Well, not really. We're visiting the grandparents before the big trip, so it's kind of great to have been forced to pack a week early. Every day, we realize things we've forgotten to do or pack, so it means we still have time to take care of them.
I have to say, I feel like a bit of a rock star for packing so well. In only 4 suitcases, I was able to fit:
- clothes, jackets, rain coats, shoes for 4 people
- beach mats, towels, bathing suits, water shoes, sunscreen, hats, mosquito net, UV cover for the stroller
- life jackets for both kids
- a helmet and scooter for Big J
- tons of art supplies for Big J, art supplies for me
- a jolly jumper for Little J
- part of a wooden train set, puzzles, a doll, stuffed animals, baby toys, books
- my big digital SLR
Anyone have any travel must haves to recommend?
3 more days...
2 comments:
I've started bringing a sleeping/face mask with me on flights; it's the only way I've gotten an extended snooze in that context. In a pinch, I pull my snow hat over my eyes, and it's pretty good. It also helps when you're in a place that has different sunlight than you're used to (i.e. for battling jet lag).
Another thing is a stereo audio splitter, so you can plug two sets of headphones into your ipad.
An (obviously YMMV) suggestion I have is a few OTC meds (still sealed in the blister pack). Ibuprofen for a headache, Immodium AD (just in case you eat something bad and need to avoid running to the wasroom every hour on a flight), Cetirizine for a random allergy attack, and diphenhydramine as a sleeping aid. I bring just a few of each, not the whole medicine cabinet. I'll just say this: the Immodium was priceless on this one Greyhound trip I took about 10 years ago.
Lastly, we've run into some first aid situations on our recent travels, and some alcohol swabs, little packets of triple antibiotic cream, and tweezers have all been super-handy. I guess this isn't as relevant, cause you can just buy this stuff when you get where you're going.
Happy travels!
Thanks, yo! Great suggestions, all of them.
I didn't even think to bring Immodium on this trip, since I generally think to bring it when travelling to places where one might contract food or water bourne illnesses. But it's good to be reminded about it. I think I'll buy some, just to have it on hand.
M. is a huge proponent of the sleep mask, and even uses one at home. I don't know why, but I find the sight of him sleeping in it hilarious. He's convinced me of the merits of using them on flights though, and I agree, they're a great call.
What's the trade name of Cetirizine?
For anyone who is interested in travelling with kids and drugging them, we learned (the hard way) that the recommended dose of Benadryl does not work. When we took Big J to Israel, we tried it, and it didn't work in the slightest.
A doctor friend (and his sister in law, a pediatrician) told us what to give as an effective dose. It's about double the recommended. Me covering my you know what: don't try it without speaking to your doctor. Me telling you the truth: we tried way more than the recommended dose with Big J on the first leg of our journey, but not double, because I was too scared. It didn't work, and 2 hours after dosing him up, he was bouncing off the walls. For the second leg, we doubled. It worked within half an hour, and he slept soundly for a solid 6 hours. Hmmmm....what to do....
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