It's been a while but we are still here, traveling along:) It's been so long since I last blogged and I'm having a hard time remembering the past week or two.....way too much food and alcohol! We had a great Christmas in Nurnberg, snow, presents and we even cooked a goose. The day we left Nurnberg there was more snow so we were once again delayed leaving town and then due to some electrical track switching problem we had to sit on the tracks for a few hours. Deutsch Bahn was great about it and gave everyone as many free drinks as they wanted. We finally arrived at our castle hotel overlooking the Rhine and it was so worth any amount of trouble or delay to get there. Everyone needs to sleep in a castle sometime, it is just so fun! Tons of cool doors, passages and grounds for the kids to explore. A fantastic restaurant. Complimentary sled for the kids and sherry for the adults:) This place also made them their favorite dessert of the trip. They took a kinder egg and opened it up and placed a scoop of ice cream inside and then decorated the plate with gummy bears. Kinder egg chocolate, ice cream, gummies and the kinder egg toy=complete child satisfaction.
We've been in Luxembourg for the past few days staying with four friends Heather and Leon. They have two little girls so the kids have been having a great time playing with new friends. Something we learned about Luxembourg, they have more Michelin star restaurants per capita than any other country. Heather and Leon not only watched our kids so we could go to one of these amazing restaurants but Leon drove us there and picked us up so we could drink as much as we wanted. I have never been so full in my entire life. In fact, it was days ago and I'm still full. I don't even remember how many starter courses there were, something like 7. Then the main meal, then the cheese course followed by champagne and a dessert tower and homemade candy. Complete over-indulgence but oh so fun:)
I've been thinking about my Grandpa Vreeland a lot since we've been here in Luxembourg. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and I know he went through this part of Europe during WWII. Grandpa died a while ago and I realized I haven't thought about him as an individual in quite some time. It's been nice to think about him and his life as we've been driving around the countryside.
So now it is New Years and we will be home in a few days. It's been a wonderful trip and I am so thankful for having this time with Brian, Kohen and Beckett. Maybe after we get home and I've had some time to process everything I'll post again. The kids seem to have grown and changed again over the course of this trip.....just so confident and aware. We've spent ten weeks this year with them internationally and to have had that time to watch them, listen to them and share these experiences has been the most beautiful thing.
An afternoon in Brussels, two days in Amsterdam and then Seattle. Home.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sledding and cocoa
We got to go sledding!! It just might have been the coldest day of the trip but Morgan helped us gear up the kids with some of their extra snowsuits. They live in a beautiful area of Leipzig. I'm not sure if I've ever seen building after building that was so beautiful. Morgan was telling us that it was a part of Leipzig that wasn't bombed so the buildings are all original construction. I told him I noticed that there were so many old buildings in town and there didn't seem to be as many buildings that appeared to be East German construction. He said that the East Germans had wanted to tear down many of the buildings in Leipzig but ran out of money before they could do so. One building that they did remove was a beautiful old church on Augustusplatz. Right now they are rebuilding in the same spot and they've created this amazing design. The face of the church looks old, as if it were original construction, but then all around it is this dark glass in interesting shapes and angles.
So back to sledding......they live near this old outdoor arena that slopes down into a giant field. Only tricky part is the stone walls with small openings you have to aim your sled through to get down into the field. We actually managed to avoid any collisions with the wall and the boys had an awesome time. We finished up the afternoon with some hot cocoa and the street tram ride back to the center......and since we were walking through the center we stopped off for yet another brat and gluhwein:) I wish I could say we were getting sick of the market food but it's all so good. We discovered this tasty thing here in Leipzig that we didn't see at the other markets. It's this bun stuffed with ham and cheese and slowly baked in a wood fired oven. Then it's topped with a scoop of cream cheese and some green onions. We've also found our favorite gluhwein and kinderpunsch here. There's one stall in this part of the market that is a bit kitschy but is set up like an old christmas market. Old as in older than the other christmas market that's probably been going on for hundreds of years:) I'm not sure what they do to their gluhwein but it is the absolute best.
We're getting ready to head to Nurnberg tomorrow and I am so very excited. People always ask me which city has been my favorite place to live. I always struggle with that because each place has been an important part of my identity and has brought amazing people into my life. Nurnberg was one of the most special places without a doubt. It might have been my age but I have so many fun and magical memories from our time there. I was an eight year old girl surrounded by castles, palaces, German language and culture, and it was also my first somewhat mature look at human nature from all of the World War 2 sights. It was a beautiful time for me and feels like it was, and I suppose still is, impacting who I am.
This wouldn't be a complete post without a few silly stories about the boys. I was telling Kohen yesterday about the little Nurnberger sausages we are going to eat in a few days. He interrupted me and said "Mommy, when you said sausage it made me lick my lips." In spite of his love affair with pork products we did find the Scandinavian section of the christmas market and they were serving salmon. Brian said Kohen even did an "I love salmon" dance waiting to place the order. Our boys love salmon...really....really....love salmon. They devoured sandwiches and plates of it and we got to eat it inside a teepee with a warm fire. Very cool.
Beckett has this great way of manipulating the situation verbally so that whatever you asked him not to do, he'll tell you he wasn't doing that very thing. Example. We were on the train and he had his mouth on the window, licking it or something. I said "Beckett could you please stop licking the window." He answered "I wasn't licking anything. I was kissing it." He can do this with just about anything you throw at him. Clever little man:)
Tomorrow is train day, 3 1/2 hours of pure bliss for our train loving kids. More from Nurnberg in a few days..............
