Surviving the friendly skies alone with toddlers

I love my family. They are my best friends and I love to spend time with them. Unfortunately for me, I live in Texas, a minimum of two flights and one layover away. While I am always so happy to be home, the journey is typically dreadful. I'm sure whoever came up with "Fly the Friendly Skies" has never flown alone with 2 toddlers. Traveling as an adult isn't all that fun, add 2 toddlers under 3 and the fun factor quickly spirals down to zero. While it isn't ideal, it is better than a 40 hour drive, so as I pack and prepare for another solo trip to visit my family with both kiddos, here are some things that really seem to help our trips go better.

1. Get to the airport at least 1 hour before you would flying alone: 
Everything takes longer with kids: security, bathroom stops, even just walking to the gate. Being rushed makes it so much worse.

2. Check it. All of it. 
I HATE checking bags, they always get lost. But when I travel alone with my kids I check everything. Cheapness aside, it is not feasible to wheel my bag, push the stroller and make sure one or both kids doesn't run away.

3. Only bring what can fit under or on the stroller comfortably:
This insures I have 2 free hands at all times to grab a running child, push the stroller and do heaven knows what else. Also, only carry on bags that fit easily under the seat. It is a huge pain to get things out of overhead bins when you have a one year old attempting to escape. And of course Pumpkin is going to spill something when the fasten seatbelt sign is on and I can't get the wipes.

4. If you have assigned seats, board at the last possible minute: 
This way, my kids only have to sit on the plane for the shortest time possible and aren't fussy before we've even pulled out from the gate. (If I am traveling with someone else, one of us actually boards early, and gets everything situated, with the other bringing the kids on last minute).

5. Eat or suck during takeoff / landing: 
Make sure the kiddos are either eating or sucking during takeoff and landing to avoid ear problems.

6. Check your bulky diaper bag / purse, and bring a backpack on the plane: 
I can wear the backpack, carry Bub, and hold Pumpkin's hand, all while fitting down those crazy narrow rows. In my backpack I pack diapers (1 for every 2 hours en route, and an extra pair of underwear for Pumpkin), wipes (an entire pack, to clean up messes and wipe bums), 2 shirts and one bottom for each kiddo and an extra shirt for me ... you never know. In this bag I also have 3 plastic bags for dirty clothes, binkies and a muslin wrap in case it is freezing on the plane.

7. Leave toys, books etc at home. 
I subscribe to the theory that less is more when it comes to toys / books. My kids attention spans are non-existent, so instead of bringing heavy books and toys, I bring 4 crayons (who really needs 10 anyway, they only have 2 hands each), cheap sticker books from the target $1 section and a couple stacks of post-its. Seriously, post-its entertain my kids for a long time. All of this goes in the backpack.

The cheaper the better, Targets $1 aisle usually has a few good options.

8. Food. More is more.
While less is more when it comes to toys, for food I am completely opposite. I really believe most problems can be solved (at least temporarily) by a snack or a nap, so I never go anywhere without food and lots of it. I pack each child a full lunchbox with all foods they can feed themselves. Examples include, PB sandwiches, goldfish, grapes, bananas, cherry tomatoes, carrots, snap peas, peppers, cheese sticks. I also bring 2 identical sippy cups (no fighting), 2 bibs and a small dish towel to wipe up any spills / messes. I pack the food into Pumpkin's school backpack, and she wears it on and off the plane. She loves helping and it helps give me an extra arm to carry Bub (and makes my backpack lighter, score).

9. Trump card: Fruit snacks, applesauce packets and dum dums. 
These I hide in the bottom of the backpack and use for when Bub wants to run around the plane.

10. Final Trump card: my iPhone. 
In a perfect world we would all read stories, practice letters, sing kumbaya and be happy the entire 4 hours of both flights. But in my world, one or both of my kids will be upset about something, and when that happens, sometimes the only thing that will make it better is that stupid Cat (My Talking Tom). Because of this, I make sure my phone is fully charged before we leave and I try to get a few new games for Pumpkin to play. Bub is still too little to really understand, so I just bring an old iPod so he can hold something and feel included.

11. It's only XX hours (in my case 8):
It seems like an eternity, but thankfully there is an end time, and even if both kids cry hysterically or puke or refuse to nap or whatever, there is an end time and you will likely never see any of these people again.

And at the end of it I get to be home :)