Tips for cruising with children

At the beginning of 2014, Hubby and I decided that we wanted to take our children on a vacation this year.  He and I have traveled on several cruises together in the past and we think that it is completely worth the money.  I will cover what we do and do not love about cruising in a separate post. 

Since our teenage daughter is in public school and we were not wanting to pull her out of school to go on vacation, that left our options fairly slim.  Cruising during the summer can be very expensive so we decided on a cruise at the tail end of summer out of New Orleans to Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico.  We have been to Cozumel several times and knew what to expect but neither of us had ever cruised to Progreso, so we were excited for a bit of a change.   

We would have two toddlers and a teenager traveling with us, so I was in full planning mode from the time that I booked the cruise until the day that we boarded the boat.  This was our first big vacation since the younger ones were born and I was nervous about what they would enjoy, how they would react, etc.  On top of all of that, I was dealing with anxiety about them falling overboard.  If you want to look up all of the research on google, let me save you some time.  It is almost impossible to fall overboard a cruise ship unless you are trying, i.e. climbing over the railing, standing on top of the tables near the edge in a 'Hold my beer and watch this' style moment, etc.  And as far as I could tell, there has never been a child fall overboard a cruise ship... but that didn't stop me from worrying that we would be the first.  With that fear aside, I plunged forth into planning and executing a vacation that we would all be happy with.   

The following are my 6 tips for happy traveling with kids on a cruise:

Know your food options. 
Anyone with children can tell you that a single moment can go from perfect to ruined if your child, or husband for that matter, is hungry or thirsty.  One of the positive parts of a Carnival cruise is that you can get something to eat and drink 24 hours a day.  This is perfect for people traveling with kids.  Weeks before boarding, I had already viewed the deck plans of the floors of the ship provided on the company's website to find out how close we were to the different eating areas.  Carnival will provide tea, water and lemonade during the day, and juice during the morning hours for free to all patrons.  Sodas and alcoholic drinks are available for purchase throughout the day and night at any bar throughout the ship.  I will review the Bottomless Bubbles soda and will talk about the alcohol program in a later blog. 

If you don't find anything that squelches your child's hunger pangs, there is always free room service.  A small selection of sandwiches, snacks and beverages is available for delivery for free to your stateroom.  Just remember to tip! 

There is a formal dining room option on every ship.  Prior to the cruise, your stateroom gets placed at a table.  Sometimes this is alone, sometimes this is with strangers.  In the past, we have been sat with our fair share of interesting people.  On this cruise, we were sat with a very nice family from Canada with three lovely daughters.  They were pleasant to speak with and it was good to get to know someone over a nice meal.  This dining room serves more fancy type foods than the other dining areas, think lobster, shrimp cocktail, escargot, etc.  I wanted our family to eat in this dining room everyday just for the experience, but hubby was not so sure.  We made plans for both situations and ended up eating in there every night.  The kids enjoyed it and we got to have our nice dinners.  If you kids are not used to dining out and behaving simultaneously, I would refrain from eating in this type of a dining room.  Ideally, this is not the place for loud children, children throwing food or screaming tantrums at the top of their lungs.  The waiters and other patrons understand a small disturbance but be respectful of other's trying to enjoy their meal. 

Typically on 'sea days' - where you don't stop at a port, they will offer a brunch in the formal dining room.  If you can manage to wake up in time and find yourself some decent clothes, you should definitely partake in this.  They offer kid friendly items, like chocolate chip pancakes, but also grown up fare such as heuvos rancheros.  We went to brunch one morning because we had a coupon for a free drink and it was much nicer and more enjoyable than we anticipated and worth the line that we had to wait in to be seated.  The kids enjoyed their pancakes and juice and we got to have a decent breakfast.   The day before they will place a menu outside of the dining room for both the brunch and the regular dinner so you can see what you will be offered before you get all gussied up for a meal.  There was also at least one vegetarian item per day offered in that dining room. 

