World traveler? Not our Kate! Our sweetie-pie didn't fare so well on the airplane ride home from Virginia. The flight to VA was good, thanks to my parents being there for added support. But going home was a complete nightmare. It was a perfect combination of lack of sleep, over-stimulation, too much junk food, and two weary parents who were ready to toss her into the luggage compartment toward the end of our journey.
It all started out okay... here's Kate in the Richmond airport before we took off. 
And then for the first little bit on the plane she was pretty good. We had packed every form of entertainment imaginable... movies, books, games, crayons, playdough, dolls, suckers, flashcards, you name it! But about 20 minutes into our four hour flight from Atlanta to Las Vegas, something snapped. Kate didn't want ANY of her forms of entertainment. Nor did she want to lay down and rest with her parents, even though I literally watched the circles under eyes get darker and darker. But oh, she did want to run to the bathroom every five minutes to watch the "blue water" go around and around in the toilet.
Toward the end I was doing everything I could think of to keep her from whining, crying, screaming and boinging off the walls simultaneously. But every song I tried to sing, she'd swat at me. Every book Daddy tried to read she yelled that she didn't want it. I kept asking Mike how much longer, because every minute she screamed and cried felt like hours.
FINALLY, just as we were on FINAL APPROACH to land in Las Vegas, Kate quieted down. I looked down at her just in time to see her head bobbing and finally, she fell into an exhausted heap on her chair. Seriously??? With mere minutes left on the flight?
We apologized profusely to our neighboring passengers, who were all really cool about everything. But I don't know when I'll have the strength to take her on a flight again.
Hats off to you parents who take your kids to Hawaii, Europe, and beyond. (Cousin Jessi I'm thinking of YOU) As for us, we'll give it a few months to recover before we venture skyward.
And then for the first little bit on the plane she was pretty good. We had packed every form of entertainment imaginable... movies, books, games, crayons, playdough, dolls, suckers, flashcards, you name it! But about 20 minutes into our four hour flight from Atlanta to Las Vegas, something snapped. Kate didn't want ANY of her forms of entertainment. Nor did she want to lay down and rest with her parents, even though I literally watched the circles under eyes get darker and darker. But oh, she did want to run to the bathroom every five minutes to watch the "blue water" go around and around in the toilet.
Toward the end I was doing everything I could think of to keep her from whining, crying, screaming and boinging off the walls simultaneously. But every song I tried to sing, she'd swat at me. Every book Daddy tried to read she yelled that she didn't want it. I kept asking Mike how much longer, because every minute she screamed and cried felt like hours.FINALLY, just as we were on FINAL APPROACH to land in Las Vegas, Kate quieted down. I looked down at her just in time to see her head bobbing and finally, she fell into an exhausted heap on her chair. Seriously??? With mere minutes left on the flight?
We apologized profusely to our neighboring passengers, who were all really cool about everything. But I don't know when I'll have the strength to take her on a flight again.
Hats off to you parents who take your kids to Hawaii, Europe, and beyond. (Cousin Jessi I'm thinking of YOU) As for us, we'll give it a few months to recover before we venture skyward.
7 comments:
Why is it that kids ALWAYS seem to finally give in right when the end is in sight! Glad that you guys had a ton of fun!
Oh Karen I feel your pain. As I have traveled alone with three wirey boys!!! Getting them to stop kicking the chair infront of them. or kicking eachother, they wont leave the window opened or closed,my 3 year old chucked his gum on the sleeping person infront of me,so I was trying to get it off before they woke up. Just barley getting the baby to
sleep after 45 mins of screaming,
only for the older two telling me they have to go to the bathroom. And the middle one can't reach unless I hold him up, just as we hit turbulance and he pees everywhere. I mean EVERYWHERE!!! I swear the lady behind me was going to kill me I was taking so long trying to clean it up the best I could with all 4 of us in that tiny bathroom and me holding a sleeping baby.
I always feel so bad for the people around me.
The best is when your child pukes all over you, and then they lose your luggage. This happened when we went to Hawaii. It was 3 in the morning everything was closed and they told me we could come back the next day to see if our luggage arrived from the main land. YA that was a fun night.
I've had some pretty great trips
and hear you on building up the strength to fly with kids.
Oh my gosh, Suzi, you take the prize! Way to go for traveling ALONE with 3 little ones!!!
That's what I get for moving so far away huh :)!!!! I just can't wait until they are older and they will read books and listen to their music. But if you have one or three it's hard when you are in a closed space and your cild in out of control. Just reading your story made my stomach hurt.
Aw, hunny! That made me smile because I've SO been there. Our trips to and from Rexburg were four hours of misery, but we were lucky enough to be able to 1) get out occasionally and 2) not have other people surrounding us. You're a trooper. I'm so glad you made it back okay, despite the "turbulence."
Thanks for thinking of me, Karen. And when you were sympathetic for my cause, you find out that I will be traveling by MYSELF with my almost 1 year old and almost 3 year old across the Atlantic Ocean. I am going to need all preparation and help and advice that I can get! Perhaps I should simulate an airplane ride to rehearse it with my almost 3 year old - but maybe nothing can quite prepare either of us for the silliness and squireliness of our almost 3 year olds.
I feel for you! Frank William's not good on planes either - it's typically not too bad when Frank is there with me and we can tag team. But my last trip alone across the Atlantic with him did not go so great (of course - it didn't help that our plane had an emergency landing in Ireland for 6 hrs. due to a fire either) - so I'm getting nervous for my trip alone to MD with him next week. I guess I'm willing to do it though to see my family. I don't envy Jessi with her two - plus she has further to go.
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