AreWeThereYet?AreWeThereYet?

Mother's Day: Breastfeeding On The Go

I am a modest person.  During gym class in my formative years,  I always turned the front of my body toward the locker when changing.  Nowadays, at the YMCA, I dive into a dressing room to get changed.  I never liked breastfeeding in public (I certainly wasn't as carefree as that mom I saw the other day breastfeeding her child in the Jewel while grocery shopping), but traveling with a baby definitely puts some extra constraints on feeding time.  During the 11 months I breastfed, I did it:  in the back seat of the car (don't worry, the car was safely parked), at a drive-through hot dog stand, in a restaurant, at Millennium Park, in a hotel room, in other people's bedrooms, in an airport waiting area, and on the airplane.  From my experience, I learned a few things:

• The toughest thing about breastfeeding in public is getting started without flashing the rest of humanity. There are a lot of products out there to help, but at the end of the day, you still have to do some unbuttoning, releasing of bra flaps, and positioning the baby.  For a while, I tried to hide this process with a blanket.  But it always seemed to slip down at the most inopportune moment (like at the outdoor concert in Millennium Park when a bunch of high schoolers on a field trip walked by me at the exact moment I was pulling my boob out to feed TJ, and the blanket fell down).  Ugh.
• So, I purchased The First Years Nursing CoverUp by Learning Curve, which did help a little.  Of course, then I got a few questioning looks because TJ liked to punch and kick the shawl, so it looked like I was hiding a small raccoon or something on my lap.  But at least I had a little more privacy.  There is another clever product that some of my girlfriends swear by (although I've never tried it), called the Hooter Hider Bloomst by Hooter Hider.  Even if the Hooter Hider doesn't work so well, at least you have a good conversation piece!
• You know how mobsters always want to sit in the back corner of a restaurant facing everyone?  Well, breastfeeding moms are like the anti-mobster.  If you know you'll be breastfeeding in a public place at some point during your visit, scope out a more secluded area or a corner where you can face away from the crowd and choose to sit there.  This advice works for restaurants, airport waiting areas, and public parks not currently hosting field trips. 
• High school kids notwithstanding, most men are actually pretty oblivious to public breastfeeding, so don't worry about it too much.  If you stare at the wall and pretend like nothing is going on down there, they will likely believe you are just a lady with a shawl sitting in the airport.  I am now adept at spotting other breastfeeding mothers, and if I drop a comment about it, Travelin' Dad inevitably says, "Who is breastfeeding?  Oh, that lady over there, really?"  Women are more likely to notice breastfeeding, but they are usually very understanding.

Of course, there are bound to be a few downright humiliating incidents while breastfeeding on the road. I've flashed passengers boarding an airplane, found breast shields clinging to my clothes hours after breastfeeding, and had to pump in the middle of a Las Vegas airport bathroom, but I received few stares during even these most embarrassing moments (of course, anything goes in Vegas-- if you have to breastfeed/pump in public, that's a good destination to do it).  So, you should take solace that: (1) most people will either not notice or not care that you're breastfeeding in public and (2) if you take a few simple precautions, breastfeeding during travel will hopefully be the least memorable part of your trip.

   

The Sounds of Hotel Silence

A recent NY Times article discusses a new (and welcome) focus by hotels:  soundproofing.  Chains, always competing to offer the best amenities to prospective travelers, have finally figured out two of the most important amenities:  peace and quiet.  Some efforts include:

• AmericInn chain's "SoundGuard" program, in which the hotel uses masonry blocks filled with sound-deadening foam, in addition to drywall that is 5/8-inch thick, instead of ½-inch, to muffle noise.
• Loews Hotels has been offering free sound-masking machines that emit white noise for light-sleeping guests.
• Luxury hotels like Le Parker Meridien New York have eliminated most of the internal doors that once connected two guest rooms, a prime noise source.

While people find an amazing array of things to complain about when it comes to hotel rooms (no in-room coffee maker!  spotty wireless!), there are really four major complaints one can make about a hotel stay:

1. Bad/inconvenient location;
2. Dirty rooms;
3. Small Rooms; and
4. Noisy.

In this Internet age, if you're not happy with a hotel's location, you have nobody to blame but yourself.  There's no reason to rely on a hotel's statement that it's in "the middle of it all" when you can just look at Mapquest and travel review sites to figure out that "it all" is short for "skid row."    Complaints two through four are tougher to predict ahead of time, as a hotel room's cleanliness, size, and noisiness can vary from room to room.  Also, individual travelers' tolerance for these issues varies.  A hard-of-hearing neat freak might really value a noisy but clean room, whereas a light sleeper would rather sleep on a dirt pile than listen to the elevator dinging all night. 

