What we did on our summer vacation

I can't believe my baby is starting kindergarten tomorrow! How is it possible that she is old enough to start "real" school already? I know she's going to do great because she's an amazing kid. I just hope I do ok.

We've had an awesome summer and even though school is starting, I'm not calling it quits on summer fun just yet. So long as we still have nice weather we're going to keep on plowing through our Summer Passport to Fun. What is a Summer Passport to Fun you might ask? Well, let me show you!

I got this idea from one of the local park districts when we went to one of their programs and they handed out these passports to all of the different parks in their district. There were short descriptions and addresses to each place and a small square at the bottom where you can get a stamp from each location once visited. K thought the stamping part was super cool and she proceeded to use her own little self-inking stamper to place a stamp in every single square in that little passport. Well, seeing how much she enjoyed that and knowing we wouldn't be able to make it to all of the places listed in that other passport book, I decided to make my own filled with fun summer activities that I knew we would be able to do so she would be able to stamp a great majority of the book, and maybe even the whole thing. After I spent an evening making her Passport to Summer Fun, we went out the next day and bought a rainbow stamp pad, a four pack of little rubber stamps and one big capital K stamp. Now all we had to do was get out there and start having fun!

Some of the activities are specific to a certain date, like seeing the fireworks for Independence Day or a movie at the Wednesday Morning Movie series...

...but most of them are free from dates so we can accomplish them at our own pace.

I geared several pages in her passport around our vacation to Washington, Oregon and California since I knew I had some special activities planned with her and E in mind.

If you are interested in making one of these for your little Adventurer, I just used Microsoft Word and the clipart that comes with it (except for the picture of the train above which was from their actual website). Then I hole-punched the pages and bound them with silk cord. If you're looking for ideas on what to put in your own Passport to Summer Fun, check your local park district website. I listed all of the playgrounds in our area as well as all of the splash pads near us. You can also check your local library for special events, the Kids Bowl Free program or movie theatres that host a kids summer program. Here are a few of the non-location-specific activities we have:

Ride your bike
Take a walk with Great Grammie & Grampie
See a fireworks display
Get ice cream with Nana and Papa
Give Delmar (our van) a bath
Visit a farmer's market
Build a sandcastle (this was while we were at the beach on vacation but it doesn't have to be location specific if you have sand near you)
Fly a kite (again, this was while we were at the beach but any location with some wind will work)
Ride on a carousel (if you have one near you)
Play miniature golf
Visit an aquarium
Play in a sprinkler
Blow bubbles
Visit a petting zoo
Go camping (even if it's just in your own backyard, like we did)
Draw with sidewalk chalk
Go on a train ride
Have a picnic
Ride in a paddleboat
Go bowling with Mommy and Daddy
Make a terrarium
Go to a Renaissance Faire
Go swimming
Go to a children's museum
Go on a nature scavenger hike
Have a water balloon fight
Go to a local carnival / festival
Visit a car show
Make a sun print

Here's how I ended her Passport to Summer Fun:

I can't wait to hear what she picks!

Why I think Despicable Me is a great movie

My daughter has been a huge fan of the move, Despicable Me, since the first time she saw it. This summer we were anxiously awaiting its return with Despicable Me 2 and while it definitely had some funny bits and heart warming scenes, it lacked the relationships that I feel make the first movie such a great film.

First off, there aren't too many animated movies that star a single dad as the main character (at least not that many that I know of) and Gru is such an unlikely character to turn into such a great Dad. But throughout the movie we witness the changes he goes through while falling in love with these girls. Plus the movie highlights adoption which is another great talking point and identifier for those families that have adopted children. Also, we see the relationship between Gru and his own mother and how it evolves and becomes more supportive and loving. Despicable Me also tackles two other issues that are great conversation starters; trust and how, even when that trust is broken, we can forgive and learn to trust again, as well as peer pressure and letting others talk us into doing something we don't feel comfortable with but then learning how to follow our hearts to do what we know is right.

Despicable Me is a hilarious movie and the minions are totally awesome. I'll admit though that the first 20 or so times we watched it I really only took it at face value. But as I was thinking about this movie today while driving around with my own kids, I noticed how much deeper it is than I initially thought. So if you haven't seen Despicable Me, I definitely recommend it and if you have, try watching it again with a more focused eye and see if you don't notice how much more this movie has to offer.

