Mommy Words » Travel

Capturing the Memories of Early Childhood

Brittany — Mon, 17 May 2010 01:21:59 +0000

This is third of five posts over ten days as part of Momalom’s Five for Ten. We are all writing about the same topics in an honest effort to get to know one another better and make more connections.

Our first topic was Courage. The second was Happiness. Today’s is Memory.

If you are already a regular Mommy Words visitor, I hope you enjoy these posts. If you are here as a part of the Five for Ten, welcome! I can’t wait to get to know you.

Many people laugh when they hear all the places we take our very young kids. Some say “Why go through the hassle? They won’t remember”. Some people’s mouths drop open. There are even crazies who imply we “force” them to do things they aren’t old enough for. I say…as my mom said before me…”PSHAW!”

My kids are 3, 2 and 15 weeks. I readily admit, I do not remember the days before about my 4th birthday, but I am sure glad my mom did not think it was a waste to take me to the zoo or a museum for the first 4 years of my life just because my little brain might not forever remember blowing out my first birthday candles or petting my first goat or walking into my first day of pre-school. Likewise, I’m sure glad she decided to have me at all, seeing as I don’t remember my birth and all. I think I probably liked being born and all that birthday cake and goat petting and stuff.

We drag take our tots as many places as possible because I believe that even if they don’t remember, these experinces help their precious minds to grow. Going lots of places also aids in social development and has helped me to teach important lessons about acceptance, patience and even money! As an extra benefit, the more active we are, the less bored I am and the more likely it is they will nap. I am not the only one who thinks that really cool experiences plus a really great nap makes for great days. Right?

Yes, it is often tiring and takes a lot of planning. Yes, sometimes we have massive meltdowns and contemplate never leaving the house again. Yes, these trips are primarily for the kids and usually lack the sort of relaxation and fruity cocktails that are nice on a vacation day. But I have no regrets. I just have thousands of wonderful memories.

I capture all of our experiences with my camera or Flip Video and we spend lots of time picking out our favorites, making albums and sending them to family and friends. We re-live all of our experiences by talking about each trip for days on end. Many therapists think this kind of repetition, where children learn the words to associate with their experiences, will actually help them remember.

I have to honest here. While they may not remember, I WILL. If I am wrong and my kids do not get any social, intellectual or physical benefits from all of our activities over the past 3 years, I am creating memories that will last for my whole life. These experiences with my kids are precious to me as I see them open their eyes and hearts to the world around them and watch the huge smiles spread across their little faces.

In the spirit of getting to know me, here are some of my favorite memories with my kids out and about the country.

We alwasys go to the zoo. Actually, I think we go to every zoo and aquarium whenever we are within 90 minutes of one. Asheboro, Columbia, Charleston, Baltimore, New Orleans, San Antonio, Orlando…where there are animals you will find us! We have done this since Sophia started pointing to animals. The kids love animals and have a fabulous time. I have a ball watching them have a ball. It makes us all happy! How could I miss this excitement on Sophia’s face at 1?

A 1 year old thinks it is pretty awesome and very silly when a gorilla picks his nose and eats it. So do I. You should never get so old that this does not make you giggle. And your kids are almost never too young to find this funny.

At the Reston Zoo in Virginia, Miles got licked by this camel when he tried to kiss it. Unforgettable and yes, he stil tries to kiss animals. Sheep, cows, horses…he has smooched ‘em all.

We usually go to Charleston, S.C. for New Years and find so much to do with the family. When Sophia was 2 and Miles was 8 months old we went to Patriots Point, home of the U.S.S. Yorktown aircraft carrier and TONS of airplanes. We explored the ship and then ran around the flight deck on a cold winter morning. It was wonderful!

I loved taking the kids to the Angel Oaktree believed to be more than 1500 years old. It is enormous at 25 feet in circumference and providing 17,000 square feet of shade. It is also breathtakingly beautiful.

