Our Economy Stinks...It's Time For a Vacation in Your Mind

Yep, I'm sure it's a surprise to all of you to hear that the American economy is, in fact, in the loo right now. I don't know if we're in a depression or a recession or what. The fact that I'm even saying the word depression is rather sobering. Now I know, I know. Josh and I still take crazy vacations all around the world and I'm sure that loses people's respect some. I do care about what's happening to so many of our people right now, though. Right now, there are people who can't even afford to feed their kids, much less take a trip. And Im afraid that it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Last summer I posted something about staycations. It's something that I think is still relevant today. No matter how much you hide it, stress shows through to your kids. They instinctively know when something is wrong. That's why it's so important for them to find an avenue to, mentally at least, get away. It's vitally important that YOU find a way to mentally get away. Im not talking about spending money on a vacation. But something as simple as going to your local library and getting a picture book of some far off place and imagining all the things you could do there can help take your mind off things. Getting lost pretending to be in a band with your kids while you air guitar to some music on the radio could be the answer. Go out to the woods and pretend to be lost (just don't actually get lost!). Spend time with your kids in any way you can. They need it and you need it. Hunker down and step away from the bills and just laugh, even for a minute. Your nerves will thank you.

Making the most of your trip with the help of the Smithsonian Institute

One of the wonderful things about living close to Washington, DC is having the Smithsonian Institutes so close by. They are wonderful museums and are free to the public. Every now and then, I look around their site to see if there is anything good going on that Maya would like and I came across this excellent list of how to make the most of your trip to the Smithsonian. The best part is that this list can really be adapted to any trip you are taking and it really focuses on ways to involve your child in the process.

One of the biggest things I have always told parents who ask me for travel advice is to get your child involved. Make them feel like they are having an influence on what you do or, even better, DO give them influence on what you do. A lot of times, trips that aren't kid centered get nothing but grumbles and groans from the little ones, until you find a way to excite them. Things like The Postcard Game, I Spy, and Where is It? as mentioned in the Smithsonian article are all excellent games that will work anywhere you go. They also have great tips on how to prepare for a trip to the museums (which again is true for anywhere you visit), as well as ways you can keep your child excited after the trip is over.

While you're at the Smithsonian site be sure to check out the rest of it because it's a wonderful teaching resource for children. It's loaded with games and information about all of their exhibits and links to exciting exhibits around the country.

Featured Article: Smithsonian Education: Making the Most of It

Smithsonian Education for Families

The Smithsonian Institute

Really...it's not that bad

Ugh I was reading a CNN article earlier today written by a woman who clearly has no interest in kids and went on to list all the reasons why. Now, I've got no issues with people who don't want kids. Heck, at one point I wasn't sure I wanted kids. It just bugs me though that, among her other reasons for not having them, traveling was her biggest one. Why? Why is it that so many people detest the thought of traveling with their children? I really want to know. Was it because of a bad experience? Are they afraid it will be a bad experience? It's true that it's not always pretty and I've had my fair share of moments when I just wanted to burst out in tears because I was so tired but really, it's not the end of the world. Your traveling life doesn't have to end just because you've added a little one or even little ones. You don't have to be trapped into a life of lame vacations! Get out! See the world! Don't let diapers stop you! Just buy some when you get there.

Don't give in to the thought that traveling with kids sucks!!!!

Annnnnd we're back

Wow, internet is hard to come by in Tunisia! Tunisia was great all around. Sorry it's been a while since I posted. We pretty much had no internet the entire time we were there and then I was sick right after we got back. I guess I had too much fun!

Here's the low down on Tunisia!

The good

• Very child friendly - At least I think so. Maya loved it and had a great time roaming around all the ruins going on "adventures." The Tunisian people looooove children and Maya was always greeted with a smile or a pat on the head. Because of it being a former French colony there is a lot of familiarity in terms of food and drink which will help out. A lot of the cafes are accustomed to catering to tourists and usually offer a fairly western menu but there are still lots of opportunities for the kids to try new things.
  

• The history is absolutely amazing. From the third largest coliseum in the Roman world to the ancient cities of Carthage and Dougga, there are amazing sites around every turn. The vast quantity of incredible Roman mosaics alone are worth the trip.

• It's definitely pretty laid back there. There are tons of cafes and with so many cities sitting right on the Mediterranean it's easy to find yourself wastng away the hours looking at the beautiful coast soaking in the sun.

• It's cheap as all get out. Even the dollar did well there and that's saying something! Taxis are dirt cheap (though you have to watch the drivers like a hawk to make sure they dont touch up the meter). A stop off at a cafe for coffee for 3 people will set you back about...oh $2. I had a steak with Roquefort cheese sauce, fries, some spinach thing and bread for a whopping $9.

