Beach Days with Kids

One of the things we love to do the most in summer is visit the beach.
A successful beach trip, especially when traveling by train, is partially the result of careful planning.

I saw this video on Facebook this week and it reminded me of some of my favorite tips that I've received.  Here's our Top 5!
- Keep a bottle of clean water for washing sand out of eyes.
- Use baby powder to help dry/wipe sandy feet.
- Store sand and beach toys in a mesh laundry bag
- Pack quick-dry towels so they will dry between uses
- Pack healthy food - fruits and veggies - with bottles of frozen drinking water


Our beach packing list usually includes:

Wet/sandy bag (big Ikea plastic bag)
 - Inflatable inner tubes for the kids
 - Kid's lifejackets
 - Sand toys in mesh bag
 - Small sun shade tent
 - Bottle of water for washing sand from eyes

In the Cooler
 - Frozen Nalgene bottles of water
 - Fresh fruit and veggies cut and in baggies or empty milk cartons
 - wet washcloth for wiping hands

Backpack
 - Suntan lotion
 - Phone (in a water/sand proof bag)
 - Change of clothes for end of day (in a plastic bag that will hold wet clothes when done)
 - More snacks
 - Towels

Looking for a beach? Here are some links to information & even some example itineraries from moms!
Atami Sun Beach, Shizuoka
Onjuku in Chiba
Okinawa
Inn By The Sea - Kamakura
Chiba - Splash Guest House

Oregon Trail Ruts

One of the coolest things we saw this summer was ruts along the Oregon Trail.
Like so many of my generation I grew up playing Oregon Trail on the Apple IIGS. It took a story from the history books and made it come alive. For many of us it was the first computer game that pulled at us emotionally. We learned the names of the key locations, struggled with the decision of what supplies to buy and felt crushed when fording the river didn't go well.

During our journey last summer we had a few times we were near the Oregon trail but the one that stands out in our memories is the Oregon Trail Ruts in Wyoming. Being able to walk a bit of the trail, feel the sun beating down, see the open plains... it made it easy to imagine we were in the same place at a different time!

This trip across the plains was also a great time to talk with the kids about various aspects of history and human nature. There were many unknowns, misconceptions and mistakes made. If we can learn from those things we can have a better future. It was also a time of great perseverance, creativity and faith.

Here are some of the books about the pioneer life that we've enjoyed!
The Little House on the Prairie Series

Lewis and Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President
  Adventure to a Pioneer Prairie!

Little Luther had a bit of a decision...
Head west to the great state of Oregon or follow the trail back east to St. Louis, to meet up with some friends.

What has your #LittleLuther been up to?

#Luther500 

Rocky Mountain National Park

This summer we went on a journey in the U.S. One of the places we enjoyed visiting was Rocky Mountain National Park. The area is spectacular!

Favorite memories are hiking up to Dream Lake & Emerald Lake, seeing moose up close as Lily Lake, and the great views along Ridge Line Road.

While at the park the kids really enjoyed the Junior Ranger program.
Working on the activity books was a great way to help the kids to understand so much. It also helped them to become more aware of flora, fauna and wildlife. Be sure to check out the info on the kid's site if you are headed to RMNP!

We also found some really great books to enjoy while visiting the park like The Mystery in the Rocky Mountains, 

Fishy Friends

Lesson: Aquariums Rock!

 

It is no secret that we enjoy a visit to the zoo or aquarium. What is a surprise is that with every visit the kids find something new and exciting. As their comprehension and observational skills improve aquarium visits take longer and delve deeper into the wonders of the sea.

On recent aquarium visits the olive flounder ヒラミ has interested the kids because of its ability to match the ocean bottom. Zilla is currently enthralled with the whale shark ジンベイザメ. Mega has also taken an interest in stingrays - especially the big ones!

We're blessed to live near (within a couple hours by train) a number of aquariums which have interactive and informative exhibits. We particularly enjoy visiting them in winter when it is a bit cold to spend the day whole outside.

Inbetween visits to see our fish friends we read from a selection of books and enjoy a few apps which teach about sea life. Recently I came across a series of 3D Explorer books which includes one with an ocean theme.

 

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The Way of Jet Lag

A lesson we relearn every year, with every overseas trip, is to respect jet lag and flow with it. This is our 4th jet lag experience in the last 2 months. The novelty has worn off and I'm ready to return to "normal" life!

 

Jet lag is what you feel as your body adjusts the natural rhythm (sleep/wake/eat) to the day/night timing of the location you suddenly are at. It can cause sudden, deep sleep which is very hard to wake up from, pounding headaches and great hunger at odd times.

