Theme Park Adventures
This weekend my oldest turns 10! In celebration of my little guy, we took the family on a Theme Park Adventure! This was our first theme park adventure with FOUR KIDS, and to say I was a bit nervous was an understatement.
When the husband and I dreamed of our future family in the early days of our relationship, one of the things we talked about was traveling with our little ones. We love to travel! We love to go and explore new cities. We like to experience new things. We like to be out and about.
Everytime we talked about having kids and whenever we shared our dreams of traveling with our kiddos, everyone always told us how HARD it would be. They told us our lifestyle would have to change. They told us that we wouldn't want to travel with kids. That it would be too complicated. That it would be too expensive.
Like all things in life, what matters most is our vision and our family intentions. One of the things that my husband and I have in common is the belief that whatever we want to accomplish in life, we can! We may need to plan things out. We may need to adjust the plan, pivot, or readjust our expectations, but nothing will stop us once we make up our minds.
Traveling and adventures were no different. So this week, we planned a trip to Universal Studios with our four kids- ages (almost) 10, 8, 2 and 11 months. And here is what we did to make it the most fun and easy trip…
Set our intentions for this trip.
Planned out as much as we could.
Rolled with it!
Setting our intentions.
My husband and I wanted to take time for this trip because our oldest boys have been talking about Universal Studios for quite some time and they deserved a trip! The last two years have been a whirlwind with our two newest additions. Our older boys have been such troopers! They have been the best helpers. They are great listeners. They are respectful and kind. They do as we ask. And they are just the BEST big brothers to Alyna and Anaias. Our number one intention was to show them just how loved they are and how important they are to our family.
Planned out as much as we could.
Now, planning is my forte! Here is what we did:
Onil bought the tickets ahead of time, and planned for the Covid testing we needed to enter the park.
He also had the BRILLIANT idea of watching YouTube videos of what to expect. This was our first time going there, so this was the best idea everrr! We learned sooo much about the park.
He downloaded the app. Who knew we would have apps complete with maps, wait times, food ordering, etc!? This helped him tentatively plan out our day in terms of rides, shows, and meals.
I packed for the fam bam. I looked up the weather and planned for layers since LA is so nice, but could get a little chilly. I packed extra outfits for the babies and chose which diaper bag to bring. I made sure to check diapers, wipes, sunblock, diaper cream, and changing pad. I made sure the older boys had sweaters, masks, and an extra shirt we kept in the car just in case.
My secret to keeping the little ones calm, cool, and collected- SNACKS. I packed their favorite snacks: applesauce, granola bars, teething biscuits, mandarin cups, garden veggie straws, and water.
I thought ahead about wake up times and naps! Knowing the kids would be waking up early, I kept in mind that they'd sleep in the car on the way there. We packed one stroller and the baby wrap to carry him if needed. I figured Onil and I would switch off carrying each kiddo- divide and conquer.
For a worst case scenario situation, we brought Onil’s extra phone so that Alyna could watch Encanto. We avoid screen time whenever out and about, but because we wanted the boys to have the best experience, we were prepared to bust that bad boy out if needed.
Rolled with it!
Naturally as a planner and Type A personality, I had to psych myself up for this trip. I had to remind myself that things were probably not going to go as planned. Kids will be kids. I am a recovering perfectionist and it’s because of my kids that I am learning to let that idea of perfection go.
I prepared myself by setting realistic expectations. I understood that I was probably not going to be enjoying many rides. My priority was taking care of the babies so that my husband could enjoy taking the boys on rides. Instead, I focused on taking photos of the trip. I absolutely LOVE capturing family moments, and that brings me the most joy. So I set out the intention to do just that.
I told myself that the babies may have a hard time, so I was prepared to deal with meltdowns or cranky babes. I was going to do my best to stay ahead of it and be in tune with their needs. Also, I told myself to focus on the positive and envision the day going well! Never underestimate the ability to manifest the best case scenario. So although I planned for the worst, I expected the best.
All in all, we had a PHENOMENAL trip! The boys had the best time everr!
As a homeschooling momma, I even snuck in some learning on the go. Keep an eye out for that video. The best learning is learning they don’t even realize they are doing. *wink, wink*
Now I know traveling with kids is not for everyone, and that is ok. However, if it’s on your heart to be more adventurous, I encourage you to try. Practice by taking your kiddos to the park or perhaps a local beach. We all have enjoyed small trips frequently so moments like these aren’t that big of a deal.
Try these three steps to an enjoyable time: 1. Set intentions. 2. Plan it. 3. Roll with it.
Happy adventuring!!
