Since Xander was a little baby we've been telling him The Story of Tomorrow every night. His grandparents thought it was cute that even before he was talking we were telling him exactly what to expect the next day.
The Story of Tomorrow
Tomorrow is Friday, which just happens to be the third best day of the week. When you wake up Mommy and Daddy will both be here. We'll have a lovely breakfast, and then mommy will take you to school. You'll have fun playing with your friends all day, then Daddy will pick you up. We'll have a lovely supper, then we'll play a little, and then it will be time for story of tomorrow and goodnight
Xander, Mommy and Daddy want you to know that we love you very much. And if you get scared in the middle of the night, Mommy and Daddy will both be here, because we love you so. We want you to sleep well, and have very pleasant dreams (of cars and trains). Goodnight
In preparing a small child to travel, you need to make sure they know what will happen. Kids love routine, and travel is often breaking with routine. On the road you can control somethings, and we'll talk about hotel selection, transportation, and the itinerary later. However, you would spoil the fun to implement a rigid regime, even if you think it is in the best interest of the child.
As I packed for the trip, and there were visible signs that we were going somewhere, I made up a story that I told to Xander. I called it the Story of Our Trip (see I'm quite original). I told him about our great adventure, where he would sleep, what he would see, that we would be gone for a long time, but that Mommy and Daddy would be with him the entire time. Of course I had to give him the reason for our trip ... that he would be a big brother, but that is another story.
By the time we got on our flight Xander had the story memorized. However, he still got scared and wanted to go home on our first night in Frankfurt, Germany ... our stopover before heading to Russia. We again told him the Story of Tomorrow and the Story of Our Trip, and reassured him that Mommy and Daddy would be with him, and that he was safe. The night in Frankfurt was the worst, but it still took about five days on the road before he got used to traveling, and stopped being home sick.
The reassurance of the Story of Tomorrow, and preparing him well in advance with the Story of Our Trip helped a lot.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Gardens, Trains and ... Kids
Normally I wouldn't take preschoolers to the Conservatory of Flowers. It is a beautiful setting in Golden Gate Park, conveniently located near the Children's Playground ... but I couldn't imagine keeping my three and four year old entertained for more then 20 minutes there. I'm also not sure that the staff would appreciate an impromptu game of tag or hide and seek.
However, add a model train in the special exhibits room, and you have the makings for a perfect day in Golden Gate Park.
A couple of weeks ago I saw an ad on PBS for The Golden Gate Railroad at the Conservatory of Flowers. My boys absolutely love trains, and my three-year old Caleb especially loves model trains.
We went on a Saturday with our friends and their preschoolers. The kids absolutely loved it. They spent twenty minutes exploring the Conservatory of Flowers, they especially liked the koi pond at the entrance. Then we went to the Special Exhibits room to see the model train. We spent an hour there.
The exhibit included San Francisco landmarks made of found objects, like computer discs, pencils and cereal boxes. The garden railroad also had earthquake sound effects, and the fog rolls in twice daily. There are two train tables. The smaller train table has buttons the kids can push to make the train go, and to make noises.
It was difficult getting Caleb to leave. He convinced us to buy a Garden Railroad book, which he carried around all afternoon, and is still sleeping with ... Did I mention that he loves model trains?
Afterward we went to lunch at Zona Rosa's on Haight Street, an easy half mile walk. I've gone to Zona Rosa's since I was a teenager, and I still love their oversized burrito. Xander sat in the window, and waved at people as they passed on the street.
On the way back to the car we stopped at the playground for awhile. It has a wonderful cement slide down a hillside. There were plenty of boxes that the kids could use as sleds. It was a blast! Two hours later we took the kids for a ride on the Carousel, before finally making it to the car to go home.
The boys fell asleep almost right away. It was an amazing day. The Golden Gate Railroad runs through April 18. The cost is very reasonable $7 for adults and children 4 and under are free.
However, add a model train in the special exhibits room, and you have the makings for a perfect day in Golden Gate Park.
A couple of weeks ago I saw an ad on PBS for The Golden Gate Railroad at the Conservatory of Flowers. My boys absolutely love trains, and my three-year old Caleb especially loves model trains.