On that note, families with children probably value quiet more than your average traveler.  First, you don't want anything waking your kids up in the middle of the night, because they might not go back to sleep, and they'll quickly advise you of this fact.  Second, if you have a crying baby or rambunctious pre-teens, you'll be less stressed if you know their cries and screams are muffled by the walls separating you from your neighbor. 

So, you can keep your rain shower heads, your eucalyptus bath products, and your in-room pilates kit.  None of those things make me feel nearly as good as eight hours of uninterrupted sleep by Travelin' Junior will.  I'll be on the lookout for the latest in noise reduction.  Exhibit A:  AmericInn, the beautiful.

Farecast.com: A Cool Site Gets Cooler

Travelin' Mom and I became more sensitive to airline ticket prices once we had to purchase a ticket for Travelin' Junior, which basically increased our flying costs by by 50%.  So, we were happy to discover farecast.com.  Farecast.com has been winning accolades for well over a year now, from Time Magazine's 50 Coolest Websites list to the Web 2.0 award for best travel site.  Basically, farecast gives you an informed prediction (based on statistics they've collected) as to whether the fare for a particular flight will go up or down in the next seven days.  Most of us play the fare prediction game every time we book travel, and it sure is nice to have a little help now.  Put another way, if you had a website that told you which way the stock market was going next, you'd be logging on, wouldn't you?  Well, farecast may not handle stocks, but it might save you a little extra dough to cover your investment losses.

More specifically, along with an impressive array of data (check the site out yourself to see all the bells and whistles), farecast will give you a bottom-line tip as to whether to wait on a fair or purchase it now.  In case you think they're flipping a coin to decide, farecast also gives you a rating (1 to 100%) as to how confident the site is in its prediction.  You'll also see how the current low fare compares to the historical low fare for the past 90 days.  All good stuff. 

And now, as if farecast already wasn't going to win some type of travel Nobel prize (what? that doesn't exist?), the site added another great feature.  This feature, still in "beta" testing format, will allow you to better evaluate hotel rates.  Just put in your desired city and the dates of your stay and Farecast will create a list of available hotels, color coded to tell you if you're getting a "deal" rate, "average" rate, or "not a deal." (the polite way of saying "gouged.")  You can also narrow your search by number of stars, hotel amenities, hotel brand, location, etc.  This hotel search tool is especially handy because, while you may have an idea what airfare rates usually cost from your home airport to various destination, you probably haven't spent much time following the ebbs and flows of hotel prices in various cities.  If you have, it's time to seriously think about finding a hobby.   

All that being said, farecast isn't perfect.  Farecast doesn't cover every airport or hotel city (it currently handles 75 home airports for flights and 30 destination cities for hotels.)  Also, it seems the airfare and hotel tools only predict out about 90 days, when many of us shop earlier than that to earn the best fares/rates.  And, although I haven't seen any type of disclaimer on the website, I've got to imagine that, like in the stock market, past performance is no guarantee of future results.  But, it's a helluva lot more information than we'd be armed with otherwise. 

When Bad Things Happen to Good Dolls

By now you may have heard the story of poor nine-year old Abby Ann Telan from Orlando.  She and her family spent a nice weekend in Chicago.  She even brought her favorite doll for a hair styling at American Girl Place.  Unfortunately, the hairdo probably didn't last.  You see, the bag Abby's doll was traveling in was sucked out of the cargo hold of her Delta flight back home, sending her vacation memories from the family scrapbook to the scrap heap before ever reaching a comfortable cruising altitude.  While the chances of your prized possessions getting sucked out of an airplane door are pretty slim (I hope), this incident merely represents one of the more creative ways your child's favorite toy or lovey can be lost forever in your travels. 

Many children have some object that soothes or comforts them, which means many parents have spent some un-soothing, uncomfortable moments thinking about what happens when that item goes missing.  Obviously, the more well-traveled the item, the more likely it is to get lost.  Which means, when it comes time to travel, you have three options:

1. Leave the lovey home.  This clearly solves the problem of losing the lovey.  On the other hand, you're now asking your child to endure schedule-scrambling travel to unfamiliar surroundings without his go-to comfort item.  Probably not a recipe for smooth sailing. 
2. Bring the bear, buy a spare.  This is the most stress-free option.  Your kid has his comfort item, and you're comforted in knowing the item's doppelganger is safely sitting at home.  Just don't let your kid see them both at the same time-- it could blow his mind.
3. Bring the doll, cross your digits.  Some items are one-of-a-kind.  Or maybe you just haven't gotten around to buying a spare yet, or maybe your child's lovely is so well-loved any replacement would be an obviously inferior impostor, or maybe. . .   You get the idea.  You can't always have a backup lovey.  Should you decide to travel with it anyway, your kid will have all the comforts of home, and you'll have an extra family member to closely monitor (i.e., not put in a cargo hold).  Only you can decide if the risks outweigh the benefits. 

