Take-off.

Ian admires my dad and loves to hear all he has done with his life.  One of the things that caught Ian's interest was flying.  My dad has his private pilot's license, and Ian recently expressed a desire to get his as well.   That's all my dad needed to hear and the next thing you know, Ian has his first flying lesson scheduled for the morning after Ian arrived in Orlando for his visit.

Ian's loved his lesson and would like to continue accumulating enough air time to get his license.  Dad bought him a few books to begin studying and Ian has shown them to me now 4 different times thru FaceTime.  It's cute to see how excited Ian is.  

Flying solo

The helicopter mom in me is always at odds with the free-range mom in me.   This duel has been going on as long as Hamilton vs Burr. 

I want my kids to be well-adjusted and be able to think for themselves.  I want them to be able to problem solve and figure things out.  I'd like them to be able to take care of themselves and show me they have a good head on their shoulders.

But then I think, "Ian's only 11!!! (or whatever age he is when I'm having this tug of war in my head)  Samantha is only --!!"  They aren't ready to be independent.  They still need me.  I want to be needed!  They have their whole life ahead of them when their dad or me won't be around and they will be forced to sink or swim in this game of life.  Let me help them now. Why can't I parent them in a bubble and keep them firmly tucked under my wing?   Because that would be a disservice to them and society.

Most of the time my free-range parenting side prevails.  I am quick to let the kids stay home by themselves.  I am quick to tell them they need to make their own breakfasts and lunches.  I am quick to let Ian be part of a small group of his friends where he crosses a very busy intersection near our house and does lunch on his own.  I'm quick to let Ian walk home from school on his own if I need to take Samantha to an activity or an appt at the same time school lets out.  There have been several instances where the kids had to leave the house on their own and walk to school in the morning when Jeff and I couldn't be there.  I've taken a bold leap in letting the kids exert their independence and start doing things on their own.  This was never more evident then when Ian flew to Orlando for a long weekend by himself.  Yes, without me, without daddy, without anyone he knew.

Getting ready to board the plane, all on his own!

Ian handled it like a champ.  Me, on the other hand, had a few tears after saying good-bye to him and watched him get on the pane.  I can't believe at some point I thought this was a good idea.  What was I thinking?!?!?   They board unaccompanied minors first. Before anyone else gets on the plane, the unaccompanied minor is sent to take their seat and get settled.

I gave Ian 5 minutes and then started texting him on this spare cell phone we let him use for the trip.  This was our conversation as all the other passengers were boarding:

Me:  Hi.  Just checking in.  Everything ok on the plane?
Ian:  Yes I'm fine.
Me:  Ok.  I'm proud of you. You are going to have a great time. I love you.
Ian:  thanks.  I love you too.
Me:  Did someone help you get your suitcase in the overhead bin?
Ian:  Yes.
Me:  Ok, have a great trip. I love you.
Ian:  Bye. I love you too.
Me:  Has anyone checked on you to see if you are ok?
Ian:  Yes.
Me:  Ok, I will stop bugging you.  Make good choices.  I love you very much.
Ian:  Bye.  I love you too.

Ha!  Baby steps on this whole free-range parenting thing, right?  :)

I am happy to report that we both survived Ian's trip.  Ian did great.  I figured this is good training for the summer when the kids are at camp for a whole month.  Another instance where the helicopter mom in me was grounded big-time.  

Window seat, please.

The next two to three weeks has us taking our normally hectic schedules to a whole new level of crazy.  Jeff, Ian and I are all coming and going in vastly different directions.  If we manage to pull this off and be where we need to be without any delays or cancellations, it will be a miracle. 

Saturday (6/21) to Saturday (6/28):  Jeff is in Trinidad for work.  Like his plane leaves at 6:00am on Saturday and he doesn't land until 7:35pm one full week later.

Tuesday (6/24):  Ian goes to Massachusetts for Camp Ramah. He flies out of BWI in the morning.  Ian doesn't come back until July 6th.

Sunday (6/29, a few hours after Jeff lands):  I depart for Israel and come back late in the day on July 9th.