We rocked Washington D.C. while visiting my mom last year and hit the best parts for little kids in most of the National museums. The National Building Museum was the kids’ favorite. Why? You can actually build things and run around in this giant open hall!

The Smithsonian and the Natural History Museum were not far behind. We all had a BLAST at the National Air and Space Museum. Little kids are pretty impressed by big airplanes and oh yeah..space ships. We learned how to dye wool at Mount Vernon and watched a sheep being shorn. She may not really remember it, but I will remind her how cool she thought the Washington Monument is…even at 3…she could see that Obelisks pretty much rock.

Our best and most recent trip was to Disney World. After4 days, 3 parks and thousands of pictures I would say we made memories that will last a lifetime.

So now you know. My tagline really could be Have Kids…Will Travel.

I think we can make wonderful memories with our kids in much simpler ways too. We are blessed to have family in so many wonderful places and be able to travel with our kids to add these very special experiences to thir early years.

I would love to hear where you have made your favorite family memories and would LOVE to hear what your child’s earliest memory is. I mean come on – is there any chance they will remember any of this?

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The Spectromagic Parade

Brittany — Mon, 10 May 2010 18:57:11 +0000

While the Spectromagic parade at the Magic Kingdom did not start until an hour after bedtime (start time 9 p.m.) we love all things fancy and sparkly around here so we made sure to be there. We did not regret it. It was brilliant. The kids did not miss bedtime at all.

The Lights Begin!

From the first floats we were mesmerized. I felt a rush of anticipation as the parade officially began. We sat right across the Liberty bridge and had perfect views of the parade..and seats at a table where Miles had his first taste of fried dough. Is there anything better?

Introducing Spectromagic

After the introduction the parade of sparkling Disney characters began and my kids were swept away with the magic and excitement! I did feel for those around us as Sophia and Miles screamed out the names of each character as they came by and my little girl squealed with glee at the “most beautiful stuff ever.” The parade was priceless and my kids were loud but precious. It was a night I will never forget.

Sophia Sees Mickey - The Parade Begins

Mickey was channeling Elvis in his snazzy getup. I loved it! The kids went crazy when they saw him!

Mickey the "King" of the Parade

It was perfect when we saw Merryweather as we told the kids the fairies were making the castle change colors before the show!

Some Blue Magic

We saw the Genie in all the parades both day and night. It was a special treat because he was not in any of the character greetings. He is a special favorite of Ross’. I mean come on, Robin Williams rocked as Genie and Aladdin remains one of our favorite movies.

Make a Wish!

The characters kept coming and we loved every one but I especially liked Ariel and her villain, Ursula.

Ariel & Flounder

Ursula was HUGE! And so cool looking!

Ursula Looms Large

Sophia kept asking about Cinderella and Minnie Mouse and she was not disappointed! We saw Cinderella with Jaq and Gus in her carriage.

Cinderella in Her Bright Carriage

And as the parade drew to an end all of Mickey’s friends, including the Queen Minnie, made their way across the bridge.

Minnie Mouse in Lights

The Spectromagic parade made us all happy. Very happy. It was truly an enchanting experience and I would give it a not to be missed ranking in things to do at Disney World. After the parade we hightailed it back to the monorail to catch the fireworks from afar at the Polynesian, where they play the fireworks music while you watch from the beach. It was a perfect evening.

Cinderella’s Rainbow Castle

Brittany — Thu, 06 May 2010 15:44:07 +0000

There was no way we could miss the lights and wonder of Cinderella’s castle and the Spectromagic Parade at the Magic Kingdom. My parade post and pictures are coming tomorrow but who could believe that a color changing castle would keep the kids’ attention for almost an hour waiting for the parade? I told Sophia and Miles that Flora, Fauna and Merriweather (Sleeping Beauty’s Fairies) were changing the colors while the princesses were getting ready in the castle. You can see there are lights on in the towers so it was a very believable story. It was even better when the fairies showed up in the parade! It was really an incredible thing to see. We got seats right across the bridge near the Liberty tavern. It was perfect.

