We're Back!

We've actually been back for a few days ... but I have been battling a constant headache for the past four days.  I am feeling more than a little out-of-touch ... and neglectful ...

All of the traveling went really well!  The girls did great in the airport and on the plane.  I have officially been initiated into the club. I am the proud, newest member of the crazy-mom-traveling-with-TWO-little-ones Club!

Our time at the airport was spent riding the "flat escalator" aka the moving walkway, climbing on a sculpture we probably weren't suppose to be climbing on, counting airplanes through the window (but not getting too close to the windows - Natalie was afraid she would fall out!), entertaining several pairs of grandparents, and eating our packed lunch.

On the plane - which was during nap-time on the way to STL - Charlotte slept like a champ while Natalie and I passed our time playing "I spy with my little eye" on the safety briefing card, snacking, trying out our new Hello Kitty stamps, snacking, watching the "dinosaur movie," refusing to wear the headphones, snacking, climbing on the seat, ...

My only travel-related complaint ... American Airlines doesn't provide priority boarding for those of us traveling with small children.  What's up with that?!  I was in Group 3 for boarding both times, and that was a bit of a fiasco!  I mean, really, those aisles aren't really wide enough as it is, but add a mom, two little ones, a diaper bag, a Dora the Explorer roller bag, and a tiny backpack to the mix, and you're just asking for a frazzled mama and a few disgruntled passengers!  Oh, and some air flow during boarding would be really nice ... those little overhead nozzles weren't blowing anything until we pushed back from the gate!

Aside from the actual "traveling" part of our trip, we had such a fantastic time spending time with family!  The only problem is how much I miss everyone now :(

I managed to take 547 digital photos during this trip ... that's an average of about 50 per day.  Not too bad :)  It will take me an eternity to edit all of them, but hopefully I came away with a few good ones!

For now, I'll leave you with two shots from our time in the airport:

 NHV posing "oh-so-willingly" in front of the "bubble" sculpture.

NHV checking on CJV ... 

this was Charlotte's 1st time traveling by plane, Natalie's 12th!

Top 10 Tuesday - Flying Cross-Country

I've written almost 100 posts this year!  How is that possible?  I had a baby in December, for goodness sakes!  Where do I find the time?  I mean, really? :)  

Here's the thing, there are some really good "old" posts floating around this little blog of mine, so I plan to dust them off, shine them up a bit - just for you - and share a favorite each Tuesday.  I even made a button ... 

Flying Cross-Country
originally posted on August 13, 2008

... with a One Year Old and a Layover ... in Newark ... what the heck was I thinking? I was thinking that it would be nice to visit my dear friends in Northern Virginia. That's what I was thinking. And I was so right about that part! Aside from the almost debilitating heat and humidity, it was awesome to be back amongst friends :)

But the actual traveling part ... pretty much sucked! Oh, by the way, it was my brilliant idea, or at least my conscious choice to fly with a connecting flight ... no one to blame but myself for this little misadventure!

Seattle to Dulles International via Newark

The flight from Seattle to Newark was long - as long as expected - and somewhat delightful because I had an extra (free) seat for Natalie and her infant carseat (the one that she really doesn't fit in anymore but I brought to the airport just in case, and it paid off). She fell asleep right after take-off. I attempted to watch a movie ... the one with Reese Witherspoon and a girl who looks like a pig ... can't remember the name. I even paid a dollar for the headphones. Well, the movie was kind of lame, and Natalie woke up after just an hour of napping ... probably because the captain and flight attendants kept making the loudest stupid announcements ... but whatever. And wouldn't you know it, the drink cart and meal (greasy cheeseburger - heated in a plastic bag) arrived just as Natalie got restless. Balancing a drink and meal box on a tiny tray while keeping a one year old at bay is no easy task ... thankfully I had a container of Veggie Booty just for such an occasion! Anyway, I managed to entertain her for the rest of the flight ... I had a stockpile of toys and books, but she preferred the disposable plasticware from our meal - the plastic cup, the plastic salad plate, the little plastic tray to keep my two cookies from being reduced to crumbs, ...

