Field Notes: NYC Midtown

In August we took a last minute trip to New York City for the weekend. The air was already getting crisp and leaves were changing. Just a few hours north of DC. I couldn't bring myself to blog about the cooler weather on our trip until the season began to change in DC. I kept waiting for the temperatures to dip, but it has been an unseasonably warm fall in Washington. So here I am, the last week in October writing to you about our August trip on a summer like day in DC. A long overdue post that might never happen if I just don't start writing.

When planning to take a 3.5 and 1.5 year old to New York, we immediately crossed off some of our own favorites and NYC must see attractions. Too young to appreciate the 911 memorial or statue of liberty and definitely too young for us to fully enjoy a day in Greenwich Village or Soho. We thought about the brooklyn bridge, the high line and the bronx zoo, but decided to save those for trips when the boys were a bit older. After some brainstorming and hotel comparing, we settled on Midtown for a few childhood classics on our list with plenty to explore in the south end of central park. A hotel view over looking central park sealed the deal.

Day One:

+ Central Park - paths for Behr to zip along with his scooter and fun parks to check out. We loved Hecksher Playground which still had its water fountains on for summer. Bonus planning tip: Hecksher has bathrooms. We passed a few smaller playgrounds that seemed less crowded, we will definitely check those out next trip.

+ The Central Park Zoo, which is really perfect for young kids. We arrived just in time for the Delacorte Music Clock turn the hour. We explored the exhibits, some which weren't stroller friendly, and stayed to watch the feeding of the sea lions, and incredible show!

+ FAO Schwartz, where my own NYC childhood memories came streaming back, especially when we played the giant piano! The boys each picked one small keepsake and opted for Pixar Cars, Lightning McQueen and Doc Hudson. Even still when they play with these they talk about NYC, which makes us excited to plan our next trip!

+ Rockefeller Plaza and NYC Pizza - this great recommendation from Colleen and the perfect dinner after a day of walking, walking, and more walking!

Additional unplanned highlights included: street food, street performers, a friendly chat with a police officer, rock climbing in central park, stumbling upon Balto, and passing a gorgeous wedding outside Park Plaza and more horses than my nose could handle, but the boys sure loved them.

Day Two:

+ Redeemer Presbyterian - we visited the East Side service at Hunter College, but quickly shuffled down to the basement to listen to the audio only to realize that Tim Keller was preaching, on patience of course!

+ Central Park - we spend Sunday morning strolling Central Park, the gazebo, the mall and literary walk, and concluded our adventure with street hot dogs and soft pretzels.

If you are planning a trip with kids under 5 to NYC, I highly recommend Midtown. For more tips about all things New York, check out Emily's blog.

Amelia Island 2014 + The Jacksonville Zoo

Back at the end of July we took our final beach vacation of the summer. I always have a hard time letting vacations come to a close. Change is not always something I accept well, but when I really am enjoying myself it gets even harder. Do you feel that way about the end of a beach trip or family adventure or summer?

Here I am dragging things out longer than they need to be. But this summer, vacation was sweet. Amidst yet another vacation with sick kids, we still made rich memories. Behr's first kite flying experience, finding seashells, feeding giraffes at the Jacksonville Zoo, one on one time with Hudson learning all about waves, frisbee on the beach, mini golf, catching fish in a net, and eating lots of bananas! We may have set a record for that last one. For the first time in four years, we were able to head down to the beach in the morning and last through the day. Lunch on the beach is one of my favorite memories of my own childhood summers. And we were able to bring that memory to our own kids this year. Rich and sweet.

Moments after the giraffe licked Behr's finger, a highlight of the trip to the zoo for sure. He talked about wanting to feed the giraffes for well over a year, we can only imagine how long he will be talking about the giraffe that licked him! We love how the Jacksonville Zoo lets you get incredibly close to the animals. The new tiger exhibit is incredible and even a bit intimidating. You get so close!

Slashing and kicking around on the beach, building "castles" or mounds to stomp on, frisbee at the edge of the water. I love the wide open space of these Florida beaches and that my boys can roam and explore, something they don't get enough of in the city. 