The "Other" Baby Essentials: part 2

Did you know that it was World Breastfeeding Week 2013 this past week and August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month? Yeah, me neither. But in light of their whole, "I support you" campaign focusing on supporting all mothers no matter how they feed their children, I figured this was a good time for my next installment of Other Baby Essentials since it's all about items I used to help make breastfeeding easier for me and my child.

1) A nursing pillow - Newborn babies are so tiny and weigh so little, until you spend long nursing sessions holding them in your arms, trying to jockey the baby around into the right position. That's where a good nursing pillow comes in handy. The pillow I heard of and saw most at retail shops is the Boppy. My sister-in-law let me borrow hers when K was a baby and it was never quite right for me. The problem with it for me is that it slipped down too far on my waist to keep K in the right spot for breastfeeding. (*Update: Boppy has updated their nursing pillows and they now come with an adjustable strap and feature a firm side for nursing and a soft side for snuggling. I think this is a huge improvement and I'm glad they worked with lactation consultants to improve their product.) After some research online I came across the My Brest Friend nursing pillow. I love this pillow! It has a highly adjustable strap that wraps around your waist (or ribcage, like I did) and really holds the pillow right where you need it. When E was little I used to carry her around on that thing (holding onto her of course so she wouldn't roll off) when she would fall asleep after nursing. That's how well it stayed in place. The pillow itself is firm enough to keep the baby in the correct position but comfortable enough that she often fell asleep on it. Plus it offers a higher back for better support and a pocket to store smaller items.

It comes in other cuter fabrics but this is the one I have

2) A comfortable nursing bra - Here's the scoop - I can't stand underwire. It always seems to dig in or jab me in the armpit but wire-free bras tend to not offer enough support. Like with most things I buy, I turned to the internet to read reviews on basically every nursing bra that's available. I came up with the Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra and let me tell you, it's SO comfortable. The cup comes all of the way down which is good for achieving the correct latch, especially in the beginning when you're just trying to figure that out. The fabric is stretchy enough to allow for growth but supportive enough to be comfortable.

I like it so much I have it in 4 different colors

3) Nursing pajamas - In the beginning, when you're feeling sleep deprived and you're up nursing (again), a convenient nursing pajama top is really nice to have instead of fussing with a baggy t-shirt that just ends up getting in the way for you and your baby. I have a few different tops and nightgowns and no particular brand is really any better than another so long as you find one that fits comfortably and is convenient for you.

4) Somewhere comfortable to sit - I've nursed our baby in pretty much any place you can think of but my favorite place is in the girls darkened bedroom sitting in our hand-me-down rocker / recliner from my Grandma. It's highly padded in all of the right spots and it's super comfortable which is great because we all spend a lot of time in it. I use it mostly for breastfeeding E, A uses it when he's putting her to sleep, and K loves to read books in it. I know a bigger chair like ours may seem overwhelming in a nursery, especially if it's a smaller room to begin with and you have to fit a crib and changing area in there as well, but I'm so glad we have our rocker because it gets a ton of use on a daily basis.

This isn't our exact chair but it's similar

5) Nursing cover-up - In the beginning stages of nursing, particularly in public or when guests were over, I used a cover up. I think a cover up makes nursing in public a lot more comfortable for "the other guy", even more so than it may for the mother. I'm incredibly thankful to say that I've never been subjected to any negativity or criticisms toward my nursing in public. Maybe that's because I do try and maintain a certain level of modesty, but it may also be that nursing in public is becoming more common and accepted. Plus, using a cover up can help your baby nurse better because it blocks out all of the other distractions that might be drawing her attention away from the business at hand (or mouth, as the situation may be). The great thing about the particular cover up I have is that it has a RigiFlex neck which means it stands out away from your body so you can look down and see your baby but it's still flexible enough to fold up. Also, with the way the strap attached around your neck, your little one can pull it off when she gets a little older and wants to see everything that's happening around her. And as a bonus, a nursing cover up acts as a great lightweight blanket if you happen to be out and need one but forgot to pack one in your already full diaper bag.

This is the one I have and I love the pattern

6) Lightweight cardigan - I love these lightweight swing cardigans from Meijer (so much so that I have 3 and am looking to buy at least one more). On our recent plane ride to the Pacific Northwest, I wore one of these and was able to use it as a nursing cover up, a blanket for E, and a great layering piece for myself. A lightweight cardigan is so versatile and can really extend your wardrobe into the cooler months. The great thing about wearing something like this is if your diaper bag really is too crowded you can still nurse in public and be completely covered up by just taking it off and draping it over your shoulder and the baby.

