A Brilliant Place

Walt Disney World with Kids

2012-01-29T13:27:00.000-08:00

So you've always dreamed of that moment when you surprise your kids with that famous phrase: "We're going to Disney World!" For us that moment was met with blank stares and confused faces. Why would we want to do that? the kids seemed to be asking themselves. Apparently we'd been derelict in our parental duties of making our children aware of the magic of Disney. That moment was two years ago in a last-minute (gotta use those mileage passes before they expire moment). We went in March and it was incredibly HOT. Melting in your shoes HOT. Cannot stand waiting in lines without having ice-cream right now HOT. So that trip taught us a few things about going to Disney with kids. Of course, we always learn the hard way, but that's so you don't have to.

What we learned from that trip:
1. A pool is better than standing in line
2. Disney is magic only when your feet don't hurt
3. Less is more

For those few of you who have never attempted Walt Disney World with kids, let me tell you a couple of things. There are at least four distinct parks for kids: the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, the Animal Kingdom and Hollywood. Then there are the water parks and games parks, which we don't bother with (kids are still under 10 years old, so still not worth it for us). Although there are park hopping passes, I really don't recommend buying those with little kids in tow. It takes forever to get from one park to another and you'll wear yourself out without ever actually getting on a ride. Our original problem was that we bought waaaaayyy too many days at Walt Disney World (WDW) and found that after four days in a row we were dreading it instead of enjoying it. Our kids were begging us "Pleeeeze don't make us go to Disney" but to let them stay at the hotel and play in the pool instead. We also tried several activities that were highly rated around the area, including an alligator farm (thumbs up!) and the Arabian Nights show (thumbs down for food and price, kids enjoyed the horses, but I'd never go again). Also one of our kids got really sick, so suddenly we were forced to come to a stop. It ended up being the best part of our trip. Not only did we stop following WDW itineraries and stop spending every waking moment either getting to WDW or at WDW or coming home from WDW, but we finally just got a chance to relax and enjoy our vacation.

So this year we decided to do it differently. We would buy fewer days. We'd do either half days or every other day at WDW and we would spend more time by the pool. Also, instead a hotel room we went on VRBO (that's Vacation Rentals By Owner) and got a sweet deal on a nice house about 30 minutes away. The kids were excited to go (so it's possible the first time wasn't as terrible as I remember it). It was lovely December weather. We had our own plan. Everyone got to pick one ride or show in each park and we did those together, mostly by Fast Pass. We didn't try to see and do everything and had way more fun doing the little we did. The kids were just as happy to hang out at the community club house as they were at Mickey's Club House. I'm not disparaging Mickey and co., but as an adult I sometimes forget that a laundry basket can be just as interesting as that $60 infant toy to my babies. I can get so caught up in making memories for my kids that I forget to make memories with them. I've discovered that WDW is magic only when we're actually making memories of enjoying it together. The rest is just a wasted effort.

South Padre Island ( PSI ) : Best Kid-friendly Destinations

2011-08-17T07:59:00.001-07:00

Well-known as a Spring Break hot spot, many families may miss the opportunity to visit this affordable and fun location, opting for California or a more exotic vacation. What a mistake!

South Padre Island, the Jewel of Texas, is located at 26 degrees latitude near the U.S.-Mexican border in the Gulf of Mexico. The temperatures during August are in the 90s, but feel warmer with the humidity. Like elsewhere in Texas this summer, it is record-breaking HOT. Unlike most of Texas, it's perfect sand beaches and refreshing Gulf water make it a perfect escape.

What really sets SPI apart are the kid-friendly activities. Dolphins, sea turtles, kite-flying, beaches and sandcastle-building lessons filled our vacation with experiences our kids could all enjoy.

The most highly recommended dolphin watch tour is run by George and Scarlett, who also run the Dolphin Research and Sea Life Center in Port Isabel (across the bridge from SPI). You can check them out online at www.spinaturecenture.com . These are really small tours of 6 people or less, which really lets you get close to the dolphins. Even better, watching the dolphins in silence is not allowed. The more happy noise you and the kids make the better! The more interesting you are to the dolphins, the closer they will come to the boat. Bring your own snacks and drinks and be ready to be on dolphin lookout the whole time. You'll also see other marine life and lots of birds. Overall a great lesson in natural habitats and wildlife. For $25 per person, this is an affordable, fun and educational adventure for the whole family.

The Sea Turtle Inc at www.seaturtleinc.org is a highly rated sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation center. People had said you'd need over an hour to see this, but it was not crowded when we went and 30 minutes gave us plenty of time to see everything twice. Although the building is not large, the sizes and varieties of turtles, as well as the educational material was really amazing to see. The kids were especially fascinated with the little hatchlings and wanted to go look for the nesting sites next time we went to the beach. Sea Turtle Inc asks for small donations per person to visit and have a gift shop to help fund their cause.

We didn't do any kite-flying ourselves, but watched so many families successfully getting their kids flying kites that I wished we'd made time for it. The breeze at the beach was perfect and the kites went high. It was fun to watch. There are several kite-dedicated stores on the island.

I normally would not recommend any outdoor activity in this Texas heat that isn't accompanied by direct contact with shade and water, but the Laguna Madre nature walk located next to the south side of the SPI Convention Center is well worth doing...just save it for the evening. This is a short two-trail boardwalk over the marshy Laguna Madre area with lots of fish, crabs and the possibility of Alligators that my kids loved. We're nature lovers! This activity is free.

We also paid for sandcastle building lessons. This was our most expensive activity on the island as it costs $75 per hour and we did the kid-friendly two-hour lesson. With our kids ages ranging from 9 months to 9 years old it was good to see how much interest they had in learning to build with sand. The baby did not participate. Our 4 year old was very involved for about 1-1/2 hours, our 6 year old lasted for almost 2 hours and our oldest could have kept going for most of the day if she'd had the tools to continue decorating our sandcastle. There are several world-class sandcastle-builders on SPI. Amazing Walter and Sandyfeet (Lucinda) occasionally travel to competitions around the world, while Dennis prefers to stick around SPI. Dennis was wonderfully patient with all the kids (and us parents too) while he explained the techniques, equipment and secrets to building big sand structures. He let the kids choose what we would build and made sure everyone had an opportunity to participate at their comfort and ability level. You can check out his site with pictures of his lessons with links to other sand-building websites at http://sandslave.com .

Finally, any discussion of South Padre Island must include mention of it's beaches. To compare, we are used to Southern California beaches, which have a wide variety of sand: from fine to rocky to crushed shell. I think only the baby-powder fine sand at Coronado Island beats the fine sand of SPI. In addition, the Pacific is cold water, which means I only ever get in it once or twice a year in September when the water and air temperatures get warm enough for me to enjoy the beach while wet. Here in SPI, getting in the water is a pleasant must. The water is not cold, but not bath-water warm either. Although for picturesque and groomed beach appearance, California is the best, the water clarity, temperature and price in SPI beats Cali hands down.

We couldn't find many online beach recommendations, so we asked the locals. Apparently, the water on the Gulf side is prettier than the bay side. We tried out several beach access spots recommended to us.

The first recommendation took us to the restaurant/villa entrance "with the anchors". A large parking lot with free parking was nice. It had easy access to a water sprayer/foot wash and cold drinks for purchase at the restaurant (as well as bathrooms). This location had sand volleyball and shade tents for rent. It was also very popular.

Next we tried the Blue Circle (#9?) beach access off of Gulf Blvd. This spot has limited parking, but is still free. No foot washes or bathrooms here.

Then we went to the Andy Bowie County Park. Parking here costs $4 per car. There are bathrooms with a couple of showers, a small food and beach toy stand and an outdoor shower. There was also a playground, which was too hot to use. This beach was less crowded when we went, however we were there on a weekday.

Finally we tried Beach Access #5 off Ocean Blvd/TX100. It has an entrance fee of $8, with $4 refundable if you return your bag of trash before 7pm that day. We were excited about this one because you can drive right on the beach. This beach only has Port-a-potties and was pretty much a free-for-all when it came to parking. Although many people brought their kids here, I didn't think this was a safe environment for kids. Cars parked above the high-water line, families played at the water. and traffic drove between the two. Maybe your kids always look before they cross a street, but we saw some adults almost get creamed as they walked from their car to the water. Not how anyone's vacation should end.

Two other negative points of beautiful SPI: the snorkeling here is not kid-friendly with the only snorkeling sites at the jetties, and hand and foot protection are necessary. Also, although there are lots of food and shopping options, we found the service very poor for such a tourist-destination.

Locals also mentioned that after school starts, August 22nd, the tourist population drops and things get even cheaper.

While South Padre Island is not a kid-friendly destination for Spring Break, the rest of the year SPI is a place of memory-making magic for the whole family.

- Posted on the go using BlogPress

Moving to Austin with Kids II

2011-07-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

Once you arrive in Austin, there may be a few details to get worked out. For example, where will you live? Who will help you move in if you didn't hire the full service movers? What schools will your children attend? And other pressing questions that will create stress for you until they are answered.

Hopefully you already have a job lined up before you get here . . . believe me, not everyone does. Hopefully you already have a house lined up before you get here . . . we thought we did, and then we didn't. Hopefully you will be moving close to friends and loved ones who will help and support you in your move . . . unlike us, who have moved farther away from our families and comfort zones.

