Seasonally Appropriate

© 2013 liz west, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio

We lived in Minneapolis during our sabbatical, and I sadly barely blogged about it. I intended to write posts about each of the major (and minor) tourist attractions we visited - what we liked, what we didn't like, tips for them, etc. And *maybe* I still will? Could be good NaBloPoMo fodder.

While there we had very different wardrobes, especially for the girls. We stayed long enough that the cold broke and we were there for a nice spring and verging-on-hot summer. So we got rid of most of the cold-weather gear and clothes, including the girls' snow boots, snow pants and heavy coats.

Unfortunately I also garage saled/consigned/donated all of the layering shirts I had bought for Jane. I'm sure I was mainly thinking that she'd outgrow them before we would need them down here, and also I was trying to "cut weight" and eliminate some things to make packing easier to come home. But I didn't make a mental (or real) note that I would eventually need to replace the long sleeve shirts for Jane!

Enter: COLD SNAP.

Today the high was 43, and it stayed that way all day basically. It's not like I didn't know it was coming, but rather I thought I had long sleeve layering shirts in a bag of Minneapolis clothes (because you know I saved ALL the cute, fleecy pajamas). There were a couple of long pants, some sweatshirts (that aren't uniform-approved) and the jams, but no layering shirts.

Jane went to school today in a tank, her jumper, a sweatshirt (from the used uniform sale), long pants and her jacket, which isn't that warm on its own and she will soon outgrow it too. BLAST these uniform restrictions (must be black or grey, must have the logo attached).

I went to Old Navy and bought 4 layering tops and a couple more bottoms. It was weirdly busy on a Tuesday, although I guess it was during the lunch hour? It was a crowded, yucky feeling store (you know the type with clothes strewn everywhere), but I was able to find what I needed even though the sales weren't THAT great. There's some kind of "Old Navy bucks" deal going on, but the cashier didn't give me mine even though I spent more than $25. ANNOYING.

Laundry Cycles

I still read a lot of blogs (praise be to Feedly for filling in after Google Reader died - RIP). Recently one savings/couponing blog wrote a post about a not-worth-it product. It was about a laundry divider that ended up not working (too big, so heavy when full of laundry and not breathable so got mold on the inside). She ended the post with a question for readers to share their laundry basket tips because she threw that one to the curb!

I went to post my comment and saw there were already 99 comments! Who knew laundry would be such a conversation starter?! Instead of writing out a comment I decided to hold the idea and just write my own post about it, as it ties into my ongoing struggle with laundry here in our sabbatical apartment.

My system at home is great. My husband built a wooden rolling cart that holds a mesh divided-in-two pop up laundry hamper. We sort lights and darks there (undies kept separate for their own load, a tip from my sister that I never would have done otherwise). Then I can wheel the whole cart to our laundry room for weekly washing, almost always Saturday -- four loads with lights, darks, jeans and undies. I have a separate regular plastic basket for towels (dirties only) and do that wash about twice a week (after my breastfeeding yeast stuff I go through a LOT of towels). Each girl has her own smaller pop-up mesh hamper and I wash their clothes separately -- a load per girl, also about once a week, sometimes on Saturdays but also other days -- they each have a lot of clothes and could easily go 2-3 weeks before NEEDING clean laundry.

Laundry never felt daunting, per se, at home, although the folding and putting away is never my favorite chore. Hanging up stuff is the worst, and I keep a lot of things hanging because I hate ironing even more. We have a huge washer and dryer -- side by side and front loading, and they're raised on pedestal drawers, so the strain on my back is minimal even moving wet towels or jeans from washer to dryer. I can do huge loads, and get almost all the laundry done in one long day of washing.

In this little apartment things are different. I get the lamenting and struggle of "the laundry is never done"! We are also in a colder climate, which means more layers, effectively doubling or tripling the laundry output! (Although we don't wash the outer layers often, and even the middle layers can be worn two or three times before washing ... except for the girls who are prone to spill ... who are we kidding, I spill a lot on myself too!)

The washer and dryer here are in the unit, which is a blessing, as I remember lugging laundry up and down to the basement in NYC (don't get me started about the bed bugs!) and to a completely different building during undergrad and grad school apartment living! They are stackable front loaders here, and in a small closet. But they're not at an outside wall, which means the dryer is "self-venting." This also means that the clothes don't get dry quickly ... and sometimes at all. The dryer has some kind of moisture sensor and if it thinks things are dry it won't dry anymore even if they feel slightly damp to the touch. At that point I have to shake them out and hang them or hope for the best. (At least the air is dry here and mold isn't really an issue like it is at home in the swampy south.)