Sam is the only one who won't be boarding a plane.  She is going to get a lot of one-on-one time with me, than a lot of one-on-one time with Jeff and then a few days with Grandma and Grandpa with Ian when he gets back from camp until I return from Israel.  It is a complicated schedule, but if everything goes as planned, it should work out just fine.  Thank G-d for friends and family who are able to help out.

We are kicking Summer off with a bang!  Before we know it, I'll be counting down to when school starts again.

It's a great day to fly.

Never in a million years did I think I'd be able to write this blog entry.  But, here goes.  On Monday, July 22nd, I flew with my 2 kids to Orlando.  It went well.  Really well.  Like the kind of greatness when you think at some point something bad has got to happen and you are just waiting for it.  But nothing bad ever came.  Like ever.  The three of us acted like we were completely normal.  From start to finish, Ian and Sam were rockstars.  I have nothing else to write or even say about the experience.  There is no story here to tell.  :)

iPad for each kid, full control of what to watch on their own tv, and JetBlue = Happiness.

I enjoyed a great week with my family. As planned, I left the kids down in Orlando and flew back by myself on Saturday.  This coming Thursday, I'll fly back and get the kids.  Jeff and I are looking forward to spending a few days in Annapolis while the kids are away.

It's hard to believe we have only one month to go until school begins.  Let the countdown begin!

The middle

I recently did my trip to Orlando with Sam.  It occurred to me as we were seated in row 13, seats F and E on the plane, that from now on I will forever be stuck in the middle seat.  As long as I am traveling with one or both kids, I am doomed to be sitting in the middle seat coming and going.  This is just a matter of fact.  There really is nothing I can do to change it.

I believe we've finally gotten to the point that we can get on a plane and my 3 worst fears won't come true - 1. do something that causes an emergency landing, 2. get us kicked off the plane, or 3. make the 6:00pm news.  The flight with Ian in January was a dream.  And my flight with Sam in March was almost perfect.  We managed to go the entire flight (both ways) without alerting any of our fellow passengers we were on board.   This is HUGE!  Most certainly I never thought I'd see this day coming.  The woman next to me on the flight back home gave Sam a major compliment on how great she was behaving.  If she only knew what it was like in previous years! 

I am no longer holding my breath for the two hours we are in the air.  I don't even need to come armed with tons of toys, snacks or bribes.  It is a pleasure to get from Point A to Point B (in the most efficient mode of transportation possible) and not be a stress case.

As for ALWAYS getting stuck in the middle seat, this will be a small price to pay.

A funny ha-ha moment:  Sam had to go to the bathroom during our flight back.  While she was sitting on the toilet, she looked over and noticed how close the sink was to her.  She said, "How great is this!  You can wash your hands and pee at the same time."  Only Samantha would find a benefit to a very small bathroom.  :)

Pinch me, I must be dreaming

I didn't want to run away.  I didn't hang my head in shame.  I was able to look at all my fellow passengers and the flight crew directly in the eye. I wasn't on the verge of tears or breaking down.  I was even relaxed, breathing normally.  And to my delight, Sam and I even worked on her letters while up in the air.  The journey to come back home was smooth sailing from the moment we left for the airport from my mom's house until we walked through our front door.

 

Never in my wildest dreams did I think this was actually possible.  I am still not convinced that it truly happened like it did.  Maybe I dreamt it?  Maybe I've gotten really good at blocking out the horrific stuff and managed to do it while it was happening?  Or maybe I finally came to my senses and became an alcoholic to deal with the kids?  

 

No to all of the above!  After 3 weeks away in Florida, the kids are home.  And I believe Sam has turned a corner on flying.  She was a dream to sit next to.  She was amazing.  Both kids made me so proud to be their mother.  No one on the flight had any idea on what so easily could've been.  It was my (and Ian's) little secret. 

 

Was it my friend Heather's brilliant idea to let the kids stock up on candy for the flight?  Was it because Sam got a good night of sleep the night before?  Maybe it was due to Sam being giddy with joy to get home and see Daddy?  Could it have been that she was excited to get the window seat?  Or, possibly because she is a year older since she flew last?  Who knows?  And frankly, who cares?  I am thrilled that something did the trick. 