• It's olive central. If you love olives, Tunisia is the place to go as there are millions upon millions of olive trees. Ive never seen anything like it in all my life. Miles and miles of groves.

• The landscape is gorgeous. You wouldnt think so since it's a North African nation, but it really looks like southern Spain or Italy. They even have the tall skinny pine trees like the ones in Italy. Combine that with the beautiful, silvery green olive trees and you have yourself an idyllic place to be.

The bad

• It can be tough to find people who speak English so brush up on your French. Learn the basics of shopping, ordering food, and telling time. You'll need all of those things. Most of the people in the hotels speak English, but once outside the hotel you'll need to speak French.

• It's a little trashy. Not like gross but there's a lot of litter. Just something to keep in mind.

• With so many museums, historic sites, and beautiful beaches it's a tourist hot spot for sure. Visiting in the off season is a good bet and you avoid the oppressing heat of summer too!

• Outside of Sfax and a few other cities, there are a lot of roadside restaurants that butcher lamb right there on the porch. It's excellent lamb and you should make an effort to stop at one but be warned that it can be a little graphic to watch/look at.

• Watch out for people who want to help you. They just want to "help" you so they can then ask you for money. We found ignoring people who randomly approach us to be the best idea. All the more reason to brush up on your French.

• Logistics can be difficult mostly because of the language barrier. Some of the best ways to get around require some fortitude and aren't for amateur travelers. Things like the louagge. We did it, but it might freak some people out hopping into a van with 6 other people you don't know going to someplace you've never been before.

All in all I'd say Tunisia is an awesome family destination and well worth the trip if you can make it. I would recommend it for those families that are a little more seasoned unless you just plan on going to one of the beach resort areas. If you go to Carthage, definitely wander your way over to Cafe Neptune. It's incredible eating right on the coast for an excellent price. Order the clams. They're to die for!

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.

The International Friends Club

One of the coolest things about traveling for us is definitely meeting new people and keeping in touch with them. Take our friend Bill for instance. Bill left today to go back to England after spending ten days with us. It was a great visit and we got to do all kinds of cool things that we normally dont think to do like go to the new Air and Space museum and chilling out at a winery. We actually met Bill a few years ago through his friend Robin who is the son of Ollie and Lynn, the couple we met in Italy 5 years ago. Did ya follow that?! Anyway, since meeting Bill we've gone on a few trips with him and gotten together with him when we've gone to England along with a whole slew of other English friends. It's really awesome to have this whole other place in the world that has a whole group of people that I honestly consider family. At least once on our visits there we have a huge dinner out somewhere where there's like 15 of us. It's just so much fun and has created so many memories. Everyone there is such a joy to be around, including Bill. The man did my dishes every night after dinner for pete's sake! Oh and he loves sci-fi/fantasy stuff too so he's extra awesome in my book lol.

Then there's our good friends in Spain who hosted us for a week last summer Xavier and Lourdes. We met them in Argentina at La Bombanera stadium about 3 years ago. They are just some of the nicest people I know. I think Xavi is quite possibly the happiest man on Earth. I dont think I've ever seen him not smiling. Lourdes is great too and now they are the parents of a beautiful little girl. I can't wait to see them again and introduce Maya to their daughter.

When Josh was in Peru a few weeks ago, he met a Brazilian couple that he's kept in contact with that we may go visit. We also have a friend with family in India and she's been telling us we're welcome to come out sometime. The list just keeps growing! It's so much fun though. Honestly staying with someone in their home in a foreign country is just the best. The experience is completely different and it's so much more fun. So, go on a trip and get yourself some new friends!

Where'd I go?

Wow slacked off there lol. Sorry!!!! That second week in China was just so draining and, now that we're back, Im even more drained.

So the last week we went to Xian to see the Terracotta Warriors and to Gui Lin which is quite possibly the most beautiful place Ive ever seen. Just gorgeous with an almost unnatural beauty. After that we headed back to Beijing for all of about 18 hours, squeezing in a visit to the Lama Temple which was awesome, and then it was back to the states. Oh and to work the very next day. OUCH!!

So overall I would say the trip was good but really I ended up having a bit of a love hate relationship with it. I LOVED seeing all the sights. They were just amazing. I didnt love the dirt, smog, congestion, and cleanliness issues that come with going to China. In the end, I loved it but at the same time, Im not in a hurry to go back. I'd go back to Gui Lin and Shanghai maybe but probably not with Maya.