And so delightfulness ensued until we landed in Newark. Our connecting flight was a considerably smaller plane, which doesn't bother me in the least, in fact, Chad use to fly 50-seater jets, so that is not an issue. The issue was getting to the "tiny plane" terminal. God-forbid these freakin' airport builders, architects, morons would give a thought to how passengers with a baby and stroller might get from one terminal to the next. I can't imagine how people in wheel chairs must feel about this predicament; it is so infuriating! First we waiting in this tiny, disgusting room for a bus to arrive. Then I was shown to a freight elevator that hadn't seen a mop in a very long time. I somehow managed to get Natalie out of her infant seat, fold my stroller, and get everything on board the darn bus without so much as a mention of help from the driver or fellow passengers ... hello, rude! After a short ride, I again juggled all my crap plus Natalie off the bus only to discover 16 concrete steps. Huh?!? I mean, I can manage a backpack, a stroller, an infant carseat, a 22 pound baby, and my sanity when not faced with 16 stairs and no elevator! I just about lost it! Thankfully a baggage handler noticed my dilemma and rescued us ... and the many witnesses to my potential breakdown. He carried my stroller ... at arms length from this body ... as if it contained dead animal carcass or something ... but at least he took it all the way to the top.

Once inside the "tiny plane" terminal, things did not get any better. On the contrary, things just kept getting worse. Keep in mind that Natalie had only slept for a grand total of one hour at this point. Let's see ... how do I make this long story just a smidge shorter ... our one hour layover ended up to last a grand total of FOUR hours. And I could only keep Natalie up off that FILTHY, DISGUSTING, GERM-RIDDEN airport terminal carpet for so long. Eventually I had to concede and let her .... crawl around for a little while. Oh, it makes me sick just thinking about it! What makes it even worse is the fact that she constantly sought out and crawled to every trash can she could spot! We made many, many, many trips to the restroom to wash hands with soap and water - after the anti-bacterial wipes were all gone. Her cute little pants were absolutely black - or at least a very dark gray - from cuff to just above the knee ... YUCK! But we did meet a wonderful mom and her teenage son from Texas, and they kept us company during the long wait ... and gave Natalie a new object of her flirting affections.

The flight included an hour long sit on the taxi way before take-off, which sucked, but we finally arrived in Virginia ... at midnight. And my poor friend Heather had to roll out of bed to come pick us up. At least we didn't even have to think about airline travel for another 6 days.

The Return Trip: Dulles International to Seattle via Newark

The return trip was just as awful ... no really, it was ... perhaps even a little worse. But I'll spare you a big long, detailed recounting. Here are the highlights:

Our travels began at 3:00 pm, when we left Heather's house - this information will be important toward the end of my tale. Our flight leaving Dulles was delayed for more than an hour, and we had another connection through Newark. Repeated the awful process - in reverse - of getting from the "tiny plane" terminal to the main terminal ... again, those 16 steps do not come with the option of an elevator. Thanks to a kind and somewhat beefy guy, I managed to get us and all our stuff on the bus. Only to discover that our flight from Newark to Seattle was ... you guessed it ... delayed ... for hours! Again, Natalie got the chance to crawl on some of the dirtiest carpet I have ever laid foot on! The flight was beyond full, which meant no empty seat for Natalie. Which also meant I had the distinct privilege of holding my 22 pound baby girl ... on my lap ... for many, many hours. We spent almost two hours on the plane before take-off. Two hours of squirming and fussing because it was bedtime for NHV. We finally departed, and Natalie fell asleep almost immediately and stayed that way. So began my battle to sit comfortably in a window seat while holding 22 pounds of dead weight. Grand total, I did this for seven hours, and let me assure you I never did get comfortable. My arms and back and legs hurt so badly I wanted to cry on several occasions ... part of that could've been shear exhaustion, too. At Seattle airport, I had a terrible time finding elevators. When I asked for directions to the nearest elevator, people looked at me like I had asked for a unicorn or something ... with this slightly bemused look on their faces! By this point it was after midnight - or 3 am east coast time - and I was pretty much anything but amused. Anyway, just another point of frustration. We then took a taxi to our car which Chad parked at a friend's house about 5 miles from the airport. We pulled into our driveway at almost 2 am - or 5 am east coast time. Must give mad props to my baby girl. She maintained her composure through it all. I guarantee I would never even attempt this type of travel if she wasn't the amazing little person that she is!