The actual machines are very small, which means about half-size loads that I'm used to at home. I'm washing the girls clothes 2-3 times per week to stay ahead of it. They have fewer clothes here (although I'm always shopping ... at first to get more warmer clothes and now to give Jane more choices and to size up for Liv who keeps hulking out of her pants!).

Basically I'm ALWAYS doing laundry now. It's not the end of the world, of course, and I can stay on top of it without a whole lot of effort. But it's still a constant hum in my brain. And I regret ever scoffing at the memes or comments of complaint. Also, before we know it I'll be back in my big suburban lifestyle and missing all the brilliant parts of apartment and city living...

One Third

We are just over a third of the way thru our six month sabbatical. We've seen a lot and done many things in our time in the Twin Cities, but there still feels like so much more to go, and so many more things I want to check off my list.

Climate Acclimation

I grew up in southwest Oklahoma, which certainly gets cold, but I don't remember using lotion on any regular basis. When I was little I know I had rough elbows, which I believed to be from laying on the carpet on my stomach, so perhaps I did need lotion somewhat. But when I was in high school and playing basketball (season mostly in winter) if I did put on lotion I'd feel greasy and gross on my legs so I just didn't use it and didn't mind or need it. The water at home is very soft, so that may have had something to do with it too.

When I went to college a few hours north of home the weather was a little colder in the winter, and the water was much harder in the dorm. My skin revolted and was itchy and felt weird. I couldn't figure out what the deal was until my middle school-age cousin said "use lotion."

Duh.

I started using lotion, and it certainly made a difference. I don't really use lotion that much in Baton Rouge, just because of the humidity levels and my skin being OK without it.

An exception to this is my facial moisturizer, which I've been doing for years -- the Clinique yellow stuff moisturizer and in the last few years an eye cream from Clinique too, plus Argan oil that I dab under/in my nose as a preventive measure because even if my skin is fine sometimes my nose gets dry and gross.

In the ~2 weeks we've been in Minneapolis we've definitely stepped up our moisturizer game as a family. Liv always got lotion after a bath, but for Jane we'd kind of slacked. No more -- they're both slathered after a bath or shower, and I put a bottle of Aveeno lotion in their bathroom to use after every hand washing. (I used the rubber band trick to make each squirt only half a pump since their hands are so small.) The girls have also had some chapped skin -- Jane on her hands, Liv's on her cheeks -- and CeraVe ointment has done wonders, really making a difference overnight, and it's not too greasy once it sinks in. Shawn has been using it a lot on his hands too.

I can tell the difference in the air because of my skin after the shower. At home I can't always tell if I've put on my face lotion, but here my skin drinks it up and is definitely tighter/uncomfortable without it. And if I don't put lotion on my body it's a little itchy (not like the college-era itch, but that probably built up over a few days or weeks). I'll go through my moisturizer faster (that Clinique stuff isn't cheap), but it's worth it for comfort and skin protection.

No product in hair - washed last night.
Could use some actual makeup.

So far I'm having trouble remembering to sunscreen up, even though it's only our faces showing there's so much white from the snow and the sun is so bright that we'll definitely get burned if we're out for any amount of time. I sent a sunscreen stick with Jane for her recess and she puts it on her face herself. Such a responsible girl.

My hair can tell the difference too. I'm washing with random Pantene that I bought for Shawn (the siren song of the Target gift card if I bought four bottles was too much for me), so that's a little different, but I'm pretty sure it's the climate and air. My hair isn't as puffy and without any curl enhancing product it is going flatter and straighter, although not straight by any means. I think it will be easier to run a flat iron through and get a straight style to last. I need to work up the energy for that effort though.

(This has been an entry for the world's most boring blog post...)

A Bus Rider

Jane  has decided she wants to ride the bus to and from school. It's about a mile away, and bus service is part of free public education here.

Yesterday morning the bus didn't stop for her as it was supposed to so we drove her in. She was really upset, as upset as she was when she found out she couldn't start school on Monday. But she DID get to ride home on the bus, and that was "amazing," she said.

She told me about the ride and how her friend from class, Braden, helped her know where to go and so the other kids on the bus said "Braden's got a girlfriend." UGH. She thought it was funny and said he's her best friend.

Before he let her get off, the bus driver confirmed her address with me. I asked if it was the same place he would pick up in the morning. He said "no," shut his window and drove off!

This morning, it was snowing, and I was glad to not have to drive her to school on possibly slick streets. I still have to bundle up Livia and put her in the stroller, and we waited on the street for a few minutes since we didn't know EXACTLY where the bus would stop (the stop the school gave us is wrong, wrong, wrong).

