We <3 Star Wars

Another weekend with the fam

I’m a little behind, but our family had a weekend adventure recently that I wanted to share. A weekend adventure is certainly nothing unusual for us, but this one was definitely unique!  We attended Star Wars Celebration VI at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

I know what you may be thinking… Seriously?! A Star Wars convention?! Dork!  But I beg to differ. Too often people with interests other than our own are mis-categorized into some “lame” group. I have had the privilege of attending several “cons” over the last 5 years though and found those in attendance to be some of the nicest, most interesting people you’ll ever meet. They are genuinely friendly, and that is too often a rarity. But I digress…

The bigger point I wanted to share is just how much fun you can have if you relax and let yourself enjoy what you like. Now, I’m not the Star Wars buff in my family. That title deservedly goes to my husband, Chris. So he led the charge on this one, arriving in Orlando on Thursday morning  to take full advantage of the four days of Celebration. The kids and I joined him Thursday night after school and work for a mere three days.

Acting out a scene from A New Hope

Friday morning we set out together with Norah as Princess Leia and Aidan as a clone trooper. They fit right in! We had a great time exploring the convention floor, taking in all of the other costumed characters, staging pictures with the various scenes that were on display, and attending presentations by some of the lead actors from the original trilogy. The kids made light sabers in the children’s room and proceeded to do battle with anyone who’d dare take them on (convention staff specifically). I purchased my first Star Wars t-shirt and wore it proudly on day two. We soaked in three 10-12 hour days of all things Star Wars.

One of the first blogs I wrote was about letting yourself be a kid again and this kind of follows in that idea. While the kids are fans of Star Wars and thoroughly enjoyed what they deemed “Star Wars World”, we attended because of my husband’s passion. We took his interest that has been a part of him since his own childhood and made it a family event. Star Wars isn’t just the current fancy of my 4-year-old son, it is part of our family. We have regular light saber battles in our home. We went to Hollywood Studios recently and rode the updated Star Tours ride eight times so that we could see all of the new scene options. We’ve watched all of the movies as a family and are currently watching The Clone Wars. We may sound silly, but we support each other’s interests and let ourselves enjoy what we like.  No matter our age.

Some of you may have just read that last bit and lumped me into the geek group. It doesn’t matter though, because my family is having fun. And that is what I hope to encourage in your family. Maybe mom, dad or junior has a specific interest that they solely like to pursue. Or, maybe you take that interest and make it a defining part of your family. Either option is okay, just make sure that you are having fun too.

King Family at Star Wars Celebration VI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You Don’t Sleep Alone, Why Do I Have To?

 

Norah, 3: Who wants to sleep alone?

A few weeks back I wrote a pretty heart-felt blog about taking a few extra minutes to be with your children at night when they ask you to lay with them.  While I wholeheartedly believe in what I wrote, I don’t always heed my own advice.  Sometimes I just want to kiss them good night and sit down with my husband.  I’m sure you all understand.  After all, I don’t often get any down time with him until the kids are in bed.  The night is our time to sit and just be together for a few minutes before our own bedtime calls.

Last night, I was so looking forward to tucking everyone in and sitting down to watch the season finale of True Blood with Chris.  However, two minutes into our show, I hear Norah crying my name.  She is having one of those nights and just can’t be settled unless I stay with her until she falls asleep.  I took a short minute to lay with her at tuck in, but that simply won’t do.  She doesn’t want to be left alone.

So I go to her side and begin to explain that she is surrounded by people and activity all day long.  I tell her that the night is her time to relax on her own in her bed and fall asleep.  She hits me with, “But you don’t go to bed on your own.”  This is not the first time that this has come up and it is a question that constantly plagues me.  Why is it that we as parents are supposed to teach our children to go to bed independently, but we then sleep in the comfort of our spouse’s embrace?