Phew! That was a lot of typing and a lot of reading if you stuck with it. But I am blogging about this so I can remember the pain - I don't want to forget it like childbirth and foolishly decide to do it again!

 

P.S. We actually got back from this trip - almost a week ago to the hour - but I am just now writing about it because I wasn't ready to relive it until now :)

 

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Guess what I'm doing ONE WEEK from today?!  Yep, flying ... with both girls ... all by myself!  

 

I am such a glutton for punishment!  At least this flight is direct and shorter.  We are going "home" to IL to visit all of our family.  Woo Hoo!  I really cannot wait for the visiting part!  I have not been to IL since December 2008, which is a ridiculously long time to go without seeing my sister and my nuggets!

Really hoping...

the time in the airport is short and uneventful.

the flights are on-time and not crowded.

I can manage a two year old, a 5-month old, a stroller, an infant car seat, a carry-on (packed with enough food and distractions), ... this is not going to be pretty!

Wish me luck!

Bad Girls, Good Babes Reunion Weekend 2009

Natalie and I did it again. We boarded a plane ... all by our cute little selves ... and traveled to another state. I think it will be our last "free" airline trip since Natalie is sure to turn two before we fly again ... well, maybe :)

This time - our 8th time traveling by plane - we headed back to Denver, Colorado for our Bad Girls, Good Babes Reunion (BGGB, B-doubleG-B if you're cool enough to say it like me) to see my three best friends from college: Missy, Lisa, and Laryl - and to spend time with two of the cutest little nuggets I know: Emmett and Marisa. This was our first BGGB with three babes in tow, and I must say I was quite impressed by how smoothly everything went.

Here are the three "good babes" ... aren't they adorable?

What follows is by-no-means a complete recount of our BGGB weekend adventure ... just a few details I'll always remember :)

Auntie Lisa Lee, Sherpa Extraordinaire

Landing in Denver, we were both a little tired, and it was already bedtime (with time change) for NHV. I was seriously dreading the baggage claim-carseat, big pink bag plus carry on and toddler-shuttle ride-rental car pick-up adventure that still awaited us. But we were so very excited to see Lisa Lee, who flew in earlier in the afternoon, hung out at the 'port, AND took care of absolutely EVERYTHING! The rental car was waiting just outside the baggage claim doors. How awesome is that? I must admit I was surprised - very pleasantly so - to have all of that taken care of ... but I don't know why I was surprised because Lisa Lee had proven herself a worthy sherpa at last year's trip to the zoo and all over Denver. It was just such a blessing to land and hop in a car and speed away ... to Missy's house we go :)

Arrival, Late Night for the Babes

Everyone was still awake including babes - past 10 o'clock - when we arrived. We chatted and hugged and watched the little ones play until almost 11:00, and then decided to call it a night ... I also shared some exciting news because I just couldn't contain myself, and Missy already knew :) It was my first time meeting Marisa, and I was quite smitten. She is such a little love and full of personality, just like her mama!

Just Tired? Nope, Sick
I took Natalie to the doctor on Tuesday (we flew on Thursday) to have her ears checked. She was clearly very congested, and I didn't want to risk ear complications on a flight. The doctor - not our usual - assured me that it wasn't an ear infection, prescribed saline mist to keep the snot moving, and a cough suppressant, and told us to have a great trip. Natalie was not 100% when we left on Thurday late afternoon, but she definitely seemed better. I was having a hard time keeping enough tissues on hand to wipe her constantly running nose ... ugh!

I woke up Friday morning not feeling all that great. At first I thought I was just tired and perhaps a little weary from traveling. But as the day wore on, it became apparent that I had some kind of cold or flu or feverish-snotty-sore throat misery. By lunchtime, Natalie was ready for a nap and so was I. I sent Lisa and Laryl off to lunch while I enjoyed a little cable TV on the couch. (Cable is such a luxury for me; we don't have it at our house, and sometimes I really miss TLC, HGTV, Style, and MTV.) I flipped through the channels a few times and prompty fell asleep ... I missed my opportunity to veg with cable! I continued to feel pretty rotten the rest of the day and Saturday and Sunday, too. The amount of snot (sorry if that's graphic) between me and Natalie was like nothing I had ever seen before. We must've gone through like 9 boxes of tissues!

