Did you read Wee Gillis
The simple illustrations provide fuel for a child's imagination, in a way that today's high-resolution, full-color printing doesn't always leave room for, drawing all three of my kids (age 7, 6, and 3) into the story.
I bought Wee Gillis
on Amazon
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Posted on April 29, 2013 |
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We visited the National Museum of Scotland, in Edinburgh with the purpose of learning a bit about Scottish history before heading into the highlands, a hard sell with two kids in tow. What a warm welcome we got from this sculpture, made entirely of balloons which was made recently by an artist in residence!
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Posted on April 26, 2013 |
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Here is a reader question from Cori. Feel free to send me your own questions at debbie AT deliciousbaby DOT com. I will do my best to answer them!
Your articles are so great and so very helpful! I am traveling to Kauai in May with a 10 month old and have a few questions. I am a breast feeding mom, do you have any advice on how to handle a 10 month old during take off and landing? Should I bottle feed? Or try to breast feed during these times? (My son doesn't take a pacifier) I'd also like to take some Plum Organics pouches for my son, I was thinking 2 or 3, and also some Puff snacks. Do you know what the TSA says about that?
Thanks in advance for your advice!!
Cori,
Thanks so much for writing! I'm glad to hear that my site has been a help to you.
There are different opinions about how to handle a breastfeeding infant on a plane. With my own kids, I always held them in my arms and nursed during takeoff and landing. 9 times out of 10 the warm milk and engine noise were so soothing that they would fall asleep in my arms. I put them in their seat once we reached cruising altitude, and with any luck at all, the gentle motion of the plane helped them sleep through the entire flight. That said, takeoff and landing are the most dangerous times during a plane ride, so you might prefer to have your baby secured in a child seat and bottle feed. One thing to note, if a child is sleeping during takeoff or landing, there's no need to wake them up to nurse.
TSA allows you to bring baby food in "reasonable quantities" but doesn't state a rule of thumb for how much food that would be. I try to allow enough for the flight time plus what we'd need to get us through the day until we can visit a grocery store. On some trips, the baby food has passed through screening without question. On others, agents have insisted on opening any pouches that are over 100ml so that the contents can be tested. Open baby food can be kept out of refrigeration safely for just a few hours, so I recommend searching for packages that are under 3.5 ounces (100 grams)
I hope you have a wonderful time in Kaui!
Sincerely,
Debbie
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Posted on April 25, 2013 |
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Our week in Scotland is past, and I'm still wading through mountains of photos and memories. I've struggled with how to share such a big trip with you - somehow a post per day of the trip seems like too much, but obviously the description I've been giving to friends and family "It was really crazy fun" is too little. I'll start by sharing some of my favorite moments over the course of a few picture-heavy posts, and then dig in with posts about how the logistics worked and some more detailed stories in my photo friday posts. Along the way, I hope you'll dive in with questions or comments!
I owe a big THANK YOU to Adventures by Disney who invited us to join them for a 5 day condensed version of their new Scotland Family Vacation.
After a jetlagged day of wandering Edinburgh and visiting a few of the city's many museums, Everest and Darya were just itching to begin our tour. We hauled our luggage from the apartment I had rented to our Adventures by Disney home base, the Balmoral Hotel. The kids must have felt like they were wandering into a castle. I mean look at this place, wouldn't you?
This grand old hotel opened in 1902, and is right in the heart of the city. Sometimes an older hotel can feel, well, older, but the Balmoral was elegant through and through.
But grand architecture doesn't hold a child's attention for long, so our first stop was a hotel lounge where we'd meet our Adventure Guides.
That's Hanaka, one of our two Adventure Guides. The competition for this job is fierce with over 1000 candidates applying for about 12 jobs each year, but the kids don't know a thing about that. They're just excited to be the focus of the greeting in what's usually a "grown up" world. Over the course of the trip, they really warmed up to both guides, and Darya, who was particularly fascinated by these glamorous older girls, spent an entire meal on Hanuka's lap. I warmed up to them too. Who would love a guide who, upon realizing that your child really only likes PB&J for lunch calls ahead and arranges a special meal for your group's picnic?
Our trip began in earnest with a welcome banquet at the Balmoral Hotel. Each family had a chance to introduce themselves, and with that invitation in place, Everest was quickly up in front of the group announcing that his birthday would take place later in the week. Darya, on the other hand, sensing we'd be stationary for a while, was asleep in my lap before her appetizer arrived.
I could barely wake poor Darya for what was, for most of the kids, the highlight of the evening... a romp down the hotel's hallways in search of a message from a "Wise Woman." We listened for sounds until we came to a closed door, opening it to find...
...the witch's cauldron from Brave. And what did that steaming cauldron tell us? That we needed to grow together as a clan over the course of the trip. Darya was too tired to get involved, but for Everest, it seemed to kick off the spirit of fun and togetherness of the trip.
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Posted on April 24, 2013 |
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I find the process of hustling everyone through the airport and getting them into their seats stressful (really, it's the hardest part of every trip for me). Sometimes it helps for me to take a good look at what the kids are up to and realize that they are just enjoying the experience . . . as we all should.