Ironically, Junie B. Jones answered this question tonight during our story, June B. Jones Has a Monster Under Her Bed.  The story begins with Paulie Allen Puffer trying to convince Junie B. that there is a monster under her bed.  Paulie’s 7th grade brother has told him that the monster comes out at night and lies on your pillow to practice opening his mouth wide enough to eat your head (great bedtime story, I know).  His evidence is the drool that you often find on your pillow in the morning.  Then, at the very end of Chapter 2 he answers my question, “Why do you think daddies and mommies sleep together in the same room, anyway?  It’s so they can protect each other from the monsters.  Or else their heads might get chewed off.”

Now, obviously this is reasoning I quickly have to dispute while reassuring that there are no such things as monsters.  But how crazy is it that this would come up the night after she poses the very same question.  I mean really?!  It doesn’t help at all with my need for understanding, or ability to explain the difference, but it did make me laugh at the irony.

I understand that sleeping independently is a skill that we have to teach.  After 10 years of marriage, I now struggle to go to sleep on my own, so I recognize the importance of this skill.  However, I labor with the idea that she needs to lay alone in the dark while I get to snuggle with daddy each night.  Looking through her eyes, it is a pretty raw deal.  So, I’m curious how others address this issue.

When your child wants you to stay with them in the night, how do you explain that they need to go to bed on their own but you don’t?

Tonight’s Victory Bite

Tell me if this sounds familiar…  Dinner time comes and you make one meal for the adults, an altered version for one child and yet another for the other child (and perhaps more if your family is larger).  I know I often feel like a short order cook.  And the question I’m most often asked by my children when preparing dinner is, “What are the kids having?”

Tonight, like many nights, I tried to take what Chris and I planned to have and make some substitutions to turn it into something that the whole family could eat together.  The grown up menu: grilled Teriyaki pork tenderloin, steamed broccoli and Chris made his bleu cheese cole slaw.  The adjustments for the kids: same meat, small portion of broccoli with a bit of cheese melted over it, half of an ear of corn and sliced apple.  Pretty yummy if you ask me.

With a little encouragement, Norah cleaned her plate (she’s my better eater).  Other than the apple though, you would have thought I’d put a plate of poison in front of Aidan.  He wiggled and fussed and tried desperately to find a way out of dinner (even to the point of making daddy so frustrated that going to bed was his out… but I said no).

He’ll eat meal worms at the insectarium, but not his veggies

I guess the best way to describe Aidan is a carbohydrate-atarian.  He’s not a fan of veggies, not a fan of meats (other than in the form of a chicken nugget), and really only likes apples, watermelon and banana from the fruit category.  He loves almost all things pasta though and is pretty good with dairy.  I think most families have an Aidan at some point and can probably relate.

Once everyone but Aidan had finished, I moved to my usual spot by his side and began the tedious process of coaxing bites.  Spoon feeding was sweet as a babe, but I grow weary with a 4-year-old.  We start with a few bites of what I know he likes best – the corn.  Then, we move on to the broccoli.  I’m following the philosophy that they have to taste something at least 21 times to begin to like it, so I always give them at least one broccoli spear when we have it.  I don’t usually add the cheese, but I was feeling nice tonight and thought they’d be more open to the taste.  I even went crazy and gave them each three spears.  He begrudgingly ate his usual one and I finished up the rest – compromise.

Finally we get to the meat.  After excessive conversation about whether or not he’s tried it before, and how old he was at that time, and whether he liked it then, and where pork comes from, and holding the fork out until I thought my arm would fall off he finally took the first bite.

With much thought and debate, he chewed and swallowed the bite of tenderloin and then looked at me with a smile and said, “I was just playing… I like pork!”  Whew!

Now I know that he wasn’t playing, but the joy of being able to add something new to the list of Aidan likes is always great.  I actually took the time to stop both Norah and Aidan and say, “Now we know that everyone likes pork.  So, the next time mommy cooks it we don’t need to discuss it, just remember that you do like this.”