One of the bright spots in our recent moving adventure was finding an affordable moving company here in Austin. We've used them twice so far (see the house statement above) and have been very pleased with the results both times. Art's Trucking and Moving Co is run by old-timer Art Johnson, who has been in the trucking industry for most of his 80 years. Although he does commercial moves, he also organizes crews of men for residential moves. The cost is per man per hour (you need at least three men on every move to be cost efficient), but also based off the poundage of your move. Art is very good at giving time estimates for how long it will take as long as you give him an accurate estimate of the amount of your stuff. These guys show up on time, work hard and fast and manage to bring a cheerful energy to combat your exhaustion and stress. I am not being compensated in any way for advertising Art or his company. I am just completely relieved to have found a great resource in a new and slightly foreign land. You can call to find out more from Art himself at 512-928-2361 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 512-928-2361 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Moving to Austin with Kids

2011-07-16T22:31:00.000-07:00

Moving is hard. Moving with kids is harder, but all the more rewarding if you do it right.

Austin, Texas has an allure for many people these days. With our nation's economy on the rocks and families struggling to make ends meet, many people are on the move in search of greater opportunities and more affordable circumstances. Since 1990, Austin has nearly doubled in size and is growing each year. For more on Austin, visit Wikipedia's Austin, Texas.

For us the decision was fairly easy. Although we love California, the economy is bad and shows signs of getting increasingly worse...spurred on by the state governments efforts to "help". Small business owners have little reward for increasingly high-levels of risk and responsibility in California, and so the time comes to search for greener pastures in those states that still believe in Capitalism. (I'll save the rest of my take on interfering government strategies for political and economic blogs.) The search for better opportunities led us to say, "okay, not here...then where?" There are several states that met our personal requirements, but certainly taxes, climate, job opportunities, housing costs and quality education were major factors for us. Other factors, like proximity to family and finding a familiar culture should be considered as well. One person's take on the advantages of living in Texas.

Once the decision is made, then comes the hard part: The Move.

Moving with Kids is a special time for the whole family, but I don't mean that in a good way. It's stressful and intensely disruptive.

Make it a great move in three less than simple steps: 1) Say it..."I am responsible. I choose this." 2) Be extra patient and loving...give lots of hugs, kisses and quick special moments and 3) Give a challenge, play a game and reward yourselves.

My kids are a great help, but its still amazing how often I would pack a box, only to turn my back momentarily and return to find in unpacked. This is especially true with toys, books and writing utensils! We found that plastic drawers worked best for those items that tended to get used. We packed them up, but having it in the drawers allowed the kids to still get in and out and yet repack the things away again themselves. We also packed their clothes this way, except for those that we would actually keep on the trip out with us. To minimize the amount of luggage we have from clothes, I packed the kids double or triple the underwear, and only one extra set each of daytime and nighttime clothes for the number of days we expected the trip to take. This is especially helpful when things don't go quite as planned. But with kids, when does that ever happen? If you're coming to Austin, Texas in the summer, don't bother with sweaters, long sleeved shirts or heavy clothes of any kind...it's BLISTERING during the day and HOT at night.

Another thing to mention is that IMO the kitchen is the toughest room in the house. It takes forever to pack and its one of those rooms that has to wait til the last minute. Instead of waiting this time around, I started packing the kitchen right away, but packed a small plastic drawer with kitchen tools I use daily: a can opener, a knife, scissors, a pen, one set of utensils, a measuring cup and spoons, hot pads and a tupperware container. This way, I could start packing up my dishes and use paper and plastic, yet still function at a basic level in my kitchen.

I also always pack one special stuffed animal/toy with our luggage, because anything irreplaceable must stay with us rather than going with the moving truck. This is also true of any documentation you can't easily look up or replace (ID, immunization records, passports, important account information, school records and birth/marriage certificates.)

Kids are reactive creatures and often reflect our adult stress back to us in the form of tantrums, melt downs and out-of-character behaviors. For me the hardest part of moving is being patient and understanding of my kids. I am responsible for the decision, execution and results of this move. It's a heavy burden, but I can't take it out on my kids. We found it helpful to reward ourselves by getting out of the house for a fun activity or reward after accomplishing one or two goals. Of course, when Moving-Day gets close, that's not really as possible, but even a short outing worked wonders for all of us.

I like to be organized and even downloaded an App for my phone called Moving Van. It allowed me to make virtual boxes by listing items, taking pictures and making notes. This app wasn't entirely successful, as it didn't do everything it promised, but it was still worth using. Having pictures of the packed boxes with a general listing of what was in it was very helpful on the unpacking side of our move. The only improvement I would make would be to be even more detailed on exactly what items are in the box. There is nothing so frustrating as being unable to find that necessary kitchen utensil or phone or the tools when you need them. It's amazing how much stuff gets lost during a move...some of it never to be found!

Most people decide to spend the money and hire a full-service moving company. This is very expensive. Some people don't want the hassle of a DIY move, especially with the added struggle of moving with kids, and some don't know that there is any other choice. This is especially true when moving out-of-state.

After talking to a nation-wide, full-service mover, the expense for us was prohibitive. We then turned to a you-pack-it-type of company. This is a moving company who offers a truck and driver at nearly half the cost of a full-service company, but still offers the full-range of services at additional cost. This is a good option if you need to save money, yet want to choose additional full-service options to make it easier on yourself.

Even this wasn't quite what we were looking for. Luckily, a friend put us in touch with a former truck-driver who gave us the insider tips we needed to save the most money on our out-of-state move. Most national moving companies have their own trucks, but lately, states like California have had so many people leaving and so few relocations coming in, that the moving companies must get their trucks from other trucking companies.

One of these trucking companies that the national moving companies use is called Broadway Express (see link http://www.broadwayexpress.net/ ). For a fraction of the cost, you can hire your own truck and driver. Broadway, and other trucking companies have their own rules about things, so be sure to ask for details. If you choose this option you will need to make the other arrangements for moving as well.

You can save by packing, loading and wrapping your things yourself. These are all things that full-service movers can do for you, but no one cares about your things the way you do. By packing things yourself, you know your move better. By wrapping your furniture, you protect it better. Wrapping furniture sounds like a great and difficult task, but it is very simple. To do it yourself, rent furniture blankets for a one-way move from a company like U-Haul or Penske (call around because some locations offer this and some don't...), buy furniture stretch wrap and handles (for an example on what I mean by this try this link ) , and wrap it yourself (a stretch wrapped furniture example). All your wooden, textile and glass furniture should be wrapped. Even your washer and dryer can be protected this way. Other packing tips.

And last, after packing, everything will have to be loaded onto the truck. You can do this yourself with the help of a few friends, or you can hire a professional to pack it for you, or pack it yourself and hire some lifting help. Either way, the savings in comparison to a full-service move is astounding. Anyway you do it, you should seriously consider buying insurance to cover the cost of replacing your damaged items. Many movers carry basic insurance that pays cents per pound on damaged items. This means that if your very expensive flat-screen TV breaks, they will weigh it and pay you far less than it would ever cost you to re-purchase it. Wheather you hire movers or DIY, additional insurance is necessary if you want to be able to replace damaged items.

Finally, once it is all finally on the truck and the truck pulls away you can relax...or in our case start the long drive. But even this provides opportunities for fun. Take the time to enjoy the journey, go for a swim, see a great sight, play a game or sing a song together. Learn about the destination and get excited about this new chapter! Plan fun activities that you'll do together at your new location and then do them as you accomplish your moving in goals. Moving can be a bonding family experience that brings your relationships closer, or a divisive time of stress and agony. Make it great in three less than simple steps: 1) Say it..."I am responsible. I choose this." 2) Be extra patient and loving...give lots of hugs, kisses and quick special moments and 3) Give a challenge, play a game and reward yourselves. Moving is hard. Moving with kids is harder, but all the more rewarding if you do it right.

Feeding Swedish Ducks

2010-12-09T14:51:00.000-08:00

Hey! Their ducks are just like our ducks Mom!

European Leaves in Fall

2010-12-09T14:42:00.000-08:00

Sweden Walking Trail on the Water

2010-12-09T14:40:00.000-08:00

Sweden Bridge

2010-12-09T14:39:00.000-08:00

Estonia: Beautiful Land

2010-12-09T14:38:00.000-08:00

Estonia is a small country bordered on the east by the giant Russia, on the south by Latvia (another small Baltic country) and by the sea. It wasn't until we moved to Estonia that I learned the difference between the sea and the ocean. I've always used these words interchangeably. I was quickly corrected while in Estonia because the Baltic Sea is only a small part of the larger sea in this area. There is no ocean here!

It has beautiful landscapes, mostly rolling tree-covered ground with lakes, rivers and streams throughout. There are large rocky areas, and of course there are regional differences throughout the country. The best skiing is at Estonia's high point outside of Tartu; Tartu is university town and best-loved by those who live there; the best seaside town is Parnu (IMO) and Tallinn is where you go to get the best historical city atmosphere. We never made it to the islands like Saaremaa, so I can't comment on them except to say they were highly recommended by those who could make the trip.

Culturally, Estonia is less Slavic than its sister Baltics, Latvia and Lithuania. It was ruled for many years by Sweden and most Estonians seem to identify more closely with its Scandinavian roots. Russia has had a profound influence of the country as well and many remnants of especially the communist era still stand.

