There is a "feature" of Crystal Reports that just refuses to die. Having struggled with this feature at several points in my career over the last 15 years it is quit surprising that I have not found someone to step-up with a real answer. What I have always done is nothing more than a workaround, but it is effective.
To be more precise, the "feature" is the obliteration of a report when Crystal Reports (CR) verifies the database schema and attempts to re-map fields. I don't know what happens under the hood, but if there are schema changes that CR doesn't like then the corresponding fields are kindly removed from the report. Nice... If there's anyone else who has fought this and knows why, feel free to comment.
To date, my major complaint about CR is that it doesn't know where to stop. It tries to be your database instead of accepting data and formatting the report. Yes, I have used the XML-Schema binding approach and while it has made fighting with deployment a log better it still suffers from the same irrational behavior when the schema changes.
(Big side note: I will offer that if the reporting XSDs developed follow closer to the domain model instead of the database directly then the chance of breaking changes would be reduced. Typically, however, I end up with a compromise and have XSDs that are optimized for reporting.)
Let's get back on track. As annoying as it can be to redo a report that took 2 weeks of effort to format to a customer's approval, there is a way I stumbled onto that will keep the report a little safer and it is annoyingly simple: Wrap all fields placed onto the report in a function. Yep, that easy.
Wrapping the database fields does have a minimal performance impact but the benefit is that all you need to do to fix up the report is to fix the formulas to reference the proper columns in the new schema. As an added benefit, changes to the report like applying a different, custom date format (I did mention the struggle with making a customer happy, no?) is also as easy as adjusting the corresponding formula. To be honest, it was having to do exactly that task in the middle of development that switched on the light-bulb for me -- those fields didn't disappear when the schema changed but the were empty.
My love/hate relationship with CR continues. I am aware of other products but switching technologies is infrequently an option. Building your own can be cost-prohibited. When the customer also screams for a tool to build reports against the database you can work with them on procuring a proper development license and, assuming you didn't compile your reports in as resources without coding the from-a-file option into the application, you can give them the flexibility of dropping their reports into a well-known location and away they go. (side note: I would also suggest directing them to an assembly containing the reporting XSDs so they don't need to bind to the database directly which you should have developed to protect your own reports in the first place.)
I hope sharing this may save someone a few hours. I haven't found a good answer even through Google, but I may not be asking the right question. Maybe I'll get lucky and learn something by an enlightening comment. Feel free to educate or commiserate; you have my empathy and support either way.
Monday, September 06, 2010
Saturday, December 05, 2009
The Family Vacation - Day 9: Travel (4 of 4)
For the sake of completeness, it was an easy drive for the last day of travel. I was right that it was time to go when we did. A week away from the normal routine was starting to settle into some relaxed behavior and was turning sour. I'm glad to be home although I could stand one more day to myself to reset before heading back into work.
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Well, now I remember why my blog is mostly idle: the normal routine just hammers my time to spend writing.
Oh, before I forget again, total distance traveled: 1808.8 miles and probably double that in smiles.
<
Well, now I remember why my blog is mostly idle: the normal routine just hammers my time to spend writing.
Oh, before I forget again, total distance traveled: 1808.8 miles and probably double that in smiles.
The Family Vacation - Day 8: Travel (3 of 4)
Well, it was time to start making our way back toward the normal routine. It's been a good vacation but I think it is best we call it now. The kids have been great and it will be nice to end on a good note. Yet we just couldn't make the trip home simple. That would be too easy. Instead, we decided to tackle a couple of extra hours of driving today. That should make tomorrow easier and give us a chance to catch up on a little necessary laundry. Oh, and we couldn't waste an opportunity to make one additional stop.
We had packed what we could into the car last night, leaving only the necessities to use and pack away. That still left us with about half an hour of final assembly and stress to get on the road. Having committed to a long day it was a little frustrating to corral everyone -- myself possibly the worst offender trying to make sure we didn't leave anything, even a mess, behind -- and get going. However, we made it and left without major conflicts.
Before we left the area it was a treat for my wife and I to have the opportunity to visit the Naval Aviation Museum. Thankfully the kids were also enthralled so that we didn't have to rush through the exhibits and I was thankful for the opportunity to start guiding them to an appreciation for what our service men and women have sacrificed for us. Videos scattered throughout the exhibits drew my kids attentions. My son likes planes and enjoyed that aspect but he's just too young for much more. I believe my daughter, given some of her questions, may have started to see that there is more to learn and that there are times when we must help each other under sad circumstances. Good for her; she has a great heart. We spent a little longer in the museum than we originally anticipated. It helped that there was a recent addition for the kids: an internal play area. Yay!
On the way out, we stopped to eat peanut butter sandwiches by the gulf at a small gazebo along an exercise trail. It was a little chilly but it was still nice to be outside with a little quiet time before leaving the base and getting into the long driving segment of the day. Food and other stops later, we pulled into the hotel around 11pm, making for a long but simple haul.
We had packed what we could into the car last night, leaving only the necessities to use and pack away. That still left us with about half an hour of final assembly and stress to get on the road. Having committed to a long day it was a little frustrating to corral everyone -- myself possibly the worst offender trying to make sure we didn't leave anything, even a mess, behind -- and get going. However, we made it and left without major conflicts.
Before we left the area it was a treat for my wife and I to have the opportunity to visit the Naval Aviation Museum. Thankfully the kids were also enthralled so that we didn't have to rush through the exhibits and I was thankful for the opportunity to start guiding them to an appreciation for what our service men and women have sacrificed for us. Videos scattered throughout the exhibits drew my kids attentions. My son likes planes and enjoyed that aspect but he's just too young for much more. I believe my daughter, given some of her questions, may have started to see that there is more to learn and that there are times when we must help each other under sad circumstances. Good for her; she has a great heart. We spent a little longer in the museum than we originally anticipated. It helped that there was a recent addition for the kids: an internal play area. Yay!
