Living Abroad

How Do You Cook for a Family of Six? (Part 1)

June 9, 2011 By Erin Crispin 6 Comments

When I asked for suggestions on posts you as readers would like to see for my three year blog post, Jenny asked about cooking for a family of 6 while living overseas. So I thought I would just do a two part series on my cooking in general and how I go about preparing our meals.

Let me first start off by saying that I am not a master chef, nor a great meal planner by any stretch of the imagination. I do post some of my recipes over at Meals with Maria and Friends. I thought I would use two posts to show the way I organize for my cooking both overseas and while at home. When I first posted at Meals with Maria, here is what I said were my goals for my cooking:

1. I want it to be simple.
2. I want it to be as healthy as possible by trying to avoid pre-packaged ingredients.
3. I try to use as little dairy as possible. Many of my recipes will either be of dairy-free foods or substituting dairy with other ingredients. There are some yummy treats you just can’t substitute though, so you will get those too.
4. I cook overseas for the majority of the year, so the ingredients I use are often simple and easy to find.
5. I want it to satisfy the 6 mouths I am currently feeding in our home. One of my biggest challenges is combining this goal with goal #2.

So today, I will start off with what it looks like for our food as a family of 6 overseas.

1. Breakfast. We don’t really do much for breakfast. In fact, we tend to eat bigger breakfast foods for dinner. Our breakfast usually consists of oatmeal or cereal, eggs, fruit and juice (this is the only time of day when the kids get juice and we limit it to 4 ounces). When we are overseas, Saturday morning is usually pancake morning though. And we do eat breakfast every single day, unless we are getting up at 3:45am to catch a flight home!

2. Lunch. Lunch is another meal that is very simple. My kids are absolutely addicted to peanut butter and jelly. And I understand because it would be my choice every day too! So many days are pb&j or turkey sandwich along with a fresh fruit and/or veggie. Lunch will also consist of tuna or leftovers from dinner.

3. Dinner. I know many people will find it odd, but I actually have a dinner schedule (NERD ALERT). I started back in 2007 when I realized that my Mommy brain could never remember if I had just cooked a meal last week or not. So I started doing a dinner rotation, so I knew I was only repeating something every 2-3 weeks. When we are overseas, Joe is typically on the road one week and plays at home the next week. My goal is usually to eat vegetarian at least once a week and to only eat red meat once a week. We usually order pizza or do something else where I don’t have to cook once a week as well. And once a week I bake some sort of treat for us. Here is how my rotation worked this past season (each season may be different depending on what might be available).

Weeks Joe is Home:
Monday- Pizza
Tuesday- Chicken Wild Rice Soup and Fudge Brownies or Nutella Cheesecake Brownies or Wacky Cake
Wednesday- Herb Chicken Pasta and Salad
Thursday-Chili, Carrots and Sliced Peppers and Cornbread
Friday- Crunchy Garlic Chicken or President’s Chicken, Brown Rice and Peas
Saturday- Steak, Baked Potatoes, Parmesan Rice and Green Beans
Sunday- Macaroni and Tomatoes

Weeks Joe is Gone:
Monday- Pizza
Tuesday- Chicken and Corn Chili or Enchilada Casserole
Wednesday- Rice and Lentils and Chocolate Chip Bars or Carrot Cake
Thursday- Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
Friday- Pesto Pasta w/ Tomatoes and Parmesan, Bresaola, Bread
Saturday- Pancakes or German Pancakes with fruit
Sunday- Baked Chicken Strips, Carrots and Baked Basil Fries

Monday- Pizza
Tuesday- Stuffed Peppers or Span. Rice Casserole
Wednesday- Lentil Soup and Banana Bread or Apple Crisp
Thursday- Blonde Chicken Chili or White Chicken Chili
Friday- Chicken Parmesan, Pasta and Salad
Saturday- French Toast (Regular or Overnight Casserole) with fruit
Sunday- Crustless Spinach Quiche with fruit

A couple of notes about the dinner menu:

1. Joe is a man of habit and likes to eat steak before pretty much the night before every game, so that is why we ate steak on Saturday nights when he was home.
2. Joe was gone on Saturday and Sunday evenings when he had an away week, which is why both of those nights on his away weeks were very simple meals. I barely cook when he is gone!
3. I am a big fan of soups and casseroles. I had a friend once tell me she wasn’t into making casseroles and/or combining food, which I love in theory, but I don’t think I could survive if I couldn’t have a few meals a week where everything is in one pot or dish! Maybe once the kids are older I will do more meals with lots of courses and fresher foods.

So that is what I do while overseas. Tomorrow I will show you what we do in the U.S.

Filed Under: Living Abroad, Our Family

Toys We Have Gotten Some Mileage Out of

May 11, 2011 By Erin Crispin 3 Comments

When we move abroad, I try to pick out a few toys to bring for the kids that I think will get some good play out of and then we buy a few things abroad, but for the most part, they have way less toys than they do at home. It is always a shot in the dark for me when I select which toys I am bringing over as some will get a ton of us and others may sit in a cabinet most of the time. So here were the “winners” in the “Toy Use” category for this season (I have already mentioned the play they get out of their “boys and girls”, so I won’t mention them again).

1. Melissa and Doug Rainbow Stacker
You would think this would just be a baby toy, but this gift we got for Isaiah from my friend Alex this summer (I put it away so it would be a “new” toy when we got overseas) was played with by every kid. Isaiah went to almost no other toy all year, Naomi used the pieces as everything from coins to cookies, Elijah would use the stacking part as a gun and Abby would use it as a teaching tool when she played with Isaiah. It was a big hit all around.