So back to sledding......they live near this old outdoor arena that slopes down into a giant field. Only tricky part is the stone walls with small openings you have to aim your sled through to get down into the field. We actually managed to avoid any collisions with the wall and the boys had an awesome time. We finished up the afternoon with some hot cocoa and the street tram ride back to the center......and since we were walking through the center we stopped off for yet another brat and gluhwein:) I wish I could say we were getting sick of the market food but it's all so good. We discovered this tasty thing here in Leipzig that we didn't see at the other markets. It's this bun stuffed with ham and cheese and slowly baked in a wood fired oven. Then it's topped with a scoop of cream cheese and some green onions. We've also found our favorite gluhwein and kinderpunsch here. There's one stall in this part of the market that is a bit kitschy but is set up like an old christmas market. Old as in older than the other christmas market that's probably been going on for hundreds of years:) I'm not sure what they do to their gluhwein but it is the absolute best.
We're getting ready to head to Nurnberg tomorrow and I am so very excited. People always ask me which city has been my favorite place to live. I always struggle with that because each place has been an important part of my identity and has brought amazing people into my life. Nurnberg was one of the most special places without a doubt. It might have been my age but I have so many fun and magical memories from our time there. I was an eight year old girl surrounded by castles, palaces, German language and culture, and it was also my first somewhat mature look at human nature from all of the World War 2 sights. It was a beautiful time for me and feels like it was, and I suppose still is, impacting who I am.
This wouldn't be a complete post without a few silly stories about the boys. I was telling Kohen yesterday about the little Nurnberger sausages we are going to eat in a few days. He interrupted me and said "Mommy, when you said sausage it made me lick my lips." In spite of his love affair with pork products we did find the Scandinavian section of the christmas market and they were serving salmon. Brian said Kohen even did an "I love salmon" dance waiting to place the order. Our boys love salmon...really....really....love salmon. They devoured sandwiches and plates of it and we got to eat it inside a teepee with a warm fire. Very cool.
Beckett has this great way of manipulating the situation verbally so that whatever you asked him not to do, he'll tell you he wasn't doing that very thing. Example. We were on the train and he had his mouth on the window, licking it or something. I said "Beckett could you please stop licking the window." He answered "I wasn't licking anything. I was kissing it." He can do this with just about anything you throw at him. Clever little man:)
Tomorrow is train day, 3 1/2 hours of pure bliss for our train loving kids. More from Nurnberg in a few days..............
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Date Night!
Yes, we actually got a night out without kids on this trip! The baritone doing the recording with Brian sings with the Oper Leipzig and got us tickets to his performance in La Boheme. He also has two kids and found us a babysitter - awesome!
We arrived in Leipzig a few days ago on another very snowy day. Our apartment is only 600 meters from the train station so we thought we'd walk it rather than get a taxi. It was a long walk with two kids, luggage and tons of snow. Definitely won't do that in a blizzard again:) The apartment we rented is beautiful and right in the center of town. They knew we had kids and left us a toybox! They also left us things that Beckett doesn't need anymore but bibs, high chair, baby towels. So very thoughtful and the new toys for the kids has rocked their world.
The Christmas Market here in Leipzig is by far my favorite. The first night we were here I went out alone for a bit while Brian stayed with the boys as they devoured the new toys. It was one of the most festive, beautiful nights I can think of. It was snowing and so many people were out singing, laughing, celebrating. I went back to the apartment and got the boys to come back out to join the party. I'm really liking Leipzig and I think a big reason is all of the pedestrian only streets. It's a beautiful design and I'm wishing we had something like that in Seattle. Can't we just turn a few blocks of Pike and 4th Ave into a pedestrian zone full of restaurants and cafes with outdoor tables?
In my Leipzig research I discovered that they make a type of beer here that is made only in Leipzig. It's their version of a Geuze, called Gose. Even better, the brewery is in an old train station. Things like this make the entire family happy:) It was a great place and definitely worth going out in a blizzard to try and find.
I think today might have been one of Kohen's favorite days ever. I mentioned the baritone Brian is working with has kids so we spent the day with their family. We went to a model railroad exhibit, the boys rode a train at the market, rode a carousel, rode a ferris wheel and we also went to an indoor play space at a big store in town. The day before was super lame as they only got to eat chocolate like 4 times that day and only rode the kiddie train once. super lame:)
It's not all been easy though. The weather has been more intense than we expected. We were prepared for cold and some snow but Europe is in the middle of some of the worst weather they have had in years. I was walking home from the grocery store with the boys and Kohen was telling me that he was cold and that he wanted to "get warm now!" He also told me that the next time we go on vacation he wants to go to a warm place. I asked him which warm place he would like to go to and he answered "I only know one warm place. Fiji." Poor kid, has had so much winter travel in his life the only warm place he remembers is Fiji. I guess he doesn't remember how hot he was in China:)
The past few days I've been watching our kids and feeling so much respect for them. Throughout this adventure they have been fun, compassionate and open to whatever we are experiencing. They are dealing with delayed trains, snowstorms, grumpy people speaking to them in German, aggressive kids hitting them for no reason......our guys somehow just roll with it. Kohen is a role model for me with the way he can find compassion for someone or something in any of those situations. It's astounding. And Beckett has started to stand up for and defend Kohen. They have always been good buddies but it seems like something is shifting in their relationship and they seem so close, beyond playmates now. Brothers.
We arrived in Leipzig a few days ago on another very snowy day. Our apartment is only 600 meters from the train station so we thought we'd walk it rather than get a taxi. It was a long walk with two kids, luggage and tons of snow. Definitely won't do that in a blizzard again:) The apartment we rented is beautiful and right in the center of town. They knew we had kids and left us a toybox! They also left us things that Beckett doesn't need anymore but bibs, high chair, baby towels. So very thoughtful and the new toys for the kids has rocked their world.
The Christmas Market here in Leipzig is by far my favorite. The first night we were here I went out alone for a bit while Brian stayed with the boys as they devoured the new toys. It was one of the most festive, beautiful nights I can think of. It was snowing and so many people were out singing, laughing, celebrating. I went back to the apartment and got the boys to come back out to join the party. I'm really liking Leipzig and I think a big reason is all of the pedestrian only streets. It's a beautiful design and I'm wishing we had something like that in Seattle. Can't we just turn a few blocks of Pike and 4th Ave into a pedestrian zone full of restaurants and cafes with outdoor tables?
