Category : Sharing
Posted in Sharing on February 2, 2012
Me: I am going to start writing on the Internet. About our travels.
My Husband (with a laughing look in his eyes): Hmmmm…ok.
You see, my husband knows that I collect hobbies the way some people collect stamps. Whenever I tell him that I am picking up a new hobby, he just looks at me and smiles. I am so very lucky that he puts up with me. He didn’t realize how much fun (or how obnoxious) being married to someone who fancies herself as a travel blogger would be!
Usually, I only share pictures of the places we visit or of the kids. I don’t normally put up a bunch of pictures of me or my husband but for this Photo Friday, I want to share some of my favorite pictures of my husband.
He spends a lot of time looking at maps and guiding our way…
He participates in the silly activities like putting on the blue puffy coat to slide down a block of ice with my video camera in hand. Twice.
He doesn’t mind if the only picture I really want to be perfect is the one with Anderson Cooper (though he does draw the line at taking him home with us).
He just smiles and nods at the people looking on as I do things like hopping into an Airstream trailer to hand our kids a snowcone. And he takes pictures of it.
He is first in line to do the things that I am not too keen on doing.
Sometimes, he is the cause of a photo do-over.
He is always ready for the photo opp.
We may not be traveling the world indefinitely with our possessions on our backs, but I think that I’ve got it pretty good…
Stop by Delicious Baby to see other Photo Friday submissions.
Posted in Sharing on January 26, 2012
Do you know what is devouring its mid-morning snack here?
Here are a few hints:
- Although the mouth looks imposing, it actually prefers plankton over humans (thank goodness, right?!?).
- The largest one of these measured was 40 feet long, about the length of a school bus, but the species is thought to grow even bigger.
- They are the largest fish in the sea.
Stay tuned for the answer! Meanwhile, stop by Delicious Baby to see other Photo Friday submissions.
They stood in front of a screen that was bright green but they were confused. My kids could see that they were standing in front of a green screen but when they looked at themselves on the television, the monitor showed them standing in front of a map of the United States. Both of their heads swung back and forth from the television to the screen behind them and looked up at our tour guide, Kimberly, with questioning eyes.
From the front row of our tour, I could almost hear them talking to themselves. My son would say, “Hey?!? How on earth does that work?”
“This is totally freaking me out,” my daughter would exclaim. That is her new favorite saying and as she looked for me in the small crowd I could see it in her face.
This was the second stop on our Inside CNN Tour at CNN’s World Headquarters, the largest of 48 worldwide. The first stop was a brief introduction and a little bit of information about how the shows are produced. It was interesting to me after teaching Journalism I, which included a 6-week unit of broadcasting. It seemed to hold my husband’s attention because he is actually a CNN (of the Internet variety) junkie. Surprisingly enough, my five and seven-year-old children were captivated. When I first found out that we were scheduled for this tour, I was a little concerned that much of it would be over their heads and not entertaining enough. Well, that is what I get for worrying.
My kids were beyond thrilled when our tour guide called them both up to show everyone how the green screen worked. She grabbed a matching green sheet and threw it over their bodies so that only their heads were showing. Then, she pulled the sheet up over their heads so it was almost like they were hiding under Harry Potter’s invisible cloak (at least on camera!).
As I stood there watching two of the people I love most in this world, I couldn’t help but get teary-eyed. I know it sounds cheesy and I am typically not prone to emotional bouts but while they stood mesmerized in front of that green screen, my mind was racing a million miles a minute as I fast forwarded through their lives. The mental picture included them in high school journalism and then behind a broadcast desk much like the one that we saw Kyra Phillips sitting behind. It brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face as I wondered if this would be the one experience that clicked.
We are working hard to teach our children that they can be anything that they want to be (and that a backup plan is a healthy part of career planning as well!). I wonder which of these things we expose them to will be the one thing to stick. Which one of these travel and life experiences will make a lasting impression and guide their career choices later in life?
Who knows? Maybe it will be that one trip to Atlanta where we got to pretend to be on CNN.
*Thank you to the Omni Hotel at CNN Center for covering our tour cost. As always, all opinions are my own with no outside influence.
This post marks the 500th post on Two Kids and a Map.
500 posts!
That is almost 4 years of writing.