2. Melissa and Doug Pretty Purse Fill and Spill
We have a lot of play purses in our home, but this one is good, not so much for the purse part but because the pieces it comes with are great accessories to a ton of creative games the kids come up with. Isaiah also liked sucking on the play coins.

3. Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Say Please Tea Set
This was a gift to Naomi for Christmas 2010 and was a great fit for her. She loves playing kitchen and serving people things, so this little singing companion was fun for her. The songs weren’t particularly irritating either, which is a big plus in my book because a lot of electronic toys are.

4. Coloring Books and Crayons
The coloring books and crayons are always one of the top items to be used. The kids always come back to coloring no matter what, and we went through a bunch of boxes of crayons this year.

5. Dress-Ups/Costumes
Although the dress-up bin didn’t get as much use this year as in past years (I think because we had to keep it under one of the kids’ beds so it wasn’t in view and therefore less thought of) the dress-ups were still a big part of play. Our kids love to “pretend” about everything and dress-ups are a big part of that.

Next season I will sit down and try to figure out what the “toys of choice” will be, but for now the kids are getting play out of all they have to enjoy at home.

Filed Under: Living Abroad, The Kids

Travel Home 2011

May 4, 2011 By Erin Crispin 5 Comments

I am finally getting around to writing up about our trip home that happened 1.5 weeks ago. The trip overall went as well as we could have expected. Here is the rundown of the preparation and trip itself.

Preparation: The packing really went relatively smoothly. We had the team pay for extra bags this year, so I wasn’t worried about trying to fit all of our things into 6 bags. Joe took a bag of things home so he wouldn’t have any more than 1 bag to bring back when he is done. Then I fit the rest of our things into 8 other bags (plus a box for the computer). The kids’ carry-ons were each equipped with a plastic bag filled with food, an extra outfit, and a few things to do. Add in our double stroller and two car seats we were bringing home and it was no wonder we needed one of the team’s smaller buses to take us to the airport!

Friday, April 22, 2011: Travel Day

3:15am: I woke up after about 5.5 hours of sleep and started to put the finishing touches on our things. We had decided not to eat breakfast before leaving, but to just eat what was packed and then get something more at the airport. After I got ready and had our things prepared to go, I started to get the kids ready at 3:40am. Elijah was first and was pretty easy because he was super excited. Abby who is usually harder to rouse was excited too and was dressed and ready to go quickly. Naomi had been pretty confused in the days leading up to the trip about why we needed to leave our house (“Is this house broke?” she would ask). But she was excited to get back to a toy microphone she had seen on her birthday video, so she kept talking about that. I woke Isaiah up at the last possible minute and planted him in his car seat before we headed down to the bus. Joe had taken a few bags down the night before, so while I got the kids ready he had been carrying bags down and loading them on the bus.

4am: We pulled away from the apartment and started the 1.5 hour drive to the Catania airport.

4:10am: Elijah asked how much longer until we get there. I was concerned about how they would all hold up for the trip at that point!

5:30am: We arrived at the Catania airport. The drive was pretty uneventful. Isaiah fussed a bit, but after eating some banana he fell back asleep. Naomi was already tired and wanting me to hold her. Abby and Elijah were still happy and running on adrenaline. When we got to the airport, we realized we only had 1 Euro for a cart, so we piled all we could on the one cart and then found a way to drag the rest of it inside.

5:45am: Joe made it to the front of the check-in line while I waited with the kids on the side. Abby reviewed our travel map that we had made, while I tried to keep a tired Naomi happy. They informed us as we were putting our bags through that they could not send our computer box. After explaining that this was the second half of our ticket and we had been told nothing about not being able to check it on the way over, the man helping us called over his supervisor. She still insisted that they could not send it because they could not guarantee it would not get damaged, so we would have to send it cargo, which they did not do there. After we convinced them we weren’t going to hold them responsible for any damage to it, they brought out a paper so that Joe could sign away any responsibility of the airline to damage to our computer.

6am: Then Joe found out that since we had four extra pieces of luggage, he had to go to another part of the airport to pay for them. Usually you just hand your credit card over, they swipe it and charge you and you move on. But he told me to stay put and he would go quickly take care of it. After 10 minutes of waiting, I decided to do a bathroom break with the kids since it didn’t look like we were going to have much time before our 7am flight. We had thought 1.5 hours beforehand would be plenty, but as it was creeping closer and closer to 6:30am, I started to get worried.

6:35am: Joe came running down and said to get in the security line so we would be able to make the flight. I got the kids in line while he went back to get our boarding passes (he couldn’t get these until our extra baggage had been paid for). He later told me that they had to fill out (by hand) a separate form for every extra bag we had. Thankfully we got through security quickly and we ran to catch the plane they were holding for us! This was not the start I had been envisioning.

7:05am: The flight from Catania to Rome took off shortly after we got on. As we had run onto the plane, I knew from flying Alitalia before that I was not going to be able to use Isaiah’s car seat. So we had given the car seat and double stroller to be put under the plane. So Isaiah was on my lap (he isn’t big enough for a CARES harness yet), along with Naomi on one side of the aisle. And Joe had Abby and Elijah on the other side of the aisle. The flight was only 1.5 hours, so there wasn’t too much time. The kids were looking forward to watching movies on the plane, so I had to keep explaining to Naomi that the movies weren’t on this plane. Isaiah started to get fidgety and when they brought drinks around, we got water for Naomi and me and put them on Naomi’s tray. Naomi then moved her water to the other side of the tray (closest to Isaiah and me) and we had our first spill of the day. Isaiah grabbed that cup as quick as lightening and Naomi ended up with water all over her seat. Thankfully, it was just water, so we mopped it up and I told Naomi her pants would dry. Thankfully at this point in the trip, she accepted that solution.

