Surviving Holiday Travel with Kids

Thatboy and I both agree that our best Christmases ever were the two that we spent at home after each of our boys were born.  Holidays where you can just cuddle at home with your family are our favorite.

But long before we had children, and long before we were married, we agreed that we would always spend Christmas with his family, because for him, Christmas wasn't about the religious elements, or even the tree and lights, Christmas was about family, and he wanted to spend it with his.

This has never been easy, but it's been increasingly harder after we had children of our own.  There's such an age difference between Thatboy and his brother that they are over the whole "magic of Christmas" with their own kids and don't have a desire to re-institute it with ours.  So there's no waking up and digging into presents, there's no Christmas music, no lights, no Christmas activities, no Christmas meals.  It doesn't feel much different than any other time of the year.  

Most of the holiday travel issues are unique to us alone, but over the years I've definitely found some things that can be useful to all parents who aren't home at this time of year.

Getting Around

While not doable for every family, we always drive for this holiday trip.  It gives us a little more flexibility by giving us our own form of transportation when we're there.  It also lets us deal with the presents - both the ones we give and the ones we get.  This is especially important because many times Chanukah falls during the period we're there, so we've got both Christmas and Chanukah presents to transport.

But we don't live close enough for this to be easy.  This year we hit a record both coming and going - only 8 hours to get there!  Our fastest time ever!  And on the way home?  14.5 hours!  Our longest time ever!  

So my travel tip for anyone who similarly finds themselves on a long car ride over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house is to find some stopping points along the way for everyone to get out and stretch their legs.  One of my friends maps out cool playgrounds between her two destinations for her children to burn some energy.   We usually do a stop for breakfast and another for lunch to break it up a bit. 

Thatboy and I have been making this trip for 19 years, so we're pretty well acquainted with some fun places to stop.  Last year we took the kids on a walking tour of the Danish village, Solvang.  This year we stopped at a brewery with a large outdoor space for the kids to run around, play cornhole and build things with a giant jenga set.

Where to Stay

I'm not going to lie.  There's definitely a romantic picture of Christmas, waking up and heading to the living room/family room/tree room in your pajamas, mug of something warm in your hand, watching your kids dive into presents under a tree.   And if you can have this staying with your family, then DO IT!  The idea of the whole family under one roof seems really magical.  It's just not the reality we deal with, and if it's not feasible for you, I'm here to let you know that it can be just as wonderful to stay in a hotel.  For us, it's even better.

Hotels are gloriously decorated for the holidays.

Santa still comes to hotels.  So you can still have that moment in your pajamas watching kids open presents.  And since my inlaws don't do the present opening until almost lunchtime, staying in a hotel and having those presents is the only thing that keeps my children from going stir crazy as we wait for the rest of the family to wake up, eat their breakfast, and finally deem its okay for my kids to open gifts. 

Also, staying a hotel allows us to cater to my inlaws a bit.  If you have young children, there's a good chance they are early risers.  (Especially on Christmas morning!).  My kids get up hours before we're allowed over at the inlaws.  Staying at a hotel means them being up early doesn't mean my inlaws have to get up early!  And this also means we can try to sneak in some activity for the boys before heading over.  Santa even drops off Christmas cereal for the boys on Christmas morning because there's no food before 10 or 11 am otherwise.

Keeping Kids Busy

Holiday travel is especially hard for us with two rambunctious boys because Thatboy's family isn't interested in going out or doing anything.  And we obviously want to spend time with them while we're up there, since that's the whole point of the trip, so we don't want to go off and do activities on our own.

And not that we rely solely on screen time, but they don't use it at all.  Which means the kids are either stuck in a single room in TMIL's house with nothing to do, or a single room in TBIL's house with nothing to do between those long hours stuck in a car.

And let me tell you how much fun it is to take two kids to sit for a church service after they've been cooped up for days.

Hopefully your holidays aren't quite as cooped up, but in discussions with friends who also travel during the holidays, one thing that is universal is that kids are not on their best behavior during these trips.  There's so much excitement in the air, schedules are all over the place, and hot chocolate and Christmas treats can make even the most mellow kid a little ball of energy during this time period. 

Our solution?  Early morning playground sessions!

Last year we found a playground between our hotel and the inlaws homes.  So now, when the kids are up earlier than the inlaws, we just bring them to the playground and let them run around and play until we get the all clear that everyone is up.  This way we don't miss out on any family time, and they get a little less stir crazy because they've run, jumped, and climbed their little hearts out.

It's also a good idea to keep some ideas and activities in your pocket for unexpected free time.  Both last year and this year Thatboy's family decided to make plans without us while we were up there.  Last year we had enough notice to plan a museum day.

But this year we were completely surprised to pull up to the house and find TMIL gone.  Luckily we remembered a fun place that wasn't too far away we could take the kids for our last day there.

Keeping Kids Fed

If you're a parent, you know kids are waaaaaay harder to control when they're hungry or tired.  And since schedules are usually off during holiday travel, it's especially important to find solutions that avoid both of those situations.  For us, this means not waiting until we get to the inlaws to eat. (this is especially true in our situation where there isn't any food to eat once we get there).  

Along with stopping at a playground on the way over to the inlaws, we also stop and grab breakfast.  That way we can guarantee the kids arrive in the best mood possible - full tummies and tired legs.  

We also usually bring something with us for lunch, again to guarantee that there's something the kids will eat.  Because a fed kid, is a happy kid!

Even with all these tips and tricks, our holiday travels are hard, but like I said, that's unique to our situation.  So for the rest of you traveling with kids, instituting these little tricks might be the difference between a stressful holiday and one that's a little more peaceful!

