Traveling with baby 101

Photo Credit Here

I must start by saying that I do not have all the answers! I just wanted to share a few tips/tricks that I have learned while traveling full-time.

1) Keep the bottle warm! When Hudson started taking bottles at about 6 months, my life in general became much easier. Except the tricky question of how do I provide a warm bottle for him when we are on the road for 8 hours. (Maybe your baby is not picky about warm bottles. Mine is!) I first tried having my husband stop at a gas station for me to warm the bottle up. I didn't think this should be too inconvenient, but I was wrong. We learned that especially when traveling out west gas stations with microwaves or hot boiling water were very few and far between. So I googled car bottle warmers. After getting many mixed reviews on their workability, we decided to try this...

The tried and true Stanley thermos. And it REALLY does keep liquids warm for more than 8 hours. The first time I used it, I boiled the water I was going to use throughout the day to make Hudson's bottles. Then I poured it straight into the thermos. 8 hours later the water was still to hot for Hudson to drink! Thank you Stanley thermos for making my life much easier!!

2) Leave your kids alone. What??? You probably think I'm crazy. Yes, I do get a little crazy after traveling so long in the car with a 3 year old and an 9 month old. But after much experimenting, both boys do better when I leave them alone in the back seat for a period of time by themselves to play, talk and eventually fall asleep. Mommy does better too. It gives me time to regain my sanity and feel like an adult again. (I realize I have 2 children and they keep each other company while I'm not sitting with them. If you just have one precious bundle in the back, you probably need to make your presence known a little more, but just remember, they may need a break from you so they can fall asleep every now and then.)

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3) Set apart toys, games, books, movies, and activities for car travel. Both my boys now have special "travel only" back packs. I try to keep them stocked with their favorite books and toys. Then I have the most special bag (or bags if you want to count the snack bag :-). Ethan has now caught on that Mommy has a bag of "special things" that he is not able to play with on his own. I usually pull them out when Hudson is napping or if the trip is getting long. Recently we had two 8 hour days of driving in a row and our dvd player was broken! I had to pull out all the stops with my special bag. My bag contains mostly school type stuff because that fascinates Ethan right now. I have been collecting several different dry erase workbooks full of dot-to-dot activities, letter tracing, ect. It is so nice to be able to just erase those and start over again on our next trip. (I have found these dry erase books mostly at teacher stores, but every now and then I see them at walmart too.) We have school flash cards (from walmart) and coloring books too. Another fun idea is felt. I feel like a just discovered the endless possibilites of things you can do with felt. We have some felt bible story characters (found at any Bible bookstore) and I just cut up some felt shapes and animals. I bring one of Hudson's receiving blankets and the felt sticks wonderfully to it. One more activity that we enjoy in the back seat takes a little time to prepare, but keeps us busy for a while. I found many school type games at http://www.filefolderfun.com/ and http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/ (scroll down until you find "tot packs" or just click here). I printed out several activities, laminated them, and cut them out. Then I figured out the best way to make the activity "travelable." (meaning some activities I really like had several pieces I knew would be easy to lose while traveling so I put them in envelopes or glued down what could be glued so we wouldn't lose them.)

4) The snack bag...Many things could be put here, but the 2 lessons I have learned that stick out the most are very simple, but I'll still state them anyway.

• Gas station snacks are expensive...highway robbery :-) REALLY. Do you realize that you can buy a package of 8 cookies at a gas station for the same price you could by a package of 36 cookies for at a grocery store. And water bottles...$1.75 for a water bottle...REALLY! So stock your snack bag up with a few special treats that you know your kids and husband (and be realistic, yourself too) would long to buy at a gas station stop.

Photo Credit Here

• Don't forget fresh fruit and veggies!!!!!!! This may be harder to travel with, I know, but it is just as important as when you are at home. This hit me hard these past few months as I look at how often we are in the truck on long trips. I have to treat travel days like normal days where I would offer my kids fruit and veggies throughout the day. I even think they need more on 8 hour road trips. Fruit and veggies give them an extra chance to receive some hydration, not to mention the great vitamins and fiber we already know about. So think ahead and prepare some fresh snacks.

5) Pray! Above all else! Many of these ideas and solutions became apart to me after prayer. God desires to be the leader of every part of my day, whether I am in a truck traveling all day or at home. He wants to help during the stress of traveling, but I must give my burdens to Him, realizing that I can't handle them on my own.

From the Land of Enchantment

You may not have known it, but the state motto of New Mexico is "the Land of Enchantment." During our stay in New Mexico, I often looked at my surroundings and thought that whoever coined the state motto was using an advertising gimmick. Maybe they were trying to get people to come out and see what was enchanting about New Mexico and then hoping the people would stay and live there. Perhaps it is because I grew up in an area of grass, woods, and flowers...I had a hard time finding New Mexico completely enchanting. Yards consisted of sand and something that looked like tumbleweed. There were little pockets of "enchantment" like the mountains and the sunsets. But then there were days when you saw this blowing across the parking lot...