 

Never before have I wanted to document us being on a plane before.  Evidence of it being amazing was most needed.  I want to look back at these 2 hours and remember fondly how wonderful it was.

 

 

Up in the air

I am going to interrupt my usual blogging about life with the kids for this little rant....

While flying to Florida for my mom's surgery, I actually had time to think on the plane.  Usually I have a kid or two with me, and never have the opportunity to think about anything other than what disaster is about to happen and how can I divert it.

I find it very antiquated in this day and age, that all electronics need to be turned off for take-off and landing.  Why can't I have an ipod on or kindle going?  I'm not talking about being connected to a wifi or messing with any radio waves (for lack of more technical term), but being able to read an e-reader should not interfere with the pilot flying the plane. This makes no sense to me.  And I lose about 40 minutes of time I could spend reading if  follow the rules.  Which by the way, I do not always comply with.  I go for the window seat and keep the kindle hidden until the flight attendant makes their final walk-thru of the cabin before buckling up. 

The other thing that makes no sense is that some planes do have the ability to offer wifi up in the air.  Why isn't this standard on every single plane, regardless of carrier or destination?  Why isn't wifi available EVERYWHERE!?!?  And for that matter, it should be completely free. 

And while I am at it.  You used to be able to make phone calls (albeit, very expensive ones) from the plane.  Maybe its just on the newer planes and the ones I fly to Florida, but I haven't seen any phone service being offered these days.  Since this technology clearly exists, why can't we all use our cell phones on every flight?  We all hear the stories of passengers who are aware they are about to crash, and make last minute, desperate phone calls from their cell phones to their loved ones.  So we know it does work.  Why then, isn't it an option for the regular, every day, non-crashing type of flights?

Just some random thoughts as I tried to play by the rules on this last roundtrip to Orlando, when I didn't have kids distracting me.

Buckle your seat belts people, it will be a bumpy ride!!

We haven't flown with the kids in over a year. On purpose. Hard to believe we've been successful this long.  Our track record is coming to an end and this morning, we will be traumatizing the flight crew and passengers of a USAirways flight out of Washington, DC Reagan Airport, making our way to Orlando.

I am trying hard to not be all doom and gloom.  I am sure everything will be fine and the kids will do great.  In reality, it's really Samantha.  The last 2 roundtrips Ian was perfect and I even commented I would fly across country if need be.  My fingers (and toes) are crossed that in the past 13 months, Sam has matured some (her age doubled!), she understands more, can communicate better, and we will make sure her BFF (and ours!) is on the flight and fully charged -- the iTouch.  Plus, as an added measure of insurance, I purchased a sticker princess dress-up book that I think she will drool over.  She hasn't seen this new book yet and it will get unveiled during the flight.  Sam LOVES stickers and all things princesses, so I am putting a lot of eggs in this one basket that this book does the trick and gets us to our destination in peace; or at least without everyone knowing who we are by the time the plane lands.

My 3 goals when flying with the kids is still the same:

1. Do nothing that causes us to get on the 6:00pm news
2. Do nothing that causes an emergency landing
3. Do nothing that gets us kicked off the plane

Hopefully by the time you are reading this, we will be in Florida and all is well. 

We've got a wonderful trip planned and I am very excited to get started.  Within the bigger trip, is a 3 night excursion to Mexico for Jeff & Me, with the kids being watched by the fabulous duo of Lori/Ben and my Mom/Jim. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  We have so much to be thankful for.  I am grateful for having married a wonderful man and having his family come in to my life.  They are all amazing people who from day one, always made me feel like I was part of their family.  I am grateful for my own parents, step-parents, siblings and brother-in-law who are the perfect combination of loving, funny, supportive and just a side of crazy.  I am so grateful for my Toppall team (Jeff, Ian and Sam).  10 years ago, I had no idea my life would be this fulfilling or filled with this much love.  We laugh, we cry, it was better than "Cats".  And last, but certainly not least, to all my friends who I am so fortunate to have from all stages of growing up (childhood, school, work, mommy), it is such a blessing to have you in my life too.  To have a partner-in-crime and create wonderful memories is a reward I will always treasure.