The casual dining area serves different food options at regular intervals throughout the day.  They typically serve some of the same cuisine as the nice dining room but also more casual fare in a buffet style setting.  This area provides salad bars, soft serve ice cream, pizza, hot sandwiches, drinks, and a bar - a yay for mommy after a long day!  There were several days that after the children went to bed, Hubby and I snuck up here for an ice cream cone and an adult beverage.  On our boat this time was also a Mongolian grill and an outdoor grill area serving burgers, hot dogs, fries, chips, queso, and a few small desserts.  During breakfast, there will typically be an egg/omelet/quiche station.  This is the place to go with rowdy kids.  This is also the place to go to watch the drunks stumble around, as there was plenty of that.  Our casual dining was at the very rear of the boat, so it was neat to go in there and enjoy the view of the open water.  You can also eat outdoors next to the dining room.  This sounds nice and is good for someone without kids, but it is very windy out there  and that isn't always conducive to being able to enjoy a meal. 

In the casual dining area for breakfast, they will have individually packaged dry cereals.  Typically, I would grab at least one extra for the kids to have at a moment's notice.  We usually carried one bag around the boat and I would keep them in there.  That way if we were walking around and someone started acting up, they could eat a little something to hold them over until the next meal. 

Keep some "normal". 
If your children are young enough, like two of mine, to still need a daily nap, don't forget that they will still need to nap on board.  As a matter of fact, they will need a nap more because they are out of their routine and constantly being stimulated by new people, new sights and new activities.  This nap during the day was also good for the rest of us because it enabled us to chill out and relax while they were resting.  Also, one of the days, Hubby and I snuck away and played Bingo and walked around.  It was nice.  If your children don't need a nap, then don't be afraid to keep them on their regular schedule from at home.  If you typically eat at 7 and are in bed by 10, why change that because you are on vacation? 

There is a higher chance that your children will be well behaved and enjoy their vacation more if they have something familiar like their schedule when they are surrounded by a lot of unfamiliar things.  I packed the pillowcases from their beds and one of their toys that they sleep with to have on board to give them some comfort since they would be sleeping in an unfamiliar bed.  It worked very well as they didn't seem to have any problems going to sleep during the day or at night.  Have them help you pick an item out to put in their suitcase and they will feel more involved in the process. 

We also chose to bring our own re-usable water bottles, so we could keep the kids hydrated throughout the day.  These came in handy on the boat as well as in the ports, since you don't always want to drink the water in Mexico.  We would fill them up several times per day with ice and lemonade or tea.  Since they were our own water bottles, the kids were familiar with them and thought nothing of drinking the same amount of water that they would at home, where if we would not have had them, the kids might not have stayed as hydrated as they did.  This is important since getting overheated while swimming on the upper decks or at a port can be very dangerous. 

Don't be afraid to try new things. 
This is for kids and adults alike on a cruise.  In the formal dining room they will offer items like escargots, lobster, etc.  If you have never tried any of these items, what are you waiting on?  Encourage your kids to try items from the menu that they never would.  Isabella ate a seafood pasta and a mushroom pasta at the dining room one day and loved both of them.   

There are also 2-3 nights during a 5 night cruise that they will have their performers put on a show.  This might not be every one's cup of tea but it is really cool.  Dancing and singing and sometimes audience participation - what could be better?  Of course, at home, we have never taken our toddlers to see a show like this.  Our teenager might have seen a show like this but never with us.  They loved it on board!  Silas was SO enamored by the sights and sounds that he looked like he was in a trance.  Isabella enjoyed it because she got to dance around and sing with the people.  She now acts out shows like this in our living room every day.  Take your kids and if they don't enjoy it, you can always leave and find something else to do.  They will put a flyer everyday in your stateroom that will detail all the activities for the following day so you will be in the know. 

We did not participate in a lot of other activities but on the boat there is literally something to do all day and most of the night.  They have competitions out by the pool, such as the hairy chest competition, Bingo, dance classes, art shows, etc.  No matter what you like to do, they have something for everyone to enjoy.  There is a casino aboard every ship and they are always busy.  I usually have decent luck with the slot machines and always spend a small amount of money in there during each cruise.  The casino is a nice place to go to indulge in some alone adult time since no children are allowed in, sneak a cigarette and an adult beverage.  Plus there are plenty of deck chairs for anyone who likes to sit out by the pool and relax in the sun.  Since three of the five people in my party are almost transparent they have such fair skin and red hair, it is impossible for us to be in the sun for very long without super sun protection. 
 
Utilize the childcare. 
During the week, my children are watched by my mother.  If hubby and I want to go somewhere, they are always watched by our teenager, or another member of my family.  There is never a time that they are being supervised by someone that they don't know personally, so the thought of using the daycare program on board was terrifying.  Camp Carnival is a children's area for children that are 2-17 years old.  The children get separated into appropriate age groups and different age-appropriate activities are conducted in each group.  Some of the older groups even roam around the ship, can swim, etc.  The younger group that my toddlers fell into stayed in the area where we dropped them off.  There were tons of toys, Legos, books, etc. in this area for them to play with. 