8:25am: We touched down in Rome and waited until everyone else had gotten off to make our exit. When we got down to the bottom of the stairwell (this was a little plane so you entered and exited from the ground via stairs), we found out we now had no car seat or stroller. I was kicking myself for not SPECIFICALLY saying that we needed them back after the flight. So they went ahead and checked them through to Philadelphia because they said there was no room underneath. So at that point, I knew Isaiah was pretty much going to spend the next 16 hours in my arms. We boarded the bus to take us to the terminal and had some nice people around us (we squished in last so were all standing) who helped the kids not to fall as we turned corners.

8:45am: Rome is a big airport and where you come in on a flight within Italy is a long way from where the international flights take off, so we decided to first do a bathroom break and then stop at MacDonald’s. That is when the first whining started. Abby wanted to know how long until we got home and let us know she was tired of traveling. Then she spilled her orange juice all over herself. So she and I made the trip to the bathroom for a clothing change. It was at this point that Joe and I decided I would not be doing this trip on my own for a few years. I was semi-crazy to think about doing it on my own this time and if I had no stroller, I really would have been in trouble since Isaiah is not standing or walking yet. But we got Abby changed, finished eating and then headed to our gate.

9:45am: Joe went to check in and figure out our seats at the desk, while I hung with the kids. At that point, I needed a break from holding Isaiah, so I let him crawl around the floor. Gross, I know, but I wiped him down good afterwards! We had about an hour and a half to wait until they started the pre-boarding, so the kids played on Abby’s Leapster and then sat by the window watching the planes. We then did one more bathroom break before getting ready to board the Rome to Philadelphia flight.

11:20am: We boarded the plane and got settled. We had decided since Joe’s ticket was booked separately and he would most likely not have a seat next to us, that I would take his ticket. They had blocked out a seat next to him, since it wasn’t a full flight, so that I could have extra room with Isaiah (never hurts to ask for this when you are traveling). We didn’t have the extra room of the bulkhead row, so it was nice to have an extra seat. Joe was two rows behind me with the other three kids. He had not traveled with Naomi since our trip in 2009, so I think he underestimated the effort she was going to take. But even if he had known, I think he still would have taken the three so I could handle Isaiah on my own because he is sweet like that.

12pm: The flight took off and the kids were itching for their movies. Isaiah was pretty tired by this point, but was more interested in looking around at everyone. After about 45 minutes, the older 3 kids were into the on demand movies and things were pretty quiet back there. This was an 8.5 hour flight, so I won’t recount too much of it, but after a lot of standing and swaying, I finally got Isaiah to fall asleep and laid him down next to me, but he only stayed asleep for 45 minutes. Amazingly enough, with such little sleep, he never really made a peep. He was about as good as you could hope a baby to be. We had one more spill (Abby again) and a lot of bathroom breaks. By the end, Elijah was tired and came up and fell asleep with his head on my lap as he sat in the seat next to me.

3:30pm (now Eastern Standard Time, which is -6 hours of where we were in Italy): We touched down in Philadelphia and I think we all kind of sighed. We were back in the U.S.! We did know that we needed to move quickly though because we only had 2 hours until our connecting flight. And we needed to get through customs, get our baggage, go through declarations and re-check our baggage again for our flight to State College. Thankfully it was not crowded at all. Naomi was totally pooped by this time and once we got the stroller, we dumped her in and she promptly fell asleep and pretty much went in and out of sleep for the rest of the trip, until we were in the car heading home. And when she was out of sleep, it was not pretty! We had about 30 minutes before boarding our State College flight and Joe went to get something for us to eat (Philly pretzels..yum!) while I sat with the kids. At this point, I was really feeling like we were almost there and thankful for the trip we had had.

5:15pm: We boarded the State College flight. It was a tiny plane and there was almost no one on there, so we spread out and Isaiah slept on me while Naomi slept on Joe. Abby and Elijah anxiously awaited for the plane to touch down.

6:30pm: We touched down in State College where we met the cold, rainy weather. That was a bit of a shock for us, but we got our stroller and car seat and then went to get our baggage. Our friend, Tyler Smith, was there to pick us up and he and Joe got all the bags loaded as I tried to help Naomi and Isaiah, who at this point hit meltdown. Abby and Elijah got a burst of adrenaline again and were running around, waiting to get home. We got two cars loaded up (our neighbors had dropped our car off at the airport for us and Tyler had brought the keys) and headed home. It was a 10-15 minute drive home and once we got there, the 3 older kids all took off to find their favorite things, while Joe and Tyler unloaded the car. I got Isaiah ready for bed and then crashed pretty early that night.

So that was our trip. It was long (it was about 21 hours total from start to finish), but God definitely was gracious throughout. We all had our moments of weakness, but we made it and can put another notch on our travel belts. Tomorrow, I will share a little about settling in at home.

Filed Under: Living Abroad, Our Family

After 9 Years, I’m Not Surprised Anymore

April 25, 2011 By Erin Crispin 7 Comments

You know by now I am a numbers girls. So the other day when I was thinking about the things in Europe that first stood out to me when first lived abroad, but now seem “normal”, I decided to look at how much of the last (almost) 9 years of my life I have spent overseas.

Joe and I have been married for 105 months.

