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<\/a><\/p>\nThis month, we\u2019re taking our first vacation as a family. Before the 2Live Crew, DaddyVents and I would take weekend trips to DC to see our favorite neo-soul artists<\/a>, or jump on the highway for a quick visit to the Odunde Festival<\/a> in Philly. We even celebrated my graduation with a island hopping cruise, but we hadn\u2019t been anywhere as a family of four\u2013yet.<\/p>\n DaddyVents\u2019 cousin is getting married in the Caribbean, and we\u2019re all making the trip to celebrate! The 2Live Crew will finally meet the family they\u2019ve only seen in Facebook pictures. We\u2019ve been planning and packing, stocking up on travel size items, and getting the boys ready for their first ever flight with our visit to the Cradle of Aviation<\/a>.<\/p>\n One thing we didn\u2019t prepare for was getting our passports.<\/strong><\/p>\n Since becoming a Mrs., I haven\u2019t really needed my passport\u2013which is exactly why I needed to get a new one with my married name. In addition to my name change, the boys needed their own travel documents.<\/p>\n I printed all of the forms we needed from the U.S. Department of State website, and started our journey.<\/p>\n Get to your local office early.<\/strong> Evidence of US citizenship:<\/strong> Your child\u2019s birth certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or Certificate of Naturalization\/Citizenship)<\/p>\n Parental Consent:<\/strong> If your child\u2019s birth certificate doesn\u2019t list your name, you\u2019ll need a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, adoption decree, or foreign birth certificate (with an official translation, if it isn\u2019t in English)<\/p>\n Parental Appearance:<\/strong> Both Mom & Dad should be there. If one of you can\u2019t make it, you\u2019ll need Form DS-3053<\/a> signed & notarized<\/p>\n Photo Identification:<\/strong> Each parent needs to submit either a copy of their driver\u2019s license, an undamaged U.S. passport (if it\u2019s been issued less than 15 years ago), a Certificate of Naturalization, or a valid military ID<\/p>\n Color Photo:<\/strong> You\u2019ll need a 2\u00d72 color photo of your child, taken within the last 6 months<\/p>\n Application:<\/strong> Complete Form DS-11<\/a> and bring it with you\u2013but don\u2019t sign it yet!<\/p>\n We spent a Saturday morning rushing around getting the documents we\u2019d need for our passports, including the notarized form DS-3053, since DaddyVents wouldn\u2019t be able to make it to the post office with us that day.<\/p>\n Once we arrived and hustled up the stairs, a huge sign told us that due to volume, they weren\u2019t accepting any more passport applications<\/em> that morning.<\/p>\n I took the boys to IHOP, but over our pancakes, I started to worry.<\/p>\n Pack your patience.<\/strong> There was already a line out the door, but they were still accepting applications. We took our place behind another family of four and waited. And waited. And waited. And then, we waited some more. The 2Live Crew started to get, well, live<\/em>. Everyone was tired of standing, tired of waiting, and tired of being there\u2013including me and DaddyVents.<\/p>\n If I had known we\u2019d be there that long, I would\u2019ve packed extra snacks for the boys and something to read for myself.<\/p>\n Make sure you read the directions.<\/strong> Another mom had her son\u2019s passport paperwork completely filled out, with all the necessary documents\u2013but she wrote in blue ink and had to fill out a whole new<\/em> application. Use black ink, or complete your application online and bring it with you.<\/strong><\/p>\n Smile! And pay extra for expediting. <\/strong> To get our passports in a hurry (normal processing is six to weeks, expediting cuts your wait time down to three), we paid an additional $60. Make your check or money order out to the U.S. Department of State, and then\u2026<\/p>\n Wait (im)patiently for your passports to arrive.<\/strong> I had three options\u2013 #1: Cancel his plane ticket and re-book, omitting\u00a0 his middle name\u00a0 (Don\u2019t enter middle names when buying tickets. Just don\u2019t.) and paying over $100 in \u201cchange fees\u201d, #2: Try to get his passport corrected in time for our trip, or, #3: Panic and cry uncontrollably. Dani<\/a> suggested that I just give the office a call.<\/p>\n Passport corrections can take up to three weeks, and I wasn\u2019t sure we\u2019d get The DJ\u2019s back in time. The rep I spoke with told me that because of the short time frame, I could go to the New York Passport Agency<\/a> and get a new passport in about eight days at no charge.<\/p>\n If you need to travel within a month or have a family emergency and need your passport even sooner, you can make an appointment at your local passport agency. You\u2019ll need proof of your travel, like your plane tickets or itinerary. You can get your child\u2019s passport in as little as 24 hours.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nA passport book will cost $80, while a passport card, which is valid only for travel from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean, is just $15. You can get both for $95. To apply for your child\u2019s passport, you\u2019ll need:<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nWe heard about a post office on Long Island with expedited passport service, so we headed over the next Saturday.<\/p>\n
\nRemember when I told you that we had to get a notarized statement for the day that DaddyVents wasn\u2019t able to go with us? We also needed a copy of the front and back of his driver\u2019s license. The woman in front of us had a statement, but didn\u2019t have a copy of the father\u2019s license. She wasted over an hour of her time and went home empty handed.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nWe took our pictures at the post office instead of the local pharmacy. I tried to use all of Tyra\u2019s ANTM tricks and smize. Wear any color that isn\u2019t white, or you\u2019ll look like a floating head.<\/p>\n
\nWe received the boys\u2019 passports by express mail in about two weeks. Mine came the next day, and I thought we were all set\u2013until my mom wanted to see the 2Live Crew\u2019s passport pics. That\u2019s when we noticed that The DJ\u2019s middle name was spelled wrong. The boys both carry middle names that reflect their African heritage<\/a>. Although the Department of State requires you to submit an original birth certificate with your application, The DJ\u2019s \u201cMiddle<\/strong>Name\u201d became \u201cHiddle<\/strong>Name.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n