In my Leipzig research I discovered that they make a type of beer here that is made only in Leipzig. It's their version of a Geuze, called Gose. Even better, the brewery is in an old train station. Things like this make the entire family happy:) It was a great place and definitely worth going out in a blizzard to try and find.
I think today might have been one of Kohen's favorite days ever. I mentioned the baritone Brian is working with has kids so we spent the day with their family. We went to a model railroad exhibit, the boys rode a train at the market, rode a carousel, rode a ferris wheel and we also went to an indoor play space at a big store in town. The day before was super lame as they only got to eat chocolate like 4 times that day and only rode the kiddie train once. super lame:)
It's not all been easy though. The weather has been more intense than we expected. We were prepared for cold and some snow but Europe is in the middle of some of the worst weather they have had in years. I was walking home from the grocery store with the boys and Kohen was telling me that he was cold and that he wanted to "get warm now!" He also told me that the next time we go on vacation he wants to go to a warm place. I asked him which warm place he would like to go to and he answered "I only know one warm place. Fiji." Poor kid, has had so much winter travel in his life the only warm place he remembers is Fiji. I guess he doesn't remember how hot he was in China:)
The past few days I've been watching our kids and feeling so much respect for them. Throughout this adventure they have been fun, compassionate and open to whatever we are experiencing. They are dealing with delayed trains, snowstorms, grumpy people speaking to them in German, aggressive kids hitting them for no reason......our guys somehow just roll with it. Kohen is a role model for me with the way he can find compassion for someone or something in any of those situations. It's astounding. And Beckett has started to stand up for and defend Kohen. They have always been good buddies but it seems like something is shifting in their relationship and they seem so close, beyond playmates now. Brothers.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Goodbye Berlin
Tonight is our last night here in Berlin, it's been such a great six nights. It's really quite amazing how after such a short time in a place we can feel so comfortable in our little neighborhood and apartment.
Yesterday we had a total kid day and took the boys to Potsdamer Platz where there is a Legoland Discovery Center. Way cool. Indoor playground, lego stations everywhere, lots of activities for the kids. After being in a city and having to hold our hands a lot plus being told to be quiet in our apartment I think they really needed the freedom of being able to run around like crazy for a bit. We also took them to see the new Disney movie "Tangled" at the english theater at Potsdamer. The coolest thing at Potsdamer.......they built a giant outdoor sledding hill! Kohen and Beckett liked it but Brian and I looooooved it:)
Today we took the kids on an art adventure and walked to the Museum Island in central Berlin. So many museums to choose from, you could spend days just going to all the different ones. We started at the Berliner Dom cathedral and then went to the Altes Nationalmuseum. We tried to make it interesting for them and created various "I Spy" games for them to find things in the paintings. We saw Rodin's "The Thinker" and Beckett copied his pose with fist under chin and said "hmmmmmm." I asked Beckett what he thought the man was thinking about and he said "mushrooms." For those of you who don't know this, Beckett really loves sauteed mushrooms. Apparently so does the thinking man.
The chocolate indulgences have continued. The kids were given their first kinder-eggs today, chocolate eggs with toys inside. That brought back so many happy memories, I used to live for those things! Kohen is not the one with the sweet tooth but he sure is enjoying the German chocolate. He has updated his prior statement about getting pain au chocolate every time he is in Berlin. He has now amended it to state that he wants to eat ALL the chocolate every time he comes here. Everything. All chocolate all the time.
Germany is pretty great to travel with kids. When we were at Potsdamer we needed a place to warm up before things opened so we went to this cafe for a cup of coffee. The waiter told me there was a free breakfast buffet for kids under 6. Assuming that meant that we had to order adult meals I told him we were just here for coffee. He said it didn't matter, all kids eat for free! What was supposed to be a quick coffee break turned into a major food score for the kids. Tons of really high quality meat, cheese, yogurt, fresh bread, pasta, fruit, cereal.......all for the price of a cup of coffee. Many of the activities here don't charge kids under 6, in the States it seems like once Kohen was 4 we had to start paying for everything. The changing tables in the restrooms are pretty posh, usually padded and several have had wipes provided. At the museum today, they provided a stroller free of charge. Lots of little things that have really made things easy. Oh yeah, and the non-stop sugaring up of the kids from every store we walk into:)
I'm feeling a bit sad to leave Berlin. It's one of those cities that has so much, has been through so much, that you'll never quite get it all. Which means I'll be back someday:)
Yesterday we had a total kid day and took the boys to Potsdamer Platz where there is a Legoland Discovery Center. Way cool. Indoor playground, lego stations everywhere, lots of activities for the kids. After being in a city and having to hold our hands a lot plus being told to be quiet in our apartment I think they really needed the freedom of being able to run around like crazy for a bit. We also took them to see the new Disney movie "Tangled" at the english theater at Potsdamer. The coolest thing at Potsdamer.......they built a giant outdoor sledding hill! Kohen and Beckett liked it but Brian and I looooooved it:)
Today we took the kids on an art adventure and walked to the Museum Island in central Berlin. So many museums to choose from, you could spend days just going to all the different ones. We started at the Berliner Dom cathedral and then went to the Altes Nationalmuseum. We tried to make it interesting for them and created various "I Spy" games for them to find things in the paintings. We saw Rodin's "The Thinker" and Beckett copied his pose with fist under chin and said "hmmmmmm." I asked Beckett what he thought the man was thinking about and he said "mushrooms." For those of you who don't know this, Beckett really loves sauteed mushrooms. Apparently so does the thinking man.
The chocolate indulgences have continued. The kids were given their first kinder-eggs today, chocolate eggs with toys inside. That brought back so many happy memories, I used to live for those things! Kohen is not the one with the sweet tooth but he sure is enjoying the German chocolate. He has updated his prior statement about getting pain au chocolate every time he is in Berlin. He has now amended it to state that he wants to eat ALL the chocolate every time he comes here. Everything. All chocolate all the time.
