Thanksgiving Haul

Ahh yes, the hour will soon be upon us. Like all good Americans, we celebrate life, love, and the pursuit of making the best time to a far off destination. Tomorrow we set off on a 13 hour driving extravaganza from Virginia to Kentucky! Ah yes, the books on tape, the highway rest stops, and, best of all, the Sonic Drive-Ins! I can taste the cheese tots now.

Once in Kentucky, we'll, like all good Americans, eat until we pass out of a food coma. All thanks to our nationally sanctioned day of over-eating, Thanksgiving. There will be turkey, ham, green beans, mashed potatoes, and maybe even a few pies decorated with cutesy pilgrim cutouts. If anyone wants to know why America has an obesity problem, I give you the months of October, November, and December as your answer. Between Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas it's a veritable three month long food fest. With that said, I hope you too will have a wonderful food coma, er, Thanksgiving!

The Dreaded Lovie - Traveling with "Friends"

Ugh, Maya's got a new "blankie" only this time it's a full sized chenille monstrosity. She keeps trying to convince me to let her take it on trips but Im inclined to got the Michael Keaton woobie in the fire route. Seriously, she's got a bad blankie habit. This despite the fact that it's 3 times bigger than she is, it's coming apart, and it's probably about 10 years old. I think she needs help. Someone....please help. Please. Really, Im begging. Is there anyone out there in desperate need of a raggity old blanket because I've got one!

Making your life easier at the airport

Ive been seeing so many articles in the news lately about mothers being booted off planes or generally given a hard time while going through the security process. It's definitely maddening to hear these stories but someone made a comment on one of the articles I read that made a lot of sense. It was something to the effect of you can't control people being unwilling to help, but you can control how prepared you are for people to not help you. I hope that makes sense. Basically, you have to be prepared to go it alone and there are a few things you can do to help yourself.

For the baby bag
Rather than putting your baby bag together the way you usually do, it's helpful to separate out all the things you will have to remove while in security before hand. Remember my article about plane packs? You want to do something like that here. Anything that is a liquid, gel, paste, powder, etc. is going to have to be taken out and put through separately. Taking baby food? Put all of your baby food containers in a separate see through baggy and put them at the top of your diaper bag so you can get them out quickly. Same goes for formula packets, filled baby bottles, breast milk, and diaper changing sundries. Separate them all out into bags that you put at the top, that way when you get to the security table all you have to do is pull them out and put them in a bin with no digging required.

You can't take anything that can hold more than 3 oz. so all of your stuff has to be in containers that hold that much or less. Even if it's a half empty 5 oz. tube of rash cream it will get confiscated because it could hold 5 oz. This is one area where I see people have the most trouble because the rules can sometimes be ambiguous. My rule of thumb is that if it isn't something that can break or crumble (like cheerios) it's a liquid and thus subject to the rule.

Having a diaper bag specifically for travel is a great idea. This way you can keep it fully stocked and ready to go at all times with everything separated out.

Take only what you need for the flight and 8 hours after. I've mentioned this before but this is where it can be important. The TSA allows liquids for children in "reasonable" amounts. Reasonable would be what you would reasonably need for a flight so if your baby eats every two hours, you reasonably need enough food for that time plus extra. If your connecting and have a lot of travel time ahead of you, you can explain that to the security officer. Remember, as annoying as you may think they are, these people have kids too and a lot of them know what it's like to travel with kids in tow.

For the kids

Make a game out of getting their shoes off and practice it at home before you head to the airport. Maya nowadays just plops herself on the floor and whips her shoes off. In fact, she gets mad if I do it for her. If you can find a way to get them involved and interested in the process, you'll make it go faster and it will be more enjoyable (if that's possible) because it will be like a competition. I'm trying to find out if they would make you take off slipper socks like these. If they don't that would be an excellent answer to keeping your kids from having to remove their shoes.

Got a runner? The security line is definitely not the place to let kids mess around. If your little one loves nothing more than to run off and look at the ultra cool bomb detector booth, I highly recommend getting yourself a "kid leash" better known as a harness. I'm not talking about one of those wrist things either. I'm talking about one of these bad boys

Sure, it looks like you treat your kid like a pet but you know what, it will save you a lot of worry if you KNOW they cant go anywhere. I had a friend who even put one of these on her kid backwards so he couldn't unclasp it.