Of those 105 months, about 49 of those months have been spent living abroad.

Which means about 47% of my life over the last 9 years, I have been living in Europe (Greece, Poland, Italy, Spain and Turkey).

So it’s no wonder the following things don’t even make me look twice anymore.

1. Cars Parked Right Up on the Sidewalk
It’s all over the place. Narrow streets and limited parking mean it is totally acceptable for cars to pull right up on the sidewalk. It has made trying to walk around the city we were in this season (especially with children) quite a challenge though.

2. Teenagers Engaging in Way Too Much PDA
I remember when we were in Greece and we went to Applebee’s one of the first weeks we were there. There was barely anyone else there, but diagonally across from us in a booth were two teenagers making out in such a way that I could barely eat. I thought it was just an isolated event, but the longer I am over here, the more I see that teenagers get away with a lot more in pubic than what would be acceptable in the U.S. (I know many of you are shaking your heads thinking it is bad in the U.S., but trust me, it is worse in Europe).

3. Motorbikes Weaving in and out of Traffic
Although they can still catch me off guard at times, I now at least know that a person on a motorbike or motorcycle has no fear or regard for their life. And there is not a space that is too small for them to squeeze through.

4. Pharmacies on Every Block
That little green cross is the sign for the pharmacy. When we were first in Italy, I was unsure about why there were one of these every block until I realized it was a pharmacy and that many things you would usually purchase at a grocery store (hydrogen peroixide for example) now had to be purchased at one of these.

5. Every Fifth Car Being a Fiat Punto
In my 47% of life in Europe over the last 9 years, I may have seen a million Fiat Punto’s. They are like every 5th car you see on the road (obviously more here in Italy because they are made here, which is why I have seen them so much because I have spent the most time in Italy). Add in all the Fiat Panda’s, Cinquecento’s, Uno’s, Doblo’s and Multipla’s and they may have 50% of the cars on the road in Italy.

6. Stopping for Animals to Cross the Street
I don’t even get surprised anymore when the sheep are crossing. Horses on the side of the road don’t make me blink. And goats close by can be a regular occurrence.

7. Nothing Being Open on Sundays or During the Afternoon
Making sure I have enough food for the whole weekend has been an adjustment, but now at least I don’t attempt to try and go pick something up at the grocery store on Sunday. And the afternoon is rest time now. Knowing most everything will be closed makes the afternoon restful but can make the morning a little more cramped to get everything done.

8. Lots of Graffiti
The graffiti is on everything and is everywhere. I think many of the cities we have lived in would have been a lot nicer had there been less graffiti.

9. Watching My Step on the Sidewalk
Another way the city could be nicer: fines for leaving your pet’s poop. But now I walk with my eyes cast down, looking to keep my own feet clear as well as the over 3 sets of feet I may have to look out for.

10. People Cutting in Front of Me in Line
This has been a tough one because we are generally friendlier in the U.S. about certain things (more smiles on the street, allowing the person who was furthest in the checkout line to go first if another line opens up, etc.) but now I am not surprised when someone just cuts in front in line. I used to take it personally, but anymore I realize it is just the only thing they know.

It is probably different in other countries we haven’t lived in, but these are some things that I get used to while we live overseas. But now I have to get used to the idiosyncrasies of the U.S. again!

Filed Under: Living Abroad

Interview with Anya Clowers of Jet with Kids

April 21, 2011 By Erin Crispin 4 Comments

I had the privilege of being able to ask Travel Comfort Specialist Anya Clowers, RN from Jet with Kids a few questions about traveling with children. Anya has been interviewed in:

The New York Times
The USA Today
ABC News
NBC Today
Web MD

as well as various other online resources. Her website and blog are chock full of helpful resources. You can also follow Jet with Kids on Facebook or Twitter. Other links that may be of value are:
Make it comfortable
Entertaining kids on planes
Respecting others on planes

Enjoy her helpful tips about traveling with children.

1. What is the biggest mistake you see parents make when flying with young children?
Parents are busy making sure flights are on time, bag contents are airport security approved, and diapers are stocked. We sometimes get so busy we forget to guide our children through the process. Eliminating fears, explaining noises and scenes, and involving them at age appropriate levels at every step is important so they know what to expect and what is expected of them. (& recognizing that as kids change and grow new fears or issues may arise… even if they are frequent fliers!)

It’s ultra important to pack extra time into the itinerary to be able to encourage involved children. Airport and airplane books help start the conversation weeks before a trip from the comfort of home. I encourage parents to bring those same books along when traveling and read them again when the child can point to the objects they see in front of them – bringing the book to life! However, be realistic with travel day expectations. Too much “new and exciting” can also be overwhelming and backfire.

Don’t expect kids to wait in long lines with nothing to do, eat, or drink. Interact with them, play quiet games by observing the colors or suitcases nearby, and always have a back up plan when these things fail. A well timed video or soothing music with headphones may help bridge the gap. Think simple and distraction. A brown paper bag with markers and bandaids to decorate it are inexpensive and time consuming. (& new! Bandaids are not usually allowed as toys!)

The other thing often overlooked is recognition that tantrums are usually a result of some form of discomfort. Hungry, tired, dehydrated, restless, teething, or ill children will act out when their system is overloaded. Sometimes just taking a quiet moment to evaluate the situation can help parents to see the solution. Air travel often distracts parents and may result in parents missing windows of opportunity or signs a meltdown is on the way. Time and patience as well as involvement are key to successful flights with kids.