Hope everyone takes a moment to realize what this holiday is about and gives thanks.

24 Hours.

Yes, you saw correctly; that person waiting at Dulles Airport on Tuesday night, for a flight that started after her bedtime (10:00pm -- who knew they even had departure times that late into the night!?!?!), without a diaper bag hanging from her shoulder, or two sweet rugrats clinging to her hips and trying to maneuver a stroller was me. Yes, me!!

That woman, who was using a stylish handbag and only ONE small suitcase (as carry-on no less!!) was me. Yes, me!! I know, it was hard to believe. I am sure to all who knows me, if I had been spotted at the terminal, this late in the day, without kids, they probably thought I was running away. Ha!

I felt like I was on a mysterious, undercover mission. Being gone for exactly 24 hours. My departure flight left Dulles at 10:00pm and my return flight landed exactly 24 hours later at 10:00pm on Wednesday.

However, I had a purpose to my trip. I was going to see my little sister graduate high school. It is a very exciting time for her and I wanted to be there cheering her on. Major bonus that the graduation was not being held outside. The school was smart and holding the ceremony at the Amway Center. Yay for air conditioning! Now this was a graduation ceremony I could happily sit through.

I had briefly thought about taking the kids with me, but that second passed and I came to my senses. We will be flying with them again in November for Thanksgiving and that is already 6 months too soon. :)

So, thanks to my darling husband, I took off in the friendly skies and made my way solo for 24 hours. The toughest part of the trip was boarding the flight to Orlando and not getting on one headed for Australia.

Congratulations Meghan!! We are all very proud of you!!!

Fly no more

That's it. I am done. All done. I consider myself to be fearless and willing to go where most individuals would dare not attempt, but I've officially found a brick wall that is too challenging to climb. No more flying with me and the kids for a very long time. A very, very long time. I don't want to fly again until I can have a two-way conversation with Samantha and be able to have her understand the bribes I am more than willing to throw her way.

During the Summer season to the beginning of the new year, I generally make 3 trips to Orlando to visit family. We'll go for a few weeks during the summer, come back for the Thanksgiving holiday and go back a third time to spend Ian's Winter break from preschool (the weeks of Christmas and New Years).

I've always had my work cut out for me when flying with Ian. But he has since become the golden boy and does incredibly well flying. I even temporarily misplaced the iPod Touch and he went the whole 2 hour flight without any electronic entertainment. And I know he was so looking forward to watching the CARS movie for the 100th time. Wow is all I can say for how far he has come.

What has really done in me in is Sam. She is a screaming, crying mess. It doesn't make sense. It can't be her ears because the screaming starts well before we even start pulling away from the gate. By the time we land at our destination, she has screamed for a good 1.5 hours out of a possible 2. It's bad. Really bad. Jeff and I even spaced ourselves and each took a kid to a different row. At least on this flight everyone was understanding and even came up to us afterwards and apologized for what we went through.

Until she outgrows this and I can get her to tell me what is going on in her pretty little head, I have no desire to go to Florida. I will be happy being grounded for the next year or so. Jeff thinks that by Thanksgiving 2010 we will be able to make a return trip. Right now that feels like way too soon.

The Benadryl Experiment

Our flight back home was today and I knew I needed to take drastic measures to avoid another experience like we had coming down 10 days prior. Completely against my mom and stepmother's wishes (they both made it abundantly clear how horrible of an idea this was), I decided to give Sam a dosage of Benadryl in the hopes of knocking her out on the airplane.

A few people told me that I should try it out in advance to make sure it doesn't have the opposite effect and make her super-hyper. When I gave her the test dose a few days prior about 1 hour before her regular nap time, it did nothing to alter the nap one way or another. It didn't cause her to fall asleep any faster, and it didn't make her sleep any longer than usual. It also didn't cause her to not fall asleep. So I figured maybe by giving her the Benadryl, it will take the edge off and cause her to be a little less "joyful" and hopefully be content hanging out in the car seat while flying.

