Sometimes the written (or electronic) word can simply and instantly expand your possibilities:
AMY: We got a great deal on a trip to Paris for spring break week and I’m looking for ideas on fun places to visit with my 8yr, 6yr, and 1 yr old. We love to walk and explore and would love any ideas that you might have – thanks!
Umm, AMY, you are the coolest girl I never met from my Moms’ Club list serve. I hope you had an amazing trip. The answer for “Can I take my kids to Europe?” has been fully switched to YES in my brain.
Another cool trip to Paris?
My best babysitters left the country together.
My parents AND in-laws just spent 10 days TOGETHER in France, Switzerland and Amsterdam. As we skyped, tangoed and texted with Nana, Papa, Grandma (yes, this is my mother-in-law of trivet fame) and Hey Babe (that’s Grandpa’s nickname), we did a little international travel of our own.
Grandies: Climbed up Eiffel Tower, this is Grandma’s shot from below.
Us: We made Love U Madly’s PB&J crepes and watched the movie Ratatouille, competing to see who could spot the the Eiffel Tower the most times. Ryan, 10. Me, 2. Noah, 1. My kids are going to be so good at drinking games in college.
We searched for “Eiffel Tower” on Pinterest and viewed the tower in all weather and from lots of perspectives.
The kids giggled as they spotted the icon on clothes, cookies, suitcases, teacups, suitcases, even tattoos.
We made this vanilla wafer tower from FamilyFun magazine. Well, we tried to make the wafer tower. And we learned that building the Eiffel Tower must have been really, really hard. Which really is the marvel, isn’t it?
Grandies: From the Swiss Alps, Grandma Barbara sent this one, captioned “High cholesterol, but yummy.
Us: Our version: box o’ fondue from Whole Foods melted in a cast-iron pot, with strawberries, grapes, branched broccoli and baguette for dipping. To be continued with chocolate fondue very soon.
For a few days, I thought a virtual trip with the kids might be just as fun as the real thing.
But maybe not.
The Grandies, in a cable car, near Lucerne, Switzerland:
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