Wandering Browns

So I broke my (somewhat short) streak of writing a guest post at each location we go to.  I guess I'll try to make up for it by writing about what happened at dinner during our first full day in the Netherlands. Elise saw a pizzeria in Rotterdam and wanted to eat dinner there.  Of course, since we're close to Italy, I assumed they would have at least close-to-authentic Neapolitan pizza, so I obliged, even though I had just come from my first day of work here, and the thought of going to a restaurant with Landon was less than appealing. Upon entering, there was a gelato freezer, perfectly positioned at eye level for any 2-5 year old.  Landon, being a child, immediately said: "Mommy, I want ice cream right NOW! RIGHT NOW!" and proceeded to throw a mini-tantrum, since the answer was, of course, 'No'. The boy focused on his gelato At this point, foreseeing a struggle for the next hour, I offered Landon a deal: if he could make it through dinner without...

When we contemplated spending up to 20 hours at a time in airplanes with a young toddler, I was terrified. No way in the world could I pack enough books, puzzles, games, and toys to keep him occupied for even four hours! We began researching different tablets that could carry all the books, puzzles, movies, games, and educational apps  we wanted in one unit. We settled on the Fuhu Nabi 2 and we are very happy with our purchase. This tablet is toddler-proof, easy to use, and has literally saved my sanity on multiple occasions. Here it is in all its glory! photo  here My favorite feature of this tablet is its sturdiness. It has survived many flings of a frustrated toddler, and being crushed in a stuffed bag for three overseas trips and many domestic trips. The silicone bumper protects the tablet from scuffs and scrapes, and cushions any tumbles that the tablet takes. After this tablet, others have come out with similar bumpers, but this tablet seems to be the only one spe...

Before starting our crazy adventure as full-time travelers, I did not fully grasp the implications of traveling in remote areas and developing countries with a small child. It is possible with sufficient preparation. Here's how to keep yourself and loved ones safe and happy while traveling in a developing country: 1.  Be prepared for medical emergencies and natural disasters:  We bring along a small pharmacy in our bag- pain meds for adults and kids, cold/cough medicine for adults and kids, insect repellent and bite first aid, bandaids, antibacterial ointment, antidiarrheals, electrolyte packets for adults and kids, thermometer, antibiotics for adults and kids (travel clinics or PCP will give you prescriptions just in case of a particularly nasty case of diarrhea.) I also pack and use essential oils extensively for all sorts of ailments as a more natural remedy. Although we hardly ever use anything of the medical stuff we bring, it gives me peace of mind that it is there in...

Bubble bath Even in this interesting environment that we are choosing to raise our blond-haired son, Landon is growing and thriving! Yesterday, he said, "Terima Kasih!" to me, which means "thank you" in Indonesian. I did not try to teach him that, but it is one of the few phrases that I know in Indonesian so he may have picked it up that way. Who knows what else he knows! We are focusing on recognizing and saying letters right now. It seems he has grown so much in his ability over the past few weeks, and can now identify all of the letters, and usually a word that begins with that letter. He also can count to 20 and say ABCs, and count objects up to 5 or so before he gets distracted. He knows his colors and shapes, and we are working on identifying shapes in unfamiliar places such as tiles on the sidewalks and wheels on vehicles and bikes. He is starting to experiment with words that are not nouns and verbs, as well as past tense. He is getting more fun t...

I have struggled with how to format this subject on our blog. Taking multiple LONG airplane rides in the past few months has left us with some solid knowledge of how to prepare for and handle a toddler on a long flight. I will post some key guidelines here, and then update our Toddler Traveling Tips  page  with links to individual blog posts on different topics. Here are some general guidelines: 1.  DON'T PANIC!  In the book  Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,  these words are on the front cover. This applies so well to traveling with a toddler. Kids pick up on the "vibe" that their parents are giving off. If parents are getting frustrated, angry, stressed, despondent, or any other emotion besides calm, kids are going to notice and begin to act that way as well. For example, we found out about a flight back to the US from Korea only two days prior. We were trying to book tickets and pick seats using three separate reservations, so Austin and I were both...

Happy boy eating spaghetti Finally, it is time for a Landon update. Landon turned 2 a few weeks ago and man, has he changed in the past month or so! In Korea, he was starting to put some sentences together and say more words. To say that his vocabulary and ability to communicate has exploded since we got home from Korea is an understatement. I think the combination of being back in an English speaking country and seeing lots of familiar faces in our families that really made him grow his ability to communicate in leaps and bounds.   Landon can make lots of full sentences and is starting to conjugate verbs and boss us around! He likes to say, "Dad, wake up! Dad, get up!" in the morning. One of my favorite sentences so far is, "Fireman drives the firetruck." He is reforming how he pronounces some words so he is more understandable to more people. He loves to narrate what is going on around him, as well as point out all the vehicle names that he kno...

The cake In Colorado, we celebrated Landon's birthday early because Austin's cousin was getting married on his birthday. We had great-grandparents over as well as cousins around Landon's age and a great-aunt. We had hot dogs, chips, watermelon, gold fish, jello cups, and a monster truck cake- all of Landon's favorite things right now, as well as chicken and veggie skewers for the adults. The grill master! The guests The boys Love his face! Evelyn and Austin set up a kiddy pool with slide and some toys while I decorated the cake. The frosting was a little too liquidy for the grass effect that I was going for, but I think that it tasted good and Landon loved that there were monster trucks on it. Landon enjoyed playing in the water, although I think he found it a little unsettling when Austin's cousin's two boys came to play and he had to share the space. I think he is used to playing at the park or other kids' houses, but not n...

Landon and I finally arrive in Seoul yesterday afternoon after a 4.5 hour flight to San Francisco and a 12 hour flight to Seoul. Alone. The whole week before we left, Landon was sick as a dog with a fever and nasty cough. I finally took him to the doctor when his fever didn't go away, and she diagnosed him with pneumonia and advised us not to travel. The only problem was that there was a good chance I would have to delay another 2 weeks because of the company policy, and by that point, Austin would probably be coming back soon, so Landon and I would end up stranded in America. She said at the very least not to fly with him if he had a fever. Well, I was very conflicted. I didn't want him to spread his germs, and I especially didn't want him to have some sort of respiratory attack on a plane flying over the ocean. I was crying and heart broken that Landon would not get to see Austin as soon. Well, after a good cry, I prayed about what I should do. I asked for my son to be h...