traveling with multiples!!

[Pea-n-Me]

I hear your point about the presents. Sure, each child should have their own. However, I never minded people getting them a joint present if it was something they both would like and if it was something more cost prohibitive than someone would buy for just one child. When my family asked what they wanted/needed, I often gave them ideas for things like this, like maybe a piece of Little Tykes, for example. If I got the sense people were just trying to be cheap, LOL, then yes, I would have a problem with that, considering for many years we've been giving nice presents to everyone else's kids. This has happened before, but finances are very tight with these people, so I don't get upset about it.

I can't offer any advice or experiences with infant swimming. We did swimming lessons when the kids were about 4yo, but I can't say they were too productive, for us anyway - they were just a tad too young at that point. They both were in the water with a private trainer and were not allowed to wear swimmies or lifevests, they had to learn how to float on their own. Prior to that we always threw big lifevests on them whenever we were near water (which was often). I'd done CPR on a drowned 3yo in my stint as a young camp nurse one summer, and I never wanted to repeat the same predicament with my own children, so not wearing lifevests around water was never an option. I found once they got around age 5, they were much more ready and able to learn how to swim on their own.

 

[#1Disfan]

I hear your point about the presents. Sure, each child should have their own. However, I never minded people getting them a joint present if it was something they both would like and if it was something more cost prohibitive than someone would buy for just one child. When my family asked what they wanted/needed, I often gave them ideas for things like this, like maybe a piece of Little Tykes, for example. If I got the sense people were just trying to be cheap, LOL, then yes, I would have a problem with that, considering for many years we've been giving nice presents to everyone else's kids. This has happened before, but finances are very tight with these people, so I don't get upset about it.

I completely understand about finances myself. If the presents were big gifts, then yes, definitely only by one. But we got little things...rattles, telephones, you know, real baby stuff. I like it when people ask what we want...that way they get stuff I know they will enjoy.

I was wondering about grilled cheese...I'll have to give that a try. I can't wait to try scrambled eggs...but according to the dr. we can't have the whole egg until they are 1.

 

[kritter]

Happy Easter To You All!!!!

 

[Twins4Mickey]

Hi. I am fairly new to the boards and I found this thread. I am not sure if anyone can help me out or not. We take our first Disney Cruise in about 2 weeks. I am having a stroller delima. We have a Peg Perego - very light weight side by side stroller and a jeep side by side (more of an umbrella stoller). We also have normal single umbrella strollers with the attachments to put them together.

I'm would like to talk to someone who recently took 2 year old twins on a Disney Cruise.

I am unsure what stroller is most feasible and easy to use. I also heard there were Disney Strollers you can rent on board.

If anyone has travelled with 2 year old twins I would love to ask you all my questions about cruising with them. I am looking for someone to send me a picture of the Disney strollers as well.

 

[kritter]

HI,

And welcome!!!Your twins are too cute,.,,I have nto taken the disney cruise yet due in Oct..but there are others on here who have...

When I have gone to WDW with the twins four times now...We find the umbrella strollers to work out the easiest since they are lightweight when our kids were two we took our jogger and it took a ton of room up in the hotel room and I would imagine on the cruise since the rooms are small already that you would want a small stroller.........

 

[jillane88]

Hi. I am fairly new to the boards and I found this thread. I am not sure if anyone can help me out or not. We take our first Disney Cruise in about 2 weeks. I am having a stroller delima. We have a Peg Perego - very light weight side by side stroller and a jeep side by side (more of an umbrella stoller). We also have normal single umbrella strollers with the attachments to put them together.

I'm would like to talk to someone who recently took 2 year old twins on a Disney Cruise.

I am unsure what stroller is most feasible and easy to use. I also heard there were Disney Strollers you can rent on board.

If anyone has travelled with 2 year old twins I would love to ask you all my questions about cruising with them. I am looking for someone to send me a picture of the Disney strollers as well.

Hi Cindi and company! When you mentioned cruising in 2 weeks I was hoping it was the May 6th cruise. We will be on that one along with at least one more set of twins My twins just turned 5 so I won't be toting a stroller along. This is our first cruise with the twins so I can't answer your question about that. I will say though when we visited Disneyland when they were 2, I only took my nice side-by-side because I wanted the storage bins underneath. The downside to that was the stroller wouldn't fit through most of the doorways and I'd have to take all the stuff out of the bins, take the twins out, collapse the stroller, etc... what a pain in the behind and a huge ordeal. I second the vote for two seperate umbrella type strollers that you could attach if necessary.