On the way out, we stopped to eat peanut butter sandwiches by the gulf at a small gazebo along an exercise trail. It was a little chilly but it was still nice to be outside with a little quiet time before leaving the base and getting into the long driving segment of the day. Food and other stops later, we pulled into the hotel around 11pm, making for a long but simple haul.
Friday, November 27, 2009
The Family Vacation - Day 7: Black Friday for All
We may have made one of the bigger mistakes of the vacation today and we did it twice. Today has become known as "Black Friday" due to its popularity as a major shopping day in preparation for Christmas. So what did we do? We decided that it couldn't be that bad and we took the kids to the play area (which was promoted in the little freebie guide in our room) at the large outlet mall down the highway a couple of miles.
Yeah, not so smart. At least my daughter has now seen why kindness and compassion are necessary parts of a driver's arsenal and even more important at times like this. They did get to play, and we actually ended up with a decent parking spot, but it took about 20 minutes of circling. Some of that time we spent looking for the play area first and judging whether it would be wiser to go somewhere else.
After a quick restroom break, conveniently close to the play area, we gave the kids about a half an hour to play and then we walked them to death again. We actually didn't do much shopping, but in the "lifestyle center" layout for the mall you end up walking most of the very long W-shaped strip to get to the 2 or 3 places you want to go. Any normal day I'm sure we could have driven between stores and come out way ahead on time.
At the end of it all, my son fell asleep in my wife's arms at our last stop; conveniently keeping her from fixating on additional dinnerware. We made it back to the resort, consumed leftovers, then we all took naps at slightly overlapping times. The plan was to get out for an early dinner and then return for a final swimming session and to pack up as much as possible as to get an early start on the driving tomorrow.
The second attempt at getting out was a quick stop that actually turned out to be just that. We found a parking spot nearly immediately. I'd say the just-before-dinner time-frame worked to our favor. After that, we stopped for dinner at a tourist trap that, had it been a little warmer, would actually have been worth a longer stay. Instead we coerced the kids off the play equipment, away from the crocodiles and back to the resort for the promised swimming session.
The kids, thoroughly exhausted at this point, are sleeping and I shall join them shortly. It has been a good family trip and bonding time. We can't do this every year but I will certainly remember this trip fondly, even if through a head cold and drug-induced haze.
Yeah, not so smart. At least my daughter has now seen why kindness and compassion are necessary parts of a driver's arsenal and even more important at times like this. They did get to play, and we actually ended up with a decent parking spot, but it took about 20 minutes of circling. Some of that time we spent looking for the play area first and judging whether it would be wiser to go somewhere else.
After a quick restroom break, conveniently close to the play area, we gave the kids about a half an hour to play and then we walked them to death again. We actually didn't do much shopping, but in the "lifestyle center" layout for the mall you end up walking most of the very long W-shaped strip to get to the 2 or 3 places you want to go. Any normal day I'm sure we could have driven between stores and come out way ahead on time.
At the end of it all, my son fell asleep in my wife's arms at our last stop; conveniently keeping her from fixating on additional dinnerware. We made it back to the resort, consumed leftovers, then we all took naps at slightly overlapping times. The plan was to get out for an early dinner and then return for a final swimming session and to pack up as much as possible as to get an early start on the driving tomorrow.
The second attempt at getting out was a quick stop that actually turned out to be just that. We found a parking spot nearly immediately. I'd say the just-before-dinner time-frame worked to our favor. After that, we stopped for dinner at a tourist trap that, had it been a little warmer, would actually have been worth a longer stay. Instead we coerced the kids off the play equipment, away from the crocodiles and back to the resort for the promised swimming session.
The kids, thoroughly exhausted at this point, are sleeping and I shall join them shortly. It has been a good family trip and bonding time. We can't do this every year but I will certainly remember this trip fondly, even if through a head cold and drug-induced haze.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
The Family Vacation - Day 6: The Turkeys Are Coming!
No need for suspense, we didn't burn the complex to the ground. However, I did hear smoke alarms throughout the afternoon! We kept to the traditional lazy family day today. Things started pretty much normally with a light breakfast when we were all awake. Sleeping in until 8am, that's just crazy! We started off by making pumpkin pies -- yes, 2 as we didn't have the requisite deep dish pie crusts -- and fixing breakfast.
After breakfast, my wife and I enjoyed trading some individual time alone to just relax. My daughter was happy to watch the parade on TV once it started and my son went out for a quick walk with my wife. They didn't get far before he just wanted to play in the sandbox (aka the beach) so my wife took a 2nd walk just by herself and I took on the munchkins and prepared the bird.
It was nice enough that my daughter, having heard talk of the beach and finally coming out of her tunnel-vision about the parade, decided to give up her career as a rebroadcast announcer (she felt inclined to repeat everything said on the TV to me since I couldn't see it) and insisted on going to the beach herself. Of course, my son wouldn't be left behind so I had to slide on suitable clothing and all of us went back to the beach. Together we built a moat at the water's edge but didn't get far enough to build the castle. Oh well, the kids had fun and tired themselves out. My son was so tired at that point that he wouldn't eat a snack and barely bothered to strip clothes off before climbing into bed and taking a nap.
Unfortunately, it wasn't too long after that -- probably 45 minutes -- that it was time for the traditional late lunch/early dinner of overindulgence. I went to wake up his highness and was greeted with probably the most disappointed look I've seen in awhile. He was certainly not ready to eat and he fussed his way through not eating lunch. Equally disappointing, he refused to go back to his nap and threw a second fit about that as my wife tried to snuggle him back to bed. My daughter and I quickly fell asleep in the 2nd bed for our naps. At least the reset-button was hit for my son and he happily watched TV and played through nap time. He was still all smiles for most of the evening as we watched a couple of movies together and didn't fuss when I slipped out in the middle of "Cars" for a quick dip in the hot tub. My daughter, on the other hand, required a promise that we would go swimming tomorrow before she'd relax and get ready for bed.