As for Maya, well, let's just say China wasn't on her list of favorites. I think it was just too much for her. Too much to look at, too many things she couldn't do (for safety reasons), too many people wanting her picture. I think it was just overload and that combined with turning 5 soon (and thus knowing the answer to life, the universe, and everything) it was just too much. I'm STILL battling with her some even now that we're back at home. I think she's maybe still adjusting. OK I'm HOPING she's still adjusting. The good news is that she seems very happy to hear that our next international destination, Tunisia, is probably going to be a lot like Turkey. I really think she wishes all of our trips could just be to Turkey because she loved it there. Oh well. Hopefully we can get back into a more normal system and she can be normal again. Please, please be normal again :p

Don't forget to check out Josh's gorgeous pics! You can find them here:

Beijing

Shanghai

Xian

Gui Lin

Three Weeks Until China!

So our big trip is just three weeks away!

Ive decided Im taking very little clothing and I'll just wash it out a lot. I'm taking three shirts and two pairs of pants. Im taking all long sleeved/long pants that can be rolled up because I want to make sure we have protection in Guilin but I dont want to be taking extra clothing. I was going to buy stuff at REI but man it's just so expensive and old navy has a sale goin on so I got these in this color and a dark grey



and this in khaki, olive grey, and a rusty red color called Indian Clay


I definitely want to get some good quality sneakers though and those might cost a bit. Im also considering getting a travel vest so I'll have something to put my shiznit in while we're walking around. I got Maya two pairs of roll up pants, I just need to get her some lightweight long sleeve shirts. She an I both will benefit from the long sleeve/long pants stuff too because we are both very fair skinned and burn at the very sight of the sun.

Maya has to get at least 6 shots in the next 2 weeks, poor thing. I'm definitely getting her a Hep A shot but Im waffling on the Typhoid. I just dont know if she REALLY needs it but since it's water borne I guess its better to be safe than sorry. They're $80 a pop though so ick. She's already got Hep B and all of her other regular vax I just need to get her her last booster shots which is where the other 4 shots come in. Even with the shots I'll be like the hawk I always am. No fresh fruits or veggies, bottled water only (even for teeth brushing), no ice, no street foods, all meat cooked to within an inch of its life and lots and lots of hand sanitizing.

Most places we've been I havent been too worried about sanitation. Egypt I was a little worried but we did just fine. China has me a little on edge when it comes to sanitation but Im sure it will be ok as well. I think China is a lot like Egypt in that there is this kind of shellac of niceness that is put up for the tourists but without much work you can get to the really ugly underbelly of grossness. We just have to be careful. That statement has nothing to do with the actual people of China, it's just a reality when you are dealing with a rapidly growing, industrialized nation. We went through it too.

So anyway, I feel like I have so much to do!

MandarinTube: Learn Chinese From the Comfort of Your Own Home

So I was poking around on the Chinese Embassy's website and saw this link to ShowChina.org. It's actually a pretty interesting website that has all kinds of information about China. On there I came across a link to MandarinTube.com, a site where you can sign up for free and watch all kinds of videos to help you learn Mandarin. At first I thought it was just a bunch of videos of people in everyday situations speaking in Mandarin with English subtitles. Not very helpful. BUT then I looked around some more and it's actually a really good resource. In addition to the video they have a link to another video called "Understanding Video" where they go through the dialogue step by step showing you the written words, the English translation and slowly going through the pronunciation.

We'll see how actually learning this language goes. I took Japanese in college, but this is much harder. Spoken Japanese is pretty easy as the romanji (the way of writing Japanese in western letters) actually looks like what you are saying. Their language is made of fairly simple phonetics such as ka, sa, ro, ni, etc. Mandarin, on the other hand, is a whole different bag. Even though you can write it in western letters it still doesn't sound anything like what it looks like. Then there is the trouble that you can have the same word but depending on your inflection it can mean several different things. I can only hope I don't tell someone their mother looks like a monkey's butt.

Tallinn, Estonia: A Quiet City With a Difficult Past

We've been on travel for the past five days and this is the first chance I've had to get on here and write about it! A terrible error indeed! This trip has felt like two or three trips all jumbled into one as we flew into London, spent one day at Windsor Castle and Stonehenge; one day in Britsol where we got to meet the fine folks at Trunki (!!!!!); and then we headed off for Tallinn Estonia. Since the other places we've been are pretty typical on the average travelers itinerary (well maybe except for the meet up with Trunki) I'll stick with Tallinn for now.

Tallinn is an old city that has been beset with invasion after invasion over it's time. In ancient times it was the Romans and the Vikings. In more recent times it was the Nazis and the Soviets. Tallinn seems to be trying hard to cut ties with it's interloper past and prove that it is a city, and a country, of its own. During WWII it was first taken over for a short time by the Nazis who then lost it to the Russians. The people of Tallinn certainly seemed to suffer under the Russian occupation with many people being sent off to Siberia, foreign Russian workers brought in to "russify" the area, and a take over of their economy. After the fall of communism in Russia, though, Estonia worked hard to get back on its own two feet and looked to make itself more like the west. Today Tallinn is quite a popular tourist spot for many Europeans and Scandinavians and it seems to be doing well for itself.