Have a wonderful time on your cruise! We are countin down the days for ours!
Heather

 

[weezy26nm]

When my father underwent chemo treatments, we were told that because the chemo drugs were so highly toxic, we were not to use the same utensils as my dad. Apparently, the chemo drugs can be passed through body fluids and can cause sterillity. My step-mother had to wash his clothes and sheets seperately. Any tissues or anything like that had to be burned not placed in the regular garbage, in case someone at the landfill came into contact with it. But that being said, my parents were raising my nephew at the time and we were all around him and normal day to day contact was not a problem. We would hug and kiss him goodbye and there was no problem with that.

 

[huey duey & luey]

Hi everyone
hope all is well. It has been hectic (as usual ), with Easter and now getting ready for our trip. At least the nice weather is here, and we can finally use some of our extra energy. After a year of planning we finally leave in 2 weeks . We are all getting so excited. I also booked our trip to WDW next March, we will celvrate the kids 5th birthday there. A question for thse who have cruised to I need the kids original BC or can I bring a copy. Thanks
Tara

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The BC needs a raised seal, so you would need an original. Have a great cruise!

 

[kritter]

hi all , just wanted to check in and say hello and see how everyone is doing...!!!!

 

[ALL05132005]

Hi, I am new to the threads and am thrilled to have found you all! I have 11 month old triplets - GBB. DH, SIL, BIL and my BF and her DH and myself are all going to Disney in August without kids (they are too little to know they are being left while we go see the mouse). I did have a question though about bringing them to Disney as we are thinking about taking them when they are 2 1/2 or so. I was thinking I would bring my double and single Macs with me and am wondering how you go about securing them in the parks so they don't get stolen. How long did you wait to bring your kids to disney? Anyone take multiple toddlers there? If so, how was your experience?

Someone earlier asked about swimming lessons. My parents started me at the YMCA in the infant swim program when I was 6 months old. I grew up (and still live) close to the beach and pools and needed to be water proofed.
The YMCAs in our area still offer many different swim lessons for infants through adults and I will be starting mine in that program this summer. I also know there is a swim "school" by me that is open during the summer and they also offer a variety of programs. Lastly, if you have access to a pool there are instructors that will come to your house (priciest option but maybe better b/c you have more than one child) and give private lessons.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Welcom ALL05. Seems like kids of all ages here are enjoying their trips to Disney!

This is not directed to you personally. I meant to post the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations on swimming lessons in children previously in case anyone hasn't seen them. Thanks for reminding me.

I think their message is that while swimming lessons in children under 4 can be fun, there are cautions to keep in mind, particularly for us who have children the same age and developmental level. As I said in my earlier post, I've resuscitated a drowned 3yo child before (who lived but remained in a vegetative state), so it's an issue close to my heart.

Here are the recommendations for anyone interested: http://www.rogerknapp.com/medical/swimming.htm

 

[kritter]

Hi, I am new to the threads and am thrilled to have found you all! I have 11 month old triplets - GBB. DH, SIL, BIL and my BF and her DH and myself are all going to Disney in August without kids (they are too little to know they are being left while we go see the mouse). I did have a question though about bringing them to Disney as we are thinking about taking them when they are 2 1/2 or so. I was thinking I would bring my double and single Macs with me and am wondering how you go about securing them in the parks so they don't get stolen. How long did you wait to bring your kids to disney? Anyone take multiple toddlers there? If so, how was your experience?

Someone earlier asked about swimming lessons. My parents started me at the YMCA in the infant swim program when I was 6 months old. I grew up (and still live) close to the beach and pools and needed to be water proofed.
The YMCAs in our area still offer many different swim lessons for infants through adults and I will be starting mine in that program this summer. I also know there is a swim "school" by me that is open during the summer and they also offer a variety of programs. Lastly, if you have access to a pool there are instructors that will come to your house (priciest option but maybe better b/c you have more than one child) and give private lessons.

Hi and welcome to our little thread,so nice to meet you and thanks so much on the advise for the swimming lessons.......

 

[roysbrew]

We have a pool in our yard so drowning is a constant worry for us. We have the area fenced with a latch that locks and pulls from the top (most adults can't figure out how it works. We chose not to add a safety fence directly around the pool (they are temporary you can take them down to swim) My friend knew 2 children under 3 who drown who were using that fence. One took the fence down for a party. The child drown before they put it up the next day. The other went in to answer the phone and forgot that the fence was unlocked. We decided the more nervous were were about the pool the more careful we would be. We added extra locks on our porch (hook and eye up high) and a bolt up high at our back door. Our alarm beeps if a door or window is opened. We also didn't use any floaties or water wings. I know it sounds terrible but we wanted our twins to know that unless we were holding them or they were holding the side of the pool the were in trouble. We don't want them to dislike swimming we want them to be careful. We did do mommy (and daddy) and me (us) lessons once they were two. It really was just a chance to get them used to the water. When they were 3 we joined a place to swim in the winter. They would use noodles and kick boards learning on their own terms. Now they just turned 4. DD swims like a fish. No formal lessons. Can hold breath and touch the bottom of a 4 ft pool. DS isn't wild about the water. Doesn't like to get his face wet. But he can paddle around and knows if something makes him nervous he should grab a noodle or get to the side of the pool. We will probably give DD formal lessons and not DS unless he asks (he's not there yet). I have friends in FL who swear by infant swim. Only you can decide what's best for your kids. I grew up with a pool. Even in high school I wasn't allowed to swim laps without someone outside. Even adults can find themselves in trouble. Our Ped. recommended doing as many layers or protection as possible. Then he told us to never think they were ok when it comes to water safety. Please don't think we're crazy. We really have always had fun swimming with the kids. We go twice a week in the winter. They aren't afraid but respectful of the water and know the pool is safe with a grownup watching them (Their twin doesn't count).