I do have to mention that the flight crew and passengers on this flight were much more helpful than before. As I was boarding and nearing my row, a man 3 rows back jumped out of his seat and came to my rescue asking what he could do to help. I would love to thank his mom and tell her she did a good job raising him. The only thing I could give him at that moment to help was Samantha. He was a good sport holding her as I quickly tried to get the car seat off my back and adjusted in the seat.

And, I am happy to report that two of the flight attendants helped me strap in the car seat. Something that never happened on the flight down. No one even checked to see if her seat was strapped in.

I am not sure why we got on the plane so early. I didn't realize just how much time we still had before take-off. Rule number 1 in my book is try to board as late as possible. As long as you already have assigned seats (meaning, you are not flying Southwest), getting the kids strapped in their seats waiting out the rest of boarding is a bad idea. We were seated on the plane and ready for take-off at 3:30pm for a 4:00pm air time. Jeez!! And, we were one of the last on board too. So we basically just sat there until 3:55pm when they shut the door and began take-off procedures. So not cool in my book! If I had my watch on (it ended up getting left behind in my mom's car when I was trying to keep Sam entertained with it on the way to the airport), I would've realized what was going on. It wasn't until I called Jeff from the plane and saw the time on the cell phone. When you have a limited amount of time on how good your child is going to be, you want it to count when you are actually in the air, not sitting on the ground going nowhere.

I have to say that Ian was a rockstar. I am even willing to put it out there that I would fly with him anywhere, even flights longer than 2 hours. As long as he isn't getting drenched in orange juice, he was very well behaved and was very mindful of when the iPod Touch needed to be turned off. Every time the pilot made an announcement Ian asked if that meant it was time for him to turn it off.

Sam, on the other hand, has a long way to go. I fear we are in for the same bumpy ride we had previously with Ian. The biggest issue was the shrieking. It is a loud, very high pitched scream that I am sure would be considered a form of torture in some interrogation tactics. It can produce instant headaches and make you wish you were deaf if you were sitting next to her. Sam has managed to perfect this shriek with and without a mouthful of food. And, I can't imagine it is for the sole purpose of getting attention because she shrieks when I play with her and when I try to ignore she is doing it. Sam shrieked on and off consistently the whole time we were in the air!!!

After about an hour, she had enough of the car seat and wanted to get out. Fortunately the guy behind us started making faces at her and she loved that. There was a young girl sitting in the seat in front us and they were checking each other out in the space between the seats. And, of course the poopy diaper needing to be changed took up another 5 minutes. In all my 4 years of flying with the kids, this was the first time I changed a diaper in the plane's bathroom. I have to say, it wasn't that bad.

I am happy to report that I survived the flight home. I didn't even feel like crying when it was time to get off the plane. We had a great time in Orlando, but I am happy to be home. I can breathe easier knowing that when we do this trip again in just 6 weeks, I will have Jeff with me to assist. We've already decided we are going to sit in different rows and each take one kid. I think that will help greatly. Sam was still throwing toys at Ian. I was watching her do it...she very innocently looked straight ahead and took a toy and flung it in his direction on purpose. Ian was still not pleased by this, but at least this time he didn't yell at his sister, he just threw it to me in the hopes I wouldn't give it back to her to play with.

And, I've come to the sad realization that Benadryl has no effect whatsoever on Samantha. It doesn't calm her and it doesn't make her overly excited. I guess in some way this is a good thing. I need to face the fact that it took Ian until he was 4 to be able to fly without giving me an anxiety attack afraid we will get kicked off the plane and just like his little sister, I fear I still have another 3 years to go with her too. Jeff thinks that Sam might be more 'spirited' than Ian and has just been holding back until now. If I wasn't so tired right now writing this, I'd be freaked out by that thought.

The longest two hours of my life

I didn't actually break down and start crying until I saw my mom at the gate (she and Jim got a gate pass to assist me once off the plane). Then with a big sigh of relief that the worst was over, I shed a few tears and was thankful that help was available.

