Let’s be real here: traveling with young kids is no picnic.

Sure, there was a time in my life when I looked forward to long car and plane rides with my kiddos. In the car we’d play games and listen to all our favorite tunes while counting license plates along the way. And on cross-country flights I’d have a sweet child nestled sleepily in my lap as the flight attendant came by offering more drinks.

And then I actually had children. And I realized the error of my ways.

These little people don’t always fit into the peaceful vision of parenting and travel that I’ve kept tucked away in my mind. In fact, fairly quickly after I gave birth to our first child I realized there truly was no such thing as vacation with a young child. There was just the act of going some place different.

Armed with that daunting little piece of knowledge our family has continued to travel the country multiple times a year. As a former military family, our friends and family are scattered across the continental United States; and as a photographer who takes travel commissions, so are my clients. Traveling with small kids comes with that territory.

On our most recent day of flights back to Alabama from California, we stumbled upon something marvelous – something that truly made at least part of our travel day enjoyable. We were faced with a three hour layover in Dallas after a three hour flight from California, and before a two hour flight home. We were in for a long day. About half an hour before we boarded our first flight I was struck with an idea.

What if we turned our three hour layover in Dallas into an epic airport scavenger hunt? Our oldest child can now read and write (thank you kindergarten!) so she was up to the task of creating a list of items to find. And since there are two children in our family, she would need to copy it again so they would each have one. So guess what she did for the entire first leg of our journey???

Once we landed the kids scrambled off the plane, excited for the adventure ahead. We stopped for lunch before the official start of the game, but the kids couldn’t resist. They started checking off items immediately while still in the restaurant.

For the next hour we crisscrossed the Dallas airport looking for everything from a wheelchair to a lady in a green dress (and when we found her, my was she confused about all the pointing and hollering!) to a real bird.

It ended up being an absolutely lovely day of travel for our family. One I won’t soon forget.

In fact, they were so tuckered out by the game that when we finally boarded our last flight they each swiftly fell asleep in our laps.

So my husband and I asked for another drink.

What are your best traveling-with-kiddos ideas? Summer vacation is fast approaching so let me hear it!

Add piano lessons, competitive ice skating, PE class, volunteering at the church food pantry, hockey, library time and homeschool book club to the homeschool mix, plus groceries and other household errands and there is not a lot of time for staying home!

As the kids have gotten older and their interests have started to become part of who they are, my idea of what homeschool looks like changed dramatically. Their basic education is still the most important part of our homeschooling. However, I am in the process of learning that education doesn’t always have to come out of a book and that home education doesn’t always happen at home. It is a learning process for us all.

We are learning to incorporate opportunities outside the home into their education. We are also learning the art of scheduling school time and downtime and car time. We are learning that we can get a lot of school work done at Panera in the hour or so between ice skating practice and volunteering. We are learning discipline. We are learning compassion. We are learning the benefits of a day or even an afternoon off. We are learning to think outside the box. We are learning to go with it.

So, maybe my idyllic view of homeschooling was a little off. As I watch our kids flourish in their school work, their interests and their character, I think we are creating our own ideal homeschool life – one that works for us.

So while there is no such thing as a “typical” or “normal” day around here right now, this is one day in my life recently. Still on maternity leave, I am grateful to be able to give my family all of my attention and savor these first months of Isaac’s life, knowing he will grow much too fast just as his brother has. Every moment with them is infinitely precious.

8:02am – While I have the 1/2 cup of coffee I allow myself while nursing, Seth eats his waffles- with a couple of cars to keep him company of course.

10:04am – Because we can only spend so much time indoors, and yet I haven’t yet mastered venturing out with both boys on my own, we go to the back yard. I weed and water our little herb garden while Seth plays in his sandbox and Isaac enjoys the fresh air.

10:45am – With Isaac snuggled in the Moby wrap (his favorite place to be), we head out for a walk in the neighborhood. I find that even some light exercise helps me stay sane and gives me energy.

12:18pm – After lunch, Seth (rather unwillingly) goes down for a nap. I attempt to nap with the baby, but as usual he prefers to be awake and alert during his brother’s naptime. We enjoy some one-on-one interaction and quiet time.

2:43pm – With the baby napping and big boy playing in his room, I attempt to take a little time to recharge with a cup of tea and some reading material. While it only lasts about 15 or 20 minutes this time, that bit of quiet helps to refresh my mind a bit.

3:59pm – Some days I rely on my slow cooker to enable me to get dinner on the table, but today I chose a meal I can prep a bit earlier (before the evening craziness ensues) and have ready when we need it. I learned quickly that planning to cook at the typical before-dinner time is asking for stress- everyone is fussy at that time of day, so I plan meals that allow the work to be done in advance.