On the bright side, American Girl place quickly stepped in and replaced Abby's doll.  So, if you're going to lose your child's favorite security item when traveling, try to do it in a creative enough way to attract media attention.  It makes finding a replacement so much easier. 

Mother's Day: Packing The Carry-on

Before I had kids, I put little thought into what I threw into my airplane carry-on.  Some gum, a trashy magazine, a novel, maybe an eye mask so I could catch some zzzzs.  Now, I write a list five days before the trip, go shopping three days before, pack the bag the night before, and double check it the morning of. I’m sure you’ve been burned by the "oops, I wish I packed some more wipes" syndrome.  So, I’ve put together a handy reference list for moms to consider next time they are packing:

1. DO NOT pack anything for yourself other than your wallet and cell phone. You have no room for Cosmo, and your entertainment will be trying to keep your child happy.

2. DO pack lots of healthy snacks for the little ones. Some favorites: Gerber Graduates Fruit & Veggie Puffs, Gerber Graduates Mini Fruit (100% dried fruit), and Kashi Heart to Heart cereal.  Try them in a snack trap, so the kids can eat at their own pace without littering the aisles too much.  Other big hits include Earth’s Best Sunny Days Snack Bars(apple or strawberry, mmm), deli turkey for protein, and string cheese (throw these last two into your insulated bottle bag).

3. DO NOT pack messy/stinky foods like bananas, and try to avoid fast food like McDonald’s at the airport.

4. DO pack a bottle/sippy cup (or two) with milk, breast milk, formula, or juice (note: according to TSA, baby formula and food, milk, breast milk, and juice are allowed in "reasonable quantities" exceeding three ounces, and are not required to be in a zip-lock bag) - sucking especially helps ease ear pain on take off and landing.  Similarly, if your child is into a pacifier, pack it.

5. DO NOT pack enough diapers for the whole trip - you need to conserve space and go easy on your back! Depending on the length of your flight, only pack 2-3 max.  You can buy the jumbo pack of diapers once you reach your destination.  Also, a travel changing pad is a good idea - most airplanes do not have a changing station.  One flight, my son would have been changed directly on the toilet seat lid were it not for my handy pad.

6. DO pack a change of clothes for your child.  No matter how well those Huggies work at home, the airplane is bound to be the one time there is a blowout.

7. DO NOT pack toys with too many little parts (like puzzles) or toys that make noise. Most of your neighbors will be annoyed the second they see you head for the seat in front of them - don’t give them anything more to work with.

8. DO pack something old, something new.  Something old: pack a favorite blanket, lovie, or small stuffed animal for your child to sleep with and a favorite book with peekaboo flaps.  Something new: check out the $1 section at the front of most Targets for cheap flash cards (we love the animal ones), coloring books, or pick up a new book at Barnes & Noble.

9. DO NOT pack a bulky pack of wipes.  Rather, pack one of the smaller bundles that often come free with the jumbo box of diapers.  Throw in extra wet ones (to swipe down the arm rests and tray table) and a travel size of hand sanitizer.

10. DO pack a DVD player, battery pack, and a few DVDs.  Although we generally do not let our son watch TV at home, all rules go out the window when we are trapped in a confined space for a few hours with fliers who may not have the same patience level for fussy children.  Our son is particularly addicted to Sesame Street Elmo’s World collections - we highly recommend Babies, Dogs and More. 

Remember, the trick is to conserve space and weight, but pack the essentials to keep your child nourished and entertained.  Happy travels!

Rolling the Dice

No, this isn't a "Las Vegas with Kids" entry.  Travelin' Mom and I contemplated bringing Travelin' Junior on a trip we had to take to Vegas last January, but every time I looked up advice on bringing small children to Vegas, the message was essentially the same:  Just don't.  So, we didn't. 

I'm talking about a different kind of gamble that most parents take every time they travel, whether long distance or local:  the gamble that involves predicting how their children will behave.  Some parents assume the worst and venture out only when they have to.  Other parents ignore the possibility of things going awry, and travel whenever they wish.  Many parents, like TM and I, try to gauge how our child will respond to a particular outing, and then determine whether it's still worth going. 

Of course, the problem with predictions is that they're not always accurate.  On occasion, TM and I have wrongly gauged TJ's mood to comically disastrous results.  But, then there are also those great times when, even though you're not sure you should be making an outing, you do, and your kid rises to the occasion and you have a great time.  What's more fun than exceeding lowered expectations?