We also love downtown Fernandina. Behr's favorite is the train tracks and I love the historic charm of this post office building, along with countless restaurants and shops to visit. I hope to share more about Fernandina with you soon. 

The first kite flying experience was incredible. Mark and I have wanted to get Behr a kite for a few months, but we wanted to make an experience of it, not simply order online. Behr and Grandpop were able to pick one out in a gift shop downtown, Behr helped assemble it on the beach with Dad and the wind was perfect. He would have stood their flying the kite all day.

Mark also snuck in some boogie boarding while the boys both blessed us with afternoon naps one day.

Mark and Hudson are developing such a special bond. Hudson follows Behr's cues in his relationship with Mark, but when Behr isn't around, Hudson is able to get all the attention and he soaks it up. I couldn't help but capture all of Hudson's sweet little interactions with Mark this one afternoon on the beach.

And a tradition, family dinner at Brett's Waterway Cafe. A walk downtown always follows.

Our last day on the beach was full. We lingered and soaked up the sun. Take me back. 

Flying with a Toddler: Busy Bags

Flying with a toddler is always a feat just outside of ones comfort zone. Regardless of how many times you have flown, there is the unpredictability factor with kids. Behr has flown over thirty times and Hudson has clocked a handful of flights as well. However this was the first family flight we took with both boys being mobile, Hudson at the uncomfortable age of not wanting to sit still, ever.

I decided to make them their own identical busy bags (no competition here) to serve as my lifesaver if things got a bit restless on our short flight. Our bags included:

Binder zipper pouches, the perfect size.
Three race cars each. These are their favorite toys, although thanks to the wheels, they do travel far if dropped on a plane. You may want to weigh the pros and cons of this one.
Silly Putty, which I buy in bulk because it does not stain or smell or dry out.
Roll of tape, which provided an endless "mess" which isn't very hard to clean up and again, doesn't stain or smell. Note: this seems wasteful, but a roll of tape is so cheap and provides so much distraction, I view it is worth the dollar or so of waste.
Pipe cleaners for endless creativity and to keep their hands busy.
Simple dot stickers which create fun designs, keep hands busy and aren't hard to clean up.

Other tips we have learned when flying with littles?
Let them pack their own back pack of items. We use these for Behr (3.5) and Hudson (1.5) as they are appropriately sized for their ages.
Triangle crayons, because they don't roll.
Stickers from teacher stores are another favorite since, like the dot stickers above, they are easy to peel off without leaving a residue.
Small toys individually wrapped, this is great for longer flights when you need a new surprise every hour or so.
Stacking cups, especially when younger, and these double as bath toys at your destination.

I've also tested several different magnetic toy options, but the ones we brought on this trip caused a delay in the TSA screening. I no longer would recommend magnetic toys for this reason, as the last thing you need with two mobile little ones is a longer security check process.

Finally, a word on snacks. I have written a post about finding kid-friendly airport food, but that doesn't always work. I decant low mess snacks -- raisins, animal crackers, carrot sticks, granola bars, dried mango and pretzel sticks -- into individual portion sizes to prevent a big mess or spilling the whole bag. We also carry an empty water bottle for each person to fill up after passing through TSA. Some times the flight crew is willing to fill these up for us, but when the plane is full or the schedule is tight, this doesn't always happen, so I now buy a large water after security to fill us all up. Bringing squeeze pouches have been hit or miss, especially as these sometimes trigger an extra security check.

With both toys and food, I try to keep the items I am brining on the plane out of rotation for a week or so before the flight to help them be more exciting.

Other posts you might find helpful:

• My first post about flying with toddlers. 
• And the basics of flying with a baby from when Behr was 8 months old. 

What tips do you have for flying with toddlers? Have you experimented with busy bags?

Disclaimer: compensated affiliate links be used in this post. These links allow me to continue to blog and share our experiences with you. Thank you in advance for your support. 