We went on a Saturday with our friends and their preschoolers. The kids absolutely loved it. They spent twenty minutes exploring the Conservatory of Flowers, they especially liked the koi pond at the entrance. Then we went to the Special Exhibits room to see the model train. We spent an hour there.
The exhibit included San Francisco landmarks made of found objects, like computer discs, pencils and cereal boxes. The garden railroad also had earthquake sound effects, and the fog rolls in twice daily. There are two train tables. The smaller train table has buttons the kids can push to make the train go, and to make noises.
It was difficult getting Caleb to leave. He convinced us to buy a Garden Railroad book, which he carried around all afternoon, and is still sleeping with ... Did I mention that he loves model trains?
Afterward we went to lunch at Zona Rosa's on Haight Street, an easy half mile walk. I've gone to Zona Rosa's since I was a teenager, and I still love their oversized burrito. Xander sat in the window, and waved at people as they passed on the street.
On the way back to the car we stopped at the playground for awhile. It has a wonderful cement slide down a hillside. There were plenty of boxes that the kids could use as sleds. It was a blast! Two hours later we took the kids for a ride on the Carousel, before finally making it to the car to go home.
The boys fell asleep almost right away. It was an amazing day. The Golden Gate Railroad runs through April 18. The cost is very reasonable $7 for adults and children 4 and under are free.
Labels:
Conservatory of Flowers,
Golden Gate Park,
kids,
model trains,
parks
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Books on Tape for the Preschool Roadtripper
As much as I enjoy introducing my kids to punk rock at an early age (ok, so maybe not just punk rock or even The Beatles....Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture is still Xander's favorite composition), sometimes the kids are not interested in listening to just music. When traveling and trying to keep the boys entertained, we know we need to mix things up.
We are lucky that both Xander and Caleb both enjoy and appreciate books. Xander, in particular, really enjoys story time. Sometimes we'll tell them one of their favorites - Hansel and Gretel or The Three Little Pigs. Or, we'll just make up a story and then Xander, who is 4, will as well.
But recently we've discovered that the concept of books on tape, or in this case stories on tape works great for kids on road trips. They're actually much more fun than I would have imagined. Often times, just as is the case with books on tape, famous actors or the authors themselves, if they are interesting, will narrate. For example, Shel Silverstein narrates his own poems, and "Where the Sidewalk Ends" is quickly becoming a preschooler books on tape favorite. Perhaps when the boys get just a wee bit older we'll expose them to his less kid friendly works, but for now we'll skip over "Is She On Qualudes?" from the rotation.
On the Winnie the Pooh stories, Dame Judi Dench as the narrator! I never would have put M and Pooh together, but she does a great job as one would expect.
But, by far the boys' favorite story right now is "The Story of Peter Rabbit". Meryl Streep narrates this one, but the boys like it for the mix of story and music. For me, the music is a bit odd and dated. It starts with an acid jazz intro reminiscent of the music they used to play as you entered the United terminal at O'Hare (ok, really odd reference but the similarity is striking). Then it goes into a series George Shearing influenced piano interludes. But in the story, whenever Peter gets into trouble and gets chased by Mr. McGregor, the music gets faster and the boys begin to laugh hysterically. Now, they even start to laugh ahead of time in anticipation, since they've heard the story so many times.
I've downloaded a few other of these stories as well. One of them is "Pecos Bill", featuring Robin Williams and music by Ry Cooder. I'm entertained by it, so I'm hoping this one will be a hit with the boys as well. That is, if they'd ever let us put something else on besides Peter Rabbit.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Flashback: Leash Law
Until Xander was 38 months he was a runner. Anytime we went out in public he refused to hold your hand, and would run away at the first chance ... laughing with glee.
Of course planning a 23 day trip in Europe and Russia scared me to death. I just pictured him getting lost at the airport, a train station, or worse running into traffic and getting smashed like a pancake.
So what did I do? What every self respecting modern mother would do... I posted my question to mothers groups. I got advice like, "you need to be firm," "don't go out in public until he'll hold your hand," "was your son breastfed?"
The adoption boards weren't much more help. "It could be a sensory integration disorder, have you had him evaluated for Early Intervention?" "I would never take a three year old on a 23 day trip in Europe and Russia, don't you have family that can babysit?"
