A Mom's Year

Creating a comfortable life one moment at a time

How to Travel with Real Children

My children, happily plugged in during a 13-hour flight.

I was recently asked about traveling with children. Since I’m not too comfortable giving advice, I went to the web to see what the experts have to say on the subject. But after reading several articles, including one by a woman who travels back and forth from the United States to India with twin boys and has never used electronic devices, I realized that those people are from a different species. So here are some thoughts for the rest of us.

[By the way, that reminds me of an article I read by a woman who nursed her son for five years. Her son’s teacher mentioned that he and another child were the calmest in the classroom. “Oh, that’s because they were both nursed for five years,” she replied. I’m sorry, girlfriend, but if you nursed your child for five years it’s because he came out calm. I made it to 18 months with mine, but it was like wrestling baby walruses.]

So back to traveling with kids. I’m all for it. People thought we were crazy for bringing our kids to China when they were six, four, and two to bring their little sister home, but it was the best thing we ever did. I want them to feel that this is their world to explore and enjoy and take care of. Of course, traveling with a family of six isn’t cheap, but every extra penny we have goes to taking a trip of some kind.

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Paper Record Player

You’ve got to watch this video to see how a regular old paper wedding invitation turns into a record player. The invitation contains a tiny needle that plays a song written by the engaged couple. Amazing!

Paper Record Player from kellianderson on Vimeo.

Just think of all the possibilities for an invitation like this. You could play a sweet lullaby for a baby shower, or a dance song for a Sweet 16 party, or the first song you ever danced to for an anniversary party. What event-and song-combination would you choose?

Check out Kelli’s blog here to read how she put together this incredibly cool project. Thanks for the link, Design Mom.

Paper Beads

Hello! I hope you enjoyed your weekend and Mother’s Day. I got some lovely presents―it’s so nice of the kids’ teachers to work with them on gifts. I received the last of my kindergartner-made “All About Mom” books. So bittersweet! As always, the way my children view me cracks me up. The most surprising thing is that Lily thinks my favorite food is salad. I’m not sure where she got that idea. I think the truth is that salad is her favorite food for me to eat because I let her have the croutons, or “crunchies” as she calls them.

We’ve begun the countdown to the last day of school, which means it’s time to start thinking about teacher gifts. I’m going to scout out some ideas to share and figure out what we’ll be making. In the meantime, I came across this paper bead tutorial at a really gorgeous blog called “Mini-eco.” Its creator, Kate, lives in England with her husband and two sons and has lots of fun ideas to keep the kiddos busy. (Is it strange to read her blog with an English accent? Probably, but I can’t help it.) Kate used origami paper to make hers, but said pages torn from magazines would work well, too. A good rainy day project.

Speaking of rainy days, it’s storming here. I have a very unhappy golden retriever huddled at my feet. He does not appreciate thunder. I’m guessing that today’s Track and Field Day will be canceled, which is a good thing since Tim just called to say he accidentally took my car keys this morning. Making a copy of the van key has just been moved to the top of the “to do” list. Is it just us?

For Mothers: “The Lanyard” by Billy Collins

I’ve just read a wonderful poem by former Poet Laureate Billy Collins called “The Lanyard.” Do you know it? If you have a tendency (like I do) to get weepy, please grab a tissue before you read it. And if you can, watch Mr. Collins read it himself. I’ve watched it five times already. (Here’s the definition of lanyard, just in case.) Thank you for sharing this, Marta.

I have nearly thirteen years’ worth of painted pots, hand-traced flowers, colorful sand-covered vases, and macaroni necklaces. I’m sure the poet’s mother would agree that these childhood tributes are more than payment enough, especially when paired with a grubby hug and kiss.

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