Cinderella's Castle

Rose Colored Castle

Purple Castle

The Castle Blues

Citrus Castle

A Castle in Two Colors

Dreamy Castle

I am writing a series of posts on our experience with pre-schoolers at Disney World with lots of great tips, itineraries, and tons of photos! Stay tuned for the Mommy Words Disney page!

Will Pre-Schoolers Love Disney? Yes!

Brittany — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:12:59 +0000

The Castle Before a Show

Many people looked at me like I was a looney bin when I told them we were taking our kids to Disney World for 4 days and 3 parks. Sophia is 3. Miles celebrated his 2nd birthday at Disney. Violet was just 13 weeks old. I am here to say that each and every day was magic. I saw more smiles in that time than in the last year as my kids enjoyed rides, met characters, saw amazing shows and explored the different lands of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot and the Animal Kingdom.

There is a whole side of Disney that is made for little ones, perfect for encouraging imagination, getting their first thrill of a ride, learning about different places around our country and our world and yes, practicing patience. Disney has a whole program called Magical Beginnings for their smallest friends and they treat every little girl and boy like the prince or princess we all know they are. Disney made my kids feel like their dreams came true!

There was a lot of planning that went into this trip to make sure we got the most out of every day. I am going to write a series of posts on planning your trip with small children and I will give you my super successful itinerary for each of the parks we visited. If you can, put Disney World on your list. You will be tired at the end, but you will never forget the magic.

Why? Because kids this young BELIEVE the magic. The kids think that Mickey and his friends live in Toon Town. They think Cinderella and her friends live in Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom or Akershus at Epcot. They believe that each and every day all of their favorite Disney friends have a huge dance party and that they were invited. Sophia was astounded that Minnie invited her to the dance party by the castle and that Belle invited her to breakfast. Miles gave priceless bear hugs to giant fuzzy characters that he knows are his friends. He loves them.

Sophia was a Princess and met Belle, Ariel, Snow White, Mulan, Cinderella, Pohahontas and Sleeping Beauty. Hello? Could anything be better for a 3 year old?

Sophia and Belle at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

Miles finally rode Dumbo (which he has been watching of YouTube for months) and got to see Dumbo in front of the castle. You cannot see Miles in the picture. Kids must sit on the inside. Still, Ross is having a blast!

Ross Enjoys Dumbo with Sophia and Miles

Miles is 2 – so even the little Iron Dumbo was awesome for him!

Miles and Dumbo the Elephant

Lest you think we forgot our littlest princess Violet – nope! She had a great time snuggling with Mommy, riding rides (yes, there are tons of family rides) and meeting the princesses and fairies like her. Actually, Violet was a huge hit with all the characters. Mommy LOVES the pictures!

Violet Meets Tinkerbell's Friend Fawn

We loved our Disney vacation and I am trying to plan another trip as soon as possible! I will be posting all my juicy travel tidbits, reviews of rides and attractions, tutorials on making your own rockin’ character autograph book and of course, my itineraries so stay tuned!

Should you take pre-schoolers to Disney? My answer is a resounding yes!

Everyone Do the Beach Dance

Brittany — Mon, 03 May 2010 16:13:08 +0000

Ready to See me Rock?

On our way back from Disney (henceforth to be known as the Most Magical Place to take kids) hubs felt he had to stop at the beach. Who was I to argue? I mean I think God did at least as well on the lovely beaches as Walt did on his theme parks. We all love the sand and the sun and the pools so we made reservations for 2 nights at our regular beach getaway, Wild Dunes. Can’t beat the time outside and the free food for kids 3 and under. It rocks!

We were all excited. Especially Sophia, who asked me to film a million takes of her “Beach Dance”. She may not be ready for So You Think You Can Dance (the best show on the planet and yes we will be forcing her to dance so she can be on it and mommy can be in the audience) but we think she rocks it out.

The rest of us had a blast too. We just don’t have those moves at a moment’s notice, ya know?