I would like to wrap up this post by echoing the World Breastfeeding Week's theme of "I support you". Before K was born, A and I talked about the fact that I really wanted to breastfeed. Unfortunately, I was unable to breastfeed K and I felt like such a failure as a mother. It was the support from my husband who told me that it was more important for K to be eating and healthy than it was for me to be so hard on myself because things weren't going according to my "plan". Before E was born, I stocked up on formula because I didn't want to find myself in the position (again) of wanting to breastfeed but not being able to and being completely unprepared to offer an alternative option. Call it Murphy's Law but E has been exclusively breastfed from day 1. But even though I used different methods of feeding my babies, they are both healthy, happy, intelligent, wonderful little girls. I support you, moms out there, doing the best you can for your children and for yourselves, and I thank you for your support while I do the best I can.

Shower Like You Mean It

As I was standing in the shower this evening, it occured to me that my showering routine has changed significantly over the years, but specifically after having kids. I've never been one to stand under the running water for an extended period of time. Call it an aversion to being wet or probably just my inner hippie thinking about all that wasted water just pouring down the drain, but over time I've developed a quick, chock-full shower routine that works for me. And hey, maybe it can work for you too.

First off, I shower at night. Now that right there might be off-putting to some (many?) people. I used to shower in the morning but two things changed this: K & E. My girls LOVE to play in any form of water they can get into to. Whenever I'd start the water my girls would come running into the bathroom, K already stripping her clothes off in order to get in the shower with me. Now don't get me wrong, the first few times this happened I thought it was adorable. I love my girls to pieces but sometimes I just want those 10 minutes to myself. Holding a slippery baby in your arms while to trying to shave just isn't going to happen. So now I shower at night when they're both in bed. This also ensures that I DO actually shower because E doesn't always sleep through the night and between getting up with her (several times a night lately since she's sick) and sometimes going to bed too late, I'm tired in the morning and I don't want to get up before the kids to shower because that would mean I'd be up at like 5:30 and I'm not a morning person. Also, I kind of feel refreshed and I like feeling like I'm going to bed clean. I've cleaned off the "grime" of the day and I'm starting fresh for a new day.

Ok, now if you're still with me, on to my showering routine. I combine a few nightly tasks during my shower to A) conserve water, and B) conserve time.

Step 1. Turn on the water, grab my toothbrush and toothpaste, and brush my teeth in the shower while waiting for the water to reach it's peak temperature. Since the water has to run anyway to get warm, I'd rather brush my teeth in there and actually use that water instead of just letting it go down the drain and then also using the water in the sink to brush. Besides, while spitting is one of my highest pet peeves, spitting while standing up in the shower is kind of cool. I know it sounds weird but just try it some time. You might giggle. I also get myself wet during this step.

Step 2. Wash and rinse your hair.

Step 3. Now that you don't have to worry about soap getting in your eyes, wash your face. I keep my facial cleanser in the shower to again, save water and time. I don't wear makeup on a daily, who am I kidding, monthly basis so I don't use a makeup remover or anything. Two squirts of Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser and I'm a happy girl.

Step 4. Apply conditioner.

Step 5. While the conditioner is making your hair soft and magical, soap up your body. This is also when I shave (also once a month. Ok, I'm kidding, kind of.)

Step 6. Rinse your body and hair at the same time and your done.

Seriously, it takes like 10 - 15 minutes and I'm done with the majority of my nightly routine. When I get out of the shower I put on a facial lotion, then a body lotion, run a wide-tooth comb through my hair to get any loose hairs out, wash the lotion off my hands, apply a spray-on gel, scrunch my hair with a towel (that way my hands don't get all sticky) and I'm off to bed.

I realize as with all personal hygiene choices, it's very, well, personal. However, I hope maybe by reading what I do, you might think of ways you can conserve water and help streamline your routine to give yourself a few extra minutes each day to do something for yourself. Because we all know that women in particular do so much for others that we rarely take the time to do something for ourselves.

Happy showering and good night!

The "Other" Baby Essentials: part 1

Anyone who has had a baby (or has shopped for a baby) knows that the amount of "stuff" you can buy for your baby can be extremely overwhelming. And many of us have bought or been gifted things that seemed like great ideas but then are never used. There are few things more frustrating than spending hard earned cash on things that add to the already mounting pile of clutter. So that's why I'm going to do a two part blog post about a few items that I felt were truly essential. (I'm calling this the "Other" Essentials because obviously things like a safe place for the baby to sleep, diapers (consider using cloth!), a car seat, perhaps a portable crib are more of the truly essential items.)