Our Overseas Anniversary - a year remembered

2010-07-04T23:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a year since we lived in Estonia and began our European journey home to the United States. As a personal celebration both for our life there and our journey back again I thought I'd mention a few tips for those considering moving from the U.S. to Europe.

First of all, we were independent travelers, which means we had to make all arrangements ourselves. Those traveling for government agencies, companies and other organizations will have a different experience completely.

LUGGAGE

In order to move for this 6 month to 1 year period we had to sort three groups of our belongings: suitcases, shipping boxes, storage. We were limited to four 50lb suitcases for our family of four, as well as three Sunshine Kids car seats. Each of us took one carry-on bag. My kids each dragged their own small, wheeled backpacks packed with activities and "surprises". A friend had lovingly wrapped a small present for each of my kids for each hour of flight time (about 12 hours). This turned out to be a wonderful way to keep them from getting bored as they had a new present to look forward to every hour. NOTE: Although luggage allowances flying out of the U.S. give you usual limits, do NOT expect to be given the same allowances for your return or when making a connection. Always check with the airline specifically! European allowances are much less than those for the U.S. and each airline has their own rules.

CLOTHING TIPS

Since that original flight I've since learned some helpful things about effective clothes packing. My most important discovery? Take all your socks and underwear and take a minimal amount of outer clothing appropriate for your trip. This works best for our family because although I can stand wearing dirty shirts and pants to a laundromat, I can't stand not having any underwear. Also, unlike adults who manage to stay relatively clean, kids manage to dirty every outfit they wear every day. Which means a kids' minimal amount of clothing will be more than an adults'. We also discovered that weather differs drastically throughout Europe, so sweaters and raincoats in the north (England, Germany, Slovenia, France, Holland) in late summer/fall was appropriate, while shorts and hot weather gear was necessary in the south (Croatia, Italy, Spain, Portugal).

EUROPEAN CAR RENTAL

We would fly overseas, then get a long-term car rental and drive ourselves throughout Europe to Estonia. You'll most likely have great difficulty arranging a car to drive through many countries. Most rental companies require you to stay within the country in order to have insurance coverage. As far as I know there is no car company that will cover you to drive through Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia or Russia. Only two companies (at the time in 2008-09) rent European cars long-term: Peugeot (http://www.peugeot-openeurope.com/html/en/home/home.aspx ) and Renault ( http://www.renaultusa.com/carmodels.asp ). These car rentals must be arranged for a specified amount of time before leaving the U.S. We decided to try Peugeot and even went to a car dealership to get a peek at an equivalent of the car we would be renting overseas. Peugeot turned out great. They really worked with us, even when we had to extend our original rental agreement (we actually had to return the original car and rent a new one) and during the misery of repairs after our one car accident. We picked the cars up in both Paris, France and in Calais, France and paid extra to return the car in Rome, Italy.

CARSEATS
In theory, our regular three car seats should have fit, but between the car seat armrests and the interior shaping of the rear seat of the car, they didn't. Good thing we checked out the car in person before arriving in Europe! After serious research we made an investment in the Sunshine Kids Radian car seats (http://www.skjp.com/product/97556/165XX/_/Radian65SL%26%23174%3B#) which did fit side-by-side in our rental's European-sized backseat. We checked these seats rather than using them on any of the planes, and all our kids are forward-facing only so we've never used them rear-facing. They are heavy, but do fold down for compact travel. On our way out we kept these new carseats in boxes that we checked because they were easier to strap onto our rolling suitcases with tie-downs and keep clean until we got them into the car. On our way home we strapped them on our cases without boxes and had success with that technique as well (although they didn't stay as clean). I used Kiddopotamus Piddle Pads (http://www.elitecarseats.com/Kiddopotamus-Piddle-Pad.pro) to help keep the seats cleaner. These are soft and effective, but are also smaller than some brands so can't always catch the mess.

LIVING IN ESTONIA

Food

It was very difficult to find out what sorts of things would be hard to find in Estonia before we left the U.S. Luckily, because we are very picky about our favorite foods and I thought that shipping a few basic favorites would help us adjust, I sent our favorite brand of peanut butter and oatmeal in bulk in our shipping boxes, as well as my entire herb/spice cupboard. This proved a good choice. While familiar peanut butter is available in Germany, Estonia doesn't have good peanut butter. All the herbs and spices are widely available, but the difficulty there is translating the labels to ensure you get the right thing. At first everything was so unfamiliar that I couldn't find anything I wanted - not even milk or normal bread (FYI: their bread is much better than ours!). It was just an adjustment problem though because once we'd settled in and become more familiar with the grocery stores it was just a matter of seeing what was there all along. At first I could only shop at Stockmann (www.stockmann.ee) located at the corner of Liivalaia (which is Pronski at the corner) & Ravala/Tartu mantee (also changes names at that intersection) which is a mall and a grocery store. Stockmann is easily recognizable, attached to parking and carries a lot of British imports. As I became more familiar with the big things of Estonian life it was a lot easier for me to pick out familiar or at least recognizable foods at grocery stores like Rimi and Prisma, which are cheaper and Walmart-like in their product availability. What not to bring? Don't bother to bring electronics (or carefully research and purchase appropriate converters before you come) or anything for measuring. I found it so much easier to use available British cookbooks and buy the measuring cups, etc there. Mine were practically useless because they didn't do U.S. and metric and the cookbooks I'd taken called for expensive ingredients or ingredients I had no way of finding. Maybe you'll do better, but in the end our favorite recipes were the ones we made up based on the ingredients we found readily available.

Driving

The speed limits are a lot lower, and if you're going to stay an extended period of time you'll need to get an EU drivers license. Also, summer speed limits are higher than winter limits. The roads are pretty narrow, but the cars are smaller. I came to love the traffic lights that change from red to yellow to green because as I was driving a manual transmission and it gave me the time to shift into gear. The toughest thing about Tallinn is parking downtown. There is no public parking inside the Old Town walls, so it's a learning curve to figure out the closest legal parking areas for where you actually want to be. Also, as soon as you get a car ask for a time clock sticker for your window (in some countries, like Denmark, not posting one in your window with the time of parking will result in a fine), and in Estonia specifically you will need to buy timed tickets in increments of 15 minutes up to 3 hours from the Parkimiskaart (usually little sheds or buildings with a cashier) which you'll scratch off the date and time and place in your window. Remember to do your day-month-year in that order or you'll have an invalid ticket.

Shopping

You really can find everything you need here. There is even a small selection of English language books at several bookstores (fiction and non-fiction for both adult and children), clothing styles are very European and trendy, handicrafts are everywhere and the food is excellent. Many Finns come to Tallinn to buy alcohol (pretty much everything in Estonia is cheaper than in Finland - especially Helsinki) and beauty supplies abound. I especially fell in love with double-sided glass nail files. Why are those so hard to find here in the U.S.? They are the best thing ever.

Getting In and Out

Although it is possible to drive to Estonia, no car rental company will insure you all the way through (at least none I know of), so that leaves flying (no direct flights from U.S.) and ferries. Because of the car we did ferries both ways. One from Stockholm, Sweden and the other to Helsinki, Finland and then on to Germany. The ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki was very user-friendly, easy to find and ticket agents were informed and gave good instructions. Our other experiences were not user friendly or clear and caused us some major frustrations. Also, beware the time tables trying to get ferries in from anywhere except Helsinki because they only run on certain days and the companies often don't even answer their phones (in our experience).

LOOKING BACK

I'm happy to be settled at home again, but I look back at our adventures with a lot of fondness. We met so many really amazing people, learned a lot about the beauty of other cultures, saw amazing landscapes and discovered a lot about ourselves. Life is an adventure and it's difficult and challenging trips like these that are the worst of times and yet the very best of them too. I can't wait to go back.

Junibacken on Djurgarden (Stockholm area) Sweden

2010-04-04T00:31:00.000-07:00

Stockholm, Sweden (Sverige) is a beautiful and amazing place. And although we'd visited many other destinations, I'd never seen any place quite like it. I loved the entire country (we drove it and experienced many beautiful and interesting things), and found it one of the most kid-friendly/family-friendly countries in all of Europe and Scandinavia. The prices are more reasonable and kids are a welcome and expected addition. That said, today I want to limit my comments to one of our favorite Stockholm activities: Junibacken.

Junibacken is the Swedish name for the Pippi Longstocking and Astrid Lindgren Museum for children. Because the city of Stockholm is actually a collection of lush islands (called an archipelago), everywhere you look you will see water. Junibacken is located on the island called Djurgarden. Getting here by car or boat is easy from the downtown area (the metro doesn't have a line here), but once on the island we found it a little hard to find Junibacken. According to their directions (see http://www.junibacken.se/english ) it's next to the Vasa (or Wasa) Museum. "Next door" actually means across a very big grassy area (muddy when we went) to the northwest of Vasa Museum on the northwestern corner of the island. If in a car, take the Galarvarvsvagen street east off the main road (Djurgarden) and park in the car park at the end of the road. Instead of following the crowd to the south or east, walk west following the trail and you'll see a smallish yellow building with a green roof set next to the water. Inside is the separate little world of Junibacken.

