Author: admin

1. What do you call a group of dinosaurs that sing?
   • A Tyranno-chorus!
2. Which is the dinosaurs’ least favorite reindeer?
   • Comet!
3. What do you call a dino who hates losing?
   • A saur loser!
4. What did dinosaurs use to make their hot dogs?
   • Jurassic pork!
5. What dinosaurs are the first to respond to a crime scene?
   • Tricera-cops!
6. What kind of dinosaur will you always find at the rodeo?
   • A bronco-saurus!
7. What kind of dinosaurs make the best professors?
   • Philoso-raptors!
8. What do you call a dinosaur fart?
   • A blast from the past!
9. What do you get when you cross a dinosaur with a firework?
   • Dino-mite!
10. What is a dinosaur’s favorite quote?
    • “Jurassic times call for Jurassic measures!”
11. Why was the stegosaurus such a good volleyball player?
    • He could really spike the ball!
12. Which dinosaur had to wear glasses?
    • Tyrannosaurus specs!

And finally, I had to save the best for last. This one actually got a laugh out of me, rather than just a chuckle. And every time I tell it to someone, I end up laughing before I can even get to the punch line. So, the best dino joke of all time…..

Three dinosaurs stumble across a magic lamp. They rub it, and a genie appears. “I have three wishes, so I’ll give one to each of you,” the genie announces. The first dinosaur thinks hard. “Alright,” he says, “I’ll have a big, juicy, piece of meat.” Instantly, the biggest, juiciest piece of meat he’d ever seen appears in front of him. Not to be outdone, the second dinosaur thinks even harder. “I know! I’ll have a shower of meat!” Immediately, huge pieces of meat rain down around him. The third dinosaur, certainly not to be outdone, thinks even harder than the previous dinosaurs. “I’ve got it!” he cries, “I want a MEATIER shower!”

So, which was your favorite? How many times did you roll your eyes? Did your favorite dino joke make the list? If not, leave it in the comments, I’d love to hear it!

This month, I found myself traveling quite a bit. The four of us drove back from Washington state early in the month, and I found myself traveling by plane, ALONE, mid-month. With all that extra time on my hands and nobody looking to me for snacks or entertainment or diaper changes, I came up with a list of tips for traveling with kids. Most of these work for car trips or planes, but some are specific to one or the other. I hope you find some useful ones and enjoy some of my travel anecdotes!

• Pack ALL the snacks. Your kids won’t be the only ones looking for a snack before you get to your destination. And you can never be sure when you will be able to stop, or if you’ll have time on your layover, to stock up. Pack a small cooler with drinks for a car ride. If you’re traveling by plane, pack empty cups and fill them up after security. I’ve had some let me take milk and juice through security if I have my kids with me no questions asked, and I’ve had others I’ve had to practically beg not to throw away my breastmilk. Just avoid the hassle if you can.

• Pack layers. Just like you’d pack layers for yourself, pack layers or a small blanket for the kiddos. You never know what the temperature will be like. And, if you don’t need the extra layers, you can use them as a pillow! They also come in handy during car rides in the carseat when they fall asleep and their head is hanging at a bad angle.

• Pack several different activities. I get bored on a plane and in the car, and I’m old enough to just suck it up. Now, imagine a kiddo with less attention span and a need to be on the move! Make sure you have plenty of options to keep them busy. If you will be low on space, plan some games/activities you can play that don’t require anything (I spy, making up stories, planning what you will do at your destination, etc). If you have a tablet, this would be the time to use it. We try not to let the boys use theirs, but we always have it as a backup when we travel.

• Make sure you have a change of clothes…or three! You never know when there will be a blowout or a puke. I’ve had travel days where we don’t need any changes of clothes. And then I’ve had travel days like our drive out to Washington where Nico puked twice before we were half way there (darn mountain roads!). Make sure to have several changes accessible, whether it’s a separate bag in the front of the car or your carry on. And have a plastic bag ready to keep yucky clothes away from the clean ones! I’ve made that mistake before…

• Snag a window seat for your kiddos if possible. It has the dual purpose of giving them something to look at AND you block their exit! My biggest issue with plane travel is my boys want to get up and RUN. If you give them a window seat, it at least makes it harder for them to escape.

