Over the weekend I packed up the girls, and drug the hubby to Houston, Texas. I have 4 friends from High School days that make it a priority to get together annually. One is in San Diego, another in Oregon, where we are all from, and 2 in Houston. 4 years ago they were here in LA for Cora’s Baby shower and it’s so crazy how much has changed since. I was the second in the group to have babies. Now, 4 of us now have 2 kids all ranging from ages 4 months – 7 years. This is the first year we thought the kids were old enough to enjoy each other’s company so we decided to make this year’s get together a family one. We were still missing one dad and a brother but there is nothing that could have prepared me for the amount of joy seeing them play together would bring!
Today I’ll be sharing a “Day in the Life” traveling with toddlers. Our host for this month’s Daily Dime is Alexa Rydelek. If you’d like to play along, share ten photographs depicting a day in your everyday life and link up with us!
Ladies that Brunch
We didn’t fly out till 2pm, so we made sure to squeeze in a last group brunch.
You Are My Sunshine
This song has some deep meaning to our group. The last group trip to Houston we took a photo here and we were missing one of the Ladies. She photoshopped herself in and it’s one of our favorite photos of all time! This is how group photos with kids turn out IRL! No Insta-perfection here, ha ha!
Goodbyes
Goodbye is never easy. We had such a great time and now it’s come to an end. We are so excited to get these kids pen paling and snap-chatting each other so they will remember their friendship the next time we all get to be together.
Jet Set Mama
I’m not new to traveling with these two little girlies. It’s always nice to have Dady as extra hands though… We returned our rental car and got through security with just enough time for me to grab a Pumpkin Spice Latte! My mom game is pretty strong with Bexley sleeping in her carrier. I’m also lugging my oversized tote bag full of toys, a work bag with a heavy laptop and their ipads on one shoulder, I have a tray of coffee for daddy, frap for big sis, and my latte, a shopping bag with NEW toys we bought after brunch, and Bexley’s little suitcase! Yup! Rocking the mom game! (Hubby’s hands were full too..)
First Class
If you see yourself traveling with kids in the future- ever… or just like to go on a vacation once a year, you should absolutely get a mileage card! We have been able to upgrade to First Class multiple times since having our card. We collect points when we fly on solo, or local 1-2 hour flights and get to fly First Class with the girls on trips like these. It’s especially great now that Cora needs her own seat, and Bexley will starting next month. There’s no way we could afford to upgrade without the miles.
Shopping Spree
One tip I give every new mama about to fly with littles is to get a bunch of inexpensive brand new toys. We love hitting up the Dollar Spot at Target for flights and road trips. There is a super cute toy store next to our photo-op, so we stopped there and got a few new magic watercolor books and trinkets that kept them busy.
Make it work!
One of the toys Cora picked was a small blind bag of Legos. I was worried we were going to immediately lose the pieces and I had the coffee holder with me and decided to have her play with them on the tray. It worked amazingly well! There is a closed little area in the center and the drink holes are great for the snacks. She loved it. Another small win for mom kind!
Screen Time
There is no better time to utilize an iPad for kids. We use Amazon Prime to download movies so we don’t need to pay for wifi on the flight. They also have a ton of games they can play offline. We did get scolded for watching with sound and no headphones, but you win some, you lose some… we just turned it down. Even though we bring 2 iPads they, of course, insist on fighting over the same one. I was able to get them to watch together for a brief period of time. SCORE!
Snack Attack
We stock up on snacks and candy. Flying can be so stressful and overwhelming as a parent. It can be overwhelming and overstimulate for kids. While giving them sugar doesn’t help them relax, it does distract! I’m also not above bribery in these situations.
There’s No Place Like Home
I love traveling and I was so happy to see my girls, but it’s always nice to be back home. We were welcomed home by a beautiful sunset. Not the worst way to spend our commute home in rush hour traffic.
Traveling is something I think everyone should do, especially with kids. I know many moms get overwhelmed at the idea but it’s such an enriching experience for both parents and kids. We love sharing the world with our girls. They may not have vivid memories from this age, but I know with the way we document everything in these days of technology and social media, there is a chance they are more likely to remember. Sure, there is so much that can go wrong or be a challenge when you are out of your element, but this only makes you a stronger parent and a stronger person. You are put in situations you have to figure it out and make due with what you have available to you. I’ve been in airport bathrooms trying to use a toilet with a baby strapped to me. I’ve been waddling through an airport pregnant with a baby and more gear than hands, but I got from point A to point B, and felt like a rock start cause I made it happen! It always messes up our eating and sleeping schedule, but we learn something new every time! Go experience the world through your children’s eyes!
