Parents Survival Guide when Traveling to Disney with 2 young kids

I'm writing this when traveling to Disney and staying at a Condo/type place. Feel free to improvise with hotel. Everything is pretty much the same anyway.

~ When thinking about what type of stroller to bring..... STOP. Just rent a double stroller at the park. Dragging luggage + a stroller through the airport is a bitch. (Especially when they make you fold it up to put through the scanning machine) Just say no to bringing a stroller. If anything, bring an umbrella stroller if you need to stroll the smaller child in the airport.

~ I'm gonna assume you are renting a van/car. Dragging 2 car seats around an airport won't do. If you have 2 year old, you will want that little rug rat in a car seat on the plane. Bring just the one, and rent the other through your car rental company for your older child. They will pass out just like driving in the car. You don't want that 2 year old thinking they have the option to get up. If they know they are restrained, they will surrender easier. Enterprise was fabulous. They had the other car seat ready for our 5 year old.

~Be sure to pack an extra outfit for each child in your carry-on. Your child may puke or have a blowout on the plane which will leave their clothing uninhabitable.

~ Try to get a straight flight with no stops. Less stressful if ya can.

~ Bring 1 sippy/type cup per child, or straw cup with you walking around the parks. Replenish with water, juice, or milk when needed. Or just bring juice boxes...whatever your kids prefer. They will be thirsty ALL the time. This will save you money if you just prepare ahead.

~Moms and Dads, you will also be thirsty! If you want to save money, bring a water bottle to replenish, and bring a MIO Water Enhancer. Just a few squirts in your bottle, and it has caffeine in it as well!

~Pack light and do laundry. You will need space to put all your souvenirs, new clothing, mouse hats, and toys! Trust me. You think you won't purchase much, but you will!

~Walking Shoes! Get some expensive, amazing walking shoes. Your body will thank you! I highly recommend ABEO shoes from The Walking Company. It's nice to have your kids in great shoes as well, but they won't be walking as much as you.

~There are bathrooms everywhere, so don't worry!

~ I was worried about bringing my fancy camera, so I left it at home. Enjoy the moments, and use your camera phone. There are plenty of photo ops that the Disney people take for you. I did purchase a cheap $80 camera, and it was worse than my phones camera.

~If you feel like it, purchase some cheap glow sticks before you leave. These come in handy at night on your stroller or in your kids hands. They are also $15 cheaper than all the light up toys you will be forced to purchase for your kids at night while they are screaming for them at every kiosk walking around.

~Stop at the open play areas for kids every now and then so the kids can jump out and run free! This is great to do to get their energy out!

~Keep suckers in your purse. This is last resort to solving any temper tantrum before you can actually get to solving whatever issue your child is having. Pop a sucker in their mouth to relieve neighboring parents from hearing your demon childs screams.

~MEN: This is a little TMI. Get Glide anti-chaffing stick...for those thigh areas that rub when you walk. Or wherever you would need it........I'm not a dude, but I know the men on my trip used this item.

~Bring coloring books/crayons/dvds for your condo/hotel stay

~Rain Slickers! It did rain a few times, and those would have come in handy.

~Pack all the snacks! SNACKS. Goldfish, raisins, nutragrain bars, cheerios, sandwiches, whatever! Never go empty. These kids will want to eat at the most random of times. Just when you think they are full, they are not!

~TOYS! If you want to make the kids happy, and not spend a lot...you would be amazed how great all the key chain toys are! They are the most inexpensive, and the kids LOVE them. Dex got a Star Wars light saber key chain that lights up. Better than packing a life size one! They each got stuffed animal ones of Eyore and Minnie Mouse. So easy to pack, too! 

Hope these pointers help some of you out!

2nd child gets no blogs.

It's been a year since I last blogged. Poor Wren will have no knowledge of all the cool things she has done and said. I figured I better try to update as much as I can remember, while I have a chance to type. I basically took a year to dive into my photography world, and I sorta let the ball drop with this site.

