LivingwithKids

...allowing your child to have the biggest ice-cream in the world because you couldn't resist those eyes. ...staying in the shade on a gorgeous sunny day because your child has such sensitive skin. ...knowing that precious moments like this will remain etched in your heart forever. What does Motherhood mean to you?

*This is my entry for the Gallery - the theme this week is Motherhood. To see more or add your own entry, click here

What does being a responsible tourist mean to you? Obviously we all know we should take only pictures and leave only footprints in the sand... and if you’re flying you might be ‘offsetting’ your airmiles.

Virgin Holidays have just launched their Human Nature Collection, offering holidays ranging from volunteering projects and eco-friendly safaris to stays in small, specially selected hotels. The collection is all about balancing unforgettable experiences with more responsible travel choices, and the holidays directly benefit the local community or contribute to conservation.

I think it’s a pretty good concept and it’s certainly given me food for thought – I’m all in favour of educating our children to be responsible tourists, too. Let me know your views.

You wouldn't believe how much persuasion this photo took. Bribery was involved (several Swiss Francs), and of course the shades stayed on. As you can see, we're on top of a mountain in Switzerland and my heart was in my mouth the whole time (that's not much of a safety barrier, is it?!) But I love this picture because if you look closely you can see a smile on my boy's face. Just a slight one, but it's there.

*This is an entry to the Gallery. For more examples, and to find out how you can join in, click here.

Picture the scene. A diner in San Francisco, a few years ago. An over-excited eight-year-old boy who is on holiday and has been up since 5am because of the time difference has just ordered a stack of pancakes. He loves American pancakes, particularly with syrup.

The pancakes arrive. A stack turns out to be an actual Tower of pancakes. There are at least eight on the plate, each one an inch thick, and they are dusted with icing sugar. The boy pours syrup over the pancakes. 'Go easy,' says his mum. 'I love syrup,' the boy says happily.

He takes a few bites. The syrup has soaked into the pancakes. The boy pours more syrup on the pancakes. 'You'll be sick,' his mum warns. 'No I won't,' says the boy, defiantly. He manages a few more bites.

Suddenly the little boy goes pale. Then jade green. 'Are you alright?' his mum asks anxiously. 'I'm going to be sick,' the little boy says as his family starts to panic. 'Where's the loo?' the mum asks the waitress. 'The... loo?' the waitress repeats. The mum remembers this is America. 'The bathroom,' she says, trying not to shout. The waitress gestures to the other side of the diner. The boy and his mum run to the bathroom, the little boy holding his hand over his mouth. They get to the door... just. A. Little. Too. Late.

I'm pleased to say that this experience didn't put my son off pancakes, or, for that matter, syrup. We absolutely love American pancakes in this house, but on Shrove Tuesday we will of course be eating the crepe-kind. If you plan to do the same, here's the lovely Emma Forbes to show you how to make perfect ones, courtesy of We Love Pancakes.

Like Linda from Have a Lovely Time , a few years ago we went on the holiday of a lifetime - the Disney cruise. Until I'd actually been on a cruise, I thought they were for the rich and retired. Wrong! As we quickly discovered, they are the ideal way for families to holiday.

It's not just that you get to visit different places on one holiday without having to drive anywhere; or even that there is so much to do on board - swimming pools, spa treatments, kids' clubs, sports, all kinds of dining plans, endless entertainment, bars, and so on (honestly, they really are like floating resorts, these ships). But for me, a completely unexpected bonus was that sleeping on board a cruise ship is like being on a bed made of cotton wool clouds. The motion of the ocean lulls you all (yes, even the kids) to sleep. Bliss.

Virgin Holidays Cruises have some brilliant deals at the moment, including a a 14-night Orlando Stay & Caribbean Cruise from £899 per adult. Their sale ends Sunday - and don't forget you also get money back for your kids through KidStart.

We didn't go abroad until I was 11 - up until then we holidayed in Norfolk every year (with the exception of a very rainy week in Scotland). But as soon as we went on our first foreign holiday - to Madeira - my lifelong affair with worldwide travel began. And when you become a mum, experiencing different cultures and places through a child's eyes makes holidays even more special, I think - you just want them to see as much as possible.

Last year we went to Chicago and Switzerland ... but I'm really not sure where to go this year. If like me you're having trouble deciding, I asked some of Britain's best mum bloggers for their favourite holiday memories and tips to help you:

Sandy from Baby Baby tells us about her childhood holiday in er... Luton and why she's determined to take her kids somewhere slightly more exotic. Like me, Victoria from It's a small world after all is a big fan of Switzerland for kids. Mummy Zen recalls holidaying in Italy as a child (I can't recommend Italy highly enough for kids) and talks about her upcoming skiing holiday to Colorado. Susanna aka amodernmother relates what happened on a  canoe trip in California with her family. Nearly everyone I know seems to go to France every holiday - Missy Martin talks about a childhood holiday there here.

And if you really want to push the boat out (!), Linda from Have a Lovely Time reveals why the Disney cruise is the holiday of a lifetime.

For some more tips on great places to go abroad and in the UK, click here. Let me know where you decide to go - and meanwhile, have a great weekend!

Four of my favourite mummy bloggers - English Mum, Mummy Tips, New Mummy and Not Supermum - tagged me recently in the 'favourite photo' meme. But you know what? Choosing a favourite from the many stowed away in bags and boxes in our cupboards (for goodness sake don't try to open them) is really, really hard.

