kids be trippin'

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photo :: property of getty images

as promised, here are the things i have packed in my magic bag of tricks. originally i was going to share only what i have planned to keep elfling occupied on the long trip, but then i thought perhaps those with a teen would appreciate what i have for thehobbit. so, without further ado, i bring you the following:

i spy bottle - see yesterday's post.

window art - the above photo says it all. i know elfling will want to draw on the windows of he sees his brother doing it, so this activity is only to happen when he-who-can-not-yet-reach-windows is alseep.

busy wallet - what toddler doesn't love going through mama's wallet? luckily i had a large passport wallet that i forgot to donate to the thrift shop. old greeting cards were cut into the shape of credit cards, i added a few sheets of not-yet-seen stickers in lieu of dollar bills, & slipped in an old checkbook. 

blue painter's tape - this is a brilliant idea. because it peels off easily, & leaves no residue behind, it is the perfect thing to occupy a stir-crazy toddler. elfling can rip off pieces, & stick it anywhere he can reach! seriously brilliant. a friend also informed me that we could use the tape to cover outlets at the hotels. (note :: my toddler would be lured by the bright blue on the wall, so we'll just leave the outlets naked, & keep an eye on him.)

lap desk - a sturdy surface for writing, drawing, stickering, etc.

luddites, close your eyes.

fifi - my plan is to move my unnecessary apps to the could, & fill fifi with new ones for elfling. i have found some fabulous free ones: a kaleidoscope, veggie tales game, interactive books, etc. thus far the only app i have purchased was this. the typewriter keys are not as large as i thought they would be, but elfling's fingers are tiny, so that's ok.

portable dvd player - ours proved indispensable on that train trip 2 years back, so will definitely accompany us this time around. i hope to only pop in a movie as a last resort, but whatever makes the trip easier for elfing is fine by me. as i said yesterday, he does not enjoy being in the car for more than an hour - two days is asking a lot.

i-touch - thehobbit has filled his with new music - his very own road-trip soundtrack :)

ok luddites, you can open them.

new things - for elfling i bought a few board books ($1 used book shop), drawing pad, gel pens, japanese coloring books, flash light, & hamish. the most expensive thing was hamish at $8.50. everything else was $2 or under. i have split the items into two piles; one for the ride up, the other for the ride back. (note :: no, elfling has not seen brave. he is much too young.)

thehobbit only wanted new music, & a journal. teens are easy to entertain.

audio books - this will be our first road-trip without any. with a teen & a toddler in the same vehicle, finding an appropriate book became too much of a hassle. i thought i'd mention audio books anyway, for those who had never considered them. you'd be amazed at how quickly the miles fly past when you're listening to a book. 

that is all i have planned to entertain & distract. hopefully everything will be a huge success. i'll let you know how it went; shall i?

~peace.

edited to add :: everything was a hit! if i could only choose two things from above, i would go with the dvd player (for obvious reasons), & the painter's tape. every person in the family played with the tape. we made pictures on the lap-desk, wrote words on the windows, stuck pieces wherever we felt like, & manlyman hung long strips all over the backseat's ceiling. when he cracked a window, the  strips went wild! eventually they all came loose, flying everywhere, but that's was fun too. one thing i had not packed to be played with; but was a hit with elfling; was thehobbit's hand-cranked flashlight. that shall definitely accompany us on future trips. 

the posh travelling life - day 2

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manlyman had a two-day golf tournament down south, so took us along. when he first asked if i wanted to tag along, i was hesitant. i imagined being cooped up in some random hotel with the kids, trying desperately to keep sane whilst waiting for daddy-o to return, & rescue us. then he showed me the hotel's website. wait. let me rephrase that: the resort's website. um, yes, please!

talk about swanky. my dearest one & only reader, it was the posh posh travelling life for me. so much so, that upon returning home i had a bit of a shock. thebelfry neither smelled swanky, looked swanky, nor had the feel of swankosity. & i don't like telling you this, but nobody came this morning, when i phoned for room service.

here are some photos from day two. there are none from day one, as day one began at night. 

this was the main waterfall at our favorite pool. the resort had three (one for adults only. whatever.) i took the photo at elfling's request. he could not get enough of staring at the waterfalls. the others, around the perimeter of the pool area, were much smaller.

not the most thrilling photo, i know. i just loved the way the water shone. this pool was huge, by the way. it had a volleyball net in the center, & a water slide at one end. there were also whirlpools in the pool area, but i don't do hot. 

my favorite thing, besides the cabanas that manlyman would not let me rent, were the water stations. ok i loved the bar the most, but never did buy that piña colada, so i'll tell you about the water. they had gorgeous glass water dispensers, filled with ice water. floating in the water were slices of orange & lime. so refreshing! i don't think i can drink plain ice water again. & these things i'm describing? i forgot to photograph. sorry.

here we have elfling taking a break against his wishes from swimming, to rest in the shade. at first he did not want to go in the pool. by our second visit to the pool, he was in love with it. mostly with splashing me in the face, but still. in this photo he was watching big brother do handstands in the water. i do have photos of thehobbit, but he has asked me to stop posting photos of him. teens.

there was wildlife everywhere you looked. ducks wandered the property, swam in the lake, & even swam in the pool with us. we saw canada geese, a (dead) rabbit, & birds of all sorts. this guy hung out with us the entire time we were at the pool. i named him poe.

poe was not well. scrawny, & missing feathers around his neck, as well as most of his tail. but i thought he was beautiful. 

well, that's it for day two. tomorrow i shall share a few photos from day three. thanks for visiting!

~peace.

ps :: i jinxed myself by chatting about my many specs. my most favorite pair broke at the resort :(