Finally, I found a conversation about using a leash. What to do? I'm opposed to putting a leash on a child ... aren't I?
So I started researching leashes. Target sells the Eddie Bauer Harness Buddy. See in the land of child leashes they aren't called leashes, they are called harnesses. It is a cute stuffed animal backpack with a tail. The tail is the leash. So I went out and bought one. The little monkey. We tried it at home, and Xander really liked it.
Our mistake, we didn't try it out in public. In fact, the first time we tried it out was at the airport, and it was a disaster. Our little Xander was an indiscriminate runner. At dinner Xander made a bee line for the people mover, Jonathan instinctively grabbed the leash, and Xander's flew backwards onto his back, cracking his head on the floor. The whole world turned and stared.
At that moment I should have thrown the little buddy out, but I didn't. We carried it for 23 days, and never used it. Instead, we strapped Xander into his stroller. The stroller is a miraculous device, it is fool proof in stopping the runner. We did go to lot's of parks to run our wee one, but we never used the leash again.
So, is the leash a bad idea. If you have an enthusiastic runner it is. Especially if they exert any force in their run. If you have a gentle wanderer who just needs to be guided back then it probably is okay. Folks swear by their leash ... but the only cure that I found to the runner is time.
Shortly after we returned home our 38 month old held our hands when we walked in public and stopped running away.
Of course planning a 23 day trip in Europe and Russia scared me to death. I just pictured him getting lost at the airport, a train station, or worse running into traffic and getting smashed like a pancake.
So what did I do? What every self respecting modern mother would do... I posted my question to mothers groups. I got advice like, "you need to be firm," "don't go out in public until he'll hold your hand," "was your son breastfed?"
The adoption boards weren't much more help. "It could be a sensory integration disorder, have you had him evaluated for Early Intervention?" "I would never take a three year old on a 23 day trip in Europe and Russia, don't you have family that can babysit?"
Finally, I found a conversation about using a leash. What to do? I'm opposed to putting a leash on a child ... aren't I?
So I started researching leashes. Target sells the Eddie Bauer Harness Buddy. See in the land of child leashes they aren't called leashes, they are called harnesses. It is a cute stuffed animal backpack with a tail. The tail is the leash. So I went out and bought one. The little monkey. We tried it at home, and Xander really liked it.
Our mistake, we didn't try it out in public. In fact, the first time we tried it out was at the airport, and it was a disaster. Our little Xander was an indiscriminate runner. At dinner Xander made a bee line for the people mover, Jonathan instinctively grabbed the leash, and Xander's flew backwards onto his back, cracking his head on the floor. The whole world turned and stared.
At that moment I should have thrown the little buddy out, but I didn't. We carried it for 23 days, and never used it. Instead, we strapped Xander into his stroller. The stroller is a miraculous device, it is fool proof in stopping the runner. We did go to lot's of parks to run our wee one, but we never used the leash again.
So, is the leash a bad idea. If you have an enthusiastic runner it is. Especially if they exert any force in their run. If you have a gentle wanderer who just needs to be guided back then it probably is okay. Folks swear by their leash ... but the only cure that I found to the runner is time.
Shortly after we returned home our 38 month old held our hands when we walked in public and stopped running away.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Music for the Preschool Roadtripper
As anyone who ever put together a list of CDs, Tapes or MP3 for a roadtrip knows, listening to great music during a roadtrip heightens the experience. It reinforces the notion that “getting there is half the fun”.
With kids, having something great to listen to in the car (or train or plane) serves two purposes. First, it creates a memorable experience for both you and your kids. Additionally, it helps distract the kids from asking, “Are we there yet?”.
We are lucky enough to have a car that has an auxiliary option for plugging in an iPhone. This already turned out to be remarkably handy. It’s a small feature in the full scope of everything you look for in a car. But moving forward I won’t buy a car if this feature for high fidelity, troublefree connectivity to a smartphone or MP3 player isn’t included.
With so many good smartphone applications available these days, there are really several great options for planning what you are going to listen to with your kids.
This blog entry will focus on music that you bring with you. Future blog entries in this series will address music on the go applications such as Rhapsody and Pandora for your smartphone as well as listening to stories and books while traveling.