My daughter was immediately fascinated and as a child who is mostly out of that 'stranger danger' mindset, she was excited to go and play with other children her age.  Plus the person that she was going to be left with was a woman and she has a tendency to be a lot more comfortable with women strangers than men strangers.  Not sure why... it's just the way that it is.  Silas, on the other hand, did not approve of this plan from the get-go.  He was determined that he would not be left there and I was determined to give it a go for a bit.  On our boat, they gave us a phone for the duration of the cruise that they would call if something went awry with your children during their stay in Camp Carnival. 

I dropped them both off one morning.  Silas cried at the door and Isabella ran off to play.  The woman told me that he would be fine and they would distract him and I took off with hubby for some time by ourselves to walk around, etc.  I am glossing over the part where I was also crying leaving him there.  As a mother who is lucky enough to not have to leave my children while they are crying like that ever, I don't know how you parents do it if that happens to your child at a daycare.  That was honestly one of the hardest moments of the trip.  Little did I know that we would be back to pick them up about an hour later.  Grace had gone back to have them call us and find out where we were and this upset both of the younger kids and they called us to come retrieve our three upset children.  It was a small break though. 

I fully believe that if your children are used to being around a daycare type environment or old enough to walk around by themselves, that the Camp Carnival atmosphere is awesome.  Grace's age group had ice cream socials, towel animal folding demonstrations, swimming, their own formal night, etc.  They plan lots of fun activities and the people who work with the children seem really invested in ensuring that the children of all ages have a great time.

Child containment devices are your friend. 
The two most important items that we brought on our cruise were our Ergo carriers.  In the planning stages of our cruise, I was very overwhelmed with the idea of getting my children through the long lines that you have to wait in to get on the ship, metal detectors, etc.  At that time, we had one Ergo carrier and I would comfortably wear either one of the children on my back anytime that we needed to go on a walk in the mall, around town, etc.  I knew that we had to get another one for this cruise. 

Now that they are older, the stroller is less and less a good idea.  Plus our stroller that will hold both of them is so bulky and heavy and I knew that we would be stressed for space in our room making that a less than awesome option.  These Ergo carriers were the best item ever and I would recommend them to anyone traveling on a cruise with toddlers and babies.  Being able to wear the kids when getting on and off the ship saved us time and energy wondering where they were, getting them to walk up the gangway to get on board, etc.  You just strapped them on your back and away you went.  They are fast and efficient and the staff even let us through the metal detectors with them on and allowed the kids to take a picture for their ID while still strapped to us. 

And last, but certainly not least... let your kids be kids.  A vacation is a time for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves.  This should not be limited to just adults, but should go for teenagers and kids alike.  There are so many activities available to people on board, there is no excuse to not have fun on a cruise.  If my kids wanted to dance and sing with the many performers singing and playing music around the ship, I let them.  If they wanted to swim at night and have an extra ice cream cone before bed, I let them.  I know that when they grow up, they probably won't remember a cruise that they took when they were 2, but if they do, I want them to remember that they had fun and enjoyed themselves.  These times don't last forever and we should try to preserve them as best as we can and allow our children to experience joy in anything that they are doing. 

What are your tips for cruising with kids? 

Top 10 favorite toddler toys

Before I had children I wondered how parents acquired millions of toys.  I knew that you would buy them one at a time and over time end up with some through birthday parties and things like that but I never really thought about where all these toys would go, if my children would play with them or how much I would want to get rid of 99% of them.  Here is a list of the top ten things that I find them reaching for the most. There are other items that are being left off, like books and random stuffed animals that I will cover in another post. I have listed a price from a certain store with each item. This isn’t necessarily the cheapest price or the price that we paid or even the store that we purchased from. A lot of these toys were either gifts or we have had them for some time or I can’t recall the exact place we buy our toys from. I am only listing one place – you can use http://www.google.com for other places that you could buy the item.

