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A Tot In Tow

Posted on July 26, 2011 Written by Tonya

Lucas’ first time on an airplane was August 14, 2009. He was just nine weeks old.

Lucas’ First Flight! SAN —> SJC en route to Monterrey.

Thank goodness my mother-in-law was with me to help out because Lucas had a blow out of the yucky disgusting nature (his one of only four EVER) mid-flight and I was stuck in the bathroom with him and left his diaper bag with a clean change of clothes back at my seat. Such a rookie move!

Even so, Lucas was A LOT easier to travel with back then (he used to sleep the entire flight) than he is now.

Since that first flight, I have flown solo to the Bay Area (an hour, 20 gate-to-gate) with Lucas a dozen times to visit my in-laws and Todd and I have taken him to Europe and Australia. At this point, I consider myself an expert at traveling with a tot in tow.

Now, having said that, as we are getting ready for our summer vacation, a week in Hawaii (!!), the thing I’m most stressed about is the flight there and back.

Five hours in a confined space makes me crazy enough, but add an energetic toddler to the mix and it could be a nightmare.

I am not claiming to be an expert on any of this, but here’s what usually works for us:

Book your flight for first thing in the morning, when children are usually at their best or around nap or bedtime, in hopes that they will sleep.

Before you even get to the airport, explain where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. Airports and airplanes can be scary for small children; there are lots of people scurrying about, long lines, loud noises, etc.

Let your child be a part of the packing process. Allow them to pick out a couple of favorite items to bring on the plane in addition to having something stowed away in the suitcase to “meet” them at your destination.

Once at the airport, spend a lot of time walking around. You want to tire your child out and burn off some of that extra energy so they can sit still for some of the flight.

Load up your iPhone, iPod, iPad or other favorite electronic device with photos and videos of your child. Lucas loves seeing footage of himself. Just don’t forget to completely charge your device! Many airports have outlets at the gate, so plug in before you board.

Download your child’s favorite television show to enjoy mid-flight. Most episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Chuggington and Sesame Street are $1.99 – $2.99 each.

Download tried and true toddler-friendly apps, such as: Talking Tom Cat and Toddler Puzzle Shapes, which are both free and ABC Train and Voice Cards, which range from $.99 – $1.99 each.

Be sure to bring your child’s favorite snacks and lots of them. You never know if you might get stuck on the tarmac waiting for a gate or have an unexpected delay before even taking off.

Buy some inexpensive books and toys to introduce to your child during the flight but not all at once, spread them out and don’t forget to hold on to a couple of new items for the plane ride home. It’s very important that these are items your child hasn’t seen before. The Target dollar bins are great for this! Avoid anything that makes noise so as not to disrupt fellow passengers or items that are round, as they may roll down the aisles. I don’t like crayons or markers for this reason.

Make sure to pack an extra change of clothes, not only for your tot, but you too! At the very least, a clean t-shirt. Kids get messy, drinks spill and inevitably it all ends up on mom.

It should go without saying, but carry extra diapers. Just before we got on the plane heading to Florence, I forgot to calculate our layover time in Paris and while I know European babies wear diapers too, I panicked fearing we wouldn’t have enough or be able to find them, so we scoured LAX looking for a small package. $20 (for 10!) later we were covered.

Airports and airplanes are crawling with germs, so carry Wet-Ones and hand sanitizer and use them frequently while traveling. I wipe down the arm rests, the tray table and hands all through our trip.

And speaking of germs and other yucky stuff, pack a couple of zip-lock bags for soiled clothing in case your child throws up. No one wants to smell that!

In my experience, the ground crew, TSA and flight attendants have always been very helpful. If you need help, just ask! Fellow passengers are typically sympathetic to your situation too, especially if you are traveling with your child alone and will help out if you need them too.

If a flight attendant doesn’t offer, be sure to ask for a set of wings and if it’s your child’s first flight, most airlines have keepsake certificates.

If all of the above fails, go through the SkyMall catalog page by page together and look for pictures of cats and dogs. Trust me on this. And please remember, you aren’t ever going to see the people on your flight again, so whatever happens, happens. At least you did it!

I hope these tips help you prepare for your next flight with your child, and if you have any advice to share, let me know!

This is a post that I have been thinking about for a while and just hadn’t gotten around to writing, so a big thank you to Jessica of My Time As Mom for sending @camgosha of Bibs & Baubles my way on Twitter the other night seeking advice on traveling with children. I hope you had a great trip.

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Top 10 Things I Don’t Miss About Working

Posted on July 11, 2011 Written by Tonya

It’s hard to believe that I had a life before I became a mother, but I did! I really did.