2. For many of us basketball wives, we end up traveling on our own with multiple children, what one tip would you give us to make the travel easier?
Remember, you know your children best, and every child is unique. Avoid looking at the “multiple” side of things and plan each child’s travel day individually. What does the oldest do best? What are they most sensitive to? What can they “help” with? Which child is most sensitive to noise? View them as “only” children when planning for their individual needs. Although they travel as a group, if their bags are packed for individual needs and the day is discussed planning what each child’s role will be, then the “team” will do well. On the other hand, lumping them all together as “a group of kids” is overwhelming and likely to short circuit the parent! Bring headphone splitters for multiple users.

3. We are also often making long international flights with multiple connections. In that time, it can be tough for our children to be perfectly behaved and quiet the entire time. When we reach a moment of a child having a meltdown and we have done all we can, what should we say to another passenger who is being “less than kind” towards being on the same plane with children?

Well first, we can’t expect kids to be perfect – and let’s face it, there are plenty of adults who are less than perfect on those incredibly long international days. There will always be people who don’t like to be near crying children. However, realize they too are probably tired and it’s always easier to hear our own child cry than someone else’s child simply because we understand the reason for the tears.

I know this may sound strange – but….Be sympathetic. I found my crabbiest hospital patients were the most unhappy inside. Once I understood their anger and crabbiness, I didn’t take their rude behavior personally. Instead I loved the challenge. Look at those crabby passengers as a challenge. Observe things from their viewpoint. They are tired and sick of traveling – maybe even have a headache or are sitting on an inflamed hemorrhoid. Give them the benefit of the doubt and don’t take their comments or looks personally. However, ignoring them may just increase tension in an already tense environment. Remember that laughter does wonders – even if on top of a screaming child. Break the tension… be creative… it will help you in the process!

I always recommend immediately establishing contact with passengers nearby when boarding. Make eye contact, smile, and tell them you will do your best to not interrupt their flight. Ask them to tell you if your child is kicking their seat or bothering them. This acknowledges respect.

Recognize that in cramped quarters reality is your child does affect others. Be kind. Bring a bag of earplugs or some chocolate. Offer to buy someone a drink on the plane if appropriate. My point is parents often just get offended by others not being kind. Turn it around. Reality is crying does affect the quality of travel for others. Reality is we choose to have kids and bring them on airplanes. Be kind. Although no parent enjoys a crying child, it is a sacrifice we accept as their parents. Expecting others to be as tolerant is not fair and only sets us up for disappointment. Many times others just want to know that parents will take responsibility for kids. They want parents to acknowledge that their kids are affecting them. They need comfort!

Take it to the unexpected level. Have your child make a small card with the outline of their handprint before the day of travel. Attach a sealed piece of candy and some individually wrapped ear plugs. On the card, write, “I have had a long day of travel. Are you sick of traveling too?” or something silly.

4. One of the problems I have run into in travel is that certain European airlines do not allow car seats on the plane. When this is your only option to getting to the city your husband is playing in, what do you suggest to offer the best safety measures available for your child?

This is a bit out of my expertise as I am not as familiar with European standards. However, this Fall I have a meeting in London with Virgin Atlantic and with the TUV in Germany so I will be better able to address these issues. But I am able to comment on one product I love and have used worldwide…

If a child is between 22-44lbs. the CARES harness will change the way you travel. It is literally one of my favorite travel products because of the incredible convenience, comfort, and safety it provides to my family. Do you want more info on this? I have used our CARES on airlines around the world.

According to inventor Louise Stoll, it can be used widely throughout Europe.
“The UK Civil Aviation Authority–(approves it), which means you can use it on any UK airline. It is also certified for all phases of flight by the US Federal Aviation restraint (FAA), and the aviation authorities of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Singapore and Israel. It is welcomed by nearly all the major airlines of Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, as they generally recognize and honour the certification of the FAA.”

5. The list of what to pack on your website is a great resource and very extensive, but for women like me who are traveling with multiple children on my own, it can often be a bigger stress to have more things to take care of. What would be your top 3 essentials to pack in a child’s carry-on?

I often tell parents the most important things to pack in the carry on are products addressing illness. Never rely on airports or airlines to supply infant or children’s dose products.
1. CeraLyte after/during diarrhea or vomiting to prevent dehydration is ultra important for little ones,
2. Fever and pain reducer (ibuprofen or acetaminophen),
3. Consider EarPopper for kids 3-4yrs and older who suffer with ear issues when flying that don’t respond to yawning or swallowing. The EarPopper turned my son’s cries into laughter and made me a lifelong believer!
*EarPopper is prescription in USA and over the counter everywhere else. Please note my position on the Advisory Board for Summit Medical, Inc. represents my belief in this product.
4. One last thing? I have had great success treating my son’s cold symptoms with Boiron Cold Calm and flu symptoms with Oscillococcinum (these are manufactured by a French company and popular in European pharmacies).

There are a lot of great products listed on my site, however, it is recommended to identify issues causing stress and specific needs for the family and then find “Products Worth Packing” according to your needs. Overpacking is never advised. Think quality versus quantity!

ERGObaby carriers can hold kids up to 40lbs. and traveling with this comfortable carrier is almost like traveling with an assistant! For infants, toddlers, and even some preschoolers- this ergonomically correct carrier keeps little ones nearby while mom is busy. Using the ERGObaby in airports and at destinations is a back and sanity saver! Naps, snacks, and people watching are great activities for the carriers- keeping little ones happy, safe, and close by. However, please note carriers and slings are NOT appropriate for use in flight as a restraint. Every passenger regardless of age should have their own seat belt. Nothing else is safe.