Germany is pretty great to travel with kids. When we were at Potsdamer we needed a place to warm up before things opened so we went to this cafe for a cup of coffee. The waiter told me there was a free breakfast buffet for kids under 6. Assuming that meant that we had to order adult meals I told him we were just here for coffee. He said it didn't matter, all kids eat for free! What was supposed to be a quick coffee break turned into a major food score for the kids. Tons of really high quality meat, cheese, yogurt, fresh bread, pasta, fruit, cereal.......all for the price of a cup of coffee. Many of the activities here don't charge kids under 6, in the States it seems like once Kohen was 4 we had to start paying for everything. The changing tables in the restrooms are pretty posh, usually padded and several have had wipes provided. At the museum today, they provided a stroller free of charge. Lots of little things that have really made things easy. Oh yeah, and the non-stop sugaring up of the kids from every store we walk into:)
I'm feeling a bit sad to leave Berlin. It's one of those cities that has so much, has been through so much, that you'll never quite get it all. Which means I'll be back someday:)
Sunday, December 12, 2010
curry wurst and ice cream
My kids smell like curry wurst. They can't get enough of this Berlin classic. Clothes, hands, everything smells like curry and they keep asking for more.
Brian had to work last night so I thought I'd take the kids out for a "night snack." We bummed around the neighborhood a bit trying to find an ice cream shop. Finally, on this great little square, we found a place. This wasn't your ordinary walk up to the counter and order a scoop kind of place. Kohen was completely impressed. It was a proper ice cream shop complete with table service. He told me "Mommy, this isn't like Molly Moon's. It is waaaaaaay fancier!" Our waitress spoke english so I asked her to bring two small scoops. She returned with a giant waffle cone overflowing with raspberry sorbet for Kohen and a monstrous scoop in a bowl for Beckett. Their eyes were about as big as the scoops of ice cream in front of them. There were also two TV screens on the wall in front of us showing videos of ice cream and people eating ice cream. I looked at Beckett, who was halfway through his bowl, and he was drooling raspberry ice cream chanting "vanilla, strawberry, chocolate" as different ice cream flavors popped up on the TV. Kohen proceeded to explain to me every way that this ice cream place was different from Molly Moon's. After the sugar was completely ingested I was helping Kohen get his jacket and scarf on when I see Beckett crawling on the floor away from me. He was headed to a table full of Berlin hipsters telling them he was a "zebra cat." He was alternately meowing and neighing. Seriously, this kid is awesome. In that moment, I think he was welcomed into the Berlin hipster club for life.
Brian had to work last night so I thought I'd take the kids out for a "night snack." We bummed around the neighborhood a bit trying to find an ice cream shop. Finally, on this great little square, we found a place. This wasn't your ordinary walk up to the counter and order a scoop kind of place. Kohen was completely impressed. It was a proper ice cream shop complete with table service. He told me "Mommy, this isn't like Molly Moon's. It is waaaaaaay fancier!" Our waitress spoke english so I asked her to bring two small scoops. She returned with a giant waffle cone overflowing with raspberry sorbet for Kohen and a monstrous scoop in a bowl for Beckett. Their eyes were about as big as the scoops of ice cream in front of them. There were also two TV screens on the wall in front of us showing videos of ice cream and people eating ice cream. I looked at Beckett, who was halfway through his bowl, and he was drooling raspberry ice cream chanting "vanilla, strawberry, chocolate" as different ice cream flavors popped up on the TV. Kohen proceeded to explain to me every way that this ice cream place was different from Molly Moon's. After the sugar was completely ingested I was helping Kohen get his jacket and scarf on when I see Beckett crawling on the floor away from me. He was headed to a table full of Berlin hipsters telling them he was a "zebra cat." He was alternately meowing and neighing. Seriously, this kid is awesome. In that moment, I think he was welcomed into the Berlin hipster club for life.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Traveling with kids
I've gotten lots of emails from you guys before we left Seattle and many more after leaving, all asking the same kind of questions, "Are you guys crazy?" "How can you travel so much with little kids?" "How do you find places to stay that are good for kids?" "How do you pack light with kids?"......and on and on and on and on...... I got to thinking about all of that and thought I'd write about our thoughts on traveling with kids, why we do it and then attempt to share what works for us while traveling with little ones.
A while back Brian and I were talking about how fortunate our kids are. They are so lucky to be living in our cozy house in an amazing neighborhood in one of the coolest cities on the planet. They will go to great schools and have opportunities to do anything and be anything they dream of. They are loved a billion times over by Brian and I, not to mention an abundance of adoration heaped on them by grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends. They live a pretty fantastic life and while we don't want to drop them off at boot camp in the middle of the jungle, we do feel it's important for them to see a little struggle, feel a little struggle, and travel has been a way for us to show them things and teach them things outside of their comfort zone. We always strive to make our trips fun but there is always uncertainty, fatigue, and moments of anxiety while traveling. These are the moments where our kids get to see us (hopefully) not panic and as a family figure things out together. The goal is for them to know that in spite of whatever the adversity is, we will get through it together.
Kohen has been to five continents and has played with children on playgrounds in Chile, shared empenadas with a little girl on Easter Island, shared candy and toys with children in his great grandmothers village in China, played with kids at a preschool in Fiji.....he's asked questions about these people and places and at 4 years has compassion and maturity that leaves me in awe. Some of that is just Kohen, he is a beautiful soul, but I know travel is part of it too.
As the kids get older we would like to incorporate volunteer work into these trips and make the projects and destinations family decisions. That kind of trip has a different emotional intensity so we're not in any rush to have them see and feel things they aren't ready for. Right now, we are taking the opportunities that come our way and the kids have been great travel companions.
So how do we travel with kids?????