We ended up having to run to catch the bus as it sped past us and stopped half a block down. I don't know if that's where it normally stops OR if it stopped because we chased it. The driver (not the same one as the afternoon route) acted like he didn't know there was a new kid to pick up.

Bureaucracy.

BUT Jane got on the bus and presumably made it to school, since the bus sign said her school name, I told the driver where she was going AND I haven't received a call that she didn't make it in! It's still so weird to be a step removed from Jane's school life. I know it's normal, but the weather and the newness of our living situation are combining to make some serious anxiety for me.

Also, I didn't get a picture when she got on the bus for the first time (since that happened at school). I didn't get a picture of her getting OFF the bus the first time because I was on the wrong side of the street (waiting at the stop the school gave us). And I didn't get a picture when she got on TODAY because I was running my fat ass down the road and then talking to the driver. Will try again today, but eventually I will get a picture of her with a bus ... or at least a picture of the back of a bus that contains my first born!

Edit to add:

Inflexible

Our lives have been shifted dramatically in the new year. I began on January 1 with a day of physical labor -- cleaning and preparing our house for a house sitter as we have moved 1200 miles away for a sabbatical season. We will be gone for six months, and I was packing and sorting and putting away -- laundry, scrubbing, vacuuming, washing, panicking. I haven't worked so hard in a long time.

Then we left the next morning, and my legs and entire body felt the ache of the previous day's efforts. We drove two long, hard days in the bitter cold. It was about 20 degrees when we left Baton Rouge and it got progressively colder as we traveled north. Only today has the temp gone above freezing, almost a week later. (Incidentally the weather has been fine and clear throughout, and it's going to get snowy later this week ... not sure how we'll fare driving in that, but time will tell and we'll be extra careful/stay in mostly.)

My biggest concern hasn't been the packing or even the effort of cleaning -- it was today, taking Jane to a new school for the first time, leaving her in the care of new people, people I'd never met, and in a building with no one I know. (Her school at home has a great church friend as a 5th grade teacher and other children we know, plus I'd been able to meet her teachers and see the classroom first.)

When we got to the school, however, we were told she couldn't start today and would have to wait until tomorrow at the earliest. In the end this is a better thing for everyone. It will give the teacher some time to prepare (not much but some), and it was one more day of winter break for our girls.

But we've known we'll be here, living in this apartment, for months. Why it couldn't have been done in advance I don't know. We had to go through a district placement office, and apparently that MUST be done in person, which Shawn was able to do Thursday, the day after we arrived.

I did not react well in the school office when they rebuffed us. The guy looked at us like we were crazy (which I agree, it's a crazy proposition, but it's what the placement office had led us to believe would happen, so we had prepared Jane). She was SO mad. It was awful and uncomfortable, while we sat in the room and Shawn filled out even more (duplicative) paperwork. Jane felt inflexible, and I felt the same.

After some time to process it, and an impromptu discussion with the principal who asked about Jane as a person and student to help her decide which of the two classes she might fit into best, I felt better and thought it would be fine to wait a day (or longer). Jane has already been in Kindergarten for 70+ days, and she'll have many more left because this school system started a month or more later than back home, meaning Jane will continue another month of school long after her Kindergarten friends back home will be on vacation (meaning her summer 2018 break is going to be a month shorter!).

But I'm embarrassed by how frustrated I became and how that frustration and aggravation were visibly apparent to everyone. I hate how Jane reacted, and I didn't handle her disappointment well since I was poorly managing my own irritation and disappointment.

I have to learn to be more flexible, but I'm not sure how. I am having plenty of opportunities to practice (and fail)!

The Case of the Stroller Bag Damaged by American Airlines

Not only did American Airlines damage my City Mini stroller, but they also effectively destroyed the custom Baby Jogger bag it was being carried in. When we picked it up in Minneapolis the whole bag was wrapped in plastic and the zipper had been demolished and squished. Ugh.

I was so tired from the travel I just wanted to leave. I knew it would be a big hassle, and I thought maybe we could deal with it on the phone later. I am SO GLAD Shawn insisted and went to talk to the baggage claim person because filing a damaged bag claim has to be done in person within four hours of picking up the bag. The woman Shawn talked to was the agent who said her hands were tied re: the damage to the stroller, but she did say she would approve a claim for the damaged bag.

