Today’s Tip: Making Video Lemonade

Every year we take a day trip to visit the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in Santa Cruz, California. I have been making that same trip since I was a kid, so I have it down to a science. I remember to pack a picnic, check that the weather will be warm enough to see the fluttery, little buggers, and to bring the binoculars.

On a particular trip last year, I wanted to capture my son and the butterflies on video. I made all sorts of plans for my first video blogging production. So, of course, I forgot the video camera. I got mad-and said a few choice words-when I remembered that I had forgotten the one piece of equipment I didn’t want to forget that day. But, I was determined. I decided to get some video footage with the seldom used video button on my point and shoot camera. I was trying to teach my son that when the going gets tough, the tough makes lame attempts. It’s a lesson I have taught him well. Sigh.

I couldn’t let the idea for a butterfly video production die, so I edited last year’s crappy attempt into this week’s video. I should title it: Our Trip to Visit the Butterflies, A Comedy of Errors. But, that’s just too long.

The butterflies are back to their winter homes all along the California Coast in October. If you’re planning your own visit to the sanctuary in Natural Bridges State Park, then read my tips post. Just add one more tip, don’t forget the video camera.

Pictured: Creatures, Great but Small

It often happens that whenever we’re out and about, we’ll come across a little animal and my son will utter the following words: “Take a picture of it”. So we do. That’s why my photo library is littered with tiny animals. I don’t have the camera or photographic skill to even capture these little animals in any sort of interesting way. Well, I’ll admit that I don’t even try. I’m just taking the photos because I’m appeasing my son.

But whatever the reason, or the outcome, these photos capture some of the little moments on our trips. They also show that young kids will find something interesting wherever they go. You may be standing next to the most awesome of all natural wonders, but your kid will spend most of the time fascinated by the little gecko under the rock. So here are some of the truly fascinating creatures that have crossed our path (often literally) on our travels. Get out those magnifying glasses. Oh, and my favorite are the dung beetles.

We’re linking up to Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday. Go there to check out all the other travel photos.

The Fuzzy Moments

Life is not always in focus, and neither is this photo. I’ve gotten pretty good at snapping pictures of my quick-moving son, but there are times when I just can’t capture every moment in its perfect state. Photography with kids is sometimes challenging. I’m usually clicking away on my camera and also talking, walking or barking directions at the same time. Even so, I often find little photographic nuggets of awesome, amongst the hundreds of photo discards.

This is the heart-shaped piece of coral my son found, and gifted to me, on Anini Beach in Kaui. I don’t like to take the flora and fauna from the beach, if I can help it. This time, I couldn’t help it. I really wanted to bring that special coral home with me, but we ended leaving it behind. At least, I have this fuzzy photo of my heart-shaped coral, to remind me of that glorious moment with my son, on a quiet beach in Kaui.

I’m participating in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday, click on over there for other travel moments captured in photo.

Napali Coast, Here We Come

I’m so close to my dream this week, that I can almost feel that red dirt between my toes. In just a few days, we’re headed for a two-week vacation to Hawaii. I know…I’m one lucky girl.

We’re spending the first week in Maui and the second week in Kaui, a.k.a. in our household as the “sacred place”. I have nothing but love for Kaui. This is an old, faded picture of me hiking along the Napali Coast on the Kalalau Trail. I was much thinner, in better shape, but missing my seven-year old sidekick, whom I’m always writing about.

Because I had the luxury of hiking that trail without a kid, I did some things I would never consider doing today. On that particular hike, my sister and I headed out onto the trail right around high noon, with only one bottle of water, no snacks, no first-aid kit, and no hats. Who knows if I even bothered to put on some sunscreen or mosquito repellent. We were young, dumb, and apparently carrying very light backpacks.

We hiked for an hour to the first beach along the trail and planned to hike another 40 minutes upriver from the beach, to some waterfalls. We only made it as far as the beach. By the time we got there, we had run out of water, we were hungry and the midday heat was exhausting us. So we cooled off in the ocean a bit (we had remembered to wear our swimsuits) and hiked back. On the way back we got so thirsty, that we filled our bottles with water from the streams running down the mountain-not the smartest thing to do. This was in the days before Survivor, but we would’ve been the perfect candidates for the show. Luckily, we made it back alright and in time for a very late lunch. Bubba Burgers helped take the edge off after our harrowing wilderness experience.

Despite our lack of hiking-preparedness, we enjoyed our rambles along the Kalalau Trail. It is the most beautiful hike I’ve ever done, so you can imagine how excited I am to take my son there. Here’s the problem: all the guidebooks say that it’s not a safe trail to take young children on. The recommendation is that only children over the age of eight attempt the hike, because of spots where the trail narrows to just under two feet across. So I don’t envision we’ll get very far on the trail this time.