-We laugh a lot. Seriously. I want the kids to enjoy traveling so I gotta man up and laugh and show them the humor in missing the train or getting lost for the billionth time. Traveling with kids has actually been so good for me because you HAVE to slow down, there's no other way to do it.
-Apartments over hotels. We usually stay in places longer, the stability is easier for the kids. Apartments allow us to cook some meals, do laundry (which means packing way less clothes), and my favorite part is that we are in the community shopping for food, attempting to actually live in the neighborhood rather than just passing through. Another plus, the nightly rate has always broken down to be cheaper than the hotel rates.
-I always research kid friendly restaurants, activities, etc. for the places we are going. It's amazing the cool stuff that is out there. I'll go out of my way to hit a good restaurant that has a play area for kids if that means Brian and I can linger a little longer over the local beer or wine:) I also look into things that are geared towards their interests. Today we went to museum that had a whole wing filled with old German trains. The kids geeked out for a loooooong time at that place.
-Toys- each boy is now old enough to carry their own backpack with a few items. I have a secret stash of sticker books and games for emergencies. Before we leave on any trip I take them to a fabric store where they each pick out a fabric (so far all have had some kind of vehicle on them:) and we buy a small piece. This is their travel blanket that can be used for warmth, emergency towel, picnic blanket, there are a million helpful uses and it can be tossed at the end if it is trashed. My goal is to save a piece of each travel blanket and someday make them a big quilt out of them. I have no idea how to sew or quilt but I'll put that on the "learn someday" list specifically for this project! They also get a travel notebook. I mentioned this in an earlier post but I really think this is one of the most helpful things for our kids. I buy a cheap notebook and fill it with pictures (in order of our itinerary) of the hotels we will stay at, museums we will go to, mountains we will see.....anything that would be recognizeable to them. I leave a few blank pages after each stop on our journey for them to draw pictures of the things they got to see and do. For Kohen, I have made this edition a bit of a scavenger hunt. He can see pictures of things, try and find them on our walks and then learn about the places. He's totally into it and learning a ton. For last summer's trip I opened up an old pillowcase and painted train tracks and road onto it so the kids could drive their cars on something. Big hit and super small and lightweight to travel with.
-We also find it helpful to make the kids a big part of the daily planning. They help plan our activities and are given maps to help us navigate. If they feel they are a part of all the planning there is less stress and uncertainty for them.
-Travel essential: emergency kit! That's a whole other blog post though:) and I always bring kids tylenol on the plane with me. You never know when a fever will hit and spending a ten hour flight with a feverish kid would not be fun.
That's the way we travel....constantly evolving though. Good times, good food, and like I said a lot of laughter!
A while back Brian and I were talking about how fortunate our kids are. They are so lucky to be living in our cozy house in an amazing neighborhood in one of the coolest cities on the planet. They will go to great schools and have opportunities to do anything and be anything they dream of. They are loved a billion times over by Brian and I, not to mention an abundance of adoration heaped on them by grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends. They live a pretty fantastic life and while we don't want to drop them off at boot camp in the middle of the jungle, we do feel it's important for them to see a little struggle, feel a little struggle, and travel has been a way for us to show them things and teach them things outside of their comfort zone. We always strive to make our trips fun but there is always uncertainty, fatigue, and moments of anxiety while traveling. These are the moments where our kids get to see us (hopefully) not panic and as a family figure things out together. The goal is for them to know that in spite of whatever the adversity is, we will get through it together.
Kohen has been to five continents and has played with children on playgrounds in Chile, shared empenadas with a little girl on Easter Island, shared candy and toys with children in his great grandmothers village in China, played with kids at a preschool in Fiji.....he's asked questions about these people and places and at 4 years has compassion and maturity that leaves me in awe. Some of that is just Kohen, he is a beautiful soul, but I know travel is part of it too.
As the kids get older we would like to incorporate volunteer work into these trips and make the projects and destinations family decisions. That kind of trip has a different emotional intensity so we're not in any rush to have them see and feel things they aren't ready for. Right now, we are taking the opportunities that come our way and the kids have been great travel companions.
So how do we travel with kids?????
-We laugh a lot. Seriously. I want the kids to enjoy traveling so I gotta man up and laugh and show them the humor in missing the train or getting lost for the billionth time. Traveling with kids has actually been so good for me because you HAVE to slow down, there's no other way to do it.
-Apartments over hotels. We usually stay in places longer, the stability is easier for the kids. Apartments allow us to cook some meals, do laundry (which means packing way less clothes), and my favorite part is that we are in the community shopping for food, attempting to actually live in the neighborhood rather than just passing through. Another plus, the nightly rate has always broken down to be cheaper than the hotel rates.
-I always research kid friendly restaurants, activities, etc. for the places we are going. It's amazing the cool stuff that is out there. I'll go out of my way to hit a good restaurant that has a play area for kids if that means Brian and I can linger a little longer over the local beer or wine:) I also look into things that are geared towards their interests. Today we went to museum that had a whole wing filled with old German trains. The kids geeked out for a loooooong time at that place.
-Toys- each boy is now old enough to carry their own backpack with a few items. I have a secret stash of sticker books and games for emergencies. Before we leave on any trip I take them to a fabric store where they each pick out a fabric (so far all have had some kind of vehicle on them:) and we buy a small piece. This is their travel blanket that can be used for warmth, emergency towel, picnic blanket, there are a million helpful uses and it can be tossed at the end if it is trashed. My goal is to save a piece of each travel blanket and someday make them a big quilt out of them. I have no idea how to sew or quilt but I'll put that on the "learn someday" list specifically for this project! They also get a travel notebook. I mentioned this in an earlier post but I really think this is one of the most helpful things for our kids. I buy a cheap notebook and fill it with pictures (in order of our itinerary) of the hotels we will stay at, museums we will go to, mountains we will see.....anything that would be recognizeable to them. I leave a few blank pages after each stop on our journey for them to draw pictures of the things they got to see and do. For Kohen, I have made this edition a bit of a scavenger hunt. He can see pictures of things, try and find them on our walks and then learn about the places. He's totally into it and learning a ton. For last summer's trip I opened up an old pillowcase and painted train tracks and road onto it so the kids could drive their cars on something. Big hit and super small and lightweight to travel with.