For the past week or so, I have been trying to think of something profound to write about in my 500th post. I thought about waxing poetic about how travel has changed me and my family. I thought about sharing how keeping up this site has helped me prioritize my life and spending habits. It has enabled us to do things we might not have done otherwise and has opened up some great opportunities for me. I am proud to share how we travel on a budget because, let’s face it, just about everyone is on a budget these days.
This is the 500th post and I felt it should be something special. As I paged through the posts, it was great remembering each travel moment I wrote about. Some of the writing I am so proud of…other posts remind me of how far I have come since I started sharing my words on the Internet. After all that, I decided that I was going to be a little selfish and I am going to share some of my favorite posts from the past three and a half years of blogging.
Bear with me…it was hard to choose! It has been a long road!
I am a Southern Transplant – In which I admit to the entire world and myself that I am a California girl turned southern belle who accepts her CA/southern accent, love for men who wear their baseball hats properly turned to the front, and sweet tea.
Traveling with Kids – Travel Mishaps and Disasters – I can’t believe I wrote this post almost two years ago. It is time to fess up about some of the disastrous moments we have had since then!
The Prettiest Place I Know – We made a trip up to Ashland, TN to visit a dear family member who was very ill. I cried the entire time I wrote this post about arriving at one of my husband’s favorite childhood spots and rereading it still brings tears to my eyes.
Clean Beaches on the Gulf Coast – I don’t typically get controversial around here. I don’t voice my political opinion and I realize that everyone has a different experience. I may have loved something you hated and vice versa. I try to always find the good in something but when I wrote this post about the BP oil spill washing up on our beautiful sands, my heart was heavy.
Photo Opportunities – This was a Photo Friday in which I share my family’s love for photo cutouts!
The Power of the Grocery Store – In all of our traveling, we have discovered that a stop at a grocery store or market can teach us a lot about a city. It is also a great place to pick up souvenirs.
Photo Session in a Hotel Room – No…not that kind of photo session! We found that a hotel room with big bright windows and a beautiful headboard was the perfect setting for a family photo shoot.
Zermatt, Switzerland and the Matterhorn: Living out #4 of my Bucket List – I have been fascinated with the Matterhorn since teaching Banner in the Sky to a group of 7th graders. After several years of reading everything I could about it, I finally got to see the Matterhorn for myself.
Traveling Mom, Traveling Daughter – I look back on my childhood and share how my mother influenced me and my love for travel, all things road trip, and getting lost along the way.
New Orleans As Seen Through My 6 Year Old’s Eyes – The last time we were in New Orleans, I turned the camera over to my son. He caught some great pictures and took my favorite picture of myself.
A Visit to Haunama Bay 21 Years Apart – I get to revisit one of my favorite memories from living in Hawaii (even though I wasn’t a big fan of swimming with the fishies back then or now!).
A Quiet Moment at Manoa Falls – My husband and I wandered on a hike in the middle of a rainforest and for the most part, we were completely alone.
Priceline – Our Experience – It had been years since I tried Priceline. We got a great hotel room at an even better rate and I share how it happened.
Trip Expenses – 5 Day Road Trip to Asheville, North Carolina – I kept a running tally of every dime we spent on our trip int his hugely popular post. I have been meaning to do this again, but just haven’t gotten around to it. I am going to add posts like this to my calendar.
Posted in Sharing on December 30, 2011
Part of traveling (and blogging about it) is taking pictures during our trips. I love to take photos that can double as family portraits to hang on the wall. They aren’t your typical posed picture but there is just something about seeing a pretty picture of my family in an even prettier spot to help remind me of all the amazing memories we made during the trip.
In jumping on the bandwagon of top things of 2011, I am sharing three of our favorite family portraits from 2011.
My favorite picture from this year is a picture that actually doesn’t show any of us and is from our own city! One Saturday morning, we decided to explore the only sand dunes in Pensacola that you can actually walk on. We were all walking next to each other when I happen to look down and see our shadows in the gorgeous sand.
I have yet to print this picture that I took at Brookgreen Gardens in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina but it is one of my favorites of my kids. Even though we visited the gardens in early spring, there were flowers blooming everywhere we turned.
We took this picture when we were taking a rest stop break during a drive to Orlando to visit LEGOLAND Florida. I have decided that I am a pro at traveling solo with my kids due to the many trips we took with just the three of us this year.