1) A diaper bag - When you first start going out with your little one, you're going to want to bring extra diapers, wipes, maybe a bottle and formula (depending on your feeding preferences), a change of clothes, maybe a pacifier... you get my point. And then when they get older, the kind of stuff changes but somehow the amount doesn't seem to get any less. I would highly recommend trying out a few different kinds of diaper bags before settling on the one you like. I got the diaper bag I've used for the past 5 years and through two kids from a second hand store. Honestly, I don't even like the looks of it but over the years I've bought other cuter diaper bags (I kept the tags on them) and did a side by side comparison as to the amount of "stuff" that I can get in and I always come back to my original. We travel to see family and friends on a fairly regular basis so I need to be able to pack a lot of diapers and wipes, snacks, sippy cups, bibs, books, games, sometimes a portable DVD player in mine so my situation may be a bit different than yours. But since you'll be using this bag on a daily basis, it doesn't hurt to purchase a few, fill them up with the stuff you think you'd most likely use, and see how it all fits. Just remember to keep your receipts!

My ugly, second hand diaper bag (by Andy B)

2) Rear facing mirror for the car - When your baby is still young he or she will need to be in a rear-facing car seat and being able to see your baby while driving or riding can be very reassuring. We've had three different mirrors between the two kids and quite frankly, most of them aren't very good - the reflective surface is all wavy like those Fun House mirrors and they aren't very easy to adjust. However, the Diono mirror we got for E is awesome! The reflective surface is amazing (just like a normal mirror) and it's incredibly adjustable. Plus, it seems like you could install it in any kind of car.

Baby mirror in action (and the reflection really is that clear)

3) Winter Bunting - If you have a baby (or a young child) in the winter months like we did, a warm bunting comes in really handy. A bunting is basically a snowsuit for babies but it has a hood, hand covers, and foot covers all attached so you don't have to scramble around trying to find these accessories as your trying to haul your baby, diaper bag, purse, car keys, cell phone... you get the picture We had a pink version of this one and not only was it super warm and soft, but it looked adorable on E.

I love the feet and the ears on the hood

4) Infant car seat cover - This is another item that is extremely helpful for winter babies. I recommend looking for a car seat cover that you install over the carrier with elastic (like a shower cap) because then you don't have any straps underneath your car seat that could potentially get in the way of the car seat locking into the base. And then easy peasy, you just zip this up around your baby and they'll be nice and warm without the extra bulk of a winter coat that could interfere with the seat belts being tight enough. Two things I really like about these covers is that they are water resistant with a fleece lining, and there is a space for their head to poke out but can be zipped closed if needed. It looks like the main difference between the Deluxe version and the Arctic version is the Arctic version has an attached blanket for swaddling around the baby inside the carrier.

Staying warm in style

Traveling with children, part 2

A big part of traveling, just in general, is eating in restaurants. As much as we tried to buy healthy snacks to keep in a cooler in the car, inevitably we'd have to eat out for a meal or two along the way.

Like I mentioned in my previous post, occasionally, in order to give the kids some much needed "run around" time after driving several hours in the car, a pit stop at a fast food restaurant with a play area can be just what the doctor ordered. And, if you don't want to feed your kids the food at these restaurants, most have coffee or tea that you can sip on while letting them burn off some steam. Also, most of the fast food joints that we've been to have sliced apples or a fruit cup available to provide a healthy snack.

Let's say you've been traveling all day and it's getting late and you aren't in the mood for a burger and fries but you also don't want to confine the kids to sitting still at a more formal restaurant after they've been cooped up in a car seat or airplane for several hours. We had this scenario one of the days on our trip so we decided to order pizza in to our hotel room. We had several local restaurant menus provided to us in our room and among them was for a pizza place. Thankfully they delivered and while we waited I was able to let the kids take a bath and play in the room before settling in to eat dinner and then go to bed.

Another thing to consider when traveling, especially with kids, is to stay in hotels that offer a continental breakfast. My kids are generally happy with a bowl of cereal or some fresh fruit and all of the hotels we stayed at offered something along those lines. It's a lot cheaper than eating out for every meal and it inspired us to get up a bit earlier and out the door to our next amazing destination.