Miles Wins the Seashell Hunt

Girls on the Beach

Sometimes you just need a good long nap and then a vacation from your vacation. This was another perfect couple of days!

Tuckered Out by Disney

Brittany — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 22:46:09 +0000

I can’t wait to tell you all about Disney, but after 4 days spent with 3 little ones in 3 different parks, we are pooped. The kids were tired enough to sleep together every night – no wrestling. This is unheard of. We may actually have been able to pull off that whole Family Bed concept. Also unheard of. Here’s to a good night’s sleep!

Sleeping with Princesses and Cars

Run to the Sun…and Enjoy the Rain

Brittany — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:37:09 +0000

I got an email from Wild Dunes Resort in South Carolina on Thursday offering a deluxe room at the Boardwalk Inn for $79. I checked the weather and saw that we would have one day of sun. This is all I needed to hear baby. It has been NASTY here. I called and booked our tushies a room for one night of fun at the beach.

For those of you who do not know me yet – yes we have kids and yes – we will travel and we love short trips as much as long ones. Sometimes a day or two with little kids is perfect. The beach is a 3 hour drive for us and it is alwasy worth it.

I want to take my babies to wonderful places even if it is a little painful to get there with the little ones. In truth – I want to be that family that goes around the world with my kids. But with a 5 week old, the beach was enough.

We had one day of sun and one day of rain and we packed in a ton of fun and laughs and we got little wet – in the pool and in the rain. It was good to get away!

The best part – momma got pictures!

This is, in fact, the first picture our our entire new family. It is sad that we have not had anyone take our picture yet. I tell you it is tough with 3 kids 3 and under to get any pictures. It is clear why. Ross is physically holding Miles back and Sophia stopped mid run to take the picture. Violet doesn’t get that she has to look at the camera. Oh well, I will cherish it as I am sure family pics will be few and far between!

First Family Picture

I got a couple pictures of my precious Violet – she seemed confused by the bright sun and the wind but she was happy. Sunshine does us all good!

Violet's First Beach Visit

Miles had a blast in the sand and gosh I just think he is so handsome.

Miles Loves the Sand

I am not sure he is that bright yet – or maybe he was just really hungry. He kept eating the sand. Gross!

Boys are Nasty

The beach was sunny but not too warm. At 65 degrees with wind we ran in and out of the ocean and focused on finding our shells and building with sand. As I got pictures of all my kids I realized that I have been a mom for more than 3 years and all of my kids have been on this beach in the first few months of their life. It will always hold a place in my heart.

A Quick Break from the Sandcastle

Just because the beach was too cold didn’t mean no swimming. There is a heated pool! As long as the sun is out my little fish will be in the pool. They loved it!

Sophie on the Pool Steps

Miles as a Shark!

The best thing about Wild Dunes besides the beach is that it is a mere 30 minutes from Charleston – a place with great food and wonderful history that is packed with things to do.

We hit the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry in the early evening. We are fast becoming Children’s Museum connoisseurs and this is one of our favorites. There are so many great rooms but we spent a lot of time this weekend in the water room. Sophia and Miles played Picasso for nearly an hour while running between their artwork and a giant boat in the next room.

My Little Picassos

Across the street from the museum is 39 Rue de Jean is a fabulous little french cafe in Charleston for lunch. Turns out it is great for dinner too and they were great with kids. Even my very tired and quickly becoming crabby kids. Usually they like it here but we were a little beat. Thank God the table cloths are covered with paper and brand new Crayolas (and man I love brand new crayons as much as anyone!). I must admit as good as the food was – the kids had small meltdowns and barely made it. Life with little ones huh!

This is okay but I'd Love some McNuggets

The next morning we woke up to the rain and chilly temperatures and spent some time consoling Sophia, who had packed 3 spring dresses and was devastated. How did we console her? With the news that we were going to eat breakfast in the hotel (she loves breakfast out) and that we were going to the aquarium to see the fishies! After breakfast, which was free for the kids, and made me very happy, we threw our stuff in the car and headed to the South Carolina Aquarium. We have never met a building full of fish that we did not like!

