Bogged down travelers

With summer comes weekend getaways and longer vacations. My question to fellow parents: Have you found a way to travel lightly or to avoid carrying on four different bags? I haven't mastered this yet, particularly after Ryan's birth.

It seems you need a diaper bag for the accidents waiting to happen, an endless supply of snacks, and formula. Then there's the toy bag that is weighted down with the 10 extra metal Thomas take-along trains that your son sneaks in, plus the books that never feel heavy until you put 5 in a bag.

Maybe I'll carry a purse or other carry-on bag for my own reading and relaxation. (Hmmm, I always have at least one dream on vacation.) Finally, my husband insists on packing his own backpack that has, well, I have yet to determine what's really in it.

No matter what we pack, it never fails: The children want something other than the 10 snacks we packed, the toys barely make it past take-off before the kids get bored, and the flight always feels longer than it really is.

But it's (almost) always worth it in the end.

Sweet baby

My sister Amy sent me some photos she recently discovered on her digital camera from almost a year ago, when Ryan was born. Children really do change so much in the first few years, but the difference in the first year is much more significant than any other.

Ryan has gone from being my not-so-little 9-pound newborn who was completely dependent upon me to a crawling, cruising, grunting, clapping, laughing, smiling, noise-making, non-stop eating 1-year-old who is quite determined to feed himself with a spoon. Seeing these pictures from his first days really touches my heart.

My own radio station

Lately I've been listening to my favorite tunes and undiscovered ones (at least to me) on Pandora. If you haven't checked it out, you must! You create your own radio station based around your favorite music. Mine started with U2, my all-time favorite band, but has grown to include so much more.

Pandora started from a classification project in which songs' characteristics have been analyzed and classified. Once you give Pandora a favorite song or band, it finds songs that have similar characteristics and plays them for you.

What I love about Pandora is that as I have tuned my station to include more favorites, it has naturally selected songs that I had long forgotten but equally enjoy. I'm listening to my old standbys -- Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Blues Traveler, Matthew Sweet, Jewel, Coldplay, Train, Jack Johnson, Barenaked Ladies, R.E.M., (live), Dinosaur Jr. -- plus newer songs from Pearl Jam. I've also discovered Monte Montgomery, who admittedly caught my eye because his live album was recorded at the old Caravan of Dreams in Fort Worth.

Announcing another blogger

The temptation has been too great. Finally, I'm joining countless others who spend their days blogging away online as if the world is waiting on your every word! In my case, it's the grandparents and aunts and uncles, all far away, who will eagerly check my blog in hopes I've posted a photo of their grandsons and nephews.