Now, for those times that you do eat out at a "sit-down" restaurant, here are a few things I find useful to keep in the diaper bag, especially for little ones still in a high chair.

1. A sippy cup strap - This is the one we have and it works extremely well. Little E loves to drop stuff from restaurant high chairs and I don't want to have to be constantly having to run to the bathroom to wash off who-knows-what from the top of her sippy cup.

2.Secure-A-Toy straps - These serve the same purpose as the sippy cup strap but for toys. I keep a few toys in the diaper bag that are able to be secured to a high chair with one of these straps and I rotate them out frequently so she doesn't get bored with the toys too quickly.

3. Triangular crayons - Seriously ingenious. Not only do my kids get frustrated by roll-away crayons but I get tired of either picking them up myself or having the kids crawling around on the floor trying to find them. Triangular crayons solve both of those problems. The ones we bought say "extra jumbo" in the description but they are really not that much bigger than a standard size crayon. They are thicker though so more resistant to snapping and they are paper-less which is nice since K seems to enjoy pulling the paper off her crayons and leaving paper messes in her wake.

4. Disposable placemats - Most restaurants have a kids menu or an activity placemat for the kids to draw on but that only lasts so long. Also, they are thin paper that tear easily if they get wet and don't stay in place well enough to keep utensils and food off the table and on something a bit more sanitary. These stick-on placemats are neat because they have fun little scenes the kids can color while waiting for their food and there's even a blank one to use for things like tic-tac-toe or hangman, etc.

Hopefully these tips as well as the few from the other day will help make traveling with your own kids a bit more fun and easier on you all. I'm still working on getting all of the pictures we took on our vacation downloaded from the memory cards and edited for the web but here's one more to wet your whistle.

Traveling with children

We are so fortunate to have spent the most amazing vacation out in the Pacific Northwest and while I'm totally anxious to share photos from our trip, first I want to talk a little bit about traveling with children.

For this trip we had two 4-hour flights and several road trips that stretched between 1.5 and 5 hours. Here are a few of my findings to help make traveling with children easier.

Travel by air

At this age, Little E is still young enough to be considered an "Infant in lap" which is good and bad. Hey, she flies for free so that's obviously good. The bad part though is it's very cramped quarters holding a child in your lap the entire flight and for the child, they are bound to get antsy. Here are a few ways we helped fill the time and keep the kiddos busy and quiet on the plane.

1. Snacks! Snacks are a great thing to have on hand when flying (or driving for that matter) because they keep the kids busy, it keeps them happy (an empty tummy is a crabby kid), and it keeps them quiet since their mouths will be full of food. I brought fish crackers, grapes, cereal, blueberries, and fruit snacks. I tried to pick snacks that didn't require refrigeration and would be easy (read: not messy) to eat with their fingers.

2. Activity Books: I purchased two sticker activity books for K to do on the plane (one for the way there and one for the way home.) I think most kids love stickers and these books definitely kept her quiet and busy for at least an hour. The two I got are: School Zone's "Get Ready for School: Stickers"and Roger Priddy's "Preschool Sticker Activity Book" I definitely prefer the School Zone's book for a couple of reasons. A) It was more focused on teaching concepts than just decorating a page with stickers, B) the sticker pages were *much* easier to rip out than the Priddy book, and C) the stickers needed for each page are arranged together on one page with the page number for where you will use them printed underneath.

3. Electronics: Whether it's a tablet, a phone, or a handheld gaming system, sometimes these little devices can really keep the kids quiet for quite some time. K has a Mobigo by Vtech which is probably getting a bit too easy for her now but I got her a new Disney Fairies game and that kept her busy when the sticker books were finished.

4. If possible, plan your flights during nap time. I know E slept for some of the time on the way out to Portland and she slept for half of the flight back which was great. Honestly, both girls were absolutely amazing on the flights. They were calm, quiet and polite. A and I were incredibly proud of them.

Travel by car

Our girls are well versed at traveling via car since we have been going to and from OH since they've been born. There are several things we keep in our minivan at all times that have proved to be very helpful.
A) Wipes - you always need wipes to clean up spills, faces, sticky hands, etc.
B) Audio books - We have a ton of these Disney Read-Along Storybook and CD's in our car and they are fantastic to keep the girls busy and help with their reading skills as well.
C) A travel potty - We've had this Baby Bjorn potty in our car for years and it's the smartest thing in there. I can't tell you how many times this potty has saved us from some form of accident (no toilet at a park, a disgusting port-a-potty, back when she used to be afraid of automatic flushing toilets, etc.)
D) Scissors - All too often we purchase a toy that's been encased in so much plastic that it's never coming out, or a juice box that didn't come with a straw and needs to be cut open instead. A spare pair of scissors can be incredibly helpful in those types of situations.

