Fota Wildlife Park

July 14, 20132 Comments

We had expected to be able to move in to our house yesterday. However, as we were getting ready to leave Seattle a few days ago, our landlord contacted us to let us know that his tenants wouldn’t be moved out until Monday. So, instead of unpacking and settling in to our new home this weekend, we found ourselves with some free time on our hands. We rarely have free time together as a family–let alone a whole weekend–let alone in a foreign country. Plus, the church we found here is out of town on a retreat this weekend so we didn’t even have that to go to today. All that to say, we got another family fun day today. Yahoo!

We decided to drive just outside of the Cork City Center to the Fota Wildlife Park.

It’s a really neat zoo with free-roaming and barely-fenced-in animals–perfect for getting up close and personal with the wildlife. Here’s Jon walking up to some Mara (large South American rodents) and wallabies:

There were also zebras, ostriches, and giraffes in a large enclosure near the entrance:

We saw lots of monkeys, including a sprightly baby Gibbon (on the roof in this photo):

All of the monkeys are housed on their own private islands:

We had so much fun at Fota that we bought a membership so we can return again soon!

On our way back to Cork we drove through the town of Cobh (formerly called Queenstown). This was the last port that Titanic stopped at to pick up passengers before making her fateful journey out to sea. Coincidentally, this is also the port where the ship Lusitania was sunk by a German U-Missile , thus instigating World War I. Besides it’s fascinating history, Cobh is just a quaint little town:

From Cobh we caught the (2 minute ride) car ferry back across the water to Rochestown (where our house is).

Tomorrow will be moving day and Jon’s first day of work–back to reality!

I’ve Moved…To Ireland!

July 14, 20131 Comment

Well folks, it actually happened–we moved to Ireland! It’s been a very busy last few weeks of planning and packing, but we are finally here. International move with two children under the age of three: check. And the best news? We all survived the move with all of our stuff and (most of) our patience still intact.

I will continue to post on this blog, but for the next couple of weeks I will be doing most of my writing on my “Ireland Blog” at toirelandwego.wordpress.com

Feel free to check it out and see what we’ve been up to across the pond!

Inchydoney Beach

July 13, 2013Leave a comment

Ireland is currently experiencing the hottest summer they’ve had in 15 years. It’s been near 80 degrees since we got here–definitely warm by Seattle standards, and unheard of by Irish standards. We decided to take advantage of the sunshine today and skip out on our responsibilities (i.e. setting up utilities and looking for a car) so we could go to the beach. Seems reasonable to me.

The lady who owns the house we’re staying in recommended place called Inchydoney Beach. It’s about an hour outside if Cork in the west side of the county on the Atlantic Ocean. Driving up to the beach was breathtaking!

Seeing as every Irish person went to the beach today, it was quite busy at the beach. We snagged the last empty parking space and walked down to the sand.

After we dropped off our stuff, it was time to play! This was the first time 75% of our family had been in the Atlantic Ocean.

David had fun playing in the waves.

Beautiful place, beautiful day, beautiful boys.

On our way back to Cork we drove through some cute little towns…

…and almost got run off the road by this tractor:

Until later, friends!

Our First Day In Ireland

July 12, 20133 Comments

Today was our first full day in Ireland. We slept in and then spent the rest of the day exploring.

We started by going to a Vodafone store in town and signing up for new cell phone plans. Priorities, people! We now have (local) calling/texting capability as well as Internet access.

After getting our phones taken care of we drove up to our new house. We can’t move in until Monday, but I still wanted to see where it was.

Here is the outside of the house–it’s a middle unit in a 4-unit townhouse:

There is a nice grassy field across the street from our house in the middle of our neighborhood. David and Bota will have so much fun playing here!

We walked down the block to Garryduff Sports Center, the sports complex that our yard backs up to. They have soccer fields, tennis courts, and even a small golf course:

After walking around our neighborhood for a while, we decided to go check out the walking path that leads to Jon’s office.

It was a nice walk that took us over the water, past a small castle, and through the woods.

We went in to Cypress and saw Jon’s new office.

On our walk back from Cypress we stopped by the Mahon Point Shopping Center to look around.

We got smoothies and let the boys play in the shopping center play area. I can see myself spending many rainy days here!

We ate dinner at our rental house then had some playtime out in the courtyard.

It’s already the boys’ bedtime here–good thing, because we’re all tired from our busy day!

We Have Arrived!

July 12, 20132 Comments

This will be a quick post because I have to write on my phone until we get internet hooked up at our house, but I wanted to give an update on our trip out to Ireland. Here are our travel highlights:

We realized our credit card was lost when we tried to check in for our flight. The restaurant that we’d lost it at found the card, my mom picked it up, and drove it back to the airport just in time for us to board our flight.

Our flights were on time (Yahoo!)

The boys both fell asleep within 20 minutes of takeoff.