The next step was to send the bag in for repairs or to be replaced. Because we needed the bag in some form to return the stroller to Baton Rouge, we waited until we were home to take it to an American Airlines counter. (We were told it didn't matter where, and BTR was most convenient). I had called ahead and went at a less busy time, and the counter agent was relatively helpful (albeit dense ... he was going to throw the bag on the conveyer belt without shutting it at all. And I'm pretty sure that would have kept the bag from getting to the repair shop at all). I was given a bag tag number so I could track the bag on its way to Dallas should I need to, and he made it sound like no problem at all to keep tabs on it. I walked away $1 poorer (no one validates parking), but I felt like things would be fine, at least as far as the bag was concerned.

Oh, haha. Joke's on me and all of that.

I waited patiently (as patiently as a person like me can). thinking that these things take time, etc. In my appealing for reconsideration for the damaged stroller I did find out that the bag was received on August 1 for repair. But as our next travel creeps closer I wanted to check in for any progress. When I started calling on Monday it had been about five weeks since I'd taken the bag in for damage repair. I think that's a reasonable amount of time to start looking for an update at least.

I started with American Airlines Baggage Customer Service. Seems like a good place, right? Well, no. They don't handle damage claims at all. They are strictly about delayed luggage. Because the claim started in Minneapolis (with Shawn's smart move that gave us any chance of a claim). I was told to call MSP and leave a message with my file locator and call back number.

Someone answered and was very rude/unpleasant. She didn't want to talk to me and it was clear she didn't feel well -- there was a lot of hacking plus mega noise in the background. In the end she told me that I should call "Ryan" and gave me a number. She said to use the same reference number to get information.

I called "Ryan," which I thought was a person. It turned out to be Rynn's Luggage -- and I had to leave a message there. I gave the reference number and my call back. Of course the return call came while I was out on a quick errand several hours later, but that was OK. She left the information that Rynn had told American on August 7 (i.e., over a month ago!) that the bag is not repairable, and it's up to them to take the next step of replacing it for me. She suggested I call American's main baggage number, option 7.

I did that, la-de-da, thinking that surely with this amount of information I could get the whereabouts of the bag, at the very least since it has probably been sent back to American Airlines, or in my wildest dreams a new bag. Of course I get the b*tchiest woman ever -- and that brings out the b*tch in me (which can be formidable). She said she couldn't help and suggested calling wherever I left the bag. She was another who was unpleasant and very unhappy to talk to me. There's probably a recording out there somewhere with me shouting an expletive and hanging up. (Because I already had the Baton Rouge number from calling ahead before I went to drop off the bag.) Pretty ashamed of that behavior on my part. But moving on.

So I call BTR and speak to a guy who is clearly out of his element. He has no idea what to do/how to check. He has no access and said he'll have to have his "lead" call me back. I assume that means his boss. He give me his name, as if that matters or will help, but I appreciated him trying and was very kind (I was feeling bad about screaming with the other lady too).

Of course no one called back. So today I tried BTR again and spoke to someone different. He was not happy to talk to me either, but somehow he was less rude. I could tell he was at the counter and had customers waiting/other incompetent workers he was trying to help too. I asked if I could call back another time, but he said "I'm already in baggage system." In the end he had no information. He didn't even know the name of the luggage company that would be responsible for repairing or replacing the bag and he didn't know how I could find out. He was generally non-informed and non-helpful. I can understand that an individual employee can't know every detail of how the processes work, but I would assume that the information would be in "baggage system" or whatever computer program he was looking at. I got off the phone, explaining I'm still unsatisfied but know he has other customers to help. He apologized but in a kind of "well shucks" way.

I decided to try Rynn Luggage again, since they had actually given me the most up-to-date information (August 7 date). Someone picked up, and it happened to be the general manager. He was very calm and kind, which was helpful to me because I was (and am) in a bit of a state about the whole thing. He asked me questions and I explained things as best I could. There may be a problem that BTR doesn't have access to information that MSP would have because that's where the claim originated so Rynn would have replied to MSP and BTR would never know. Lovely. But the MSP person had told me she had no information either, so I was stuck.

Then he asked me how much the bag cost. $50 plus $10 shipping. He said "I'll just buy you a new bag." He had me email him the link to the bag and said that he would place the order today. MAYBE it will be ordered and I'll have a new bag, or maybe I'll have to keep calling and whining. I have to do something so we can travel with our stroller this fall -- it happens to be on another airline (although I'm sure if it isn't the stroller and bag being damaged it will be something else).

I don't know if there's a lesson in this -- other than persistence is needed when dealing with any kind of corporation. I certainly don't feel good about any of this and would just prefer that American Airlines take care of my luggage in the first place. I know things happen, and this is a thing. If I do get a replacement bag I'll know at least that much has been righted and can be satisfied. But I still can't say that I believe I will get a replacement bag.