We had a small example of such a time this weekend.  TM and I had our minds set on visiting our favorite local Mexican restaurant.  Unfortunately, as the day wore on we realized that TJ was in "I need a change of scenery every 30 seconds to keep me entertained" mode.  And he was letting the world know about it when that scenery change didn't come quickly enough.  After some deliberation, TM and I decided to roll the dice and go out to eat anyway; the lure of the chimichanga was worth the risk.  Hopefully, TJ would find the Mexican restaurant entertaining enough.  If not, we'd resort to Plan B: ask for stronger margaritas and drink fast. 

Thankfully, TJ decided that the frantic comings-and-goings of the restaurant were much more entertaining than those two dolts, Mom and Dad, had been all day.  He was in a great mood and ate a bigger dinner than he had in days.  He must have felt the same way we had-- we couldn't remember a meal tasting so good lately.

The moral of the story?  Roll the dice once in a while.  Sure, you might crap out.  But, you also might hit the jackpot, or at least the Mexican food equivalent.   

A Fodors/Frommers-Type Guide for Families

When my brother first visited Chicago after TJ was born, he brought a very thoughtful gift we had not seen before:  The lila guide for San Francisco (where my brother lives).  It was his way of saying, "Come visit, and bring the kid."  And, we'll be taking him up on his offer shortly.  We were just kind of hoping Elmo would come out with a 4-hour Lord-of-the-Rings-type epic in the interim to guarantee an uneventful flight. 

Nonetheless, the lila guide was a great gift because it showed all the kid-friendly things we could do in San Francisco.  While the lila guide ("Lila" is evidently the guide creator's daughter's name) started in San Francisco, there are now lila guides for 20 different cities in print, from Atlanta to Washington D.C. (They should do a Zephyr, Texas or Zion, Missouri guide just so they can get that whole "A-Z" gimmick working).  Although a good chunk of each city guide pertains more to locals (sections on things like maternity stores, baby gear stores, mom's groups, etc.), each guide also covers essential info for traveling families:  kid-friendly restaurants, parks, playspaces, and outings. 

Although the books are handy to travel with and make a great gift, you can also get tons of relevant information from the lilaguide website for free.  The site provides user-generated info for 26 specific locations (sorry, still no "Z" cities).  So, if adding one more book to your packing list will break either your back or your budget, you can just check out the city you're visiting's lilaguide site before you travel.  As an added bonus (warning: infomercial mode), if you contribute 10 reviews to the lilaguide website, you get a free hardcopy lila guide.  It's a blogger's dream:  getting paid to push your opinion on others. 

On the Bright Side, They Caught 100% of Explosives Hidden in Water Bottles

Big news today regarding airport screeners' inability to detect decoy explosives.  TSA screeners at O'Hare security checkpoints missed 60% of simulated explosives hidden in agents' carry-ons or clothing.  The failure rate at LAX was 75%. 

The TSA's explanation?  Testing is much tougher today, as the mock bomb components are often no bigger than a pen cap.  According to the visual from one TV report I saw, older tests used fake bombs with large, ticking clocks attached to taped-together sticks of dynamite.  That's great for stopping Wile E. Coyote.  It's probably not as effective for catching terrorists. 

In these times, most passengers think about air safety whenever they fly.  Parents traveling with children, or parents traveling without their children, may think about it even more.  Will the latest news discourage anyone from taking trips?  Probably not many.   But, it may become more difficult to go through those security lines with a smile.  When we use our one free arm to collapse and uncollapse strollers, remove infants' shoes for x-ray, and dump out sippy cups, we do so in the name of increased safety.  If heightened procedures aren't yielding heightened results, maybe it's time to reevaluate. 

Mother's Day: Mile-High Club

I joined a very different kind of Mile High Club in August, 2007, on a little American Eagle propeller plane traveling from New York to Bangor, Maine.  Our first flight of the morning (from Chicago to New York) was delayed, so we tore through LaGuardia Airport at light speed (only slowing down when we realized we had to go through security AGAIN), to get to our next flight.  No time for a bathroom break in the airport - but so what, Travelin' Junior (TJ) still smelled fresh as a daisy!  We raced up the steps to our tiny plane, ducked our heads going down the aisle, and strapped TJ's car seat in position.  With five minutes to spare, I relaxed and enjoyed the take off. 

That's when I smelled it. TJ had definitely stunk it up.  On a plane that little, even I couldn't deny the stench radiating from my child.  So, TJ and I headed to the lavatory. At first it all seemed sort of funny as I negotiated through the flimsy, narrow door frame with a 16-month old baby on my hip, diaper bag slung over my shoulder.  Then, not so much.  We were so tightly packed in there that I could hardly close the door. I searched for a changing station (button to flush toilet, check; sink, check; kleenex dispenser, check; toilet paper, check) - NO PLACE TO CHANGE TJ?! The counter was out of the question - it consisted only of a dollhouse-sized sink.  The floor space was taken up by my feet.  Hmmm . . . must get creative here. 