For the mom

If you travel once in a blue moon this may not apply, but if you're like me and travel often consider not taking a stroller with you through the airport and also consider investing in a safety vest rather than lugging your car seat with you. Both of those things will cause you more heartache than it's worth. I know it sounds ridiculous but there's better ways. If you have a baby, consider "wearing" them. I have many friends who swear by wearing their baby all the time and I agree that it's a great way to get around and even better for travel. For the slightly older child you can also travel with a backpack and carry them in that. For kids Maya's age Trunkis are definitely a great way to get around the airport.

As for on the plane, the FAA recommends but does not require children to travel in a child restraint system (AKA car seat). For $75 you can get the CARES travel vest for children between 22 and 40 lbs. It's the only FAA certified alternative CRS. If you don't travel often, it's probably not worth it. But, again, if you do it's probably worth the investment just to not have to lug a car seat. Your other option is to just not take anything. Even without a car seat, your child is statistically safer on a plane than in a car, so as long as they are at least buckled in they're fine. Maya's made it through probably over 100 flights and never had a problem so I think I can vouch for that.

Pack your bags smart. Travel light, take only what you need, and familiarize yourself with the TSA security regulations BEFORE you go to the airport. Also, give yourself time to get to the airport, through security, and to the gate. If it's a holiday, add even more time. There's nothing worse than cutting it close when you've got two kids and a ton of bags. All you'll do is guarantee a stressful time and increase the chances that you're kid is going to have a major freak out followed by you having a major freak out. Believe me...I've been there.

Hope this helps!

Are we in for it? - Holiday travel to get worse

Ugh, that's all I have to say. I read an article today about how, due to the current FANTASTIC economy, airlines are increasing fares and cutting out routes they deem to not be fuel efficient. That means the flights still left standing will be to capacity all the time making for uncomfortable travel in flight, backups on the tarmac, and less options for people who miss a connecting flight. Ouch.

I don't think the airports will be much better. The airport in Orlando was h.o.r.r.i.b.l.e. I mean it's generally a nice airport in terms of looks but that's where it ended. The security lines were badly laid out; there was no one around to help the many, many families who very clearly rarely traveled (as evidenced by what seemed like every single bag going through the x-ray machine getting hand checked), and they changed the gate for our flight and told no one about it. It wasn't until a different flight came up on the board and all the passengers on my flight went crazy that they finally told us. Thanks a lot!

I dont mean to be all doom and gloom about air travel. It's still generally a good way to travel but, then again, that doesn't mean I have to be happy about this kind of stuff becoming the norm. I can only hope that the airlines also realize they can't treat their customers like the baggage they put under the planes.

Epcot - More Food and Fun Than You Can Shake A Stick At

I think it probably goes without saying that the World Showcase at Disney's EPCOT Center is my most favorite part of the Disney experience. With places like Mexico, China, Morocco, and even Canada there's so much to do and see there that it really deserves a two day stint. One day for the World Showcase and another day for Futureworld located at the front of the park.

According to Josh's research, Walt Disney's father was a construction worker for the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 and so that was Disney's inspiration for this park. In fact, Disney wanted EPCOT (which is actually an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) to be the main point of entry for Disney World as a whole. It was the board of directors who decided that Magic Kingdom should hold that title. In the end though, Disney's dream of a perfect "city" came true and 18 years after debuting four pavillions at the New York World's Fair in 1964, EPCOT opened to the public. Even though the EPCOT that opened was a slightly revised one of Walt's original plan, the basic premise of a World's Fair is still there and, boy, does it show! There is everything imaginable here.

Futureworld has a couple of great rides like Test Track and Soarin. For the kids there is Under the Sea with Nemo and Friends, Turtle Talk with Crush, and the 3-D movie Honey, I Shrank the Audience. You can also tool around the Innoventions, Imagination!, and Imageworks Pavillions for some hands on fun and glimpses into the future.

