California: Airplane Travels and Kidspace in Pasadena

The kids and I left on Tuesday for a two-week trip to California. First we're spending a week with my aunt, and then we're spending a week with my cousin (who I haven't seen since I was a teenager; I reconnected with her on Facebook.)

The flight out here was actually pretty good. But even on their best behavior, traveling with kids is exhausting. Things started out hectic: I nearly forgot my laptop case at the check-in and Miss Jorie dropped a pint of chocolate milk in the terminal. It's really fun trying to find someone to help clean up when you have your purse/bag, diaper bag, a rolling computer case, a stroller, a chunky two-year old, and an airport-savvy-nonetheless-someone-flighty, autistic 6-year-old with a rolling Elmo suitcase and his own agenda to boot. But we managed.

Thankfully there was a "family" bathroom across from our gate, so I was able to finagle everyone and everything into what is blissfully known as a private place to contain the kids. It bought me about 15 minutes.

On the plane, Mr. Busypants fluctuated between looking out the window and sleeping on the floor while Miss Chattyshoes watched Elmo and Inspirational Baby aka Baby Jesus as she refers to it. I had two options: set her up on the iPhone and risk her shutting it off every 10 seconds or setting her up on the video iPod and having to put the headphones back on her every 15 seconds. I opted for iPod/no sound. She was happy.

Wednesday

Mid-morning we packed up our snacks and such and headed to Kidspace in Pasadena, which is an amazing children's museum with cool attractions for the kids to climb on, manipulate, build, and feel throughout. Miss Chattyshoes was a fan of the little ant cave (which she forced me to climb through many, many times). If crawling up this confined, dark space a gazillion times wasn't enough fun, bonking my head multiple times along the way certainly was. My paranoia would set in and I'd think of Natasha Richardson and wonder exactly how hard I'd made contact.

In the building area, Mr. Busypants led a group of foursomething year olds in building what turned out to be a pretty cool little house. It's hilarious to hear 4-6 year olds command each other to "stabilize it" (the walls).

There was also a bike area where the kids could ride along a path. I have a brief video of Alex going all Damien from the Omen with Jorie riding on the back like a little biker princess that I'll post after I get home. I can't seem to transfer it from my iPhone right now.

Coming Soon:

Adventure City, the Jurupa Mountain Cultural Center, and One Corn-Filled Diaper

California Science Center and Alta Dena Eaton Canyon