The only possible flat-sized surface was the toilet seat.  I put the lid down, and pulled out my ever-handy plastic travel changing pad (thank goodness I packed it!) I spread the pad on the toilet seat, and laid TJ down.  He gave me an inquiring look - the top of his head was jammed against the wall, and his legs dangled into oblivion, but his butt was definitely on solid ground. Crouching to be at his level, I pulled off his shoes, pants (all while singing Old MacDonald so TJ wouldn’t be more freaked out than he already was - could the other passengers hear this?) - took off the Big Bird diaper, and gasped. What had this kid eaten?  Ten wipes later, TJ’s bottom was clean, and I reversed the process - slapped on a fresh diaper and replaced the clothing and shoes.  I jammed the loaded diaper and used wipes down the tiny trash chute (what else was I supposed to do with it?), rubbed on some hand sanitizer, and threw open the door with an enormous grin on my face. We did it! TJ and I had just become members of the diaper-change mile high club ("DCMHC"). Unfortunately, I don't think the next person to use that lavatory shared in our enthusiasm. . . .

You're Grounded

I recently read with horror a USA Today article about a US Airways flight from NY to Phoenix that sat on the tarmac for seven hours at JFK before finally departing.  That's miserable for any passenger.  Now imagine having your young child sitting next to you.  Having just finished another relatively successful travel experience with Travelin' Junior, Travelin' Mom and I got home and excitedly booked our next trip.  Had we just stepped off that US Airways flight instead, I don't think we'd be nearly as quick to pull the travel trigger.  Kids or no kids, you obviously always expect some problems on a trip.  But, nobody bargains for a a seven-hour runway sit-in. 

Problem is, you can't predict whether a flight you scheduled three months earlier will be affected by weather, or a maintenance issue, or the general mass chaos that is O'Hare air traffic (okay, that last one you can sort of see coming).  Delay situations are all too common these days.  Bureau of Transportation Statistics data show that you had only a 72% chance of arriving at your destination on time through August of this year.  The BTS also noted over 150 flights that were grounded on the tarmac for three or more hours in August.  Even though those flights make up way less than even 1/100th of a percent of total flights for the month, it still seems scary.  I wouldn't be too jazzed if somebody told me I stood a .0002% chance of suffering severe emotional trauma today.  Just check out the list:  an American flight from Chicago to New York sat on the ground for 5 hours, 25 minutes, a United flight from Washington DC to San Francisco was grounded for 4 hours, 36 minutes, etc.  These are pretty common, everyday flights we all take. 

Long story short, you travel enough, you're going to get a clunker commute now and then.  Realizing you occasionally have to pay your flight-delay dues might even help you cope with the wait while it's happening.  But, that's a very tough concept to get across to children, who I've noticed tend to live in the now.  When that "now" involves sitting in one place for five hours for no apparent reason, there's gonna be trouble.

So, what to do when you're stuck with your children on a grounded plane for several hours?  Beats me.  Although, I can say from limited experience that clicking your heels three times and wishing for home only works in movies.  The only advice I'd give is to pack for that plane trip as if it were twice as long (i.e., twice the diapers, formula, food, toys, books you think you'll need), because there's a decent chance it just may be.  Aside from that, I'd look to the "ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" department and take steps to lower the chances of getting stuck on a delayed plane in the first place:

• Book a direct flight.  Twice the flights means twice the chance for delay, not to mention twice the hassle of boarding and deplaning.  If you're considering more than one connection, you're either traveling from two unbelievably small cities or a masochist. 
• Take an early morning flight.  While many business travelers swear by booking the first flight of the day, that's not very practical if it means rousing a toddler at 5:00 a.m.  You might also run the risk of delays if flights are out of position from late-night delays the previous day.  So, just try to get one of the earlier flights of the day, before the cumulative plane logjam piles up the delays.  At the very least, try to avoid evening flights, when delays have piled up and more storms tend to occur. 
• Fly on off-peak days.  Before Travelin' Junior came along, Travelin' Mom and I joined the masses in the Wednesday-before-Thanksgiving/Sunday-after-Thanksgiving fly-a-thon.  Now, we fly out early Thanksgiving morning and return Monday afternoon, which (at least so far) has minimized flight delays and made for much easier airport experiences.  The same holds true for avoiding typical business travel days like Sunday, Monday, and Friday.
• Fly bigger, newer planes when possible.  They may be more capable of flying through weather and thus less prone to delays/grounding. 
• All things being equal, fly from/to the less crowded airport.  While it may not be worth going out of your way, if you're neutral about where you fly out of Chicago, you'll stand a better chance of avoiding delays at Midway Airport than O'Hare.  Same holds true for places like Long Beach airport rather than LAX, or Long Island rather than LaGuardia or JFK. 