Yes, that's tumbleweed, folks!

Here are a few highlights from our stay in New Mexico...

 Snack time on the couch (looks cute, but shortly after this Hudson 

got "into" his bowl a little too much and puffs were everywhere)

Ethan has been dying to ride on a school bus with his backpack. Daddy had to move the buses in order to set up for the basketball tourney, and Ethan got to have his dream come true!

This may seem like a strange picture, but I had to try and capture what I could of the Balloon Fiesta. (The small dots toward the mountains are hot air balloons.) Every morning during our stay near Albuquerque, NM, we saw several hot air balloons in the sky as we woke up. On the actual festival days, there were at least 50 or more in the sky. My photo doesn't do justice to the beauty of the hot air balloons against the backdrop of a clear blue sky.

Ethan and his favorite snack, freshly popped popcorn (notice the 

beautiful New Mexico landscape behind him :-)

 Our second week in NM was a record breaker for the area where we were. It rained pretty much for 2 days straight. It hardly EVER rains in NM. And it was CHILLY! The boys had fun playing in this church nursery on rainy & cold days!

Near Farmington, NM, we visited B-square Ranch. "It is one of the largest private collections of it's type in the world today with over 2,500 specimens. The collection from five continents gives visitors a change to view animas in their natural setting and to appreciate the beauty in nature's animal kingdom." (www.bolackmuseum.com) This type of thing would not typically be something I would enjoy, but it was pretty awesome. 

This is what you see when you walk in the door...HUGE!

Yes...this is (was) a real giraffe! Wonder how hard it was to get it back to America?

 12 foot Polar Bear (and a 3 year old sticking his head through the railing...whoops)

I shared the story behind this "Nile Croc" in a previous post. here you can see necklaces hanging out of the croc's mouth. Those are the necklaces of the ladies he munched on.

So whether or not New Mexico is truly "the Land of Enchantment" is up for grabs. Personally, I am glad to be back in a state that has grass.

Scrub-a-dub-dub

As soon as Hudson hears the water running, he pointedly scans the room to see where it is coming from and if he can get in it. I can't seem to get his clothes and diaper off fast enough when he realizes that he is going to get a bath. While traveling his "bathtub" is the kitchen sink. He is just the right size, with not enough space for him to move around. It is also nice for me because I don't have to bend over the bathtub and chase his wet soapy body around :-) EVERYTHING becomes wet when Hudson is in his element...the counters, towels, and especially mommy. He has no fear of water in his eyes...so completely different from Ethan. What a fun little guy! Can't wait to see more of his personality develop!

I had to add another happy bath boy. No he doesn't fit in the sink for a bath when we are traveling. He has to be a big boy and take a shower (which he despises). This was at our "Sous Sareolina" house as Ethan calls it.

Go West Young Man

Here are a few highlights from our week in Colorado Springs, CO.

Beautiful mountain and hiking trails EVERYWHERE!

How would you like to wake up to seeing this every morning?

We were able to take a tour of this "castle." A man built it for his wife, whom he called "Queen."

The boys took in the Air Force Academy

A visit to Focus on the Family

They had lots of fun stuff for kids to explore!

Ethan was humoring me by stopping to smell the flowers

Pikes Peak

Happy Hiker Hudson (with snot running out of his nose)...very attractive

Visiting "Garden of Gods" (a bunch of tall red rock formations). Ethan is looking up because there were a bunch of hikers scaling the rocks in front of him and then repelling down.

We often heard Dr. Bob encourage students from the chapel platform to spend a few years out west upon graduating. I never really understood the extent of his plea until spending a few weeks out west myself. Laborers are NEEDED out here. It is not uncommon for us to be in a small church where our children are "the nursery." How encouraging would it be for several young families to come along side a church planter or pastor out west and serve in any way possible? Ministry opportunities abound!! Just had to share my heart :-)

Where are we going today, Mommy?

(My blogging has been VERY sporadic these days! While I wish I had more time for updates, I am not wishing away these days that I have to take care of my family and play with my boys. From wiping snotty noses to building forts and hiding from bad guys, my schedule has been full. I hope to keep up every now and then with a post of what we've been up to...and what bad guys we have captured and disposed of.)

I can't imagine what our lifestyle seems like to a 3 year old. Every day as I am dressing Ethan, he asks, "Where are we going today, Mommy? Are we going on a trip?"He loves getting ready to go on trips!! (Seeing as at least one if not two days a week we are in the truck for 8 hours, I can understand his confussion as to where he is and where he is going.) 

Ethan knows how to prepare for a trip! He fills his Thomas backpack full of books and a strange assortment of toys. He makes sure I have "something special" for him to eat (in his dream world that would consist of lollipops and cookies, more realistically speaking it is grapes and graham crackers). He even is usually very compliant about nap time in the car. All in all he is a great traveler. He looks forward with anticipation to meeting new friends at each church we visit. He is a connoisseur of noteworthy church nurseries and playgrounds. We thank the Lord for the joy he brings to us each day!