Feeding your children can pose all sorts of doubts, worries and frustrations.  There is a great article in the current SpaceCoast Living FAMILY on children’s nutrition, “You Are What You Eat.”  I encourage everyone to read this and take some of the ideas and suggestions to heart.  I know I’m following the 21 tastes guideline, as well as letting the kids pick something new from the produce section at each visit.  Bit by bit, we will grow their palate, calm our nutrition woes, and reduce the number of orders up at meal time.  I’m just taking it one bite at a time, and tonight my victory bite was pork tenderloin.

Why I Love My Zoo Pass

Our first family zoo visit, 2006

Off and on over the last several years we’ve been members of the Brevard Zoo.  When the kids were little-little, we’d go every so often to pass a Saturday strolling and looking at all of the animals.  It isn’t until recently though that I’ve truly come to appreciate what my zoo pass has to offer – a unique experience in every visit.

To explain, here’s a look at my two most recent visits:

Ready for the Treetop Trek!

During my first visit this summer, I took the kids on the Chutes & Ladders course that is part of the Treetop Trek experience.  Now, this isn’t part of my membership, but the membership is what prompted me to go on this day.  Norah and Aidan had a fantastic time working their way through the course.  Norah had done it once before during a birthday party, but this was Aidan’s first time.  They were in adventure heaven!

After working up a sweat, we entered the zoo and headed straight for Paws On.  Here I was able to relax in the shade with a magazine while they splashed to their hearts’ content.  After a thorough cool down, we changed again and they headed for the gopher tortoise playground.  All in all, we spent about a half day at the zoo, but didn’t actually visit any animals besides the snake that was available for petting as we entered.

Now, the second and most recent visit was just last Thursday.  Norah was back in school, but Aidan’s had not yet resumed so it was just the two of us.  This time we headed straight for Expedition Africa to view the cheetahs and feed the giraffes.  Well, I viewed the cheetah while Aidan climbed up and down the rope ladder about five times.  We did both get to feed the giraffes though, which is always a fun experience.

Aidan feeds the giraffe

While in Africa, we took our first kayak adventure together.  This was a guided 30 minute tour that takes you all through Africa and offers some pretty incredible giraffe sightings.  It was terribly hot, but we had a blast.  Again, we were there for just over an hour and only took in one of five main exhibit areas.

My point is this, with my zoo pass I don’t have to be locked into an all day visit.  We can go for as little or as long as we like, and we can choose to see it all or just one of our favorite areas.  Our pass allows us to tailor each visit to that day’s interest and really extends the amount of fun we’re able to have at one destination.  And for $80-$100 a year (depending on what promotion you catch) it pays for itself in no time at all (adults are $14.50 and kids 2-12 are $10.50 for a single visit).

So the next time you get one of those pesky mailers trying to sell you a membership, stop and consider it for a minute.  A zoo pass may just offer you the best variety of family fun in town.

Rite of Passage – The Library Card

Norah’s first library card!

Rite of passage: the marking of the transitional phase between childhood and full inclusion into a tribe or social group.

There are many rites of passage as we age: getting your driver’s license, gaining the ability to vote, turning 21, getting married, and so on.  One of the first though may be the library card.  With that precious little card, you can walk proudly to the counter of your local library and essentially declare, “I can read!” as you hand it over to borrow their books.

Okay, perhaps it isn’t that dramatic, but for a child getting their first library card it is a really big deal!  During our last visit to the Brevard County Library, Norah instantly knew what books she wanted (one of the bags of early reader collections) and at check out she asked, “Mom, can I get my own library card?”  Wanting nothing more than to encourage her blooming love of reading, I of course said, “Yes!” and we proceeded through the process.  She then checked out her books, using her very own card.

Now I know that the card is linked to my account and if we don’t return our books on time the responsibility is mine, but for her it gives a sense of maturity.  She is being entrusted with these books and is responsible for their care and safe return to the library.  It also makes her feel more like they are hers and that much more proud of her accomplishment when reading them.

