and sat in the shade for a while.

Thanks. :)

Wendy
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
WTG, Wendy! I've been busy too. Two weeks ago I did a presentation for a local Mom's Club, turns out the dh of the lady who invited me does a local radio morning show and asked me to come on last week for a quick spot, and in the last week I've done two phone consultations, a seat check, and I have two more seat checks this weekend....

That is so awesome!! Spreading the word on the radio. :) Maybe it'll start a trend.

I find phone conversations harder than hands on. It's so hard to see what's happening and to not see the child.

Do you have a recording of you on the air?

Wendy
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Keep up the good work Wendy!

Remember, whenever it gets frustrating, tiring or boring, YOU ARE making a difference in children's lives!! :thumbsup:

Thanks. :) Never boring. Exhausting yes. I handled three new seats today, which was nice (Companion, Triumph Advance, Flex Loc). I got to have fun with a lot of "old friends." Only one Britax the entire time. Then the expired Britax this evening.

It's 10:22, I normally go to bed after midnight, and I'm barely keeping my eyes open. LOL

There were at least three seats today that had possible fatal installations. Three that I saw and fixed, anyway. "Saving lives, one carseat at a time." :) "CPST, another way to spell hero."

Wendy
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
That is so awesome!! Spreading the word on the radio. :) Maybe it'll start a trend.

I find phone conversations harder than hands on. It's so hard to see what's happening and to not see the child.

Do you have a recording of you on the air?

Wendy

Yeah, phone consultations are much more difficult. Unfortunately, I do not have a recording of the on-air broadcast (it was live), but Cam and the kids listened and Cam said it went well. I was so nervous though!:dizzy: Did I mention I hate public speaking? lol

Here's a pic though
jackjenpanera07_08.jpg
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Oh wow. So you weren't even in a little studio where you could pretend it was just you and the DJ. Brave brave woman. :)

Wendy
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
Cool Wendy! Sounds like a busy albeit exhausting day.

I'm volunteering at a firehall seat check here tomorrow, but we're not in hot weather anymore and it's only 2hrs long. ;)

It'd be exciting to see all those new seats. I wish a new new seat would come to Canada. :cool:
 

waterbaby

New member
You really are awesome Wendy!

I can't wait to get hands on... and you're close by. I'd love to do a check with you!
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Cool Wendy! Sounds like a busy albeit exhausting day.

I'm volunteering at a firehall seat check here tomorrow, but we're not in hot weather anymore and it's only 2hrs long. ;)

It'd be exciting to see all those new seats. I wish a new new seat would come to Canada. :cool:

Canada does get the short end of this stick. Which is so odd as you guys have had tethering mandatory and the 4 and 40 law for much longer than us.

I hope your check goes well. :)

Wendy
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
You really are awesome Wendy!

I can't wait to get hands on... and you're close by. I'd love to do a check with you!

I don't know that I'd go that far, but thank you.

Let me know when you do a check! It'd be nice to have someone locally who is also here, who won't look at me like I have two heads when I recommend putting a three year old 26 pounder RFing.

Wendy
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Um....yeah. :p It was the patio at the local Panera. lol But afterwards they fed me. ;)

Mmmmm, Panera food. Babies R Us provided lunch yesterday. Chick Fil A. But 1) I'm a vegetarian and 2) I'm trying to lose those last 10 pounds (I've lost 30) and so I brought my own high protein, low fat lunch. Avoided the chicken sandwich and doritos everyone else was eating. :)

Wendy
 

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