6:42pm – Seth plays with cars while we wait for daddy to come home.
8:34pm – Snuggled in bed, we’ve made it through another day, which always feels like a big accomplishment.

If you’re open to a natural remedy for your own baby, then I have a suggestion for you.  What I’ve found to be most consistent is also the most attractive:  the Baltic Amber Necklace.

I know that every child is different, and each little one responds in their own way.  This is just what worked for me for both my girls.  I wish I’d known about it when Parker was a baby.

Baltic Amber is a live resin with analgesic properties that are activated when warmed by your baby’s skin.  These analgesic oils contain succinic acid, an anti-inflammatory that helps with your little one’s pain relief and teething symptoms.  These necklaces are NOT meant for your baby to chew on; rather they are to wear tucked into their shirt and worn against the skin.  I think Lila might have chewed on hers for the first couple of days, but after that she seemed to forget about the necklace and never minded wearing it after that.   (The photos above were taken for the purpose of showing the necklace itself, although she wore it tucked beneath her shirt or dress the rest of the time.)

From our own personal experience, Lila cut two of her molars without my even knowing it, while she was wearing her necklace.  Her other teeth came in as a non-event as well.  She also did not drool excessively like most teething babies do.  In fact, she hardly drooled at all, and wasn’t nearly as fussy about her teeth after we put the necklace on her.  And we mamas know the difference between a cry of pain, and a cry just for the heck of it.  ;)

We have since passed on Lila’s amber necklace to my nephew, whose teething symptoms were drastically reduced when he wore it.

This is the first day we put it on him.  I don’t think my sister has seen this much drool since!

And now that Charlotte is seven months, she wears one too.  No teeth yet, but she will have them soon!  Although all three of my kids showed teething symptoms at around four months old, they also were seven or eight months old until they finally got those first teeth in.  Talk about a long wait… for them and for me!

There are a few guidelines when thinking of having your baby wear an amber teething necklace.  Yes, amber necklaces can be quite controversial, as most natural remedies can be.  Do they work?  Are they just hype?  Well, you’ll have to be the judge of that – they obviously worked for us!  But with a little research, and if used properly, these necklaces might be a blessing for your baby.

Here are some things to keep in mind…

• It is very important to look for true Baltic amber when purchasing a teething necklace for your little one.  There are lots of “pretty” amber necklaces out there, but look for a quality, well-made necklace from true Baltic amber, as these contain the highest amounts of the anti-inflammatory property.
• Look for necklaces that are knotted between every single bead of amber, so that in case the necklace should break, your beads won’t fall off the string and scatter everywhere, becoming a choking hazard.
• The necklaces are meant to break when pulled on hard enough, rather than choke your baby.  (Although, fortunately, we’ve never been able to test that theory!)
• Check the size of your necklace to make sure it’s NOT quite long enough for your baby to chew on it, but that it’s long enough to be worn comfortably.  Measure your baby’s neck and determine the proper size.  When wearing, tuck the necklace under your baby’s shirt so that it’s not a temptation for him to bite the beads, and also so that his skin can warm up the amber.
• Shape can be a major consideration when thinking of comfort while wearing.  These beads come in all shapes and sizes, but the rounded ones would appear to be more comfortable, if you ask me.  Lila’s necklace was made of smooth chips, while Charlotte’s beads are more rounded in shape.  It’s your preference!
• Amber necklaces come in beautiful colors, from a light lemon-yellow to a deep brown cognac, and beautiful warm tones in between.  Lila’s necklace was a mix of light and dark beads, while Charlotte’s are all a lovely cognac.  Darker beads are said to have a bit more power than lighter ones.  We’ve since heard from readers saying that the opposite is actually true, so I researched it again and want to correct the article!  Some websites say that the light amber is more analgesic than the dark colored beads (have a higher content of succinic acid), but other websites state that they are both equal in their therapeutic aid.  You be the judge!  :)

What about you?  Have you ever tried amber teething necklaces?  Did they work for your baby?  We’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below!