There are some drawbacks to all this popularity for tourists at least. Namley the cost of things. Now I didnt expect to come here and be able to go on a giant shopping spree but when it's $10 just for a fridge magnet I'd say teh price of things has gone a little overboard. Granted we've been hovering around the prime tourist trap areas and I would expect some level of inflation but really, comon, $10 for a magnet? I saw a hat I could easily have made for myself selling for $35! Ouch! The food is good and our hotel is once again exceptional thanks to TripAdvisor.com (my new favorite website) but everything else has been a hit to the pocketbook and almost a turn off.

There are good parts though. There are parks EVERYWHERE, Maya loves all the old cobblestone streets and there is some really beautiful architecture here. I've been impressed with the beautiful wood carvings here. We went in one church that was covered with intricately carved wooden plaques made whenever the patriarch of a prominent family passed. Also, many of the buildings have beautifully carved doorways and walls. Maya loved the Estonian Hisotory museum and we found a great many coffee shops and sweet stores to pop into for a break from the cold.

Over all Tallinn has been a nice break from the business of back home. Despite not being able to buy my VERY IMPORTANT useless bric-a-brac at a reasonable cost I would say Tallinn is nice if you want a little taste of history with some lovely walks and beautiful scenery.

Here are some of Josh's beautiful pictures as always

Top Ten Ways to Keep Your Sanity While Traveling With Kids

People are always asking me "How do you not go crazy when you're going all over the place with a kid." Well some of it's me but most of my ability to keep my cool has been learned through a lot of trial and error. Believe me, I've been there and done that in pretty much every situation and it's not always been pretty. The following list gives my main ways of keeping everything under control and running smoothly.

10. Take Less Stuff: I've said it before and I'll say it again. TAKE LESS STUFF!!! You seriously don't need a whole house full of stuff to keep your kids happy. Look at a travel packing list made by parenting websites and magazines and then cut everything in half. Those lists are great if your going to Grandma's for a week and dumping everything but NOT if you are going to be on the move.

9. Schedule Time to Take a Break or Have a Lazy Day: When traveling with kids this is a really crucial element. They need to have time to be lazy, watch TV, take a 3 hour nap, act stupid, etc. They need time to be themselves and if their entire day is jammed full of sightseeing followed by a sit down dinner, a night walk and then bed time you're only going to have very unhappy kids for a week. I can't count the number of times we've said "That's it, we're calling it a day" at like 1 pm. One time I actually left Josh to walk around with our friends in Spain so I could go back and take a 2 1/2 hour nap with Maya because we were so exhausted. I needed it and so did she. Learn to recognize that and don't be afraid to say you or the kids need to stop.

8. Keep Snacks With You At All Times: For kids, and people like me who are really sensitive to their sugar levels, this is important. Hunger can make you and your kids tired and cranky faster than a tour through a tin can factory so keep a variety of snacks with you. Make sure you have some kind of protein; be it bars, meat sticks, peanut butter crackers, etc.; because while crackers and pretzels are easy to take, they get metabolized the fastest and will just send you crashing.

7. Make Your Expectations Clear: Believe it or not, kids do better when there are set rules, especially on travel when following rules are a must. When you are traveling with kids, especially little ones, they NEED to know exactly what you expect of them. I do this with Maya. When we go somewhere where she needs to stay close or be quiet I let her know in simple terms and I repeat it and have her parrot it back to me frequently. 9 time out of 10 she's loved it because she feels like a big girl when she's done well. We won't talk about the 10th time.

6. Have a Reward System: Let your child know that they WILL get something out of going to all those boring museums, churches, and tours that you want to do. This is an important part of traveling for us. It teaches Maya compromise and allows us to do the things we want to do. We keep our eyes out for things we know she likes such as playgrounds or an ice cream stand. When we see them we note where they are and strike a deal when we're about to do a grown up thing. "If you're good in here we'll take you to that playground." Yes, it's bribery, but when your traveling with your kid it's a no holds barred situation.

5. Agree With Your Partner In Sharing of Care: If your traveling as a couple or traveling with friends, agree BEFORE you go as to the sharing of care. When we travel, I am the primary care giver for Maya. Now, people look at that and say "Doesn't it bother you that Josh doesn't help more?" The fact is, no it doesn't because we have agreed to that system and it works for us. Josh takes pictures, I watch after Maya. Josh knows, though, that if I have trouble with my asthma or if I start feeling tired he's got to take over. Your system may be different but the important thing is that you discuss it beforehand so no one ends up feeling like they got the short end of the stick.