-We also find it helpful to make the kids a big part of the daily planning. They help plan our activities and are given maps to help us navigate. If they feel they are a part of all the planning there is less stress and uncertainty for them.
-Travel essential: emergency kit! That's a whole other blog post though:) and I always bring kids tylenol on the plane with me. You never know when a fever will hit and spending a ten hour flight with a feverish kid would not be fun.
That's the way we travel....constantly evolving though. Good times, good food, and like I said a lot of laughter!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Berlin
We got to Berlin yesterday afternoon after an awesome ride on the super fast ICE train. I don't think Kohen has lost any of his enthusiasm for the train rides, even after riding them every day. Tonight he was so tired and was pretty much done with walking but the second we got to the subway station he was a new man and insisted he walk to the train alone and unassisted. Don't even think about holding his hand while getting on and off the train, he's got it:)
We've rented this great little apartment in Mitte, right in the center of Berlin. We're only a short walk from Alexanderplatz in this neighborhood known for its courtyard complexes full of shops, restaurants, galleries.....very cool part of town. After we unloaded our stuff we went to the Christmas Market at Alexanderplatz. We ate more pork products, drank gluhwein, bought some meat and cheese for breakfast and rode a really cool ferris wheel, a first for both the boys. On our walk home we found a brewery so we stopped and had a Christmas ale, then found another brewery but decided to wait and try it another night.....kids would not have been into letting Brian and I indulge our beer habit for a second time that night:) We did some grocery shopping at a great organic store we found and sure enough, the grocery store cat was back. I'm not sure why Beckett keeps choosing grocery stores to turn into a cat but he did it again, much to the amusement of a few German ladies. Maybe I should be glad he is just crawling on the floor rather than licking it?!
We had a pretty mellow day today, explored our neighborhood a bit then went to the Christmas market at Gendarmenmarkt square. Kohen has also had the best pain au chocolat of his life and has declared that every time he comes to Berlin he is getting one. He has such a memory and I know he will remember that, just like I will never forget the chocolate eclair I had in Normandy when I was a kid. Best eclair ever.
Kohen and Beckett seem to be doing well and enjoying our adventures so far. They look pretty cute all wrapped up in a billion layers waddling down the snowy streets. German women keep smiling at them and give them lots of attention. We have no idea what they are saying but are pretty convinced they are telling the boys how freaking adorable they are:) Tonight at bedtime Kohen wanted me to tell him a story about how much fun he is having in Germany so I guess he's enjoying himself. The important thing we have to remember is to pace them, it is a lot of work walking so much, it's very cold, and all the excitement can be so overwhelming. They don't complain much so it's really up to us to make sure we don't push them too much. Amazing kids. Truly amazing:)
We've rented this great little apartment in Mitte, right in the center of Berlin. We're only a short walk from Alexanderplatz in this neighborhood known for its courtyard complexes full of shops, restaurants, galleries.....very cool part of town. After we unloaded our stuff we went to the Christmas Market at Alexanderplatz. We ate more pork products, drank gluhwein, bought some meat and cheese for breakfast and rode a really cool ferris wheel, a first for both the boys. On our walk home we found a brewery so we stopped and had a Christmas ale, then found another brewery but decided to wait and try it another night.....kids would not have been into letting Brian and I indulge our beer habit for a second time that night:) We did some grocery shopping at a great organic store we found and sure enough, the grocery store cat was back. I'm not sure why Beckett keeps choosing grocery stores to turn into a cat but he did it again, much to the amusement of a few German ladies. Maybe I should be glad he is just crawling on the floor rather than licking it?!
We had a pretty mellow day today, explored our neighborhood a bit then went to the Christmas market at Gendarmenmarkt square. Kohen has also had the best pain au chocolat of his life and has declared that every time he comes to Berlin he is getting one. He has such a memory and I know he will remember that, just like I will never forget the chocolate eclair I had in Normandy when I was a kid. Best eclair ever.
Kohen and Beckett seem to be doing well and enjoying our adventures so far. They look pretty cute all wrapped up in a billion layers waddling down the snowy streets. German women keep smiling at them and give them lots of attention. We have no idea what they are saying but are pretty convinced they are telling the boys how freaking adorable they are:) Tonight at bedtime Kohen wanted me to tell him a story about how much fun he is having in Germany so I guess he's enjoying himself. The important thing we have to remember is to pace them, it is a lot of work walking so much, it's very cold, and all the excitement can be so overwhelming. They don't complain much so it's really up to us to make sure we don't push them too much. Amazing kids. Truly amazing:)
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
sweets, sweets, more sweets and some beer
I can't tell you how many sweets Kohen and Beckett have been given in the past 36 hours. Chocolate santas from the taxi driver, lollipops from the beer guy at the Christmas market, packages of gummi bears on their hotel pillows, chocolate santa lollipop from a lady at the train station. They are having such a great time!
We left Sonderborg, Denmark on tuesday after four totally great days with our friends. We spent most of the time up there playing in the snow and drinking too much wine:) Kohen says his favorite thing in Denmark was ice skating for the first time. I'm not sure what Beckett will remember about Sonderborg but I'm pretty sure some people up there will remember the little boy who decided to become a cat in the middle of the grocery store. It's his new favorite thing, he'll drop to his hands and knees, scrunch up his face, start meowing, tell you to pet him and demand you call him by his cat name. It's pretty hilarious and the humor appears to be cross cultural:)
After leaving Sonderborg we stopped for a day in Schleswig where Brian had a concert. We hit up our first Christmas Market then the kids and I took the train to Hamburg and Brian caught up with us after his concert. It was a VERY wise decision of mine to book a hotel across the street from the Hauptbanhof. One parent, super tired kids, luggage, snow......
