Adventures in Cross Country Traveling: The Dos and Don'ts of Traveling with Multiple Children

This summer, my family (me, my husband and our two kiddos, ages almost 2 yrs. and 7 1/2 yrs.) traveled from Virginia to Oregon with my sister and her family (her, her husband and her two kiddos, ages 2 yrs and 4 yrs) via airplane to visit our mother's side of the family.  Here are some tips from our experiences:

DO:  Pack snack bags for each kid and adults.   My sister had the idea for the kids' bags.  I had just brought stuff we could toss in one of the carry ons.  She already had bags started for each kid with their names on them.  Since each kid has preferences, it came in handy to have their names on them.  Here's what were in the kids' bags: graham crackers, fruit pouches (Go Gos, Smashems, etc.), fruit roll ups, fruit snacks, raisins, Goldfish crackers, Crackerfuls.  Things that were relatively compact and easy to manage.  Adults had similar items, plus Twizzlers.  Don't forget to pack cups with lids for the kids (with or without beverage in them - TSA will let you through with them, but they will test the contents).

DO: Remember any medicines you might need for you AND the kids.  Both the toddlers were on antibiotics the whole trip and their meds needed to be kept cold.  We packed a soft cooler with ice packs and their meds and a baggie full of clean medicine dispensers.  Yes, TSA needed to check their meds, but that was fine by me.  We also brought along sinus meds for adults (air pressure can wreck havoc on sinuses!) and Children's Tylenol for the kids, just in case.  My sister also brought Dramamine.

DON'T:  Get on the plane hungry!  Your snacks will be gone before you know it!

DO:  Put the kids in similar/matching shirts.  This was my idea for the trip home.  While in Oregon, we went to the Portland Children's Museum.  The day we went happened to be tie-dye day, so we let each of the kids make a shirt.  I thought it would be cute if they all wore them on the trip home.  Well, let me tell you, it was quite nice to be able to look up and do a quick tie-dyed head count!



DO:  Pack extra t-shirt and pants for each kid (and at least a shirt for yourself!).  My sister saved my butt on this one because I didn't pack extra bottoms for my youngest, but she had packed extras for her oldest.  Both little ones had unfortunate diaper incidents before getting on the plane at 6:00 am.  Which leads me to the next DON'T:

DON'T:  Book a 6:00 am flight!  Yes, we saved some money. Yes, we got to Portland with a lot of daylight left.  But, we were an exhausted, hungry, virtually decaffeinated group of parents with 4 kids under the age of 8 who were able to nap at various points of the trip (never all at once!) and have energy to spare once we landed.  Granted: they were as well behaved as we could have asked them to be under the circumstances, but still...okay, so really it was the parents who had a harder time with it.

DO:  Try to get seats together at the back of the plane!  This worked wonderfully for us!  We were as out of the way as we could be, next to the bathrooms and near flight attendants should we need anything quickly.  The older two sat together and kept each other occupied, while the younger two sat with me and my sister or brother-in-law (whoever my nephew wanted at the moment).  Since planes don't go 4 seats across (my daughter was still a "lap baby" at just under 2 years, so that worked out well for us), my husband got a seat in the row directly in front of us (he's not a huge fan of flying so he really tries to get a window seat).  This was helpful because he was close enough to us that I could hand our daughter over the seat to him if I needed a break or she needed a change of scenery.



DO:  Pack books, DVD players/laptops/iPads with movies, small toys, crayons and coloring books, as well as a sweater for everyone.  Pack a camera (either on your phone or an actual camera) to capture wonderful moments such as these (Note: only climb up into overhead bins, visit the cockpit and explore the galley with your flight attendant's permission!):







DON'T: Expect there to be room in the lavatory to help your little ones go "potty".  Unfortunately, some airlines have bathrooms the size of a nickle, and there's no room to help your little one navigate getting pants down, sitting etc.  You may just have to change some diapers while they stand up on the toilet seat, or change them at your seat if they can't stand up (i.e. infants.  Our airplane did not have a handy changing table in the lavatory, like some other planes I've been on do).

DO: Bring your own car seats!  Unless you have seats waiting for you at your destination, bring your own car seats!  The car rental company wanted to charge us $65 a seat for the week we were in town!  Highway robbery!  For that price, we could have bought new seats when we got there.  It was worth carrying our own seats to the check in counter and having them checked.  It does not count against your luggage count and they are free to check at the counter or the gate.  At least with our airline it was.  Check with your airline before going.

DO: Spend the few dollars it might cost for those luggage carts at the airport.  You may not want to, but when trying to wrangle toddlers, you need all the hands you can get.  Get a cart, stack your luggage and car seats and have one person push that while others takes kiddos' hands and/or strollers.

DO:  Bring a stroller if you have toddlers.  Especially if yours has a storage basket under the seat.  If you have a couple of kiddos, have the youngest in the seat and the other holding onto the stroller, or walking next to it.