Not surprisingly, both kids requested a snack before bed and both ate leftovers without much fuss. After that we all hit our crash point so I snuggled the kids to bed and am finishing this up before calling it a night.
After breakfast, my wife and I enjoyed trading some individual time alone to just relax. My daughter was happy to watch the parade on TV once it started and my son went out for a quick walk with my wife. They didn't get far before he just wanted to play in the sandbox (aka the beach) so my wife took a 2nd walk just by herself and I took on the munchkins and prepared the bird.
It was nice enough that my daughter, having heard talk of the beach and finally coming out of her tunnel-vision about the parade, decided to give up her career as a rebroadcast announcer (she felt inclined to repeat everything said on the TV to me since I couldn't see it) and insisted on going to the beach herself. Of course, my son wouldn't be left behind so I had to slide on suitable clothing and all of us went back to the beach. Together we built a moat at the water's edge but didn't get far enough to build the castle. Oh well, the kids had fun and tired themselves out. My son was so tired at that point that he wouldn't eat a snack and barely bothered to strip clothes off before climbing into bed and taking a nap.
Unfortunately, it wasn't too long after that -- probably 45 minutes -- that it was time for the traditional late lunch/early dinner of overindulgence. I went to wake up his highness and was greeted with probably the most disappointed look I've seen in awhile. He was certainly not ready to eat and he fussed his way through not eating lunch. Equally disappointing, he refused to go back to his nap and threw a second fit about that as my wife tried to snuggle him back to bed. My daughter and I quickly fell asleep in the 2nd bed for our naps. At least the reset-button was hit for my son and he happily watched TV and played through nap time. He was still all smiles for most of the evening as we watched a couple of movies together and didn't fuss when I slipped out in the middle of "Cars" for a quick dip in the hot tub. My daughter, on the other hand, required a promise that we would go swimming tomorrow before she'd relax and get ready for bed.
Not surprisingly, both kids requested a snack before bed and both ate leftovers without much fuss. After that we all hit our crash point so I snuggled the kids to bed and am finishing this up before calling it a night.
The Family Vacation - Day 5: Kid Day
Today started with the normal morning routine. Breakfast, heard the family into clothes and eventually out the door. It turned out to be a beautiful day; about 70 with mostly sunny skies. Yet, we started the day at Wal-Mart after discovering that my daughter had managed to not have any jeans with her. We're not sure how that happened and she insists that she packed them. It is quite possible that her brother, ever helpful, removed and relocated them for us or even that they were missed when we made final checks and closed suitcases. She ended up with jeans, another long sleeve shirt and a sweatshirt to round out her wardrobe and she should have room to grow into the items.
After the brief shopping interlude we went looking for a playground. Sound familiar? This time we went to track down one we had seen on the way into town that, if memory served, had 2 play areas. It took a little while, but eventually we found the park -- almost to the point of being back out onto full-speed highways and away from cities. We were not the only family to take advantage of the weather. Although most of the locals seem to think winter has set in and that you need coats to go outside, some families still brave the cold and come out to play. There were 3 other families with young children approximately the age of ours who were at the playgrounds while we were there.
My daughter quickly had a following of 3 different girls, one a pair of twins who alternately provided a shadow for my daughter and one of their friends. There were a couple of kids my son's age and they played near each other from time to time (as is appropriate for that age group) but mostly my son decided to challenge himself by climbing through new types of equipment in sandals still covered with sand. Either my wife or I was near him the majority of the time, just in case. It was a bit sad, and almost funny, that the slides seemed to be the most effective speed bumps to the playground. The heavily retarded descent on the spiral slide neared comical proportions, especially when my son gave me the cherubic "what's wrong with this thing daddy" silent look.
On the way back to the room we debated on whether to hit the big fun activity for the day immediately after lunch or to try to get the kids a nap first. My son made the decision for us by falling asleep along the way. He did eat lunch and then we had to coerce him back to sleep. We nearly didn't but my daughter decided she was going to want a nap after lunch so that forced our hands a little. We did decide to keep the nap a little shorter than the 3.5 hr episodes we were seeing and the kids, thankfully, seemed to be on the same wavelength.
We packed up and headed across the street (sometimes being in the center of a tourist area works out for the best) and down half a block to a racetrack and amusement park that had about 10 rides the kids could enjoy. We checked regulations and then had to do some quick figuring. My daughter was at a border between being too big for the kiddie rides. There was one she couldn't go on as her feet would drag. Most of the others both kids could ride at the same time (limiting coordination efforts between parents) and there was one that my son couldn't ride which helped even out the ticket count.
It was definitely a down time, we had the kid part pretty much to ourselves. The attendants were pleasant and a couple of them even took the time to learn the kids names and make sure they were ok with the rides. My daughter, in particular, experienced her first go card ride with the attendant, who had pretty much followed us between rides as there was nothing else going on, patiently guiding her and teaching her what she could do. To her credit, there was only one turn she didn't stay in long enough until after the 6th lap and then she was golden. The real treat came when we found out she was just barely big enough that she could ride along with my wife -- being the one to be a big kid tonight -- on a more adult-level go cart ride. My son was quite upset that he couldn't go, but I distracted him by explaining where the girls were and by having him cheer as they went by.
As a reward, he was allowed extra rides on the kids choo-choo train. A young attendant had overheard his name and, as he was the only kid on the ride, after guiding my son by name to the ride, provided an unforgettable moment as my son was allowed to "push that button to start the ride when I tell you." His eyes were like saucers and he squealed with delight as the attendant coordinated starting the ride with the cosmetic button push. The attendant also enjoyed the experience and I hope he understands just how happy he made my son. (Thanks, dude. God bless you a little extra for that one.)