Jacob slept in the ergo on my lap for 8 hours. My arms were numb but the passengers around us were grateful to not have a screaming baby on their flight.

London-Heathrow is a crazy maze of an airport with a bajillion security checkpoints designed to never let you get to your connecting flight. Note to self: Do NOT try to navigate this madness with a short layover and a sleep-deprived 2-year old (especially if you don’t have a stroller!).

David had the wildest toddler meltdown I’ve ever witnessed while we were RUNNING through the London airport. It was so bad they let us cut in front of the entire security line to go straight through. Saved us 30 minutes of line-waiting and allowed us to actually catch our connecting flight. Well played, David.

We actually caught our connecting flight. It was close, but we made it just in time–sweat-drenched and stressed out, but we made it.

The airline lost our stroller and car seat (they have now been found and returned). This was actually a good thing, because it allowed us to pack all of our bags into our rental car at the airport (we really didn’t think it would all fit into one car!).

Our rental house (while we’re waiting for our real house to be ready for move in in Monday) is awesome! We have 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, and even a basketball hoop in the courtyard 🙂 The lady who is renting this house to us also stocked our kitchen with bread and pastries from her local bakery, milk, cheese, butter, jam, and tea–Because she knew we would be hungry after our long day of travel. Have I mentioned how much I love Irish people?

We ate McDonald’s for our first dinner in Ireland 🙂

We got food, showers, and naps.

We got a good night’s sleep.

Today we will go see our new house and explore our new neighborhood.

It is sunny and 75° here–gorgeous!!!

We are excited to see more of Ireland today!

Goodbye, USA

July 10, 20131 Comment

Pinch me, because I can’t believe this is actually happening. We’re moving to Ireland. Today. What the WHAT?!

It’s pretty surreal that in a few hours I will actually be getting on a plane with our two children and going “home” to a house I’ve never seen before. Our “Grand Adventure” (as I’ve taken to calling this move) has been a long time in coming so I’ve had a lot of time to think about it. Nothing can prepare you, though, for something like this finally happening when it’s actually time to pack up and head out.

When we first found out about our potential move to Ireland 10 months ago I was excited, then nervous, then scared, then at peace with the whole thing. Now I’m at the point where I’m ready to be done with all of the planning and just be there already. We’ve been so BUSY for the last month that I’ve hardly had time to catch my breath, let alone get all emotional about the move (Do you know what kind of paperwork is required to move a family internationally? It’a NUTS! Now I see why all of the Mexicans just walk through the desert when they want to move…Good thinking, amigos.).

Now that I’m taking five minutes to sit down and write this all out, though, I’m realizing that I do have some thoughts that have been hanging in the back of my mind. Like, how I’m really going to miss this place and these people.

This is the house that we brought both of our babies home to after they were born, the place where our family became a family. I decorated the nursery when my belly was out to HEEEEEEERE. My husband hand-laid our wood floors with his dad. We installed the most ridiculous set of closet organizers and shelves that you will ever see in a house (that’s what you get when two Type-A’s shack up together). I’m going to miss all of that.

I’m going to miss Seattle–especially since we are literally moving during the first (unofficial) week of Seattle-Summer (FYI: In the Northwest, Summer starts the day after Independence Day). I’d say that I’m going to miss the rainy days, the greenery and the blue water–but, actually, I’ll have more rainy days, more greenery and more water when I move to the (damp) island of Ireland. I will miss the rush-hour-at-all-hours I-5 traffic, the legalized pot distribution center down the street from our house, and the CONVERGENCE ZONE (OK, so I won’t actually miss any of those things. Stay classy, Seattle.). No, I really do love Seattle and all of it’s unique and quirky traits. I will miss it dearly.

But, most importantly, I will miss the people. Our family and our friends who are like family. We live out our lives with the people we love, and it will be very hard to leave them. I know that we will meet new people and make new friends in our new home–but it’s never quite the same. So, to those of you who know us well, know that you will be missed (and there will always be room for you in our house if you want to come visit!).

I know this will be one exciting ride and I can’t wait to see where it takes us. Goodbye, Seattle. Goodbye, friends. Goodbye, USA.

Hello, Grand Adventure.

My Summer Bucket List

June 6, 2013Leave a comment

Ahhhhhh…summer. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. I may be a bit biased because up until about 2 years ago I had spent my whole life in school (as either a student or a teacher) so summer has always just been the thing I looked forward to all year. Now that I have kids, though, I’m more excited for summer than ever before. Again, I may be a bit biased–as a stay-at-home mom in rainy Seattle I really can’t wait to get the kids outside and finally do something.