This morning we started the day with Miniatur Wunderland! This is the largest model train place in the world and Kohen has wanted to go here since he first heard about it at the ripe old age of two. To appease our train crazy kid we google model train videos and several years ago came across one from Miniatur Wunderland. When we knew we would be traveling through Hamburg we made sure we would have time to check out the "wunderland." The place was seriously cool. I'm not sure what is happening to me but my four year old is turning me into a model train geek.
Hamburg is beautiful. I'm not sure what I expected but the old warehouses along the river, the rathaus, St. Nikolai.....it's all been more interesting and beautiful than I imagined. The Christmas market here is great and now we've officially started the gluhwein and brat portion of the tour. Today's gluhwein winner was the one where the guy put an extra shot of rum in it:) So, so tasty. I think the best part of being here right now is just seeing so many people out celebrating. We walked from the market to a brewery for dinner and there were people everywhere and decorations and lights on every street. The market was overflowing with people drinking their gluhwein and hanging with friends. Germany at Christmas time is a happy, happy place.
Berlin tomorrow.
We left Sonderborg, Denmark on tuesday after four totally great days with our friends. We spent most of the time up there playing in the snow and drinking too much wine:) Kohen says his favorite thing in Denmark was ice skating for the first time. I'm not sure what Beckett will remember about Sonderborg but I'm pretty sure some people up there will remember the little boy who decided to become a cat in the middle of the grocery store. It's his new favorite thing, he'll drop to his hands and knees, scrunch up his face, start meowing, tell you to pet him and demand you call him by his cat name. It's pretty hilarious and the humor appears to be cross cultural:)
After leaving Sonderborg we stopped for a day in Schleswig where Brian had a concert. We hit up our first Christmas Market then the kids and I took the train to Hamburg and Brian caught up with us after his concert. It was a VERY wise decision of mine to book a hotel across the street from the Hauptbanhof. One parent, super tired kids, luggage, snow......
This morning we started the day with Miniatur Wunderland! This is the largest model train place in the world and Kohen has wanted to go here since he first heard about it at the ripe old age of two. To appease our train crazy kid we google model train videos and several years ago came across one from Miniatur Wunderland. When we knew we would be traveling through Hamburg we made sure we would have time to check out the "wunderland." The place was seriously cool. I'm not sure what is happening to me but my four year old is turning me into a model train geek.
Hamburg is beautiful. I'm not sure what I expected but the old warehouses along the river, the rathaus, St. Nikolai.....it's all been more interesting and beautiful than I imagined. The Christmas market here is great and now we've officially started the gluhwein and brat portion of the tour. Today's gluhwein winner was the one where the guy put an extra shot of rum in it:) So, so tasty. I think the best part of being here right now is just seeing so many people out celebrating. We walked from the market to a brewery for dinner and there were people everywhere and decorations and lights on every street. The market was overflowing with people drinking their gluhwein and hanging with friends. Germany at Christmas time is a happy, happy place.
Berlin tomorrow.
Friday, December 3, 2010
trains trains and more trains
and snow snow and more snow! What was supposed to have taken us two trains to meet up with Brian in Hamburg ended up taking five. It was a thirteen hour travel day to make it to Sonderborg Denmark but we did it! The kids and I left a very snowy Amsterdam in the morning, successfully changed trains in Hilversum, Netherlands and were on our way to meet Brian. Shortly after our train left Hilversum an announcement in Dutch was made, the man in our train compartment informed me that the weather was a "very grave" situation and our train could no longer continue. Apparently we were all to get off the train at the next stop. I told the kids we were about to have a big train adventure and that I wasn't sure what train we would get on next but it must be a cool one if the conductor wanted us to switch trains:) We got off the train into a blizzard and found another train that would stop in a town where we could hopefully get the train to Hamburg. We were on this train for about an hour and made it to Osnabruck where we had a short layover before the train to Hamburg. Still snowing, kids are cold yet somehow excited to be waiting for yet another train. Once we boarded this train I looked at the train maps and realized Brian could actually be on this train as it was coming from Cologne where he had a layover. I called him and asked him if he had just stopped in Osnabruck......sure enough, Brian was on this train! We were actually able to stay on this train through Hamburg as it was continuing north. We had to make yet another train change in Neumunster and arrived in Flensburg, Germany around 9pm. Our friend Don is so super awesome and drove the hour from Sonderborg to Flensburg to save us another train connection or bus ride. By the time we got to Sonderborg it had been a 13 hour travel day for the kids complete with 5 different trains. It's official, my kids totally rock. Not one complaint from them all day, they thought it was a great adventure the whole way through. Big props to all the nice men and women who helped me carry luggage, kids, and other random objects to help me on and off the train. There are nice, kind people everywhere and I met a lot of them yesterday:) And now for a confession. We bought McDonalds yesterday. First time ever that I have put a McDonalds cheeseburger in their mouths. They have had fast food before and I know I'm sure babysitters and grandparents have bought them McDonalds, we just never choose to go to McDonalds........BUT it was after train #4 of the day, there were no other options and they had eaten every ounce of food I had packed for the day. And now I can proudly say that they didn't like the fries (Kohen doesn't like "peetatoes") and they kept asking for more of our salads.
So here we are in a totally cute little town in Denmark. Don and Erin have a 2 1/2 year old boy and a brand new baby girl. The kids are happy to be playing with new friends and the toys that belong to these new friends! It's snowy and beautiful and we are with great friends:)
So here we are in a totally cute little town in Denmark. Don and Erin have a 2 1/2 year old boy and a brand new baby girl. The kids are happy to be playing with new friends and the toys that belong to these new friends! It's snowy and beautiful and we are with great friends:)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"Do they speak Seattle here?" kohen:)
I'm sitting here in Amsterdam at 7:45 with two sleeping kids and a can of Heineken, man is this different from the last time I was here!