1. The first item is the Little People Disney Princess Songs Palace. You can buy this for $38.99 from Target. My sister got this for Isabella for Christmas and she absolutely loves it! It comes disassembled with clear instructions and was relatively easy to put together. It comes with batteries, stickers and 2 princesses (Cinderella and Snow White). You can also buy separate princesses that work with the palace. That link is a common set of them that you can purchase that she also got for Isabella. Once put together, this toy is very sturdy. We regularly keep it on a table in the middle of the toy room so the younger babies can stand around it and still play with it. Silas will usually attempt to pull it off the table onto the floor and several times it has fallen and remained intact. The flags on the top of the castle are attached to larger pieces and so are not in jeopardy of being swallowed, but they do regularly come off of the castle. Isabella uses them as a cup for her play kitchen. They love the elevator and the different pieces that move around. If you put in the batteries there is a noise that is played when the doors open and there are specific noises per each Princess that are made. There don’t appear to be any small parts once assembled that could be presented as a choking hazard. If any pieces come loose, I could see potential for choking but we haven’t had any issues.  As usual use caution when small children play with any toys.   

2. The next toy is made by Circo from Target and is their Medical Care Kit. It is $15.49 at our local Target store. Isabella is enamored with a show on Disney Jr called Doc McStuffins. She is an animated child that plays doctor on her toys and stuffed animals. I saw this kit and knew that it would be perfect for her. It comes in a sturdy clear plastic case. I say that because it can support Silas’s weight of about 23-24lbs. He regularly uses it as a step stool to climb onto the couch. It is a 10 piece set of doctor’s tools including stethoscope, 2 hard casts, 2 soft bandages, syringe, tweezers, blood pressure cuff, thermometer, and a modified otoscope (that thing doctor’s look in your eyes and ears with.) Isabella loves these items and now plays doctor on all of her dolls and stuffed animals. I have to issue a warning on this toy though that with very little force my husband was able to remove the ‘pump’ part from the blood pressure cuff. A small amount of super glue though was able to keep the pump in place and served as a small modification that makes the toy useable by all children in my house. Also, be advised that the thermometer includes a small battery (you can’t easily access so there shouldn’t be any cause for concern that it would be swallowed without removing several screws.) I say that because the battery helps the thermometer make this SUPER annoying beeping sound that happens anytime the child pushes the button on the outside. You might want to consider removing that battery in case you like being driven insane by beeping children’s toys. Also, the tweezers could potentially be seen as a choking hazard if your child puts items into their mouth. Silas regularly does and he could easily swallow those if unsupervised.

        

3. Any parent who has a little girl can vouch for me when I say that we have too many babies around our house. There are naked baby dolls all over our house. We have several Circo brand baby dolls. They are from Target and are less than $10 I think. They come with a single outfit which is a one piece outfit and a shirt. They are easy to remove and put back on for kids. Some of them come with a hat as well. You can also buy separate outfits and accessories for these dolls. We also have an American Girl Bitty Baby. This is a more expensive version of those same dolls. The arms and legs are still a harder plastic type material with a cloth body. It comes with an outfit, a tiny bear and a book for $55. We ordered ours through the actual American Girl website where we also bought another outfit as an accessory as it was on clearance. I would recommend this doll for older children because the doll and accessories are rather expensive. All in all she loves these babies. She sleeps in her crib with most of these babies every night.  Like most toddlers, she prefers the cheap version over the expensive one, so keep that in mind when buying toys, especially dolls.  They will be more interested in the box or the wrapping than the actual toy.   

4. Our next toy on the list is the Fisher-Price Soothe & Glow Seahorse. You can literally almost buy this toy anywhere. It retails for $14.97 at Walmart. I heard many good reviews about this toy before I had children and so it seemed like a no-brainer when I was pregnant. This seahorse was amusing when she was born and younger baby, but she wasn’t necessarily attached to it. She didn’t really care for it until she moved into her own room. Then it became a part of her night-time comfort routine. We bought a second one for Silas when he was born and he doesn’t care for it. It eventually migrated into Isabella’s crib and it remains there even today. If she doesn’t have both seahorses available to her at all times while sleeping she freaks out. For anyone who is unfamiliar, this is about a foot long plush seahorse that upon pressing the belly plays music and lights up for five minutes. It plays soft music and lullabies. This is an inexpensive toy that lasts a long time that most babies love. I would recommend this to any new parents.