 

Here is what it often looks like when the kids are trying to adjust to a 14 hour time difference after 24 hours or so traveling...

Day 1: Arrive at destination in the evening, try to get kids to bed by 10PM

Day 2: Kids wake up at 2 or 3 AM, hungry and hyper. By noon they slow down a little and have had at least 3 meals. About 1 PM they fall into a sudden, deep sleep. 3 PM we attempt to wake them up again but this is often unsuccessful. At least one adult goes to bed by 7PM in order to get some sleep before the kids wake up.

Day 3: Kids wake up at 3 AM hungry and ready to play. Nap may happen earlier (11 AM) leading to missing lunch but creating the chance to be awake a little in the afternoon but that might make bedtime later than normal.

Day 4: Kids up at 3:30 AM. Morning goes well, kids stay awake into the early afternoon but fall into a sudden deep sleep around 2 PM. Attempts to wake them up for supper are successful for one but not the other.

Day 5: Kids wake up at 3 AM again but aren't starving so they will lay somewhat quietly for an hour before getting up. Morning goes well, perhaps we won't have a nap in the afternoon? Can they stay awake until the normal 8PM bedtime? No luck, 1 child is asleep by 4 and the other at 6.

Day 6: Kids get up at 4 AM but are somewhat quiet and don't ask about eating until 6 AM. Day goes well but 1 child falls asleep by 5PM and the other just after eating supper at 6:30PM.

Day 7: I'm guessing that they'll sleep a little closer to 5 AM and we may have supper as a family for the first time in a week! I can let you know how it goes tomorrow :-)

 

There are many approaches to getting over jet lag quickly but honestly I have never found one way that works all the time.

Here are some things that do help:

- Jump into the new time zone schedule as soon as you get off the plane.

- Keep the daytime bright and active, night dark and quiet.

- Don't plan anything important that kids "have to" be awake for in the first few days after travel. This will save you from experiencing a jet lag induced screaming/crying fit.

- Roll with the sleepiness making graduated adjustments towards the desired waking/sleeping schedule. You can do the sudden change method but don't expect a small child to be able to understand the yucky way the body feels or be able to force himself to stay awake. This only leads to frustration and tantrums.

Every trip, jet lag presents a little differently. While I have general expectations when we travel I've also seen times when a child gets over jet lag very quickly or takes 2 full weeks to recover. On a recent trip my kids "jet lagged" opposite each other (when one sleeps the other is awake) which meant I was up nearly 24 hours a day for the first few days so I could keep an eye on the non-sleeping child.

 

While jet lag is not fun it is part of travel. Knowing, accepting and working around that has made traveling with our kids a bite a easier!

 

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Beach Getaway

Lesson: kids need to get away from it all sometimes too!

During summer we have a few adventures planned. One of the things Zilla and Mega look forward to in summer is spending some time at the beach swimming and building sand castles.

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Our typical plan for an in-country trip is to travel by train or bus to some place within a few hours reach of Tokyo. When we take the train getting an eki-ben (train station boxed lunch) is part of the experience. On this trip the kids and I headed to Atami with a friend for a few days as Daddy was out of the country. Getting out of Tokyo for a few days was nice and traveling this year was easier than last but taking the kids anyplace overnight is still a challenge :-) But sometimes a challenge is worth taking!

 

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Planes, Trains and Automobiles - Traveling with Toddlers & Preschoolers

Lesson: Preparation is Key!

Since Zilla was born we've traveled overseas planes, within the country on trains and around the area in cars and buses.  We've also been on boats ranging in size from a row boat to a cruise ship.  We've camped, stayed in hotels, ryokans, pensions and visited family.  Despite the variety in destination and transportation there are a few basic guidelines I follow for packing.  Some of these I've learned about the hard way to I hope you won't have to!

For the time of transit:
☆　Good luggage is key!
Backpack for the adults (keep hands free for kids!) and mini-backpacks for the kids once they can walk.  A rolling carry-on with 4 caster wheels can be pushed by a toddler or pulled by an adult with a minimum amount of effort.  Trunki suitcases are great for toddlers/preschoolers who are perhaps too big for a stroller but too small yet to reliably walk through airports on their own.
In the kid's backpacks include a snack and small drink as well as a toy or two so they can access it when they with.

☆　Clothes - One change of clothes per person in the carry-ons.  Infants and messy toddlers may need two.   Even on train trips there can be spills that end up on mom and dad!

☆　Diapers - 1 for every 2 hours of travel door to door.  Knot-a-bag (or similar item) is handy to have for bagging up not only dirty diapers but also wet clothes and garbage.