The trip is off to a good start, meaning nobody has puked yet or licked any floors. Yes, I said nobody has licked the floors. Over the summer when we were in New Zealand Brian and I thought it best to keep the kids awake during the day to try and get over the jet lag. Obviously the kids weren't as hip to this idea and in their sleep deprived delirium they ended up licking the floor of the Auckland sky tower. We were somewhat amused by it until the next morning when we were ten minutes into our drive south when Kohen hurled all over the car, only a minute after Brian reminded me about the car rental fines for vomiting in the car. oh karma, you are funny:) Naturally, I was prepared with plastic bags for such an occasion, too bad I left them in the trunk of the car. In my haste I grabbed the cute Elmo bag the nice Quantas flight attendant gave us and poor Elmo was sacrificed to the puking Gods. So like I said, so far here in Amsterdam we're good!
So here I am alone with two kids in Amsterdam while Brian plays a concert in Luxembourg. I'm
officially changing my name to "brave lady" as that is what everyone I meet has decided to call me. If all goes according to plan we will meet Brian at the train station in Hamburg
tomorrow afternoon and then continue on to Denmark together.
It is pretty cold here so we've been inside a bit which is fine, the kids are still a little
jet lagged and appreciate the down time to drive their cars around the hotel room. We went to
the Anne Frank house because I will never go to Amsterdam without saying thanks to the girl
whose words have meant so much to me over the years. Kohen thought it was pretty cool that
there was a secret house behind a bookcase. I'm pretty sure he will be asking Brian to build
one on his bedroom door sometime soon:) Afterwards we went to a Dutch pancake house I heard
about in my kid friendly research on Amsterdam. They advertised things like police pancakes
and pirate pancakes. I thought this meant pancakes in shapes of the described item but
instead, Kohen's police pancake came out covered with toy guns. Not nearly as cool as I had
hoped and since we don't have guns at our house kohen thought it was pretty lame too as he was expecting an awesome police car to show up on his plate. I slapped a little nutella on his
non-police car and he was happy.
Its been fun traveling with these little guys, they really are such amazing travelers. In
spite of getting his finger shut in the hotel door and not being a fan of cold weather Beckett
is holding up:) Kohen was concerned nobody would "speak Seattle" but is now relieved that he
can communicate his love of trains with just about every Dutch person we meet. Tomorrow is a
travel day for us so we got out the notebooks I made for the boys with pictures of the places
we will go on the trip. I printed out pictures of some of the sites we will see and the
hotels we will stay at. It seems to help relieve any anxiety they might have about what's
coming up. After each place on our itinerary are a few empty pages for them to draw pictures
of what they saw and did.
I'm not sure what our Internet status will be for the next week but I'll post when I can.
Side note #1: Lionel Ritchie's music is alive and well in Amsterdam. No, I did not visit any
coffee shops with the boys.
Side note #2: I don't know what they feed the cows here but goddam the butter is delicious
Best words that came out of my mouth today: Beckett, please do not put your head in the potty while Kohen is making pee pee.
The trip is off to a good start, meaning nobody has puked yet or licked any floors. Yes, I said nobody has licked the floors. Over the summer when we were in New Zealand Brian and I thought it best to keep the kids awake during the day to try and get over the jet lag. Obviously the kids weren't as hip to this idea and in their sleep deprived delirium they ended up licking the floor of the Auckland sky tower. We were somewhat amused by it until the next morning when we were ten minutes into our drive south when Kohen hurled all over the car, only a minute after Brian reminded me about the car rental fines for vomiting in the car. oh karma, you are funny:) Naturally, I was prepared with plastic bags for such an occasion, too bad I left them in the trunk of the car. In my haste I grabbed the cute Elmo bag the nice Quantas flight attendant gave us and poor Elmo was sacrificed to the puking Gods. So like I said, so far here in Amsterdam we're good!
So here I am alone with two kids in Amsterdam while Brian plays a concert in Luxembourg. I'm
officially changing my name to "brave lady" as that is what everyone I meet has decided to call me. If all goes according to plan we will meet Brian at the train station in Hamburg
tomorrow afternoon and then continue on to Denmark together.
It is pretty cold here so we've been inside a bit which is fine, the kids are still a little
jet lagged and appreciate the down time to drive their cars around the hotel room. We went to
the Anne Frank house because I will never go to Amsterdam without saying thanks to the girl
whose words have meant so much to me over the years. Kohen thought it was pretty cool that
there was a secret house behind a bookcase. I'm pretty sure he will be asking Brian to build
one on his bedroom door sometime soon:) Afterwards we went to a Dutch pancake house I heard
about in my kid friendly research on Amsterdam. They advertised things like police pancakes
and pirate pancakes. I thought this meant pancakes in shapes of the described item but
instead, Kohen's police pancake came out covered with toy guns. Not nearly as cool as I had
hoped and since we don't have guns at our house kohen thought it was pretty lame too as he was expecting an awesome police car to show up on his plate. I slapped a little nutella on his
non-police car and he was happy.
Its been fun traveling with these little guys, they really are such amazing travelers. In
spite of getting his finger shut in the hotel door and not being a fan of cold weather Beckett
is holding up:) Kohen was concerned nobody would "speak Seattle" but is now relieved that he
can communicate his love of trains with just about every Dutch person we meet. Tomorrow is a
travel day for us so we got out the notebooks I made for the boys with pictures of the places
we will go on the trip. I printed out pictures of some of the sites we will see and the
hotels we will stay at. It seems to help relieve any anxiety they might have about what's
coming up. After each place on our itinerary are a few empty pages for them to draw pictures
of what they saw and did.
I'm not sure what our Internet status will be for the next week but I'll post when I can.
Side note #1: Lionel Ritchie's music is alive and well in Amsterdam. No, I did not visit any
coffee shops with the boys.
Side note #2: I don't know what they feed the cows here but goddam the butter is delicious
Best words that came out of my mouth today: Beckett, please do not put your head in the potty while Kohen is making pee pee.
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