This Side of Sunny

A little bit of paradise

A little reason why I've been quiet in this space lately...

when that's the view from your hotel window. Jake and I spent a week in Maui, Hawaii with my dad, brother and his wife. It was a glorious break, without kids and with drinks! We went to Maui because it was my mom's favorite place to visit, we spent a lot of time doing the things she loved to do as well as a few new things.

The Road to Hana... with switchbacks, one lane roads, jungle plants and breathtaking views.

Black sand beach, a special place.

Trying something new: surfing lessons! At one point I did a full belly flop into the water, gave wipeout a whole new meaning.

Trying something traditional: all of us in our luau gear for the luau.

Luau highlight: the fire dancer.

Trying something new: snuba (like scuba but a oxygen line is connected you to a raft so you can only go down 13 feet). That's my dad next to me- Jake was busy actually scuba diving.

Snorkeling in my favorite spot with Jake.

Because this guy was hanging out close to the shore- that's me next to him!

Trying something familiar: hiking. The difference is that of course we were in the lush tropics of Maui and not the arid, dry desert. This was called the Needle of Ioa (good luck on the pronounciation).

It was an incredible trip and I was blessed to be able to spend time with my family. These memories will stay with me forever.

Traveling with small children

A friend of mine just flew to Hawaii with her almost 12 month old.  She asked me for some tips before she went.  Flying between the Philippines and Arizona (17 hours in air, almost a whole day of traveling), I racked up at least 80,000 frequent flier miles in two years.  At various times, the kids' ages ranged from 6 weeks to 5 years old and I knew I could give her some tips and tricks to help that plane flight go smoother (read: not perfect).  :)

{Here are my boys on that first trip to the Philippines... believe it or not it wasn't their first flight, 3 1/2 years old and 18 months old}

General tips

• Look like you are trying- if everything fails and your kid is still crying/fussing/having a meltdown, at least do something!  There's nothing worse than hearing a kid scream and the parent is ignoring them- have to keep the rest of the passengers in mind, please.  Our ears thank you!
• Buy a new special toy- all it took was one little Hotwheels car or airplane and my boys were happy go lucky for most of the flight
• Pack light- don't bring a ton of stuff, it will only make getting through the aisles that much harder.  I overpacked when I traveled with my newborn and it was difficult to carry two bags plus her through the narrow aisles!  Also, I found I didn't need nearly as much stuff.
• Bring the outlawed- you know the things you would never let your kids have.  Have small bags of candy (doling out a Skittle at a time does wonders, but M&M's only create a mess), toys, sippy cups, pacifiers, junk food, whatever it takes!  My motto is: on the airplane, anything goes!  
• Get techy- if you are not, now is the time to get that iTouch/iPad!  My youngest son at two years loved to play the simple touch preschool apps that are available.  Check out the apps before you go.  Also, it was lighter to carry that around to watch movies and TV shows than the laptop.  The iTouch came in handy for waiting, like when your flight is delayed by three hours!  Make sure you charge up all electronics before you go and bring the chargers or batteries.

{First flight together, flying with Nana and I to Florida- 2 1/2 years old and 3 months old}

Newbie- 6 months

The good news is this age group is non-mobile, the bad news is that this age group is non-verbal, unless you count crying!

• Feeding frenzy- try to feed the baby at takeoff/landing to help with pressure in ears- I however, have never really managed to get the timing right and my baby's ears have been fine.
• Pacifier- even if you don't use one, it might be a good idea to help soothe.  For instance, my daughter's sucks her thumb but sometimes she refuses, however, she would probably take a pacifier because of the novelty.  It probably would stop her crying for a little bit at least!

6 months- 24 months

This is the hardest age group to travel with because they like to move! 

• Move that body- get up and walk the aisle with them every half hour or more if they need to.  I was flying with my youngest son at 20 months and we did a lot of that.  No one seemed to mind too much because he was cute- so don't worry if they kind of wobble into someone's arm or step on a foot, people are more patient with kids!
• Bring the lovey- do not forget the special stuffed animal, blanket or toy that your kid loves!  This will be a familiar item in a place that is unfamiliar and can provide comfort.
• Bassinet- some airlines have a hanging bassinet that you can request ahead of time.  This will enable you to free up your arms and let the little one take a nap, if you're lucky.  I was never able to fly an airline that had one of these, although my friends did and they loved it!

3 years old and beyond

This is where it gets easier.  They are able to communicate their needs and wants.  They usually have an attention span long enough to watch a favorite show or movie.  Also, this is when they start taking an interest in all things that go!  My boys entertained themselves with just the window seat- good thing they were both small enough to fit to watch the luggage being loaded. 

• Empty water bottle/sippy- bring one to fill up on the plane.  Although the airline will give you a beverage, I found on longer flights that a tiny carton of milk was done in minutes.  Instead of paging them a few times, I would give them the empty sippy and the attendant would fill that up. 
• Snack time- airlines usually give out peanuts, or a meal for longer flights.  Kids need food more frequently, especially to avoid meltdowns!  I brought things like fruit snacks, pretzels, crackers to curb their hunger.
• Stay light- don't make the mistake to pack a bunch of activities.  Most likely one small new toy and an electronic gadget will do the trick.  Maybe one chapter book or coloring book, if they like that.  One trip I brought a whole backpack full of things to do and I never really got to half of them, so it ended up being a lot of work for my arms and not a lot of fun.

All in all, remember to relax and go with the flow.  Things are not going to go exactly as planned- since when did anything involving kids do?  Follow these tips and tricks as well as a glass of wine on the flight (just kidding, well maybe not...) and enjoy the adventure!

{Flying to Bohol island, ages 3 and 5}