So, lead your child in this transitional phase from childhood to full inclusion into a tribe of readers.  It is a great opportunity to teach responsibility, to show your trust in them and support of their early learning, and it may just be the igniter of their love of reading.

Fun in the Sun

CBAC Splash Pad

Since one of the main objectives of this blog is to cross promote SpaceCoast Living FAMILY and the community as a whole, I thought I’d start sharing some of our local family adventures.  Most recently, I took the kids to the Cocoa Beach Aquatic Center.  This is an amazing place for summer fun – and you can’t beat the price!  For just $7, the kids and I enjoyed hours of splish-splashing fun on my Friday off.

The CBAC offers a lot of options for families.  Their kiddie pool is fantastic!  It ranges from 2-3 feet deep, has a shade cover and features a mushroom fountain at the center.  It is perfect for little ones who are still getting their bearings in the water.

Also in the kid area, there is a great splash pad with several sprayers, pourers and shooters of all kinds (see pic above).  This is perfect for anyone who needs a break from swimming or maybe isn’t ready to be submerged.

CBAC Water Slide

 

For the older set, there is a water slide and diving board.  All children are required to pass a swim test before being allowed on the slide or board though.  Under a lifeguard’s watchful eye, they must be able to swim one full length of the pool (25 meters) with their face in the water and arms coming out (ice cream scoop arms, as we like to call them).  They must be able to bring their head up for a breath and then continue on.  Norah passed with flying colors and got the coveted orange arm band so she could start enjoying the bigger kid fun.  Aidan tried his best, but only made it half way before needing assistance (hey, he’s only 4!).  Once they’ve passed the test, their name goes into a log so lifeguards need only check the log before giving permission at your next visit.

 

There is also a small grill available so you can order hot dogs, chips, drinks, etc during your visit.  We opted for a picnic lunch though and packed a bag with PB&J sandwiches, peaches, chips and water.

Lunch time!

All in all, we had a great time and I’d highly recommend this for any families looking for something to do on our hot summer days.

“Mommy, will you lay with me?”

Sleepy Aidan

So often when I tuck my sweet children in, they ask me to stay and cuddle them.  So often I tell them, “next time.”  My reasoning always seems good at the time…  I need to spend time with Daddy.  The house needs a little work.  I just need a few minutes for me.  As I kiss them good night and leave the room though, I find myself praying that they never stop asking me to stay.

People always say, “They grow up so fast!”  And it is true.  I’ve only been a mother for 6 short years now, but it seems like an eternity.  It is hard to remember what my world was like without my babies.  The house now seems so empty when they are away.

Chris and I are very fortunate to have a supportive family.  Our kids often get to enjoy sleepovers with their grandparents.  While we enjoy our “break”, we always yearn to have them back.  Going to bed knowing they are not in theirs never feels quite right.

Tonight, Norah and Aidan are enjoying a sleepover together on our air mattress in the office.  It is their form of a campout.  They asked me to have a campout with them, and initially I hesitated.  If I laid with them all night, I wouldn’t get to enjoy the quiet of my sleeping house.  That is my time to watch what I want on TV or do what I want on the computer without interruption.  Then I stopped to remind myself that they want to be with me.  This time is special to them and I need to put aside any selfish feelings and remember how special it is to me too.

So, together we blew up the mattress and dressed it for bed.  Together we read several of our books.  Norah read one to us then I read Aidan’s choice, followed by Norah’s.  Together we snuggled in attempt to fall asleep.

Excitement won the night and I ended up turning on a show for them to settle in and watch while I moved out to the other room to watch my own.  As soon as mine ended though, I found myself hoping they hadn’t fallen asleep so that I could go back for more cuddles.  Their sweet eyes had closed though as tiredness took hold.  As with times before, I kissed their cheeks and left the room hoping they would always ask me to stay.

I guess I write this in effort to remind myself and all others to slow down and remember how precious our time is with our children.  We are their world and they love us so unconditionally.  All they truly want is for us to be close to them (so much so that they fight over the closer position).  In our hearts we want the same, but we often let life get in the way.