As mentioned earlier, CARES harness is fantastic for safety and eliminates hauling multiple car seats through airports -or facing car seats that don’t fit in cramped airplane rows!

Entertainment: Wikki Sticks, Wyzi Wipes, and Airplane Activity Kits are great for kids on airplanes. A well stocked iPhone/iPod/iPad can hold favorite photo slideshows, apps for kids to “color” and games to play, fun with taking photos and video while on the plane, audiobooks, soothing music to sleep to or just block out all the noise and stimulation of travel, and of course when the time calls for it – a video of a favorite tv show or movie. Use the Mophie Juice Pack to bring along extra battery power! Even if not normally allowed to watch television or videos, traveling for hours and hours is not a normal event for little ones. Sometimes a little assistance from a video will give all a breather.

Filed Under: Living Abroad

Our Years of Travel, Part Three

April 20, 2011 By Erin Crispin 4 Comments

Over in my Basket Wives section, I have a page on traveling with children that links to some posts I have written on traveling with kids on airplanes overseas (interestingly enough, I have never done only a domestic flight with children unless it was connecting to an international one, so when that day comes I think the domestic flight might feel like a breeze). To date I have traveled internationally now 17 times with children (before that I traveled internationally 6 times without, 1 time with Joe and 5 times on my own or with another group). And of those 17 times, I have done it on my own 6 times (with 1 child twice, with 2 children once and with 3 children 3 times). I have written on our travels with children through August 2008 in a part one and part two post, so I figured since another 2.5 years has passed, it is time for part 3 of that series.

May 2009
Joe and I took the 3 kids home (Abby age 5, Elijah age 3 and Naomi age 13 months) at the end of his season in Turkey. The trip from Bandirma was always bit more involved because it included a ferry ride to get from Istanbul, which meant staying over in Istanbul the night before. But this trip was pretty uneventful, save for a diaper explosion by Naomi. You can read more about that trip here.

August 2009
This was my first trip alone with the three kids on our way to Brindisi, Italy. Abby was 5, Elijah was 3 and Naomi was 16 months. It involved a flight from Philadelphia to Rome, a 4 hour layover and then the flight from Rome to Brindisi. I did have another basketball wife on the flight with me from Philadelphia to Rome, which was helpful, but the kids didn’t know her so it wasn’t like having a relative or close friend travel specifically with you. This was my first real encounter with people who were really rude about the kids on the flight. Naomi did some crying and Abby had a freak out about having to go to the bathroom as we landed, but overall they did really good and it was sad to see people who were so grumpy taking it out on a mother with three children. When I found out I was pregnant a few weeks later it made sense as to why I was so hormonal and emotional with the comments directed at us.

December 2009
In order to get home for a month over the holidays, I went at it again and flew alone with the kids. Abby was 5.5, Elijah was 3.5 and Naomi was 20 months. This flight went pretty well I have found with the kids that the day time flights tend to be easier than the night ones. Although some people think it is easy at night because the kids will sleep, ours sleep so much that when they get less sleep on the plane, they are much crankier. I was 4 months pregnant at this time and in my second trimester energy burst, so I fared pretty well.

January 2010
This was the trip of all trips so far. The flight back after our month home over the holidays which included an 11 hour delay in the Philadelphia airport. I have to say that one of the greatest things about this trip was that now all other trip look like peaches in comparison. You can read more about that trip here.

April 2010
I flew one more time by myself back from Brindisi at 8 months pregnant to go back to the U.S. to give birth to Isaiah. Abby was 6, Elijah was almost 4 and Naomi was almost 2 at the time. Abby was very excited to get home during this trip, but rested for me, Elijah took a two hour nap and Naomi, although she refused to sleep, did stay relatively calm. The best part of this trip were the fabulous flight attendants we had who were so gracious with the kids. Plus we had bulk head seating, which always makes life a little more enjoyable on those long flights.

August 2010
With 4 children at ages 6, 4, 2 and 3 months, I wasn’t ready to try it out on my own yet, so this year coming to Barcellona, my father-in-law traveled with me. We flew from Philadelphia to Rome and then had a 4 hour layover before our flight to Catania. After that it was a 1.5 hour drive her to Barcellona. That trip was tough because Isaiah was so young and needed to be with me pretty much the whole time, yet Naomi really struggled to settle herself and wanted me as well. She was the toughest she had ever been on a flight. Abby and Elijah did relatively well though and logged in a couple hours of sleep on the plane. Letting them know ahead of time that they would only have a set time to watch movies helped.

So now we are getting ready to embark on our return trip from Barcellona. Joe is coming with us and as you can see, it has been 2 years since we have traveled together, so part of me is excited just to journey with him once again. We have become a better team in two years, so I am looking forward to going on another adventure with my best friend. And even though I have done this numerous times now, there is still always more to learn about traveling with children. Tomorrow I will share an interview that taught me a few new tips I hope to incorporate on this next international travel to add to my resume.

Filed Under: Living Abroad

10 Reasons I Know Another Basketball Season is Drawing to a Close

April 12, 2011 By Erin Crispin 6 Comments

The kids and I have less than 2 weeks left here in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, Italy. We are headed home early this season in order for the kids to participate in a few activities and for us to get settled for the summer. It is hard to believe I have been here 8.5 months, but another season is officially drawing to a close. Here are a couple of ways it always feels like the end of another season:

1. Spring has come and kids are in their warm weather clothes.

2. Bags are out and ready to be packed (Abby already has her carry-on ready to go!).

3. It is birthday season in the Crispin household.

4. Abby is finishing up classes in her school work for the year.

5. Windows are open and fresh air is getting into every corner.

6. Last team dinner with the guys (that was last night and the reason I didn’t post yesterday).

7. I am getting a little sad about leaving, even though I never thought I would. No matter what, every season I always do.

