I think you can imagine how full my hands were from the start: two rambunctious boys literally running around the gate area chairs, a packed-up stroller, a busting-at-the-seams diaper bag, crammed tote purse (weighing about 25 lbs.), two small kids’ backpacks they weren’t carrying, a Jetkids bedbox, oh! and a blanket and neck pillow… I was 4 wheels shy of being a full on U-haul trailer of chaos to the other patrons boarding this flight. With most flights, and I mean 9 out of 10, with this being the one exception apparently, they ask for people needing more time to board to “do so at this time.” Well yeahhh, that never happened. They boarded the first class passengers, medallion members, and business class, and then started regular boarding. So I decided the best option was not standing in the half mile long line that had formed about 10 minutes prior and just wait until the very end. We opted to be the last people on the plane. The ones who make all the other passengers go, “please don’t be sitting by me” *fingers crossed* At least our last minute wait gave the boys some more time to be “those kids” running around the gate area and stretching their legs for the last time for several, several hours.
Once everyone had gone through, it was our turn. We made our way down the jetway and were unfortunately met with a line in the aisle of the plane… This is where it all really started to unravel. Brin being super tired, and not having had the chance to nap yet, started his descent into meltdown mode: extra crazy edition. He was pushing Len in front of him, he was screaming and trying to throw himself down on the aisle floor, all while the rest of the passengers, having already gotten peacefully settled, looked on in horror. I was begging, and I mean begging, him to stop but he was too far gone.
Not only was he screaming and crying, but, from the last bit of his lingering cold, coughing *face palm* and just a week into the Covid mask rules being lifted on planes. I could see the deep regret each and every aisle passenger was having in that very moment. If looks could kill, there would have been about 10 casualties in the aisle as each person ahead of us slowly, and I mean slowly, got their bags loaded into the overhead bins and then took their sweet time sitting down. I could hear the silent prayers of “Don’t be by me, don’t be by me!” growing louder as we passed each row. Finally we arrived at our 2 seat home-in-the-sky. Len immediately sat in his seat ready to pop on his headphones and browse the list of movies on the seat back monitor. Brin had finally calmed in my arms and I took about 3 deep breaths and thought, “well glad the worst is over…” and boy was I wrong.
After getting settled in our seats and pulling away from the gate, Brin fall asleep for a much needed nap *angels sing*. Heavy in my arms, he slept through takeoff and the very quickly served meal for the flight. Len was happily scrolling through and watching the first 15-20 minutes of all the Kids movies provided; things were going okay. Ahh! A minute to breathe after the chaos of getting to our seats. We did it.
Len and I ate the meal they gave us: Ravioli, a light salad, and a tiny dessert. Brin slept for maybe one hour before he was up and ready to join in the TV time. After a few hours of flipping through movies, it was time to try to get the boys to sleep so we would have a better chance of adjusting to Paris time. I popped up their Jetkids Bedbox travel bed so they could have a nice spot to lay down on the seats. I made sure to pack jammies so it felt as much like bedtime as it could from our two little seats on a Boeing 787. After getting Len all cozy, he was out like a light. Brin on the other hand, was not having any of my attempts at bedtime. Thankfully Len was undisturbed by Brin’s protests, but the ass-of-a-man four rows back was less than enthused.
More to come…
She's gone to Paris 