☆　Food - Aim for healthy snacks and mini meals.  Plan to eat about once every three hours.  I could the night time travel hours as well and it usually evens out with snacking a bit more during the day, less at night.

☆　Towel/blanket - Take a quick-drying towel for each child.  We use them as travel blankets most of the time but they also double as towels in the case of a spill or accident.  These are really lightweight and take up a small amount out space.  They can also be easily washed out in a sink and dry in less time than a regular towel.

☆　Wet wipes - Never leave home without them!

☆　Friend to hug - Bringing along a stuffed animal or doll to hug while traveling through new places can help kids to feel comfortable in the midst of the transitions.  We have special, smaller travel friends who visit our house before a trip so the kids are familiar with them before they hop into the backpack to travel along.

☆　Travel Activities - One per hour of transit (or one per hour of the longest flight), each in it's own bag
I should let you know before you read further that I'm not a fan of packing electronics for kids, especially young kids, to use while traveling.  We do take our ipads/ipods etc. along but they are only brought out as a last resort.  The two main reasons for this are that kids don't need them to be entertained and watching a screen, any screen, for hours on end isn't good for them.

This system came about after receiving a lot of advice from experienced travel parents. It has been a lifesaver!
During the months leading up to a trip I put together little bags with items from the 100 yen shop / $1 store.  We now have a box in the closet full of these travel bags so when we have an unexpected trip (family funeral) or a long meeting to attend I can just grab a few activity bags to take along.  Keeping these things separate from the regular toys is key to keeping their sense of mystery!
Here are links to some of our past travel bags:
Travel Activities
Travel Bag Activities
Plane/Train Entertainment for Toddlers

This and That...

Due to the sicknesses that made the round over the past month I have many things to catch up on... one of there is blogging about some of our special moments before they become forgotten memories...

Zilla came home from school one day with a bugs in a bag.  Of course he didn't tell me about it until hours after they arrived.  The poor things somehow survived.  Zilla asked for a jar and asked why he wanted it.  When he told me it was for a bug I thought he had something small like a firefly.  Thankfully over summer I had picked up a bug box at the 100 yen store as this cricket would not have been happy in a small jar!
The cricket became the centerpiece of our table.  We had a very interesting time of observation and discussion.  I realized how different the world is for my kids as we googled the Japanese name of the bug, and then the English, to learn all about it.  Some things though are best observed in person so we watched as it enjoyed eating some cucumber.  Thankfully Zilla was off at school the next day when the big bug decided it was time to eat his little friends.  Zilla came home to one less bug in the box and declared that the cricket must be an omnivore.  Did I know the meaning of that word when I was 4 years old?

Another accomplishment has come in the communication and tolerance that Zilla and Mega have for each other.  They have always gotten along but increasingly they are learning to listen to each other and do things for each other.  It has been pretty much one sided so far (Zilla accommodating Mega) so it is nice to see their relationship become more balanced. 

In this picture Zilla had been drawing some things and Mega came over asking to draw too.  She wanted a blue paper, the same as him so since he had just finished his picture so he asked Meg if he could draw something for her.  He's drawing a steam engine and she is coloring it in.  The peace between them didn't last for long (maybe 10 minutes?) but it is a great start!

This week we will once again be running as a single parent household as my husband travels for work. In recent cleaning/organizing I came across these picture calendars I made for Zilla when Daddy was on business trips a couple of years ago.  They really helped him to understand what was going on.  The top row is Daddy's daily schedule and the bottom row is ours.  I think we're going to have to make a picture calendar for this week too. Mega, especially, has little concept of time so I hope it will work as well for her as it did when Zilla was 2!

Travel Activities

Zilla is 4 years old

Mega is 19 months old

There are a couple of previous posts on here with ideas for activities for kids while traveling.  The Toddler Bag Activities and Plane/Train Entertainment for Toddlers are two posts that I look to when packing for a trip.  It is interesting each time to see which activities go over well and which are overlooked. Here are a few favorite (in addition to ones from the previous posts!) from our most recent long-haul journey:

 These books when paired with a dry erase marker or two work well for preschoolers. Zilla likes them so much he asks to do them even at home.

Sesame Street Play-n-learn Mazes Tall Spiral Write on Wipe Off

Sesame Street Play-n-learn Dot to Dots Tall Spiral Write on Wipe Off

Zilla is using the books from the abbove post and Mega is practicing putting pegs in holes with a game from the $1 store.  This game has small pieces which make it not ideal for in a vehicle but it would be useful at a table in a hotel room, etc.