So here goes. Wren is 2, and Dex is almost 5 now. Things have been busy, like most families households. Wren is just a character. I think she is our comedian. The kids don't listen to me, ever, and I feel like I could have been a drill sergeant back in the day. She always cheers me up, though, when it seems as if I have been shouting all day to them. I will be in the midst of giving orders, and she will look at me and start laughing, or try to loosen me up by tickling me. She knows how to turn my "mad" to "glad". She amazes me sometimes, at how she knows how to read me.

 The differences between the two children, is vast. They both have their bad days, but really are quite easy to take them out in the public. They love to go grocery shopping, running errands, etc. Lately Wren is a little troublesome, and strong willed. This is the terrible two stage. We did not have that with Dex. He was terrible threes. She just has a lot of stranger danger, and takes a bit to warm up to new people. She loves her daddy, as does Dex. They just light up when they see him. He is the fun one, after all!

Wren is my budding artist. It makes my heart SING to watch her concentrate on drawing, painting, and molding. She's a natural. Sitting quietly at the table is not something Dex ever did...but taking apart my old printer or Derricks old computer...he will sit for HOURS. We have our own tiny little us's.

 Dexter is more on the sensitive side, and tends to cry at most anything. I'm sure this is something that I should love in the future, but we are trying to toughen him up a bit, because right now...it's just the tiniest things that set him off. It could be just saying, the store is closed...or we are out of honey. Just anything, really. lol.

Miss Wren has gotten our horrible skin. She is always rashy. I stock up on all sorts of creams. Nothing helps. I don't care what anyone says...I have tried it all. Sometimes it goes away, then it comes back. Dexter has gotten my horrible allergies. Boy has had a cough for a year, I swear. I know we will have to get him tested at some point...but I am going to hold off and try allergy meds and see what happens as he gets older. Ya can't use much when they are this young, anyway.

Little lady still uses pacis. She is the paci queen. I thought Dex loved them. This gal needs like 8 in her bed. Dex stopped using them at 2, but I think Wren will be utilizing them a bit longer. AND THAT IS OK. Please never judge someones kid for using a paci. It's quite alright. I promise you, I have never seen an adult use one. I really don't care what ya'll think of my parenting, but just throwing that out there. :P I'm keeping my baby a baby as long as I can, since she is our last one. As for potty training, she could care less. She gets me her diapers when she needs a new one, and brings me her butt cream. She has zero interest in the potty. Dex was potty trained by 3, and got up to go potty at night as well. It just clicks when it clicks.

Dex has been in preschool since he turned 3, and that has helped him a lot. He is fabulous at school, following direction, learning, behaving. It seems as though he forgets it all when he comes home. Duhr! Dex and Wren get on each others nerves right now. They are always annoying each other left and right. I guess that is normal? Sometimes they have awesome moments of cuteness, though. Dex will try to help Wren do something, and I am just loving the moment, but then Wren ruins it by yelling at him to go away or something. Now that Dex is in the Junior Kindergarten room, he has to sign his full name in before he begins class. It's so cool to see him sit at the Dex and sign in. His new teacher already loves him, and told me that on the first day he fixed their cash register for them. He also lined up all the cones outside for the class as well...He likes order and structure, and fixing stuff.

As for Derrick and I, we have a Vegas wedding trip in a few weeks without the kiddos, and a Disnleyland family trip in December. I am praying Wren is ok on the airplane. She HATES rides, elevators, heights, movement, boats, you name it. I just laugh, because I remember putting her in the infant swing, and she would FLIP out. Even as a newborn. She would flinch her arms in fear she was falling. I couldn't believe a newborn disliked the baby swing?! As she has grown, it is clear as day, she still dislikes this sort of stuff. When we took her on her first merry go round thing, she screamed, as well. I gotta admit, I hate all that stuff, too.

So, that is a wrap. I gotta go. Byeeeeee