Since none of these tips are exactly earth-shattering to those of us who have flown the friendly skies before, I'll give you one other very helpful tip you may not know about:  Check out the website avoiddelays.com.   It'll help you do just what the name says.  The site contains advice from air traffic controllers about avoiding flight delays.  That's like getting advice from day care providers about avoiding meltdowns.  Among other things, avoiddelays.com provides lists of the most delayed flights, wost departure and arrival airports, worst times to fly into or out of those airports, and average delays for specific airlines and airports.  Spending five minutes checking out these statistics before booking your flight could save you several hours of delay-induced pain later on.  Unless you've figured out how to make that heel-clicking thing work. . . .

And I Thought I Hated Southwest's New Boarding Policy

It appears some parents are more annoyed than I am with Southwest's boarding policy change, as they've actually started their own website.  The group "Stop Southwest Preboard" (a name I'm not sure accurately reflects their platform;  maybe Southwestpunishesparents.com was already taken) is urging traveling parents to voice their displeasure to Southwest over its elimination of family preboarding, including signing an online petition.  Unfortunately, it looks like the petition has garnered only seven signatures so far.    Maybe all the other parents are too busy searching for family-friendly flight options.

Trip Report: New York-- If I Can Make It There (Without A Meltdown). . . .

You know how they say getting there is half the battle?  Sometimes it's even more than that.  My wife (Travelin' Mom), son (Travelin' Junior), and I just returned from a great long weekend in New York after surviving a not-so-great start to the commute there.  First, a little background:  TJ is somewhat high-energy/high-maintenance in general, but has always been a good traveler, especially since TM and I added our "silver bullet"-- a portable DVD player capable of rocking an Elmo-a-thon at any critical time.  Although we felt confident in our bag of travel tricks, TJ had been getting over a cold and was uncharacteristically crabby the days before the trip, so we knew things could be different  (Note: I think this is what English teachers call "foreshadowing.").  Suffice it to say, "different" is being kind:

• 7:45:  Arrive Midway Airport for 9:15 a.m. Southwest flight to Long Island.
• 7:47:  Greeted by long line to check bags.
• 7:48:  Daydream wistfully about the days of only bringing a carry-on.
• 7:50:  (TJ from his stroller)  "Bye-Bye."
• 7:50:  (Us)  "We can't let you up right now, buddy.  We have to get through this line first."
• 7:50-8:00:  (TJ)  "Bye-Bye, Bye-Bye, Bye-Bye, Bye-Bye, Bye-Bye, Bye-Bye, Bye-Bye."
• 8:01:  Check-in.  Head to security.
• 8:05:  Face equally long security line.
• 8:06: (TJ) "Up, please."
• 8:06  (Us) "Soon, buddy.  You can walk around as soon as we get through this security line."
• 8:07  (TJ) "Up please, Bye-Bye, Bye-Bye, Bye-Bye, Up please, Bye-Bye, Up please."
• 8:20  Arrive at metal detector.  Begin juggling act of two people getting baggage for three, a car seat, a stroller, and a small, unhappy child all through metal detector.  While taking shoes on and off. 
• 8:21:  Told to remove DVD player from case for x-ray screening.
• 8:21:  TJ sees DVD player heading to x-ray and evidently thinks Elmo is being executed.
• 8:21- forever:  (TJ, wailing, flailing) "Elno! Elno! Elno!"
• 8:25:  Wailing continues.  We get "those" looks from passersby.
• 8:26:  I show TJ the DVD player back safely in our custody.  He continues wailing, unabated.
• 8:27: I hold my bawling, snot-gushing son up over my head and announce I have a lost baby I'd like someone to claim.  Please.  Quickly.  Only Travelin' Mom laughs.  Passersby shoot even worse looks at me.
• 8:30:  TJ finally calms down upon discovering the toy store wisely placed on the other side of security.  I hold my breath as a store employee plays with a two-foot tall, talking Elmo.  I ponder how I'll squeeze it into our already-overstuffed carry-on.  Mercifully, TJ never notices.  Things are looking up.   
• 8:45:  Arrive at our gate.  Stand firmly wedged in the A-Group cattle call line thanks to Southwest's brilliant new boarding policy. 
• 8:45-8:49:  Shamelessly elicit sympathy from nearby travelers who didn't know families with small kids couldn't pre-board on Southwest anymore. 
• 8:50:  TJ gets restless, constantly saying "beep, beep."  We let him walk around and quickly discover what "beep-beep" means, as he darts to the security door keypad, index finger poised for some button pushin'. 
• 8:51:  I sweep TJ up at the last second and explain how we're not allowed to touch the airport security door.  He remains unconvinced and throws a smaller-scale tantrum.  Small potatoes after Elmo's last rights back in security.  I almost chuckle.
• 9:05:  We mercifully board and try to pick seats a safe distance from anyone already boarded.  Unfortunately, our plane is less than ten miles long, so we settle for a two-row buffer zone from humanity. 
• 10:00:  After a half hour sitting on the runway and a half hour in flight, we give up hope that TJ will nap.  We pull out the DVD player in defeat.  Behold, the power of Elmo.  The rest of the flight is uneventful.  I spend it quietly praying that the travel gene does not skip a generation.