Stop by Delicious Baby to see other Photo Friday submissions.
Happy Holidays! I hope that the past few weeks were fabulous, no matter which holiday you choose to celebrate in your family. Even though I took a little break from blogging here, I did have a few posts that are on a few other sites and I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to visit, maybe leave a comment and surf around a bit. They are great websites and I read them regularly! I will be using January to clean up the site a little and get back to writing.
Family Friday: NYC – A Traveler’s Library – In this post, I shamelessly admit that I am using my children to help me convince my husband to take us all to NYC this year!
Objects that will Drop in the South on New Year’s Eve – Traveling Mom – From moon pies, pickles, and peaches, read about the funny (and some strange) things that are dropped on New Year’s Eve in destinations around the south.
Holiday Fun at the Gaylord Palms – Travel Mamas – We were so honored to represent Travel Mamas at the Gaylord Palms for their Dreamworks Experience. We played in snow, saw amazing ice sculptures and had breakfast with Shrek.
Miniature Golf in Myrtle Beach – Traveling Mom – I couldn’t believe the number of mini golf courses in Myrtle Beach. It seemed like there was one on every corner. Read about our favorite one.
Do you have a favorite post from your blog or elsewhere that you would like to share? Leave a link in the comments!
Posted in Tips on December 12, 2011
Over the past few posts, I have been sharing some of my favorite books (that come in a series). These are books that were in constant rotation in my classes. When I volunteer in the elementary school library, these are the books that get checked out before we have even put them back on the shelves. Last week, I shared favorite books for PreK children, toddlers, and babies and favorite books for elementary school students. Today, I share favorite books for middle school and high school students. I am not going to lie…I have read each and every book on this list and enjoyed pretty much all of them! I recommend that you read along (or read the book before) with your children. Only you as the parent can decide what is and isn’t appropriate for your children.
Middle School
Brian’s Saga Series by Gary Paulsen is about a 13 year old’s survival after his plane crashed. The first book in the series, Hachet, is a Newbery Honor book. Other books in the series: The River; Brian’s Winter; Brian’s Return and Brian’s Hunt.
Inheritance Cycle Series by Christopher Paolini begins with the book Eragon. Eragon is a fifteen year old who finds out that he is to be a Dragon Rider. Eragon was recently made into a movie as many of the books on the high school and middle school list. Other books in the series: Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance.
Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson is about a fourteen year old named Maximum Ride. She and her friends have wings and can fly. In the first book, one of the members is kidnapped and the other fight to save her. Other books in the series: There are currently seven books in the series.
Alex Rider Series by Anthony Horowitz is about fourteen year old Alex Rider who is coerced into taking over his uncle’s dangerous work for the Britain’s intelligence agency, M16. The series begins with Stormbreaker which is a favorite of my former middle school students. Other books in the series: Stormbreaker; Point Blank; Skeleton Key; Eagle Strike; Scorpia; Ark Angel; Snakehead; Crocodile Tears and Scorpia Rising.
High School
The River of Time Series by Lisa Tawn Bergren is historical fiction about a teenager who gets sent back in time to sixteenth century Italy. She manages to not only survive but also thrive. I picked up this book when it was offered as a free Kindle download for a few days. As soon as I finished, I immediately purchased the next three in the series. It is a good, clean read. Other books in the series: Waterfall; Cascade and Torrent.
The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare will be a favorite if your child liked the adventure and excitement of The Hunger Games and the magic of Harry Potter. In the first book, City of Bones, fifteen year old Clary gets wrapped up in the world of the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons. Other books in the series: City of Ashes; City of Glass; City of Fallen Angels. Cassandra Clare has also written another series called Infernal Devices. Those books currently include Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince.
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins is hot right now with the first movie to be released in 2012. Personally, I can’t wait for the movie and I hope they are able to do the book justice. Sixteen-year-old Katniss lives in the poorest district of a post-apocalyptic world. Each year, two children are chosen from each district to perform in an annual event called the Hunger Games where only one person survives. Other books in the series: The Hunger Games; Catching Fire and Mockingjay.
Though the Lord of the Rings Trilogy was published over fifty years ago, it still remains a fan favorite. The trilogy is about Frodo and his quest. The adventure begins with The Fellowship of the Ring but I recommend that you introduce The Hobbit as well. Other books in the series: The Two Towers and The Return of the King.