50 Things To Do On A Plane is a set of cards with various activities that can be done with a dry erase marker. There is a good range of activities.  Some are partner games - perfect for playing with a parent or sibling.  We only made it through the first 10 or so on our 13 hour flight as Zilla found an activity card he loved and kept doing it over and over again. Definitely taking this along the next time we travel!
I highly recommend having a bag to keep the marker, eraser and cards together.

 An old favorite - stickers and paper.  

Different stickers, just as much fun. 

Interactive cloth books 

ABC stickers and stencils with more paper :-) 

 Fireknife Boy and Hula Girl - great fun for a couple of kids who love Hawaiians!

Magnet book of vehicles 

Another classic - lacing cards cut from cardboard with yarn tied on.

reusable sticker books 

Finger puppet circus from Ikea 

And, last but not least, the activity bag of planes...

Zilla was really interested in this combo as it helped him to understand the things we saw and did at the airports and on the planes.

Travel Bag Activities

Zilla is 3 years old

Miss Mega is 12 months old

We just returned from our summer vacation.  As I unpack and navigate the fun we call "jet lag" I want to make notes for next time.  The general guideline I use is 1 activity per child per hour of the longest flight.  Each activity should be in an individual bag as opening the bag can be part of the fun/challenge.  This meant having 20 activity bags packed in a carry-on suitcase for our trip.
When we had shorter trips by car or long dinners out it was really easy to grab just a few activities to take along. 
Here is the carry-on bag which was filled with activities for the kids to do on the plane:

A unique feature of this bag is the bottom side pocket.  It turned out to be just the right size for the back-up diapers and towels!  I bring a towel for each kid to use as a blanket/cover-up or in the worst case scenario, to help clean up a mess.
The other outer pockets had a couple of extra tote bags (for when we only wanted a few activities to take along to dinner, etc.) and one had extra hand wipes.

Here are four of Zilla's activities.  Two of them Mega enjoyed as well.
 ☆ BrainQuest Flashcards - While Mega is not quite ready for them Zilla can easily pass an hour with these.  I like that they encourage parent/child interaction in a natural way.
☆ Stickers and a note pad - Simple things can bring such joy!  Zilla was making up all kinds of stories as he set up the scenes on the notepad. This is one activity that both kids can do as Mega loves pealing stickers off and putting them on too.
☆ A Thomas book with magnetic pieces - This was a special treat for Zilla as he loves Thomas.  Magnetic pieces stick to the book making them less likely to get lost.
☆ A spiral book with dry erase markers - This is another thing that both kids enjoyed. 

For even the smallest trips each child has a backpack to wear.  Most of the time they are each allowed to pack 3 items (toys, books etc.) of their choice.  We limit it to 3 so we can keep track of what we are taking along.  Somehow on the way home though Miss Mega went way over the 3 item guideline!

When we left home she had the cloth book "Colors", Signing Time flashcards and the Hopkins doll.  During the 10 day journey she picked up 2 pairs of sunglasses, a dog in an igloo, a purse and a car. 

Here are some of Miss Mega's activities. 
☆ Animals - The top bag has 3 zipper pockets so the big pocket held a animal-themed board book while each of the smaller pockets became the home of animal finger puppets from Ikea.  Mega had as much fun trying to figure out how to open the various pockets as she did playing with the puppets/book!
☆ The glove with animals on each finger also is a book for the song "Old McDonald". 
☆ Stickers and notepad -For Mega I put in some old, large stickers and a blank notepad on a small clipboard (for support).  She enjoyed this activity the most.
☆ Cloth book with pictures - Since the main purpose of our trip was to see family we brought along a cloth picture book with family pics in it.  It was good to look at them before we saw everyone so the kids could get a handle on names / faces and great to look at again on the way home as we talked about who we had seen and the time we spent together.

☆ The two sets on the right are reusable sticker books.  Zilla loves the train one. 
☆ A mini magnadoodle
☆ Work set - Zilla loves to pretend to be a worker so I put this together just for him.  It includes a note pad (the school bus), tape measure (smiley face), calculator (which he thinks can double as a phone) and a pen which lights up.  After opening this set he got really excited about measuring anything on the plane he could reach.  The light-up pen on a dark plane was great fun for Mega to play with too!

Here is our plane set - "Lisa's Plane Trip" talks about what the ride on the plane is like while "A Day at the Airport" can help to answer all the questions about what goes on outside the plane.  A little plane toy made a nice touch as the kids could fly along as we read.

☆ Coloring book and pencils in a tin
☆ Magnet backdrop with magnetic vehicles to drive around town (There are similar sets with a house or zoo theme too)

☆ Little wooden train set - a favorite for both kids

☆ A little coin purse with rubber bracelets inside - I don't know why but they both love this one too.

