The Long and Winding Flight

Thank you to everyone who has e-mailed me this summer missing my weekly (sometimes daily) blogs. I do enjoy writing them, but we had a busy summer. We are now back and after a busy week getting Thing 1 ready for kindergarten, getting everyone’s inner clocks on Warsaw time, catching up with old and new friends, etc., I am blogging once more.

Our flight back went better than expected. I was stopped several times by people offering to help and wondering how I was managing with three carry on's, a stroller, and a car seat. They were really curious about how I was managing the car seat. So, here is a visual......to get around the airports with all that stuff, I placed Thing 1's backpack in the stroller storage area (it also contained the DVD player). Thing 2 was strapped into the stroller. Her diaper bag was hanging from the back of the stroller. My backpack was on my back. I flipped the car seat over so that the seat part draped over the stroller's handle bars and the head of the seat was pointed towards the floor. I had Thing 1 hold on to the stroller and I pushed the car seat/handle bars to make my way through the airport. When claiming the bags at the terminal, Thing 1 wheeled Thing 2 around (without the car seat hanging off the stroller) while I wheeled the baggage cart with all our stuff.

Here is a little travel log I kept (partly documented in flight while the children slept)....

2:50pm/8:50pm ( Miami/Warsaw ) – Whew! We made it to the gate with 10 minutes to spare. Thing 1 is confused because he is happy to see his dad, but sad to be leaving the rest of the family. How can he feel both things at once, he wonders?

3:00 pm/9:00pm – Pre-boarding has begun. This is one of the few perks of traveling with young children. Thing 1 is walking in front of me with his backpack and Thing 2 between us. I am carrying a heavy backpack, diaper bag and a car seat. Thing 2 finds a nice roomy chair in the first class area and proceeds to accommodate herself. She has good taste although she gets quite upset when I motion her to keep walking. A nice flight attendant begins talking to her and she forgets about her disappointment. This keeps her entertained while I install the car seat and get situated. Thing 1 is a pro at this and by the time I finish he is already seated, buckled in with his backpack underneath the seat in front of him.

3:30pm/9:30pm – We are beginning to taxi. Thing 1 is "reading" the safety pamphlet. Thing 2 is flipping through a Lufthansa magazine telling me about the pictures. She then plays with her headphones and is amused by the music she hears coming out them. We begin to pretend that we are the Little Einsteins and are about to blast off. Thing 2 begins to pat-pat-pat on her lap and plays along. We are airborne!

5:00pm/11pm – Thing 2 has not had a nap today. A flight attendant brings out an early meal for her. She eats a bit, but she is more tired than sleepy. I need to keep her up a bit longer. Out comes the DVD player and as she focuses on that, Arthur and the Invisibles starts on the flight screens. Both kids are happy and entertained.

7:00pm/1am - The kids need to get some rest. What I am about to describe, only a parent can understand. Thing 2 is constipated. Either that or she is not comfortable pooping on the plane. She keeps grunting in her seat and it is obvious that nothing is happening. I take her to the bathroom which she hates since it is so small. I check her diaper and nothing. I rub her tummy and try to move her legs a bit to give her some support in case she wants to go. Nothing. I put on a fresh diaper. She is irritable at this point. She drinks her bottle of milk (not the best option for her predicament, but a soothing one to her) and passes out within the hour crying out in her sleep periodically due to the gas pains she must have been experiencing. Mylicon is the one medication I wish I had brought.

8:00pm/2am – The DVD player battery dies. Thing 1 willingly falls asleep shortly after. As people begin reclining their chairs, I begin to wonder why small commuter planes seem to have more leg room than these larger planes used for transatlantic flights. If someone reclines their chair, you practically have their headrest in front of your face. It makes no sense. It should be the other way around. I try to dose off, but Thing 2 is obviously uncomfortable and keeps tossing, turning and crying out every so often. Another child is screaming down the aisles. I am thankful it is not my child.

9:00pm/3am – Thing 2 is up again. She tries to wake up her brother, but he is sound asleep. She throws a minor fit before I give her the "not acceptable" menacing look and she gets herself together. She begins watching a little of the second in-flight movie and babbles for about 45 minutes before falling asleep again.

10pm/4am– I finally dose off for about an hour.

5am/11pm (EST) – Coffee and breakfast are being served. The kids are sound asleep. I am exhausted.

6:15am/12:15am (EST) – Passengers clap as we land in Frankfurt . Exhaustion (and Thing 2’s constipation) aside, the flight was uneventful. I change Thing 2 into her regular clothes while we wait to deplane. Thing 1 is not waking easily. He says he wants to stay in Germany . I finally tell him that we have 1 hour to catch our connecting flight and if we miss it, we won't see daddy today. He gets up. We deplane and make our way to our transfer terminal and through security once again. I make everyone go to the bathroom (Thing 2 is still constipated!) and we make it to the gate with 10 minutes to spare.

6:55am/12:55am (EST) - I let Thing 2 walk around the waiting area. A little activity may help her situation. Thing 1 has a snack while I read a USA Today paper.

7:15 am/1:15am (EST) – We board our next flight and the flight attendant tells me that my car seat (which I just used on another one of their flights) does not meet their "regulations" for the aircraft. He will have to ask a supervisor. I tell him don't bother – just take the seat. It has been a hassle to carry.

7:45am/1:45am (EST) – Thing 2 is quite happy in her own seat and looks very proud of her "big girl" privilege. The flight attendant asks me how old Thing 2 is. I know what he is getting at: children under 2 have to be harnessed to their parent during takeoff. I lie "she just turned 2." She is wearing size 24 month clothing after all, so technically she passes for 2. They leave me alone and Thing 2 has harness free flight. She eats her breakfast. Thing 1 plays with his toys.

8:30am/2:30am (EST) – I smell something foul. Thing 2 has pooped. We get up to change her diaper. There is only one bathroom with a changing table and some woman was in it putting on make up for at least 15 minutes. I gave her a dirty look as she exited. Thing 2 feels much better. She is clean and fed.

9:15am/3:15am (EST) - Thing 2 passes out in her seat as the plane lands in Warsaw . We deplane and make it to the terminal for passport control. I am the first in line. However, there are three guys at the window and guess where they are from? United Arab Emirates ! So, we have the Polish version of the national guard reviewing their documents, and not one, but two agents reviewing the passports. I appreciate their thoroughness, but my patience is wearing thin. The only thing that makes it tolerable is that the kids remained quiet during our wait. While I am the first in line, I am the last from my flight to clear passport control. My bags are ready for pick up on the belt. The Cat is calling on the cell phone.

9:45am/3:45am (EST) – The Cat is waiting at the terminal with flowers for me. Thing 1 practically abandons Thing 2’s stroller as he runs to his dad saying "I miss-ed (pronounced just like that) you so much daddy! I am so excited to be home." Thing 2 begins to kick her legs and throw her hands up in the air for daddy to pick her up.

12:30pm/6:30am (EST) – After a shower and lunch, I pass out for an afternoon nap. The kids play with the Cat and begin dropping like flies around 2pm. My nap helps get me through the evening, but I am up Sunday morning at 5am wandering the house aimlessly while everyone sleeps until about 10am.

Jet lag continues for about 5 days….

THE END!