DO:  Give older kids jobs, like holding hands of younger children or pulling a rolling suitcase.  Our 7 1/2 year old was very helpful when it came to walking through the terminals - he held hands with his cousins and little sister, gladly carried his little sister's carry on, loved pushing the stroller - he loved being useful.

DO: Make sure you have enough time between flights, if you have a layover.  I prefer at least an hour and a half between flights to give everyone a chance to stretch their legs, use the restroom, get a bite to eat and have time to get to the gate on time.  Rushing kids is no picnic.  On our flight out to Oregon, our plane landed, but we did not have a plane change.  There was only 1/2 hour between other people disembarking and new passengers boarding, so my sister and I sent the husbands off for snacks, and we stayed on the plane with the kids.  I feared for mine and my sister's sanities.  Fortunately, we had an AWESOME flight attendant who let us play on the plane while we waited.  She was patient, inventive and fun (see above shenanigans pictures).  We will never forget Flight Attendant Kate!

DO: Have fun!  Yes, it was stressful at times, but on the whole, we had good flights!

There you have it!  I hope our experiences from flying this summer with multiple children are helpful to your future flying adventures.  It was certainly helpful that we had one-on-one coverage, but well thought out and planned flights can be fun and successful, even if you run into some turbulence on the way.  Bon Voyage!

Adding a challenge to summer reading

Well, it's that time of year again: summer!  Lazy days hanging out with friends, time at the pool, visiting family,  attending camps, reading and writing.  Wait.  What?  Yep, reading AND writing.  As you may recall, if you were a reader last summer, we created our own summer reading program for our 6 year-old son (http://citygirlinsmalltownamerica.blogspot.com/2012/06/summer-fun-and-reading.html).  His goal last year: to read 10 Magic Tree House, or other similar chapter books, to earn a trip to The Little League World Series and a t-shirt from the games.  It was such a success, that this summer, it's the same reward, but he has to read five, more difficult chapter books (he's moved up five reading levels since last summer, so we're expecting more challenging books, which may take him longer).  He's chosen a few of the Matt Christopher baseball books to start out with.  Any books he reads over the designated amount earns him a dollar per book to spend how he wishes at the game.

He's also going to write this summer!  His teacher sent a notebook home with every student encouraging and challenging them to write in the notebook 4 days a week during the summer.  If this is completed and returned to her at the beginning of the school year, they would get a special "mystery gift" from her.  Challenge accepted!  As our son is a very visual learner, we've created our charts again so he can track his progress for both his reading and writing.







There you have it!  A summer full of fun, sun, water, books and writing!  Stay safe out there!

To My Little Miss: Like Tinkerbell

To My Little Miss:

Like Tinkerbell.  Please.  If you choose to really like any mainstream female character, like Tinkerbell.  Here's why:

1) She's independent, but knows when and how to ask for help.

2) When she makes a mistake, and she makes quite a few, she tries to correct it and learn from it.

3) She's creative and uses her imagination to create new things out of "found things".

4)  She's persistent.

5) She's loving and caring to her friends and living things.

6) She's a problem solver and challenge accepter.

7) She takes chances and tries new things.

8) She likes adventures.

9)  She is strong of body and character.

My Love, you are incredible.  Already you take risks (sometimes giving your mother heart attacks and yourself bruises, but they heal).  You are persistent (and stubborn, which can be a lethal combination, but will serve you well, once you learn to use those skills properly).  You try again (that's why you're in a toddler bed already).  You are physically strong and have great balance.  You are loving and caring (I've seen you pat your brother's back when he's upset and you are very gentle with animals).  You're a problem solver (if you can't reach your fruit snacks, by golly you know how to get to your brother's!  I should probably move those again.). And challenge accepter (you'll probably figure out how to get to yours and your brother's fruit snack after I move them).  You are independent and you will try new things, but will ask for help, when you need it.

So, my loving, strong, independent, persistent, problem solving, risk taking little wonder: if you choose to like a female character, please choose a strong one.  Choose Tinkerbell.  I'll try to restrain myself from influencing your decision too much.

I love you!
Mommy

To My Kiddo...

Dear Kiddo:

I love you.  You amaze me every day.  You are funny, outgoing, a great friend and an active 7 year-old.  You have a wonderful imagination that is apparent in your writing from school, your art project choices, and your dreams.  You use your brain to figure out math problems much faster than I ever did when I was your age, and you enjoy the challenge of a new type of math problem or difficult word.  You enjoy reading and you're good at it.  You love school.