5. Meemaw bought Silas this next toy for his first birthday. It is the Little Tykes Handle Haulers Deluxe Farm Truck. You can buy this from Walmart for $14.99. This is a super neat toy that looks like a big farm truck. The back end of the truck can be let down so the animals can get out. It comes with a cow and a pig. There is a handle in the back of the truck that has a button that, when pressed, plays music and farm sounds. All the kids play with this truck a lot. Silas loves the music that it plays and he runs that truck all over the house. It is durable as well – it has fallen off shelves numerous times and never broken.

6. One of our most used toys is the B. Wheeee-ls! Soft Cars. These are $15.99 from Target. We have two of these cars in our camper and they are super durable. My son plays with these anytime that we go camping. You can easily wipe down or rinse off the outside. They have been stepped on, kicked around, thrown down, etc. These four cars are made of a super soft plastic material that is easy for little hands to grab on to. These are the kind of cars that you can pull back and release and they roll forward on their own. My son absolutely loves these cars and we would definitely repurchase if they carried more of them at our local Target.

7. Next is the Choo Choo Wagon by Step2. This is single-handedly the coolest toy that my parents have. It’s a wagon that has several different compartments for the children to sit in instead of one big area like a normal wagon. You can connect ‘trailers’ to the back for extra seating. The wagon itself can be bought here for $99.99 + shipping with just two separate cars. Each car comes with a built in cup holder, and a bench with a seat belt. The cars are tall enough so the kids are up off the ground but short enough where the kids can easily climb in and out themselves. Each car can hold a max of 50lbs. My kids absolutely love this toy. If we could stand to pull them around for hours at a time they would gladly ride in this the entire time. We take this wagon every time that we go camping and they love being pulled around all day. We get a lot of compliments on this wagon. We have seen several around town with different families and it seems to be very durable.

8. Earlier this year, my mom purchased a plastic rocking dog for her house and after seeing how well both of the kids loved it we decided that we needed to get one for our house. Corry found the Little Tykes Rocking Horse in blue. You can buy it from Walmart for $29.99. My kids absolutely love this rocking horse. It’s low to the ground so they can easily get on and off of it. I would imagine that if they rock too far back that they would be able to flip this over while they were on it, but it would take some effort and with proper supervision you should be able to see this happening. There is a lip on the front and the back that seems to act as a deterrent to being able to flip the horse over. Another warning – both of my kids use the seat as a step to get up on the couch, try to climb on different items around our house, or just to stand up on the horse itself. This can be dangerous if your children are unsteady and they can easily fall and potentially hurt themselves. We have also used this toy both indoors and out and it works just as well on grass as it does on carpet. It’s super lightweight and provides hours of entertainment for any age group.

9. The next item is the Graco Room Full of Fun Baby Doll Playset in the multi dot pattern. We got this as a gift for Isabella for Christmas to use with her millions of dolls in our house. It comes with a pack-n-play, stroller, high chair, pacifier, teether and toy. You can still buy the same set for $34.99 from Toys R Us. It comes disassembled and requires a bit of finesse to get it assembled, but that seems to be the same with any child’s toy. The pack-n-play is the perfect size for several dolls – ours is now currently being used as storage for the other baby products. Several things that I dislike about this toy – one is that it is very difficult for my children to put Isabella’s dolls into the stroller and the high chair. The holes for the doll’s legs are small and they can’t always get the dolls out once they get them in. The second thing that I dislike is that the high chair will not stay together. The legs are forever coming out of their places and my husband had to end up super gluing them all in place. Same thing with the high chair tray – it comes off super easy and is very difficult for kids to put it back on. This isn’t a gripe, but just a warning – the teether, pacifier and toy are on the smaller side and we had to put them up because they were too small for our other children to play with. With all that being said, my kids love this set. I think that Silas likes it more than Isabella does. He walks the stroller around the house collecting all of his toys in it. They have touched this toy at least once per day every day since we got it for them. This toy is cheaply made but it is definitely worth it for how much they play with it.