Mother's Day: SLEEP

Sleeping on the road can be difficult for kids (thus, difficult for parents).  We've found the best way to get some zzzzs while traveling is to mimic your sleeping arrangement at home.  Although, you can't magically transform your hotel room or your room at Grandma's into your child's usual pad, you can bring some of the same comforts on the road.  With that in mind, here are a few tips to sleeping success:

• Stick to your schedule.  Try to maintain your child's usual nap time/bed time, even in a new time zone.  So, if your child's bedtime in Chicago is 7:30 p.m., try to put him down around 8:30 p.m. in New York. (Obviously, the greater the time difference, the harder this rule is to follow).
• Lug with you any gadgets your child usually has in his room at home.  For example, we always pack our son's sound machine (he likes the rain setting) and his DVD player (to play his favorite lullaby CD).  Don't think of it as packing two extra pounds.  Think of it as packing two extra hours of sleep.
• Encamp your child in his new bedroom - create a quiet area for your child to sleep.  Unplug telephones, and put a do not disturb sign on a hotel door (the last thing you need is room service waking your little one!)  If you can afford a suite or adjoining room in a hotel, stash your child in that area, away from the adults.  Darken the room by hanging a sheet over the window, or close a hotel's blackout curtains.
• Encourage sleep with routine - go through the motions like at home.  For example, every night, I brush my son's teeth with his favorite purple beaver toothbrush, then put him in pajamas, then read a book, then snuggle, then place him in bed.  Do the same thing on the road - don't let Grandma take over, or change the order of the routine.
• Pack your child's crib/bed sheet so that his new bed seems more familiar.  Similarly, bring anything your child usually sleeps with, like a lovey (we don't dare leave home without our son's green froggie blanket), blankie, stuffed animal, or pacifier.

Keep in mind that even if you institute all of these tips, your child will likely log less hours of sleep on the road than he would at home.  Try not to obsess over it. Children are resilient, and you can all catch up on sleep after you return home.

Top-Ten Blog Name Runners-Up

I'd like to say I chose the arewethereyetarewethereyet.com domain name because typing that phrase twice exemplifies the labor-intensive exercise that is traveling with children.  Actually, that sounds pretty good.  Maybe I will say that.  But, that's sort of ignoring that arewethereyet.com was already taken and I really, really liked that name.  In my defense, I tried out a bunch of alternates, but they just didn't work:

1. From the Birth Canal to the Grand Canal
2. Around the World in 80 "Why?"s
3. Send Your Kids Packing
4. Shoot Me Now 
5. Carseat of Your Pants
6. Harried with Children
7. Baby Steps to Spanish Steps
8. Pack N Play It by Ear
9. Family Vaction- Oxymoron?
10. Kiss the Emergency Exit Row Goodbye

Mother's Day: Kids Love Niki

For all you Midwesterners, Niki in the Garden at the Garfield Park Conservatory (300 North Cenrtral Park Ave., Chicago) is a must-see.  Make plans today to catch it soon-- October 31, 2007 is the exhbit's final day. 

The indoor and outdoor exhibit features over 30 spectacular mosaic sculptures by the world-renowned Niki de Sant Phalle.  Although it is fun to find her brightly-colored sculptures made out of stones, glass, mirrors, and other semi-precious materials buried in the wildlife inside the conservatory, the kids will especially love the enormous outside portion of the exhibit.  It's set in a huge, grassy area just begging for them to run wild.  Many of the sculptures can be touched, climbed on, and run through, making the artwork a truly sensory experience.   Kids will enjoy the subject matter, too: Nanas (mythical-like women), animals (lions, seals, and an alligator affectionately called the "Nikigator"), and sports figures (a savvy child will spot Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods homages among the sculptures). My son's favorite sculpture was definitely La Cabeza ("the head" in Spanish).  And yes, that's my litte one's head peeking between the sculpture's pearly white teeth. 

