I'm Leaving, On a Jet Plane...

Today is going to be a test of survival. Only the worthy will make it out alive.

There will be delays.
There will be angry passengers.
And there will be moments of hunger.

But I.
Must.
Remain.
Calm.

This afternoon I will be traveling from Chicago back to New York City. No biggie right? Well, the problem is there was a blizzard last night on the East Coast and hundreds of flights were canceled including ours. Delta rerouted us along with 50,000 other passengers and now instead of traveling on a cushy non-crowded flight, I am stuck on a sold out one. Normally, I would just wait an extra day or two to travel, but this time I can't. We are going to see Sesame Street Live this weekend and I couldn't deprive Oliver of an event he is sure to love. While I have traveled countless times with Oliver before by myself, the past two flights have made me realize that traveling with a tot is very different than traveling with a baby. 

1- Babies sleep during the flight. 
2- They stare in wonderment at the call button. 
3- They sit contentedly in your lap.

Fine, they might cry because they are teething, but that's nothing that a little Motrin can't fix.
Toddlers on the other hand are a completely different animal:

1- They don't sleep anymore because they are down to one nap a day which they will decide not to take for any given reason.
2- They don't stare at the call button, they want to press the call button over and over which really tends to piss off flight attendents. 
3-They don't sit happily on your lap, they want to run, jump, and explore which directly contradicts the whole "fasten your seatbelt we are an active runway" type of thing.

I'm already empathizing with the poor soul forced to sit next us.

There is a bright side. In just a few months Oliver may not be 100% compliant, but at least I'll be able to bribe him with toys and candy. I'm counting down the days!

So, the moral of the story is if you happen to be traveling tomorrow on the Delta shuttle and you see a Mother losing her mind trying to calm down a crazy tot, be sensitive because I'm doing my very best. And, if you play peek-a-boo with Oliver, I'll buy you a shot on the plane and give you a set of earplugs.