10. Last but certainly not least are the various components associated with household items, like a kitchen, vacuum, etc. Who would have known that children love toys that are affiliated with chores so much? My mother made the kids a kitchen (picture on left) from a cabinet that we bought from someone on Craigslist. It was a hit and she did an excellent job! There are a multitude of posts on how to do this on Pinterest as well. With that kitchen, we have had numerous people buy the kids play food, and dishes, and pots and pans for this kitchen. It is awesome and they absolutely love playing with this kitchen. We have since acquired another plastic kitchen that has some different features than the one that my mother made, and they love it. I am not sure of the make or the model of the second kitchen because it was purchased from Craigslist and I don’t want to speculate. We noticed more than a year ago that anytime we vacuumed Isabella would freak out and scream and cry until we were done. We bought her a toy vacuum to hopefully make her more comfortable with the process. She didn’t necessarily care for it when we first brought it home, but now it is a favorite toy of both kids. Silas drags it around all over the house. We bought ours from a toy outlet store for about $30. You can buy one like it here: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3142104 Our kids like this toy because it actually turns on and runs. This was not documented as a feature but it does actually suck dust and small fine items off the floor. Luckily the bucket comes off the front easily and you can fully empty it without an issue. Our last household chore toy that the kids absolutely love is the washer and dryer. This is an older model toy that we bought from Craigslist that comes with an attached washer, dryer and ironing board. The washer and the dryer both have a lid that fully closes and both tubs spin. It is made of a tough plastic material that seems to resist wearing. (insert picture) The kids love that toy and love it especially as a hiding spot for other toys. One of the bonuses is that older kids who come over can play with this group of toys and not feel like they are playing with baby toys.

Hopefully this list is helpful to someone who doesn't have a lot of toys or is a relatively new mom trying to decide what to buy for their child.  I am more than happy to post more in depth reviews on any and/or all of these items. 

What are your child's favorite toys? 

-Sara

Sick kids & a day update

Both of my kids are sick right now.

Sigh...  If you have not ever been within 100 yards of a sick kid let me spell out what this means.  This means that there has been more crying and whining in my house today than there has been in like the last two weeks all put together.  Think of how whiny and gripey you feel when you are sick, especially if you are a man, and multiply that by like ten... thousand.  They want you to hold them but without touching them.  They want you to lay next to them but you can't because they actually feel like they are a live convection oven because of the fever.  They want to eat something but whine and cry and fight you the whole time because they can't think of anything that they want to eat.  All in all it's an awesome good time.

I previously had asked for the day off work today because I needed to go see my thyroid doctor in order to get a new prescription of thyroid medicine, and to go to the eye doctor to get a new contact prescription, so this is shaping up to be the most amazing day that I have had in a long time.  I hate when I take time off work and feel like I am busier than when I am at the office.  Call me lazy but I love just chilling at home when I am taking days off work - feels like I get some catch up on rest.  However, that didn't happen today... maybe the next time.   

I always have a lot of anxiety before I go to my thyroid doctor because he always gripes at me about my weight.  Let me start off by saying that I know that my weight is a problem and have finally got to a point where I am ready to do something about it.  We have been on this diet for three weeks on Monday and according to my scale at home, I am down 16.2 lbs, which is pretty awesome!  With that being said, since I started going to see this doctor, I have been in the same weight range.  I have fluctuated up and down because of my normal changes, two pregnancies, and my diet the first round.  Unfortunately, thanks to having no thyroid now for 10 years (this is ridiculous that it has been 10 years) I have to see him at the very least twice a year. 

This time I am vowing to be different.  I told him that I wanted to see him again in 3 months - I got him to agree by saying that I wanted him to monitor this weight loss since I really don't have a primary care doctor.  For the last three years I have used my OB as my primary care doctor since I was either pregnant or immediately postpartum that entire time.  Let's say that I am having a difficult time adjusting.  That is for another post. 

Luckily, he was nice today - partially because of this giant bus crash that we had near his office that was being dealt with at the time of my appointment, and partially because I was able to tell him about my success so far with this diet.  My next appointment is now scheduled for some time in July; we will see how far I have gone with this weight loss at that time.  In three months, I am hoping for 30-45 more pounds down. 

I stopped and picked up Subway at the Lake Worth Subway, which must have searched far and wide for the worst employees ever.  I have been there several times and every time that I go I have awful service.  No one acknowledges you when you walk in.  They have personal private conversations with each other while making your sandwich, and you often have to wait until they finish what they are talking about before they will address any need that you might have as the customer.  It looks like we will be looking for another Subway. 

I really love my eye doctor's office. I see Dr. Stephen Ference with Ference & Assoc.   I hate that it's inside of a mall because I feel like I need to shop when I go there.  He and his wife run an awesome practice.  They are very thorough and offer excellent customer service.  I would definitely recommend either one of them to anyone that I know.  Their office staff is super friendly and I have never been disappointed with any time that I have ever been there. 

All in all it's been a crazy day.  This bus crash is all over the news, my kids are both laid up, sick and whiney, and we are looking forward to our camping trip next weekend. 