The other game we played in the neighborhood or at the path around the lake was a scavenger hunt kind of game. Just before the run, while I was stretching, I’d think of some things we’d see while we were out and made a list of them. The things we might see could be a dog, a cat, a bird, a truck, a red car. I’d made a little square next to each item and then strapped them in and handed them a crayon and the list. It was their job to find these things and check them off before we were finished. When they were littler I drew pictures (don’t worry if you can’t draw, just remind them that “no, it’s not a cow…..it’s supposed to be a dog”) and as they got older I used a picture with the word next to it. Some of our favorites were someone smiling (what made that fun was that they had to smile at people passing and before long someone would see them and smile back), an American flag and a squirrel in a tree.
When we first started out, I’d let them walk or run beside me for as long as they could just to help them get some exercise. Then, on the cool down at the end, they could get out and run or walk beside me too. And you probably already do this, but I’d also be sure to pack something to drink and a little baggie of Cheerios or raisins.

Get creative and make up whatever you think your child will like. But, if you’d like I made one here for you to print off and enjoy now…..and go enjoy that little one before you’re like me and wish they were still small enough go for walks in the stroller!

Gretchen is a photographer in the Central Florida area. She is happily married to the greatest guy (my mom always says she couldn’t have picked anyone better for her), and have three kids who hold her heart. After graduating from college she entered the Marine Corps and spent five years on active duty as a Communications Officer. After her first son was born, she left active duty and began taking even more pictures than before. After her second son was born she took a photography class at a local college and thus began a love of things behind the lens, mostly faces and feelings. You will find her trying to garden, in the kitchen, with a good book, behind the camera and hanging out with those she’s been blessed to call her family and friends.

My kids are at ages (4 and 6) where every little thing can be magical. They take lunch from home every day and they get so excited to open their boxes and see what’s inside. I love to mix things up to keep them from begging for that dreaded, disgusting school lunch. But I also don’t have a ton of time in the mornings to be as creative as some of the lunch-making superstars out there (see This Lunch Rox and Wendolonia for that). So with that in mind, here are two of my favorite ways to put a little love into the ol’ lunch box.

Go Bananas.

Did you know that if you scrape a toothpick lightly on the outside of a banana peel, it will brown in all the right places within minutes? This is one of my kiddos’ favorites. However, it doesn’t allow your child to shrug his shoulders in feigned ignorance when his teacher asks who left their banana peel on the lunch table. (Yes, my son learned that the hard way).

Tortillas: The Perfect Palette for Patient Parents

If you find yourself with 10 extra seconds in your lunch making routine, grab a tortilla and a pair of scissors. There’s no telling what you’ll come up with. Back in December I sent a snowflake. Some days when I really want to get my teach on, I cut letters. It’s painstaking but it works! The possibilities here really are endless.

Add some hummus, peanut butter, or yogurt for a dipping sauce and you’re done! (Or just toss in a pack of candy and call it good…right?)

After having my second child, Ruby, I was at the end of my rope trying to wrangle my 2 year old, Jack, while I seemed to be constantly stuck in the same spot, nursing our newborn on the couch. No amount of threats, bribery or TV was helping to keep him in line. One such friend and mother offered up this little strategy for me and I am indebted to her for it. It wont solve the world’s problems by any means but it has helped me parent more calmly and effectively, making our home a happier place. This brilliant idea offers up instant positive reinforcement to kids, giving them the attention they crave.

I introduce to you what my children have lovingly come to know as rocks…

There are so many varieties of this idea: some parents do coupons, others do sticker charts, we do “rocks”. With a simple name like “rocks”, the idea has to be just as simple right? Yup. You can have this little idea rolling in your house in under 30 minutes plus maybe a short stint at Micheals if you dont have the supplies already at home.

Supplies

- (2)  jar or bucket
- stickers or washi tape to decorate
- “rocks” or other fun items to count earnings
- permanent marker or paint pen (check out the tutorial at Oh Happy Day for an awesome way to add names)

You see, for every good deed our children do, they receive a certain amount of rocks. The “rocks” can be buttons, spare Legos or floral gems- whatever excites them and helps you keep track. (I scored floral gems at The Dollar Store so we went with those.) The brilliant part is you can easily tailor how rocks are earned according to each child, their age and the current issue or stumbling block. Its so simple it makes for an easy transition with grandparents and babysitters as well.

Here are some of the ways rocks are earned in our home:

sharing without pressure from mom or dad · 2 rocks
completing school worksheet · 1 rock
trip to the store without arguing · 2 rocks
feeding the cat · 1 rock
cleaning bedroom · 3 rocks

Once your child fills up their jar of rocks they get to pick how to celebrate: date to the movies with mom or dad, a trip to Toys ‘R Us to pick out a new Lego set, or dinner at their favorite restaurant! Two years later, Jack’s jar is still a house staple and we just started Ruby’s own jar- making a significant dent in the “terrible twos”.  Like my friend before, I have passed on this rock system to many other friends and now Im passing it on to you.