Sunny Days

SUNNY DAYS

Refrain:
Sunny day, sunny days
Don’t you trick me into stayin’
Don’t you lay me in the cornfield 
Just to take the corn away
Sunny day, sunny days
Don’t you trap me in your rays
Either let me loose or promise not fade

Quiet storm, quiet storm
If the future holds to form
From nowhere comes an island
Where the winds are calm and warm 
Would you trade another day at sea
For a gentle kiss right now?
Well tomorrow’s just as soft as lips allow
Sunny Days

refrain

Crystal clear, crystal clear
I’ve been deaf about a year
With wads of paper money in my head
That plug my ears
But last night the room was empty
And the wooden walls were pure
And the tunes so sweet I thought I’d found the cure
Sunny Days

refrain

In the end, in the end
It’s the fear to face your friends
And you can only try your best
And then just try and make amends
But today I was bathed in kindness
And wrapped in silk to dry
And the sidewalks rubbed my feet as I walked by
Sunny Day

refrain

Pack you bag, pack your bags
With your footprints and your rags
'Til the weight of all your yesterdays
They make your shoulders sag
And be wary of the offers 
To carry off the weight
And the sometimes lips of Sunny Days 
that brush across your face

Copyright 2003. Words and music by Danny Schmidt

Danny Schmidt - Sunny Days - YouTube

Danny Schmidt - Sunny Days - YouTube: ""

(Via .)

What To Bring

So far I have 4 duffels, a play yard, child backpack carrier and an all-terrain jogging stroller.  I have very few clothes, lots of rain gear, lots of swim gear, lots of toys (for I fear a couple of months inside from jungle rainstorms.)  I fear the limited accessibility of things I may need from stores due to down season closures and storms washing out the roads and preventing supply trucks from delivering.  I have medicines, easy cook pasta and rice packets, cloth diapers and movies.  I am a mobile self-sustaining childcare facility.

Supplies - details

For those who are interested in the actual reasoning and planning of the list - These are just a few of the details:

Medicines

I am very lucky to be married to a doctor who can trouble shoot any possible ailment. I got him to brainstorm all possible attacks on the human body and make a First Aid kit accordingly.

Allergy meds - Benedryl

Epi pens Jr. -I am allergic to bees but my boys have not been stung yet.  Just in case they are also allergic, I have Epi Jr.  I do not plan to use it.  First Benedryl and only if I see alarming signs with difficulty breathing will I use the Epi.

Topical anti fungal and anti itch

Other obvious basics - I love Neosporin

Rain gear

Light weight PreCip jackets

My kids have LLBean’s lightest jacket

We have rain boots but really we are planning on wearing Chacos or (Teva) Neoprene sandals for full saturation and quick dry. (I learned this from section hiking the Appalachian Trail and co-workers from the Austin REI.)   There just aren’t rain boots for new walking 1 year olds.  Plus I don’t think they are good for gross motor development.

Durable flashlights and head lamps

The Buff head wrap and light scarves for the dry dusty season

Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers

Insect repellant

Be very careful with the natural ones, some of the most natural ones are not good for kids under 5.  Sean found a medical study for me that said the natural insect repellents with soybean oil work the best.  The ones with oil of lemon eucalyptus are not good for young kids.

Waterproof mattress pads because my boys still leak at night.

Unique Toys

The kids are going to a bilingual Montessori school so I want to bring toys that are distinctly different from what they will have at school. Some are connectagons, Zoob Jr, magnatiles - I love Fat Brain Toys for a great selection of opened construction manipulatives for young kids.

Rechargeable Batteries

From Cold To Bold

This has been my let’s-see-what-your-made-of year as a wife and mother. I am facing this head on. It became clear to me this summer that my husband’s job prevents him from co-parenting in the way I had envisioned while imagining my close and loving family. I am faced with the reality that I need to be the happily married, "single" mother of 3 children under the age of 5.  At this time, our family is living in Germany where we face challenges to integrate into the local culture. I find my spirit of adventure in any given area has evolved into judging that place based on how the local population sees young children. This has led me to ask, “If I need to parent my children alone –where would I do that?” I searched the globe asking, “Where can I go that has natural beauty, good weather, a supportive community, and good school options?”

My research brought me to Nosara, Costa Rica.

So now we are at 15 days counting down to departure.  My reading has led me to mixed reviews that suggest this extreme beauty comes with great adversity for someone in my situation.  And so this continues my year that what-does-not-kill-me-will-make-me-stronger.