I worked in marketing in Corporate America for 12 years, which seems like eons ago now.

Some days I miss it and others, you couldn’t pay enough to go back to work.

In no particular order, here are the Top 10 Things I DON’T Miss About Working:

1. The Attire. Coordinates, cardigans, suits, panty hose and shoes that hurt my feet. Daily.

2. The Meetings/Meetings About Meetings. Generating so many great ideas but having way to implement them due to lack of interest, resources and/or budget, so let’s schedule another meeting! Hours upon hours of time I’ll never get back. Sigh.

3. Corporate-isms. Annoying phrases such as: think tank, ROI, the bottom line and synergy come to mind.

4. The commute. No matter how great the stereo system is in your car, sitting in traffic is the worst time-sucker EVER! Way worse than Twitter.

5. Deadlines. Marketing is a very deadline driven and there are a lot of moving parts and pieces. Herding them all together due to some of the slackers I worked with was no fun.

6. Corporate Politics. The paperwork, policies and hoops you have to jump through – essentially all the crap that gets in the way of being able to do your job.

7. Voice Mail. Creating your own greeting, remembering to change it when you’re out of the office, leaving voice mails for others and collecting your own. I cursed that little blinking red light every day.

8. Water Cooler Talk. While I appreciated the social aspect of office chit chat I often couldn’t help thinking I needed to be back at my desk working.

9. That One Guy (Or Gal). You know the one I’m talking about, the one that stinks up the break room with their microwavable lunch, the one that has horrendous breath, the one won’t look at your eyes when he talks to you, but your chest, the one that has to compliment you every single day in a really creepy way. Ew.

10. Stress Level. Um… see above.

If I had to do it all over, I’d definitely find a way to work from home.

Oh, wait… turns out I do report to a three foot boss. And with that, I better get back to work.

This post was inspired by Stasha’s Monday Listicles, a linky right up my alley!

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101 Things To Do With Your Toddler

Posted on June 17, 2011 Written by Tonya

I first saw this list on Pinterest and then the blog, Counting On Me and Lucas and I are slowly but surely working our way through it.

If you’re ever at a loss for what to do with your tot, and who hasn’t been, surely you will find something that you both can enjoy. 101 is my favorite. 🙂

Color
Blow Bubbles
Play Hide-and-Seek
Peek-a-Boo
Play Chase
Do Finger-plays
Sing a song
Collect rocks in a basket
Make an obstacle course out of cushions and/or furniture
Make a fort out of cushions and sheets
Go for a Walk
Make a Car out of a Box
Read a book
Go to the park
Finger-paint
Play with Play-Dough
Toss Bean bags into a Bucket
Play the shell and pea game
Dance to music
Download games for toddlers from the Internet
Practice putting things in and taking things out of boxes and bags
Make a temporary slide out of a table leaf and your couch
Roll a ball back and forth on the floor
Scoop dirt or sand into a child’s bucket (or use a serving spoon and bowl)
Practice climbing by stacking boxes on top of each other (only with adult supervision)
Put on a puppet show
Go fishing with a yard stick and yarn
Make a Horseshoe game
Make a Shape Puzzle
Play paper basketball
Run through a Sprinkler
Play with a bucket of water and a sponge
Make a Drum out of an oatmeal box
Play with a kazoo
Wash windows together
Bang on Pots and Pans with a spoon
Brush each other’s teeth
Play dress-up with stuffed animals and your child’s clothes
Stack canned or boxed food on top of each other
Let child stack mixing bowls inside each other
Make a playhouse out of a large box
Let child play with a sticker sheet (make sure your child doesn’t eat them!)
Put stickers on fingers for finger puppets
Play a musical instrument together- i.e.recorder, piano, etc.
Go on a Smelling Hunt
Frost cookies
Plant a flower or vegetable plant together
Roll a tennis ball into an empty trash can or bucket
Draw on a mirror with dry-erase markers
Play hide and seek together – trying to find a stuffed animal or other object
Have a splash party together in the bathtub
Put a leash on a stuffed animal and walk around the house
Record each other on a tape recorder (great for scrapbooks or journals!)
Make and try on paper hats
Give a piggy-back ride
Play “Horsey”
Talk into an electric fan (it distorts your voice)
Play tug-of-war with a blanket
Collect flowers (felt, artificial, real…)
Make a camera and go on a Safari
Play games with frozen juice lids
Disconnect your phone and pretend to make phone calls to relatives
Leave your phone connected and really make phone calls to relatives – let your child talk too
String large beads onto or along a shoelace
Squirt each other with squirt bottles
Glue shapes onto paper
Make sock puppets
Make paper puppets
Fill an old purse with toys
Use a paper towel tube as a megaphone
Make binoculars and go “Bird Watching” or “Stuffed Animal Watching”
Put snacks in different fun containers (paper sacks, empty canisters, etc.)
Act out a story from a book
Walk on a balance beam – use a 2×4 placed on the ground
Draw with chalk on the sidewalk
Sketch an outline of your child on the sidewalk or paper with chalk
Paint child’s palms with tempura paint and blot on paper. Makes a great card for loved ones!
Put lipstick on child and kiss a mirror
Make a puddle on cement and splash barefoot in it
Let child decorate and eat an open peanut butter sandwich
Make a toilet paper barricade for child to go under, over, or through
Do the Hokey Pokey
Make a super-hero costume out of household items
Do Knee-Bouncing Rhymes
Play “Red Light, Green Light” saying “Go” and “Stop”
Make a shoebox train for stuffed animals
Make a pillow pile to jump on (keep it clear from any hard surfaces, including walls!)
Make an easy puzzle with felt and Velcro
Make bracelets or collars for stuffed animals out of pipe cleaners and jingle bells
Learn numbers from a deck of cards
Play the matching game with a deck of cards
Make a domino chain
Have a picnic in the park, backyard, or living room!
Play dress up in Mommy or Daddy’s clothes
Make a tin cup telephone and talk to each other in it
Make a nature collage
Mirror each other
Make a “Mummy Mommy” with toilet paper
Make a tape recording of short music selections and instructions to move in different ways
Make and walk along a toilet paper trail
TAKE A NAP!