Stay tuned...

Conclusion: American Airlines Damaged My Stroller

This handle should be straight across, not dipping down
on the right. And the gripper should NOT be sliced like that.

As I wrote about in July, American Airlines damaged my City Mini stroller, and the damage includes a very bent handle, a sliced handle gripper and other roughing up to the stroller frame.

After we got home from Minneapolis I took the stroller and its bag to the Baton Rouge airport as directed by the airline. The ticket agent took the bag and sent it to Dallas to be repaired (I still haven't heard back on that issue, so I guess this saga isn't really over). He wasn't even going to zip it up (the zipper is very damaged on the custom bag, but Shawn had worked to get it to zip up enough for our return flight). But I did zip it up before he tossed it on the luggage carousel, although it would have been damaged beyond any repair if it had traveled as he wanted to send it. (Just an aside about the professionalism seen when dealing with this kind of stuff. No offense to the guy.)

I asked him about the stroller itself and whether I could appeal the decision by the baggage employee in Minneapolis who told Shawn the company policy was a strict "we do not cover stroller damage." I detailed the damage and showed him how it looked almost intentional and how I couldn't imagine how something like this would have happened in normal air travel operations. He agreed but said he couldn't do anything/wasn't empowered to change this company directive. He told me I could call Central Baggage Service in Dallas to ask about an appeal.

When I got home I did that (and BTR didn't validate parking so I was out $1 ... at least I had called ahead and didn't have to wait in a long line to talk to the guy). It took three phone calls to actually be connected to someone -- something kept happening with their system to kick me off. Then the representative told me the number I'd been given was only for delayed baggage. She couldn't help me with damage. She gave me another number, which took another three tries to get through -- and I found out I'd been re-routed to the original call center only dealing with delayed bags. ARGH! I explained the situation to the rep, and she asked a supervisor who told her to tell me to just email customer service as there isn't a phone number to talk to someone about damaged bags. Lovely.

So I did email American Airlines customer service, not expecting any response or compensation. I got an automated "we got your message" as soon as I sent it. A few days later I did get a message from an actual person, and it included his name (although it was still from a do-not-reply address). The message was something like "decisions like this are left in the hands of our ground crew, but I'll ask our manager to review this and if he decides we can compensate you we'll be in touch."

FUMING.

I appreciated the response, but I don't think they should be able to have it both ways -- the people on the ground saying corporate has this rule and we have no authority to change it and the people at corporate saying we can't do anything because the people on the ground have to make a decision at that time. ARGH!

After more than week I wrote again (back in the form online that takes ages to fill out because it needs your flight number, time of departure, etc.) and expressed that feeling/trying to call bullsh*t on it and asked for a decision and some explanation either way. I had offered at every encounter to provide photos of the damage but no one ever took me up on it. I got another auto response.

A few days later I got a reply from the same customer service rep again saying that the decision has to be made by the people on the ground. They're sorry I'm still upset, blah blah. Here's a $100 voucher for future flight on American Airlines. Hopefully your next flight with us will be better/we aim to serve you. Ugh.

The damage to the stroller was more like $150, so I guess I should feel glad to have recouped most of the cost (although am I really going to buy a new stroller frame and basket? I haven't yet.). But the whole thing has left a bitter taste in my mouth. I'm not sure how we'll travel with our stroller in the future, but I know we will (assuming we can get our stroller bag back ... must check on that soon).

I guess I just wish the customer service was less about CYA and more about actually taking responsibility for doing something wrong -- namely effing up a piece of luggage. There's nothing more I can do about it now, but I thought I would write it out for those who might be interested -- and in solidarity if anyone ever Googles for "American Airline stroller damage."

I also realize how small an issue this really is in light of the big picture -- both of the world at large and my life overall. It's quite annoying in any case, and I'm trying to keep it in perspective even as I write about it nonstop. Thanks for bearing with me.

Carry On Packing with a Toddler

I'm struggling with how to keep my backpack carry on from weighing as much as my toddler. But I am having no success. Why is my bag so heavy? Here is what I packed for Minneapolis:

