Hello, my name is Erika. I've been a bad blogger!
Okay, now that that is out of the way, where do I start?!
First, I've got to say GO LADY VOLS!!! I am thrilled that they won another championship. I have loved this team as long as I can remember. It's been awesome living here in Knoxville and getting to experience the last two seasons first hand. I hate to see Candace, Alexis, Shannon, and (my favorite) Nikki leave, but they are sparking some interest for me in the WNBA. I wish them nothing but the best for their futures.
The earthquake! OMG!! That was a first. I thought it was just a mixture of my imagination, medication, and just waking from a bad dream. Steven never roused and no one from work mentioned it so I thought I was just a bit crazy. That night I learned that it was indeed an earthquake and I felt some what validated.
Silas is a busy, busy guy. I'm trying to figure out how to connect my video camera to our computers, but apparently there is a complication between our Sony handicam and our Mac computers. Steven says he's been working on it...hopefully, I'll have something to share soon. Steven just got a new computer so I got his hand-me-down. There are still some files to transfer. When I'm more savvy, I'll post pics as well.
Well, the summer is around the corner and so are the family reunions. The Nances and the Lees have chosen the same weekend for their festive events so that works for us. However, Steven will not be able to attend. He has a wedding to shoot so Silas and I are embarking on the trip sans Daddy.
After much deliberation about how to travel, we have decided that an expensive 3.5 hour plane trip far outweighs the cheaper 8 hour driving time over two days one way.
I have a confession. I'm not a good fly er. SSSHHHH!!! Don't tell.
I usually have to take Xanax. It never knocks me out, but I'm usually good and chill. Oh yeah, I'm going to have Silas with me. Holy heck!! What am I going to do. Silas has never flown. It will be the weekend of his 2ND birthday so he has his own seat. I am getting the gogo Kidz Travelmate to help with his car seat. I'll use our Mei tai as well. Heaven forbid that we have a direct flight, so we are changing planes in Atlanta. At least I'm comfortable with that airport since I've been there a few times.
Here is where I need my blogger buddies.
Will he need id & what do you use for that?
How do you entertain a 2 yr old on a plane?
What should/can I take with me?
Any tips would greatly relieve my anxiety!!
(Lynley, Lynley...I know you're out there. Please help me!)
3 comments:
Will this reunion be taking place near my house? Or at least within 1.5 hour drive of it? I would love to get together if so:)
Lynley is indeed the expert on traveling sans Daddy. But, we have endured long flights and connections with little C, so I'll share what worked for us. We checked all luggage except the necessities for entertaining our little C. We had gate-checked our stroller, but the Travelmate looks even better (especially without an extra set of hands)! We carried on a bag full of activities (coloring, travel doodle, etc) as well as toys that did not have wheels and therefore would not trip up a poor flight attendant. Oh and we had a fully charged battery pack attached to the portable DVD player. It gave us about 1.5 hours of video. We saved it for when we had exhausted all options. We brought the plug too so she could watch a movie while we waited for our next flight. It wasn't very hard to find outlets, surprisingly.
Also, during takeoff and landing, we encouraged Camille to drink juice/water & eat a snack to help with her ears adjusting to the pressure change. I brought an empty sippy cup and showed it to security then filled it up before getting on the plane.
We last flew about 18 months ago when C was 2 and did not have to show ID for her. Scary isn't it? Not sure what the rules are now, though.
Lastly, we breezed thru security by wearing drawstring pants, tank with built-in bra (prob overkill but comfy), and slip-on shoes. Oh, and I always say a little prayer before we take off and land:) It helps calm my nerves. Happy flying!
I've heard the sippy cup thing, but we never could get Ryan to ever drink from it at the right time. Never seemed to bother him though. Like mentioned before, pack smart, so things are easy to get to. And the portable CD player is a good idea. Also, make sure you have a stash of never-before-seen toys to break out every-so-often. This way they will hold his attention longer. I'm pretty sure no ID is needed for that age, but it has been over a year since we have flown with Ryan, so I can't say that the rules have not changed.
Glad to know I'm not the only one that says a little prayer as the pilot hits the accelorator too! It alwys helps me. Just relax the best you can and don't worry about other passengers or what thye think of you and Si.Just take care of yourself and him and have fun.
First piece of advice...start praying now! Ha!
Something you might want to look into is renting a CARES plane carseat. This is a FDA-approved restraint system that attaches to the plane's seat so you don't have to lug a carseat onto the plane. You can rent them on EBAY for abuot $15 or buy one for around $80. We have never done this before, but I plan on renting one for Isaac the next time we fly.
Take a stroller (like the one you mentioned if you take a carseat). It contains the kiddo while you wait to board or if you need to use the restroom.
DVD player if Silas is into movies (Isaac is, but Evelyn could care less)
New little things to play with....stickers, crayons, travel magnadoodle, small toys. Don't take anything of great value, because it is quite possible you will lose it somewhere under a seat.
If Silas has a loved animal or blanket, take that. Figure out someway to secure it to your bag or to silas (I have known people who put metal grommets--sp?--and hook the animal onto child's clothes)so it doesn't get lost.
Lots of snacks.
I never take birth certificates when I fly simply because I don't want to lose them. I always carry shot records with me in the diaper bag. Airlines take this as proof of age. HOwever, they likely will never ask to see it.
A lot of airports have kid-areas where kids can play before boarding or during layovers..helps get the stir-crazies out.
We give our kids a small dose of Benadryl...it relaxes them and helps with the conjestion usually brought on by flying. However, if you have never given Silas Benadryl before, test it out before flying. It could also make him really hyper, which would be the worse case scenario ever!
Just remember that eventually the plane will land and they will let you off!
You'll do great! If not, think of all the funny blog posts you can write!
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