• Make sure you know which bathrooms have changing tables. I sat and waited for the bathroom near the cockpit to change my baby one time just to find out there was no changing table. On the way home, I made sure to ask, and it turns out both had changing tables. So you never know. The same goes for bathrooms at restaurants and gas stations. I was so surprised to find that the bathroom in a McDonald’s we stopped at didn’t have one. So I had to change Nico on the floor and hope he’d stay on his little mat that comes with the diaper bag. Turns out the bathroom inside the play area was the only one with the changing station.

• Make friends with the flight attendants. They are the providers of snacks and napkins and you want them on your side! Plus, if you’re like me, I don’t like the idea of leaving my kids with a stranger to go the bathroom. I know they can’t be stolen, but still. Although the flight attendants are strangers, I feel less weird leaving my kiddos with them. (Though I still have never done it…just hold it ‘til we land!)

• Know your kiddos and plan travel times as best you can. I’ve had the best luck with earlier flights, my boys are still sleepy when we get on the plane and haven’t had an entire day of energy building. When we drove to Washington, we left at like 4am, which got us about a third of the way there before the boys woke up and got antsy. What are your kids like? Would morning, afternoon, or evening travel be better for you?

• Plan for everything to take three times as long. This isn’t much of a tip. If you’ve had your kids for more than 5 minutes, you know that everything takes ages. But especially remember that when you are planning how you will spend your 40 minute layover, or how many stops you will have to make and for how long along your drive.

• Don’t stress! I know, easier said than done. Chances are you won’t miss your next flight, if you’re concerned, let someone at the desk know you’re on your way and go get that diaper changed. And anyone with kids will totally understand if your kiddos have a meltdown. There’s nothing you can do about it, and you definitely shouldn’t feel bad! On our way to Washington, we managed to take a wrong turn and not realize it for like 45 minutes. It happens, we made fun of ourselves and started a game of I spy and only arrived a bit after we had hoped.

My parents and grandma are visiting at the end of the month to celebrate my boys’ birthdays. And I have a new book coming out this summer, How Many Sleeps?, which is all about counting down the days until long-distance relatives come to visit. So, to prepare myself for our own long-distance relatives, I’ve put together this list of fun (and free!) things you can do when family or friends come to visit!

• Take a walk or go for a hike. Look up local nature trails, or just take a walk around the block! Make it a scavenger hunt, look for certain animals or buildings to check off your list. It’s a great way to enjoy the fresh air and get some exercise.
• Go to the park. As part of your walk, check out a local park and play on the toys or play catch. Go to your favorite one or find one you’ve never been to.
• Have a picnic. Pack a picnic lunch for your walk or trip to the park. It’s a great way to take a break from all the fun.
• Go to the zoo or a museum. Although this isn’t always free, there are many museums that offer free or discounted admission days. Take advantage of those and learn something new on a day when spending time outdoors isn’t possible.
• Cook a meal together. Pick a long time favorite or try a new recipe! You might learn a new skill, and as a bonus, you get to eat the end result! If you aren’t into cooking, you could go out to eat instead. Take your guests to your favorite restaurant or try a new one!
• Have a game night. Pull out all your favorite card games and board games. Our family game nights are always full of fun and laughter. Game night is sure to make some great memories!
• Put on a fashion show. If you or your kids love dressing up, get out all those old Halloween costumes and the out-of-style clothes hidden at the back of your closet. See who can make the most ridiculous outfit and practice your stage walk. This is sure to lead to a ton of giggles.
• Read a book together. If you love reading as much as I do, a nice, quiet activity to do with family is to all snuggle around a good book. Or, for older kids, everyone can enjoy their own book for a little while. Sometimes it’s nice to read in the company of someone else.
• Create art together. Grab your crayons, markers, paints, chalk, or whatever your favorite medium is! Everyone can create their own piece of artwork, and then you can make an art gallery for everyone to show off what they’ve made!
• Have a dance party. Blast your favorite songs and dance around the living room. Show off those moves! This is a lot of fun and also great exercise! If dancing’s not your thing but you still like music, see if there is a live show somewhere nearby.
• Put on a talent show. Everyone has some unique talent they can show off. Have everyone prepare their talent and then put on a show. You might be surprised by what you see!

Of course, the most important thing is to enjoy spending quality time with loved ones. It doesn’t matter what you do, if you do it together you are bound to have a good time. Don’t forget to take some pictures. But more importantly, live in the moment, nothing can replace the memories made with family and friends.

Comment below with your favorite things to do with visitors!