Vacation Joys

Here I am on vacation, blogging about our previous vacation. In the middle of the summer it feels like we are perpetually vacationing between our two trips with the grandparents. But the beach with these boys is complete joy. Our trip to Ocean City New Jersey this year was bookended by fevers and rain storms, but in the middle we hit the sweet spot. I just read an article about the scientific reasons being near the water makes people happier and healthier. After wading through our beach photos, I couldn't agree more. Happier and healthier, pure joy!

Our first day on the beach was filled with foot races, paddle ball, and dipping our toes in the chilly New Jersey Atlantic, digging holes, and ice cream on the beach. The air was warm and the breeze was just right. The boys took naps, snuggling with us on beach chairs. We settled into quality family time. And worked up an appetite. As dinner time drew nearer, we decided boardwalk pizza was the only answer. We brushed off the sand, changed into dry clothes and piled in the car towards Manco & Manco's pizza. After waiting in line for an eternity, a hot cheesy pie was ours. We sat right down on the boardwalk and dug in. These boys can pack away pizza and the whole pie was gone in a flash. There is something to the combination of salty air and cheesy comfort food that makes the meal fantastic.

As the air dipped cooler, we stopped for boardwalk fudge and warmer clothes before the excitement Wonderland. Behr loves carousels and this one did not disappoint. Behr also rode his first roller coaster with a huge grin and arms in the air. After he finished, he exclaimed, "That was awesome Mom!" Twenty dollars later, it was time for all of us to head to bed. It was the best kind of exhausted.

With rain in the forecast and a cloudy sky, we planned another boardwalk jaunt. This time by bike. We took the boys up and down the board walk before once again indulging in our favorite pizza. While inside the restaurant, the storm moved in. Taking cover in Jilly's Arcade, we were entertained with skee ball, 11 games for $1. Hudson was apt to throw the ball the wrong direction, studious Behr took his time, and I started hitting the 100 slot, winning a few free games and continuing the fun. After an hour, our skee ball arms were spent and we moved on to mini golf. Hudson and Behr both putted hole-in-ones before me, but my time came and we all celebrated. There was no one behind us for a while so we played each hole a few times, Hudson walking in the path of putts and Behr cleverly learning how to hit it just right to sink the ball in the hole. And then we made a trip back to the rides, because the Ferris Wheel had been at the top of conversation all week. While we waited for the Ferris Wheel to open, Behr enjoyed a few rides and even tried to accompany Hudson on one. Two times around on the jumping frogs and Hudson was hysterically screaming. We had to stop the ride and pull him off, but Behr kept going. Hudson was a bit traumatized, but rebounded for the Ferris Wheel just in time to cap our vacation.

There is that Hudson smile, just before the ride terrified him! Our vacation had its trying moments, lack of sleep, and plenty of not feeling so great. But the moments that were salvaged were pure joy. I can't imagine a better handful of memories to carry us through the winter. Now if only I could figure out how to not be such an over packer...

The Maze Park in Pennsylvania

A wooden masterpiece of turns and tunnels, steps and secret hiding spots. Full of ginormous tire obstacles and swings, wobbly balance beams, and more slides than you could ever count.  It was a childhood dream, our favorite park, inflated to epic magnitude. Could it possibly be as we had imagined?

Driving to The Maze Park, I lowered my expectations. Surly it would not be as grand as my memory told me it once was. Perhaps over the years, abuse and decay would have taken its toll. And yet, my parents seemed just as excited as ever, so maybe, just maybe. I held out hope.

We rounded the corner to enter, tall wooden peaks and spires jutting out from the trees. Behr, knees pulled up to his chest in his car seat, let a long soft, "whoa."

It lived up to all of my memories and more. I ran like a kid again. Behr didn't stop moving for a second, roaring around turns with excitement. Hudson was slap happy, banging his hands on every surface he could find out of sheer glee. My dad and Mark alternated between sitting back and taking it all in, and chasing the boys through the maze.

Behr could not get over the huge tires. He also was mostly a blur among the pictures since he never stopped moving. Hudson took his first, and second, and third and many more solo ride down the slide. And the day was good.

If you find your self in Southeastern PA, near Terrain, this park is definitely worth the hype. It is located next to Rachel Kohl Community Library with its own parking lot off Smithbridge Road in Glenn Mills, PA.