The Ocean Wall - Stunning

Baltimore, New Orleans, Charleston we hit aquariums whenever we can. We also love Sea World and even the little ponds inside many embassy suites and the fish tank in our doctors office. Got fish? We’re there. And boy do they have fish. And alligators for Miles – who is obsessed. And sharks. And this time – the penguins were visiting!

The real penguins were great but they also had an exhibit where you could see how tall you were compared to different types of penguins. As soon as Sophia heard that this guy was 37″ she said its the Ikea penguin and was overjoyed when she was taller than it. You see, she was rejected from the Ikea play world over the summer and was devastated. They said she was not 37″ even though her doctor said she was. So, this little penguin showed her that she can now play away while mommy shops. Good news for all!

The Ikea Penguin

Miles spent a lot of time saying “huh?” when he kept seeing open tanks and we kept telling him he could not put his hands in. He was not so hot on this as he loves at good animal love bite. He has thusfar been nibbled by a horse and a goat, licked by a cow and a camel’s teeth rubbed him on a hayride. What’s a little fish nibble? This boy loves all wildlife and wants to touch it badly!

Why is it open if you can't put your hands in?

We spent the morning at the aquarium seeing the fish and playing in their children’s areas. They have a fishing boat with a phone – for the little girls like Sophia who are already obsessed with phones. She was happy talking to her friends on the boats radio and telling them about her trip.

"Look Mom I found a Phone!"

Miles loved the Camp Carolina play area because they had a bouncy bridge over real water and snakes under the floor. Yep – snakes. He was in heaven.

Miles Watching the Snakes

When I said it was time to go. Miles told me no. And gave me a look that could kill.

Miles Does Not Want to Leave

We did leave, after a great 24 hours in South Carolina. We packed back in the car, stopped at a Cracker Barrel, stuffed ourselves, bought some candy and got on the road. My little ones slept until the last 30 minutes and then watched a movie quietly in the car. A perfect drive with little kids.

We may not have had perfect weather but we had a perfectly wonderful time.

Beautiful Day Away

Brittany — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:35:00 +0000

Very Excited People

One Excited Sophia

Times to the Beach

Ross and Miles on the Beach

Mommy and Sophia in the Ocean

Times in the Pool

Sophia Strikes a Pose

Miles Learning to Swim

Fun Abusing Daddy!

Carriage Ride in Charleston

Our Horse Larry

Miles Walks the Ocean Stream

Airplane Travel Tips with Small Children

Brittany — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:00:08 +0000

Sophia's First Plane Trip - 8 Weeks

First, Are you Crazy?

Are you sure you want to get on a plane with your little ones? This might be one of the top 10 times as a parent you will reconsider having kids in the first place. I love to travel and decided to just push through and bring the kids so I have seen a lot of families fly and I have experienced the woes of airline travel many a time. Before you plan your trip, make it easier by using some or all of these tips to keep mom and kids happy travelers!

This is a long post and obviously if you don’t have small children you will not want to be bothered. Please feel free to browse the rest of my Mommy Words for something more up your alley. For those of you in the same place as me with your kids….here is the scoop!

Choosing a Destination

This applies to vacation planning rather than the mandatory Thanksgiving, Christmas, Baptism or Bat Mitzvah travels in your future. Remember when planning your trip while your kiddos are sleeping that you are now planning a family trip and that those lovely snoozing kids will be awake for a good part of it.

For me, once I do this it usually involves me realizing that for a family trip to a tropical beach, an East Coast island would work better than Hawaii – no connecting flights, no time changes and short! This same thought process should go through your head before you book that incredible resort vacation only to figure out on the way there that 1. kids don’t do well on 12 hour travel days with a layover in Chicago and 2. kids prefer some things for kids to do at their destination. You will be happier in the long run knowing that you can handle getting to your destination and that you have some things planned for your angels!