So as it's No 1 Son's birthday today I thought I'd share this one with you. It was taken on holiday in Antigua a few years ago. In between all the snorkelling, swimming and sunbathing we were lucky enough to visit a dolphin sanctuary. As you can see my little boy wasn't quite sure about cuddling up to the dolphin (they're actually wonderfully smooth to the touch and only smell a little fishy) but he didn't stop talking about the experience for ages afterwards, so I know it made an impression.

The best part though was watching them (the dolphins) chase each other in the sea. (And if you're dreaming of the Caribbean, don't forget Virgin Holidays and Thomas Cook  have brilliant offers on at the moment, plus you get money back for your kids through KidStart .)

Oh, and if my son should happen to read this... Happy Birthday. Please can you pick up the rubbish from your bedroom floor?

Nearly everyone I know will be glad to see the back of 2009 - the year that gave us the credit crunch, the worst summer ever and, um, Jedward. But Mum's The Boss , a great site for mums who want to start their own business, has given me a High Five and reminded me that everyone has at least some highlights from the past year. So here are mine:

*Watching President Obama's inauguration back in January.

*The snow in February. The entire city came to a standstill, all the kids were off school and we just went to the park, had snowball fights and hot chocolate with whipped cream. Brilliant.

*Standing on top of a mountain in Switzerland, seeing the kids' expressions as they tobogganed across the summit and hearing them shriek with laughter, and facing up to my fear of heights in the process. Totally magical.

*The day the rescue rang to say we'd been approved to adopt our puppy.

*Seeing Susan Boyle audition on Britain's Got Talent. I think that moment taught everyone not to judge by appearance, including the judges.

*Writing this blog and discovering KidStart. (I honestly didn't realise you could get money back for your kids from shopping online before, even at the sales! It's fantastic!)

OK that's six, not five. Clearly 2009 has been better than I thought. I now have to give the High Five to five of my favourite bloggers and ask them to share their highlights. So I'm choosing Susanna at A Modern Mother, Eva at Nixdminx, Rosie Scribble, Linda at You've Got Your Hands Full, and Sally at Who's the Mummy? . (If you have time, do pop over to their blogs and have a read - they're all fab).

What are your personal highlights of 2009? I'd love to know.

And meanwhile, a very Happy New Year! See you in 2010 for some top tips to help you make it your best year ever.

At the risk of sounding like I'm cutting your hair, where are you going on holiday next year? I have such itchy feet at the moment. One of my friends is off to Rome with her family today and I'm VERY jealous. Our last proper holiday was back in August when we went to Chicago, and we haven't been on a beach all year.

If you're not sure where you want to go, next week I'll be giving you my top picks for the best family holiday destinations for 2010. But meanwhile I just wanted to let you know that Virgin Holidays have a brilliant sale on right now, with fantastic offers (including to the Caribbean and Florida) but you'll have to be quick because it ends on Thursday. And lastminute.com are offering an incredible 50% off on some holidays - and they also have some brilliant skiing and February half-term offers.

Let me know your top tips for family holiday destinations below and I'll do a round-up of the best in a few weeks.

Saturday morning we boarded the Eurostar at St Pancras for our much anticipated daytrip to Disneyland Paris.

Despite the bitter cold (gloves, hats and layers essential), there was a wonderfully festive atmosphere, with an enormous Christmas tree, beautiful decorations lining Main Street and of course lots of Christmassy music.  Our first ride was Buzz Lightyear’s Laser Blast, where the kids thought it was very funny hearing their favourite characters speaking in French. Then Peter Pan’s Dream Flight - thank goodness for FastPass, there was a long, long queue for that one - before hitting Big Thunder Mountain and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril in quick succession (against my better judgement, but apparently I was the only one who felt sick). We slowed things down a little with It’s A Small World (still my favourite ride) and Snow White, or Blanche-Neige, as she’s known there. It was just too cold for Dumbo the Flying Elephant, I’m afraid.

Then it was on to the fantastic Tower of Terror – the feeling of dropping from a great height made us all giddy with excitement. Lots of screaming and laughter on that one. We queued without complaints for Crush’s Rollercoaster, but just as we were about to board the ride broke down. After all that queuing it seemed silly to leave, and 20 minutes later the ride was fixed. Was it worth it? Well, the kids certainly thought so, but to be honest my head didn’t stop spinning for hours afterwards.

And when we weren’t on the rides, we still had time to watch the fantastic show starring Mickey, Minnie, Donald and (our fave) Pluto. That’s the great thing about Disneyland Paris - once you’re there, there’s so much to see and do, which makes it brilliant value.

My only criticism, as ever, is the food. Why, when France has a reputation for some of the finest food in the world, does the food at Disneyland Paris have to be so awful – overpriced and poor quality, with horrendous queues, even for the ‘fast’ food? My advice – if you’re going for the day, take your own. (Maybe it’s time for a panel of mum testers to give you some honest advice, Disney?)

Even the lack of gastronomic delights, though, couldn’t spoil the magic. In fact our visit to Disneyland Paris was the ideal way to get into the Christmas spirit. As we left the park, Sleeping Beauty’s castle was perfectly illuminated against the night sky.

Back on the train all the children slept and let their mummies and daddies have some rest were wide awake and VERY noisy, totally hyped up by their Disney experience. ‘Boys wear pants and girls wear knickers,’ a small boy shouted loudly at one point (nothing to do with us, I hasten to add).  It’s a small person’s world, after all.

*Eurostar operates a daily direct service in each direction to Disneyland Resort Paris. Fares are from £44 return (child aged 4-11) and £59 return (adult) and children under 4 travel free (not allocated a seat). For more info on Disneyland Paris, click here