When the Harry Potter series first became popular, I was teaching middle school. My middle schoolers couldn’t get enough of the wizarding series. Those middle school children are now in their mid-20s, Harry Potter remains a popular series and is still widely read. Other books in the series: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
I would be remiss if I didn’t add the Twilight series to this list because it is still very popular. With the recent movie release of the first part of the fourth book, its popularity is still a constant with the tween/teen population. Join a teenage girl as she meets up with a group of vampires and a group of werewolves. Other Books in the series: New Moon; Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.
Share your favorites in the comments!
Posted in Tips on December 7, 2011
*Stay tuned! We will continue this series with middle school and high school book choices soon!
Books make fantastic gifts for travelers. Even if your child hates reading, they could probably be grudgingly convinced to listen to you read a story! Yesterday, I posted about favorite books for PreK children, toddlers, and babies. Today I am sharing favorite series of books for elementary school-aged children. I volunteer in my son’s library every week and these are the books that we cannot shelve fast enough. Kids come into the library and grab these books off the cart before they even make it to the bookshelves!
I have not read all the books I have listed, though I am working my way through the pile. I recommend that you read along (or read the book before) with your children. Only you as the parent can decide what is and isn’t appropriate for your children.
Elementary
Junie B Jones by Barbara Park – Junie B. is a spunky little girl who finds herself in many predicaments. The series begins with Junie in Kindergarten. In book 18, she becomes a first grader and continues with her hijinks. The first book in the series is Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus. The third book is called Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth. When my son began reading the books, I read a few of them and made sure that he knew that language like that was not acceptable in our house and just because Junie uses it doesn’t mean he can! It doesn’t seem to be an issue. Other books: There are over 30 Junie B. Jones books so there should be plenty to keep your little reader reading!
Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osbourne – In the Magic Tree House books, a brother and sister pair named Jack and Annie discover a magic tree house full of books that takes them on journeys all over the world. Together, they have adventures and solve mysteries. Other books: There are 46 books in the series with number 47 to be released at the end of the month and number 48 to be released in July of 2012. There is also a nonfiction series of books called the Magic Tree House Fact Trackers that cover topics discussed in the fiction books like twisters, dolphins, mummies, pilgrims, polar bears and more.
39 Clues is a series written by a number of popular authors, many whose names you will recognize like Rick Riordan (author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians series), Linda Sue Park (author of A Single Shard), Margaret Peterson Haddix (author of the Among the Hidden series which I recommend for middle school students) and more. In the first book, Amy and Dan’s grandmother dies and they discover that they are part of the most powerful family in history. The source is hidden in 39 clues around the world,, which they set out to find. We literally cannot keep these books on the shelves. The students are waiting for them before I have even checked them back in. I had a few minutes of down time and read the first few chapters of Book One. It was definitely captivating and I plan on reading through the series with my son. These books are commonly checked out by 4th and 5th graders. Other Books: There are eleven books in the series.
Nate the Great by Marjorie Sharmat is another current favorite of my second grader. Nate is child detective who solves all sorts of mysteries (I am finding a recurring theme of solving mysteries while having adventures!). Other books: There are twenty six books in the Nate the Great series that have been published over the past thirty years. There is another series of books about Nate the Great’s cousin, Olivia Sharp.
The Amber Brown collection by Paula Danziger (Parents: You might remember reading her book The Cat that Ate My Gymsuit when you were younger!) is realistic fiction about a little girl named Amber and her friends and family. Our favorite book from the series is Amber Brown is Not a Crayon which is the first in the collection.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney might sound familiar because of the recently released movie based on the book. With the November 2011 release of the sixth book, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is in constant rotation. The book is based on a middle school student so I recommend it for older elementary or middle school students. Other Books: There are six books in the series.
Carole Marsh’s Real Kids, Real Places mystery series books are not only fun to read but are also educational. The books take place in real places and there is a mystery to be solved in each one. There are forty eight mysteries that are set in places like Mount Rushmore, Hollywood, DisneyWorld, the Twin Cities, Yellowstone, Hawaii, Mount Vernon and more. Other Books: Carole Marsh has written lots of books but another travel series that caught my eye is Around the World in Eighty Mysteries where there are mysteries to be solved at Big Ben, Dracula’s Castle, Mt. Fugi, the Great Barrier Reef and more.