4. Always Have a Plan B: Stuff happens, it's a fact of life, but you can't let it get you down. That's why I always say, have a plan B. That way when stuff doesn't go as you planned you can quickly say "OK, we'll just do this," without it ruining the rest of your day or the rest of your trip. This goes for everything but ESPECIALLY money. Always have a backup plan for money. That way if something really happens (like your wallet gets stolen) your not at a total loss.

3. Don't Let Your Itinerary Rule Your Life: I see so many people do this. You casually ask, "So what are you doing on your trip?" It's then that they take out their 12 page itinerary. Josh and I have found it's much better to set small goals for each day of the trip. Figure out what you definitely want to try to see before you leave on your trip, but don't necessarily schedule a time to see them. Each day pick a couple things on your list to do. This way you see the things you want to see but leave yourself time to discover things you didn't know about.

2. Give In to the Moment: This is one of the hardest things for adults to do. Stop looking at your watch, stop checking your email, stop planning every little detail. Give in. Waiter taking forever? Give in! Some of the best meals I've ever had were three hours long. Stuck in a rain storm? Give in and play in the rain with your kids. They will remember that more than some museum. Let go of your adult life and think like a kid for a few moments a day. You'll thank yourself later

1. BE PREPARED!!!!!: This is absolutely THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. I'm not talking about making sure you have enough socks. I'm talking knowing about where you are going. Average temperature, seasonal weather patterns, transportation options, greetings and customs, appropriate attire, even the political climate and current events. All of it is important. You don't want to plan a trip somewhere only to find out when you get there that it's monsoon season. Get a map of the area and study it. If it's a city, get information on all the transportation options and plan your routes to areas you will want to go to. Which is easier, figuring out the London Underground in your living room or when you're actually at a station? Pre-buy tickets if you can. Get multi-day museum or park passes. Often times, it will also save you money in the long run. Also, as dumb as it sounds, look at the geographical information if it's an area of the world your not familiar with. You may get the shock of your life to go someplace close to the Mediterranean only to find out its at 9,000 feet above sea level. A bit nippy?! Also check out information pamphlets for areas at various state and government sites. When traveling internationally I always check the U.S. State Department Consular Sheets, the WHO and/or CDC, and also the tourist board web site for the area I'm going to. They all help immensely.

There's always much more, but if you generally follow these tips you can rest easy that you'll have a well planned and, hopefully, stress free trip no matter where you are going.

We Have A Launch!

SQUEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, Josh has convinced me to go down to Florida in November to do Disney...again. I'm not sure why, but I just haven't been looking forward to the trip. Maybe it's because we just went to Disneyland not that long ago but, for Maya's sake, I'm willing to suck it up and go. Anyway, Josh was looking around at other places to go while we are there and said "You know, I've always wanted to go to Kennedy Space Center. I wonder how far away it is." Whu...what? Did you just say Kennedy Space Center? As in THE Kennedy Space Center? As in the place I've wanted to go to since I was like 6 and saw the movie Space Camp? My nerd heart skipped several beats! I love, love, love space stuff. Anything to do with space. NASA, space shuttles, the International Space Station, deep space satellites, space telescopes, any show with the word "star" in it. You get the drift.

As it turns out, Kennedy is only about an hour from Orlando. Awesome. Oh and for $60 you can have dinner with an actual astronaut. Even more awesome! Oh and Discovery is set to launch while we're there. SOMEONE GET THE SMELLING SALTS CUZ I'M GONNA PASS OUT!!!!!!!! Now given NASA's track record on launches it will probably be delayed but still, even if I could see it on the launch pad...I just don't even have words. If we get to be there to see the launch I think I will actually squeal with delight. That would be even more awesome than the World Cup and that's sayin something!

I'm not so sure Maya will like it. I think I'm going to have to work on her a bit. When I told her about it she thought we were going to get in the space ship and go see aliens. I tried to explain that we would just be watching astronauts go up and that they wouldn't be seeing any aliens but she still didn't like the idea. I don't know what I would do if she were too scared to watch it. With the shuttle program being phased out in just 2 years I don't think we'd ever have another chance to see one launch. Quick, someone tell me how to make her think aliens are cool!

What Would Mary Poppins Do

Well Maya has definitely taken clothing choices to a new level. Now she doesn't want to just wear something that matches. Oh no, she has to dress up as someone else. I've actually taken to asking her who she is in the morning so I know what to offer. This morning, first she was Wendy from Peter Pan and then she decided that she was actually Mary Poppins. Thankfully Wendy and Mary both wear the same dress it's just that Mary wears an Easter hat and carries a Tinkerbell umbrella around with her. Oh yeah, and she speaks in a high pitched English accent too. Who knew!