When I am listening to music with my kids, my preference is to listen to music by artists I like, that also happen to be kid-friendly. When it comes to adult-kid crossover music, perhaps the original and still the best artist is The Beatles. I hand pick the songs to play for the kids, and they love it.
Plus, let's be honest...The Beatles really are an entry point into the world of all kinds of good rock music. Everyone was influenced by them - even Black Sabbath (think "She's So Heavy"). When my kids are a little older, I want them to easily discover Led Zeppelin, The Clash, and The Who.
When The Beatles remastered CDs came out last year, it gave me a good excuse to re-discover the albums (I had owned a few tapes and LPs). I’ve put together a mix for the kids that include the following songs:
Another artist that the kids really enjoy is the The Shins. The Shins make good, likeable easy to listen to music, with just the right amount of pop sensibility. Some of their music, especially from their Oh Inverted World and Wincing the Night Away albums, are very relaxing. We often put on these albums when we are driving and hoping that the kids will nap. It’s nearly been foolproof so far.
Several other artists we like have also made some very entertaining and enjoyable children’s albums. Included within this category are:
With kids, having something great to listen to in the car (or train or plane) serves two purposes. First, it creates a memorable experience for both you and your kids. Additionally, it helps distract the kids from asking, “Are we there yet?”.
We are lucky enough to have a car that has an auxiliary option for plugging in an iPhone. This already turned out to be remarkably handy. It’s a small feature in the full scope of everything you look for in a car. But moving forward I won’t buy a car if this feature for high fidelity, troublefree connectivity to a smartphone or MP3 player isn’t included.
With so many good smartphone applications available these days, there are really several great options for planning what you are going to listen to with your kids.
This blog entry will focus on music that you bring with you. Future blog entries in this series will address music on the go applications such as Rhapsody and Pandora for your smartphone as well as listening to stories and books while traveling.
When I am listening to music with my kids, my preference is to listen to music by artists I like, that also happen to be kid-friendly. When it comes to adult-kid crossover music, perhaps the original and still the best artist is The Beatles. I hand pick the songs to play for the kids, and they love it.
Plus, let's be honest...The Beatles really are an entry point into the world of all kinds of good rock music. Everyone was influenced by them - even Black Sabbath (think "She's So Heavy"). When my kids are a little older, I want them to easily discover Led Zeppelin, The Clash, and The Who.
When The Beatles remastered CDs came out last year, it gave me a good excuse to re-discover the albums (I had owned a few tapes and LPs). I’ve put together a mix for the kids that include the following songs:
- Yellow Submarine (from Revolver)
- Eleanor Rigby (from Revolver)
- Good Day, Sunshine (from Revolver)
- Got to Get You Into My Life (from Revolver)
- Octopus’ Garden (from Abbey Road)
- Here Comes the Sun (from Abbey Road)
- For the Benefit of Mr. Kite (from Sgt. Pepper)
- With a Little Help from My Friends (from Sgt. Pepper)
- Ob-la-di Ob-la-da (from White Album)
- Blackbird (from White Album)
Another artist that the kids really enjoy is the The Shins. The Shins make good, likeable easy to listen to music, with just the right amount of pop sensibility. Some of their music, especially from their Oh Inverted World and Wincing the Night Away albums, are very relaxing. We often put on these albums when we are driving and hoping that the kids will nap. It’s nearly been foolproof so far.
Several other artists we like have also made some very entertaining and enjoyable children’s albums. Included within this category are:
- The Barenaked Ladies – Snacktime
- They Might be Giants – Here Come the 123s (our favorite). They also have Here come the ABCs and a new album, Here Comes Science.
- Ziggy Marley - Family Time
- Johnny Cash – The Johnny Cash Children’s Album
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Flashback: The Passport
Securing a passport for your child is a chore. A stressful time-consuming nuisance which should be approached the same way you approach taking preschoolers to a really boring restaurant. Seriously.
In preparing for our 23 day trip in Austria, Germany and Russia we needed to secure a passport for our oldest Xander.
Before going to the passport office you need to study the travel.state.gov website. It walks you through the process in a very straightforward way. Understanding the rules can help make your four hour wait at the passport office fruitful.