☆ Alaska Animals - Special for this trip, a few flashcards with their matching animal model and a field guide of animal tracks.  This came in handy on the days we were seeing the wildlife up close!

Here are the links to my other posts with travel activities:
Travel Activities
Plane Entertainment Toddler Style

Plane / train Entertainment for Toddlers

This is a repost from my personal blog which I wrote 2 summers ago.  Many trips later this is still our travel style with toddlers!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When flying / taking a train with a toddler it can require some careful planning to give the best chance of going smoothly.
In an online group that I'm part of the general rule of advice is to have a new activity for each hour of the flight/ride. In the weeks leading up to our trips I make activity bags - 1 for each hour of the longest (usually 13 hour) flight. On shorter flights (we had 7 total one trip) I'd pick and choose what to bring in the carry-on and leave the rest in the checked baggage.
This bag had a big pocket - perfect for one of Zilla's favorite books. The two smaller pockets were filled with finger puppets and a homemade string activity. Zilla had as much fun practicing opening the zippers as he did playing with the things inside!
Here is a glove finger puppet book, train book and a pice of string. There is also a small key-chain flashlight. Believe it or not the string in this pack got the most use. Zilla imagined it to be many different things!
A little coin purse can hold small toys and a couple of bracelets.
A house/dog theme for this bag lended itself to some fun playtime.
This is another glove puppet book and a couple of cloth books.
These are the sponges that come in the little capsules that open in the water. They were a surprise addition - Zilla was playing with them so much at Grandma and Grandpa's house even outside of the water that I just had to throw them in.
This was a wonderful garage sale find! Two cloth mats (about place mat size) with a couple of small cars. When waiting at the airport this was the perfect toy to pull out. The mat is just the right size for the seat of a chair.
Bilingual flash cards - perfect for the toddler that wants to know the names of everything!
Another hit is the pad of paper with little stickers. A pen can make circles into so many different things!

These are 9 of the 14 activities that I took along. The others included a small magna doodle (magnetic writing pad and pen), some homemade cardboard shapes with yarn for lacing, a few small animal figures and a favorite doll.

I've followed a couple of basic guidelines:
- light weight
- inexpensive (things may get lost or destroyed)
- things that hold interest

We aren't planning to go anywhere for a while but I"m sure next time we do I'll be searching for this post to figure out what I packed last time!!!

5 Fav ママバッグのお出かけ物 Diaper/Mother's Bag Items

One thing I remember being frustrated by when preparing to have my first baby was trying to figure out what we need and how to get the things we need without spending extra money and using up space in our home.  Lists like this on other blogs really helped me to figure out what would work for us. So, without further ado, here are 5 favorite things I keep in the diaper bag for when we go out:

☆ The MagMag cup I posted about a couple of years ago is still a favorite in our house.  It is great to have one basic set that will be usable for the first few years.  Also, if you live in Japan it is easy to get replacement parts.  We're on the 4th year and 2nd baby using the set and I expect that it will continue to be used daily for the next few years.
☆ The teether/feeder is a favorite thing for eating at home as well as eating out. It allows baby to chew on food without having to worry about big pieces being a choking habit.  Putting something cool inside to much on can also be soothing for sore gums while teething.

This brand in particular is easy to find replacement nets for in our area.  I try to keep about 3 on hand so they can dry properly between uses.  One thing to keep in mind is that bananas and some other foods may stain the nets. 
When you go out to eat it can be tough to find things for babies/toddlers to eat. With this you can not only share your food but also give baby the freedom to feed him/her self.

Here is an apple slice "before" and "after" shot.  A soft apple can easily be turned to pulp!  The first time I gave Zilla strawberries in this thing he sucked out all the pieces - including the pulp!



☆ Knot-a-Bag is on just about every list I make of baby goods. I never intentionally leave home without it.  With the way it is designed you can make control how big you make the bag - a huge help when dealing with messy clean-ups! 
☆ Snack Trap スナックトラップ is a container for holding snacks. We have one right now but with Mega eating solid foods we'll be getting one for her soon too.  There is also an accessory pack which has a spill proof lid for when you m\put the snacks away.  Not only great for travel, using one at home can help keep down the mess snacks can make.
☆ Solby Baby Chair Belt ベビーチェアベルト A seat "belt" to use on a chair when you don't have a high chair.
This is a must-have which is usually in our diaper bag. Even though many places have high chairs for little kids, I've found that often these chairs come without a belt. My little one squirms too much to sit on her own without a belt to prevent falling. With this belt even a regular chair can also be used as a chair for baby.