The Scoop from The Coop: Midlife awareness

Inspiration for blog posts is somewhat rare these days, but when inspiration does come, it often comes flooding in. Time to sit with and process these thoughts, however, is also a rarity. During a recent (read: like a month ago, by the time this is actually being published) "pinch me" moment on the way to the zoo - brought to you by Garfield books, car lunches, and classical music - I had a minute for a thought or two. Thanks to all of that, as well as some downtime on a recent dumpster-diving momcation (this isn't a topic for this particular post, but happy to answer any questions about it!), here is a fresh scoop for ya. 😉

For this post, the inspiration was three-fold:

-being invited to both my 20th high school reunion and a 2000s Throwback Prom fundraiser (The years I experienced this season of life are far enough in the past they are being commemorated and "thrown back" to?!)

-a piano student playing Clocks by Coldplay - talking about the release date and the fact that it was when I was in high school made her realize how old I am (She was surprised! 😏)

-several occasions I have been sought out for parenting advice - most recently, travel tips

Collectively, this all had me in my head a bit. "The Scoop" has documented so many seasons of my life, and now it’s here to document my apparent pre-midlife crisis (though the "crisis" part is not necessarily applicable here). I don't know that I can or need to fully unpack all of this here, but generally, I just find it so difficult to wrap my mind around the passage of time. How much time as passed in my life, how time is passing for others, how it will continue to pass - it is all just very unfathomable. (Also, I am becoming increasingly aware of how history and fashion trends repeat themselves. Why and how does this happen?! (For those Enneagram 5's out there, I'm not looking for you to dive deep into this for me, but thanks, anyway. 😉))

What is fathomable, however is what a blast prom was! It was just so fun, all around. When a friend invited me to this fundraising event her church was hosting, I was so here for it and knew we had to attend. I love to dance, Bryant had never been to prom, and I still had my senior prom dress (This is not the first occasion I've worn it for since!). So, I found a miracle-worker of a seamstress to allow me to wear my dress again, Bryant ordered a red bow tie, and we got a sitter for the night. We danced the night away and had the best, nostalgic (for me, at least) time!

"Since when do you wear lipstick, Mom?!" -J

This paper rose corsage was a nod to the "Paper Roses" piano roll I grew up playing on my parents' player piano. What a sweet and thoughtful surprise is was!

They really "did it up right" with a photographer, DJ, and everything!

If being reminded of how much time has passed since my high school years has not made me extra-aware of my age, already, the age of my children (and therefore, the years of motherhood I have under my belt) certainly has. More and more, I am coming to the realization that I am entering, if not fully in, the "seasoned" chapter of parenthood. I could probably dive deeper into this realization, but as you likely know, I am often much better at practical application than intrinsic reflection and philosophical speculation.

So, as a seasoned parent, here are some travel tips for kids I recently thought through and documented for a friend. I am sharing them here, and in no particular order, not only in case you or someone you know can benefit, but also for my own future reference in the event anyone else asks. If I were a real blogger, there would be pictures and links to accompany everything listed, but I am not, so there are not. 😁

traveling around sleep schedules - This is something we did much more when the kids were younger, but even still - traveling when we know they will likely fall asleep was and is ideal. I realize not every kid is a good car sleeper, but especially if you are traveling hours to see family on a regular basis (like us), it is worth a shot to get them conditioned...and as early as possible.
audiobooks and kids podcasts - We are not opposed to screen time, but it is not necessarily something we want to be the primary source of entertainment for hours-long trips. Plus, we've never driven a vehicle with any sort of built-in screen, so the logistics of getting things downloaded on iPads and getting everyone set up with the device, the cords, and the headphones all working properly is tricky. So, we have historically borrowed audiobooks on CD (which does not help me feel any younger...😬) or the Libby app from the library. We listened to lots of the Boxcar Children series this way when we had several big, back-to-back road trips a few years ago, and there are obviously countless other options of books/series to enjoy. As far as podcasts go, there are so many of these, as well, and I know we likely haven't scratched the surface of what is available. Happy to share a short list, if desired!
snackle boxes - Snacks are a given for any length of roundtrip and age of passengers, but snackle boxes have been especially fun for our kids. They are thrilled by the surprise of what is in each section, enjoy having autonomy over what they eat and when over the course of the trip, and are bolstered to spend more hours in the car with a snackle box on the horizon. These have been trendy for a few years, now, so you are likely to find lots of options in a Google search. We got our 6-section ones at Target, but anything with a bunch of little compartments will work. I often just utilize small snacks/treats we have, but my favorite way to fill these (for the kids AND for Bryant and I) is to go to the bulk bin section at Sprouts. This has not only allowed us to try new, fun things, but also to only buy as many as we need to fill the compartments without having a whole bag of gummy bears or sesame sticks or whatever else to work through in the following weeks/months.
Ziplock packing - I did not always pack this way, but once I started, I haven't looked back. I think the inception of this habit was when the kids were spending a couple days at my parents' and had specific activities (and therefore, outfits) for each day. I packed each day's outfits in a gallon Ziplock labeled for the day and/or activity. Not only did this eliminate any guess-work and decision fatigue for multiple parties, but it also helped me keep my ducks in a row and make sure I packed everything necessary. While this is getting a little trickier as the kids get older (and wear increasingly bigger clothes), the concept is still valuable and can be replicated using packing cubes or any other available vessel.

That's all, for now, friends! As always, questions are welcome, as are additions to the travel tip list. If you can relate to the midlife awareness stuff or have already come through it - any coping mechanisms you'd like to share? Ha. 😉

As youthfully as possible,

Kensy

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