Share your favorites in the comments!
*Stay tuned! Tomorrow, I will share favorite series of books for elementary, middle school and high school students!
When all else fails and I can’t come up with a gift idea, I head to my favorite bookstore and buy a book or a gift certificate for the recipient. Even though we allow handheld video games and electronics during our travels, I still limit the time that each child gets to spend playing them. Books are always first on the list of things to pack.
Buying books before a road trip or vacation are some of my favorite memories from my childhood. Before every trip, we would head to the bookstore and be allowed to pick out a certain number of books to take with us. When we got home, my mother would confiscate the books and hide them. I can still see that fresh new pile of books stacked high in my mother’s closet, taunting me to take one and steal off to my room where I could start reading. But, oh no, we couldn’t touch those books until it was time to pack up our backpacks for our trip.
As a teacher, I tried to read anything and everything that came across my desk. It helped me keep up with what the kids were reading and it kept me semi-cool in their eyes when I could discuss Twilight, Crank, or Harry Potter with them. Now, I volunteer in my son’s library and I have been trying to keep up with the books that are currently popular. Here are a few series of books, both recent and old favorites, I have seen in constant rotation at the library. If you buy the first in the series, I highly recommend being ready to stop by a bookstore to buy the next few!
I have not read all the books I have listed, though I am working my way through the pile. I recommend that you read along (or read the book before) with your children. Only you as the parent can decide what is and isn’t appropriate for your children.
Baby/Toddler
Brightly colored board books are what will fit the bill for your baby or toddler. Though some of these are more author collections rather than a series, the books will still be appreciated.
Any book illustrated by Eric Carle – We particularly loved the books written by Bill Martin Junior like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You See.
Susan Boyton wrote our all time favorite nighttime book, The Going to Bed Book. We also loved Moo, Baa, La La La! My five year old still asks me to read that book sometimes!
Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth – Children love to run their hands over this book where they get to count the ten little ladybugs as they disappear. This book came with us everywhere for several months! Other Books: Ten Rubber Duckies and Goodnight Sweet Butterflies by Dawn Bentley
Pre-K
Pete the Cat – If you asked me to recite Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes right now, I could sing the entire book. Both of my kids adore Pete the Cat and his adventures. Other books: Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes; Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons (out in 2012)
If you Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff is a catchy book about that silly mouse that keeps wanting more and more! Other books: If You Take a Mouse to the Movies; If You Take a Mouse to School; If You Give a Pig a Party; If You Give a Pig a Pancake; If You Give a Cat a Cupcake
Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister Herbert is one of my favorite children’s books of all time. I love the beautiful illustrations and the moral of the story. Other books: Rainbow Fish and the Whale; Rainbow Fish Finds His Way; Play with Rainbow Fish
Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann is one of my daughter’s current favorite books. She LOVES pink…pink walls, pink bedspread, pink, pink, pink, The book is full of pink, pink, pink so it is perfect! Other books: Silverlicious; Goldilicious; Purplicious; there are also a number of I Can Read books
Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor is frilly and fabulous. We don’t have many of the Fancy Nancy books, but we do have all the holiday ones. I always purchase holiday books for the kids and somehow my daughter’s books have all been Fancy Nancy books! Other Books: Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas; Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy; Fancy Nancy: Aspiring Artist
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom…will there be enough room? This catchy book teaches letter order and the other book in the series teaches numbers. This is a favorite of my son still even if he won’t admit it. Other Books: Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems is the only book on this list that I haven’t read but my kids think they are hilarious! They have read them at school and have told me all about them. I have them on my list of gifts that I still have to pick up! Other books: Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late; The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog; The Pigeon Wants a Puppy
I got a little carried away in my excitement to share favorite books with you that I ran out of room in the post. Tomorrow, I will share favorite series of books for elementary, middle school and high school students (unless I get carried away again and have to extend the post into a three part series)!
Share your favorites in the comments!
Posted in Sharing on November 24, 2011
I have so much to be thankful for this year. As I celebrate Thanksgiving with my family, I am thinking of everyone that reads this site and my fellow blogger buddies. I hope that you have safe travels and a happy Thanksgiving.
~Jen