The ones in bold, we’ve done or do on a regular basis. Have fun!

What Does It Mean To Be A Mother?

Posted on May 16, 2011 Written by Tonya

What does being a mother mean?

Sometimes it’s…

…going weeks without shaving your legs.

…staying up half the night to nurse a little one’s fever.

…exercising at 10 o’clock at night.

…showering at 11 o’clock at night.

…worrying about absolutely everything, yet somehow knowing that you’re doing okay.

…making a batch of mac ‘n’ cheese because you know that’s what your tot will eat.

…sitting through another episode of Yo Gabba Gabba, The Backyardigans, Thomas & Friends and/or Cars.

…fighting off the guilt of wanting to spend a few moments alone.

…realizing that you’re responsible for this keeping this little boy happy, healthy, safe and entertained.

…cleaning up mess after mess after mess all. day. long.

…tender kisses, hugs, cuddles and story time!

…getting hit in the face with a toy because your toddler is still learning to control his anger.

…listening to incessant whining, crying and carrying on because that same toddler isn’t getting what they want.

…trying to stay present for every single moment you have with this incredible little person because you know in the blink of an eye he won’t need you like he does today.

…looking through photos of your son, long after he’s gone to bed and kind of wishing he’d wake up.

…teaching right from wrong, manners, morals and how to be a good person.

…spending a lot of time cross-legged on the floor playing with cars, puzzles, blocks and stuffed animals.

…giggling at the funny words and phrases that come out of not only your son’s mouth (“mommy poos too?”) but also your own (“please don’t lick the floor”).

…sacrificing who you once were and allowing yourself to become someone you were always meant to be.

…loving someone like you’ve never loved anyone.

What does being a mother mean?

I never thought motherhood was so many little things rolled into one big enormous wonderful role.

It’s everything.

I Am A Real Housewife Of Orange County

Posted on May 4, 2011 Written by Tonya

I live in Orange County so I come in contact with the type of women on the television show, The Real Housewives of Orange County on almost a daily basis. It’s usually when they are perched behind the wheel of their fresh off the assembly line Mercedes Benz.

These women are wealthy beyond belief, flashy, live in excess, completely phony, constantly in search of companionship and are terrible drivers!,span>

10 reasons why I could not be a real housewife from any county:

1. I don’t believe in plastic surgery. I’ve earned the wrinkles around my eyes, thankyouverymuch. Oh, and while we’re on the subject of plastic surgery, they’re real and they’re spectacular.

2. I can’t walk in stilettos to save my life. If I could, they’d probably lead me to a horrific death down a flight of stairs.

3. I don’t know any rock stars or pro baseball players, nor do I particularly care to. Okay, well, maybe I’d like to meet Dave Matthews …swoon…

4. I’m not a fake blond with god-awful roots. With all that money, you’d think they’d be able to keep those covered up.

5. I don’t have a designer handbag for every day of the week.

6. I truly enjoy shopping at Target.

7. I fly coach and usually accompanied by a toddler on my lap. Good times.

8. My SVU is really a glorified car. And it’s a hybrid because I care about the environment not just because it’s trendy.