After getting Ms. Poppins ready for daycare this morning I was thinking "What am I going to do on trips now?!" Is she going to be like Cybil and need outfits for every personality or will she accept her fate of wearing what I tell her she has to wear. Usually, Maya's pretty good at being practical when she needs to be but lately, as evidenced by my blog about her behavior, she's swinging towards the "independent" side. Maybe the time has come to actually have her pick out her own clothes to take. Then if she's missing an outfit when she feels a Captain Jack Sparrow day coming on, she'll know that she's got no one to blame but herself...oh and her first mate, me.

Maybe I'll just sing her "A Spoonful of Sugar" and find some dancing cartoon penguins. That way I can get her dressed in something normal while she's occupied with the show. Think Dick Van Dyke is available?

Hold me up

When I was in Turkey I mentioned how using a scarf sling saved the day, allowing me to carry Maya on me without having to wear out my arms. She loved being in it and I loved having an alternative way of carrying her. Well, today, I dug through my closets and found my original baby sling that I had gotten when she was a baby. We had gotten it for traveling around without the aid of a stroller and it worked well. After a while I thought she was too big for it but after the trip to Turkey I decided to dust it off and see if it would still work.

There are many brands of slings and carriers out there so you kind of have to find the one you like. I had no idea what a sling was when we bought one but I ended up loving it. I have the NoJo Baby Sling by Dr. Sears*.

NoJo Baby Sling

It has extra padding at the shoulder and around the edges to keep the fabric from digging in which as a bit of a problem for me in Turkey. It's what's referred to as a ring sling because it has the double rings which you weave the strap into to adjust how tight the fabric is around you. I tried holding Maya several different ways and all of them seemed to be comfortable, even when we tested it while wearing our heavy jackets (a true test of what it will be like when walking around Estonia). I could hold her resting on my hip, in a lying down position across my front, and we were even able to figure out how to get her piggy-back on my back (though that position did end up being a bit uncomfortable). Again, she loved being in it. I think she just likes pretending to be a baby but it also allows us to be close to each other a lot which we both like. She's actually almost 10 lbs over the recommended weight limit for the sling (oops) but it still seems to work and she still sits safely in it.

Here's a few pictures of me wearing her when she was younger


*Just to clarify, my opinions are my own and Trunki is in no way affiliated with selling or promoting the NoJo Baby Sling. I just like it.

Embrace Your Inner Onion

• As I walked around downtown D.C. freezing every exposed portion of my body off, I realized that in about three weeks I'll be even colder as I walk around in Tallinn, Estonia all day. This brings me to the point of my title for this blog. One trick that I've learned through my years of traveling is layering. Now, I'm not talking about the cutesy layering where you put a lacy camisole under a nice sweater. Oh no, I'm talking backpacking through the mountains kind of layering. Now you may think to yourself, why would she want me to bring more clothes rather than less? There's actually several reasons:

• Suitcase space: OK before you say I'm dreaming, I promise you it will in fact save you suitcase space. Rather than packing several big, bulky, space devouring sweaters you pack several thinner tops which together will still probably be less than the sweater.
  


• Temperature control: I happen to be one of those people who gets sick to my stomach if I get hot so being able to cool off is a must. The same goes for your kid. Kids aren't happy campers if they are too hot or too cold so being able to adjust how warm or cold they are will make everyone happier in the long run.
  


• More outfits with less clothing: Here's how it works. Say you wear two (or even three) shirts one day. A few days later you can wear the same exact outfit just in reverse, wearing the shirt that was closest to your body on the outside and the shirt that was on the outside now will be the under shirt. You've now got two outfits but are only taking up the space of one sweater in your bag. Obviously this wont work if the undershirt from the first day is on the "ripe" side in which case you could either air it out, wash it and hang it up to dry, or just wear the outer shirt from a previous day as an undershirt.

If you travel in winter a lot, like I do, you can also invest in some "second skin" thermal shirts. These are ultra thin shirts and leggings that keep you warm while not bulking up your outfits or your suitcase. They also make for great sleepwear which will also cut down on the things you have to bring. Best of all, because they are so thin, they will dry in a jiffy if they need a washing so you can wash them in the sink at night and they'll be ready for more walking around the next day.

So, with all that said, everyone enjoy freezing to death in this wretched cold!