After running out of ride tickets we came back to the resort just in time for a magic show. It wasn't a Vegas style show, but the magician did a good job working with the kids and elderly in the audience. My daughter was a little scared by the guillotine routine and she was fascinated by most of the rest. My son didn't really care and he just wanted to go to the room. I hope he didn't make too much noise and distract everyone around him. At least I now have a reference for the "shall I get you a straight-jacket" threat!
Dinner was simple as tomorrow we attempt to burn down the resort and after a short kid show or two (hard to remember when you're dealing with screaming kids and cleaning up after dinner) we settled down to bed.
After the brief shopping interlude we went looking for a playground. Sound familiar? This time we went to track down one we had seen on the way into town that, if memory served, had 2 play areas. It took a little while, but eventually we found the park -- almost to the point of being back out onto full-speed highways and away from cities. We were not the only family to take advantage of the weather. Although most of the locals seem to think winter has set in and that you need coats to go outside, some families still brave the cold and come out to play. There were 3 other families with young children approximately the age of ours who were at the playgrounds while we were there.
My daughter quickly had a following of 3 different girls, one a pair of twins who alternately provided a shadow for my daughter and one of their friends. There were a couple of kids my son's age and they played near each other from time to time (as is appropriate for that age group) but mostly my son decided to challenge himself by climbing through new types of equipment in sandals still covered with sand. Either my wife or I was near him the majority of the time, just in case. It was a bit sad, and almost funny, that the slides seemed to be the most effective speed bumps to the playground. The heavily retarded descent on the spiral slide neared comical proportions, especially when my son gave me the cherubic "what's wrong with this thing daddy" silent look.
On the way back to the room we debated on whether to hit the big fun activity for the day immediately after lunch or to try to get the kids a nap first. My son made the decision for us by falling asleep along the way. He did eat lunch and then we had to coerce him back to sleep. We nearly didn't but my daughter decided she was going to want a nap after lunch so that forced our hands a little. We did decide to keep the nap a little shorter than the 3.5 hr episodes we were seeing and the kids, thankfully, seemed to be on the same wavelength.
We packed up and headed across the street (sometimes being in the center of a tourist area works out for the best) and down half a block to a racetrack and amusement park that had about 10 rides the kids could enjoy. We checked regulations and then had to do some quick figuring. My daughter was at a border between being too big for the kiddie rides. There was one she couldn't go on as her feet would drag. Most of the others both kids could ride at the same time (limiting coordination efforts between parents) and there was one that my son couldn't ride which helped even out the ticket count.
It was definitely a down time, we had the kid part pretty much to ourselves. The attendants were pleasant and a couple of them even took the time to learn the kids names and make sure they were ok with the rides. My daughter, in particular, experienced her first go card ride with the attendant, who had pretty much followed us between rides as there was nothing else going on, patiently guiding her and teaching her what she could do. To her credit, there was only one turn she didn't stay in long enough until after the 6th lap and then she was golden. The real treat came when we found out she was just barely big enough that she could ride along with my wife -- being the one to be a big kid tonight -- on a more adult-level go cart ride. My son was quite upset that he couldn't go, but I distracted him by explaining where the girls were and by having him cheer as they went by.
As a reward, he was allowed extra rides on the kids choo-choo train. A young attendant had overheard his name and, as he was the only kid on the ride, after guiding my son by name to the ride, provided an unforgettable moment as my son was allowed to "push that button to start the ride when I tell you." His eyes were like saucers and he squealed with delight as the attendant coordinated starting the ride with the cosmetic button push. The attendant also enjoyed the experience and I hope he understands just how happy he made my son. (Thanks, dude. God bless you a little extra for that one.)
After running out of ride tickets we came back to the resort just in time for a magic show. It wasn't a Vegas style show, but the magician did a good job working with the kids and elderly in the audience. My daughter was a little scared by the guillotine routine and she was fascinated by most of the rest. My son didn't really care and he just wanted to go to the room. I hope he didn't make too much noise and distract everyone around him. At least I now have a reference for the "shall I get you a straight-jacket" threat!
Dinner was simple as tomorrow we attempt to burn down the resort and after a short kid show or two (hard to remember when you're dealing with screaming kids and cleaning up after dinner) we settled down to bed.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The Family Vacation - Day 4: Marching On
What would possess me to wake up at 6am while on vacation? I don't know, but it does have a couple of benefits. First, I can actually connect into the resort's WiFi connection from the room at that hour when it won't finish handshaking after about 8am. Second, I can make coffee and enjoy some quiet time while the family is snoozing. And those two items leave me ready to type and catch up with the days events without having to filter out 2 days worth of stuff when trying to post.
So, today we decided to start off by heading the down "the strip" and see what was to be found past Wal-Mart while looking for a place for the kids to play. After breakfast, some in-room play time and finally corralling the kids into clothes appropriate to the weather -- partly-cloudy, breezy, warming up to a high expected near 70 but still chilly in the morning (as if 55 was chilly) -- we packed into the car and started driving.
The kids nearly fell into car-induced naps which prompted us to come back towards the resort and take them to a state park. They played on some basic playground equipment and then we took them on a nature trail. At first there was a high level of resistance from both kids. My daughter just wanted to go to the beach (a theme repeated frequently since our first encounter with the waves) and my son seemed to chant "I want a 'Carry You'" with his arms stretched up. Both of them were encouraged to continue to walk and to learn about the native sand dune plants -- many of which are actually endangered thanks to human development of the areas.
Somewhere into the first about third of the walk the kids settled into examining the reserve. My wife encouraged my daughter to keep working on reading the little signs explaining the trees and shrubs while I played catch-up; walking at my son's pace. He's actually fun to watch explore the world around him. He's very thorough and experimental while at the same time still a bit timid. The combination makes for some cute moments as he is at first surprised during his experiments and then rewarded with something new and interesting.
