Conference moira::parenting_v3

    My neighbors have two young sons, about 4 and 2.  They regularly travel
    from New Hampshire to Buffalo, NY, a long drive.  They drive at night
    and the boys sleep in the car.  No problem.  
    
    Could you time the trip to do the long boring stretches at night and
    save shorter picturesque parts by day?  Course the driver's likely to
    be exhausted the day of arrival, but your child will be all perky, if
    she's comfortable sleeping in the carseat.  Maybe that's not such a
    good idea - I dunno.
    
    Let me know how it turns out if you go.  We'd like to do the same type
    of trip in a few years with our youngster who's now a baby.
    
    Laura  

    Diana --
    
    You might want to check out these other notes about travelling
    with kids:

   176   CADSE::HARDING      24-JUL-1990    10  children, friends, and 
						family vacation
   224  SCAACT::RESENDE       7-AUG-1990    19  Travel tips from someone who's 
   376  UCOUNT::STRASENBURGH 26-SEP-1990    22  Baby who hates traveling in cars
   410  CYPRES::HERRERA_LI   11-OCT-1990    15  Air Travel & Tiny Babies
   455  CHCLAT::HAGEN        25-OCT-1990    15  Trip to Paris w/Toddler Q's
   550   CIVIC::JANEB         6-DEC-1990    10  Train travel with kids?

    None of them directly addresses your topic, but there's a lot of
    useful information tucked away in there.  There might also be some
    stuff in 132, Traveling W/Formula, though your child's probably
    too old for most of the discussion there.
    
    When Kat was 5, we drove to Florida and back twice.  27 hours each
    way.  Once we drove straight through, the next time we stopped. 
    The time after that we took a plane, vowing that if we didn't have
    the money to fly, we'd just stay home . . .
    
    --bonnie

    Our son is just 2.4 years old, so we don't have the same age as you do. 
    However, we have made a number of road trips with him, mostly in our
    motorhome.  He traveled the best when he was less than about 18 months,
    because he was more content to sit in his car seat for long stretches. 
    My husband is the type of driver that only stops when we need gas or he
    has to go.  The kid, the dog and I are *on our own*, so thank goodness
    for motorhomes with toilets!  When John gets antsy in the motorhome and
    we can't stop for a leg stretch, I will let him out of the car seat for
    a *very few minutes* to sit/play on the floor.  I know the safety issues
    involved, but if his screaming distracts the driver, I think we are in
    worse trouble.  We have driven fairly long stretches - ten hours and
    try to stop at least every two hours for him to run around.  In the
    motorhome, we put his car seat in the dinette area (there are seat
    belts there) and he can actually play/crayon at the table while we are
    driving.  We always pack his scooter and he'll ride that when we take a
    break.
    
    We also regularly take a three hour drive up to our cabin in the
    mountains, using the car.  That has been a tough one lately, depending
    on the time of day.  The later in the day, the better he seems to
    travel.  And we also know the location of every McDonalds/Burger King
    playland along the route!
    
    When he goes into a total meltdown, I will pull a new toy out and that
    always helps.  I regularly pick up some inexpensive, gimmicky toys and
    keep them hidden in a bag in the car.  Or even a balloon works.  
    
    In a sewing magazine I subscribe to, they have a pattern for an
    over-the-seat organizer to hold all the toys, crayons, etc for the
    child so they have instant access.  It hangs over the front seat, with
    all the pockets in the back.
    
    Let your child select some favorite toys, too, to take in the car. 
    That way, there will be some familiar toys for bedtime in a strange
    place.  
    
    My folks always took a potty for the car when we traveled, because in
    rural areas back then, there were not rest stops, etc, and when "ya
    gotta go, ya gotta go *now!*".
    
    Good luck!
    
    Cathy
    
    

    Thanks for the tips.  We drove to the Maine coast this past weekend and
    things went pretty well....but that's only 5 hours each way.  Mandy is
    just about potty trained, and it was interesting trying to stop in time
    for her!  Once, we just pulled over to the side of the road and taught
    her about going in the woods!  (She had a diaper on, just in case, but
    she really wanted to keep it dry.)
    
    ANyway, I'll check out those other notes.  We're talking about the
    possibility of taking the train now, so Note 550 may be useful.
    