Hudson is becoming a much better car-seat rider too. He enjoys watching Ethan's antics and is completely amused when he sees mommy's head pop in the back seat to check on him every now and then. He is in awe of the "mysterious bottle giver" from the front seat who seems to always know when he is in need of a warm bottle. (We have discovered that Hudson is much happier when Mommy does not sit in the back seat with him. If I am there he wants me to get him out and hold him. Jonathan is the mysterious bottle giver because he can reach Hudson more easily that I can.) Now, when Hudson is tired, he just pops his thumb in his mouth and either goes to sleep or sits quietly looking out the window. This major change in him is definitely a result of prayer! So thankful for those who are praying!!

Over the past few weeks we have found ourselves in Tower Hill, IL (buried in the midst of cornfields), Huntsville, AL (with a neat trip to the space center and meeting his friends Emily & Bethany which he still talks about), Emlenton, PA (we were parked at a campground all week that had an awesome playground), Olathe, KS (lots of fun friends at this church that were Ethan's age!), Colorado Springs, CO (BEAUTIFUL stay near the mountains, even got to tour a castle), Rio Rancho, NM (hot air balloons filled the sky every morning, and we got to see fireworks at night), and now we are in Farmington, NM. It NEVER rains in Farmington, but it has rained 2 whole days since we have been here. We are very close to the largest Indian Reservation (the Navajo's) and are praying that some will come to the tournament. (Interesting fact we learned: the Navajo's are very "maternal." The women have the say-so in the home and in the nation. Girls basketball games are much more highly attended than boys games around here.) Today we got to take a trip to the largest hunting/fishing game trophy collection (trophy meaning animal mounts from hunting expeditions and all sorts of fish mounts.) There were animals there I didn't even know people would hunt...my favorites were a full sized giraffe, and elephant head, and a crocodile from the Nile. This crocodile was known for eating people. It had 5 necklaces in his stomach from African women who would go down to the river to wash their clothes, and obviously never made it back! Made me glad for my washing machine in America where I don't have to face crocodiles every time I want to wash my clothes!!!!!

Here are a few pics from our travels thus far. Enjoy!

{Tower Hill, IL}

Hudson--7 months old

church in Tower Hill

We found Ethan in the cornfields!

Jonathan wanted a quiet place to read his Bible in the AM. Ethan wanted to join them. And yes they are in the cemetary!

Hudson learned how to hold his bottle all by himself!

{Spartanburg, SC}

Ethan's 3rd Birthday with his cousins, Wyatt and Levi

{Emlenton, PA}

Morning playtime--got to take a drink break!

{Olathe, KS}

Hudson's new found skill--standing while holding onto things

A Woman's Worth

"We live in a day when what you do equals who you are. A woman's worth is determined by her work's value and the amount she accomplishes. But a mother's work is never finished or is constantly coming undone, and few people reward or recognize the nurturing skills used in mothering."

(Believe it or not, this quote was taken from a Publix magazine that I get with recipes from time to time. I have since thrown it away, so I can't document the source!)

I have to be honest with you. Many times I find myself thinking, "I could get so much more done during the day if my kids didn't always need my attention."

Wow! While that thought is true, it is also so WRONG! It is so easy to get caught up in the world's mindset, my fleshly mindset, and think that I must accomplish something and have rewards for my daily labor.

As the day comes to a close, I can easily look around the house that was straightened, cleaned, even smelling good at one time during the day to see all my work undone and get discouraged or even frustrated at those who ruined my masterpiece (aka: a clean house).

Each day, and multiple times a day at that, I must ask the Lord to change my heart and redirect my focus from seeking after accomplishments to doing whatever the Lord has planned for me that day. He as given me 2 precious boys to love, enjoy, and share Jesus with. Whenever I feel myself get frustrated at having to constantly take care of children, play with toys, answer questions, change diapers...I have to ask the Lord to change my heart!

One day I will probably have a house that stays clean for longer than 10 minutes, a laundry pile that is easy to tackle, and even time to plant a beautiful garden to enjoy (one of my dreams). But at the same time I won't have little boys to laugh with, chubby babys legs to squeeze, or peaceful dreamers snug in their upstairs bedroom.

Cherish each moment!

Summer Fun Continued

We enjoyed a little family time at Edisto Island this summer. We were able to take our trailer and camp at one of the campgrounds near the beach. Ethan loved digging in the sand! Hudson did okay too. He mainly slept the time away.

We loved our special visit from Grandma and Papa!! The Lord brought them to our house at just the right time. I wasn't feeling well and Jonathan was out of town. They were a big help! We went to Lake Lure for a day and Ethan enjoyed playing with Papa in the lake.

Hudson's sweet smiles for Grandma

Before we left in August, we had an early birthday celebration for Ethan. It was a dog theme and he chose 3 friends to celebrate with.

Looking forward to more adventures this fall!