Eventually the kids wore down to the point where progress was frequently measured in feet-between-'Carry You'-requests. So we guided them through the remainder of the trail, a quick 2nd effort in the playground and then back to the room. It wasn't until packing into the car that I looked at a watch and realized we had taken an hour(ish) long walk!
The kids were appropriately grumpy but a good lunch improved their spirits enough that the fight around taking a nap was minimal. And it was quite a nap! I believe the first kid roused after approximately 3 hours while the second followed not long thereafter. We had planned an early dinner at a nice seafood restaurant so there wasn't much time to prepare or get distracted.
We were a little worried at first as the restaurant, while listed as casual, was occupied by an older crowd that was attired in business casual or better clothing. By the time we left there was one other family in casual clothing in the restaurant but we were on alert the whole time so that we would not be causing a scene.
Dinner was excellent and the kids were well-behaved. I acted like an armchair for my son as his booster couldn't find good footing in the bench of the booth and he wasn't wanting to sit particularly still either. My concerns that he would pull his normal "I'm done, go play" routine were unfounded as the most he did was snuggle on my arm and in my lap.
Returning to the room, it was a little early for bed times but too late to want to make a return trip to the pool. So we snuggled on beds and watched a movie. There was some protest about not watching another show which was understandable given the lack of activity between naps and bedtime, but we managed to read a book and snuggle enough to get over the fussing and realize it was bedtime.
And, get this, the kids slept together in one bed! Woo hoo! Perhaps the best thing to come from that was that neither parent was treated to an all-night massage and could actually sleep.
So, today we decided to start off by heading the down "the strip" and see what was to be found past Wal-Mart while looking for a place for the kids to play. After breakfast, some in-room play time and finally corralling the kids into clothes appropriate to the weather -- partly-cloudy, breezy, warming up to a high expected near 70 but still chilly in the morning (as if 55 was chilly) -- we packed into the car and started driving.
The kids nearly fell into car-induced naps which prompted us to come back towards the resort and take them to a state park. They played on some basic playground equipment and then we took them on a nature trail. At first there was a high level of resistance from both kids. My daughter just wanted to go to the beach (a theme repeated frequently since our first encounter with the waves) and my son seemed to chant "I want a 'Carry You'" with his arms stretched up. Both of them were encouraged to continue to walk and to learn about the native sand dune plants -- many of which are actually endangered thanks to human development of the areas.
Somewhere into the first about third of the walk the kids settled into examining the reserve. My wife encouraged my daughter to keep working on reading the little signs explaining the trees and shrubs while I played catch-up; walking at my son's pace. He's actually fun to watch explore the world around him. He's very thorough and experimental while at the same time still a bit timid. The combination makes for some cute moments as he is at first surprised during his experiments and then rewarded with something new and interesting.
Eventually the kids wore down to the point where progress was frequently measured in feet-between-'Carry You'-requests. So we guided them through the remainder of the trail, a quick 2nd effort in the playground and then back to the room. It wasn't until packing into the car that I looked at a watch and realized we had taken an hour(ish) long walk!
The kids were appropriately grumpy but a good lunch improved their spirits enough that the fight around taking a nap was minimal. And it was quite a nap! I believe the first kid roused after approximately 3 hours while the second followed not long thereafter. We had planned an early dinner at a nice seafood restaurant so there wasn't much time to prepare or get distracted.
We were a little worried at first as the restaurant, while listed as casual, was occupied by an older crowd that was attired in business casual or better clothing. By the time we left there was one other family in casual clothing in the restaurant but we were on alert the whole time so that we would not be causing a scene.
Dinner was excellent and the kids were well-behaved. I acted like an armchair for my son as his booster couldn't find good footing in the bench of the booth and he wasn't wanting to sit particularly still either. My concerns that he would pull his normal "I'm done, go play" routine were unfounded as the most he did was snuggle on my arm and in my lap.
Returning to the room, it was a little early for bed times but too late to want to make a return trip to the pool. So we snuggled on beds and watched a movie. There was some protest about not watching another show which was understandable given the lack of activity between naps and bedtime, but we managed to read a book and snuggle enough to get over the fussing and realize it was bedtime.
And, get this, the kids slept together in one bed! Woo hoo! Perhaps the best thing to come from that was that neither parent was treated to an all-night massage and could actually sleep.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The Family Vacation - Day 3: Initial Recreation
You know your day is going to go well when you start by hitting that local vacation hot spot, Wal-Mart. Breakfast was no less exciting: McDonald's in Wal-Mart. But it gets better! After ordering and sliding in to one of the 4 mini-booths with our tray of food, we distributed food and then watch my coffee go flying straight at my my toddler, strapped into his highchair! Ugh... I'll let the guilty part off the hook this time but it's straight to parent court for proper consideration next time.
Sufficient food has been procured to cover the majority of the meals for the week, including Thanksgiving dinner. Yep, we are going to attempt to rotisserie a turkey breast in our mini-oven (all the way from home) and fix the trimmings in about a 4x4 kitchen. Should be a good family experience.
Another reason for the shopping goes back to our desire to lessen our impact on the environment. It can be shocking just how much waste is generated supporting tourists. Meals in fast-food restaurants generate a lot of extra waste that does not go into recycling programs.
I think my daughter may be getting a better idea on how lucky she is at home. We've discussed how our resort rooms are as big as many of the homes people live in daily and how this demonstrates we can live with less of the creature comforts typically surrounding us.
So after we picked up the necessities, we came back, over-stocked the diminutive cabinets and refrigerator and proceeded to the beach. It was time to just be out in nature and both kids had a blast. My son, not exactly stable on his feet right now, decided to charge a wave and tripped over a tidal pool; face-planing in some cold water before I could catch him.