    Thanks again,
    Diana

    I second the idea of the motor home.  Have you considered renting one? 
    Many RV Dealers also store RV's and will rent them out for the owners.
    I've had the experience, personally, of driving down the highway and
    being able to do things like doing my hair, makeup and getting washed
    up, all at 55 mph!  It's sort of neat that when ya got to go, you can!
    
    We did a trip to Washington DC when AJ was 2.5, and I swore NEVER
    again!  I had such a backache from turning around to speak to him,
    constantly, we even traveled at night and be pretty much refused to
    sleep.  We had him asleep once, and stopped somwhere in NJ to watch the
    Goodyear blimp that was flying over, he woke up-it was after 10pm- and
    never got back to sleep for over another hour.  
    
    Now that we own a motor home, I firmly believe that future long
    distance travel just has to be more pleasant!!
    
    I also wonder if you've explored the special rates offered by airline
    and train companies that allow you to travel to several cities, at a
    flat fee.  I think it's called excursion rates.
    
    Lyn

We've talked about taking a cross-country driving vacation; it's something
Pat and I have both wanted to do for a long time.  And after Michael was
born we discussed renting an RV for the trip.  But I can't see what the
real advantage of an RV is with a child.  If he could run loose in the
back to work off excess energy, get his diaper changed, sleep lying down,
etc., then it would make sense.  But legally he has to be strapped in a car
seat the entire time the vehicle is moving anyway, right?  So what's the
advantage of all those amenities if you have to stop every time you want to
use one of them? 

Steve

    We use our motorhome a lot, with a 2.4 year old (I replied earlier).  I
    can prepare a meal for him while we are driving (not a hot meal, mind
    you, but a meal, neverthess).  I can also pop him out of his car seat
    and change his diaper while we are on the move.  Also, I will sit in
    the back with him at the dinette where we strap in his car seat and we
    can play games or read at the table, or play with playdough.  Every
    once in a great while, we do let him out of the seat to walk around for
    a minute.   I believe the seat belt law in California only applies to
    passenger cars and RV's are exempt.  There are seat belts in the two
    front seats and two more belts at the dinette table.  Legalities aside,
    I still do not feel comfortable letting him move around and if we can
    stop, instead, we do.
    
    Back to meal prep - it was great to be able to nurse him in comfort, or
    make up a fresh bottle.  And now, the biggest hit is to pull a cup of
    ice cream out of the freezer when he has reached the end of his rope
    and its still two more hours to Auntie Bev's house.
    
    Cathy

    could someone please point me to the Campers notesfile?
    
    I've got some questions about camping, but nothing to do with being a
    "camping Parent"!
    
    Lyn

    There is no 'camping' notes file listed in easynotes. However, if
    you do a dir /title="camp" you get the title and number of a note
    that lists all the files that give information on camping related
    subjects.
    
    Bonnie

    	We are going to the Cape, like always, for one week,
    for our summer vacation.  But this year will be special
    because we are bringing our 11 month old daughter, Alexa,
    with us.
    
    	I have gotten so much wonderful advice from all of
    you that I'm wondering if you have any helpful tidbits
    of info. for me in regards to take a baby/toddler on
    a week long trip.  
    
    	Where did your kids sleep?  The playpen?  Did they
    adjust to being away from home or were they up all night?
    Sun, sand, things to do type of advice--all will be much
    appreciated!!!
    
    Thanks a bunch,
    Sheryl

    I don't have any advice for you.  I am however looking for similar
    advice.  We will be taking our 14 month old on a 6 hour plane trip. 
    Any advice for what we can do for entertainment on the plane?
    
    Thanks.
    
    Lauren

    You bring up a great question, Lauren,--I'm interested in keeping
    a 10 month-old happy on a 2 1/2 hour car trip (to the Cape)and
    a 6 hour car trip (to NY in August) !!
    
    

    I've taken Ryan to the Cape for the past 2 summers - a 2 hour trip from
    our house. Each trip I've timed to coincide with nap time - mid morning
    or early afternoon. He slept the 2 hours.  I don't have the guts to do
    6 hours by car, since he really prefers to get out after 2-2 1/2 hours
    max. You could consider doing it in the evening, at bedtime.
    
    

    I have traveled about a dozen times with my (now) 14 month old 
    daughter.  Here are some ideas that have worked well for us:

	- She sleeps in a port-a-crib.  It is the same port-a-crib she sleeps 
    	  in at daycare, so she is already used to it.  If you are concerned
	  that your baby will not like sleeping in a new bed you could try
	  putting her to sleep in her playpen or port-a-crib at home a couple
	  times before traveling.