An open letter to weirdos

Dear strange people,

Hey you!  Yes, you.  The creepy guy who just approached me in the Target parking lot and asked how we were enjoying the weather.  And you - the old lady who just put your finger in my child's mouth in Walmart.  And finally you - the insane waitress at Red Hot and Blue who took my child's photo to show her boyfriend what she wanted her kids to look like.  Yes, all of you.  This is a letter to you. 

I know my children are 100% adorable.  They are (mostly) well behaved in public places.  My daughter eats with utensils like a pro, uses a napkin, says please, thank you and excuse me when appropriate and says bye to people leaving by our table.  She can walk in stores without being a pest and can be calmed down with any distraction.  My son is a shameless flirt with anyone and everyone with a heartbeat who will show him any bit of attention.  He is a good eater, even in public and can be quieted down with a pacifier. 

I say all of that to let you know that just because they don't throw constant tantrums, are cute, and look in your direction doesn't mean that you should be a complete and total weirdo.  Based on your recent behavior, it has become obviously apparent to me that I need to address some 'to do's' and 'don'ts' when it comes to your behavior and other people's children.  (None of this applies to your own children.  Feel free to act totally like a weirdo around them.) 

To Do:

1. Do ASK before getting anywhere near my children.  I never really understood this before having children but since my kids were born I now understand the 'momma bear' mentality and I do not want strangers near my children or near me when I have my children.  I don't want you approaching us when I am getting them into or out of the car for any reason.  I don't want you to distract me for any reason while I am alone with my children because even though you might be totally innocent, in my head I am replaying all the news stories that I have heard recently about children being kidnapped or trying to memorize your facial features while you talk to be able to describe you to police later.  Also, especially during the cold and flu season, I don't want you or your gross germs in my family's air space.  Back up.  I was never a person who spoke to strangers before I was married and had kids and certainly am not willing to start that now.   
2. Do act like a goof.  I don't care if you smile, wave, make a dumb face, tell a story, dance like a monkey, whatever you want to do to entertain my child or get them to look at you, so long as it's from a distance.  My son will put on a show and do every 'trick' that he knows in the book to get attention from strangers and I appreciate the older people who indulge him in restaurants and in stores.  Even tonight, he waved at other patrons, servers and the cleaning crew at the restaurant like he was an air traffic controller bringing down a plane.  He has a good time and you can have a good time without me feeling uncomfortable.       
3. Do understand that sometimes kids don't want attention and that's OK.  Sometimes my kids are in what I call the "stranger danger zone" and they don't want you to talk to them or try to get their attention.  If that is the case, please don't try to convince them otherwise.  Just accept like kids aren't going to be "on" 24 hours a day.  They just wake up from naps... their favorite cartoon wasn't on TV today... they didn't get to watch the movie that they wanted to in the car.  You continuing the try to engage them is tiring for them and for me.  Please don't force them to try to interact with you.  That just makes my life suck for the next ten minutes trying to get them to calm down and not be freaked out that you are going to come by and try to talk to them again. 

Don't:

1. Don't ever touch my child... ever.  I swear, when my children were infants, anytime I took my them out people felt the need to touch them.  It didn't matter if we were in the grocery store, restaurants, public bathrooms, etc. there was always someone trying to touch them.  I finally started wearing my daughter in a Moby wrap after an elderly woman put her fingers in my daughter's mouth for her to use a chew toy.  I never thought about touching anyone else's children so I never understood this.  Whatever germs you have are now transferred to my child and I would prefer that to not happen again in the future.  I should have had one of those signs about not touching my kid on their stroller.  This is a cute one from http://happysignsurprise.com     
2. Don't be afraid to look at them but don't be creepy.  I like when people compliment my children.  They like when you compliment them.  I was fine with you walking by like 19 extra times since you were our server and I need extra things since I have two small children.  But when you came up to us and asked if you could take a picture of our child because you wanted your boyfriend to see what you wanted your children to look like.. that was a bit strange. 
3. This should go without saying, but don't be gross.  Don't try to get anything off of my child with your spit.  Don't try to stick your fingers in my child's mouth so they can use them as a chew toy.  Don't offer to share your food and drink with my child because they won't know any better.  

In closing, please just use your brain around any children that aren't yours. 

Sincerely,

me and any other parent

- by the way -
this is based on actual events over the last two years