My daughter, giving up on the initial plan to build a giant sand castle, decided charging the waves would be more fun. Thankfully she has a healthy dose of self-preservation and stopped when the first cold wave gently tickled her toes. From there the two of us made trips for wet sand and water to the ocean's edge mostly safely. My son took a rake of the sand toy size and combed the beach, randomly, squealing with delight.
Eventually my daughter just had to go challenge a wave directly and head-on. Of course, the wave won, but she was delighted to have tried. I was there with her so she didn't get pulled away and I hope that telling her about how to stand against the wave helped a little. Apparently, between attempts at standing in the waves she was telling my wife about what I was telling her, so maybe it will sink in for more than this one day. Thankfully my son decided waves were not his thing and didn't venture out so that only one of the parents (me) had to be worried about tracking a kid in the waves.
It was a bit chilly -- although to a northerner, not as cold as the locals would describe it -- and even with running around the kids turned purple. So we headed back to the resort, dried off, washed off, ate a later lunch and grabbed a well-deserved nap. My wife doesn't nap and I only took a short nap, but the kids really needed it.
When the kids woke it was nearly dinner time, especially with the kids still wanting to swim in the pool yet today. So we acted like bums and let the kids watch some TV while dinner was prepared. After cleaning up dinner, we changed into swimsuits and went to the inside pool at the resort. It was fun to be in the pool with the kids again.
My son has decided that he can direct the play, dictating which of the little games he learned from the YMCA he wanted us to do, and thoroughly enjoyed himself. The level of enjoyment expressed in his nearly crazed eyes was refreshing. He's going to like swimming this winter. It was no surprise that my daughter was happily splashing around.. She's lost a little of the form of her strokes but her strength has improved. She was teetering on the edge of moving up a level in her lessons but this extra strength should push her over the edge. We will likely still keep her in the same class one more time for reinforcement and refinement of her strokes again, but I don't believe that she'll have any problem in the teachers eyes when it comes to moving up after that.
After about an hour of swimming it was time to return to the room and call it a night.
Sufficient food has been procured to cover the majority of the meals for the week, including Thanksgiving dinner. Yep, we are going to attempt to rotisserie a turkey breast in our mini-oven (all the way from home) and fix the trimmings in about a 4x4 kitchen. Should be a good family experience.
Another reason for the shopping goes back to our desire to lessen our impact on the environment. It can be shocking just how much waste is generated supporting tourists. Meals in fast-food restaurants generate a lot of extra waste that does not go into recycling programs.
I think my daughter may be getting a better idea on how lucky she is at home. We've discussed how our resort rooms are as big as many of the homes people live in daily and how this demonstrates we can live with less of the creature comforts typically surrounding us.
So after we picked up the necessities, we came back, over-stocked the diminutive cabinets and refrigerator and proceeded to the beach. It was time to just be out in nature and both kids had a blast. My son, not exactly stable on his feet right now, decided to charge a wave and tripped over a tidal pool; face-planing in some cold water before I could catch him.
My daughter, giving up on the initial plan to build a giant sand castle, decided charging the waves would be more fun. Thankfully she has a healthy dose of self-preservation and stopped when the first cold wave gently tickled her toes. From there the two of us made trips for wet sand and water to the ocean's edge mostly safely. My son took a rake of the sand toy size and combed the beach, randomly, squealing with delight.
Eventually my daughter just had to go challenge a wave directly and head-on. Of course, the wave won, but she was delighted to have tried. I was there with her so she didn't get pulled away and I hope that telling her about how to stand against the wave helped a little. Apparently, between attempts at standing in the waves she was telling my wife about what I was telling her, so maybe it will sink in for more than this one day. Thankfully my son decided waves were not his thing and didn't venture out so that only one of the parents (me) had to be worried about tracking a kid in the waves.
It was a bit chilly -- although to a northerner, not as cold as the locals would describe it -- and even with running around the kids turned purple. So we headed back to the resort, dried off, washed off, ate a later lunch and grabbed a well-deserved nap. My wife doesn't nap and I only took a short nap, but the kids really needed it.
When the kids woke it was nearly dinner time, especially with the kids still wanting to swim in the pool yet today. So we acted like bums and let the kids watch some TV while dinner was prepared. After cleaning up dinner, we changed into swimsuits and went to the inside pool at the resort. It was fun to be in the pool with the kids again.
My son has decided that he can direct the play, dictating which of the little games he learned from the YMCA he wanted us to do, and thoroughly enjoyed himself. The level of enjoyment expressed in his nearly crazed eyes was refreshing. He's going to like swimming this winter. It was no surprise that my daughter was happily splashing around.. She's lost a little of the form of her strokes but her strength has improved. She was teetering on the edge of moving up a level in her lessons but this extra strength should push her over the edge. We will likely still keep her in the same class one more time for reinforcement and refinement of her strokes again, but I don't believe that she'll have any problem in the teachers eyes when it comes to moving up after that.
After about an hour of swimming it was time to return to the room and call it a night.
The Family Vacation - Day 2: Travel [2 of 4]
Story of the day: drugs + sleep debt + distracted co-pilot = unexpected side trip.
It would be fun to turn this into Gilligan's Island, but nothing even remotely scary or life impacting happened. I was mostly in the driving zone, so I kept the helm for the entire trip. The head cold has not improved substantially, but neither has is worsened.
The kids both remained patient and were not fussing over video choices. Both were a little sleepy but we tried to take stops at intervals which were conducive to potty breaks and not sitting too long. Some of the entertaining kid-led sing-along sessions were amusing! :) It is fun to see the kids interacting and playing together even in the confines of a 2 day car trip.