8. I am weeding through all we have accumulated in the time here and throwing things out.

9. We are getting to the end of many of our favorite American supplies we brought or had send over.

10. I say at least once a day, “I can’t wait to go home.”

Trying to make the most of my time left here,

Filed Under: Living Abroad, Our Family

When Should We Have Kids?

March 30, 2011 By Erin Crispin 9 Comments

A lot of people ask themselves that question these days. Is it better to have some years together in a marriage before kids? Or should we start a family right away after the wedding? Many people are in search of the “right” time to expand their families in regards to finances, jobs and just overall “readiness” to be a parent. These are all things to think about and consider, but in the world of professional sports, especially in the international sports world, it is a question that gets thought about even more it seems. We have all thought about whether it is wise to have children in this lifestyle or to wait until the later years once the career is over or at least winding down.

Life might be a little crazy with these kids, but it is definitely fun!

I think about it a great deal just because I get comments or looks frequently when people see I have 4 young children. So at times it leaves me questioning myself think, “Should we have tried to wait to have children?”

I think it is a very personal decision and one that is going to look different for each and every family. No other family will look or think like us. But having now had 4 children and being in my 7th season living abroad with children, here are some of my thoughts on why we chose to have children early and what I have seen as the pros and cons of that.

Pros:
1. No Chance for Boredom
I often forget what it is like to be abroad without children since I only did it during a half season in Greece. Sometimes it makes it hard for me to relate to many other women who have done this lifestyle for years on end on their own and struggle with boredom. The time really flies by over here when you have kids and I can never say that I have too much time on my hands.

2. Kids Get to Experience World Culture
I really enjoy having the kids while we live this overseas lifestyle because their world view has been expanded so much. Abby’s passport is more diverse than most adults I know and her knowledge of the different ways cultures work is as well. I am so thankful the kids get to see outside of their little U.S. community so that they hopefully become more understanding and compassionate people because they have experienced so many types of people and cultures.

3. More Time Together as a Couple Later in Life
Although the early time together in our marriage was great, Joe and I are really looking forward to having more time together later in our marriage because we had kids early. By that time our marriage will have grown and blossomed to a place of wonderful comfort and joy in one another. I know that each year of marriage gets better, so I look forward to having our alone time (Lord-willing) after the kids are grown and we are only in our late 40′s and 50′s.

Cons:
1. More Stressful for Parents and Kids
Having children while abroad is definitely more stressful for both parties. The parents have the challenge of doing every day tasks, like doctor’s appointments, in a country not their own. You also don’t have much of the support you would have back in the U.S. (ie. family help), so you are really doing it on your own for the most part. It is stressful for the kids too because all the moving can often times be hard to understand and accept. And if we as the parents are stressed about this lifestyle, that leads to more anxiety for the kids.

2. Missing Out on Things at Home
Kids miss out on a lot of the things that their peers back in the U.S. are doing. I personally find it a pretty equal trade-off for what they do get to experience here. Plus I am thankful for a lot of what they do miss out on. Our kids have no idea about many of the pop culture things of other U.S. kids and much of that I am glad they don’t know about.

3. Less Ability to Experience Things Abroad
For Joe and I having kids so early meant not being able to travel around and see a lot of the other sites of where we live. We try and get out to do things as much as we can, but not only does he need rest to do his job well, but if we drug the kids around all over the place, they wouldn’t get the rest they need and be a mess too. So we talk about maybe when we are older someday taking a trip to visit all the countries we lived in and traveling around to see all that we didn’t get to see during the time he played.

The toughest thing about even writing this is that there are many people out there who wanted to have children early on in their marriage and couldn’t. We know many who are struggling with infertility even now. And other couples wanted to wait to have children and were surprised with a wonderful blessing of a baby early on. No matter how you think through a subject like when to have kids (or how many kids to have or how far apart to space your children), the best way to think through it is to hold your ideals loosely and remember that God is in control. That is one of the toughest lessons for me to learn: there is so much out of my control in life. But resting not only in God’s control (or sovereignty) over everything in life, but also in the fact that He is wise about what He chooses to do and that what He chooses to do is loving towards me, has helped me to work through these types of issues in a more relaxed way. If it turns out the way I thought would be best, great, that means God thought it was best for me too. If it doesn’t, I can take that as the loving hand of God not holding something back from me, but loving me enough to keep me from something that would be second best. I learned that lesson through the birth of Isaiah, but it is one I am still being reminded of every day:

God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God
- Steven Curtis Chapman “God is God”

Filed Under: Christianity, Living Abroad, Our Family, Parenting

I’ve Become a Little “Spa” Shy

March 28, 2011 By Erin Crispin 3 Comments

Like many women, I enjoy the nice facial or massage every once and awhile. This is something my mom and dad usually treat me to over the summer as a belated birthday or Christmas gift. Typically while I am overseas though I don’t go to the spa much, mainly due to time constraints.

But two years ago when we were heading home from Turkey, I experienced a Turkish bath. It was an absolutely fabulous experience and I have been sort of longing for it again ever since. It was like an oasis in the middle of my crazy life and to go back there has been something I have wanted to do.

