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We got on a plane with three children under the age of five. Five people, four seats. It was awesome. Okay, not so much. But here are a few tips for getting to the plane without the hassle.
Drop the luggage (and your spouse and children) off at the curb.
Unless you are taking a cab to the airport or getting a ride, you have to figure out a way to get all your luggage and all of your family onto that plane before it takes off. I remember (before Ethan) when Derek and I each had a roller carry-on bag and his and hers laptops. We made it from the front door of the airport to the plane in under 20 minutes without fail. Then we had a baby. Didn't that all change? Now we have 3 huge bags, car seats for the other end (and to be honest, a way to strap down Nate on the plane) and whatever else we manage to find that we just HAVE TO HAVE with us on our trips.
From our first trip after Ethan's birth (when he was 7 weeks old), our policy was that the driver dropped the passenger, all the luggage AND THE BABY off on the front curb. The driver then drove to the parking lot that seemed to be miles away. The dropped-off person can either choose to transport said child in a backpack or a stroller--dealer's choice. When it's me, I prefer the backpack because I like to have my hands free. A stroller means you are going to get stuck pushing with at least one hand. Either way, this is better than the alternative. On one trip, I watched a family of five try to get their luggage onto and off of the parking lot shuttle bus and it was not pretty. That's a lot of carrying that you wouldn't have to do if you had just swung in front of the terminal before going to the parking lot.
Pay the nice porter for curbside check-in or use door-to-door baggage delivery. At $2 a bag for cheap people such as ourselves, that $8 can really put a dent in the old wallet. Of course, instead of trying to lug a baby, 3 bags and car seats into the airport, you never have to pick up your luggage again until you reach the other side of your journey. Well worth the $8 to me. Another option is door-to-door baggage delivery. For some airlines, this service starts at $79. It seems like a lot but since nearly all airlines charge per bag these days, your convenience and reduced hassle might be worth the extra.
Leave a little extra time so you can make your children walk. If you are going on a long plane ride, there is going to be plenty of sitting time. We always try to get to the airport early enough so that after we pass through security, we let Nathan walk the rest of the way to the plane. It may take a while to get to our destination but the little ones are guaranteed to be all tuckered out by the time we get there. It certainly raises our chances that someone will take a nap at some point on the plane or that the kids will be content to just sit.
Get on the plane last. That five hour flight isn't going to seem any shorter if you are the first person to board. Sure you want to guarantee room in the overhead bins for your things and you don't want to rush, but extending your plane travel time just might send your kids over the edge. We send one parent on at the beginning to install car seats or pack everything away. The other parent waits until final boarding call and then corrals the kids down the aisle of the crowded plane to the last seat. That way you also get an opportunity to see the sheer panic on other people's faces that yes, you are bringing a baby on their flight. No backing out now.
These tips have saved me either lots of time or lots of stress. Do you have any more to add?
Tomorrow we will be wishing a big ol' Happy 40th to our friends at Sesame Street. In the last 40 years, Sesame Street taught us to celebrate our differences, to bask in our own individuality and has continuously redefined "normal" to fit us all. Sesame Street taught us to read, to write, and yes, to count. It opened our eyes to cultures beyond our cul-de-sac and taught us global thinking. Sesame Street made us believe that we could be anything and that anything was possible. Sesame Street taught us to love music and laughter and learning.
Thanks, Sesame. We love you lots. We hope you have the best birthday ever.
I leave you my all time favorite as an adult...
Why don't you tell us what your favorite Sesame Street memory is?
I hate to be the person to tell you that Christmas is only 7 1/2 weeks away, but Christmas is only 7 1/2 weeks away. Typically I like to ignore Christmas until after Thanksgiving. However, this year the finances are much tighter than they have been in a few years so by planning ahead, I can be sure to give heartfelt gifts to the ones I love without emptying my bank account. Here are just a few tried and true tips from our house.
Exchange names for gift giving. If you have presents to buy for 12 nieces and nephews, you may easily find yourself spending more than you should or buying "filler" presents to check the box. Our solution in our family is that every cousin's name goes in a hat and Madeleine picks the names out one-by-one to see who will be giving a present to whom on Christmas. With only three gifts for my family to buy now, we can better focus on finding the perfect present for each name picked and no one is worrying about their children sending their sister's family into the poor house because of gift giving.
