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Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Carry-On Checklist for Travel with Babies, Toddlers, and Kids

As promised, I'm sharing with you my tried and true carry-on checklist for air travel with babies, toddlers, and kids. We're heading out on our 4th international adventure with the boys this week and I'll be putting this to good use as we pack our bags. I included a printable PDF for you, linked HERE, so that you, too, can mark items off as you get ready for any summer travel you're taking on with your littles. Make sure to follow along on Instagram @thelaurablog1 for all of our traveling adventures these next few weeks! Adios!


Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Oskar Turns 5


Dear Oskar,

You’re F I V E. You’ve been asking, “When is it going to be June?” ever since Christmas, so a small piece of me is relieved to finally say, “NOW! It’s June NOW!” Spring flew by and here we are, on your golden birthday, 5 whole years on June 5. 

Your days start with the sun, though recently, you’ve been sneaking into our bed sometime in the middle of the night, your need for closeness stronger than ever. Always, always snuggling, always holding hands. You’re up and raring to go at 6 but know full well that we very much ARE NOT. Your birthday party theme this year is “Power Rangers”, which makes us laugh since nobody else has really seen an episode—this show belongs to you and you alone between the hours of 6-7am. Sometimes I swear you’re going to be one of those geniuses who need 4 hours of sleep to survive.

School fills your time on 3 weekdays, which has given you both some needed structure and a social outlet with a group of little best friends that you adore. Both you and I thrive on routine, predictability, and your days at school totally fill that need for you. You, all by yourself, though, taught yourself to READ this year. It’s truly blown us all away. We started with a pack of 100 sight words, which you mastered at 4.5. You now read every single Elephant and Piggie or Dr. Seuss book there is, and being read to by my not-even-5-year-old before bedtime makes us swell with pride. You, Oskar, are amazing.

You’re more full of life than ever, and truly LIVE every single second of every single day. You’re always going, always moving, perpetual motion, just like your dada used to be. When you’re not at school, you’re swimming, running, jumping, wrestling, or zooming around on your bike that you learned to ride without training wheels this spring. You need outlets to your energy, and totally shine when you have them, and have a hard time when you don’t. I wish I could have just a piece of it. 

You’re still a builder—blocks, LEGOs, Lincoln Logs, Magna-Tiles, anything, really…so much so that you want to be an Architect Teacher (VERY specific), when you grow up. I tried teaching you the word Professor, but you weren’t having it. 

You’re still very sensitive, my little empath. You get frustrated when you’re not the best at something, your feelings get so hurt if you feel excluded, and you totally crumble when you get corrected by your dada or me. You need approval, the need to be reminded how loved you are, and to feel a sense of security. Words of affirmation and physical touch are your love languages and are so very important to you. You’re always nervous to try new things and there’s nothing you love more than being home, but we’ve found that when we push you, it really does wonders for you.  

You and your brother are up and down, hot and cold, a million times a day. You fight about nearly everything but you can’t stand being apart. August wants to be just like you, and nothing makes him happier than your approval. You love to tackle or wrestle with each other and I’ve come to accept this penance as a mom of boys. After bath time, in pajamas, you two are always in your prime, making each other laugh so hard that I wish I could bottle it up. 

You’re on to a practice year of Kindergarten at your daycare center next year before heading to public Kindergarten the fall after turning 6. It was such a debate on what to do this coming school year, but now that the decision is made, I’m feeling so relieved to have just one more year before the start of something so monumental. You’ll keep going to music class and karate on days that you’re home, two hobbies that you’ve continued through another year.

This year has taken my you, my little boy, and turned you into such a big kid. Hanging out with you feels more and more like hanging out with my best friend, which has to be the best part about watching you grow.

When I think back to the day that you were born, I had no idea what you had in store for us. How much you’d challenge my sanity, my patience, and push me to my breaking point, over and over again. But I also couldn’t have possibly known how it feels to have your heart walking outside of your body, how we would give anything, everything, to have you be happy and healthy. Those same blue eyes that looked straight into my soul 5 years ago are still the most beautiful eyes I’ve seen. And when they laugh, our whole world lights up. Happy 5th birthday, my baby boy. May all your dreams come true. 

Love,
Mama
 
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