The Experiment

Lately Maya has left a little to be desired in the discipline department. To be frank, she's been going through the terrible twos...just two years late. Everything is a battle and it's at its worst when we're in airports. One thing parents who travel a lot know is that there are times when you HAVE to have a sort of zero tolerance with your kids for safety reasons. Maya's favorite time to decide not to listen to us is security lines, arguably the worst place to not listen. Since we live close to DC we have to go through the extra level of security at gates. Oh yes, folks, I get to be interrogated just so I can enter my own country. I digress. Anyway, those are the times that are the worst. There's a ton of tired grumpy people all waiting to get on the plane and here's Maya trying to run straight past the security officers to play with the x-ray belt. On the flight home from our Turkey/England trip, she was driving me batty. She wouldn't keep quiet, she was constantly asking for something, she was touching EVERYTHING, kicking the backs of chairs, the list goes on. All of this after she had kept us up all night because she had to sleep in bed with us and then we all woke up at 5 am for our first flight. By the second flight, I was ready to wave the white flag. Show me some mercy kid!

So, with all that said (yes, you could say vented), I'm going to do an experiment. I turned to some of my fabulous friends for help and one of them mentioned a great idea. Poker chips that can be given and taken away for both good and bad behavior. Earn enough and you get something cool. Do something bad and you get some taken away. The thing I love about this idea is it's portability. Charts are nice but you can't really take a chart with you. A bag of poker chips, though, can easily be kept in my carry on or my day pack so I can really take them anywhere and we can be consistent. Our trip to Tallinn is in a few weeks and I think that will be an excellent time to really try this idea out. Im going to start now with them, but that will be the true test. Will we be able to stick with the plan or will it all sink faster than the Titanic? Keep reading to find out!

Anyone Know Mandarin?

So Im skipping right over my trip to Talinn, Estonia right now and heading straight for our big trip to China this summer. Mostly, this is because we're in the middle of planning it now and it's quite the feat of scheduling as we're doing it all ourselves.

Josh has done an awesome job of finding us nice hotels and tours to take and has also gotten us some great deals on airfare within China. I'm really excited about the trip. Our plans are to go to Beijing for about a week then fly to Shanghai. From Shanghai we will go to Xi'an to see the Terracotta Soldiers; from Shanghai we will go to Guilin to see some of the incredible countryside and then from Guilin we will fly back to Beijing and then home. WHEW!! Hopefully Maya will do well. I'm a little concerned about how much actual traveling we will be doing and hopefully she won't get worn out.

I still can't believe we're going to China. Of course, I say this before every trip we go on. I was thinking about Estonia the other day. I mean really, Tallinn looks like it's going to be awesome but how often do you hear "I'm going to Estonia!" It's just so weird. The first time I ever heard of Estonia was in the movie "Encino Man" where Sean Astin and Pauly Shore uncover a caveman. To hide the fact that he's a caveman they say he's an exchange student from Estonia. I seriously thought they had made it up. Who knew! When I was growing up I thought making it to Paris once in my life would be the ultimate. I never dreamed I would get to go to all these places, and with my family! When I get a chance I'll post more about our trip to China. Some of the pictures of Guilin are AMAZING! Like this one! AHHHH I can't wait!


Now I just need to get someone to teach me some Chinese. I don't think my vast knowledge of Chinese food menus here is going to help me.

Meet my friend, Trixie

"Hi! I'm Maya...this is my Trunki."

Ok, I know that totally sounds like a commercial but she really does say that in airports. I noticed it a little when we went to California back in August, but for some reason on this trip Maya was all about introducing everyone she met to Trixie. We would be mindlessly standing in line and there was Maya, on the floor next to her Trunki, introducing it to everyone who remotely made eye contact with her.

I think she views Trixie is her pet. She does, in fact, pet Trixie. She hugs her (and yes, Trixie is a her), pets her, tells her "Go on girl, let's go!" She begs me to ride on her at all times through the airport, though I draw the line when we get to the amusement park type queues because of all the hairpin turns. They seem to have this close relationship that I have long since grown too old to understand. I always wonder what's going through her mind because, well...it is in fact a piece of luggage. I wonder if she's like how I was with my stuffed animals growing up. They weren't toys, oh no, they were REAL. They had feelings, they had favorite things and, for reasons I now do not know, I was convinced that if I covered them up with my bedspread they were all certain to suffocate. Because I was scared of the dark (ok, I MIGHT still be scared of it) I use to pile all of them in bed with me as my defense. With that in mind, does this mean I should expect to walk into Maya's room and see her clutching Trixie for dear life? Should I be worried that my daughter has a "special" relationship with her luggage? Should I avoid getting her Terrance for fear there might be a day when she comes to me and tells me she wants to marry him? Oh, think of the love triangle!

I guess I'll just have to wait and see. For now, I will just enjoy the fact that my daughter has something that makes traveling really fun for her and keeps me from killing myself trying to carry her through behemoth airports like Heathrow. Hopefully, Josh won't follow suit and start hugging our luggage. Hey, it could happen. We already name our TVs.