Unfortunately, our side-trip began shortly after starting out for the day. Two state highways out of town join together and then somehow magically split apart. Our maps didn't show enough detail and the directions from online resources seemed to give enough detail that we may have been overly confident of the visibility of our pending split.
We did question our sanity a couple of times as all we saw along the highway were parked pickups and the occasional speeders. The volume of traffic seemed low, but it was fairly early on a Sunday morning, so the situation was plausible. What finally stuck and had us check was crossing an interstate junction that we did not expect to cross after our first pit stop for the day. Grab the atlas and cue-up the forehead slaps. We had not managed the split of the highways correctly.
After a little re-route planning and a big u-turn, we were back on the way. One nice thing about this trip is that, although long, there are big stretches of driving where you're just on one highway or interstate with no need to do anything but drive. There are very few junctions to catch or towns to navigate. The latter point is also a little sad in that you don't have much of an opportunity to spot what life might be like or catch an unexpected local event of interest. Maybe when the kids are older we'll go get lost somewhere and spend time learning about people instead of just passing through.
With two days of driving behind us I'm looking forward to some down time. Hopefully I can shake this head cold, recharge the batteries, and enjoy the overdue down-time with family.
It would be fun to turn this into Gilligan's Island, but nothing even remotely scary or life impacting happened. I was mostly in the driving zone, so I kept the helm for the entire trip. The head cold has not improved substantially, but neither has is worsened.
The kids both remained patient and were not fussing over video choices. Both were a little sleepy but we tried to take stops at intervals which were conducive to potty breaks and not sitting too long. Some of the entertaining kid-led sing-along sessions were amusing! :) It is fun to see the kids interacting and playing together even in the confines of a 2 day car trip.
Unfortunately, our side-trip began shortly after starting out for the day. Two state highways out of town join together and then somehow magically split apart. Our maps didn't show enough detail and the directions from online resources seemed to give enough detail that we may have been overly confident of the visibility of our pending split.
We did question our sanity a couple of times as all we saw along the highway were parked pickups and the occasional speeders. The volume of traffic seemed low, but it was fairly early on a Sunday morning, so the situation was plausible. What finally stuck and had us check was crossing an interstate junction that we did not expect to cross after our first pit stop for the day. Grab the atlas and cue-up the forehead slaps. We had not managed the split of the highways correctly.
After a little re-route planning and a big u-turn, we were back on the way. One nice thing about this trip is that, although long, there are big stretches of driving where you're just on one highway or interstate with no need to do anything but drive. There are very few junctions to catch or towns to navigate. The latter point is also a little sad in that you don't have much of an opportunity to spot what life might be like or catch an unexpected local event of interest. Maybe when the kids are older we'll go get lost somewhere and spend time learning about people instead of just passing through.
With two days of driving behind us I'm looking forward to some down time. Hopefully I can shake this head cold, recharge the batteries, and enjoy the overdue down-time with family.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
The Family Vacation - Day 1: Travel (1 of 4)
After a more normal, lazy weekend morning group snuggle in our bed, my wife and I began to migrate to the rest of the challenge for the day: starting the car rides. In case you were not aware, this turns out to be about a 2 hour process even having staged the car the night before.
There actually were not too many hiccups in the routine, although protests were expected and encountered. Here's how it went:
Traveling was not quite as successful. Even with the videos there come problems. My son decided he didn't like the first choice and spent nearly an hour whining: "Need it off. Momeeeeeeeeee, need off!" He's learned a very effective tone of voice to use for this task. Thanks, as appropriate, to daycare for that one -- sometimes tough love *is* the proper response.
We stopped at a fun place for lunch. It was one that brought back a couple of college memories for my wife and I. Unfortunately, although well-behaved (which was itself a nice surprise), the kids did not each a balanced lunch and my son barely ate. This meant that diets were not observed and we would have cranky children (and very full parents). Oh well.
The second movie choice was good for both kids. With my wife driving I took some extra drugs and a small nap to see if I could improve the status of my head. The drugs were optional, the nap was not. I just can't ride in cars.
We stopped for an extended break (time for the kids to play) and then it was back behind the wheel for me. We were not far from dinner at that point so I decided to try to tough it out without a movie. The kids actually started inventing a way to play together. That lasted for about 20 minutes after which I decided a short show was in order to keep them from destroying the car. Their game had encouraged my son (Lord knows how) to start dismantling his car seat. Bring on the show!
Dinner was uneventful and both kids ate reasonably well. No more serious arguments, 2 heads kinda lolling to the side from time to time. We made it to the hotel and are trying to get to sleep. Not too bad, to be fair, but this is day 1 of 2 on this half of the travel.
There actually were not too many hiccups in the routine, although protests were expected and encountered. Here's how it went:
- Showers and clothing: first my wife, then me with both kids in the shower and my wife tackling drying/initial clothing as cleanliness was achieved. Record protest set number 1. Gee, batting 1000 already.
- Turn on TV show for the kids to keep them occupied.
- Pack toiletries and double-check diaper count in diaper bag.
- Separate squabbling kids who should just be watching TV.
- Kids end up getting yogurt for a morning snack after protest #2.
- I've forgotten what it was, but not long after finishing the yogurt came protest #3.
- That lead to getting kids into the car.
- Take kids to McDonald's for breakfast.
- Go through 3 sets of utensils for 2 kids.
- Finally get on the road.
Traveling was not quite as successful. Even with the videos there come problems. My son decided he didn't like the first choice and spent nearly an hour whining: "Need it off. Momeeeeeeeeee, need off!" He's learned a very effective tone of voice to use for this task. Thanks, as appropriate, to daycare for that one -- sometimes tough love *is* the proper response.
We stopped at a fun place for lunch. It was one that brought back a couple of college memories for my wife and I. Unfortunately, although well-behaved (which was itself a nice surprise), the kids did not each a balanced lunch and my son barely ate. This meant that diets were not observed and we would have cranky children (and very full parents). Oh well.