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Posted on April 18, 2013 |
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It was the first place I traveled on my own, without parents or family or classmates. A business conference took me there in my first year at Microsoft and I couldn't believe my luck. I wandered Boston's streets between meetings, and discovered for the first time that history wasn't just a series of names and dates to be memorized. I discovered the great joy that is fresh lobster with melted butter. And most importantly, I discovered that I could be safe traveling on my own. Those discoveries fueled, in so many ways my future travels.
I'm having a hard time, as we all are, rationalizing the images in my memories with the images I'm seeing on the news. Each time there is an attack like this, it damages my sense of our safety, but I won't allow this to damage the spirit of exploration and discovery and wanting to learn about and be part of the world.
Be well this week and hug your family extra tight.
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Posted on April 16, 2013 |
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My kids are delirious, and not in a good way. Our long haul flight from Newark to Edinburgh landed at 8am. They had done their best to sleep on the plane, making me jealous of the way their tiny foldable bodies snuggle into an airline seat. They successfully navigated customs and immigration and popped themselves into a taxicab. They even resisted the draw of the cozy beds when we checked in at our apartment.
We set out to explore the city. In my mind, walking outside is one of the best ways to help reset the body's internal clock. I promised myself we would stay out until dusk, so my mom and I cajoled and bargained ourselves over to a lovely all-day breakfast spot that the kids just loved. I fooled myself into believing that a hearty bowl full of oatmeal porridge with honey qualified as sampling the local cuisine. Fortified, I figured, we'd explore for another hour or so before popping into a local cafe for fresh baked scones and tea.
Kids have a way of bringing you back to the real world. We walked about two blocks before Darya started to lose it. I sat down on some church steps, not far from a woman with her arms out begging, waiting with my own arms open wide to collect Darya once she calmed down enough for a cuddle. A quick trip inside the church, were we caught a few moments of mass calmed her further and we headed off again.
Maybe a museum, I thought? Many are free here, and a few moments cuddling on a quiet bench might be restorative for everyone. The kids had other ideas - the comforts of our Seattle standby, Starbucks, beckoned a few blocks later. My defenses as worn down by those blocks, I agreed to a round of hot chocolate, a cuddle, and a chapter from the book we're reading. Lovely, until I found myself beginning to nod off, and then we were on the move again.
We haven't covered much ground, but I'm beginning to understand why people fall in love with Edinburgh. You never know what might be around the next corner. It could be a new streetcar line, an ancient bridge, or a steep green hill. I'm glad we're not paying close attention to the map, because the element of surprise is what's keeping me going.
Adventures by Disney is hosting my family, as their guest, for a mini version of their newest tour Scotland: A Brave Adventure. As always, my opinions are my own.
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Posted on April 15, 2013 |
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The queen visits for three weeks in the summertime, and the other royals use it as they wish, but we were glad they weren't there this April because it gave us a chance to explore.
I would have never guessed it, but my kids have discovered history on the trip. And they love it. Darya is fascinated by Mary Queen of Scots, who had apartments here, and both kids are fascinated to learn more about how royalty really lives. Here's hoping that our travels provide the anchor they need to make history just as fascinating in book form as it is in real life.
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Posted on April 11, 2013 |
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They never make the list of top attractions in a city (and in fact, the model train museum in this picture is now defunct) but train museums and model train clubs can be great places to stop in for a visit during a busy travel day. There's something about models that kids just adore, and many train museums have a kids area with a few trains that kids can play with. In a pinch, we've even made do with a train shop!
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Posted on April 4, 2013 |
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I have been in a mad rush for a week, but now I feel like I'm in the eye of the storm. With no packing or last minute errands left to do, I am sitting on a flight to Scotland. Everest, Darya and my mom are with me, and right now I'm feeling perfectly still and settled.
Every trip is special, but this one feels like a landmark. It's a fun opportunity to do "big kids only activities" kids who are suddenly capable of fully taking on the world, and also a chance for all of us to get closer to my mom. Life doesn't stop just because we're traveling, Everest will turn 8 on this trip, and (not to be left out of the celebration) Darya is sporting her first wiggly tooth. My sweet baby Eilan is at home with his daddy, and I'm certain that the moment my back is turned he will convince his father into all sorts of fabulous treats that we will be jealous of from afar.
I'm grateful to the fine people at Adventures by Disney who invited us to join them on a condensed for-media version of their new tour: "Scotland: A Brave Adventure". If you're curious what their tours look like, you can check out a video preview here.
I hope you'll follow along as we experience each day. In addition to my posts here, you can get the "blow by blow" by following me on social media. Here's how we can connect.
Kids Eye View The kids' have all sorts of preconceived ideas. When they were littler, they just showed up an experienced each new place without any idea of what might be coming next, so it has been fun to watch them grapple with their newfound need to understand what they'll see and do beforehand. Darya, for example, is skeptical that anyone from Disney could possibly know as much about Scotland as her history book. As reality of Scotland, and our tour sets in, I know I'll just love watching their ideas grow and change.
In the meantime, I thought I'd ask the kids (who have reviewed the excruciating detail) what they're excited about and what they're worried about.
Darya: I'm looking forward to trying Horseback riding, but I can't say why.
Lowlight: I'm worried that there is so much to do that I won't get a chance to rest. You have to promise me there will be lots of snacks.
Everest: I think my birthday is going to be really fun this year
Lowlight: I'm worried that if we go horseback riding, I might fall off
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Adventures by Disney Scotland Tour
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Posted on April 1, 2013 |
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