There will be nights when I really can’t stay and cuddle, but I hope that I always slow down acknowledge the nights that I can.

Pictures, Pictures Everywhere!

Hi, my name is Emily, and I take too many pictures.

Digital photography has completely changed how we take photos.  No more is the 24 or 36 exposure roll of film.  Now, we have memory cards that hold thousands of images.  So what do we do?  Take thousands of pictures of course!  During the New Orleans vacation I recently shared, we took about 1,300 photos.  No, I’m not kidding.  That’s about 160 pictures a day.

So now the question is, what do we do with all these pictures?  Half the time I think people leave them on the camera until they can no longer remember what was even taken.  When you do upload them to a computer, then they are just in technology la-la land never to be viewed again – unless you are looking for something specific.

I tried for a while to be diligent about ordering my photos and putting them into albums.  But with so many pictures being taken (especially once we had kids), it just became too much.  I now have stacks of photos waiting to be placed, and countless others that have yet to be printed.  Even those that made it into an album, if not carefully organized, are too overwhelming to joyfully view.

Enter the online scrapbook… I am a fan of Shutterfly myself.  I have recently acquainted myself with their “custom path” that allows me to organize layouts, select backgrounds and add embellishments.  Designs that would take hours of clipping and pasting in traditional scrapbooks, take minutes and come out so much more professional (in my opinion).  And with deals like 30-50% off and free shipping, your beautiful books are pretty affordable.

With this in mind, and knowing how many pictures we take, I am now working toward creating books for each quarter of the year and then speciality books for certain occasions (like vacation).  So far, I have a book that includes all of our fun from January, February and March of this year, a second book from our Spring Break mini-vacation, and I am currently working on the book from our New Orleans trip.  Once that is done, I plan to start on April, May and June of this year.  And, if I’m ever truly caught up, begin working backwards on previous years.  It sounds like a lot when you spell it all out, but I’ve always heard that you should start with the present and work backward or you’ll never get caught up to today.

So what do you do with your photos?  How do you preserve your family memories?  Have your children ever seen your photos in printed form (I know mine were baffled by the concept for a while)?

In case my pitch didn’t sell you on the wonders of Shuttlerfly, click here to view the book I made from last summer’s vacation to Washington DC.  Looking back on it this evening was a wonderful opportunity to relive the amazing adventure it was.  Maybe it will inspire you to find a method that allows you to enjoy the precious photos you’ve taken over the years.  Whatever the picture, you thought it was special when you snapped it, so find a way now to enjoy that special again.

What’s Right for Her

A quiet moment of helping my girl to find her confidence

When Norah was a baby, I remember sitting in the living room with Chris while grandparents tended to her in her room.  They were trying to give us a quiet minute together, something we no longer had much of.  I could hear her get upset and I instantly wanted to run to her side and answer her cry.  Chris grabbed my hand though and told me she was okay.  They had it.  After listening for a few minutes it almost brought me to tears.  I told him, “She needs me.”  He reminded me that she was okay and I didn’t need to worry.  Of course she soon settled and all was well.

Norah is now six and a half.  She is an amazingly sweet girl, but she has some very emotional moments that we don’t always understand.  I’ve learned that when she is upset, if I go to her and hold her she will almost instantly calm down.  I’ve also learned that she needs to be able to do this without my hold.  In fact, my presence without the hold can actually make her emotions run higher.  This is always very hard for me.