But I won’t be scared away altogether. I’m actually planning and making preparations this time. It comes with the mami-territory. I will make sure we get on the trail early in the morning, take plenty of water and snacks, and slather on the sunscreen and mosquito repellent. I don’t care if we only get to hike the first quarter mile and we’re back in fifteen minutes. At least I’ll see some of the beautiful scenery and get to share it with my very cute, seven-year old sidekick. Aaannnddd…..we can celebrate at Bubba Burgers when we’re all done.

I’m linking up to Mother of all Trips’ Mondays are for Dreaming posts. Go check out all those other dreamers.

Snorkel Dreams

Snorkeling with a young child for the first time is hardly a peaceful experience. My son went for his first underwater excursion in the clear waters of Maui, at the age of 5. In the weeks before our trip, I tried to get him ready for the new experience. We searched for the perfect snorkel mask and I let him practice in his grandma’s pool. He spent a few afternoons swallowing chlorine water-and whining about it-until he got comfortable enough.

But when the time came to get into the big, blue ocean, all that practice didn’t help us much. We fumbled around on a boogie board near the shore, like a pair of socks in the washing machine. I was focused on paddling us around to the best viewing spots, staying clear of the waves, and constantly adjusting my child’s mask, or mine.

There was a calm, beautiful world underneath me, but I was missing it entirely. Luckily, my son wasn’t missing a thing. I glanced at him underwater, and saw him waving at the fish. I asked what he was doing and he said: “I’m just saying hi to the fishies.” His innocence and wonder made me stop and smile. So I stuck my head back under the waves and, for a moment, let myself flow with my son and the fishies.

Today, I’m dreaming of the fishies and the snorkeling we will do during our upcoming trip to Hawaii. I got our snorkel masks down from their storage box in the garage yesterday and we headed over to grandma’s pool. It may be a poor substitute for the big, blue ocean, but a little practice never hurts. We want to be ready, so we don’t miss a thing.

This is linked up to Mother of All Trips and her lovely Monday Dreaming post. Go check it out.

Dreaming of Summer Vacation

I’m 8 days away from the biggest perk of being a second grade teacher: summer vacation. Yes, I will get ten weeks of absolute bliss. I don’t even care that I have to keep my son entertained all summer long-at least it’s only one kid instead of twenty. Well, maybe I don’t mind so much because we go out and entertain ourselves together.

A few years ago, I started asking him to make a summer list and he’s been doing it ever since. I like to know what he thinks summer should be about. His lists are mostly about simple things that I don’t have time to do with him during the busy school year. Here are some of the summer activities that usually top his lists: playing miniature golf, going on a picnic, making sandcastles, and going to the zoo. It reminds me to slow down and enjoy summer through a child’s eyes, and that is a great privilege.

So this Monday, join me in dreaming of the joys of summer. Go make your own summer list, and put it up on the fridge. Here are some things I’m putting on the list this year.

The source of inspiration for all of this Monday Dreaming is the fabulous Mara at Mother of All Trips. Go over there and check out all the other Monday Dreamers.

Today’s Tip: Rethinking the Bribe

I’ll admit it. Sometimes I bribe my kid to be more cooperative with my travel plans. He has never loved being in the car for long periods of time, so you can see how this might make road trips a bit excruciating. Luckily, I’m not one to throw in the towel. We do get to go on many a road trip, but it takes a bit of persuasion. It goes something like this:

Son: How long is the drive to San Diego?

Me (mumbling): Oh, about 8 hours. Depending on the traffic.

Son (wailing): I hate driving that long. It takes sooooooooo long. I don’t want to go. 

Me (I hear this before every road trip, so I’m gritting my teeth): But we’re going to LEGOLAND, and you like LEGOLAND, and you like to go to San Diego. We’re even going to Sea World this time. Shamu’s there. It’s so much fun.

Son (wailing harder): I want to go to LEGOLAND, but I don’t want to drive. It takes soooooooo long. I don’t want to go.

Me: Stop it. You’re lucky you get to go to LEGOLAND, most of your friends have never been there. So stop it. (Pause, let it sink in) And….you can choose a new LEGO toy from the gift shop.

Son (wails subsiding): OK mami. But it still takes soooooo long.

This is just one example of my many award-winning parenting techniques. I deal with a whiny, uncooperative child by saying: 1. Get over yourself, 2. And if you get over yourself, you’ll get a visit to the gift shop.

But I’ve started to rethink my bribery techniques. No, it’s not because I might be raising a spoiled child whose cooperation must be bought. It’s because the gift may end up being itty-bitty pieces of colored plastic that my child will want to play with in a hotel room. So before I leave said hotel room, I will have to scour the dark-patterned carpet for said itty-bitty pieces of plastic. Sometimes my parenting techniques come back to bite me in the a*#.