With many miniature buildings, a giant model horse and explorable Pippi house, art activities, exhibits and a little indoor train-ride depicting the many characters from Astrid Lingren's books, what we thought would take two hours lasted all day. The kids cooked up some pretend dinners, visited each other at the different houses in the "town" and scurried over the woodland models with kid-sized hidy-holes and slides. They loved running wild in Pippi's house and relaxed for a minute with coloring and blocks. Pippi appeared and acted out a portion of her story and, although told entirely in Swedish, my kids enjoyed it immensely. It helped that we'd been reading The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking and they were already familiar with the story. A small area dedicated to Astrid gave me lots to read and the kids items to look at as we lined up for the train ride. Having not read any of Lindgren's other works, I was surprised by the scariness of some of her stories. My littler ones had to cover their eyes during parts of the train ride, but my oldest really enjoyed it and wanted to read all her books then. Afterward they had more opportunity to do creative free play in life-sized sets and we spent way too much time and money in the gift shop. A day well spent.

Notes: There is a restaurant and bathrooms. A coat check and lockers keep your things safe so you have hands to play. There are at least two floors and I felt that strollers were an encumbrance here, especially on the train ride and stairs, but big wheeled-strollers would be helpful walking through the outdoor paths if your kids are very little. Although there were teenagers here, this is mostly a place that kids ages 2-9 or 10 would enjoy. The opportunities for imaginative play and exploration are a refreshing break for the weary traveler and I highly recommend it.

Carpenteria State Beach

2010-02-15T14:02:00.000-08:00

Camping is a little like having kids. You don't do it because it's easier. It's not. Camping is an experience in building relationships, working together, being patient when you're frustrated, and actually spending time looking at each other and nature instead of the tvs, computers, phones or laundry.

Camping is also a real-time lesson in cultural diversity. Go to any American campground and you will see a variety of plants, animals, natural scenery and people. Camping grounds, especially in California, collect a variety of people of all types, styles and attitudes - with one thing (and sometimes only one thing) in common - sleeping in the great outdoors. They all do it in different ways and for different reasons. You may find the couple from LA just up for a romantic weekend in their pop-up tent trailer, or the family who bring all their friends and relatives together for a big RV party, or the elderly couple who stay for a couple of weeks before moving on to another long-term RV spot, or the many others who take their dogs or bikes or surfboards and a tent to live at the beach for a long weekend . . . sans the highprice beachside hotel.

Carpenteria State Beach is no exception, and over the long weekend people took to their campers and tents in droves. We took the kids for our first campout in about two years. My sad, but valiant attempts at camping organization have earned me a reputation . . . mostly for forgetting to pack those little annoying extras, like FOOD. I was determined to not only have a good attitude, but to not forget anything. So I made my lists, and then more lists from those lists and then went back and checked my lists. In the end the worst thing I forgot was the ketchup. Camping is all about roughin' it, right? So the naturalist becomes sudden neighbors with the beach party rock n' rollers, the romancers next to the family with their kids and dogs. We had a lot of family lessons on courtesy (we tend to use our "loud voices" at early dawn) and proper campground ettiquette (don't stare into people's windows as we pass by and don't just walk into someone's camp and eat their food).

I had no idea where Carpenteria State Beach was when we booked it online at the last minute (see the Reserve America site at http://www.reserveamerica.com/ and fill in what you're looking for on the left. This site reserves campsites across the U.S., not just California). We had to piece together the camping sites for our trip, since most people book the good spots more than six months in advance. We had to move our spot twice over the weekend, but it was certainly good practice at put up and take down as we were more than a little rusty. By the last time we moved, we'd worked out almost all of those kinks that usually end up in marital disagreements (like giving and recieving directions on backing the trailer into a tight spot).

Carpenteria is north of Los Angeles, southwest of Santa Barbara on the 101 highway. It's a beautiful spot, nestled near the now-green mountains along the coast and against the ocean's relentless waves. The beach changes from sandy on the north end of the grounds to rocky with cliffs to the south. A seal nursery lies along the coast to the south during these winter months, where you can go and observe seal mothers and babies sunning themselves (remember not to disturb them in any way though). The high tide brings crashing waves followed by the applauding sound of rounded ocean rocks being slowly rolled back out to sea. Surfers get an early morning start in the cold waters. Low tide leaves plenty of room for tide pooling, sunning and swimming (if you dare). There are no real kid bike paths here, but everyone just uses the roads since traffic is sparce and slow. Pitted dirt paths lead to more beautiful views of the ocean, interesting local wildlife (like the seals and earthier ones like gophers), and a variety of plants. The State Beach is within an adult walk, or a short ride to the area around the Casitas Plaza where you can find restaurants, banks, laundromats and grocery stores. A Community Pool on the corner of Palm Ave (State Route 224) and Casitas Pass Rd would be a great place to safely swim with the kids if you'd like a more mellow, less salty swim. And across Palm/SR 224 is a small, but fabulous toy store (think Melissa and Doug gone wild) in a house-turned-shop. We loved the eeBoo Animal Bingo Game, everyone (ages 3-30+) was able to play this together over and over and over again.

There are three loops in Carpenteria. All have bathrooms and showers at both ends of each loop. The showers always work, but the hot water is optional . . . which means you pay 25 cents for a minute or two of hot water. We found we could get the kids by on 50 cents by getting them wet in warm water, getting out to soap up when the time ran out and then pay another quarter to have a nice warm rinse. Big community sinks with both consistent hot and cold water (located outside the bathrooms) were also good for a quick rinse, or washing dishes. The beachside spots are far preferrable to the other spots, due not only to the lovely views but also to having more space for the kids to run around off the parking lot. On one interior spot we couldn't even have a fire because our trailer would only fit directly over the camp's firepit. Every spot comes with its own table and firepit. Some have a lot more privacy, some have electric and water hook-ups and some are "dry" spots. Just be sure to know what you need and if you're not sure don't be afraid to try a couple on for size. We were pretty recognizable by the end of our last move because we'd seen and been seen by pretty much everyone. Like: oh, there those crazy people with the cute kids go again.

The next time, I'd probably shoot for booking the first loop, the Miguel, six months in advance since those ocean-side spots have access to the sandy part of the beach from their campsites (better for explorers under 6 years old). The other loops aren't bad, but the rocky break turns into a cliff the further from the entrance you get (much better for older explorers 7+). This was my idea of winter camping as the temperatures were really pretty comfortable, and it was not too crowded. Just don't make the mistake my hubbie made and come dressed only for summer . . . the nights still get really cold and it's only comfortable if you gear up like it was the dead of winter. It's so much easier to strip clothes off than to try to sleep shivering with cold. So must haves: a temperature-rated sleeping bag, extra blankets, warm hat, gloves (not ski gloves, but insulated soft gloves), warm coat, sweaters, long underwear, extra socks, firewood/kindling/lighter (I remembered ours this time) and don't forget the all-American camping classic: S'Mores.

How to Make S'Mores

Although this is classic American fare, there are as many ways to make them as there are people who camp. This is our family "recipe".

Ingredients - large marshmellows (white taste best - as good as marshmellows can taste anyway), toasting forks (bent wire clothes hangers work too but you can also buy these long-handled metal two-pronged utensils in sets for cheap), chocolate-chip cookies (often bars of chocolate and graham crackers are used, but we've found the chocolate is often too hard and graham crackers are too crumbly) and a dying fire with hot coals.

Directions - first place a marshmellow onto the toasting fork (I like to do one marshmellow at a time to get a nice even toast), place it near the bed of hot coals turning it slowly from side-to-side. Do not light it on fire because it will burn. Watch for the slight browning that will give it a slightly crunchy outside and warm gushy (is that a word?) inside. Remove the marshmellow from the fire and sandwich it between two cookies, pulling it off of the toasting fork. Eat. Repeat.

Okay, so it's not gourmet . . . but it's one of those things that you should try once in your life if only so the kids can get all sticky and gooey and talk about it until the next camping trip.

Winter in San Diego

2010-01-18T20:24:00.000-08:00

As the rain poured down and the wind blew today in one of our few winter storms, I gave some thought to all the good weather activities there are to do in San Diego County.

Although we've been too busy trying to keep up with school field trips, homework, grocery shopping and other daily life trials, whenever we get a chance to show someone around we visit a few favorite spots. I have to warn you that although there are tons of very commercial fun spots nearby (ex. Legoland, Sea World, Disneyland, etc.), we prefer the places that give you a feel for the locale. I'll go into more detail about each one as we visit again, so come back for more.

Must See Tourist Spots:

1. Gaslamp District & Downtown San Diego - includes great theater, dining options and nightlife. Horton Plaza, an architectural wonder of shopping, is located nearby, along with Petco Stadium, a children's water playground, the convention center, a navy ship for touring, and Seaport Village. Seaport Village has some unique shopping opportunities, art, a great view of the ships in the waterway, a carousel and more eateries.

2. Old Town San Diego - don't get this confused with downtown because its actually quite a distance from downtown, so don't try to walk there. The best way to get there without a car is to take the Old Town trolley tour. This is a very fun hop-on-and-off tour that has many stops all over the San Diego area, including Old Town, Balboa Park, Coronado, Gaslamp and many others. And why would you want to go? This early settlement has pueblo-styled buildings surrounded by a defense wall and has a very special San Diego flair. A trip to the Mormon Battalion is very interesting for history buffs and my kids actually enjoyed it too.