• Laptop (soooo heavy, but essential to me) and charger
• Kindle, iPod, phone and chargers
• DSLR camera (only the one lens but it's still bulky and fragile)
• Wallet and ticket holder, 2-3 pens, lip balm, hand sanitizer
• Glasses, sunglasses, contacts holder, medicine (sometimes keys too)
• Diaper wallet (Pronto Changing Station by Skip Hop -- highly recommend for travel and daily diaper bag use) packed with diapers, wipes, cream
• Lovey -- soft, small blanket (not taking chances this gets lost, although I think I'm more attached to it than she is)
• Change of clothes for Jane in a ziplock bag (in case of emergency)
• Baby books -- try to keep them small and light, including some about airports and travel, a mix of new and old, and at least one coloring book
• Crayons, small notebook and stickers in a zippered pouch
• Fisher Price magnet drawing toy (Jane loved it) and other assorted small, lightweight toys
• Dog backpack/stuffed animal (Jane wears this, but it has to fit before we get through security)
• Ring sling (I put this on after security too)
• Sippy cup (to fill up after security)
• Snacks -- for us and for Jane 

Shawn had her lunch bag, extra books and emergency diapers in his backpack. He also gathers overflow when we get off the plane to make re-packing my bag easier.

So, what should I leave out? Obviously I can travel without my computer. My brain doesn't work well on iPod alone (and I don't have a tablet/don't think it would be much different anyway ... I love to type). I can't pack the computer in the carry on roller bag because we have to use regional jets to get out of Baton Rouge, which means the bigger carry ons get valet checked. Can't take that chance in any case. I could pack lighter snacks I guess, although what we took wasn't a lot.

On our next travel it will just be me and Jane (YIKES), and I think I will forgo the computer (it's a shorter trip) and maybe even the big camera (I just got a small one to carry with me in the diaper bag). I'll also try to keep the toys and books to a minimum (although I'd rather be a Sherpa than have a crying baby on a plane when it could be remedied with something I could have carried).

Should I use a non-backpack? Would that make a difference? Then I would just have it sitting on top of the roller bag when we are on the move and it could still stuff under the seat on the plane.

I'll keep thinking...

Jane Climbs

At the amazing North Loop Playground near the Mississippi River:

Lessons Learned: Two Weeks in Minneapolis with a Toddler

It was quite a trip, and I did a fairly good job having the right stuff on hand. A couple things I want to remember for our next big travel:

• Bring fewer toys and books. I brought probably 20 books and nearly as many toys. I had visions of playing and reading in the hotel room. Uh ... it's not childproofed, so we spent most of our time out and about. Also, we did plenty of shopping, including some books and toys of course! So a better idea would have been just a few toys and books for the plane, and then play it by ear otherwise. For books we can always go to the library. Even though we can't check them out we could always read, read, read there.
• Bring fewer clothes -- especially if I know I'll be doing laundry, just do it twice instead of only once -- and then that adds space in the suitcase to buy more clothes! (Particularly MY clothes -- I way over packed and for some reason forgot that I can wear jean shorts more than once.)
• Bring a booster seat! We had to buy one, which turned out OK. We found a folding travel booster on Amazon (affiliate link) that had pretty good reviews and was available at Babies R Us. It made mealtime infinitely easier. It folds down flat and weighs less than 2 lbs. I highly recommend it, and now we have a booster for our October trip and to use for coloring/stickers at the kitchen table. It's a Thing that I Bought That I Love. Some of the reviews talk about how the seat collapses under the toddler -- I don't think that can happen if the straps are tightened properly -- it's pretty cool how it works actually.
• Gate check the stroller! (Although it managed to get home OK without any further damage by checking it as luggage.)

NAILED IT. Things that worked for us for toddler travel.

• Always bring a small First Aid kid. We had Band Aids with us, which were key when Jane cut her index finger in the elevator. It was fine, but I was glad I had them. (Hotel had some too, so there's always that, but I like relying on myself, probably more than I should.)
• STICKERS STICKERS STICKERS -- these are great on the plane and for downtime in restaurants or really any time she's in the mood. I like the bigger stickers that are round -- easier for her to place and less frustrating. I had a little mini notebook that she could put them in, and bonus she can later flip through them and relive the fun!
• Water bottle and tote bags -- definitely a city vacationer's friend. (I'm in the market for a flat water bottle I think ... I've been using my Life Factory glass one, and it's super heavy even when empty -- although water always tastes great.)
• Cool towels -- we went to MN in the middle of a heat wave, so these were great to have while we were at the zoo and other outdoor activities in the heat.
• Dog backpack -- I got this at a consignment sale before Jane could even walk. It's basically a leash, but it gives her more freedom than she'd have otherwise (there's probably an analogy for life in there somewhere). What I mean is that I don't have to grip her hand tightly and we can walk a little easier knowing she can't jet away from us. Jane's very much into walking now and rarely wants to be carried. She'll ride in the stroller some, but we didn't have the stroller with us in the airport so the dog was good. It was also a nice hugging friend on the plane and served as a pillow/arm prop for the one flight she actually slept.
• Bigger diaper bag for me -- I tried on all of the bags I own that were about the size I was thinking (remembering from the Berlin trip), and I settled on a luggage-style soft-sided bag that had an adjustable strap. So I was able to make it long enough to hit my hip. I wore it with the Ergo or just pushing the stroller, and it was great.  