	- We try to travel at times when she would be sleeping anyway.  For
	  example, when we went to N.Y this weekend (4 hr car trip), we left
	  shortly before her bed-time at 7:00.  She slept almost the entire trip
 	  so we didn't have to worry about entertainment.

	- When we travel during her waking hours, we sing alot.  As a matter of
	  fact - I sing to her whenever we get in the car.  It seems to keep
	  her calm.  Of course, you may get pretty winded singing for 4 or 6 
	  hours non-stop ;-).  How about bringing along some Raffi tapes?  

	- I also bring toys tht will occupy her for a 'long' period of time.
	  So far the best I have found is my wallet.  It can take her up to
	  10 minutes to completely empty and study each credit card, dollar bill,
	  picture, etc. Now - if we can only find 23 more toys that will keep 
	  her occupied for 10 minutes, we can drive to N.Y. during the day.

    Good luck with a toddler on a plane trip.  Michelle has been on a plane 
    with us twice - but she was an infant at the time so she slept the entire
    time.  We are planning another plane trip in October (she will be 18 months)
    and I would love to hear how you did with your 14 month old.

    We just came back from spending a week at the beach (the NJ shore). 
    Interestingly enough, Gina slept even better than she ever sleeps at
    home!  Every day she took two two-hour naps!  I guess it was from the
    sun/fun.  We did take the porta-crib that she uses at daycare, so she
    was used to the environment.
    
    And we've taken her on many long car trips -- probably ten 7 hour trips,
    and five 3 hour trips -- and she is 13 months old.  We try to leave at
    nap time, since neither of us likes to drive for long periods in the
    dark.  She'll sleep for a while.  I *always* sit in the back with her. 
    Not the best deal for me, but it keeps her happier.  We read books,
    sing along with tapes, and I feed her.  I know some people don't like
    this idea, in case she chokes, but I figure I'll get her out of her
    seat and do CPR, if necessary.  
    
    We also have a Big Bird hand puppet that we bring out as a last resort. 
    Gina lets me know when she has had enough stimulation and she looks out
    the window for a while.   And we stop every couple of hours for ten or
    twenty minutes.  
    
    I took 3 trips alone with her (before she was 6 months old--one to
    a testimonial dinner for my father when she was one month old), but
    have stopped doing that.  It's too hard now that she is no longer an
    infant and wants to be entertained, rather than sleep.
    
    Good luck!
    
    judy

I took both my boys to the U.S. when they were 9 and 10 months each.  The first
boy at ten months was absolutely no problem.  We played games and looked out
the window (a must!  a seat for the kid doesn't matter but nothing replaces
a window for entertainment).  I fed him a lot.  We had a pacifier for him to
suck which helps them pop their ears.

The second one was a disaster.  He is a bad traveller so I got tranquilizers
for him.  They had the opposite effect.  He cried for the entire flight and
the 4 hour car trip to my parents.  He was up for 18 hours straight.  The
great thing was that he didn't have any jet lag like my older one did when he
was little.

I found the return trip easier because it is at night.  I swore up and down that
I would never take the little one on another trip like that until he was 
reasonably big- like 18 or so :-)  We did do it again when he was 8.  Now he is
fine and a wonderful traveller.

One tip.  Have some new toy, something they've not seen before, even if it's
very little.  The little things the airlines hand out were great.

Cheryl

    We have taken 2 short trips with our 1 year old during the last 6
    months.  Both times, she went through major anxiety over sleeping in a
    new place and wouldn't go to sleep unless we were holding her.  We were
    sleeping in the same room with her, but she was still upset.  The first
    time we traveled with her, it took us a week to straighten out her
    sleep schedule (using the book on sleep written by the guy at
    Children't Hospital - can't remember his name.)  The second time was
    last week and we tried to make the transition easier for her by having
    her sleep in the portable crib for a week before we traveled, and
    bringing along all her familiar crib things.  She still would cry until
    we picked her up, even after pretending we were going to sleep at the
    same time right next to her.
    
    Does anyone have ideas on how to help her fall asleep when we travel? 
    We were planning another trip next week but now we're not sure we want
    to go if she's going to be up all night.  But at the same time, I don't
    want to forego vacations for a year or 2 when she'll probably be over
    this phobia.
    
    Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

    After numerous plane trips with my now 14 month old daughter I can
    offer the following recommendations:
    
    o  If possible take a late evening flight, they tend to be less crowded
       and you have a better chance of getting open seats next to you.
    
    o  With two adults traveling with one child, ask for a window and
       and aisle seat (A and C, or D and F).  Airlines usually fill
       aisle and window seats first and then the middle seat.  They also
       fill from the front of the plane to the back, so if you are
       traveling with an infant (at no charge if under 2 at least for
       now), your best bet for an open seat is to get a window and
       an aisle seat toward the back of the plane.  You can always
       switch if the plane does fill up.
    
    o  I always try to buy a couple of new small toys for each trip and
       take along a few old favorites as well.  Anything to keep them
       occupied so they don't want to run up and down the aisles.  
    
    o  Snacks are a must for long trips.  Airline food is hardly edible for
       adults, never mind for small children.
    
    o  If your child will take a pacifier or still takes a bottle keep it
       full for take-off and landings.  It does help with the ears. 
       Drinking from a cup helps some too but not as much.
    
    o  Boarding - again if there are two adults, have one board early with
       all the carry-on items and have the other board with the child just
       before they close the gate.  This way you have room to stow all your
       belongings before someone else takes the room and the baby does not
       have to be confined for that extra 1/2 hour or so that it takes for
       everyone to board the plane.
    
    o  On longer flights and/or bigger planes, the best time to get up and
       let the baby burn off some energy is when they are playing the
       movie.  The aisles are relatively clear and the flight attendants
       are done moving up and down with their carts (for some reason they
       get upset when babies are in the aisles when they are trying to 
       serve food or beverages).
    
    I have to agree with previous noters that it is much easier to travel
    by plane when babies are very small (they sleep most of the time), and
    I'm sure it will be easier again when they are older, but for now it
    can sure be an exercise in parental patience.
    
    For now I am also interested in tips for car travel, we are planning
    our first long (6 hour) car trip next month.  
    

    Thank you for .19 which is very informative.  I have a question,
    though.
    
    The airlines announce early boarding for people with young children. 
    You said you have one parent board early to stow belongings and the
    other come late with the child.  Will the airline let the first parent
    take advantage of the early boarding policy, if the child stays behind
    with the other parent?  Or do you just make an effort to be near the
    front of the line?
    
    Thanks,
    Laura

    	It has been my experience that if you request early boarding you
    will be allowed to board early. I have used early boarding privs for
    times when I just could not physically stand in a long line. From the
    outside I looked fine and no one knew that I was in discomfort.

    	I never had to justify myself or answer to any stewardess'
    questions, I was always just allowed on.

    	I would imagine that if you *feel* that you would like to board
    early (even if the reason is to handle the luggage and the children)
    that that is reason enough to be allowed. I can't imagine *anyone*
    trying to stop you.

    			Wendy

    Like .21 mentioned I have never had anyone question me regarding early
    boarding.  They can see that you have your hands full of child
    paraphernalia and will not usually say anything.  If they do, I quick
    explanation should be all that you need.
    
    I also used early boarding when I was pregnant.  It was nice to be
    able to get settled without people knocking all their carry-on items
    into your stomach. Its sad to say, but there are people out there that
    are more worried about getting their things stowed than the people
    they are hitting with the multiple items they carry aboard.  

    We'll be taking our vacation in Florida and Nassau (Bahamas) later
    this month and I'm wondering about serving my daugher (10 months old)
    milk and water in these unfamiliar places.  Has anyone had experiences
    in introducing a young child to (presumably) new bacteria found in
    places other than home (Boston, MA)?  I always assumed that's why
    I never liked the taste of water while I was vacationing...  Could it
    be harmful for her?

    
    	I recently took my 10 month old son on holiday to Portugal (we live
    in the UK). He drank bottled water and pasteurised milk without any
    problems. That said, a friend of mine recently played host to a friend
    from Brazil. They almost ran out of toilet paper!
    
    		Ian G.

    I'm planning to take my 13 month old daughter to Hong Kong shortly..and
    I was wondering if anybody had direct experience of life with a
    toddler who is alien to the place....
    
    		What do toddlers eat ...do they have  pasteurised milk as
    part of the normal foodstuffs??? any other tips...
    
    		I have read all the relevant notes on air travel (I think)
    but I'm still apprehensive about the 13 hour air flight (from U.K) with my
    daughter who doesn't stop talking or walking I just hope that Cathay
    know what they've let themselves in for!!!!
    