The exhibit is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extra long hours on Thursdays, until 8 p.m.  It is easily accessbile by the elevated train (take the Green Line to the Conservatory stop), or if you are driving, it is just off the Eisenhower Expressway (Exit 26A).  Check out the website for additional directions or information.  Parking is free, just to the South of the Conservatory's main entrance.  While you are there, also visit the Children's Garden in the conservatory (a year-round educational play area kids love). 

 

Guest Blogger: The Missus

I've been going at this blog thing a whole three days now, so it seems about time to call for reinforcements.  My travel partner/wife (and, frankly, the one who bears the brunt of the kid duties while we travel) will provide a weekly "Mother's Day" entry every Wednesday.  Today's Thursday?  Okay, it'll appear this Thursday, then every Wednesday after this one.  Give or take. 

Happy Holidays from the TSA

Just in time for the holiday travel season, the Transportation Security Administration announced that travelers who bring remote control devices in carry-on baggage may encounter additional airport screening.  According to the New York Times, the additional screening could include pat downs of children carrying remote-controlled toys. 

My two favorite pieces of information from the New York Times Article:

(1) The federal authorities considered simply making the change at airports in the United States without announcing it.  (Hmmm, that's strange.  They've never cavity-searched little Billy before. . . ); and

(2) A TSA spokeswoman said that the new scrutiny for remote-control toys will not extend to television remote controls. (You know, if somebody's bringing a remote control for their television set on an airplane, you may actually want to subject them to a little heightened scrutiny.)

No word yet on whether the TSA will mimic its bottled water policy and allow passengers to carry on remote control toys purchased in the airport at 300% markup.

Southwest Airlines' New Boarding Procedures

Beginning in early November, Southwest Airlines trades in its cattle call boarding procedure for something slightly more civilized.  No, they haven't gone so establishment that they'll actually issue you an assigned seat.  But, they have listened to complaints about needing to queue up in your letter group an hour before departure time and have fine-tuned their process.  Now, in addition to getting a boarding pass in group A,B or C, passengers also receive a number from 1 through 45 within that group.  According to the nifty little illustration on their website, it appears that passengers will board within subgroups of five (i.e., A1-5, A6-10, etc.), thus eliminating the need to stand in line all day to assure that Mr. B44 doesn't snake a seat that rightfully belongs to your B1 boarding pass. 

In addition to this major development, today Southwest begins a less-publicized policy change that impacts those traveling with children.  Southwest will no longer automatically pre-board passengers with small children before group A.  Instead, families with children under four will now board between the A and B boarding groups (Note: Southwest's website also says that families with an A boarding pass will board with the A group.  Gee, thanks).  While the rationale for the A/B/C boarding groups' numbered subgroups makes sense, the reasoning behind the child boarding change is less clear.  What efficiency is served by having families with children board between the A and B groups, rather than before group A?  Other than the efficiency of ticking off 45 less people, that is. 

So, it looks like your days of lolly-gagging your way to a C-group pass, then jumping the line with your pre-boarding bundle of joy are over.  For those of you who had kids just to guarantee yourself the best seat on Southwest, you'll now have to hop on your computer 23 hours and 59 minutes (give or take 60 seconds) prior to your departure time to receive the same seating options.  Or, if that seems like too much work, you can also pay $5 per ticket to this website, which I admittedly have not yet tested. 

Just What We Need: Another Blog

I know, I know.  But, bear with me.  The inspiration for this blog hit, like most great ideas, while in the bathroom.  You see, we were staying in a St. Louis Renaissance hotel last weekend when, about 5 a.m., I woke up and had to use the bathroom.  That's not a fun experience in your own home.  It's a less fun experience in a dark hotel room whose layout you can't quite remember.  It's a downright bad time when your pitch-black, wall-feeling shuffle is complicated by the fact that your 18-month old son, who recently medaled at the light-sleeping national championships (under 2 division), is quietly laying in a Pack N Play a few feet from that bathroom door.   

I arrived at my destination after about five minutes of breathless tiptoeing only to realize that I couldn't possibly do what we in Western civilization often take for granted:  flush the toilet.  Standing there in a dark bathroom (I made it that far-- no way I was turning on a light now), I shook my head (quietly) and wondered how many other people go through this sort of thing. Then, when I thought of all the people who travel with their kids, I realized the answer.  A lot of people go through this sort of thing.

So, as I lay awake in bed for the next two hours (no chance going back to sleep after the adrenaline rush of my bathroom cat burglar routine), I thought about creating a forum for parents like us.  Parents who like to (or have to) travel with kids and who want to do so as smoothly as possible.  This blog obviously isn't the only one out there discussing travel with children, but by mixing in discussions of: (1) current family travel issues; (2) information about products or services that may make our travel lives better; and (3) personal reports of travel trials and tribulations, hopefully it can add something to the discussion. 

Bon voyage.