Time to Reflect

You know traveling always puts me in a daze and I've discovered that one of the hardest things about blogging is that you have to condense all these great things into one short little post so it doesn't go on forever. The problem is that, especially with Turkey, the things I did and saw were so wonderful that those short little posts didn't do any of them justice. Plus, having to either share a computer with everyone on the trip or use the hotel's computer got a little hairy sometimes because there was always someone waiting to use it. So, with all that said here are some of the things I loved about my trip to Istanbul.

Our hotel: We stayed at the Hotel Niles. The rooms were a little on the small side and the mattress left something to be desired but everything else was excellent and more than made up for anything wrong with the mattress. The staff really did make you feel like you were staying in someone's home and the roof top terrace was definitely one of the best spots in Istanbul with a beautiful view of the Sea of Marmara.

Hagia Sophia: Despite the fact that I kept thinking it looked like the royal palace on Naboo in Star Wars, this once church, once mosque, now museum was gargantuan to say the least. It was being restored which took away from its grandeur a little but it was still overwhelming. The best thing there was the mosaics on the wall which were incredibly intricate. I don't think Maya thought much of any of it though because she was too busy asking me to speak with my horrible fake English accent the whole time and seemed much more pleased with talking to "Rita" from Flushed Away than taking in the sights.

The Basilica Cistern: I did actually post about this and I will say it again...it is AWESOME. From the outside it is very unassuming. Just a little tower with a ticket booth. Once you walk down the steps into the cistern, though, it's an entirely different world. It's like something out of the dwarf city in Lord of the Rings. Maya loved it. She especially loved all the fish swimming around some of which were HUGE.

The Mosques: There were so many I'll just put them into their own category. We really just went in the big ones but the ones we saw were just beautiful and, to me, because I had to take the extra steps of taking off my shoes and putting on a headscarf to go in, it just felt like you were doing something really special. They were places of respect and it was a wonderful opportunity to introduce the concept of other cultures to Maya.

The Grand Bazaar: If you're ever in a city with a bazaar, you have to go to it. Istanbul happens to have one of the world's largest covered bazaars. It's simultaneously fun and nerve-wracking. It's definitely a smorgasborg for the eyes but if you don't like large crowds, don't go there. If I get a chance I will post the video we took while going in. It seriously looks like you're about to go on a Disney ride. After a while you realized that there's really about 5,000 versions of the same five shops: belly dancing outfits, mosaic glass lamps, turkish delights, jewelry, and fake name-brand stuff. It's all kind of kitschy and haggling can be tough (it's much easier in Egypt) but you have to go.

Turkish Bath: What can I say about the Turkish bath experience. It was wonderfully embarrassing. As a mother I have precious little time to get away from it all but this ended up being a very cool, very Turkish, way to get some time to myself. In the end this was fantastic but MAN it's like being in junior high gym at first because the one I went to you had to bare it all or look like a complete buffoon. I walked in all hunched over desperately trying to over up as much as possible and most likely embarrassed myself even more. For obvious reasons I won't go into details but just be sure you look at what kind of bath you're going to before you go. Chances are, if your bath has separate sections for men and women, don't plan on wearing too much clothing. After I let go of my embarrassment, though, it was arguably the best part of the entire trip.

Dolmabahce Palace: If you want to see Ottoman spending gone wild, go to this place. My friend from England said it blew Buckingham Palace out of the water. Personally, I don't think you can ever have too much gold leaf. DO NOT take flash photos there though. They are rabid about people not taking them.

Lastly, The Call to Prayer: I found these times of day unspeakably wonderful. It was like having a soundtrack to your life as you were walking around. The city rippled with the sound of prayer from the thousands of minarets throughout the city. I don't care what religion you are, it's a beautiful sound to behold.

Sorry, No More Turkish Delight

I didn't get a chance to post the past couple days both because I was completely exhausted on the first of January and then, yesterday, we got up in the wee small hours to catch our flight back to England. We're now in the town of Chesterfield visiting with our good friends the Pardo Family for the next few days. I love being here. It's quiet, it's relaxing and it's a wonderful way to unwind from the excitement of Istanbul.

Istanbul was, to say the least, amazing. I loved it there. Every turn was a totally new experience and the amount of history there is astounding. It's a modern city that has never forgotten it's past. In fact, it's quite proud of its past and the Turkish people are all madly proud of their country. It's a place that welcomes visitors and loves nothing more than to see a child smile. Maya was a princess there, always getting toys and Turkish delights from street vendors, and she still wants to be the world's greatest belly dancer. It was truly a great experience for all of us and we'll never forget it.

If you have an adventurous spirit and aren't afraid of something slightly different then, Istanbul is the place for you. I've been to many cities and people often ask me which is my favorite. I use to say Prague but now I'm not so sure. Istanbul is certainly a magical place and I can't wait to go back home and tell everyone to go there.