In addition to more snacks (baby carrots, clementine oranges, nuts, granola bars, apples, and peaches) I purchased a few other things for the times we'd be in the car that I'd recommend to people taking this kind of road trip.

1. Melissa & Doug: On the Go Water Wow Coloring Book These cool books come with a paintbrush pen that you fill with water and "color" on four thick pages of white images that turn to color with the water. They are really neat in both senses of the word (cool and clean) and have little hidden pictures within them that you reveal when colored. I was a little afraid that with only four pages that they would tire of these quickly but they were a hit with both girls.

2. iPad Car Headrest Mount Holder with extra long charging cord. This is a simple, soft holder that you slip an iPad into and you slide the elastic strap around the headrest. The extra long charging cord was a big selling point for me and while it does work it charges so slowly that if you use it while watching a video on the iPad it doesn't actually charge the tablet but instead holds whatever battery power you already had. We have a portable DVD Player but since I knew K would want to play games on the iPad anyway, I decided to download a few of their favorite movies onto the iPad and just bring that. It worked out great but on a few occasions A and I noticed that K had her nose buried in the iPad instead of looking around at the amazing scenery. So, yes it occupied her and kept them busy during our longer driving stretches but I think we'll limit the usage on our next trip.

3. Jeep Cling Sunshades Our minivan has tinted back windows and integrated sunshades on the girls windows to help block out the bright sunlight. I knew that we wouldn't have that on our rental car so I grabbed a pack of two of these sunshades to put on their windows. They can be cut to size but since I was in a rental and not my own car, we didn't have any scissors to do that. (See? Another great reason to keep scissors in your glove box.) We were able to fold and tuck these around to keep the majority of the sun off of the girls and at $5 for two, they were cheap enough that when we were packing up to head home I just tossed them since I wouldn't need them anymore.

4. If possible, make frequent stops to get out and burn some pent-up energy. Maybe that means that sometimes you eat lunch at a fast food restaurant with a Play Area, or find a rest stop that has a clean grassy area to run around and pick clover. A short stop can give you at least an hour, maybe two of happy travelers.

General suggestions

Kids get excited about the small things. Buy a new travel toothbrush and toothpaste and don't let them use it until the vacation and they'll think that's super special and cool. Any products that come in the little travel sizes (shower gel, bandages, tissues) are very cool to young kids.

Let them use their own souvenir money. Since K will be starting kindergarten this fall I wanted to use souvenir money as a way for her to get some real-life experience with counting money. Every night when A comes home he dumps his loose change into a piggy bank on the dresser. Early on I told K that whatever change was in the piggy bank would be hers to use to purchase whatever she wanted on vacation. She ended up with a great amount for a kid her age - $36.00. She bought 3 stuffed animals and a bag of polished rocks with her money. Each time she bought something I had her count out the money and hand it to the cashier as well as give her a running tally on how much she had left. There were a few times later on in the trip where she wanted more things but I gently reminded her that she had already spent her money and while she was disappointed she couldn't have said toy, there were far fewer pleas than usual

Plan a few activities that are just for them. For this vacation I did a lot of research for "Family Fun" ideas in the cities where we'd be staying. Some of our favorite activities were things I planned for the kids but A and I had just as much fun as they did. For instance, we went to a drive-through wildlife safari because I figured the kids would get a kick out of having the animals be so much more up close and personal than in a traditional zoo. What I didn't expect is how much all of us would love it and spend way more time there than I had estimated and ended up not doing something else I had planned that day just so we could stay there longer. And that leads me to my final thought...

The best pieces of advice I can give you about traveling with children is to be flexible. Without a doubt something will not go according to plan. I forgot my all-time favorite baby carrier and while I was bummed about it, I ended up just buying a different one at Walmart and then leaving that one with the friends we were staying with who are having a baby this winter. Or when I entered the wrong address into Google Maps and we missed our tour but were lucky enough to get on the later one. Things will happen that will test your patience but if you're flexible and remember that you're on vacation to have fun and spend time together as a family, I find that almost anything that happens isn't enough to ruin our trip.