I was very nervous about traveling with a 4 year old, 2 year old, and a 6 week old especially when I knew we would be spending 4 hours on a plane each way. Luckily this time I had Adam to help with the kiddos and a new attitude. I prayed a lot that God would keep me calm and take away my silly need to control everything and as always God came through.
Here are some things I learned:
1) Lollipops are a must, they help pop the kids ears and keep them quiet the first 20 minutes when nothing is happening. Oh yeah and lot's of snacks! They no longer serve snacks on planes unless you pay(LAME) and so be prepared with loads of food.
2) Separating the kids is a great idea. Adam took Connor and I took Bryce on the way to Oregon and then we switched on the way back. That meant no one heard the word "mine" the whole plane ride.
3) Kids headphones are a great invention, we already had one pair and bought another for this trip. This way the rest of the plane didn't have to hear the Disney movie that was playing. It was also a plus that Adam and I both brought our laptops and each boy could pick a movie to watch.
4) A special surprise, on the way up about halfway through the flight I pulled out a special surprise for each boy. They both got a magic pen coloring book that were each gifted wrapped which made them extra special.
5) On the way back to Texas I knew that my children were exhausted, so I told them that before they could play with any toys or have any snacks they had to take a nap. That actually worked and both boys slept for 2 hours.
6) I put the boys in matching bright colored shirts to ensure I could spot them at all times and so could others around. Yes they looked cute, but it helped Adam and I a lot.
Overall the boys really did a great job traveling(we were so happy when other travelers around us thanked us for having such well behaved children). There were moments when Adam and I looked at each other and just laughed because we looked ridiculous, but we were making memories right? (Imagine watching us going through security with 2 boys, 1 baby, 2 laptop bags, 2 kid backpacks, 2 rolling suitcases, 1 diaper bag, 1 infant car seat, 1 double stroller, and of course 4 pairs of shoes that had to be taken off and put back on. It was quite a show for others I am sure.)
Alexis was perfect she just slept and ate, what a pro. We had one incident when she had a "blowout" and I found myself in the bathroom of a plane trying to wash her and get a new outfit on(I am sure it was funny to watch) the soiled outfit went straight to the trashcan.
Bryce enjoyed the endless supply of snacks, especially when Daddy shared "his" skittles.
Connor loved watching his very own movies.
No one wants to mess with a mean Polar bear, look how big they are. That day one male was wreaking havic on a barrel, it was fun to watch!
Family pic: Will I ever get a picture with everyone smiling?
This is a life size cutout of a male lion, dang! Bryce wouldn't take his picture with the lion until he was sure it wasn't real, it was funny watching his face when Connor went running up to it.
Uncle Mark was so much fun and almost as enterataining as the animals.
Ahh the goats. I remember LOVIN' petting the goats and my boys did too. One got a little friendly with Bryce and tried to eat his coat, but Bryce soon forgave him and brushed his hair.
Connor was in heaven, he is such an animal lover.