3. Balboa Park - this is a sprawling area spotted with lots of Museums, dining, entertainment, the Zoo, the Science Center and lots of green areas and sidewalk entertainment during the summer. There is a free playground near the Science Center (southwest of it) if you're kids can't take another museum. The Science Center has a kidtown area for little kids (age 2-6) with a pretend shopping area, building blocks, and other fun stuff. And the fountain just outside the doors of the Science Center has kept many a kid busy and wet. Summer is really the season for Balboa Park, but there is still plenty to do at all times of the year.

4. Coronado Island - okay, its a peninsula NOT an island and most of it is a military base. But this has fun shopping, a fun children's library, beautiful fine white sand beaches and the Hotel Del Coronado, a historical site.

This is not a complete list, but each of these stops has several things to see, do and explore and just one of them can keep you and the kids busy all day.

Right now the weather is cold (in the high 50s, low 60s) and hopefully will be rainy (we have a drought-fire cycle here to contend with). While mostly this means it's pretty comfortable, it's still a good idea to bring rain jackets, warm sweaters and layer up.

Inland is a lot warmer and sunnier than the coast. The beach often gets a stiff breeze and it's not uncommon to see people walking along the ocean with their kids, dogs or significant other dressed in winter jackets and hats. Of course, that could just be because we're all weather wimps out here . . . hmmm.

Guess you'll just have to come and see for yourself!

2009-12-11T23:29:00.000-08:00

The Christmas House: Lights Galore

2009-12-11T23:27:00.000-08:00

The weather turns a bit cooler, the leaves

(here in San Diego) finally change to brilliant reds, yellows & oranges before

sporatic rain and wind storms sweep them away. Suddenly

I begin craving stews, hot drinks and

christmas lights.

I love everything about Christmas lights . . . even untangling them holds a certain charm for me (for about 20 minutes, after which I commit myself to finally buying a storage wheel), but not everyone in my family is so enthusiastic.

To satisfy my need for christmas lights, and my hubby's need for less clutter and stress, we do an annual family tour of local christmas lights.

Del Mar Racetrack hosts the annual festival of lights, which costs between $10-20 per car, depending on the amount of passengers. For this price you can tune the radio to christmas music and drive around a specially tiled path on the racetrack as many times as you want, and you get to see a huge array of lights - most of which appear to be animated. We usually make it two times around, maybe three if we let the kids unbuckle and run loose in the car and their excited screams haven't given us adults blinding headaches.

After the first time around, we usually each pick our favorite display and join in singing a few christmas songs. If you've never seen a massive display of lights all in one place, or if you just need a one-stop-shopping-type of light experience this will probably do it for you. It just doesn't quite do it for me though. The lights are all very distant so it's not a very interactive experience and it really does take a couple of times around to really see everything since there is so much going on.

What: The Festival / Holiday of Lights

Where: Del Mar, California (the nearest main intersection is Via De La Valle exit off the I-15 & Jimmy Durante Blvd); Follow the signs through the main parking lot entrance of the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Cost: between $14-20 per car, depending on the number of passengers; $10 per person for a hayride experience.

When: November to January 3rd, 2009, evenings

My Take: Lots of great lights, family friendly, high class, not interactive, costly.

See www.sdfair.com/holidayoflights for more info.

Okay, so driving around to see the lights is not typically interactive, but for those of you in search for that uplifting holiday cheer with a bit of interactive fun for the kids, you need to stop by Southern California's best christmas light experience.

(Full disclosure: Okay, so I don't know if it's actually the most amazing display of lights on a private residence in Southern California . . . but it is awesome).

The owners of this house, a.k.a. The Christmas House, have really outdone themselves this year. Where to start? It has lights, lights, lights, music, a nativity, patriotism, fake snow, miniature train sets, and very welcoming hosts. Here, the worries of the world get put on hold, and the joy and magic of Christmas come alive.

Although most of the year you would probably pass this typically modest home without notice, during the month of December you'll have no problem finding this house before you actually see the address. When you do see it, drive past it slowly and then park alongside the road. Get everyone out of the car and walk to the house. To get the best view of the lights, stand directly across from the house on the opposite sidewalk (and don't you dare park here and block everyone's view!)

The lights are sychronized to music and you'll need to stay for a couple of songs to realize the full range of coordination and decoration. Then cross the street for a closer look at penguins, santas, trains and candycanes. With every part of the house decorated in lights, and the lawns covered in white batting, it feels like a trip to a California North Pole.

Mr. [owner's name] is a jolly old soul and will be sure to wish you a Merry Christmas and hand you a mini candycane. Pass under the lighted arches and watch the kids dancing with upturned faces in the falling fake snow. The front door will be open and Mrs. [owner's name] will say hello and invite you to watch the large table of model trains racing around a snow-covered mountainside. Christmas decorations and ornaments decorate every space, and even a glimpse of the backyard will give you an eyeful of christmas lights. A singing dog and a snow angel will entertain you on the way out . . . and if you enjoy your visit, be sure to help the [owner's names] continue their Christmas House tradition with whatever donation you can. Trying to pay for this amount of lights and decorations costs quite a lot, and they can use all the help they can get. The donation box sits right near the garage door.

What: The Christmas House (an unofficial name for a private residence)

Where: Murrieta, California (the nearest main intersection is Los Alamos exit off the I-215 and Whitewood Rd). Actual address is 39682 Avenida Miguel Oeste.

Cost: FREE (donation appreciated, but optional)

When: After Thanksgiving break to New Years Day; most evenings

My Take: interactive experience, family-friendly, inexpensive

Although the square footage of this Christmas House experience isn't nearly as big as Del Mar's Festival of Lights, the interactive quality and festive good cheer make this my all-time favorite Christmas light experience.

If you know of more great light sights, I'd love to hear about them!

Julian, California

2009-11-19T20:53:00.000-08:00

Julian, California is a tiny little town - originally a gold town - now the apple capital of the world . . . or at least southern california.

If you've grown tired of the seaside scenery, a drive out to Julian might be just the thing. The road is good all the way. It can get a little winding, depending on which route you take, but shouldn't take more than two hours.

Once you're here, plan on parking on a side street off the main road (free) and taking a leisurely stroll down mainstreet. There are plenty of unusual and quaint little shops here to keep grownups busy, although the kids will probably get tired of this so be sure to hang the promise of apple pie over their heads. I don't like using strollers here because, although mainstreet is pretty level, the sidestreets are pretty steep and the boardwalks on main are usually pretty crowded. The shops are small and most are not stroller friendly. A baby bjorn/backpack/front carrier would be a better solution for infants here.

For older kids and adults, checking out the gold mining history is very interesting. Try panning for gold and visiting the old gold mine. There are a couple of small museums and historic sites around and really unique gifts of all shapes and sizes.

Okay, so really the only reason my kids look forward to coming all the way out to Julian is the extremely yummy apple pie in the fall and the hikes available in the area. With a little preview of the native vegetation and wildlife, my kids find a lot to look forward to - and wear themselves out on the little dirt trails around the national park nearby to Julian.

I like walking mainstreet Julian for the old-time atmosphere and the goodies I can buy there. I love the Julian Cider Mill, which has apple cider, an assortment of both expected and unexpected flavors of preserves, nuts and dried fruits and candies.

Mom's Pies is on the same side of the street, but nearer the 4-way stop further down the street. The boysenberry apple pie is delicious, but they have several options for pies, soups and sandwiches and an quaint, old-fashioned atmosphere. The line there is always that long . . . for good reason.

I also like the soap and scents shop (sorry, can't remember the name!) that's almost directly across the street from Mom's. I can't stay inside for too long as the smells become overpowering, but I love their freshly dried leaf & fruit scent assortments - from citrus, to lime, to christmas - that you can buy in different sized boxes that you fill yourself. I use them when I'm storing linens or in a guest room before company comes. With toy shops, unusual clothing stores, handmade crafts and even buffalo meat, there is a little of something for all sorts of tastes.

A horse and buggy typically run. Apparently there is an afternoon comedy show (which we've never seen). There are some U-pick opportunities, but call ahead to see what their seasonal schedule is. Camping, horseback riding, hiking, and picnics are all great ways to spend a day or a couple of days.

If you decide to come out, make sure to check Julian's festival schedule, because although these events have a special atmosphere, there is also a severe parking and traffic problem at these times that you should be prepared for.

Check out this webpage to get more info and an event schedule and enjoy:

http://www.julianca.com/

La Jolla Cove San Diego CA

2009-11-02T06:51:00.000-08:00

La Jolla (pronounced "la hoy-ya") is a beautiful coastal town west of
the I-5 freeway, north of San Diego.

With only a few roads in and out, La Jolla tends to have a problem
with traffic congestion and parking limitations. In spite of that, it
is still one of the best places to visit and get a unique look at the
real San Diego area.

We visited the cove on a weekday, so although getting in and out were
still a bit slow (mainly because I got lost trying to get off on the
right exit - it's harder from the north than from the south) parellel
parking on the road nearest the coast was quite open and free.
Usually we'd have to park east of the main shopping area and walk down
to the coast or spend forty minutes prowling the main parking zones
for someone leaving. But not today.

La Jolla has a beautiful landscaped park just north of the cove.
There are bathrooms and outdoor showers here, although they are pretty
wet and sandy and don't have soap.