A few months ago I made a spring bucket list. I’m happy to report that I have checked off every item from that list…except for two: “plant something” and “fix our yard” (I knew those were bad ideas even as I was writing them. In my defense, though, I did buy a potted basil plant from Trader Joe’s and it’s still alive. I also have managed to keep the dog poop mostly picked up from our back yard, so that’s kinda like fixing the yard, too.). My favorite discovery from my spring bucket list was visiting new parks in our area. I found a lovely gem a few miles away with a wetland boardwalk and a large playground–we’ve already spent several afternoons exploring there.

Now it’s time to see what summer has to offer. This summer will be different from any other that I’ve ever experienced as we’ll be moving to Ireland in July. But what would summer be without a healthy dose of adventure mixed in? Here’s a bit of what I’m planning for this season:

Build sand castles at the beach
Climb a real castle (yay, Ireland!)
Pick fresh berries from a U-pick farm
Ride the car ferry over to Whidbey Island or the Olympic Peninsula for a day trip
Catch the ice cream man
Take in some free children’s concerts in the park
Throw a killer first birthday party for my little Jacob!
Walk down Alki Beach and pretend like I’m in California
Take in a firework show
Get a pedicure so my feet look cute in flip flops
Eat a picnic dinner in a park
Watch an outdoor movie
Take the free ferry over to Jetty Island for some play time at the warm water beach
Make our own Popsicles and eat them outside
Play in the kiddie pool we have hidden under our deck
Play with sidewalk chalk
See a parade (be in a parade?!)
Take David to a baseball game
Barbecue. Lots and lots of BBQ.
NOT get a sunburn
Go bowling (kids bowl free in the summer!)
Walk barefoot in the sand
Borrow my parents’ stand-up paddle boards and get out on the water
Read books with my kids outside under the trees
Go to a farm
Go hiking
Watch a beautiful sunset
Fly a kite
Swim
Roast marshmallows over a fire
Go to the fair
Run through the sprinkler
Play mini golf
Go on a nature walk
Play with water balloons
Blow bubbles
Make ice cream in a bag
Rest (I don’t know how I’ll have time to fit that one in with all of these other fun ideas, but it seems like it would be a good idea!)

What are some of your favorite summertime activities? I’d love some fresh ideas!

10 Tips For Eating Out At A Restaurant With A Toddler

June 5, 2013Leave a comment

My husband and I love trying new restaurants. We enjoy spending hours upon hours conversing over plates of pasta and a bottle of wine. We used to go out all the time, back when it was–you know–just the two of us.

Now we have two little boys and, quite honestly, going out to eat has lost a lot of its charm. Instead of conversing over plates of pasta and a bottle of wine, it’s more like we’re covered in plates of pasta and listening to our kids whine. Difficult as it is to bring the wild banshees–er, children–out to a restaurant, it can still be a rewarding experience. Dining out allows children to experience new foods, develop their dining etiquette, and (let’s not forget) give mom a break from cooking dinner.

With a 2 1/2-year old and a 10-month old baby we’ve developed some tried-and-true strategies for getting through (and even enjoying!) our meals out. Here are my top 10 tips:

Choose where you’re going ahead of time. Make a reservation and review the menu online before you arrive so you can order as soon as you’re seated. Minimal waiting time with a squirrely child = a very good thing.
Choose a family-friendly restaurant. You’ll know you’re in the right place if there are ample high chairs, paper place mats with crayons, easy-to-wipe-up flooring, and kids climbing on the booths. Bonus points if there are balloons available.
Don’t go out to eat with your toddler during peak dining times. Try to hit the early bird special so you’re able to order, get your food, and get out of there quickly.
Feed your child a snack before you go to the restaurant, and bring along extras to eat while you’re waiting for your meals to arrive. Even if you don’t end up eating your snack stash, you’ll be glad you had it if it’s taking an extra-long time for the kitchen to get your order out.
Consider splitting a meal with your toddler rather than ordering him his own. I find that my son is usually so excited by the whole restaurant experience that he doesn’t eat as much when we’re out. Then I get bummed that I wasted $6 on a meal that he barely even touched (Hey, that $6 would have been better spent on a margarita for me!).
Bring along your own entertainment. Books, crayons, Play-doh, and a magna doodle usually work well for us.
Opt for a booth if you’re given the option. I find that they are easier to contain children in than chairs. Another good option is to sit outside where the kids can move around a bit more freely (and where messes are a bit easier to clean up).
Tip your server well. Chances are, you are not the easiest table she’s had tonight. Maybe if you treat the staff well they’ll even invite you back some day!
Bring along some back-up. This may be a great opportunity to invite Grandma and Grandpa out for a nice dinner–especially if they enjoy walking around a restaurant with a squirmy 2-year old so you can finish your entree while it’s still warm.
Bring your patience! Dining out with a toddler is no walk in the park, but hopefully you’ll all make it through the meal in one piece.

Eat on, my friends, eat on!