Lighted Trees: Anise Seed Cookies

One of the best parts of the Christmas season is the lights.  Every tree seems to glow, because they're decked out in their finest.  And we love going to visit them.  We ended Chanukah, and began Christmas-ing with the always gorgeous tree in the Hotel Del.

After last year's fun, we went to Legoland to check out their lighted lego tree.

Along with all their other lights.

We discovered last year that they have a German-style market during the holiday season, and we love some giant pretzels.

Which we ate while watching some fun musical performances and waiting to see the tree light up.

We also made sure to visit a certain bearded someone while we were there.

Thatkid and I checked out some more festive trees when we went on our annual Nutcracker date.

And while they're not technically Christmas trees, we can't get through the holiday season without a trip to the Botanical Garden's Garden of Lights to see their lighted non-Christmas trees.

And we listened to music.

And got in some last-minute face time with Mr. Claus.

Of course we had to hit up our usual favorites - the trains, 

The snow, 

And the sledding!

This year we decided to try something new - a horse drawn carriage ride through the lights!

Each one of these stops is a tradition that just makes our holiday.  In truth, traditions are my favorite part of any holiday.  Doing the same thing every year, gives me something to look forward to because we always enjoy these events as a family.  This also holds true with some of the stuff I make year after year.  These anise cookies are a household favorite.  I think I first started making them before the kids were born, finding them in a cookbook my mother gave me.  Anise has a very black-licorice flavor that can be off-putting, but in these cookies, it adds just the faintest flavor.  Like a mellower version of gingerbread.

They're little and HIGHLY addictive.  Which is one of the reason they keep coming back year after year.

Anise Seed Cookies (From Maida Heatter)

1/2 cup whole blanched almonds

1 tsp anise seeds

4 oz butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 tsp salt

3 eggs

3 cups flour

1 egg white

1. Place the almonds in a small pan over medium heat.  Shake or stir until they are lightly colored.  
2. Crush the anise seeds.
3. Beat the butter in an electric mixer until smooth.
4. Add the vanilla and the sugar and beat until well mixed.
5. Add the salt and eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, until incorporated.
6. Add the anise seeds, and on low speed, gradually add the flour, scraping the bowl with a rupper spatula and beating only until mixed.
7. Chill the dough in the freezer for half an hour. Preheat the oven to 350.  Line 2 cookie sheets with silpat liners. 
8. Working with half of the dough at a time, flour a work surface, a rolling pin, and your hands.  Knead the dough briefly, then form it into a ball.  Flour the ball and flatten it into a disk with your hands.  Roll it out with your rolling pin until it is 1/2 inch thick.
9. Flour a 1 1/2 inch round cutter and cut rounds of the dough, cutting each cookie as close to the next as possible.  Place them 1 inch apart on the lined cookie sheet.
10. Repeat with second half of the dough.
11. Beat the egg white until foamy.  Brush it over the tops of the cookies with a pastry brush.
12. Press an almond on it's flat side into the top of each cookie.
13. Brush over the almond again with the egg white.
14. Sprinkle the tops with sugar and bake for 20-22 minutes.  Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.  Store them in an airtight at room temperature for a few days before serving. 

Gingerbread Everything: White Chocolate Sugar Cookies

The theme of our holiday season this year was unintentionally gingerbread houses.

It started out innocently enough. I read about a local restaurant that had decorated themselves to look like a gingerbread house, and I thought dining there would be a nice way to kick off the Christmas season.

It was, as anticipated, adorable. I only wish we had gotten pictures during the day. Every inch was filled with candy touches.

The same article that mentioned the restaurant, also informed me that there was a life size gingerbread house not too far from us. Shui if course we had to swing by and check it out.

It was well worth the detour. I can't even begin to imagine the Tom's that went into constructing this candy coated fantasy. Even the interior was involved, giving us a peek into the candy kitchen.

And of course, no Christmas would be complete without making our own gingerbread house. The boys had such a great time at the Halloween haunted house gingerbread workshop, that I signed them up for the classic Christmas one.

In truth, I was disappointed. The Christmas one was twice the price, and we were promised the candy selection was enormous. It wasn't. The Halloween selection was better, cuter, and way more creative.

Even the royal icing and gingerbread we were given wasn't as good as what we used at Halloween.

But the boys had fun, which is what really matters.

And Thatkid was able to use those skills to make gingerbread houses with his classmates in school last week. The candy selection there put the workshop to shame!

Both boys used those decorating skills they picked up in making their cookies for Santa this year. Rather than your typical sugar chunks, I jumped at the idea of the Food Network Magazine's white chocolate addition. Topped with royal icing, which the boys are now experts at using, these were a delicious update.

The boys each got a plate to decorate for themselves and Santa, while I took care of the ones going to our neighbors. I guess you could say we had a very sweet holiday!

White Chocolate Sugar Cookies (from Food Network Magazine)

4 oz white chocolate, chopped

2 3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Royal icing for decorating

1. Microwave the chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted. Let cool slightly. 
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. 
4. Beat in the egg until smooth. 
5. Beat in the melted white chocolate, then the vanilla. 
6. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in three additions until just combined. Divide the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pat into disks; wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
7. Preheat to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies using a 3- to 3 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Arrange 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared pans. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes. 
8. Bake, for 12-15 minutes, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are firm and the edges are light brown. Let cool 5 minutes on the pans, then transfer to racks to cool completely.I
9. Decorate with royal icing and sprinkles.