Babysitters overseas- what can i say

We are leaving China tomorrow back home to the U.S. I have managed to find a little bit of childcare in Spain, South Africa, India, Singapore and China but with some bumps in the road for sure. My general rule is that I try to get a strong recommendation from someone I trust. Then I do a test drive for one hour. I have learned that the good hotels are so eager to please that they put the most trusted people in your room and they are usually fulltime employees. In India and China where it is not uncommon to go sans diaper- I have found the diaper either backwards, or dirty or just plain gone. But in all of these areas I did feel she was safe. If anything I found that they were so eager to please that they let our little one take total control. "She wouldn't let me put her pants on" and "she said she didn't want to go to bed". She is 2. So with a little homework and a little preparation it is possible to have the occassional dinner out or two hour break while you are overseas. But be prepared for things to be done a little bit different..... its all about being flexible right?

What is in the mysterious 2nd suitcase

We are packing again.

Leaving tonight from Singapore to Quingdao, China. I share a suitcase with my daughter and I make sure it all fits. If it doesn't, some of the clothes have to go. But I am not that switched on, I travel with a second suitcase- it holds "the stuff". And by the way, it is filled to the brim- everytime we fly. But what is in it? If you asked me I couldn't really tell you. I caught myself telling someone that it had sippy cups, plates, spoons, a little folding high chair, a couple of toys, two or three books. But that alone cannot even fill a carry on bag. So what is the rest- a bag with the pool stuff (but that is small) Her little hairclips (thats a stretch) . I am actually sitting here not able to tell you what fills up the mysterious 2nd suitcase. It is bigger than the clothes one I assure you. Without doing an inventory I can't really tell you anything else- but the fact stands that when you have a kid there is just a lot of "stuff" . Unexplainable, unidentifiable, stuff. Make sure you don't forget any of it! : )

Christmas on the Move

It has been very fun to be overseas this year but of course at holiday time we were feeling a little homesick. We wanted to try and make this year as festive as possible for our little girl as it is her second year away from our families. We are currently in Singapore which is a fairly easy place to get sorted but not exactly cheap. So we had to do a bit of creative planning to get the presents under our 1 foot tree. We managed to get it all done and have a great year but like the old saying goes, there is no place like home!

Packing for overseas...like they have never heard of babies...

We have been traveling now for a year and a half but only the past two months have we been officially on the move. First Spain, now South Africa. We are lucky in that my husband's company ships one box for us wherever we go. Because my husbands sailing team is filled with young families- the big curiosity is: What did everyone put in their box?

Myself, being an overzealous type A personality- put one or more of everything. One Tylenol (paracetamol) and one of every other medicine a baby could ever need for every ailment that could come up. I also put in a few of everything required for our meals- bottles, plates, fork, knifes, spoon, cups, bowl, etc etc. And then the rest- one pair of scissors, one tape, one suntan lotion, one towel, one set of swimming floaters, and more- seriously one of everything.

Currently we are on our 2nd of 9 stops and all of the families pretty much agree- we don't even need what was in the ever so precious box. Reality check for me: other countries have children too! I have pulled out some of the stuff but of the 20+ books, we probably could get by with like 4 and by the way- it is fun to buy books and toys from other countries.

So if you are traveling abroad- first- take a deep breath. Almost everything (including the brands that you like) are found overseas. Economies of scale don't stop at the U.S. border. Unless you are doing some crazy cool trip to an exotic place that doesn't sell anything- then you are probably going to find what you need when you arrive. Of course we don't want to buy everything twice so we use our reusables- bottles and plates etc etc. But it is the "just in case" stuff that you may want to go without. Fortunately or unfortunately- Babies R Us has spread it's wings.

So tonight I am packing my box for Singapore and leaving it half empty. The local homeless shelter can use my "just in case" stuff today!

Home Sweet Home... in the bathroom?

Our energetic daughter is not really one for just calmly going to sleep in mom’s arms. In fact we can’t even put her to sleep if we are in the room. So on our resent 12 day trip along the Garden Route in South Africa we found a special place for her in all of our hotels- the bathroom. Her small crib fit perfectly in them all. The last bathroom was so big we were actually moving it around to decide where to put it.

The bathroom worked for her, and us. We often had to put a bit of padding around the crib and under to soften the sleeping and the escaping. I am pretty sure all of the cleaners along the way thought we were crazy. We would have used the closet but it was too small! Parents have to do whats necessary sometimes!

Has your little one slept in any creative places?