I tried "hypnosis" from this Scary Mommy blog post about traveling with kids.  I told Jane how she'd feel sleepy and cozy when we got on the plane. When I asked her what she'd do when we got on the plane, she'd respond "Shhh..." But the first flight was no sleep, even though it was still early. I guess 6:30 am is about her normal wake up time, but she'd already been up for more than 2 hours, so what gives? I was exhausted and ready to sleep! After monumental amounts of play in the DFW airport she did sleep for over an hour on the last flight, and she didn't have any trouble falling asleep in her own crib back home. So I think I should count myself lucky. I certainly do!

Minneapolis-St. Paul in Bullets

I didn't write a blog post every day like I did when we were in Berlin. But I did take brief notes and thought I'd save an outline of our trip itinerary here -- and in case it's ever useful for anyone looking for kid-friendly things to do in Minneapolis-St. Paul. We had the best time, and I'm thinking it might have been my best vacation yet!

I have written several Trip Advisor reviews while we've been here, so just linking to those for some of the descriptions. Unfortunately, I can't link directly to my reviews but just to the actual attraction page. My name on Trip Advisor is "silvermari" -- no surprise -- if you want to click through and see what I wrote.

I took over 700 photos in two weeks, and as much as I want to share all of the best ones of Jane I've decided not to. I might post one or two on Facebook (and I did as we "checked in" places with free wifi -- another perk of a big city). BUT I did take 40 photos that turned out in which Jane isn't the focus of the photos (although she is in a couple!). I forgot to take any pictures of our FEET on vacation. D'oh!




Saturday 7/13: ARRIVE, plenty of hassles (see damaged stroller)

Sunday 7/14:

• Getting supplies/groceries
• Minnehaha Depot and Minnehaha Falls (surprisingly fun, and kind of a stumbled-upon thing that we would have gone to later in the trip otherwise I'm sure)
• Swim in the hotel pool

Monday 7/15:

• North Loop Playground by Mississippi River (walking distance from the hotel -- brand new and so nice)
• Target downtown for more supplies
• Como Town Zoo and Conservatory

Tuesday 7/16:

• Minnesota Children's Museum (Possibly our best outing of the entire two weeks)
• Swim in the hotel pool

 Wednesday 7/17:

• Midtown Global Market "Wee Wednesday" program and playing in a great indoor play area for toddlers

Thursday 7/18:

• North Loop Playground by Mississippi River
• Minnesota Central Library baby story time -- WOW. This is a bigger system than EBR, and the quality was outstanding. The group was much smaller, they provided copies of each book read so everyone could read along, and there was toy time afterward! Also it was in a room separate from the bigger kids, which was less distracting and more focused than what we're used to. I miss this library!
• Walker Art Center
• Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Friday 7/19:

• Webcam with Katie
• Family story time in Cancer Survivors Park
• IKEA and Target

Saturday 7/20:

• Mill City Museum
• Swim in the hotel pool
• Dinner party at a house on a lake about 30 minutes from Minneapolis (so beautiful!)

Sunday 7/21:

• Mall of America rides, lunch and shopping
• Webcam with Popeye and Grandma Dale

Monday 7/22: HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT B!

• Wild Rumpus "Tail Time" and book shopping
• University of Minnesota walking tour with Daddy and shopping at UMN book store

Tuesday 7/23:

• Downtown St. Paul, Landmark Plaza and Peanuts character statues
• Minnesota Science Museum
• North Loop Playground by the Mississippi River

Wednesday 7/24:

• Lake Calhoun/Lake Harriet walk by the water (baby ducks!)
• General Store of Minnetonka (yummy pesto pea pasta salad to go!)
• Minnesota History Center with Daddy
• Mickey's Diner for supper (slow service, no high chairs, only OK food)

Thursday 7/25:

• Target (again!)
• Minnesota Central Library baby story time (different librarian but still amazing and fun)
• Swim in the hotel pool

Friday 7/26:

• Guthrie Theater Endless Observation Bridge
• Stone Arch Bridge / Mill Ruins Park
• Family story time (instead of in the park was in the library because of sprinkles)
• Toddler yoga (which was actually big kid yoga and we missed most of it because they had it in the park and we were still in the library when it started!)
• North Loop Playground by the Mississippi River -- was so hard to say goodbye to this beautiful park, and the amazing weather in July (but I keep reminding myself we'll get there in October and November when Minneapolis is in the snow!).