At the northern end of the park (remember the ocean is always west)
there are stairs that take you down onto the sea swept sandstone.
This is a fantastic place to go tidepooling or enjoy the crashing
waves. This is not a great place for strollers, but kids of all ages
who can get out and walk can have fun here. Just remember that there
are no fences by these ocean-side cliffs (only up by the concrete
paths) and a young child could fall in. It's okay to get in the water
here, but easier when the tide is out.

Remember to pack any garbage out with you!

The park itself is a great place for romantic strolls, racing kids,
playing catch with a dog or taking photos.

If you continue south from the park you'll see some beautiful view
points of the coast and you'll come to the sea lion beach. This is
where the sea lions come every spring to have their babies, and often
live and eat here. This is not a good place to swim or sit on the
beach. Instead, stay up on the sidewalks to catch a glimpse of sea
lions in action, or if you go in the spring - to see and smell a whole
colony in action. Very cool.

Quebec City CANADA

2009-10-12T22:53:00.000-07:00

UPDATE:

Always love to talk about Quebec's Carnaval!
Go to this link to learn more about this year's festivities: http://www.carnaval.qc.ca/en

I wish more people loved the snow. Yeah, okay. So I chose to live in California where, well to be honest, the snow is not that impressive. HEY, we do get some snow . . . we just have to look a little harder to find it. That's why I think snow vacations are some of the BEST.

It's a bit early to be writing about this, but in February every year Quebec City in the Quebec province of Canada holds a festival or carnival called

the Carnaval de Quebec.

The Carnaval begins on January 29th and runs until February 14th, 2010.

Far to the north, Quebec City is beautiful in all seasons. The ability to speak French is helpful, but not strictly necessary . . . just don't expect people to be able to speak English. There is a lot of history behind this city and the people who live here are very proud of their heritage. The people at the Carnaval are friendly and welcoming, and this is one of the best (and biggest) kid-friendly events with guaranteed snow.

Le Bonhomme is a giant, perpetually smiling snowman who makes appearances and gets the party started. We've found the people at the event really wonderful, and frequently they (like most others in the tourism industry) speak english well.

This coming festival runs from January 29th to February 14th, 2010. With a variety of sports, family and nightlight activities, we found there was something to keep a multi-generational group more than happy.

The kids loved watching the dog sled racing, exploring the snow sculptures and, of course, getting prizes and playing at the kid-centered play areas at Place Desjardins and Kraft Village. My hubbie loved the outdoor ice skating, sledding and skiing opportunities at Place Hydro-Quebec, on the Plains of Abraham, and at nearby locations outside the city. I loved the history and beauty of the place, and grandma enjoyed the quaint and diverse shops. We found there was plenty to do and see with the nighttime parade as a perfect place to celebrate, as a family, our last night in this special place. What a party!

We found that renting an apartment worked really well for us and was much more private and comfortable for our family than the hotels. We usually drive up to Quebec City and tour around a bit. If you don't have a car, there are many hotels both in Old Town and near the Plains of Abraham that will get you close enough to walk to many of the kids' events. The ground is either icy or deep in snow so be sure to pull a sled along to get your kids around because they will NOT make it otherwise! Dress for true cold weather so you can enjoy all there is to see and do. If you don't you'll probably find yourself huddled in the Kraft Village tent (where its so warm you'll have to peel off the layers you and your children are wearing) and wish you had a warm ride home. Be sure to follow Barack Obama's example and try a Canadian beaver tail. These pastries are unbelievably good. Of course, I like poutine too (for the uninitiated: that's french fries with gooey melted cheese curds and gravy . . . so yum) so better not take my word for it.

February is not typically the coldest month in Quebec (that's January), but it is still dry eyeball, frozen nosehair, icicle cold. Good boots and layers of socks are a must, and a boot dryer doesn't hurt either. We actually had a hard time finding a sled the last time we went up, but managed it eventually. By warm dress, I mean clothing rated for zero degrees . . . or lower. Most good cold winter gear can be purchased up there for a decent price, but I would buy really good boots for everyone ahead of time at the very least.

WELL that's a lot for two cents. The website to check out (for English info) is

http://www.carnaval.qc.ca/history.html

UPDATE: The new 2010 Schedule and Itinerary is out, so see the above link to get more info. To find out where to meet Le Bonhomme, see the file below.

http://www.carnaval.qc.ca/images/carnaval/ou_voir_BH.pdf

It's serious cold, but also serious fun for the whole fam.

Bugs

2009-10-12T22:51:00.000-07:00

Saint Martins Day Celebration and Handicrafts Fair

2009-10-01T00:32:00.000-07:00

Mardilaat

If there were only one event I could go back to Estonia for (besides the song festival - Laulupidu - and Christmas) it wouldn't be the midsummer celebration - Jaanipaeve - or the beer festival or even the Old Town Days (which I loved), it would be the lesser known annual handicrafts fair for St. Martins Day.

This year, 2009, it will again be held at Saku Suurhall in the northwest area of Tallinn, called Rocca Al Mare, on November 5th to the 7th. You can get here by car (free parking) or by bus. It costs 50 EEKs for adult admission, and there are discount and family tickets also available. This small price tag is well worth it if you are interested in native cuisine, handicrafts, or Estonian music.

As you enter the oval outer ring on the second floor, homemade food goods: honey, jams and breads are set up for purchase on tables. Enter through the doorways between tables and you will see the main level laid out below. Go down several levels of stairs to browse these wares or have a seat on the plastic stadium seats to munch on a snack and watch the occasional musical performance at the opposite end of the hall. Here you can find handicrafts of all shapes and sizes. From amazingly warm wool baby buntings and all sizes of bed comforters, to woolen and flannel gloves, hats, boots and socks, from handwoven linens to leather purses, from wooden dishes and utensils to iron bells, the options seem endless in spite of the modest size of the arena.

Almost hidden between all the stalls is the best part of this fair . . . For between 30 to 60 EEKS per person, you and your kids can sit down and participate in Estonian culture. You can paint a ceramic figurine, shape ironworks or learn to weave using a real loom. My kids had a blast and so did I. We came away with some treasures and great memories.

The prices and variety of handicrafts here are the best you'll get all year. And with all there is to see and do, you may, like us, end up staying far longer than planned.

Saku Suurhall address:

www.sakusuurhall.ee

AS ROCCA AL MARE SUURHALL
Paldiski st. 104B, 13522 Tallinn, Estonia

Can't wait to go back!

Travels With Pooh

2009-09-19T08:39:00.000-07:00

We've just moved and are still dealing with the unpacking mess. We have unpacked almost all of the giant boxes, so when people ask if we're all unpacked I can say honestly "almost!"

What that really means is that my giant boxes have turned into large piles separated into their appropriate rooms, which in turn are made into smaller piles into appropriate corners/shelves/closets of said room, a vital sorting process that is frequently undone as soon as my back is turned.

People who have moved usually qualify this 'moved in' question with "can you function? is it livable? do you have more mess than boxes?" etc., but people who haven't sometimes can't understand what takes so long. Honestly, it usually takes me a year before I feel moved into a place - the exception being Europe because we "travelled light", only taking four suitcases, five carryons and three carseats. Of course, American "light" still makes taxi drivers and hotel managers eyes bulge.

Unpacking is a journey of self-discovery. For example, I spend most of the time thinking about "why did I think that was important enough to carefully put in a box, store/ship/move it, and then take it out again?" and "I know I put that very important thing here somewhere. Where did it go?" I admit I spend at least 50% of my time looking for bills/keys/scissors that I had in my hand 30 seconds before.

What does any of this have to with Pooh? After having begged me to find the box hiding her stuffed friend, my daughters' entire body exploded with joy when we finally found that special box and unwrapped its contents. Winnie-the-Pooh was the first toy my oldest ever picked out for herself, and it has been the most enduring. Winnie-the-Pooh or Pooh Bear, as we like to call him, has been to more countries than many adults and was one of those few things that made all the transitions we've made this year a little easier. Pooh Bear, just by existing, helps make my daughter deal with all the worries and stresses, making them a little more 'bear'able.

Unlike people, who are sometimes unpredicable, Pooh Bear is a constant companion and fills whatever role helps her to work out the problems of her day. There is nothing at all like having a friend who never disappoints you, disagrees with you or acts contrary.

With his tooth-marked ears and patched nose, we're all waiting for Pooh Bear to make the Velveteen Rabbit transition and become a real bear just from the sheer magic of total unharnessed love.

Torrey Pines Beach Trail

2009-08-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

So, one recent Saturday we headed to the nearby Torrey Pines Beach Trail Hike with seven kids in tow (all under 12 and obviously not all of them ours). Torrey Pines is a pretty small, but unique California State Reserve located just of Interstate 5, north of San Diego, near Del Mar. It's an interesting and educational place, and a good place to just have some fun, especially with kids.