First off, both parents need to be present in order to obtain a passport for a minor. If only one parent can go to the office then they need a notarized consent from the other. At least two families in front of us in line didn't know about this rule. They argued ... but the rule is hard and fast, and they went away without successfully applying for a passport. The State Department doesn't want a child involved in a custody battle to be whisked out of the US (think Sally Field in "Not without my daughter.")
Second, you need to bring the right paperwork, including proof of citizenship, proof of parental relationship, social security id, and identification for both parents. The passport office will take the originals of your child's paperwork, and assure you that they will return it in a few weeks. We got ours back, but it is tough to hand over hard to replace originals.
On the Saturday morning we spent at the passport office, incomplete and forgotten paperwork was the biggest reason that people got turned away. I also noticed that people who didn't have the right paperwork spent the most time at the counter ... adding wait time for all of us who had studied the website.
Our passport office will take passport photos, but on that day the machine was broken. My recommendation is to go to a drug store and get the photo taken in advance. Then you have nothing to worry about other than entertaining your preschooler.
Passport offices are incredibly boring places, and the waits can be long even on a weekday. So, plan for your visit the same way you plan for a restaurant trip, with coloring books, toys and when you get desperate, your cell phone, keys, etc. Jonathan took Xander on long walks, returned to find there were only fifty more people to go ... yippee!
We got Xander's passport three weeks later, plenty of time in advance of our trip. We still haven't gone through the process to obtain a passport for Caleb. I'm putting this one off. We won't be traveling abroad again until 2011.
In preparing for our 23 day trip in Austria, Germany and Russia we needed to secure a passport for our oldest Xander.
Before going to the passport office you need to study the travel.state.gov website. It walks you through the process in a very straightforward way. Understanding the rules can help make your four hour wait at the passport office fruitful.
First off, both parents need to be present in order to obtain a passport for a minor. If only one parent can go to the office then they need a notarized consent from the other. At least two families in front of us in line didn't know about this rule. They argued ... but the rule is hard and fast, and they went away without successfully applying for a passport. The State Department doesn't want a child involved in a custody battle to be whisked out of the US (think Sally Field in "Not without my daughter.")
Second, you need to bring the right paperwork, including proof of citizenship, proof of parental relationship, social security id, and identification for both parents. The passport office will take the originals of your child's paperwork, and assure you that they will return it in a few weeks. We got ours back, but it is tough to hand over hard to replace originals.
On the Saturday morning we spent at the passport office, incomplete and forgotten paperwork was the biggest reason that people got turned away. I also noticed that people who didn't have the right paperwork spent the most time at the counter ... adding wait time for all of us who had studied the website.
Our passport office will take passport photos, but on that day the machine was broken. My recommendation is to go to a drug store and get the photo taken in advance. Then you have nothing to worry about other than entertaining your preschooler.
Passport offices are incredibly boring places, and the waits can be long even on a weekday. So, plan for your visit the same way you plan for a restaurant trip, with coloring books, toys and when you get desperate, your cell phone, keys, etc. Jonathan took Xander on long walks, returned to find there were only fifty more people to go ... yippee!
We got Xander's passport three weeks later, plenty of time in advance of our trip. We still haven't gone through the process to obtain a passport for Caleb. I'm putting this one off. We won't be traveling abroad again until 2011.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Roadtrip to Snow
A little over two hours outside of the Bay Area is snow. Go about three hours and there is enough snow for snowman, snow angels, snowball fights, sledding and even skiing.
On Saturday we decided to make the trek to Strawberry Calif., just East of Sonora. I had found Leland High Sierra Snow Play online, and thought it would be perfect for winter novices like Jonathan and me. It is reported to have sled rental, a cafe and a shop for any forgotten snow play items. I say reported because we never made it there.
Yes, we lived on the East Coast before we got married, and we even met at Syracuse ... but this is our first trip to snow with the boys. Neither of us are skiers, and our current winter weather gear is lacking.
For example, my ski jacket is teal and purple, perfectly fashionable in 1994. My husband couldn't even find his winter jacket from the same era. The boys have winter jackets, and fleece sweatshirts to keep them warm on top, but we had to make due with lined jeans. Yes, I know jeans get soggy in the snow, but honestly I'm not going to buy them snow pants for one to two days a winter. Caleb wore his Thomas rain boots, and Xander wore his dragon boots.
