Learning a little as we go, in more ways than one!

Gosh, it was so interesting to read Liz's post and learn a little about her lifestyle. I think there are many different things we will take away from this swap.
I am planning on creating our little buddies this week. Now that Sophia is on holidays, I realise I may be running a bit late!
As for trips and hints, we took a trip over the Easter break and we packed a thermal bag which fitted between the girls car seats with; lunch boxes full of snacks, drinks, coloring books, and story books. We also took stable tables which the girls could put on there laps to balance books on. Lastly we packed there favourite quilts and there favourite C.D. "Hop, Skip and Jump". We also headed of in the wee hours of the morning, so we bundled the girls into the car in there p.j.s and got a few hours in before they awoke.
If you would like to see how this eventful trip ended up, head on over here!

More Travel Ideas

Since we essentially live in the middle of nowhere, the shortest drive my children (ages 2 and 3) have is about an hour; when we go to Southern Indiana to see Grandma and Grampie - it is 10 hours! So, I've gotten pretty good in the entertainment department...

Often it is just the kids and me when we make the 10 hour trek. I'm driving so I can't turn around every ten minutes to get something for them. To solve this problem, I put a large Rubbermaid tub in between the two back seats in our van. That way the kids can reach the toys and they stay much happier, they can also set their drinks and snacks on the table when they need their hands for something else. Occasionally a toy does fall (as you can see, the tub is overflowing,) but S and K know they will have to wait until we stop for gas to get that toy back.

Also on the toy front, we have toys that remain in the car all the time. That way they are special and it is a treat to get to play with them. (Remember, I live on an island where cars are illegal, so the kids only ride in the car about twice a month.) The favorite car toy we have right now is the Magna Doodle. It is a great toy that the kids love, and best of all I think they were $3.00 each on clearance at Toys R Us. Lola the dog and Arial the elephant (our swap stuffed animals) love the magna doodles too.One last thing: To make the trip shorter for the kids I get on the road at 5:00 am. (You read that right - 5:00 in the morning!) I get the car all warmed up, lift them from their beds, put them into their car seats and cover them with blankets. Often they will sleep until eight or so. (My daughter is still in diapers and my son sleeps in a Pull-up, so wetting the car seats is not an issue for us.) It cuts a few hours off the trip for them making the day easier on me - even if I do have to be up before most everyone else.

Contest - Entertaining the kids

We don't do a lot of traveling in the car. The longest drive that we've done thus far is 3 hours. It's not long but still long enough for a 6 year old to get antsy. So this is what I pack into her backpack: lots of snacks, books, a writing tablet, her pencil box with crayons, markers, and pencils, her Nintendo DS, and last but not least or iPod. Sounds like a lot of stuff but if you knew my daughter you'd know that all of this was necessary. She has a short attention span and need many things to keep her occupied.

On her iPod, we have the music that she likes to listen to, TV shows that she loves such as Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Hannah Montana, and Raven, her favorite movies, and audio books. Right now I just have the Harry Potter series but will be uploading Junie B. Jones and maybe even Spiderwick Chronicles.

Before we had the iPod, we had a portable DVD player. We lugged that thing around with at least 5 different movies every time. When the DVD player broke, we started using my laptop. Thank goodness for the iPod, it's smaller and takes up less space.

When we travel to Hawaii, we pretty much take the same things. It's a 5 hour flight so keeping her entertained is a little more difficult. On the flight, she prefers to write and color so I make sure there are lots of paper and coloring books. She has her own carry on bag with all of her ammo.

I realize that not everyone has a Nintendo DS or iPod but there are other options out there to keep the children entertained. There are lots of games that come in travel versions. Playing cards are also an option that will keep the kids busy. Keeping the children occupied and entertained on long road trips or air travel will not only benefit them but also the parents.

Travel Bags

Several years ago, our DVD player passed away. With several hour trips being taken almost every month up to the grandparents, it was a bit painful at first. It didn't take long for the kids to adjust though. We got books on tape, read Little House on the Prarie, and played card games in the car. Recently, I made the kids some "travel bags" (photos of the bags we also made for our swap partners) that help encourage their creativity and they've been really helpful to all of us. I stitched up some simple (and I mean SIMPLE!) little bags with a strap. Inside, I made a pocket with a few different small sections. Here's what has been the biggest hit in our bags so far:

little spiral notebook with blank pages
tiny markers/pencils/pens
card games (favorite one came from our spring Swap friends!)
little doll family set
bird identification book
finger puppets

We do alot of story telling, and the most requested ones are stories from our childhood where an injury was sustained, where trouble was had, or where something that involved loud shouting happened!

We haven't taken it on a trip, but we also like to have "conversation" and some of our favorite topics came from this box. Our little family is able to talk in a casual and honest way about lots of deep-life things. I hope that these things stick with them throughout their lives.
That's my two cents!

Busy the babes on the road

Hi everyone! I just wanted to share a few fun things that I've found recently that may help keep your kiddos busy on long road trips.

I've been wanting a tray for the car seat to keep snacks and toys from rolling away during a long trip and found this one via MomsMiniVan. This site is great and has hundreds of tips and ideas for making road trips more fun for everyone. You can buy the Snack and Play Travel Tray for $20 over at Traveling With Kids or at Family Travel Gear.

Also A Toy Garden had a fun "On the Go Bag" with lots of toys to keep kids busy. This one is the deluxe for about $30, they have another for $20. I thought the bags were great and might also make a nice gift for someone on the go. Personally, I figured I could just take the idea and run with it to make my own.I also found (via Goodyblog) easy idea to make a felt board activity. The activity comes from Plum Pudding . The boards are so cute and could be a fun activity for an older child to make for a younger one. I think I'm going to make some for my little one... if I am any good at it, don't be surprised if our partners get one in their box!Family on Board is another company with ideas and products to keep the kiddies happy in route! Happy traveling!

Another Scrapbook type idea

Head over to Luckybeans for matchbox books. This could be a cute scrapbook idea for the older kids or moms to help make!