    		Mike_who_wishes_he_took_more_notice_of_baby_type_stuff_last_time
    _he_was_out_there.
                                        

We've taken the shildren as babies to some countries with dubious hygiene (you
SHOULD be ok in Hong Kong) like Greece, Turkey, etc. when they were small.  We
also have done long trips with them.  Here are my experiences.

1. The flight is a matter of luck.  Prepare yourself well.  They may have 
   enough food your daughter will eat, they may run out.  They may have
   nappies, they may run out.  Take enough, take a change of clothes to be
   used at the end.  Use all the stuff the airline can offer you until they
   run out.  Take plenty of biscuits or whatever she really likes.  Try to 
   get a window seat.  Lots to see out there, even in the dark :-).  If she
   is still using a dummy, good because it will help with her ears popping.
   Otherwise take something else she likes to suck on like a boiled sweet.

2. It is a trade off between whether you want her to sleep a lot on the plane
   so you can have an easy time of it or whether you want an easy adjustment
   to jet lag for her.  This is coming from a mother whose son screamed for
   ten hours on a long flight.  No jet lag.  If they don't sleep much, they're
   usually so exhausted that they sleep until you wake them.  But the trip is
   a real headache then.  If you daughter is a real poor traveller, you can 
   get medicine from the pediatrician to put her to sleep.

3. In general, you shouldn't have any problem with dysentery, etc. in Hong Kong.
   However, to prepare for the case where you find nothing your daughter will
   eat, take some jars of prepared baby food.  If I remember correctly from
   the last time I was there, that should give you enough time to hunt down
   a shop where you can find the stuff you need.  I also took powdered milk
   with me, just for emergencies when I travelled with my children to places
   where I wasn't sure what I could find.  Sometimes I ended up using it only
   the first day but it saved having to go out and hunt.  Any hotel should
   be able to provide you with good milk in Hong Kong, however.  Remember that
   the Chinese are not large consumers of dairy products.

4. Don't forget to take appropriate medicine for a baby for diarrhea, nausea,
   vomiting, fever, colds, bandaids, disinfectant, etc. and a fever thermometer.
   You may not find things you are familiar with out there.

And most of all, remember your good humor, a ton of patience, and have a good
time.

Cheryl

P.S., If you want to call or send mail, please feel free.  The Digital people
in Hong Kong were very helpful when I was there.  I am sure there would be a
wife who would be able to explain a bit better to you what you might expect.

Mike:

You might want to contact Terry Skrypek (HPSTEK::SKRYPEK).  He and Alice
took their tyke (at about that age, I believe) to Hong Kong, too.

Dottie

    
    I grew up in HK, things have changed, but these are some "warnings".
    
    Chinese are not consumers of dairy products, you can find powdered
    milk and canned condensed milk in stores very easily. Fresh milk
    is available but I don't know if it's pasteurized. You can find cheese,
    mainly chedder and plain yogurt.
    
    They have jarred baby food, I grew up on them ;-), so that you don't
    have to worry.  
    They have all kinds of imported crackers, cookies, fresh foods that
    maybe familiar to your child. 
    All the restaurants in decent hotels like Hilton, Holiday Inn, Sheration
    and etc have good Western food and then of course, there are McDonald's
    Burger King, Orange Julius, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, so I
    think your child will be fine ;-) I wouldn't give her food from small
    Chinese restaurants though.
    
    Strollers are fine on not-crowded streets. On crowded streets, back
    packs are better. Image wheeling your child around in Chinatown!!
    
    
    Eva

    re .26, American translations of English terms
    
    "Dummy" = pacifier, a rubber nipple without a hole to suck on;
    
    "Boiled sweet" = hard candy or jaw breaker, a candy made almost
    		completely of sugar and about the size of a small
    		strawberry; sort of a large Lifesaver candy without
    		the hole.
    
    (Please correct if wrong, Cheryl!)
    