It was beyond disappointing to be sick during the one weekend a year that I get to spend with my dear, faraway friends (and the babes). I kept my distance to hopefully avoid "contaminating" everyone else, and my energy level was a far-cry from its usual. But I did enjoy

Aquarium Outing

One of many highlights (despite the lowlight of being sick) of this trip was a visit to the Denver Aquarium, the perfect venue for the kiddos. And perfect chance to "feed" Natalie's recent octopus obsession ... well, in theory, at least. Natalie chanted "octopus" the entire time - a display that is at the very end of the aquarium circuit - and barely wanted to look at any of the other animals. And then, we finally got to the octopus exhibit and a "cartoon, costumed shark guy" terrified her so much that she didn't even look at the darn octopus, the one she had been asking to see for at least an hour!

It was just so nice to be "out" with my girls. How I wish we all lived closer together. I wish we could just call each other up on a Saturday afternoon and meet up for lunch or an outing to the zoo or whatever. Being able to spend time with Missy, Laryl, and Lisa is absolutely precious ... regardless of what we are doing we always manage to have the BEST time together. I love my "bad girls."

Tips for Traveling with a Toddler

Two Sippy Cups

With the restrictions on liquids through security, I bring two empty cups - one for milk and one for juice/water. My first stop is usually a Starbucks where I order a Chai Tea Latte for me and a kids whole milk for Natalie. Occasionally, the whole milk was free of charge - I am sure it has something to do with the cashier taking pity on me, and I am totally fine with that :) I also grab a bottle of juice and another of water and put them unopened into my backpack ... for later.

Snacks, snacks, and more snacks!

The one thing I noticed this time is that I packed a lot of carbs and sugars ... dry cereal in her snack trap cup, Mum-Mums, bananas flattened, raisins, and a Nutrigrain bar. These types of snacks provide great distraction, but I worry about the lack of nutrition. I guess that's tough to avoid, but I'd like to figure out some more protein options for traveling. Then again, the empty calories mean we eat - and kill time - more often.

Airplane Presents

After a quick stop at the dollar sections of Target and Michael's, I wrapped a few airplane presents for Natalie. This one is a no-brainer; I mean, who doesn't like presents? I actually borrowed this idea from a stranger. Years ago when I was enjoying the flight-privileges that come along with being married to a pilot, I traveled even more than I do now. My favorite part of traveling has always been observing my fellow travelers. You see some of the most interesting things. I can vividly remember once sitting in the boarding area and watching a mom and her little boy. She had this enormous backpack - just like the one I now carry through the airport - and inside were all these little presents. I overheard her explaining to the little boy that all these present were for him and he would get to open them on the airplane. He was so delighted by the mere thought of this and his focus shifted from impatience to anticipation. That idea stuck with me, and I am happy to report it worked just as well with Natalie.

Airplane Presents for this trip:

1. ColorWonder markers and book - this was the most expensive item and the least enjoyed ... go figure!
2. Mini MagnaDoodle - the best $2 I've ever spent. Natalie drew pictures and babbled for like 15 minutes at a time and asked for it again and again!
3. Dried Fruit - Snacks are always more fun and tasty when opened as a present :)
4. Box of Animal Crackers - She didn't even eat them! Instead, she took each cookie from the inner plastic bag and put it into the little train box ... naming each animal as she went. Let me tell you, some of those animals are pretty nondescript!
5. Stickers - I chose Sesame Street characters because Natalie is a little obsessed right now! She didn't want to take them off the packaging; she just wanted to point to and name each one.
6. Elmo Books - I already had these, but I wrapped them anyway.

I used tissue paper for the wrapping because it can also be used to wipe up a spill or even a nose if needed. And the unwrapping was as much of an activity as playing with the new item ... good stuff!

Mini DVD Player & Discs

The one I took was borrowed from my awesome friend Tammy. And my friend Liza loaned me a selection of Scholastic discs - each one in it's own skinny (packing-friendly) case - pictured above. I also brought along our current "favorite" Elmo DVD. While I thoroughly enjoyed the videos of some of our favorite children's books, Natalie only wanted Elmo. But she wouldn't watch the movie; as soon as the DVD was loaded, she would pleaded for the previews - 20 little snippets of other Elmo movies. Initially, I selected each title and pushed play, but eventually realized that I could select Preview All. I don't love the idea of Natalie watching videos all day, but this was a great way to keep her occupied, especially given the circumstances.