Knowing that our clothing wasn't optimal I did bring change of clothes for everyone down to shoes and socks for after sledding...
We did everything by the book. We called ahead to the Snowplay park to make sure there was snow, and that we didn't need chains. The drive was relaxing. We listened to Meryl Streep reading Peter Rabbit for a group called the Rabbit Ears. It had an acid jazz meets Beatrice Potter feel. The boys loved it. At first I thought it was the funky music, but they were actually listening to the tale, and thought it was hilarious.
Then we got to the entrance to the park. There were six cars in front of us, and we were all being turned away. Apparently the park had run out of sleds, and unless you had reservations they weren't letting you in.
Shouldn't the person on the phone have mentioned it when we called?
Well, after driving three hours for the soul purpose of going sledding we decided to do whatever possible to salvage the day.
Along the drive we noticed cars had pulled over to the side of the road to sled, or just play in the snow. Some areas had large crowds of people, but other had smaller groups. We found a spot with 10 or so cars, and joined in the fun.
The weather was beautiful, sunny and warm (mid-forties). The boys liked it for the most part. Xander fell, and scratched his cheek on a branch, narrowly missing his eye. He made us promise that we will only go back if we buy him gloves. Gloves! I totally forgot. Caleb didn't like the snow at first, but warmed up to it quickly ... he can't wait to go back (even without gloves).
We then headed to the Jamestown Railtown Museum. I got Internet access about 20 minutes outside of Jamestown, and figured out that it closed at 3 pm. The boys still liked seeing the trains outside the museum.
So, what did we learn? We would like to go back for a do over. We will plan to stay over night. We will stop by the Oakdale Cowboy Museum and the Jamestown Railtown Museum on the three hour drive. Finally, we will make reservations at Leland High Sierra Snowplay.
Now, where did I put our gloves?
On Saturday we decided to make the trek to Strawberry Calif., just East of Sonora. I had found Leland High Sierra Snow Play online, and thought it would be perfect for winter novices like Jonathan and me. It is reported to have sled rental, a cafe and a shop for any forgotten snow play items. I say reported because we never made it there.
Yes, we lived on the East Coast before we got married, and we even met at Syracuse ... but this is our first trip to snow with the boys. Neither of us are skiers, and our current winter weather gear is lacking.
For example, my ski jacket is teal and purple, perfectly fashionable in 1994. My husband couldn't even find his winter jacket from the same era. The boys have winter jackets, and fleece sweatshirts to keep them warm on top, but we had to make due with lined jeans. Yes, I know jeans get soggy in the snow, but honestly I'm not going to buy them snow pants for one to two days a winter. Caleb wore his Thomas rain boots, and Xander wore his dragon boots.
Knowing that our clothing wasn't optimal I did bring change of clothes for everyone down to shoes and socks for after sledding...
We did everything by the book. We called ahead to the Snowplay park to make sure there was snow, and that we didn't need chains. The drive was relaxing. We listened to Meryl Streep reading Peter Rabbit for a group called the Rabbit Ears. It had an acid jazz meets Beatrice Potter feel. The boys loved it. At first I thought it was the funky music, but they were actually listening to the tale, and thought it was hilarious.
Then we got to the entrance to the park. There were six cars in front of us, and we were all being turned away. Apparently the park had run out of sleds, and unless you had reservations they weren't letting you in.
Shouldn't the person on the phone have mentioned it when we called?
Well, after driving three hours for the soul purpose of going sledding we decided to do whatever possible to salvage the day.
Along the drive we noticed cars had pulled over to the side of the road to sled, or just play in the snow. Some areas had large crowds of people, but other had smaller groups. We found a spot with 10 or so cars, and joined in the fun.
The weather was beautiful, sunny and warm (mid-forties). The boys liked it for the most part. Xander fell, and scratched his cheek on a branch, narrowly missing his eye. He made us promise that we will only go back if we buy him gloves. Gloves! I totally forgot. Caleb didn't like the snow at first, but warmed up to it quickly ... he can't wait to go back (even without gloves).