Movin' into the toddler seat- kind of

Our crazy 1.6 year old is struggling to stay put in the highchair these days, because she thinks she is 16 years old instead. She is much happier sitting at the table in a normal seat but the pint size nutter can't even see over the table. So I have found this nifty little folding toddler seat from JANE Baby Products. It comes with a removable tray (which I only use at home) and I just slide the little seat in the bottom of our stroller and we head out. Here in Spain, many of the restaurants don't have highchairs anyway- so it is not really an option. So far this has worked very well, and she thinks it is cool to sit in, in our hotel room. The seat is called the JANE MOVE HIGHCHAIR with Carrying Bag. Here is a picture. I couldn't easily find their website but it seems to be sold in a lot of places...

Baby Sitters in Foreign Countries

We are currently on mainland Spain living in a hotel for 4 weeks- it's actually going pretty well and we have our routine down now. I thought the adjustment from our home in the Canary Islands to here may be a problem but our little girl didn't even see it on her radar. So here we are and quite happy to be in a place of plentiful food products!

Because my husbands job requires some evening social activities- we are always trying to figure out how to get local babysitters. We are not required to go to events- but hey, they are fun and who doesn't like to go out once in awhile. I know the babysitting services can work but I would just prefer to have a recommendation from someone who actually has used the service. I usually ask around to some of the local people that are working with my husbands sailing team to see if they are interested or know someone good. But it is not easy. So far I have been lucky but things will get tougher as the language barrier becomes a problem. Next stop- South Africa....

If you have thoughts or recommendations on finding childcare overseas- send them our way...

Send in your thoughts on great vacations with little ones...

Do you have a favorite vacation spot with your little ones. Although we have traveled a lot with our little one- we haven't actually been to too many places just for vacation.... But we did take the little one car camping on the American River near Auburn, CA when she was 3 months old and had an amazing time. Loaded up the car with everything but the kitchen sink and off we went. We met up with two other families and just sat by the campfire and enjoyed sitting by the river. (And the mom's snuck away to raft down the river- it was mother's day!) If you have a favorite vacation spot- resort, country, city, activity - let us know about it....

Cheap, Easy, Practical

One of the more useful items that I have found is the Gerber Spill Proof Water Spout- a nifty little blue top that pops onto almost any water bottle (I use them in multiple countries!) and turns it into a kid friendly sippy cup. They are small, portable and cheap- and take up a lot less space then your normal cups. They can leak some but it is a heck of a lot better than pouring the whole bottle on their lap during take off.....

And this was the crib I bragged about....

Don't know if it is the portable crib or the insanely determined baby, but either way- my husband and I now have a 25lb. problem on our hands...

Enjoy the clip....

Passports: Thank you Glenda...

So, as previously reported- I had sent my passports from Toronto to Houston TX for a Chinese Visa- and somehow on their journey they were lost. Let's see- the overnight Canadian company Puralator handed them off to DHL in the U.S., who proceeded to open them, put them in another envelope, and then put a new address on them to the wrong place- a family in West Virginia. Then, as a result of major layoffs DHL had that week, they handed them straight over to the U.S. Postal Service- Yes you read that right- $60.00 for overnight delivery turned into a regular old piece of mail. And consequently- no one could figure out where the passports were- because the tracking codes had changed so much. That was until I got a call from Glenda. Glenda works in the Houston Texas processing center for the U.S. Postal Service. She said- "honey, tell me your story" and I did, and she informed me she was on the case and would call me later that day. Well, miracles happen- she tracked the passports down- put them in her hot little hand- and made sure they were delivered that day.

All is resolved and we are now back in Europe with visions of attaching our passports to our body with a staple gun. It all worked out but I would say that lady Glenda luck was on my side this time!

Did I really send our passports away.....

We are currently in Canada and have devoted most of the past two weeks to trying to get my 16 month year old under control after so much travel. Just in case you are wondering- it's not really working but anyway-

I have been told that I need to get our visas for China done in the U.S. and since we aren't going to be back in North America again, I thought I would just Fed Ex the application and passports to a service in the U.S. (from Canada) and then they will take care of it, send them back and we would be good to go. We had 15 days to get this done.

WELL- Fed Ex from Canada takes about 5 days and I have been told customs can hold our passports for up to 5 WORKING days to verify them. So- now I am praying big time that they make it back here by the time we are suppose to leave or I will have one grumpy husband on my hands. Yikes. I will keep you posted on this one.

Can we file this under- what not to do??????