A Dozen Ingenious Ways To Entertain Your Kids At the Doctor’s Office

May 29, 2013Leave a comment

I recently took Jacob to the doctor for his “well baby” check up and, as always, we had quite a wait for the doctor. It never ceases to amaze me that, even with an appointment, we can spend up to an hour waiting to actually do the checking-up that we are there for (which, by the way, only takes about 5 minutes of the doc’s time). With two kids under the age of 3, one hour of waiting can seem like an eternity. I’ve come up with a few ideas that help the time go a bit faster:

1. Blow up a (clean) exam glove and tie it off at the wrist. Use this as a balloon/ball/chew toy. For a little extra fun, you can fill it with water instead of air to make a squishy water balloon (it feels really neat! Just don’t let your kids chew on this one, please…).

2. Get a wooden tongue depressor and a paper cup from the exam room (they’re usually in plain view, so I consider them fair game for the taking). Poke the tongue depressor through the bottom of the cup–the cup can move up and down the stick, which is apparently quite entertaining to 9-month old babies.

3. Bring crayons and color on the paper exam table covering. There are lots of fun activities that you can do here:

Bring toy cars. Use the crayons you brought along to draw roads on the exam table for your cars to drive on.
If your kids are a bit older, you can play games like tic-tac-toe or hangman.
Trace your child’s body and let him color in his features, clothes, etc.
Draw shapes, letters, animals, etc. and have your child try to guess what you’re drawing before you finish it.
You (or your child) can objects that you find in the room (the bottom of a paper cup, your wallet, his shoe, etc.). Have your child decorate the shapes.
Draw 2 or 3 sketches of common objects and have your child make up a story that involves all of the drawn objects. Or, work together to come up with a sentence that uses all of the objects. If you have a reader, have him help you write the sentence below the pictures.

4. Read books.

5. Play with Play-Doh.

6. Bring a Ziploc bag of Legos and build something together.

7. Play doctor–this is even more fun if you are the patient and your child is the doctor

8. Eat a snack.

9. Have a scavenger hunt using the charts hanging on the walls: Who can find a picture of a hand? Who can find the letter E? Who can find a smiling baby?

10. Wad up some paper towels and have a “snowball” fight (lay out some ground rules first for this one or it may get a bit out of hand!).

11. Fill the sink or a paper cup with some water and play “sink or float”. Take turns putting small objects in the water (a cotton ball, a crayon, a paperclip, a penny). Guess if the object will sink or float, then put it in the water to see what happens.

12. And, if all else fails, hand over your iPhone and let them watch Blue’s Clues 🙂

Mother’s Day Thumbprint Flower Craft

May 8, 20132 Comments

As you can tell by the content of this blog, I love being a mom. “Mom” is really a title of honor, and I wear it with a lot of pride. You can imagine, then, how excited I get for Mother’s Day. But it’s not just for me. I have an amazing mom, the mom who taught me how to be a mom. She has inspired me, encouraged me, prayed over me, and loved me my whole life–and now she is continuing this legacy with my children. This weekend we get to honor all of the wonderful moms out there, and that’s something to celebrate!

I usually make cards for my mom and mother-in-law on Mother’s Day, and this year I wanted to get my boys in on the action. Since they’re so young, I wanted to do something simple that would also be somewhat personalized. I found some cute ideas for thumbprint crafts and poems online, so I just melded them all together to create this craft. I will be making mine into cards, but you could just as easily frame the artwork to make a keepsake gift. Enjoy!

Thumbprint Flower How-To:

Materials:

White paper
Green marker or crayon
Paint (green and at least one other color)
(Optional) Crayons to decorate

Trim a piece of white paper to your desired size (I just cut a piece of printer paper in half so I could make two pictures per card).
Use a green marker to draw a stem/stems on your paper.
Paint a small circle slightly above your stem
Put a small amount of paint on a plate. Dip one of your child’s fingertips into the paint and dab it around the painted circle to make the flower petals. You will probably be able to make 3-4 “petals” before you need to get more paint on your fingertip. You can use one color for the petals or a variety of colors. When you are done painting the flower petals, wipe off your finger (unless you like your 2-year old having red fingerpaint up his nose. Just sayin’.)
Put a dot of green paint on a plate. Dip your child’s thumb into the green paint and use it to make leaves on the flower stem. Now wipe off your thumb.
After your flower has dried completely, you can decorate your picture. Older kids may enjoy drawing grass, sunshine, sky, clouds, birds, etc. to complete the artwork. I also typed up the following poem to attach to my flowers:
A piece of me I give to you
I used my thumb and fingers, too.
I made you this flower so you will know
How much I love you as I grow.
A mother’s love and tender care
Make happiness bloom everywhere!
Sign your child’s name and the year, wrap it up all pretty-like, and watch your mom swoon!

To all the moms and grandmas out there, Happy Mother’s Day! I hope you feel honored and blessed on your special day!

We Love, Teach, Grow

My journey through motherhood

Tag: kids