We then headed to the Jamestown Railtown Museum. I got Internet access about 20 minutes outside of Jamestown, and figured out that it closed at 3 pm. The boys still liked seeing the trains outside the museum.
So, what did we learn? We would like to go back for a do over. We will plan to stay over night. We will stop by the Oakdale Cowboy Museum and the Jamestown Railtown Museum on the three hour drive. Finally, we will make reservations at Leland High Sierra Snowplay.
Now, where did I put our gloves?
Labels:
Jamestown,
kids,
Leland High Sierra Snow Play Area,
sledding,
Sonora,
Strawberry,
travel
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Flashback: Trip to Get Caleb
The idea for my kids travel blog came about about 18 months ago when Jonathan and I spent 23 days on the road with Xander shortly after his third birthday. Both our boys were adopted from Russia, and the 2008 trip was to bring home our youngest Caleb.
Over the next six months I'm going to write a series called Blog from the Past about that adventure. I will also continue to write about our current adventures as well. This years trips include Fort Lauderdale Fla., Cheboygan, MI and Washington, D.C. and New York City for Thanksgiving.
Jonathan and I vacillated a lot about our decision to take Xander on our 2008 trip. We were very concerned about the prospect of traveling for that long with a three year old. Especially in a country like Russia, where the typical couple goes out to eat twice a year, and kids are a rarity at restaurants. We read several books on the subject, some better than others.
I had extensive travel lists, I packed and edited, and packed and edited again. We needed to plan for three distinct trips, with three micro-climates, and dress to fit in two very distinct cultures.
As part of the trip we spent 10 days vacationing in Austria, it was less expensive then flying all the way home to California. We also spent five days in Moscow, and of course we were in Stavropol Krai, the region where both my boys were born.
The trip was a success, and it reinforced our love of travel. Many of our friends and family thought we were crazy to travel with a three-year old abroad for that long. What we learned is that we don't have to limit our trips to the continental United States, or "family friendly" tourist spots. We can continue to explore and travel the world, and with a little planning bring our sweet little boys a long for the ride.
Xander remembers the trip fondly, and was a dream to travel with. The trip brought us closer as a family, and helped make the transition from only child to big brother easier. Xander was part of the process, we didn't disappear for a month, and then surprise him with a sibling. The transition was also easier for Caleb, having a three-year old made the funny talking strangers less scary.
We continue to explore because it is fun. Jonathan and I love to travel. I grew up as a military brat, and my best memories are of my family trips. I want my boys to have the same.
Happy 2010, I look forward to sharing our adventures.
Over the next six months I'm going to write a series called Blog from the Past about that adventure. I will also continue to write about our current adventures as well. This years trips include Fort Lauderdale Fla., Cheboygan, MI and Washington, D.C. and New York City for Thanksgiving.
Jonathan and I vacillated a lot about our decision to take Xander on our 2008 trip. We were very concerned about the prospect of traveling for that long with a three year old. Especially in a country like Russia, where the typical couple goes out to eat twice a year, and kids are a rarity at restaurants. We read several books on the subject, some better than others.
I had extensive travel lists, I packed and edited, and packed and edited again. We needed to plan for three distinct trips, with three micro-climates, and dress to fit in two very distinct cultures.
As part of the trip we spent 10 days vacationing in Austria, it was less expensive then flying all the way home to California. We also spent five days in Moscow, and of course we were in Stavropol Krai, the region where both my boys were born.
The trip was a success, and it reinforced our love of travel. Many of our friends and family thought we were crazy to travel with a three-year old abroad for that long. What we learned is that we don't have to limit our trips to the continental United States, or "family friendly" tourist spots. We can continue to explore and travel the world, and with a little planning bring our sweet little boys a long for the ride.
Xander remembers the trip fondly, and was a dream to travel with. The trip brought us closer as a family, and helped make the transition from only child to big brother easier. Xander was part of the process, we didn't disappear for a month, and then surprise him with a sibling. The transition was also easier for Caleb, having a three-year old made the funny talking strangers less scary.
We continue to explore because it is fun. Jonathan and I love to travel. I grew up as a military brat, and my best memories are of my family trips. I want my boys to have the same.
Happy 2010, I look forward to sharing our adventures.
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