I have a future post on recommended destinations and activities!

Planning the Trip

Figure out which airline you are using and see if they have special fares for children and what all of their policies are. Check on airport regulations to ensure as few hiccups as possible. You will want to make sure that you are not trying to bring anything through security that is not allowed to avoid delays and the confiscation of your things.

Seating

Infants / Toddlers in lap: While this is not recommended, it is free and most airlines will allow a parent to bring a child under 2 years old on their lap. Be aware that usually you can only have one lap child per row due to the number of oxygen masks and plan accordingly. Even if you have booked your ticket online it is always a good idea to call the airline and confirm that you are traveling with an infant and make sure they have his name. You want to make sure they have this in the system.

Infants / Toddlers in a Seat: This makes a huge difference. If you can afford it or a less full flight makes it doable at the last minute I would say hands down to go for it. You can buckle your baby in to his own car seat and have the chance for a relaxing flight. If you are flying alone with your baby as I often did, this seat made the difference between a day of terror and a slightly difficult travel time. Particularly as babies turn into toddlers, sharing a seat becomes a dicey proposition. I actually crouched on the floor for a good part of one flight to save the other passengers from Sophia’s temper fit to sit by herself. We will not fly that way again! In addition, safety wise it is best that even babies have their own seat so that if there is a crash, they are buckled in as they would be in a car and as you are. The seat will also have the extra padding to protect their little bodies.

Bassinet Option: If you are traveling internationally you will want to call and see if the airline has infant bassinets and reserve one as early as possible. This will make those long overnight flights infinitely easier on the while family and the rest of the plane!

Pre-School / Booster Seat Age: If your child is still in a car seat and it is FAA approved with a back then bring it if you can and you will need a car seat at your destination. If you do not have the ability to bring a car or booster seat on the plane or you do not want to lug a car seat through the airport you should definitely look into the CARES (Child Aviation Restraint System) meant for children between 22 and 40 pounds. It is the only FAA approved restraint system and from the looks of it – this product rocks and weighs only 1 pound!

Note: You will not be allowed to use just the booster portion of any chair as airplanes only have lap belts and boosters are meant for raising a child to be at the right position for a shoulder belt. You should check your booster seats along with your luggage. Most airlines will allow you to check car seats / booster seats with no extra baggage penalty.

Seating Assignments: Reserve your seats in advance whenever possible to ensure the family is sitting together or that you have seats closest to a bathroom or whatever your preferred seating is. Then, get to the airport with plenty of time so that you are checked in before all the other people the airlines overbooked on the flight. You can see the seating configurations of most planes online. This is important as a lot of people are not willing to change seats, as sad as that is, for families to sit together. I have seen many people ask and be turned down.

Sleeping Plan

Know in advance where your kids will sleep and plan accordingly. Many hotels have cribs or pack n plays for guests to rent and after lugging a pack n play on a trip before realizing this I can tell you it is more than worth it! If you are visiting friends or family check if they know someone who can lend you a pack n’ play for your stay. Most families with young children have one and this is free! If you are traveling with your child’s pack n play, consider using a tent for infants and toddlers. We have a toddler tent and all the kids have loved it. We even use it to play in at home and it provides hours of entertainment, which makes it a great buy. Ours fits inside the large suitcase as will most so we do not have an extra item to check or carry. Let me tell you, travelling with a pack n play or small travel bed is not fun. With new airline restrictions on the number of checked bags it may also get expensive. I would find a way to have sleeping arrangements at your destination if you don’t go the tent route whether through a rental company, a friend or hotel.

Health Plan

In addition to checking a whole bag of little medical stuff (see below) I always find the name of a pediatrician or clinic near where we will be staying as well as the closest and best hospital or children’s hospital. It would be great to find a pharmacy as well and make sure you have your pharmacy benefits information. I like to have these numbers handy and yes, I have been to many urgent care clinics with sick kids in a few different states. When my kids get sick, it is on vacation! Make sure you have your insurance cards with you!

