We've been home for a month, what do the kids remember?

Our kids are little, so when we travel, it's more about having fun experiences as a family and seeing places that P and I are interested in, and less about giving our kids cultural experiences that they will carry through life with them. As they get older, of course, I expect that they'll begin to take away more information about different cultures, history, architecture and art, but for now it's enough for me to expand my own horizons and for them to have a great time and enjoy some new experiences.

E is starting to get to an age (2 1/2) where he can express himself pretty well, though, and it's interesting to hear, a month later, which of his experiences in Spain made the biggest impression. The trip itself still figures large in E's daily chatter, so I thought I'd write up some of the things we have heard from him in the past few days.

• E seems to be developing a sense of what it means to travel from city to city. He regularly informs us of facts like "There's a funicular in Barcelona, but not in Sevilla" and "Seattle has a Lego store." Last week we were at a paper store and I saw some cool wrapping paper with a world map on it. He was absolutely fascinated when I started pointing out the different places he's been, and we ended up taking a sheet home with us to discuss more. Yesterday he remembered how his friend went to Hawaii, and he wanted me to show him Hawaii on the map. I'm not trying to raise another Lilly Gaskin but I'm hopeful that when he does start learning geography and history he'll be able to tie the abstract concepts to real places.
• In true toddler style, he wants to act it all out. We helped him build a gondola out of legos, and it's been a favorite toy for a week. Last night we built an airplane too & of course he volunteered that the people needed to fly to Barcelona to ride on the gondola.
• In case you haven't noticed the theme, (like most toddlers) he's obsessed with public transportation. E was literally in withdrawal for the first several weeks after we returned home, begging to ride on a bus or a train almost every day. We try to take the bus when we can, but the most I can manage to work into our schedule is about once a week. I feel terrible telling him "tomorrow is school, the next day we're meeting a friend, maybe we can ride a bus on the weekend"
• He has funny ideas about who speaks Spanish. He refuses to speak in Spanish to our housekeeper (who always speaks to him in Spanish, but who he thinks of as an intimate in his circle of friends), but last week I took him to the Space Needle, and everyone working there got a resounding "Hola."
• Just when I thought he'd forgotten all about churros and chocolate, I asked him yesterday "What is your favorite restaurant." I'd expected to hear "Nishino" (a local sushi restaurant) or maybe "All Purpose Pizza," but instead I got "The Churros and Chocolate restaurant" He added that he liked the churros in Barcelona better than Madrid, and frankly I have to agree & I was surprised that he'd thought about it to that level of detail!
• Best, or maybe worst of all, he seems to have caught the travel bug. Lately he tells me constantly about where he wants to go next (Hawaii to play with his friend who is there, New York to eat Pickles, Anaheim Hills to visit his Grandmother). This from a kid who almost never asks for new toys. Our little outing to Bellingham seems to have settled him down temporarily, but I'm sure he'll start up again in a day or two.

Related Links on DeliciousBaby:
Spain Family Vacation Tips.
Madrid Family Travel Guide
Seville Family Travel Guide
Barcelona Family Travel Guide

1 comment | Posted on November 26, 2007 | Save to del.icio.us

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