Go-Go Babyz - Wheels for the Carseat

Again, borrowed from Tammy - because Tammy rocks - this little gadget is pretty cool. I knew that I wasn't going to need my stroller in VA because my friend Heather - mommy of two - has plenty of that sort of gear. But I did need Natalie's carseat and I really wanted it at the gate with me ... just in case there happened to be an empty seat on the plane ... because 26 pounds of wiggly-squiggly toddler on my lap for 4 hours doesn't really sound like a lot of fun ... neither does paying additional airfare for her to fly in her own seat. But, hey, if there's an empty seat and the airline is willing to let us use it, I want to have a way to strap her to it! Fortunately for us, we did have an extra seat 3 out of the 4 legs of this trip.

Anyway, back to the Go-Go Babyz. It basically turns your car seat into a piece of wheely luggage that your child can ride in like a stroller. You attach a single piece that is a board/wheels/handle, strap your little darling in, and away you go. Clearly it's cool, and I had a lot of parents stop me to ask about it. I also noticed a lot of parents lugging bulky car seats on their backs or balancing them on the top of strollers - neither of which looked very convenient/pleasant.

But I thought I'd also mention a few "negatives." 1. Your little one sits very low to the ground. And many times my fellow "in-a-hurry" travelers didn't see Natalie "way down there" and bumped into her. 2. Dismantling the thing to use your car seat on the plane and then putting it back together again to use while in the airport is not an easy task. 3. The TSA guys were not thrilled that the carseat/wheels combo would not fit through the x-ray conveyor belt dealy. Of course, I played dumb about the fact that the wheels could come off, and the entire thing was scanned by hand.

Hope at least one of those tips were helpful. Happy Traveling!

No Fooling ... We're Flying ... Again!

This is no April Fool's Day joke. Yes, friends, we're at it again! Natalie and I are flying cross-country ... just the two of us ... for a little fun in Virginia. That's a 4 hour flight to Chicago, a 2 hour layover, and then a 1.5 hour flight to D.C. All starting at 6:40 am, which means we leave the house at, what we affectionately refer to as, the "butt crack" of 4:40 am. Ugh! What am I thinking?

At least I know we are capable of such adventures. It's not like we haven't flown before. I made a list of all the airplane/port travel I've done with Natalie in the short 20.5 months she's been alive ... let's just say we've logged quite a few hours of flight time!

• November 2007 - SEA to STL - Natalie's 1st flight (about 3,400 miles RT)
• December 2007 - SEA to STL - Celebrating Christmas with family (about 3,400 miles RT)
• January 2008 - SEA to IAD - Introducing Natalie to her family in VA (about 4,800 miles RT)
• June 2008 - SEA to STL to DEN to SEA - 3-leg trip home and then to Denver (3,500 miles total)
• August 2008 - SEA to IAD - Litsas/Clouden Wedding (about 4,800 miles RT)
• This one included a layover in Newark that almost made me never travel with Natalie again!
• December 2008 - SEA to STL - Celebrating Christmas with family (about 3,400 miles RT)
• April 2009 - SEA to IAD - Jackson/Giles Wedding (about 4,800 miles RT)

And the list continues ...
May 2009 - SEA to DEN - Bad Girls' Reunion '09
That's right, we have one more trip planned before I have to start buying a seat for Natalie ... we are heading to Denver again for another annual Bad Girls' Reunion at the end of May.

Miles flown so far ... a whopping ... 28,100. Seriously, is that all? That's not even enough miles to redeem for a free flight. Well, it certainly seems like at least 100 times that many! Perhaps it would be more interesting to calculate the HOURS spent traveling ... to the airport, through security, waiting to board, in the air, during layovers, waiting to board again, to baggage claim, from the airport, ... whew, I am tired just thinking about it!

Through this ridiculous amount of travel, I have managed to acquire a few tips for traveling with a toddler. But I think I'll post those later because right now I have a huge hot pink suitcase waiting to be packed!