What to Check

You will want to bring, if possible, car seats or booster seats for your kids. From experience I can tell you that those available through car rental agencies are not that great. You will also need to check your pack n play or other large baby items. Car seats should not count as baggage and if you get one of those car seat bags let me tell you you can fit a LOT of stuff in them. We fit all diapers and baby stuff for a 2 week trip in Sophia’s car seat bag when she was little!

I always bring a little medicine bag with children’s and infants Tylenol or Motrin as well as some little tummies and nasal spray, bandaids, diaper cream, aspirator, thermometer and and any other health goodies. You do not want to be looking through a yellow pages for a late night pharmacy when your child gets sick on vacation.

While when travelling alone I check as little as possible with kids I do the opposite – check what you do not need in the airport or on the plane. The less stuff you are lugging through the airport in addition to your bindles of joy – the better!

If you do not want to bring any large baby items there are agencies around many big cities that will rent them. You can find them easily on google.

Packing for the Plane Trip

Think essentials:

1. Change of Clothes: 1 shirt for you and 2 outfits for each child in diapers, 1 outfit for fully potty trained kids

I have needed both changes of clothes more than once and I love having an extra shirt for me. Whether its poop or throw up or I am just covered in sweat, something is always making me feel disgusting! Let me tell you, when a baby goes on a plane it always seems to be #2 and it always seems like a bad one!

2. Feeding Items: Bottles, formula, spoons, small bowls or snack traps etc. Pay attention to what snacks or drinks are allowed through security. The rest you will have to pick up for a million dollars on the other side. This million is worth it to have snacks! Mothers are allowed to bring breast milk or formula through to feed babies but not water. This will hold you up big time if you take the wrong stuff so edit bags before the security line! Don’t forget your bottles and sippy cups. Spills are not fun on a plane. Even if your 2 year old is on a regular cup at home, consider taking out a sippy cup for the plane.

3. Diapers and Wipes and Sanitzer: More than you ever thought possible – triple it. For wipes – especially in this flu season – use them on everything and bring sanitizer too!

4. Toys / Books / Comfort Items: 50% of your job is to keep your child entertained and as happy as possible for the flight. Making a list in advance of favorites is a good idea! The other 50% of your job is as follows – 25% make sure you do not lose them and they arrive in one piece and 25% manage bathroom emergencies.

If your child loves his pacifier or blankie or little bunny rabbit – plane trips are not the time to yank these comfort items or forget them. Believe me – you will wish you hadn’t when you get stuck on the runway. Even if you have recently weaned your child off his or her lovie – BRING IT!

Travel Dress

This is it – simple and layered. I have learned the hard way that onesies and planes do not a match make. Anything that does not have to come off over the head is great if you have a poopie accident! Get some elastic pants or snap up pants for baby and use a t-shirt or button up shirt and then add additional layers. The temperature on planes can vary wildly – think anywhere from a desert to the arctic and you want to be prepared without you or your baby being stuck inside your garments.

Make sure it is easy to take off your shoes and your child’s for security and that both you and your husband / travel partner if you have one discuss who will do what when going through security.

In the Airport

Transportation: Bring a stroller or a sling to carry those little ones around. Airports are busy and fast paced and whether you have a tiny baby or a darling 3 year old the airport is not the place to test grown up skills and get them to keep up. If your child wants to walk then you can use the stroller to carry stuff so you can keep a better eye on Miss Independent. If your child is not cooperating with you, strap her in and have a chance at making your flight. Strollers are usually checkable at the gate so you can have this godsend right until you board and right when you get off.

You may want to check out the Tote a Tot or something similar if you want to really streamline your stuff in the airport. It attaches your car seat to your roller suitcase so you have no stroller to check and no toddler running around the airport. Ah – I love new inventions!