 

[asktriplets]

Hi, I am new to the threads and am thrilled to have found you all! I have 11 month old triplets - GBB. DH, SIL, BIL and my BF and her DH and myself are all going to Disney in August without kids (they are too little to know they are being left while we go see the mouse). I did have a question though about bringing them to Disney as we are thinking about taking them when they are 2 1/2 or so. I was thinking I would bring my double and single Macs with me and am wondering how you go about securing them in the parks so they don't get stolen. How long did you wait to bring your kids to disney? Anyone take multiple toddlers there? If so, how was your experience?

QUOTE]

hi all05! we've taken our ggb triplets at 2, 2 1/2, and 3 (and we're going back in a week now that the kids are 3 1/2!!). it is SO SO SO much fun. like almost everything else with multiples, it is hectic and tiring, but it is such great experience.

on the first trip, we went with the 5 of us, and my parents and inlaws. we took 3 single umbrella strollers with the connectors. it was a bit chaotic with all of those adults and possible stroller configurations (i had only JUST started letting the kids get out of our Peg triplet stroller to "practice" walking together at home, so all of this freedom at WDW was a bit overwhelming to both the kids and i!)

on our second trip when the kids were 2 1/2, it was just the 5 of us and we brought a Runabout (bought it very used, knowing that our kids may not be in it much other than WDW, but they had outgrown our beloved Peg). i have to tell you, it was a near PERFECT trip....the kids were great,and we had learned from our last trip that my kids did much better with the same expectations on vacation as there are at home --i mean this just in a general sense...i think the first trip was confusing as all of the adults were giving directions to them and disciplining when needed, they were allowed to be in and out of the stroller, walk or be carried, they didn't all have to stay together, etc. i think that as parents of multiples (especially triplets), we learn that we have to be pretty scheduled and pretty orderly when out in public because you HAVE to be when you are outnumbered by toddlers....on this trip, my kids knew that the expectations were the same as they ALWAYS are when we are out, and we all had a much easier time. does this make sense?

as for the RA, we just brought a small bike lock and locked the front wheel and the frame together if we knew we were going to be gone a while. the CMs could just lean the front wheels up and move it as needed, but it'd be pretty difficult for someone else to walk off with it.

the CMs and characters have been great with the triplet stroller....i have pictures of Mickey pushing the stroller (i asked him to do so), and chip and one of the cinderella mice taking the kids for a short stroll. we get lots of miming with characters holding their fingers up like "1,2,3?!?!"...dale gave me a bow, characters have clapped for me, and king triton, sitting on top of his float during the Spectro parade gave DH a "thumbs up"(!!!!)--it's been lots of fun, especially since the attention we usually get in the RA isth pretty unwanted.

we chose to suck it up (cost-wise) and stay at a monorail resort because it is SO easy to get the RA onto the monorail. we take that to MK and Epcot, and drive to AK and MGM so we didn't even have to question how to manage the buses (i personally preferred taking our car rather than the buses when we went the first time with the umbrella strollers...just easier).

anyway, you'll have a great time!!

 

[ALL05132005]

ASKTRIPLETS: Thank you for sharing your experiences. You have made me feel much less nervous about taking the kids. You have also made me feel like we don't necessarily have to go with our parents...though I think for our first trip my mom and stepdad will be joining us. How do you all fit in one room - are there larger rooms at the Poly or Contemp? We have been considering joining DVC thinking that a 1 bdr or 2 bdr would be better than a standard hotel room. We are definetly very "scheduled" much to the dismay of some of our family and friends (none of whom have triplets ....so they don't always get it). Like you said - when the kids outnumber you - there have to be some rules. Someone else I know who has twins was telling me that she had very strict rules about when the kids could get out of their stroller --- hardly ever out in public until they were 3. I know people have very strong opinions about leashes/harnesses - have you ever tried them?

Does it ever get easier? I know, I'm crazy.