We parked in a nearby residential area and walked to the entrance of the park. If you can find it, the beach parking is free and close to the entrance, but Saturday is not a great time to snag one. The park itself is free, but parking inside the entrance is $10 per car. There is a lower lot just past the entrance and the bathrooms, but for hiking it's much better to park in one of the two smaller upper lots. If like us you walk in, or if you end up parking in the lower lot, then you'll have to walk up the hill. With only wide dirt areas next to the paved road, this was not an ideal walk with kids. Occasionally we had to cross over from one side to the other to walk on the "safer" side of the road. Luckily there wasn't much traffic on this road. Drinking water is a must. It's hot, steep and has little shade, so do not try this if you have any doubts about your health and abilities. There are several hikes along the road, most of them are loops that have beautiful or interesting views and lots of native plants and small wildlife: rabbits, lizards, birds and bugs. We saw what I think was a giant nest, hanging like a decorative ornament ball on a pine tree. Be sure to watch out for snakes.

To get to the Beach Trail hike, we continued to the very top of the hill where there is a Visitors Center hidden on the left and two small parking lots. Veer through the parking lot on the right and stop to read the large map on the bulletin board. The Beach Trail hike is not well marked at the trail head, but just walk on the wide dirt path to the right of the bulletin board and you're on it. This trail winds down the sandy beach cliffs to the ocean. The trail is dry and dusty and surrounded by native Californian scrub and chaparral, but is well-marked. It's best to stay on the path, since wandering off the path is detrimental to both the ecosystem and your health if you happen to be one to find a rattlesnake. After the all-uphill walking just to get to the trail head, the trail was all downhill and very easy. There are striking views of dusty scrub mixed with chaparral and cactus, with carved sand cliffs and ocean as a backdrop. At every split, stay to the left until the split on the left is a steep rise, then turn to the right over sand boulders. The most difficult portion of the trail is the very end, getting from the cliffs down to the beach. Years ago we had hiked the trail and the cliff portion was very narrow, washed out and even dangerous. Now they've installed metal stairs, which are very steep, but are much safer than the eroding dirt cliff path. It took less than an hour from head to tail, and the kids loved the hike.

The final reward is stripping down to swimsuits at the water's edge and jumping in to cool off, or tide pooling the giant rocks to the south of the metal stairs. We played for hours, and then had a long, but lazy walk on the beach back to the park entrance. Check out http://www.torreypine.org/index.html for maps and more detailed information on the park.

Overnight Trip to LA

2009-08-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

So we zipped up to LA for an overnighter. We had seriously considered taking the kids to Disneyland, but we have sort of a love hate relationship with the park. We love how excited our kids get, we love the atmosphere and some of the rides, but we definitely hate the high price tag and the crowds, crowds, crowds.

There is nothing like paying nearly a hundred dollars (per person, for the cheap tickets) and realizing that we paid it to stand in lines for hours. Total bummer. So while everyone else was trying to get in a last fling before school starts, we decided to try Knotts Berry Farm. We'd never been (having always favored Disney), but the late day discount beckoned us. At 4pm, tickets are discounted to $20 per paying person. Better yet, the park is starting to cool from its blistering heat, and the crowds are all headed the other direction. The kids loved the rides, and there were a lot of rides, especially in Camp Snoopy that were just their size that they didn't mind that there were still many rides they were too short to go on.

What really surprised me was that Knotts has a big emphasis on the American Old West with trains, coaches, Pony Express history and geode (a type of rock) lessons that made it a little more of an educational experience than I had expected. A nice surprise. Next time we'll read a book about the Old West first, and then go and get a little of an Old West experience at Knotts Berry Farm.

A word of warning though, although there are at least two drinking fountains located around the park, we couldn't find one when we really needed one and had to pay $4 for a small bottle of water. To prevent this, just bring your own bottles and refill when you see the fountains.

The park right now is open until 10pm, but we didn't even make it that long before my feet were hurting and our tummies were groaning for a late dinner. Of course there are plenty of dining options within the park, but my wallet refuses to part with that much money for a meal (unless we're in Europe and have no other option). This is definitely a place we'll go again.

We stayed at the Hilton Suites in Anaheim, just off Hwy 5. Which has extra large rooms with a sitting area, kitchenette and desk area, and a separate sleeping room with with king sized beds and another TV, and a large bathroom with separate tub and shower. I would give it good marks overall, as the rooms were nice, clean and comfortable (but not amazing) pools were good (an indoor, a large outdoor and a hot tub), there was a free internet computer in the lobby, and the staff were helpful, but busy. I wasn't a big fan of the decorative green metal railings with gaps that ran around the large open space on every floor and overlooked the first floor dining area. Every time my littlest one went near it I imagined her trying to stick her head through (followed closely by her body). I didn't actually test the width of the railing gaps to see if her head would fit, so this may be the dark imaginings of an active and paranoid parent, but we were on the sixth floor and I didn't have an actual desire to see if I was right or not. Also, as with any "nice" hotel, they charge crazy expensive prices for parking ($11 per night) and for breakfast in the hotel ($15.50 per person). We didn't need laundry services this time or I'm sure I would have been outraged by those prices too. Needless to say we went elsewhere for breakfast, but did end up parking at the hotel.

Overall, a great fast trip. Nothing like a little at-home tourism to spice life up a little. As if the kids didn't do THAT often enough.

Summer Sand, Sea, Sun in Albufeira Portugal

2009-08-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

Portugal is a beautiful country. Coming as it did at the very end of our trip we opted for serious downtime. So we didn't really "see" Portugal as this meant alternating beach days with pool days. Not hard to do in Albufeira in the south of Portugal , where you will find dozens of similar seaside towns with perfect summer weather: warm and dry. Getting around was quite easy. Everyone we met spoke some level of English and we found many things catered to the UK tourism industry, including the escalators down to the beach (enter on the left, exit on the right). Fish 'n chip shops abound, and books, even kids books, are readily available in certain bookstores. A mini train is a fun, but more expensive way to get to and from the beach, and buses run very regularly. Bull fighting is one entertainment option and local shopping is another. There are beautiful handmade linens and expensive (10 euro per) but well made beach towels for sale near the beach. Local events, summer concerts or sporting events are frequently there as well. We basically lived in our swimsuits for a week before starting the long journey home. The entire southern county of Portugal, the Algarve, is a well known "family friendly" destination. The weather is warm and dry and the sand is soft with generally gentle waters. The sun is very hot and strong but the water is very cold. The downside to this lovely place is that some parents brought their kids here to get a vacation FROM rather than WITH their kids and inconsiderate and childish, obnoxious behavior often went unchecked by tuned out adults. As an added FYI, you can't go to a pool or beach here without seeing topless women. All throughout Europe, men, boys and kids wear the speedo bottoms and babies go naked. Directly opposite the American cultural norm, we saw girls up to the age of twelve wearing only bottoms. And when they do graduate to wearing tops, it's bikini style. I just convinced all the men where to go! We didn't find this offensive as it's really normal here, but it required a little explanation to our girls. This coincides with the European mentality generally. In Croatia we learned that any beautiful beach can easily become a nudist beach, but here in Albufeira the usual thing is to lay down to take off your top, but this not a hard and fast rule by any means.

Overall, we found southern Portugal to be the perfect temperature with plenty to do and see and we'll probably be back for more.

Neuschwanstein- Land of Dreams and Fairytales

2009-08-10T00:09:00.000-07:00

Last summer, in June, we traveled to Bavaria, the southern region of Germany. After having been to Hamburg, Berlin and Munich, we were very excited to finally see what my kids call "Cinderella's Castle" and drive some of the famous Romantic Road that runs from Wurzburg to Fussen. Although Walt Disney's animators did use Neuschwanstein Castle as the pattern for the castle located in the center of Disney's theme parks, it doesn't resemble Neuschwanstein very closely. While Disney's Cinderella is magical, it can't touch the magic of the real thing.

The village of Schwangau (Swan Land) is actually home to not one, but two beautiful castles almost directly across from each other. Schloss Newschwanstein (meaning the New Swan Stone Castle, named after a Wagner opera) is the more elaborately built and famous castle. It is the creation of bachelor King Ludwig II, and is only one of several (see the Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee Castles as well). Hohenschwangau (High Swan Land or Country) is the yellow-colored castle that was Ludwig's childhood home.

Although we went in June, we ended up freezing cold and soaking wet. This area borders on the Alps, so it tends to be wetter and cooler than the other parts of Germany. As a result, it is also very lush, green and beautiful.

You must book your tickets to see one or both castles in advance, and arrive early in order to make your scheduled tour time. If you drive, park in one of the pay lots and follow the signs to find the main Ticket Center (you can also just head towards the yellow castle, as the ticket center lies near its feet). It's less than a ten minute walk with kids to the ticket office and then less than ten minutes up the hill to Hohenschwangau where our tour started. Tours can start at either castle however. All the walkways are paved, but it is very hilly and can be steep and inside the castles there are a lot of stairs up and down. I would not recommend strollers inside either of these castles.

You will wait outside the castle doors for your tour (luckily for us an awning provided some cover from the steady drizzle while we waited) until the electronic board shows your tour number. Everyone in that group number shows tickets to the agent, pass through a turnstile and go up some stairs to begin your tour in a display room. The tours can be arranged for different languages, and tour guides seem very knowledgeable and able to answer questions. There is NO picture-taking allowed inside either of the castles. Very unfortunate. I would have loved some pictures. . .

Hohenschwangau was just the right size for our enjoyment, but we had no time to eat lunch before having to hurry to make our next tour at Neuschwanstein. If I had this to do over again with kids (ages 3-6) I would have done separate tickets so we could have later tour times, or done them on different days. Neuschwanstein is one mile up a very steep paved road from Hohenschwangau. It was not to be attempted with three small kids in the pouring rain. We paid our money for a round trip ride and waited for the bus. There are also horse-drawn carriage rides available for an extra fee, but on a day with rain like that, even I considered PETA might actually have a point on that topic.