The second movie choice was good for both kids. With my wife driving I took some extra drugs and a small nap to see if I could improve the status of my head. The drugs were optional, the nap was not. I just can't ride in cars.
We stopped for an extended break (time for the kids to play) and then it was back behind the wheel for me. We were not far from dinner at that point so I decided to try to tough it out without a movie. The kids actually started inventing a way to play together. That lasted for about 20 minutes after which I decided a short show was in order to keep them from destroying the car. Their game had encouraged my son (Lord knows how) to start dismantling his car seat. Bring on the show!
Dinner was uneventful and both kids ate reasonably well. No more serious arguments, 2 heads kinda lolling to the side from time to time. We made it to the hotel and are trying to get to sleep. Not too bad, to be fair, but this is day 1 of 2 on this half of the travel.
The Family Vacation - Day 0: The Preparation
For the record, these trip memos were posted once the vacation was completed. I have no intention to repeat the mistake made by a family who was so accurate with their Tweets that they gave a clear time-line to thieves who robbed them blind and knew exactly how much time was available.
It has been several years since my wife and I even considered an extended vacation. We took our kids to see family in Florida several years ago now. At that point we flew, hauling a kid car seat and an infant bucket through the airport and down the airplane isle.
This year we are making a stab at a family vacation again, taking a trip that will require about 12 hours of driving time. Of course, with young children we will be well above that.
My daughter is highly anticipating this trip. She's found very good questions to ask that demonstrate her attempt to prepare for what is coming. She energetically packed her own suitcase, bouncing between her room and ours, following the precise prompts for category and quantity of clothing items my wife was providing.
I tried not to cough on everyone.
In what seems like my own personal tradition since about High School, I'm once again going on vacation while fighting off a cold. This one isn't particularly bad until the pressure in my head kicks in full force. As I near that point I become irritable, impatient, and a bit wobbly. This should make things much more entertaining, right?
With the usual level of miss-communication and an unexpected call from a friend and prior co-worker that ended up irritating my wife more than necessary, we did manage to have ourselves packed up before the kids bedtime.
After putting the kids to bed, it was time to play the traditional game of suitcase Tetris. Normally this is only a minor challenge, but this time I actually failed. There was just not a way -- confirmed by my wife -- to get everything in without risking stockpiling projectiles to ensure harm int he case of an accident.
Ok, so let's review and look for what is necessary:
Really big suitcase for my wife: check.
Medium-sized (possibly no longer legal for carry-on) suitcase for my daughter: check.
Average-sized (carry-on legal) suitcase for my son: check.
Slightly cramped, average-sized suitcase for me: check.
Beach toys: check.
Powered Travel Cooler: check.
Counter-top oven: check.
Cooking utensils: check and check.
Diaper bag: check. (in cabin)
Snack bag: check. (in cabin)
Movies for the kids: check (in cabin)
Toiletries: need space once finally packed.
Out-Of-Trunk-Space: check (by about 2 or 3 items worth).
So, what would you leave home?
For us, the powered travel cooler was the casualty for safety's sake. How are we going to make a Thanksgiving dinner without an oven? Shish... what were you thinking? ;)
It's now way too late at night, somewhere around 11pm, and I'm definitely hurting. This should make the trip even more exciting. Oh well, maybe I'll go for complete exhaustion, sleep-debt, and high levels of caffiene to, you know, recapture my college lifestyle (because that was such a good way to do things the first time around).
It has been several years since my wife and I even considered an extended vacation. We took our kids to see family in Florida several years ago now. At that point we flew, hauling a kid car seat and an infant bucket through the airport and down the airplane isle.
This year we are making a stab at a family vacation again, taking a trip that will require about 12 hours of driving time. Of course, with young children we will be well above that.
My daughter is highly anticipating this trip. She's found very good questions to ask that demonstrate her attempt to prepare for what is coming. She energetically packed her own suitcase, bouncing between her room and ours, following the precise prompts for category and quantity of clothing items my wife was providing.
I tried not to cough on everyone.
In what seems like my own personal tradition since about High School, I'm once again going on vacation while fighting off a cold. This one isn't particularly bad until the pressure in my head kicks in full force. As I near that point I become irritable, impatient, and a bit wobbly. This should make things much more entertaining, right?
With the usual level of miss-communication and an unexpected call from a friend and prior co-worker that ended up irritating my wife more than necessary, we did manage to have ourselves packed up before the kids bedtime.
After putting the kids to bed, it was time to play the traditional game of suitcase Tetris. Normally this is only a minor challenge, but this time I actually failed. There was just not a way -- confirmed by my wife -- to get everything in without risking stockpiling projectiles to ensure harm int he case of an accident.
Ok, so let's review and look for what is necessary:
Really big suitcase for my wife: check.
Medium-sized (possibly no longer legal for carry-on) suitcase for my daughter: check.
Average-sized (carry-on legal) suitcase for my son: check.
Slightly cramped, average-sized suitcase for me: check.
Beach toys: check.
Powered Travel Cooler: check.
Counter-top oven: check.
Cooking utensils: check and check.
Diaper bag: check. (in cabin)
Snack bag: check. (in cabin)
Movies for the kids: check (in cabin)
Toiletries: need space once finally packed.
Out-Of-Trunk-Space: check (by about 2 or 3 items worth).
So, what would you leave home?
For us, the powered travel cooler was the casualty for safety's sake. How are we going to make a Thanksgiving dinner without an oven? Shish... what were you thinking? ;)
It's now way too late at night, somewhere around 11pm, and I'm definitely hurting. This should make the trip even more exciting. Oh well, maybe I'll go for complete exhaustion, sleep-debt, and high levels of caffiene to, you know, recapture my college lifestyle (because that was such a good way to do things the first time around).
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