Reader Question about travel to Canada and Parent Letter

Melissa wrote the following question to us that I thought may be handy information for others:

I am wondering if you could tell me if I can use a birth certificate to take my baby to Canada by bus and also where I may go to get the letter notarized from the other parent not traveling with us. Thanks, Melissa.

The rules regarding bringing a child to Canada have been a little unclear the past year. I believe that parents now need a passport while babies can get by with a birth certificate but you should check on line with the US passport agency. Check this page for information: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1082.html To get the letter from another parent notarized, you can usually go to places like Mail Boxes Etc. and other places that ship packages . If you can't find something like that near you, you can ask any law office, accounting office, mortgage office, real estate office etc. if they can help. They often will for a small fee. Sometimes there are listings in the phone book yellow pages under Notary. Good luck!

The damn carseat on the plane-

Everytime I get on a plane- the whole carseat debate starts up again- and on our recent trip last week from Sweden to the States- it was no different. Because there is no consistency I hear different commands each time: "it has to be next to the window", "it can't be next to the window" "you have to buckle it in the back" " you have to buckle it on top" "it's too big" "it should be rear facing" (even though it is a forward facing seat) To be honest, I don't really care as long as I have it buckled in and the kid is safely in it. When I get the too big comment, I turn it over and show them the sticker to pacify them. And I try to pick my battles. So don't be alarmed if you get on the plane and you hear something completely different from your last trip (even on the same airline.) The worst thing that could happen is that you are not allowed to use it and that could make your trip extra long.

A must have when you are traveling: Adaptability (a note from Stockholm)

The munchkin and I arrived in Stockholm this week. We are just here for 8 days to visit my husband before heading back to Canada for a month. The "corporate" apartment that his company has found for us is teeny tiny but when we got here I thought- "it's fine, it's only a week". To put it in perspective, it is like a small hotel room, open the door and there is just a bed (no table, no couch, chairs)- but this is not a hotel room so you can't call room service or drop your laundry down at the desk. So it has been about 5 days now and I have decided the following-

First, to my surprise, the small size is not a problem- our little one seems to be perfectly happy running in circles, and I am not worried about what she is up to at anytime. So as I put clothes away she is busy pushing a little walker thing I bought into the wall and then turning it around to take 6 steps in the other direction before turning it around again. She thinks it is quite funny, and consequently, so do I.

And second- I have adjusted to not having a bath tub, washer dryer, high chair, kettle, and dishwasher but accordingly am counting the days til we leave. I realize now that it is easy to go without one or two of them, but all of them makes things a little unpleasant. There is the small voice in my head saying- "most of the world has none of this, and they are just fine, so grunt up!" but still- just one or two would make a huge difference. We came prepared- we brought our little chair that clips on any table- but the problem came when there was no table. So it was time to adapt- We have friends here so I managed a mid-trip laundry yesterday at their house and now that problem is solved. I also managed a long bath for the baby there so now I don't feel so bad for the 30 second showers she gets. We sit on the floor for a picnic most meals- and it is generally working or I wouldn't be changing so many diapers. And a little elbow grease on the bottles and dishes is not a bad thing. Honestly, we are managing just fine- this is Stockholm, not remote Nepal.

So, I am going with the flow (or the lack of flow I guess) and am reminding myself about that humor thing that always needs to be top of the packing list. Stockholm is an awesome city for babies and kids, and there are honestly playgrounds on most blocks. Public transportation is incredibly easy, and the restaurants and public bathrooms are ready for kids. It can be a tad bit expensive (especially for our declining U.S. dollar) but I found a fantastic second hand toy store here and we now have some fun little Swedish toys covering the one little empty spot in our room...

The Pea Pod- Handy Dandy when you are on the move....

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We originally got the Pea Pod from Kidco upon a recommendation from a friend. It is a small pop up tent that can also be a bed. It protects from sun and bugs and also comes with an inflatable matress and a comforter type sheet. We loved it-used it inside and out at the beach and the hotel. It is generally geared to younger babies because they will grow out of it- but it fits nicely in the bottom of a suitcase and pops up by itself. The Pea Pod takes a second to learn how to fold up- but after the first time, you will be a champ. It makes a great gift...



The Kidco website has a lot of good information about how to fold, size dimensions, uses, etc.

One month to go...

In one month from now, my husband and I, along with the 15 month old munchkin- will really start traveling. Over the next 13 months, as we start our trip around the world- we will get on at least 40 planes, 8 of which are "long haul" flights (over 6 hours) at least one train (from Gothenberg to Stockholm) and quite a few boats. Since the baby is now officially a "toddler" things should probably really get interesting. The glory of the first tantrum on the plane awaits me. My mind is racked with constant packing concerns- that's the gear head in me. Because of the number of stopovers, we were not able to get e-tickets- so along with the responsibility of making sure I have my kid, diapers, AND food- now I have to make sure I have these damn tickets- and that the little one doesn't eat them.

