Flying Solo

So some of you may be wondering how the solo flight went with the boys. The flight itself went great, everything before hand was terrible. I guess you can't win 'em all.

We got to the airport with plenty of time. We left the house around 5:30pm and got there around 6:00 for a 7:30 flight. When I checked in, the attendant moved some seats around so the three of us were all in the same row instead of all over the plane and gave us the last row, just in case I had to stand with one or both of them during the flight. Security was tough, but a worker helped me. Because I had been staying with friends, I had things like Tupperware full of rice and oatmeal cereal, which of course, looks like I'm smuggling in some form of drug. So everything in the diaper bag (all the cheerios, puffs, graham crackers, sunscreen, etc), everything, had to be electronically checked for safety. I was very thankful for the extra time and didn't really get stressed out by any of this.

The plane loaded on time and we got to board first, since we were in the last row and had to check the double stroller right before boarding. We got settled (three trips to load the carseats and my carry-on) and were relaxing before the flight. By the time everyone else was on the plane, it was a good half hour later. Then the pilot gets on the intercom to say that the mechanics were fixing a problem and we should be on our way in 10 minutes. In 10 minutes, the pilot got on again to say that the safety manual won't allow the plane to be flown after this type of problem, so we had to deboard and wait for another plane to arrive. Perfect.

Thankfully I was sitting next to two older folks, think the happiest grandparents on Earth, and they were so helpful with everything. Dick carried my suitcare, Karen carried a carseat, we made it in one trip. Yes!

Unfortunately, it took almost 2.5 hours for another plane to arrive. Eli had fallen asleep on the first plane and stayed asleep straight through the takeoff, flight, and landing. Bless his heart. Owen was wide awake for the entire time we were waiting and had a complete and total breakdown on the second plane. While a flight attendant was holding him. And I was off the plane folding up the stroller. For about 10-15 minutes. Nightmare.

When I got back on the plane I could hear him crying in the very last row. By the time I got through the other passengers and could hold him, he was so worked up that he was shaking. It took a good 5-10 minutes just to get him to stop screaming. I put him in his carseat and he also fell asleep for the whole flight. Beautiful.

We finally took off around 9:45pm and landed around midnight. Dick and Karen helped me unload again, a true godsend, and Charlie was already waiting in the airport for us. Had we not needed to change planes, the whole thing would have been pretty easy. Not that I would recommend it...