Even though the World Pavillion is a bit of an exercise in stereotypes it gets the point across and I was actually quite amazed at the authenticity of the architecture of each country. The replica of China's Temple of Heaven was actually really good. Even the restaurant in the Mexico showcase had real deal Mexican food complete with mole (pronounced mol-ay) sauce. I dont think there was one taco to be found on the menu! My favorite showcase is France and I especially loved the 360* movie Portraits of France (though admittedly because of the GORGEOUS music they used for it).

All in all, there is a good time to be had by all at EPCOT. As I said before, a good two full days is needed to enjoy everything so be sure to plan your time wisely. Oh, and be sure to plan ahead to eat at one of the world showcase restaurants so you can enjoy all the glorious yummy ethnic food. MMMMMM so good.

Get Your Grrrr at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom is Disney's youngest park but is also arguably the best. With a wide variety of rides, shows, food, and, yes, animals, there's something for everyone to enjoy. I was particularly impressed with their very important message of conservation and sustainability as well. Of course, the highlight of a trip to Animal Kingdom is their safari ride through the reserve where you get to "wander" amongst the animals while riding in a safari truck. I was amazed at how close you came to the animals and how they all seemed to think nothing of it. In addition to the safari, there are several walking trails where you can see many different animals from different regions of the world. Maya's favorite by far was the bat room along the asian animal trail where she got to see Flying Foxes dangling from branches above.

Overall the park is well designed though the addition of Dinoland seemed a bit odd. I guess they needed something to anchor the ride Dinosaur, which, by the way, is NOT for little ones. One ride that is great, though, is the Kali River Rapids. You can never go wrong with a wild rapid ride where everyone gets wet. We rode it three times in a row at Maya's insistence and also because it was a bit on the cold side that day so no one was waiting to get on. We just stayed in our boat and kept on going. Maya loved it!

For those of you who are trying to teach your kids about being green, be sure to check out Rafiki's Conservation Station. It's a great place to visit and get them some hands on learning about how to keep our Earth bright and beautiful for future generations.

We're back!

Whew, Disney does take it out of you which is why I didnt post after that first day. Every day after that we were up early and back late and I just didnt have posting in me. So where did I leave off? Ahh yes, dork paradise!

There's few things in this world that make me literally squeal with girlish glee. One of them is Hostess Sno-Balls. Another is anything with star in the title. Ever since I saw haley's comet growing up...oh and that movie classic Space Camp...I've loved space and astronomy. So, for me, Kennedy Space Center was AWESOME. When we finally got to where I could see the launch pads from the road I clapped my hands and in a high pitched voice went "oh! Oh! There they are!!!!" The Center is a bit on the pricey side but TOTALLY worth it for the space enthusiast. There's an actual orbiter that you can walk through, a gallery of Hubble images, chances to meet and speak with real astronauts, a shuttle launch simulator, and, of course, the launch pads. The picture above is me about a mile away from Launch Pad A complete with Endeavour and its solid and liquid rocket boosters. I was in absolute heaven. The Apollo/Saturn V center at the end of the tour was awesome. They had a full on Saturn V rocket suspended from the ceiling that was also broken out into it's stages. Maya took this awesome picture of me in front of it.


You can't really tell but Im actually slightly crazy eyed in this photo. I thought she was just taking a goofy photo. I had no idea she had me perfectly lined up under the engine cones. Awesome. Later I'll fill everyone in on the rest of Disney!

Disney is for Fairies!!!

Well the Young family has finally descended upon the greater Orlando area. Watch out for fairies!!! We went to the Magic Kingdom yesterday and Maya spent the whole day dressed up like Tinkerbell which was a big hit. Sure, there were lots of little girls dressed up as princesses but not one was dressed up as Tinkerbell complete with wings! It was kind of funny sometimes. Id have to help her adjust her wings every now and then so she could fit on a ride. Overall, she loved it and, despite my disdain for the mouse, I had a good time too. And we made it out only spending $25! Wow!

Today is the part of the trip I've been desperately waiting for. The Kennedy Space Center! I.cannot.wait!!!! I need mroe exclamation points! I have loved space since I was a kid. When I started at my current job I assisted someone who worked on NASA issues and ate it up like Thanksgiving dinner. I love NASA. The history, the technology, the science. I love it all. This, for me, is seriously a dream come true. I have always, ALWAYS, wanted to go to Cape Canaveral and now Im going! SQUEEEEEE!