To celebrate G Little's 22 month birthday, I thought it would be a wise decision to take him on his first plane ride! So lots of praying and planning and praying!
We had a great ride to the airport, and made it easily through security. Everyone was helpful. Other travelers offered to assistance and TSA was even patient and smiling at little man. We make it to the gate. He's happily riding in his stroller and he eats dinner great. We happily board the plane. And I am thinking how great this is going....
The looks people shot me as they joined us in first class were pretty skeptical that they were going to have a nice flight to Denver with little man sitting up there. But God answers my prayer of having the gentlemen in the seat next to us to be filled with patience for little man. Smiles..chats with him a bit...we even find out his wife just found out she's expecting their first litte one. All still seems to be going great....
G Little is playing great on the plane and not fussing. He's enjoying watching all the hussle and bustle outside the plane even pointing out the trucks and other airplanes as they pass by. I scored big points with surprising him with a mini magnadoodle!
Then we taxi away and find out the grounds team has sent us in the wrong direction....takes a little time to turn around. We finally make it to our runway and find out we are 20th in line to leave....we are well over an hour now late leaving. Then the fun really begins...pilot comes on and says something is wrong with the inflight air conditioning and we have to return to the gate. We finally make it to the gate around 8:50 and maintenance boards the plane. G Little is still doing great...entertaining the folks around us. Walking around a bit and now sporting his cute jammies...at 10:10 pm we back away from the gate with the air conditioning checked out. G Little does great in take off while his momma's heart is racing with all the thoughts of his losing it..this plane crashing, etc. But he's eating it up looking at all the lights. Then I notice we are circling the ATL and there is quite a rumbling that should not be happening...
Then that pilots lovely voice comes back on...and says the dreaded words....we have to turn around AGAIN....the door to the landing gear will not close. And we can't fly to Denver with the door open...and to make this even better...G Little has just passed out! He's sound asleep...
We land and again everyone is so helpful with trying to get G Little off the plane. The flight attendants were amazing on this flight and were so helpful in getting the stroller and the sleeping boy loaded up. We get off the plane and its getting close to midnight by this point. The gate agents then announce...the tower called some local pilots and it looks like we are getting a 2:15 am flight. Then the debate do I drive this boy all the way home and wake up at the crack o' dawn or stick it out...by this point he's awake and seems happy....so we stick it out. We met some really nice folks that night and he entertained the grandmas waiting with us with his white hair phobia and all. Dancing and showing them how to use the iPad. But the best of all...the gate agent had the nerve to call this momma out at 1:45 am for letting my little guy dance around the waiting area....yes he was pole dancing on there divider thingy but heck an almost 2 year old at 1:45 am was not screaming his head off and entertaining your frustrated customers...give a momma a break!
We sleepily made it to Denver around 5:45 am local time and G Little cried for the first time all night with they turned on the lights for us to unload...he's a trooper! This is one proud momma of her little guy. I know the coming years there will be moments I want to hide under my bed...but for one night he was complimented by all the passengers even the ones with us in first class were surprised at his excellent behavior...so many compliments at the baggage claim!
So lesson learned besides the usual have extra diapers, snacks, clothes and toys to entertain your little one...if traveling alone with your little one use those skymiles for a first class seat and find some other good mommas traveling with you! Because there will be moments maneuvering through the flight that you will need an extra set of hands!
And I don't know if I am brave enough to do that by myself with two little ones....
