Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Car entertainment for traveling toddler

Reading other blogs I found some helpful advice on what to bring to entertain toddler in a car. 
Here is what we did for our 15 month old on our round trip from Oceanside, Ca to Tillamook, Oregon; 16 hour road trip. She was teething the way to Oregon. Her top and bottom morals cut through. She was pretty sad the first leg of the trip. 

We broke the trip up into 3 days and stopped more than I would without a child, about every two hours. On the return trip we took 2 days. The last day of travel was miserable for Lyra. She was feeling very trapped, as anyone would in strapped in a car seat for hours. We drove eight plus hours. She screamed much of the last hour, no toy was comforting.

What to bring? Lots of blogs have written about wrapping toys up to give while on the long road trip. Since Lyra is not into unwrapping gifts yet I used her empty shoe boxes to wrap up new or favorite toys with recycled ribbon from her 1st birthday. Here is some hopefully helpful information regarding the toys we brought.

Home


  • Favorite books


  • Cars and Kazoos- Left over 1st birthday party favors. Mommy and toddler played music together while daddy drove
  • Dinosaurs
  • Teething necklace- mom's chewbeads black necklace
  • Bath toys- DON'T Forget the Bubbles!

Barnes & Noble

  • Mother Goose Piano book- Nana bought this book before our trip at the Grove in LA. At the time I though, oh boy another toy. She is so spoiled. However, this book turned out to be a toddler favorite. We always new when she woke up because we heard tinkering on the plastic keys. She sat in her chair for hours playing the piano. Every so often we offered encouragement as the keys she struck demonstrated a glimmer of a tune. The book also offers toddlers a book to finger through and look at the pictures and not destroy. 

Target

  • LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnet Set- I thought she would play more with the magnets. Instead she pushed the song button repeatedly each drive. We heard the Wheels on the Bus and Alphabet song in a continuous loop.

Dollar Tree

  • Foam alphabet letter puzzle - She loved popping out the letters and giving them to me to put in so she could pop them out again.
  • Flute
  • Elmo bath book
  • *Found 6 disposable bibs in a pack, a steal really!

Apps

*Used for emergency situations when she would not be content (i.e. screaming). Don't judge :)

Ipad 

  • OkiPlay Peekaboo You- Lyra really enjoyed this app a lot because it was a newer Peekaboo app to her. I had add her pictures and a picture of her father to the app which features a peek-a-boo farmer with your photo of choice. She enjoyed the farmers laughter when the character appeared.
  • Peekaboo Forest

Samsung Phone





Tuesday, June 9, 2015

We have reached our destination! Oregon!

Day 4

Wow, a packed day full of nonstop fun with cousins going with flow in the easy going town of Tillamook, Oregon.

Our first stop was a 1/4 hike to Munson Fall. The clouds kept our super short hike cool and mystical. Experienced hikers, cousins Becky and CeCe, led the way as Lyra made her way along the trail with her parents in tow. No one was on the trail on the way up. Nice and empty. Great for exploring for Lyra's first hike.

Munson Falls
















No Place to go. No demands of the visiting travelers. Where to go with "pre-toddlers" need to rest and the adults want to visit. Drive onward we say. Our plan was to visit Pelican Brewery for lunch, even though this was our destination per Justin (who could not make the trip because a nasty cold). We decided to take the long way and enjoy a scenic drive while Cecilia and Lyra sleep in their respective cars. Our first stop was Cape Meares then on to Cape Lookout were we were immersed in a cloud of weather.

Cape Meares








We arrived at Pelican Brewery restaurant bellies rumbling for some eats. We noticed the cloud layer at the tip of the Pacific City Haystack rock. Becky and I discussed taking pictures after lunch because after all the cloud layer would soon burn off, NOT! The marine layer slincked on in as we ate delicious food. Lyra and Cece shared the kids Tillamook Mac n Cheese was more than enough for two toddlers. It was yummy, mommy approved of the cheddary taste. I enjoyed the Sweet Potato Quinoa Cake which was one of the best meals I ate on the trip.

Pelican Brewery


Before Lunch
Yup, I finished it all by myself.
Daddy teaching his little one, "touch down".



After lunch, SAD FACE!


Cousin's Playing with the wind blowing.


I know it looks like Cece hit her cousin...
Learning to share is easier to say. than to practice.

I want to sled down that sand dune, please.
After lunch much to our dismay, Haystack rock can no longer be seen.

A windy climb to see mommy and "I want this hat off"
As we headed back toward our hotel we notice this need blanket of clouds on the mountain we had travel by earlier in the morning. Bellies full we make a visit to the Blue Heron French Cheese Company where I twisted Becky's arm and convinced her to share some wine and cheese with me. Tony obliged as I took the opportunity to take some artsy photos of us with the tractors. While walking around the tractors a local told me about a the NW Old Iron Show in August. Might be fun to check out in the future. If I ever have time in August to take off. Lyra enjoyed chasing the guenie hens and Cece loved to try everything her cousin did much to the dismay of her mommy. Our conveniently located hotel, the Shiloh Inn was only a block or so away but before we headed back to unwind from the long scenic day we stopped and wondered around the Tillamook Cheese factory. We got there about 20 minutes before it closed which gave us just enough time to check out the factory line and interact with the factory workers. 

Blue Heron French Cheese Company













Hugging it out!
Look at me!

I can stand too, cousin!





At the hotel Lyra discovered how to open the dresser all by herself and used it as a stepping stool to turn on the tv and get on the phone. After this event no phone was off limit. There was a lot of toddler talking to dialing tone.


Day 5
On Day 5 of our trip, a very hot day, we traveled to Portland Children's Museum. It was a great place for older toddlers not great for no walkers. Each exhibit was very cooperate (i.e Banfield sponsored the vet exhibit). The outside water area would have been great had the man made stream, with random water spouts, been made of rubber. It was Lyra's favorite spot there and I believe Cece enjoy the hot sandbox. I guess I just expected the museum to be more creative since Portland has a lot of amazing artist living there. It will be neat for Lyra on a cooler day and when she is older.







Walking!!
Tony is truly entertained.