Saturday 7/27: HOME, with plenty of hassles (mega storm, main road closed and Toad's Wild (taxi) Ride to get home, but all luggage and passengers in tact -- our house still standing too!).

Retail Scenes

Balloon Race Ride at Mall of America

I made it to the Mall of America on this trip. And it was underwhelming -- or perhaps overwhelming. I'm sure I would have had a better time -- and better shopping luck -- if I had been on my own. (A toddler always slows you down.) It also would have helped if it weren't so crowded. We went on a Sunday; although I'm not sure if it's any better during the week.

Basically I went to this retail mecca and didn't buy much of anything (although I fell in love with a store: Typo ... OMG full of such fun stationery type things). We got Jane some educational place mats (easy packing!) at a game shop, and I bought some post cards. But otherwise the lines were too long, we were all melting down -- we showed up an hour before stores even opened but were able to spend that time riding rides, which was fun and Jane's first time! Lunch there was good too, and I felt extraordinarily happy just before we ventured back into the fray of the crowd.

All in all it was a bit of a disappointment, but I was only tempted a little bit to go back in the week and reclaim the retail therapy that could be mine.

I took Jane to a bookstore story time and made up for it by buying here a Twin Cities themed ABC book and a purse/book bag/cross-body bag for me. I had to ask the sales lady to get it down, and when she told me the price ($45) I was too embarrassed to say I didn't want it. It's handmade (this was a hippie, independent bookstore so it's not the worst thing to support it!), and is black and white with tons of pockets. I don't know if I'll be able to use it without feeling bad about having bought it.

So much for retail therapy.

Coffee Filters as Toddler Dishes

I didn't bring enough plastic baby bowls on this trip, and before I went and bought some more that I'd have to pack and carry home I actually had an idea -- well recalled an idea I'm sure I read on a blog or Pinterest or Facebook -- and used some of the 100 coffee filters I bought for the coffee maker here.

(They are a bit too small for the machine, but I've managed to make due -- rookie mistake ... and they're definitely too small for the home machine; I like unbleached anyway. And even if they had been the kind I like would I really want to waste valuable suitcase space on taking home coffee filters?!)

Anyway, they have been great for corralling grapes, yogurt melts, avocado chunks and the like. Then the messier foods (cottage cheese, pesto pasta, etc.) can go in the actual bowls I brought. (The bowls are called "take and toss" but I can't bring myself to toss them!)

American Airlines Damaged My City Mini Stroller

Flash Back:
City Mini in happier days:
last summer in Berlin

And all I want to do is cry!

It is so dumb to be this irrationally attached to an object. And I didn't even know I felt this way about it. But seeing its metal frame handle bent and the gripper slashed makes me sentimental and sad. Not to mention the expensive carrying case being effectively destroyed -- zipper all but ruined and the straps ripped off -- that just makes me angry because of the obvious negligence or intentionality to open and damage it. When we got it off the carousel it was wrapped in plastic, but there wasn't a "hey, we had to inspect this and the bag broke" note. Just a jacked up stroller in a ruined bag. Waaah!

An American Airlines baggage counter worker was somewhat helpful (working with Shawn, because I probably would have been raging ridiculously and not helped matters). She said the bag might be covered or replaced. She's still checking into it, and in any case we have to take the whole contraption to a baggage counter within 30 days. Lovely.

But the stroller won't be covered because "airlines don't cover strollers." I get that an unpackaged stroller is a liability and likely to be damaged -- they're bulky and non-uniformly sized. But our Baby Jogger City Mini model is specifically designed for travel. It folds up, the wheels had clicked off and were stowed carefully inside the carrying case, which is smaller than a regular suitcase but just as stable as (or maybe more stable than) a soft-sided bag. So I feel like it should be covered just like any other bag. If the contents of a suitcase get strewn about, torn or bent, doesn't the airline compensate for that? At least partially? Maybe I have the wrong idea about how protected I am when I check a bag.

In any case I tweeted about my woes, because someone I follow had tweeted about how helpful American was to him with delays -- the corporate social media types knew more about the delays than the ground crew he was working with. @AmericanAir tweeted back to me to keep working with the baggage agent and then "sorry for the bent handle" when I tweeted an update for a couple friends who had expressed twitter sympathy. If AA is actually sorry they should cover the damage. Surely there's a way to fix the stroller, right?

I've emailed the Baby Jogger customer service to inquire about the availability of a replacement handle with grip. Hopefully it either isn't too expensive or the airline will actually cover the damage.

*Whimper, whimper, whimper*