We're such prestigious podcasters now...
Shout Outs
Goodpods – We are one of their “Goodpods Team Recommends” shows! – an excellent app for finding new podcasts to check out in your favorite topic category
Brian M. Update: Caitlin read the email -- glad to hear that everything is working out!
Go Sports!:
Jenny:
Aaron Judge tied Roger Maris' record of 61 regular season home runs last week -- and gave his mom the ball! Watch for 62!
Maris hit 61 on October 1, 1961, during the last game of the season, breaking The Great Bambino’s record of 60 from 1927
Roger Maris Jr. and Aaron Judge’s mom were there (in Toronto) to see it
Other players to break 61 are Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa…all juicing
RM Jr called for MLB to do something about those records if Judge hits 62
Barry Bonds said 61 is the hardest; he expects Judge to get 62
Two different people were sent to get the ball from Toronto Blu Jay’s bullpen, but no one would give it to the “wrong person” for fear of something bad happening to the ball!
As of this recording, there are 6 games left in the regular season (only these games to count toward the record)
Caitlin: the significance of this – this is REAL; hoping that people will see that records made by cheating (re: steroids) dishonor Roger Maris, Aaron Judge, and the game of baseball
Caitlin: Alek Manoah, a pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, received a $100,000 sponsorship from Dove Men+Care for defending his teammate, Alejandro Kirk, after a body-shaming tweet
A Montreal sports radio host called catcher Alejandro Kirk an “embarrassment to the sport”
Manoah called out the sports broadcaster and said that he hoped that Kirk would inspire more interest and inclusivity in baseball
Worth noting that Kirk is a catcher and that he’s caught all of his starts this year except for ONE
He (Manoah) donated the money to KidSport, a Canadian non-profit that gives kids opportunities to play in organized sports
(Get sports updates from The Gist!)
Current Obsessions:
Jenny: Hurricane Ian and her trip to Disney -- let's help the people affected by the hurricane and donate to American Red Cross
Caitlin: Welcome to Wrexham – Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchased the Welsh football club Wrexham AFC – the show documents their lives as they acquire the (very) low-ranking team. It feels like Ted Lasso meets Hard Knocks.
Gem of the Week:
Jenny:
Spongebob -- "Whoooooo live in a Pinthouse under the sea?!" 🤣
Camp Counselor names for Jenny -- there are 2, but only ONE of them is appropriate...
Caitlin:
Home Alone 2 giggles – bricks in faces and shouting “DEAD” 🤣
Real Talk: Surviving Travel With Kids
Fall travel is upon us – there are Fall Breaks coming with long weekends on the way (Indigenous Peoples’ Day, etc). Here are some tips to help you survive your journey if you're traveling with kids!
Jenny: Traveling With Kids Via Airplane
and some advice from a pediatrician in 1991: lots of cold medicine for the WHOLE family 😉
Get the travel insurance if you can afford it -- you'll take SO much pressure off of yourself and the trip
Book direct/nonstop if possible
make sure you get seats together. Do NOT rely on the kindness of strangers. It’s not reasonable to expect people to give up seats so your family can be together. (board/check in early on SWA)
Have easy-to-spot luggage to minimize time at baggage claim
Pack light for the plane - check as much as you can
But not meds! Put those in your carry-on (and include a spare outfit and basic toiletries in case your luggage gets lost)
Bathroom and activity before the flight
Scavenger hunt/I Spy
Progressive dinner (with drinks?)
Older kid games: Supermarket Sweep, What's Most Expensive? /funniest/weirdest/Most fake/etc. in shops
Sit where you should; read the expectations for lap children
Bring new entertainment - downloaded videos, novel toys (3-4 per hour)
Snacks are your friend! You need plenty of snacks and they can go through TSA just fine
Nurse/feed or snick-snack (lollipops) during takeoff and landing; if they are old enough talk about the ear pressure before the flight (Daniel Tiger's "When we do something new, let's talk about what we'll do…")
Don’t expect sleep, unless Benny Benadryl is coming on the trip with you
Leave your pride at home; baby/toddlers might cry and that’s okay. If you’re trying your best, own it! Yeah, there might be judgment from others (especially those without children) but as long as you’re trying, you’re golden
Sources: Today's Parent, Full Suitcase, Family Vacation Critic
Caitlin: Road Trip Tips
Leave early – kids will be sleepy and you’ll be closer to your destination later in the morning. Some people recommend doing as much driving during kids’ sleeping time as you can.
Stay organized as much as you can!
Suction-cup shower caddies are great to stick on car windows to hold kid things
Over-the-door shoe organizers to go in front of kiddos (dollar store!)
Bring entertainment
Visual/Audio: movies, audiobooks, songs/playlists they love, video games (if motion sickness isn’t a factor!)
Non-Tech
Drawing materials, LEGOs, window markers, etc. and a travel desk
Backup – consider family games!
License plate game, mad libs, I Spy, Scavenger Hunts, etc.
Kids can entertain each other – if you have rear-facing kiddos, put them in the middle row so that they can look at the kids who are front facing. :-) Big kids can also sit close to grown-ups to make sure that items get passed around.
This website has lots of great ideas to entertain your kids!
Plan ahead with snacks and meals
Bento boxes and/or “Big Snack” in an ice cube tray you can cover or a tackle box
Look here for some great ideas for snack mixes!
Schedule your stops for gas and bathrooms and include at least one fun stop where everyone can move around for a while – 20-30 minutes. I’m thinking of 1 fun stop for every 4 hours you’re on the road.
Roadtrippers is a great site to help you plan out these kinds of stops!
Mark your progress with a “goody grab bag” – something they haven’t had before that can keep them entertained for the next pre-determined interval
4-hour trip? Put 4 items in 4 separate bags, give 1 for every hour
Can also print out a map and put it someplace they’ll see – you can mark those intervals with stars/stickers and they can track the progress
Create “self-service stations” in their backpacks so that they choose the activity that they want to do at that time
Plan for naps, even if your kids aren’t napping anymore
Get a neck pillow and blanket, bring a favorite lovey and keep it loose in the car – who knows, they may surprise you and nap!
Just-in-Case stuff – Make a kit
PPE (facemasks, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, and cleaning sprays) and things you need for a toddler working on toileting – like a travel potty seat (practice with the seat a while before you leave!)
Car-sickness kit:
Spare clothes, plastic bags, a towel or two, head-to-toe cleansing wipes, plastic gloves for helpers… Dramamine if necessary
A plastic cereal bin lined with a plastic bag is a good trash can and vom-catcher…
Baking soda/cornstarch can help dry up and neutralize the smells – just vacuum it up after a few hours at the next gas station; bring essential oils/vapo-rub to put on your upper lip to block the smell from your nose
Car supplies – jumper cables, fix-a-flat, trash bags, etc. And, go get your car looked at a few days before you go – check tires, heating/cooling things, etc.
Pack a “one-night” bag – take a set of PJs and one complete outfit and put it in a gallon-sized baggie and bring that into your hotel room if you need to stop overnight on your way to your destination. (BTW I do this with my carry-on bag if I’m flying.)
In honor of our 40th episode...
"I'm a man! I'm 40!": Mike Gundy's interview is always entertaining!
Thanks for listening!
💚,