Getting on the plane proved a little challenging and I am sure this is when I started making friends left and right. I had a convertible car seat strapped to my back, the duo-sized Skip Hop diaper bag (so filled with stuff it wouldn't zip), carrying Samantha and helping Ian with his rolling backpack going down the aisle to row 17. I barely fit width wise and was bumping into seated passengers trying to pass by them. Of course I apologized, but the head shaking thing from passengers had started already. Where was the love?

Once we got to our row, all was seemingly going well. Ian was very excited to be at the window seat and Sam was quietly sitting in her car seat, strapped in the middle seat. As we were taking off I gave Sam her bottle and she was doing great drinking it. Ian got the thumbs up from me to turn on the iPod Touch and start watching "Cars" the movie. It was a peaceful 5 minutes and I felt like I could conquer the world.

Then Sam finished her bottle and I started pulling out some new toys for her to play with. They were getting promptly tossed in Ian's direction. Ian was getting agitated by the flying toys and would pick them up and throw them back at her. I did my best to put a stop to this and decided to give her some snacks.

Somewhere during the first 25 minutes of the 2 hour flight, Sam mastered the ability to shove a handful of goldfish in her mouth while continuing her shrieking of delight at full volume. Oh, and simultaneously wave the baggie of goldfish (something she didn't do before) all over the place and have them fly in every direction. It wasn't pretty, but at least Ian calmed down from not having toys thrown at him.

At this point I am pulling out all the tricks in my bag trying to find something to entertain Sam. She kept putting her arms out for me to unstrap her from the car seat and hold her. Her moaning had kicked in and she meant business. So, I figured it would be harmless and I could have her sit on my lap for a little. Now the flight attendants are offering drinks and Ian said he'd like orange juice. I told them to not fill it up all the way. It wasn't on his tray for 2 minutes before the whole thing spilled in his lap. UGH! Samantha at this point is like a monkey climbing all over me; she is way past tired and wants to be off the plane. Ian is crying and screaming that he is all wet and needs his back-up clothing on pronto. I can't even reach Ian to help him as he is a plane seat away and the car seat is taking up any available space for me to reach over. Sam has now chosen to take her whining/moaning to a new octave and really let people know she is not a happy camper.

I tell Ian his clothes are in his backpack (on the floor of his seat) and to get them and we will go to the bathroom to put them on. Before I can even finish the sentence, Ian is 100% naked and screaming that he can't find his clean, dry clothes. He is also very upset that his seat is soaking wet in orange juice. Oh yeah, the guy in front of him chooses this exact moment to recline his seat. WTF?!?!!? I looked at him and said you are now crushing my son (who is still completely naked by the way) and could you please put your seat back upright. Fortunately he complied.

I talk Ian down from the ledge and convince him he can put his clothes on himself. I am still wrestling with Samantha and her noise level is just getting higher, so I bring out the cheerios.

I then need to figure out what to do with Ian's wet seat (the flight attendants saw the whole scene go down and did NOTHING to help. N O T H I N G. I decide to take Sam's car seat and move her to the window seat. It's not like she is sitting in it anyway. Ian throws a mini fit because he doesn't want the middle seat, he just wants a dry window seat. OMG! It is a full flight people....there is no relocating to another row!!

Finally, I get Ian happy again and his movie back on the iPod Touch. Sam is now grabbing everything on Ian (his headphones, the tray, the wire to the iPod, etc.). Ian is back to complaining and causing a scene.

We start our descent and I throw Sam back in the car seat by the window. I strap her in and give her the 2nd bottle I had ready for this moment. She is very happy and now has had 16 oz of milk in less than 2 hours. And in between the 2 bottles was non-stop snacking. I still can't believe the girl could shriek as loud as she did with a mouthful of cheerios and/or goldfish.