I could cite a history of cases to get to my point, but something happened tonight to bring this to mind.  We followed our normal bedtime routine: jammies on, teeth brushed, go potty, read a story and tuck in.  About 15 minutes or so after tuck in, I hear Norah calling my name.  I go back to her room and she is on the verge of tears, saying she doesn’t feel well.  She seems well, but obviously upset.  I offer to sit and read to her a bit more to help her relax.  We read the next three chapters in our book, “Junie B., First Grader Toothless Wonder.”  She is calm and yawning, so I tell her we will save the rest for tomorrow and it is time to go to sleep.  As soon as I stand to leave she goes into a fit, not wanting to be left alone in her room.  I know that if given an inch, she will take a mile, so I remind her that I am there, just in the next room and it is time for her to go to sleep.  As I walk out, she jumps out of bed to follow.  Within minutes this turns into a downward spiral, which unfortunately ends in her screaming until Chris joins us in her room.  I bring him up to speed on what’s going on and then turn to leave.

This is what I’ve learned.  That difficult step of turning to leave is so very hard for me, but important for her.  Unless I’m coddling her, my presence will only exacerbate the situation.  It won’t matter that Daddy, or anyone else, is there trying to settle her down, she will clamber for me.  I have to remove myself so that he can help.

As parents, we always want to do what is best for our children.  The goal is to raise them into strong, confident, independent people.  Even from an age so young as six we are working toward this, trying to figure out the right moves for success.  As difficult as it is, I know that my right move in this situation is to step out and let Chris come in.  I know that she will respond differently to him than she does to me.  I know that he can best help her sort through her emotions and build the strength in herself to calm down.

I’m curious to learn from other families though how similar situations would be handled.  Is there a step you take that may seem hard to you, but you know to be right for them?  What are some tips to help your child learn to self soothe (and I don’t mean a crying babe, but a rather an emotional, tantruming child)?

…In case you were wondering, Norah did eventually calm and is now sleeping peacefully.  My fingers are just crossed that tonight is a one time deal and not the beginning a new nightly routine.

NOLA for Kids

Chris & Norah in front of Jackson Square in New Orleans

Whew!  We recently returned from an 8 night family excursion to New Orleans.  Let me tell you – A King family vacation is not for the faint of heart!  When we go, we go!

So, here’s where we went…

• Thursday: Leave Melbourne – Have dinner with friends in Alachua – Call it a night in Tallahasee
• Friday: Hit the road again – Visit the USS Alabama battleship in Mobile, Alabama – Arrive in New Orleans
• Saturday: Stroll on Bourbon Street – Enjoy beignets at Music Legends Park – Explore St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square – Visit the Louisiana State Museum and the Musee Conti Was Museum – Sitter for the kids that night, while grownups take in the nightlife
• Sunday: Enjoy the Natchez Riverboat Cruise on the Mississippi – Take a City Tour
• Monday: Visit the World War II Museum – Visit the Audubon Insectarium – Take a ghost tour
• Tuesday: Visit the Louisiana Children’s Museum – Enjoy music at Preservation Hall jazz club
• Wednesday: Visit the Audubon Zoo – Enjoy 4th of July fireworks on the Mississippi
• Thursday: Leave New Orleans – Explore the beaches of the FL panhandle – Call it a night in Chipley
• Friday: Hit the road again – Visit the Tallahassee Museum of Natural Science & History – Introduce the kids to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville (our alma mater) – Back home in Melbourne

I could go on and on about each sight, but that may be a bit much.  Instead, I’d like to share that with the right outlook almost any destination can be made kid friendly.  I’ll admit, when Chris first mentioned New Orleans for our family vacation, I was unsure.  And when we shared the idea with friends, I felt the need to explain myself.  New Orleans is well recognized for its nightlife and all of the grown up fun that may come with that, but lesser understood as an option for families.

The more we researched though, the more excited we became… and it didn’t disappoint!  Now, I know that not all young children will be agreeable to a 12 hour car ride and days of on-foot entertainment that start at 8am and end at 9pm.  My kids are truly incredible for keeping up with our vacation pace.  But every family has their own pace and understanding what works for your family can turn the most unsuspecting destination into a gem.

So don’t let yourself get caught up in the idea that you have to spend the next several years of your vacation life visiting traditional “kid” destinations.  Open the map with your family and talk about everything that is out there to be seen.  They won’t all be a fit, but you never know what may make the memory of a lifetime.