    		-John Bishop

.. and I had carefully used British terminology for our British colleague :-)

Also- I'd second Eva's comment about the backpack.  Especially trying to get
around in the trams (streetcars for the Americans) there.  It seems also that
we were always going up and down steps on overpasses and covered walkways that
might make a back carrier easier.

ccb

    My husband and two daughters are going to Virginia for Thanksgiving
    for a week.  Since I live so far away and my sister's children are
    out of the baby stage by quite a few years, my mother has no baby 
    furniture at all and does not know anyone who does.  Does anyone
    have any ideas where we could borrow or rent baby furniture (crib,
    car seat, highchair, etc..) She is ready to go out and buy a crib 
    for just the one week and I don't want her to since she will probably
    not have any more grandchildren and we only see her once a year.
    Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  I don't want to take
    her car seat with us because we have to change planes and the layover
    is only 45 minutes.  Last time I did this they lost my luggage and
    I didn't get it for a couple days.  
    
    Also, how big is a portacrib, could a fourteen month old fit in it??
    
    Vickie

    My son is 2, and is currently 37" tall and 26 lbs. and he still sleeps
    in a portacrib when we visit relatives who don't have a crib.  
    
    Maybe you could take a booster seat instead of getting a full
    highchair.

Many/most of those things are available at rental places.  I suggest you haven 
them look in the yellow pages and make a few calls.  It might be worthwhile 
for them to buy a used crib if they get a lot of infant visitors, but it's 
usually not worth it.

Clay

  My son is 15 months old, 33 1/2 inches long and he sleeps in the portacrib
when we go out to some of our friends houses. You could also get a bed railing
that you could use later when they are ready to be moved to a toddler bed. We
also used it at my in-laws house the last time he slept over, and my
mother-in-law had said that he slept better that way than in the portacrib. (He
had more room to move around...)
  For the High chair, we have a sling made out of material that I got through
a catalog "Lillian Vernon" that attaches to your chair, and streps the baby
to the chair. That has worked really well for us, plus it doesn't take any space
at all and it is very sturdy.

  Have fun!

Definitely call up the rental places.  In the U.S., you can generally rent
anything.

If you are not able to rent a crib, consider putting the baby to sleep on a 
mattress on the floor in a corner.  You can construct a "barrier" out of most
anything on hand.

If you can't rent a high chair, there are several possiblities.  One is to use 
a booster seat or a pile of books on any VERY STABLE chair with a normal belt
to keep the child from falling off.  The chair has to be suitable and the belt
just tight enough.  Or take along a collapsable push chair (I think you call it
a stroller), put the child in there for feeding and don't worry about having
him at the table during meals.

An child's car seat is indispensible if you intend to be riding around much.
Make every effort to borrow or rent one.

Try to take the small things that your mother is not likely to have- drinking
cups, plastic mattress protectors, etc.  That will save a lot of unnecessary 
expense.

ccb

    I drove by the U-Haul place last week and noticed they had car seats,
    playpens, strollers and cribs in the window for rent. (Too bad they all
    were in the "Uhaul" orange color though, that just my opinion).  Seeing
    that U-Haul is a nationwide company, perhaps you could contact the one
    here locally, get prices etc and maybe even reserve what you need to be
    ready for your arrival.
    
    I was in Worcester on Shrewsbury St., near Umass Medical Center.  Try
    giving them a call to see if this may be an option.  
    
    Does your mother have any friends that may have "grandchildren setups"
    that may not be using those things during the period of your visit? 
    Perhaps borrowing might be an option, even from local neighbors, who
    might be out of town, and not home to use their highchairs etc.
    
    Lyn
    

    Look at the Daisy brand Go N' Grow.  It's a booster seat with a snap-on
    tray, and it straps to the chair.  The seat and the back are
    adjustable.  It should fit most 2 year olds as a booster seat, and
    some 2 year olds with the tray snapped on.  It has a crotch strap to
    keep the child in place.
    
    Sells for under $30.00 and has many uses.  
    
    It comes in a very sturdy carton.  You can check it on the plane as
    baggage, or ship it parcel post, if you are flying.

    I second the rental idea.  We travel to Florida every year --
    don't want to carry carseats, etc on the plane -- and rent
    carseat and crib.  They deliver it to the house the afternoon
    before we arrive (so my in-laws can bring the carseat to the
    airport when they pick us up) and pick it up on the day we leave.
    Last year the cost was about $30.
    
    As for a highchair, we bought one of those "wrapper" things from
    a catalog.  It slips over the back of a chair, and comes up between
    the child's legs and is tied with ribbons under the child's arms and
    over the shoulders -- kind of complicated, but effective.  We used
    it everywhere.  It fit into my purse so I could bring it to 
    restaurants, friends' houses, etc
    
    Diana