• Organized Chaos: Keeping Track of Water Bottles

    Organized Chaos - Water Bottles - P1410648c

    Labeled Water Bottles

    Since we have two kids the same age and gender they have several items that are identical.  A common identical item that both kids have are their water bottles.  Like the blue water bottles with the owls on the outside pictured above.  A few months ago we had some issues with everybody using whatever water bottle they wanted (even if it was their sister’s), however, during the course of the school day their sister’s water bottle would get dropped, dented, scratched, broken, or misplaced. The next time that sister wanted to use her water bottle it was gone or had additional marks on it.

    I know it seems crazy, but there have been some serious discussions between the two kids in our house over damaged or lost special water bottles.  I am pretty sure no other household has these types of discussions in their home, but there were a few times I had to intervene in these conversations.  Although, items will get dropped or damaged the more they are used I had to find a solution so that these discussions would not be happening on a regular basis in our house. Prior to this year neither child cared which water bottle they took, but the older they get the more they want their items to look good and last longer.  I am happy they they want to take good care of their items we just had to find a method to track which water bottle belonged to who.

    My initial solution to the problem super easy, took only a couple seconds, and was very inexpensive.  I wrote their names on the special water bottles with a permanent black sharpie.  The names were written on the bottoms and / or sides of the water bottles so that each kid could easily see if it was theirs before taking it out of the drawer.  It was amazing how quickly the issue was resolved, however, after a several washings the permanent marker would wear off making it harder to tell whose water bottle it was again. Now I use several different methods to identify or keep track of the special water bottles:

    • Write the Names on the Water Bottles with Black Permanent Marker (easy and inexpensive, but washes off over time)
    • Use a washable Label with their Individual Names Printer on it – My personal favorite are the thin Lovable Labels ones because they stay on through MANY washes (anywhere from a few months to years as long as your kids don’t try peeling them off)
    • Purchase water bottles with their Names printed or engraved on them (usually more expensive, but works really well). My favorite place to get printed or engraved names on water bottles is Oriental Trading.

    There are several generic water bottles that anybody can use at any time in the drawer, however, the special ones have each child’s name on them.  The special water bottles usually have the child’s name written in permanent sharpie on the bottom and a label (or name printed / engraved) on the side of the water bottle.  Occasionally someone accidentally picks up the wrong water bottle, but for the most part everyone uses their own or a generic one.

    Now if they lose or damage their water bottle then they are the only ones inconvenienced by their actions.  One of our kids tends to be a little rougher on water bottles (clipping or tying them to her book bag which is bumped against everything in its path, dropping, or just forgetting it).  She has gotten a lot better as she is getting older, but I have to smile when she brings home just the water bottle top because I know that means the water bottle itself did not survive it’s nose dive to the concrete floor at school.

  • Tips on Flying with Kids

    AirTran inflight picture taken earlier this year!

    I have the opportunity to travel with our girls over Spring Break.  Thankfully they are wonderful in the car and LOVE to fly in the airplane.  A couple months ago we told the girls that we would be visiting family over Spring Break and they have been looking forward to this week every since that day.  After we first told them about our little trip almost every day they would ask me how many days until Spring.  It wasn’t until a couple weeks later that I realized that they thought that as soon as Spring arrived they would get a break (aka “Spring Break”) and we could go on our road / flying trip.  I had to explain to them that their School Spring Break did not always start on the first day of Spring.  They have been counting down the days and have been encouraging me to pack our suitcases.   Last week we were coming home from Church and Karlie told me to drive faster, when I asked why she said “we need to get home so we can start packing for our trip.”  Even though we were not leaving for several days I let the girls get started.  I had them find their travel backpacks and to start laying out a few items that they want to pack in their backpacks.  After only a few minutes they had a whole pile of items and they felt better about getting started.

    Traveling with kids can be a wonderful and fun adventure.  Adding special activities while traveling can make the trip even more exciting and memorable for the kids.  When the kids are happy it makes the whole trip go more smoothly.  Here are a few items we have used on our trips with the kids:

    • Special Backpack – whenever we travel, fly or spend the night somewhere the girls pack their travel backpack full of goodies just for them.  They have had the same backpacks for the last 3 to 4 years.  It has been a great investment and each girl is thrilled to pack items they enjoy in their own backpack.  Plus they proudly carry their treasures through the airport themselves.
    • Books – our girls love books so they pick out a couple small books to take in their backpacks.  We read the books as we are waiting to board the plane, quietly on the plane or whenever we have some downtime.
    • Educational Items – in the backpack we pack a pencil and crayons along with a small notebook, coloring book, and workbooks for them to do on the trip.  They enjoy doing “school” work for fun and it makes me feel good about them practicing their writing, numbers or other practical skills.
    • Snacks – before a big trip we will take the kids to the grocery store and have them pick out one special treat to take with them as a snack on the plane.  For this trip Brina picked out Blueberry Muffins and Karlie picked out 100 Calorie Snack Cookies, makes me laugh and proud to see what they chose this time around!
    • Creative Games – on the trip we come up with games to play with the girls
    1. What shapes / animals / objects do you see in the clouds?
    2. Name everything you see that is ___________ (red, a circle, silly, etc…)
    3. Find every word that contains a ____________ in it (a letter or set of letters like any word that contains a “b” in it or “th”)
    4. Count the number of steps it takes to get to the _______________? (to the terminal, bathroom, seat, baggage claim, etc…)
    5. What is your favorite __________? (memory, food, color, place to visit, etc…..)
    6. Card Games – “Go Fish”, “Old Maid”, “Uno”, and more!
    • Surprise Gifts – inside the girls backpacks we wrap small gifts for them to open up at random times throughout the trip.  Most of the time they are so involved and excited about the adventure that they don’t even open the gifts or only get to 1 or 2.  Although, they are quick to remind us once we have arrived at our destination and have fun opening them while we are visiting or vacationing.
    • Postcards – are fairly inexpensive souvenirs and the girls enjoy picking out and receiving postcards.  They will put them in their special drawer and keep it for many months.  They will pull them out and go through them to remember the special trips together.
    • Mind Your Manners – discuss appropriate manners, rules and guidelines for traveling (especially in a busy airport).  This is important to do at the beginning of the trip.  You can even make a game out of it.
    • Bright Matching Outfits – dress the kids in bright matching outfits so it is easy to see them in the airport.  Even if they are right next to you they are easier to see.
    • Gum – when the plane is ascending or descending it is smart to have your kids chew on some gum to help relieve any of the pressure especially if they have a cold or stuffy nose.  If you have an infant it would be a good time to give them their pacifier.  For a toddler a lollipop or a crunchy snack works well.
    • Rest – Allow the kids to sleep on the plane if they want to rest.  The girls have taken several naps on airplanes.  It gives them an extra boost of energy and helps them relax.  One time all three of us took a snooze on the flight, we were exhausted!

    Keeping the kids entertained is a great way to make the trip enjoyable.  For the parents I have a few more ideas of what to do during the  flight to help it go by quickly and smoothly.  The girls are excited, however, we are traveling after a full day of school and we’ll us arriving at our destination the early part of the next day.  I am looking forward to creating more positive traveling moments with the girls and praying that the trip is smooth for everyone driving, flying, and traveling with us.  Do you have any tips for flying with kids?