You're having some issues with some of the other boys at school.  I'm so sorry.  I know what that's like.  It's frustrating and confusing.  Yet, even when you've had a day with rough patches, you come home with a smile on your face.  I like your attitude!  When I hear about those rough patches and hear the hurt in your voice, my heart breaks.  I can't be there to protect you from all of this, and I shouldn't be.  It is my job as a parent to guide you so you know how to navigate these waters on your own.  So, here's my advice:

- Be of strong character and stand up for yourself and others who are in similar situations, but don't be obnoxious about it.  Look at the whole situation, say/do what needs to be said or done and move on.  Easier said than done, I know, but the other kids are trying to figure out this whole socially acceptable thing too.  Some have a harder time of it than others.
- Know when to walk away: if someone is just being mean, walk away and find a friend.
- Know when to tell an adult: if you, or someone else is being hurt, tell a teacher.
- Make other friends:  find some kids who like the same things you do and like you for who you are.  You have better things to do with your time than trying to be friends with someone who is not ready, or willing, to be a friend.
- Take pride in your accomplishments, but also take them in stride and encourage others who are doing well or struggling: in other words, "Be a good winner".
- Be a leader:  leading is about give and take, not about bossing others around.  A good leader listens to their friends and knows when to let others take a turn at leading.  That means not taking over or interrupting a conversation, my little chatterbox.

Lastly: don't ever change who you are to fit what someone else thinks you should be.  Your outgoing, active, imaginative and friendly personality will serve you well throughout life.  Right now, it's elementary school and the world is a very big place.  1st grade is almost over and 2nd grade is a new year.  A lot of growing and maturing can happen over a summer.  It's time to enjoy some well deserved time off.

I love you Kiddo!

Mommy

Camping: The Great Debate

Ah camping!  A tent, a good camp mat, a sleeping bag, the night sky and a campfire.  And a bathroom.  Yes, a bathroom.  Preferably with running water.  That's my definition of camping.  I came across this article this evening and I really enjoyed reading about different ways to camp and people's thoughts on camping.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/24/travel/camping-escape-debate/index.html?hpt=hp_bn10

I've been tent camping where we hiked to our camp site and had no running water.  I've camped at campgrounds, in the snow.  I've camped on a platform tent, in a camper, in a cabin and in my backyard.  Come to think of it, for a city girl, I've done quite a bit of camping in my life.  Most of it was done before 6th grade, but the experiences and memories are still there.  As an adult (past college age), I've only gone camping twice, and both of those were this year at Cub Scout Family Camps.  Thankfully, our site has been within an easy walk of the restrooms.  Kind of spooky in the middle of the night because you have to go down a road through some of the woods, so I try to limit my beverage intake before my last trip before bed.  But, I digress.

My questions to you are these: 1) What is YOUR definition of camping?  2) What is your favorite way to camp?

Shame on A & F, Well Done H & M and American Eagle

I am disgusted.  The company and CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch is doing nothing but propagating and encouraging exclusion and bullying of people who are of a "larger" size. Read:

Abercrombie & Fitch wants thin customers

While in his 2006 interview he did not say, "Thin, cool people should go and bully those who don't fit our company's ideal", he might as well have.  What is he telling the impressionable, teen-aged customer by only having "hot" models in their ads and stores, or only carrying up to a size large (a size 10, which apparently is about an 8 in other retailer's sizes) in ladies clothes?  He's telling them that those who don't fit their clothes are not good enough, or cool enough and that they should be excluded.  Exclusion is a gateway to bullying.  Sometimes, it's almost worse.  Loneliness can be as damaging as harmful words.

On the flip-side, I applaud H & M and American Eagle for opening their sizes to those who are of a larger body.  Does America need to be a healthier nation?  Of course we do!  But why should those who are heavier be forced to wear clothes that don't help their self-image?  When people feel good about themselves, they want to better themselves!  And while outward appearances are certainly not everything, it doesn't hurt to want to look good in what you're wearing, be it from H & M, American Eagle or Target.  Larger people have fashion sense too!

My challenge to you is this, no matter what your shape or size:  boycott Abercrombie & Fitch.  They don't need our business and we shouldn't be including ourselves in the business of hurting others.  Give your business to their competition, H & M and American Eagle, or whomever you can afford that isn't A & F.

Just my two cents.

We're not moving...

In a different twist of fate, my family is not moving anywhere this summer.  Since my husband and I have been married (13 years), we have moved either every summer, or every other summer.  We have never lived in one house/apartment longer than two years.  We've lived in a town or city longer than 2 years, but never the same dwelling.

However, our first friends here in our small town are moving.  This is different for us.  We've always been the ones moving.  Now the shoe is on the other foot, and we're saying goodbye and staying.  When they told us they were moving, we were both excited for their new opportunities and adventures, and sad because they are leaving.  Our son and their daughter have become very close: two peas, I always say.  They "get" each other.  Due to one thing and another, we haven't seen as much of them this school year as we might have liked, and I'm bummed we won't have the summer to catch up at the pool, playground and backyard bar-b-ques.  Even though we're in a small town, and our kids see each other every day, sometimes it feels like we're states apart from our friends who live a mile away.  Thankfully, there's Facebook and Skype.  My family will always appreciate them reaching out to us, even before we arrived, welcoming us to the area, and introducing us to more friends.  It truly made the world of difference.  So, even though they have about a month before they leave, I want to say, "Thank you!".  Thank you for everything you have done and your friendship.  Good luck to you in your new home and on your new adventures!  We will miss you!