9. I have a farmer’s tan instead of a golden brown hue evenly covering my entire body.

10. I don’t decorate my child. Lucas has never had hair products in his hair nor does he wear designer clothes. My husband would shoot me first!

Come to think of it, these are probably all the reasons why I’ll never be friends with Gwyneth Paltrow either. At least I’m not not the only one!

Sigh.

I live in Orange County and I’m a housewife, so I hues that makes me a *real* housewife of Orange County. BUT, I’m the flip flop and yoga pants wearing, rolling around in the park with my son, play date scheduling, three days of unwashed hair-type instead of the television variety.

This post was written for Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop, Prompt 5.) 10 reasons why you could not be a real housewife from any county.

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What I Love About Being A Mom

Posted on April 27, 2011 Written by Tonya

The top five things I love about being a mom:

1. My kisses make boo boos all better.

2. I get to play, act really silly, sing and dance, color with crayons, blow bubbles, use sidewalk chalk and squish Play-Doh between my fingers.

3. I love hearing “mommy”, even if it’s three o’clock in the morning.

4. I have to listen to my instincts, go with my gut and trust that the decisions I am making are the “right” ones for my son.

5. There’s a little person running around growing, learning, thriving, smiling and being super cute all because of me and my husband.

What do you love about being a mom?

I threw this question out on Twitter the other night and here are some of the touching and humorous responses I got (names have been withheld to protect the innocent, sentimental and exhausted), in the order in which they were received:

Bedtime 😉
Earlier today my kiddos and I were hanging out on my bed goofing around. I like those moments best.
I love feeling needed. And I love how proud I am of my son. Every day.
Not a mom but I crave the chance to relive the wonder of life thru the eyes of an innocent child. To see reactions at tastes and the feeling of sand on their toes the first time they realize it feels different. Reactions to music.
I love that they are mine.
The unconditional love you get in return. Kisses & hugs & laughs & funny conversations. & the pride when they succeed/excel.
What do I love about being a mom? Right now I really love bedtime.
Little stuff: my kiddo holding my hand, knowing how to make him laugh, comfort him. Big stuff: watching a person I created learn and explore. Passing on my values. Seeing a person emerge.
I love being there for everything, from small scrapes to huge milestones. I love every second of their lives.
I love morning bed snuggles and kisses from my 4 yr old who says *I Love You Mama!!*
I love that I get to nurture and take care of my little ones’ needs.
I love being called “mama”.
I love the snuggles. little I love you’s at random times of the day. The idea of a piece of me in them. Seeing myself in them.
I love pressing my cheek against their little cheeks.
Coming home from even just the grocery store, and opening the door to huge eyes full of excitement while they are all jumping up and down chanting “mama! mama!”…and Tater says “I missed you so much mom!”

This post was featured on Natalie’s blog, Mommy of a Monster, in her weekly feature, Monster Likes #16 on April 30, 2011.

A New Year

Posted on January 2, 2011 Written by Tonya

2010 was a year of highs and lows for our household. Luckily the highs outweighed the lows and in many cases I shared them on Letters For Lucas

Here are (just) the highlights:

January – Leah moved to Los Angeles.

March – I got my third tattoo.

April/May – We took a very memorable trip to Australia and New Caledonia, where I got to see my dearest and oldest friend, Sophie again after 10 long years.

May – A fun girl’s weekend to San Luis Obispo.

June – Lucas turns 1 year old.

August – Lady Gaga in concert with Leah.

August – A very intimate backyard BBQ featuring my all time favorite singer, Dave Matthews.

August – Letters For Lucas turned one.

September – Todd started his new business, European Classic Cars on PCH.

September – I gave Seattle another shot, fell in love and got to see my friend Siobhain again after 25 years.

October – I participated in my third Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk, second with my sister and I got to cross ‘walk over the Golden Gate Bridge’ off my Bucket List.

December – We moved to Orange County.

December – Leah and I took Lucas to Disneyland for his visit time.

Looking forward to 2011, but not a big proponent of New Year’s Resolutions per se, my goals tend to be very similar from year to year:

Exercise more
Read more
Cook more
Be present no matter what I’m doing or who I’m with. Be in the moment.

And this year, I am on a mission to declutter our home starting with Lucas’ toys and books, but more on that in another post.

What’s on your agenda for the next 364 days of the year? Let’s make ’em count!
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