We land. Everywhere I look passengers are shaking their heads at me. I did witness some during the flight holding their head in their hands in disgust. The bell rings that is okay to stand. It is then I and everyone else notices that a family with 2 young boys (both younger than Ian - but not twins) were sitting 2 rows in front of us. No one heard a peep out of them, at all. Of course they didn't hear them, we were making so much noise to mask any anyone else was making. The guy across the aisle sees this perfect family and says loudly, "Wow, you should get a gold medal. Your boys were perfect. They should let you off the plane first."

We pack up all the crap, which at this point was strewn in every direction and covered with a layer of orange juice now. The best was the underwear sitting at the top of the pile. Make our way off the plane and realize that no matter how far ahead Ian gets in front of me getting off the plane, I know in my heart, no one will kidnap him.

Previously flying with Ian proved to be nightmarish, but this was a whole new level of hell for me flying with 2. I am done. I have to get back to NoVa in 10 days, but after that I refuse to do this again. We will now be at home for the Winter break. I need to wait a year or two before I attempt this again on our own. Or else, it just won't be the plane boarding, it will also be the Betty Ford Clinic.

And away we go...

To my fellow passengers:

My two kids and I are getting on your flight later this morning. I'd like to apologize in advance for the execessive noise, commotion and chaos that will ensue upon us boarding and flying the two hours it will take to get to Orlando.

I have three main goals when flying with my kids;

1. Not get thrown off the plane
2. Do nothing that causes us to have an emergency landing before reaching our destination
3. Do not make the 6 o'clock news

I realize that I am pushing my luck each time I plan a trip. It isn't fun flying with Ian. I will remain cool and collected on the outside and you will think that I am the most laid-back mom ever, but really inside I am a nervous wreck hoping that we can get to Orlando in one piece, or at least without me having a heart attack or breakdown.

We make this trip to see family approx. 3 times a year. Unfortunately this is the most effecient way to get to Florida. I do everything in my power to make this as successful an experience as possible. Both kids get their own seat, we have one or two new toys for Ian that he hasn't played with before, we are loaded with movies and the portable DVD player, snacks and juice boxes ready to go, lollipops and m&ms. Furthermore, I will only book direct, non-stop flights and pick flying times that would seem to most agree with the kids being awake.

The older Ian gets, the louder and stronger he is. I've tried hard to mentally block out all the ways in the past I was certain we would be asked to leave. There was the time when Ian refused to get in his seat. Absolutely refused and started to throw a big temper tantrum. He managed to hide underneath the seat in front of him. The flight attendant was standing in the aisle waiting for me to give her the nod of the head that Ian was safely fastened in his seat. Ha! Everyone around us could see what was going on and no one spoke up. I think they wanted to take-off as badly as I did. I gave the nod and off we went. Believe me, I held my breath the flight attendant wouldn't check the window seat by me for Ian.

Then there was the time when Ian was so upset and nothing calmed him down. For close to 2 hours, he screamed at the top of his lungs. Passengers everywhere were passing their child's toys to our row to see if that would distract him a little from his screaming.

I clearly remember this one flight back home when a woman 4 rows back came up in mid-flight and said to me (loud enough for everyone around us to hear), "I have 3 kids and they never acted like that. You should take him to the back of the plane." Nice, huh? I simply replied, "It's a shame I can't be as good a mother as you."

Needless to say, if you can get Ian to be quiet and somewhat behave, we are never told to put the electronics away when it is time to land. Ian gets the royal treatment and is allowed the tray down and the dvd player on. Not once has anyone dared to come by and tell us to turn it off.

One time we approached the runway with Ian standing up in his seat looking out the window. That was priceless when the flight attendant looked the other way when walking by.

I realize I should have better control of my kids and they should obey and listen to my every command. However, I plead with those of you who think like that, please, you fly with Ian and tell me if you get him to behave any differently. I've pined for the day that Suppernanny will be do a special episode "Flying with the problem child" and see if she can help me deal with this.

And, now I'll be flying with 2!! By myself. How fun! The only saving grace I have is that it is Orlando we are going to and coming from. It is somewhat expected to always be full with kids flying.

And, if you ask Ian what he wants to be when he grows-up, his first answer is, "a pilot". Ah, the irony.