 

[asktriplets]

for the first trip, we stayed at the the Ft. Wilderness cabins, so the kids had their own bedroom. we had the parents and in-laws in DIFFERENT cabins...i was going to be with them all day, i wanted some alone time at night!

on our last 2 trips, we've done the 5 of us at the poly. on our trip this past nov., my parents came with us and we had rooms next door to one another. that was nice as we sent them over to my parents' room for breakfast in the AM while DH and i got ready!

as for having others with you, i really am divided about that...it was INCREDIBLE to share the fun with the grandparents, but i generally only have the energy to keep control over my 3 little ones. trying to keep things organized with 9 of us was a bit tough at times, and even with this last trip with just my parents was still a bit of work. as i mentioned, it was easier on all of us to maintain control when it was just DH and I...the kids know that they either ride in the stroller or walk (generally no carrying), they are in the stroller when i tell them they will be (same as your friend), they know they get 1 "warning" from me for not listening before they go back in the stroller and can't "walk like a big kid", they know they have to stay together when they are walking, etc etc....it sounds like you know exactly where i am coming from! it'd be lovely to give the kids significantly more freedom at WDW because it's a vacation, but that is just not the way things work for us. we "practiced" walking together out of the stroller ALOT between that first and second trip, and by the time they were 2 1/2, they pretty much had the skills to walk whenever they wanted to (but because they were in the stroller so frequently when we were out, they were used to it, so very little complaint about riding).

i think the other thing about having others with you is that it changes the dynamics of the family vacations....we are blessed with loving, helpful family members, but this means that i am always "sharing" my kids with others at holidays, family gatherings, major events, etc (one example of what i mean by this is our first thanksgiving...i wanted to have all of my little family sitting by me at the table, but my SIL , wanting to be helpful, insisted on holding one of my babies on her lap at a different table while we ate. i let it happen for a minute then told her something along the lines of "thanks for wanting to help, but i really want us together". i think our trip when the kids were 2 1/2 was SO great, in part, because we had them all to ourselves on this adventure!

on the first trip, we brought harnesses and used them a few times (we practiced before the trip!). brought them with us on the last 2 trips and haven't used them. we go during "lower" seasons (nov., and may) ,so the crowds genrally are pretty minimal. when crowds are heavier, we just keep the kids in the stroller more often (the kids get enough exercise there that they never mind climbing in for a ride!). we didn't do fireworks in the parks (watched them nightly from the Poly beach...WONDERFUL experience), and generally left before closing time, so no mad rushes.

we thought about DVC, but DH and i decided that we didn't want to commit to such expensive vacations every year (we thought we'd only be going lots while the kids were under 3 and FREE...HAH!). you can also rent DVC points from members (i think there is a spot here on disboards for that), if you want to look into it.

hope this helps!

 

[llp479]

Best advice I ever got from my pediatrician, a father of twins, was don't ever let them out of the stroller. I didn't, so they never fussed. They were 3 when our youngest was born, and stayed in the stroller until the wheels literally fell off!

We joined DVC when the twins were 4 and our youngest was 1. That was 8 years ago, and we've enjoyed many wonderful trips with and without family. As the girls have gotten bigger, and bigger, it's been great to have all the extra room, not to mention the full kitchen and washer/dryer, and now the extra bathroom. We've gotten so spoiled by staying in timeshares, that we purchased others from Marriott for non-WDW trips. Two hotel rooms get very expensive, and there is no way we can stay in one room now!

 

[Twins4Mickey]

Thanks ladies. I appreciate your feedback. Your twins are adorable too. I actually broke down last night and bought my 3rd double stroller...I just sold the grago, thought the jeep side by side was too heavy and the peg perego side by side doesn't moe quite right when one child is heaver than the other. I got one of the Mac's. It better be worth it. If I like it I can sell the others on our local twin club website. So one double umbrella it is! I appreciate your advise. Heather, too bad we aren't going on the same cruise. Now that it is time, I wish we were on the 7 day instead of the 4 day. Maybe next year we can do that one. When I planned this one I was used to planning for 2 so I had to recover from the sticker shock of a 4 person vacation

Thanks for the warm welcome!

 

[kritter]

We have a pool and when we had it installed my DH went ahead and spent the extra money for the automatic cover...Our pool is inground and when we get out it has a safety cover that closes...The cover can hold 20 men weighing 200 plus pounds..so if the kids ever walked on it they would be safe..Not that they ever have...But the cover is a one time deal and had to be installed with the pool since the foootings for it had to be put in with the pool....It was well worth the extra ten grand since I know it is one more protection for the kids...The cover also serves as our winter cover as well so it makes closing it for the season that much easier since the pool is covered whenever it is not in use...Even if we have people over and we all get out to eat etc..it is closed...so it is peace of mind......If you ever think of getting a pool I recommend this cover.....