Going to Stick with Having a Massage at Big Name Hotels in Europe from Now On

But when I experienced this Turkish bath, we were staying in a large hotel in the biggest city in Turkey. Now we live in a small town in Sicily. But when I saw a really nice looking spa open up here, I thought it might be worth it to give it a try. So Joe arranged for me to go there back in January for the full works again: steam room, Turkish bath and massage. I got there a nice girl showed me where to get changed and was waiting for me when I came out. Unlike the Thai woman I had in Istanbul who didn’t even bother to speak Turkish to me but instead just dragged me everywhere she wanted me to go, this girl spoke strictly Italian. I understood for the most part at the beginning. But once I was in the sauna, she kept opening the door and saying something to me that I could not understand. Plus I could barely see anything, so I couldn’t even get the help of facial cues and body language. So eventually after she opened the door for the 5th time, I decided I wasn’t relaxing anyway and would just be done.

When I stepped out of the steam room, my robe was no longer anywhere to be found. All I was wearing was the little disposable thong they had given me to put on. She just pointed me to “relax” on a lounge chair and then to go ahead and get in the tub whenever I wanted to. I was able to locate my robe and sat on the chair and had some tea. I then figured they considered the whirlpool tub the Turkish bath, so that would be my next step. When I went to try out the tub, it was colder than the water I would put my kids in for bath time. I was only able to stay in for a little bit before I decided to sit back on the lounge chair and wait for my massage.

When the masseuse showed up, she took me to a room where I was to get up on the table under the sheet. I think my mom’s masseuse has spoiled me because she has a really soft, padded, heated table. This room was pretty chilly, so I was starting to get some goose bumps just laying under the sheet. But I was hoping that once the massage started, I would warm up. She started working on my back and things were going pretty well until she moved to my legs and working one at a time, exposed me all the way on one side. The U.S. protocol is usually to keep the butt covered while you work on the leg, but she got that sheet right off my bottom and worked fully on that butt cheek. I was getting a bit uncomfortable, but figured “There are muscles there so I guess it is legit.”

When I flipped over onto my back, now I had goosebumps, because it was downright cold in that room and being half naked wasn’t helping. After she worked the front of my legs and arms, she moved up to my head area and worked on my shoulders. She then pushed the sheet all the way down to my stomach and did a full out massage on my CHEST! Now I was not only freezing, but totally uncomfortable with the fact that she was massaging a breastfeeding woman like that! I thought for sure she was going to get sprayed in the face with some milk. I should have just given one big “Basta!” (Italian way to say, “That’s enough!”) and been done with it, but I was hoping it would improve. But that was the point of no return where I realized this was NOT going to be relaxing. So she finished up, I got dressed as quickly as I could and booked my way out of there.

I called Joe on the way home and he asked how it was. I said “Naked and cold.” That experience has definitely made me a little leery of going anywhere but a major hotel overseas for a spa treatment where they are not SO European in their approach to nakedness. I know lots of other women have had great experiences with spas over here, but I am not sure I am going to give it a try again. The spa may just have to be my summer U.S. activity.

Any other interesting spa experiences, home or abroad?

Filed Under: Living Abroad, The Basket Wife

My European Nemesis: The Toilets

March 10, 2011 By Erin Crispin 7 Comments

* Those who don’t like to hear about toilets or references about using the toilet should just skip this post. I am not very explicit, but some may find it offending. This is part of life for me though, so I am documenting it for posterity

Yesterday I posted on some of the bathrooms we have had in our apartments during Joe’s 8 seasons overseas. One of the most “interesting” aspects of European bathrooms to me has always been the toilets. Not only in our own apartment, but when we are out and about.

My first season overseas in Greece I made the unwise choice of attending an away game during the season Joe played for AEK, one of several Greek teams located in Athens. So away games were relatively easy to get to when his team was playing another team in Athens. So I decided I would go watch them play Olympiacos. The gym was absolutely packed (their regular gym was being worked on for the Olympics) and I think that besides those closely associated with AEK players or management, everyone was an Olympiacos fan. I almost got crushed a couple of times when the Olympiacos fans stormed down the stands to the railing to yell at the ref about a call that had been made. Poor Joe had to keep looking up at me in the stands to make sure I was ok. By halftime I felt wiped and decided I just needed to head to the bathroom for a break.

At that point I knew enough Greek to ask where the bathroom was and I was pointed down a set of stairs. The stairs were nasty and sketchy, but I followed my way down and found myself walking into a room with stalls. But the stalls had no doors and in the stalls were holes surrounded by cement with two footprints on either side of the hole. I quickly backed up to see if I could find a sign to say that I had accidentally come into the men’s restroom. But another woman breezed on by me and settled herself into a stall. And thus, the squat pot and I were formally introduced. From that point forward, I made sure to always make sure I used the bathroom before leaving home.

The squat pot and I still ran into each other a few more times (like in Turkey when I was at the hospital 6 inches dilated in labor, asked to use the bathroom and they lead me to a room with 2 squat pots…anyone who has give birth know that is just not right to do to a laboring woman). But for the most part, I had made peace with the alternate form of toileting. But the regular European toilet still gives me fits for one reason: water level.

As you can see in the picture, the water level is extremely low. Again, I know this is normal here, but in the U.S. we have a half full bowl. And maybe that is a waste of water, but I will tell you what it is not a waste of: cleaning supplies and time spent cleaning the toilet. We have children and this low water level has lead to some nasty surprises when you pull up the lid to use the toilet, and this is after they have flushed.

I have to think there is a way to have a higher water level without wasting water, right? For now, we just keep lots of toilet brushes on hand. How about you? Any funky toilet experiences?

Filed Under: Living Abroad