Focus on thoughtful gifts. For years we have made photo calendars for each grandparent. Last year I was so overwhelmed with life that I didn't get to it and there was great disappointment on Christmas day. Typically photo calendars run around $20, but most photo processing websites will have specials or discounts if you purchase early or if you purchase more than one. I usually upload around 20 pictures and switch the photos around for each grandparent. That way everyone is looking at a different picture each month. Adding your own captions helps personalize the calendar. "It's your birthday this month, Nana!! Happy Birthday!!" under a picture of Junior blowing out candles on his birthday cake is sure to bring a smile to Nana's face.
Let your kids make some executive decisions. Letting your children take ownership of a gift allows them to truly experience the joy of giving themselves. For Carter's birthday this year, Ethan was determined to get him an ice cream cake. I will never forget Ethan's face when he carried that candle lit cake to Carter. Apparently Ethan has not forgotten it either because he still brings up that ice cream cake. It was his idea and he was committed to it. Because of that, Ethan had as much joy giving that cake as Carter did receiving it.
It is possible for less to be more. Teaching your children that a gift from the heart is more important than what something costs is an invaluable lesson that they will carry with them forever. You only spent $10 on that photo coffee mug, but the fact that your kids picked out that special photo because they thought Dad would like it best can mean more to Dad than a gift which costs ten times more.
These are just a few of the things we do. What things have you done to keep your heart in giving without having to dig as deep into your pockets?
Forgive me if you have seen this Sid episode a million times like I have. However, since we have been tortured by The Germ for the last 48 hours, I must remind everyone to sneeze into their arm, for the love of God.
And while you are at it, get your finger out of your nose already.
On a brighter note, my pediatrician's office finally got the seasonal and H1N1 vaccines. Either which may have been more helpful for us last week but Yay! for everyone who hasn't gotten sick and can now get a shot.
Aachoo!!
"Maybe this one will be your good eater," she said as she watched him shove fistfuls of whatever his father would put in front of him on the tray. Occasionally he would lean down and eat something off the seat that had been leftover from breakfast if his father didn't get the food into his mouth fast enough.
I laughed. You see, my two other boys were fabulous eaters. I remember when Eat turned one and he ate two scrambled eggs for breakfast every single day for a year. Even the doctor was stunned. Now he would prefer to have a nice piece of bread or a tortilla with peanut butter and jelly.
Nate never liked vegetables but he would eat pretty much everything else until he turned two. What is it with the magic "two-year-old" mark in our house? Not that it matters today, since Mason is only seven months old. I think I'll just keep dishing up that cup of Irish oatmeal for breakfast every day and live in the moment.
So did you ever have the rise and fall of healthy food with yours? Please share. And don't forget to tweet to have your chance at winning that awesome Buddy costume. Today is the last day.
Just in time for Halloween, no less. Here's the picture of Nate wearing his. I was frantically finishing it off in time for this post. In the spirit of full disclosure, I don't have the mittens/hands done yet because I was really confused by the sewing on one side thing on the pattern. Not to say that it is complicated. I have just given birth to three children and the last time I had a decent coherent thought was sometime in 2004.
Also, I didn't do the feet because I am going to do something a little different from the pattern. I just haven't figured out what that is just yet. They have the cutest little dinosaur toes you have ever seen. The Henson pattern calls for feet with soles however. This will NEVER work for us because our Halloween involves hayrides in backs of trucks for trick-or-treating. It would take all of two seconds for Nate to put his foot right through that or for him to get any manner of the great outdoors poking his feet. I think I might make the felt feet with just the top sides and run elastic that can slip over shoes. I'll let you know.
Do you want to win the AWESOME ONE seen toward the end of this video? It's only been worn once! For your chance to win, all you have to do is tweet:
@hensonparents is giving away a Buddy costume of Dinosaur Train fame to one lucky tweeter on 10/26 at 3pm PST #buddysuit pls RT
Or there is still time to make your very own. Trust me. If I can do it, so can you...
We have a little excitement here at PBS Supersisters. Did you know that PBS Parents has all the instructions for making your very own Buddy the T-Rex costume with some help from the creators of Buddy?
Can you believe I'm trying to make one? The title of this post is a lie. What it should say is "What Not To Do When Making a Buddy Costume." But I was trying to stay lure you in with positivity.
Despite how excited you are about sewing, do not sew the inseam of Buddy's legs closed. This seems like a no-brainer and you will be unpleasantly surprised at how long it takes you to rip the seams out with a pair of kid scissors because no one put "seam ripper" on the list of items needed. Even more annoying? That you did it to both the front AND the back.
Do not become overwhelmed by the thought that the costume was designed by the brilliant minds at Jim Henson Creature Shop. As Derek watched me cut out the pattern, he pulled out the old, "WHERE did you get this idea" and I was all "it's a costume from the people at Jim Henson" and he was all "you mean the people that brought us Kermit the Frog" and I was all "(insert inappropriate words) no pressure here now, Babe. Thanks."
