toddler traveling tips?

This week we are going on a trip with my dad's side of the family to North Carolina. This will be Addelyn's second plane trip. Her first one was when she was six months old and I believe it will look a little different this time, considering we have a quite active, independent toddler.

We plan to bring the DVD player for sure as an entertainment option. Any thoughts on a toddler wearing headphones? I started thinking about that today- how do you play a movie without annoying everyone around us?

Any travel suggestions? We can't bring along a booster seat for eating- it is just too big. Chair ideas for eating? Things to bring along for the plane ride? I'm trying to think creatively and also pack efficiently.

Hopefully we can all get healthy by Wednesday and I can be a prepared mom to make our trip go smoothly!

winter days outside

This is from our fun outside day last weekend (before sickness entered our household.......) It has been a long week but hopefully it can only get better from here. All three of us were hit in some form so hopefully this will mean our sick days are done for the winter. On a brighter note, last weekend was great! The weather wasn't freezing cold finally and we played in the snow and even went for a little swing in the backyard!

A moment not caught on video: I tried to one-up Mark and give Addelyn a REAL underdog. A scary moment. It was one of those moments where I completely lost my brain and almost flipped her out of the swing. Nice, Mommy, really nice.

No Pictures, Mommy!

This is what happens when I try to take a picture these days...

All I wanted to do was capture the first outfit Addelyn picked out for herself!

Go Panthers!

Last Saturday, our family headed to the UNI women's basketball game. It was Addelyn's first Panther event. My friend Liz's husband is a coach for UNI and we have been wanting to make it to a home game to show our support.

Addelyn wouldn't smile for a family picture. She HATES pictures right now and is never interested in being in them. She was also busy in this picture as you can see. Picking her nose is her new hobby. Yikes. I am trying to decide if I should really lay down the law about nose picking or just ignore it with the hopes it is just a phase.

"TC" is the mascot that Addelyn was so excited about, yet at the same time, scared of. She kept giggling and asking where he was at but did NOT want him to get too close to her. Mark tried to go visit TC with Addelyn and she was not happy.

Tricia and Addelyn waving to TC.

Liz, as the coach's wife, is at every home game with her son Jackson. Jack is definitely over the hype of going to a basketball game and I give Liz LOTS of credit for chasing a toddler all over the Mcleod Center! She was well equipped with snacks that Addelyn ended up eating too! I had brought snacks but I truly think snacks taste better when they are someone else's.

It was a great family event for the day and UNI won! The only problem of the day- Addelyn kept yelling, "Go Hawkeyes!"

1-800-222-1222

Do you know this number? It is the number for the Iowa Poison Center.

This is a great number to have posted somewhere in your house. I'm so thankful that I had it posted the other day when I found Addelyn in our cupboard, eating "candy." Too bad that she had found a bottle of stool softners that she decided to eat. I came around the corner and saw the pills scattered around on the floor and in her mouth. I didn't know how many she had eaten and she kept saying she had eaten "tree" (three).

I immediately panicked and called the Poison Center. No worries, they told me I had nothing to be concerned about. Just that I should be prepared for what was about to come and to keep her well hydrated! (which I'm sure you can guess what that meant....) She actually was fine and nothing really crazy happened later so I'm assuming she hadn't consumed too many.

Still, I learned a lesson. My random cupboard full of stuff that Addelyn has never cared about before or noticed was cleaned out. Another January organization project I finished (one I didn't plan on!) I realize that "toddler proofing" the house continues to mean new things every month!

The longest month

How do we get through the loooong, winter days?

We dress up! A hat, a purse, usually shoes too! Today she was "Going to nonnie and papa's house. Be careful, it slippery!" she said.

We have friends over to play! Ian and Addelyn colored and put stickers on their coloring books to pass the time. Addelyn loves to color with markers. Just keep an eye out. Sometimes markers end up coloring other areas of the house. The couch, my purse (that was with a Sharpie....grrr.....)

We pick out our own pjs every night. This pair obviously needs to be put into the "too small" container. Addelyn was not bothered though. Her belly hung out the front and the rings around the arms and legs were skin tight but she was proud of the ones she picked. It is a nightly tradition. "I pick them out!" she yells as she runs to her drawer. Everything is "I DO IT!" lately.
Everything.

We put a big bag of balls into our pack and play and Addelyn and Trey loved it. They jumped and rolled around and threw the balls! This was entertainment at our house for days.

Ahhh January. Although we have had a fun month, we aren't too sad to see you go.

breakfast fave

The new breakfast favorite at our house these days is Crispex cereal.
Lately when we get Addelyn up in the morning, we have been greeted with the word "pispes" and for awhile I didn't quite comprehend what the early morning greeting meant. Ahhhhh to learn the language of your toddler!