SkyMall Confetti and Other Fun Travel Tips

So the flight attendant watches your kid? Hmmm

Just returned from a trip to run the Austin, TX half-marathon with my mom and sister Ashley. Why Austin? people have asked. We picked it because the Disney Half-Marathon was sold out, we'd heard great things about the city (a liberal/democratic/musical oasis in the Lone Star State), and it fit within a couple of teacher vacation schedules that restrict our family's travel window.

I knew we'd want to get out of dodge in the dead of winter, and we never have plans to do so (leave it to our family to throw in a half-marathon to make it a REAL vacation). As expected, it was great to have a plane ticket in hand; this winter has been a showcase of snowstorms, black ice, and frigid temps. I wish we were skiing or snowshoeing to capitalize on the white weather, but those activities straight up don't fit into our lives these days.

I'd say a stroller is an airport necessity

Anyway, who cares about winter? We traveled down south with my parents, who are able and willing to lend a hand (Who am I kidding? My mom is our very own Mary Poppins/Mrs. Doubtfire). While preparing the day before our trip, I thought we had somewhat of a logical packing strategy. I tripled up the girls stuff with my own so we had one decent-sized roller bag, each person had a carry-on (including Edie), we'd use our CityMini stroller with car seat attachment for Emmeline, push Edie in an umbrella stroller, and Dave would sherpa the other car seat. Easy....breezy. One hour at Bradley revealed I was way, way off. Four adults were so up to our eyeballs in kids and associated gear that we caused some serious pedestrian traffic jams in the TSA line. On one flight I realized I was holding the canopy to the umbrella stroller, which had snapped off, as a carry-on. What??

This quick getaway was not only a respite from crusty old snowbanks, but a crash course in how not to travel with a preschooler and infant, even with auxiliary forces. Let me share my new-found wisdom:

1. Invest in one large rolling bag and pack the family's stuff in it. Forget multiple small duffels, cute kid-friendly roller bags/ride-on animals. I'm talking industrial strength, family-of-four, your-black-lab-would-fit-in-it roller bag. Pay the $25 to check it for the airlines that charge that ridic fee, clap your (free) hands, and move on to the TSA line.



Cute, but it won't help you get to Gate D4 in a hurry.

2. The diaper bag is now your carry-on. Use a small wallet and purse that fits in the diaper bag. I pilfered Edie's $2 sparkle wallet with the bare minimum of cards and ID, and it worked perfectly. I popped it in my back pocket just like a guy would, and have never felt so free (although Edie didn't miss an opportunity to remind my that it's hers).
3. Bring snacks for yourself, too. I packed decent food options for my kids and totally neglected myself and Dave. We had to buy sub-par $10 sandwiches on the plane, and arrived in Austin nauseous and hangry (look it up, it means hungry and subsequently angry).
4. Buy the infant a plane ticket. If you don't, chances are you'll have a squirmy/cranky/curious baby in arms the whole way. Emmeline was making confetti out of the SkyMall magazine three minutes after we boarded, and she was bored two minutes later. Honestly, even if the babes fall asleep no one is comfortable; you can barely read or get a drink. We played free baby seat roulette on the four flights (see #7 below), and didn't luck out on any of them. Although a seat is not required until the kid is two, it' is worth the hundreds they cost.



Martha Stewart, take note for your next
craft project.



5. ....Or give the child a little baby Benadryl. We've all done it and the kids are fine, and it's cheaper than buying the aforementioned seat.
6. Rent everything at your destination. An infant car seat is a must for the plane (for her comfort, our sanity) and strollers have some benefit too, but the pack n' plays, toddler car seat, toys, and high chairs are cumbersome and unnecessary. Ashley found a service called Baby's Away that rents all things kid and has outposts in major cities. We received a Tupperware box on our doorstep with books, puzzles, and bath toys, along with inflatable toddler beds and sheets, portable cribs, etc. You can order anything. Next time, I will.
7. Avoid the layover. One of the downers of CT living is the lack of direct flights. We can get to DC, Chicago, or Orlando pretty well, but that's about it. Our return trip included a 35 minute layover in Atlanta. I've heard the city has pretty bad sprawl, and their airport is no different. Our flight from Austin was 20 minutes late, and we got anxious when we landed and realized time wasn't on our side. We waited for 10 minutes for our strollers and car seats to be returned to gate check, and by now my brow was starting to sweat. The flight attendants at the gate refused to call the other gate and ask them to wait, so Dave ran ahead, carrying Edie's car seat ON HIS HEAD, running from Terminal C to D. Yes this also involved a cross-terminal tram. My parents had caught a different flight home and kept the umbrella stroller. Therefore I had the pipsqueak in her stroller and Edie with her own carry-on (big mistake), plus luggage. We needed to hoof it. Since this trip revolved around the half-marathon, I'm in pretty good running shape, but not with gear, while pushing a stroller, and a preschooler on foot. While booking it, Edie starts wimpering that her feet hurt, her bag's too heavy, she's thirsty. I basically grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and did my best to haul ass to Gate D4. At one point, she decides she does want to run, and she's like, "It's ok! I have super powers!" Which was very cute. Even still we didn't make the connection and spent some quality time in the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport yesterday. To avoid the layover our options are to either go somewhere that Bradley serves directly, drive to Boston or NYC and catch a direct flight from there, or avoid flying for five years. 
   

   

   This might've helped haul all of our stuff.



8. If you can't avoid a connection, build in a better buffer. By my calculations, one half hour layover + two little kids + all their sh!t - their ability to carry anything = one hour minimum to schlep comfortably to the next gate. I assume every airport is as dinky as Bradley, when in fact many of them have their own mass transit system. Don't discount the sheer size of these aero-metropolises.


9. Load some movies on your tablet. I normally limit screen time, but all bets are off when we're on a plane or in the airport for an extended stay. Edie watched Despicable Me twice in a row and we were all better off.


10. Dave has hereby banned all flights that depart before 9am or red-eyes. Basically, anything that seriously impacts our sleep is not allowed. So now we'll fly between 9-5, ideal times when the rest of the world wants to fly too. Can't wait to see those prices!

Layovers mean more walking practice, my favorite!

Despite the travel hiccups, we had a great trip. I wish we had one more day to cash in on the exhaustive travel, but it was lovely to feel the sun on our backs, to eat tacos from food carts (they're everywhere!!), and to race with my intrepid mom and sister, followed by one-hour sports massage at Austin's best spa. We also unexpectedly spent time with Seattle friends in town.

Cuties at the gate

I'll give you the play-by-play race account you're dying to hear next time.