We finally got a car seat carrier when we advanced to the Britax and tried lugging it through the airport. We have one that is like a backpack and love it. There are also over the shoulder strap models and roller models but I always find free hands to be a big plus so a backpack was the best option.

On the Plane

Diaper Duty: Call the airline or go online to check out your plane to see whether there are changing tables on the plane. Many smaller planes do not have this luxury so seating arrangements will be important – especially if you are traveling with an infant in your lap. If there is no table you will either have to use the closed toilet seat in the bathroom or use your seat. If you have #2 you really need to do the dirty work in the bathroom unless you have the whole row to your family. Sometimes a wonderful flight attendant will offer the large floor area in the back or the use of the flip down seat – but in my experience this is rare.

Breast Feeding: Your baby has to eat and breastfeeding is perfectly okay on planes. In fact, you should nurse on takeoff and landing to ease any ear discomfort your child might have. If your child is in a seat you may use a pacifier for this or, if like my baby, yours will not take a pacifier, you can put your clean finger in his mouth and this usually works. Nursing on a plane is one of the only times I might recommend a nursing shirt and / or a nursing cover. If you don’t have one, a shirt that pulls down from your breasts and not up over your whole torso is best so that you will have as much coverage as possible. A nursing cover is great on planes too. My favorites are the Bebe au Lait and the Hooter Hider. Both will double as blankets in an emergency too! Mine once even doubled as my extra bottom when 2 pairs of pants were soiled!

Bottle Feeding: Airlines will allow milk through security for babies and they will allow you to bring through pumped milk if you are travelling alone and need to bring back that liquid gold! However, I would recommend mixing the formula for the take off bottle before you get on the plane as the only water they will have is steaming hot or bottled water. If you mix it on the plane with bottled water this is fine too – just don’t mix it with the hot water. This is the boiling hot water that will take 30 minutes to cool off. Ask for a cup of it to place your bottle in to warm it to the temperature you want. Check that caps are securely back in place after feeding to avoid a really messy spill in your travel bag! Most bottles have caps that can be placed over the bottle instead of the cap over the nipple to avoid leaks. This is what these were made for.

Activities: Bring some special toys for your kids on the plane. You can wrap up a few little things and let your child have a great time opening her treats every half hour or hour. Making them harder to open with lots of bows will take extra time and the decorations work as toys as well! Favorite books are a must as well as coloring books and washable crayons for those old enough to draw. Try to avoid loud musical toys as they will quickly annoy other passengers and they will sound 10 times louder than you thought they would! If you are okay with it, a travel DVD player is great. A movie and a show and then you land…perfect! Basically just try to bring things that are easy to pack and fun for the kids without being a pain to other passengers.

Finally

Enjoy your Trip! Happy Flying!

Have your own tips and tricks for the air? We’d love to hear them. Please leave comments for all the other jet setting mommies like you!

Presidential Meeting Stalls Blog

Brittany — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:47:36 +0000

My apologies! We have been in Washington D.C. for the past week and Sophia and Miles, toddler representatives from the great state of North Carolina, had a very busy week in our nation’s Capital.

Sophia really wants to make sure she will be able to see her cardiologist as usual twice a year to monitor those pesky holes in her heart and Miles is still pissed (as is his mother) that the insurance did not cover the Doc Band (see here and here) he needed for his severe plagiocephaly at birth that we were unable to correct with physical therapy. Yes, our toddlers are just freaks for good health care. They were not fans of the vegetable garden, but then again they are not fans of vegetables. That will come in its own time.

Unfortunately our computer was not allowed into the White House and we believe that something happened to it while in the hands of security to make it stop functioning while in the city. This, of course, explains why I have not been able to write to you each and every day. Between the cursed computer, our official duties, trips to different zoos, many museum hours and even a day in the neighboring state of Maryland I was unable to write. I failed you, my dear readers. My deepest apologies.

The good news is Sophia and Miles were a big hit in D.C. and were rewarded with lollipops as seen in this press core photo.

We are back and it’s gonna be better than ever!

Tomorrow is the big day!