The bus drops passengers off near a small wooden shelter with several paths leading in different directions. It is still a bit of a walk to get to the castle, but it is level or slightly downhill while going this direction, and wide enough for strollers. When you reach the castle, you queue up and wait for your number to appear on the board. You can get some interesting pictures of the outside of the castle from under this archway.

Neuschwanstein is bigger and more "modern" than Hohenschwangau, which was Ludwig's childhood home. I was impressed by the ingenuity he (or his engineers) used to solve such everyday problems as heating and water. Many romantically-styled murals cover the walls, depicting either historical events or ancient tales of ladies in distress, rescuing knights and battles of great heroics. The luxurious rooms at Versailles in France were impressive, but these rooms were even more extraordinary.

The vast and gorgeous views from the windows of peaceful mountains, green meadows and clear lakes just reinforced its magic. The other tour members and the guides were all cheerful and kind to the kids, who had been warned by us beforehand not to go jumping on the beds or climbing on the chairs. We had learned this from our experience at Jane Austen's house, which is a tale about a child, a pen and a chair . . . but we'll save that for another day.

Even the kids were impressed with some of the stunning objects Ludwig had received for his birthdays growing up. I'm sure they were mainly trying to figure out ways to make their birthdays resemble something more like his. They loved the floors, wall pictures and amazing luxury of these rooms, paired with the very tragic story of Ludwig himself. Even the tour guides couldn't quite agree on how to understand this complicated and quirky man, but the architectural magnificence of this legacy guarantees his place in history.

Well, we loved it! It was everything I'd hoped, but we were sore-footed and exhausted by the end of this tour. The tour itself ends at a well-stocked tourist shop, and there is a small cafe across from it where you can grab a small bite to eat. After a food, potty, trinket break, we posed for a picture by the glass wall with the beautiful pillars and arches trellises and lush landscape behind us. I just wished they would let us out on the balconies, but no. We tried to finish off with a movie about Ludwig's life, but after five minutes we left. I wouldn't bother with it as it was very strange and failed to capture anyone's interest.

So we headed off. This time we had to choose whether to just walk down the hill all the way back to our car (STILL pouring rain) or walk up the hill back to the bus stop. As tired as we were, we opted for the closer bus stop. BIG MISTAKE. There is no ticket taker up here; the bus driver is supposed to ensure you have a ticket, but doesn't enforce a line of any kind. This created the perfect storm of human nature, cultural differences and terrible weather.

When we arrived at the bus stop, we got behind the group that had arrived just before us and waited under the slight protection of the wooden shelter. When the bus came, it quickly became apparent that not everyone felt it necessary to wait their turn. We missed the bus. Deciding that if we were ever going to make it on, than we'd have to stand right out front in the rain. This time, we realized that only one bus was running. It took about 10 or 15 minutes for the bus to go one direction. After almost 30 minutes of standing with three very muddy children in the pouring rain, we were very glad to see the bus again. But we were not the only ones. No one wanted to stand in the rain, and there were many vacationing adults who didn't hesitate to throw elbows and trample small children to make sure they got on. Our general misery was acute: wet, freezing and with feet so sore it has reached levels of agony we hadn't felt since we'd hiked London on foot. I don't know if you've ever tried to maneuver three small and sometimes timid kids through a pressing crowd. For us, this meant moving at a literal snail's pace as the scared kids latched onto our legs and doing a hurried minced-step while still trying to aim for the open bus door. The surging crowd pressed forward, nearly pushing us under the bus. Luckily for us, several men joined my husband in leveraging an umbrella in the door's hinge to keep me and the three kids from getting trampled right at the steps of the bus.

I certainly don't give you that account to discourage you from visiting, but I do hope to prevent anyone from getting hurt. So, if you happen to find yourself in a similarly rainy and crowded situation, just know to AVOID THE BUS! It would have saved us a lot of time and misery to have just sucked it up and walked down.

Driving out of town, I was once again struck by the beauty of it all. The bright green fields spotted with blue lakes and dark green forests, set next to majestic mountains rising up out of floating mists - and a beautiful castle, perched, overseeing it all. I had high hopes for this place, and usually that means I'll be disappointed. I wasn't. The landscape and castles really are magical in their beauty and magnificence. Even in the pouring, freezing rain this place is totally worth it.

TIPS: for vacation rentals in Germany, try: http://www.live-like-a-german.com/ ,

for info on the Romantic Road, go to: http://gogermany.about.com/od/sightsandattractions/a/romanticroad.htm ,

and information on hotels, castle tour tickets, the history of Ludwig and other helpful bits can be found at: http://www.hohenschwangau.de .

On My Knees Cleaning Sick Off the Floor

2009-08-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like having sick kids to really make a mom tired. I consciously remind myself that I did indeed sign up for this. But as I'm kneeling on the floor, scrubbing the carpet for the umpteenth time, while making yet another dirty laundry pile and trying to sooth the poor, suffering child I remember back in the day (BK) . . . and I remember someone telling me being a mom could be really hard. Insightful.

But that just shows the limitation of the English language. The word "hard" doesn't really accurately describe the consistent sleepless nights of being a new mom or the accompanying depth of exhaustion, the wearying work of potty training and never ending laundry duty, that stressful start of school and the worry about your child making friends and learning good things. Or even just that constant nagging thought of what are we going to eat tonight? And that's if everyone is healthy and happy.

Really, my understanding of "hard" has grown as I've faced serious challenges. Being a mom is one challenge I got to choose, although I certainly didn't have vomiting in mind when I did, but it's all part of the package and I have to say there is nothing better than making my baby (no matter how old) feel better just by giving them love and comfort.

Now . . . back to the floor.

Traveling with Kids

2009-08-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

I don't consider myself a blogger. It feels a bit like leaving a voicemail on a wrong number, but here I go. Out of my comfort zone . . . again.

I've been out of my comfort zone a lot in the past year. When my husband first suggested moving to Europe for six months, I thought it was a crazy and funny idea, but especially crazy. In usual life we live in Southern California. My oldest goes to school, we attend church and playgroups and sports events. We go to the fair and the beach in the summer, see family at holidays and visit the local attractions during the school year. But what if we did leave it all behind to try something extraordinary? The thought took hold. We'd traveled extensively in North America and Australia B.K. (before kids), and I love travel. But to travel Europe with three kids, ages five (almost six) and under? Could I keep it together? Would I lose my temper and my mind? I've never been one to allow fear to make my decisions, so setting all self-doubts aside, I set to researching.

I already knew that a vacation with kids is not a vacation in the adult sense of the word. Someone says 'vacation' and I conjure up the vision of lying in the shade on the beach, reading the latest Sophie Kinsella or Shannon Hale from start to finish, and only moving to take a cooling dip and grab some melon. To date this has only happened once since I entered the foray of motherhood six years ago. This would not be a 'vacation'. It would be better described as an adventure.

As long as I remembered to look at it like that, I was never disapointed.

So, in the end, although I didn't find nearly enough information to adequately plan our trip, I did find enough to know it could be done. So we did it.

To give a sense of the breadth and scope of the thing we did, below is a list of the cities where we stayed or did noteworthy things:

Dublin Ireland
London England
Dover England
Calais France
Paris France (and Versailles )
Brussels Belgium
Amsterdam The Netherlands
Hamburg Germany
Copenhagen Denmark
Stockholm Sweden
Tallinn Estonia
Tartu Estonia
Parnu Estonia
Helsinki Finland
Rostock Germany
Berlin Germany
Prague Czech Republic
Munich Germany (and Bavaria Neuschwanstein )
Bled Slovenia
Ljubljana Slovenia
Plitvice Lakes Croatia (a national park)
Mjlet Island Croatia (a national park)
Dubrovnik Croatia
Split Croatia
Rome Italy
Madrid Spain
Lisbon Portugal
Albufeira Portugal

This trip took us nearly a year, and it wasn't all free time as my husband did actually have to work and I was homeschooling. But to live in a place with children, and yet to live as a tourist is a very special and unique opportunity to really see a place and get to know something about the people who live there.

My goal in sharing these stories and insights is to help others who are ready to venture into the brave new world of traveling with kids, to be able to do it with accurate information and a support system.

That said, I won't be able to help anyone find the best wine in town, the best babysitting services or nightlife of any kind. This wasn't that kind of trip. What I can tell you about are some of the best kid-friendly activities, cities and highlights of our trip. I can give tips, advice and insights into traveling Europe with kids.

Reunions

2009-07-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

Summer is that time of year to get outdoors, take vacations and see extended family and friends we haven't gotten to visit in all the school year chaos. Now that summer is at an end, we're shoring up our energy for the school year ahead, and spending time calling or visiting those we love.

As a kid, I have really great memories of giant family reunions at my great-uncle's Idaho farm where there was endless food, games, and latenight campfire singing. The adults gave us kids a free pass to run wild till long after dark.

Unfortunately, with shrinking family-sizes and no family farms, reunions of that magnitude are a thing of the past for most of us. My kids may never know the all out abandon of playing hide-and-seek in acres of crops and only coming to the house to get plates piled with food.