This should make for some good laughs and no doubt will lead to many a good stories for Baby Jetsetter....

Kelty Kid Carrier Backpack- Cool and functional for the aiport

I recently bought the Kelty Child Carrier so that I could capture my toddler in the airport and get on the plane with some order in place. I had decided that it gave me another option for containing her, once the stroller was gone and I had to carry my stuff on the plane. When she is not in it, the kid carrier cinches up small and it is just a normal backpack. When I need to trap her, I just uncinch the straps and slide her in. I get some great looks as I am boarding the plane- but it keeps my hands free so I can still hold passports and tickets and anything else I may have with me. http://www.kelty.com



My favorite feature is the mini-backpack that zips off the front. I put the babies "essentials" for the flight in there and then when I get to the seat- I just unzip the front pack, and throw everything else (except of course the kid) in the overhead compartment. It works well for me.

The cons are that it does become quite heavy and sticks out quite far when totally loaded. (It holds a maximum load of 40lbs- that's gear and kid combined.) Also, it doesn't really work as well as my framed backpack for carrying her around for a long day of sightseeing, etc. I gave it a go and it worked for about an hour. But in the airport- it's perfect.

Finally An Answer on Social Security Number for U.S. Passport

One reader left this comment for us about the question we were trying to resolve about whether or not you need a social security number to apply for a U.S. passport. Her answer confirms one point we have been making along the way- it seems the answer is a bit different depending on whether you apply in the U.S. or at an embassy....

I applied for my daughters US passport in February when she was only a few weeks old. I was confused as well and made a few calls as I needed that passport asap and I learned her social security number wouldn't come to us for another few months. But it turned out you do not need a social security number for your baby just fill in zero's. We applied for it in person in San Francisco and got it without any problems the same day. Not sure where you will apply for it, but at the moment I am in the process of getting her an Dutch passport as well. It turns out that 'the rules' are not the same of where you apply. Either in the country it self or at a consulate in another country. It even differs per consulate the paperwork and proof you need. Make contact with the place you are going to go to get the passport to make sure you got the right papers with you when you go in. Hope this helps.

Which car seats are approved for the plane?

There are about 15 other women that I know who will be traveling around the world for the upcoming sailboat race that my husband is participating in- and we are starting to get all of our ducks in a line as we leave in a few months. During a discussion today, it came up that it is very hard to know which car seats are FAA approved, or approved for the airplane or will even fit on an airplane. I had just gone through this myself while I was researching my car seat- the Graco Platinum Car Go (see my review under travel gear). For this group of moms, we will probably flying more than we are in a car, so the needs for the car seat are a bit different.

Here are some facts that I have learned about car seats on the plane.

1. The car seat has to either go by the window or in the middle of the middle seats- basically not in the way of anyone exiting the plane.
2. The car seats do not say FAA approved on them but instead they say something like- THIS CAR SEAT IS APPROVED FOR AIRCRAFT TRAVEL
3. Most car seats will fit if they have a general set up, by this I mean there are some great car seats out there that are portable and small but require a top tether- and this is not approved for Aircraft travel
4. There is no list of car seats approved for airplanes out there. When you buy, you should look at the box or model or call the company to confirm that it is approved.
5. The airlines (usually the flight attendants or pursor) WILL check to see if the car seat is approved for aircraft travel.
6. My sticker was almost impossible to find. It was not on the sides with all of the other safety information but instead on the very bottom kind of tucked away. I am glad I looked because on the plane with the kid strapped in, that could have become interesting. (She wouldn't like to be upside down for five minutes I don't think)
7. To my understanding, the seat cannot be wider than 16 inches (40.64 cm's) . This is where things may get interesting. I am sure there are seats out there that are approved but that are a little wider and an airlines may give you a hard time about this. I don't know the maximum length for an infant car seat (between the seat in front of you) but I took my Graco Snug Ride on and it fit but just by a hair. If it had been bigger the seat in front of us would not have been able to recline.
8. Regardless of whether or not your car seat is "aircraft approved" , you should check with the individual airlines to find out if they have specific regulations- I have read that some don't let car seats on that are over a certain age or that have certain types of straps.
   

This doesn't answer the all important question of which car seats are best for air travel but hopefully it will help clarify what you are looking for.