Don't be afraid to ask for help from a person who may or may not know how to sew. I called Susie Sunshine. "Can you help me with some sewing questions?" She said, "I know nothing about sewing." Me: "But you make wrap around skirts!" She said, "Okay, what?" Me: "Aren't you supposed to pin the pattern to the fabric or something before you cut it out? The directions don't say. Probably because it's the equivalent to "Breathe in" for the sewing world." Her: "Yes. Wow, I was helpful." Me: "Yes, you were."
Wanting to impress is a powerful motivator. PBS asked which one of us wanted to do this. I jumped in and offered because 1) my kids worship at the altar of Dinosaur Train, 2) I have a new sewing machine for sewing labels in my clothes for work and 3) I'm insane. How hard could it possibly be? I mean, I made those kickin' throw pillows for my apartment back in 1999 and how about those awesome place mats I made in the third grade? And maybe I just want to impress the girl who can take a cloth napkin and a paper clip and make it into an award-winning costume. So far the directions have been pretty easy to understand and thank God for pictures. It helps when you erroneously sew Buddy's inseam closed. See above.
Make this costume at night and under all circumstances, don't tell your children you are doing it. They will find out soon enough. I really don't need to explain this, do I?
Not only am I making a Buddy costume for Nate, I am also going to be able to give away the one MADE BY THE PEOPLE AT JIM HENSON (the one worn by the cute little dinosaur you see here). Oh, yeah. So come back on Thursday to enter for your chance to win that one. And to see a picture of mine, which will hopefully be done by then or I'm going to get fired.
Yesterday we went on a walk to the gate at the end of our road. Harrison came with us so it was me and the four boys. I was enjoying the cool weather by not wearing a coat in 53 degree weather. Believe me, it sounded like a good idea at the time. Even wearing a toaster oven baby on my back, I was over the spontaneous diversions off the road about 1/3 of the way into our journey and I could no longer feel my fingers.
Ethan: Look!!! It's our neighbor!!!
He and Harrison raced off on their scooters down the middle of the road screaming "HELLO" to eighty-year-old Annie who was slowly pushing her walker seat in front of her. She turned around to stare at the craziness. I called the boys back the 1/4 mile to me.
Kristen: Boys. That is rude to yell "HELLO" from a million miles away.
Ethan: Well, what are we supposed to do?
Kristen: You need to wait until you are near her so she doesn't have to strain to hear you. You should get off your scooter when you get close to her and say, "Hello. How are you today?"
Ethan: Oh.
Harrison: We can do that, Miss Kristen.
They rode off again and there was in incident involving someone nearly taking Annie off her feet but they followed my instructions for the most part. I really don't think they mean to act like savages. I caught up to them about three minutes later as they were showing Annie their complicated scooter moves that made her gasp in horror. I suddenly envisioned having to call 911 because she had a heart attack.
Kristen: They are a little crazy. I'm sorry.
Annie: Three boys. God bless you. And they don't look anything like you. But they are very well-behaved.
No. No, they don't. And yes, they are. Sometimes.
Have you done this yet? You are only limited by the amount of ink that is in your printer. And the amount of time you want to give up your computer to an over zealous four-year-old who thinks he should have photos with all of his favorite PBS characters.
Personally I don't approve of Curious George standing up in the boat OR the fact that he's not wearing his life vest, but those options are not yet available in the PBS Photo Factory. Check it out!!
I was always a picky eater. I just really didn't like food. My pediatrician Dr. Brown used to tell my mom that as long as I ate one good meal every two weeks, no worries.
Now the thought of only one good meal every two weeks makes me hyperventilate as a mother. Of course, look at me. It's not like I miss a meal myself these days. I turned out alright.
I think it has made me even more laid back about my kids and food. You don't have to like anything and you don't have to eat anything you don't want to eat. The pesky downside? You also aren't getting anything until the next meal. This is not a 24-hour diner I am running here. God bless all you mothers who are cooking multiple meals to make sure that everyone in your family is eating healthy and eating what they like. Me? It sure is a very long time until breakfast and yes, your brother does have permission to gloat as he eats his dessert.
Tonight I "made" Ethan eat zucchini quiche in order to get his dessert of homemade apple sauce from our apple picking extravaganza today. He didn't realize that apple sauce doesn't constitute true dessert in my book but far be it from me to judge what will inspire you to finish your dinner. And he did it.
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