This past weekend, I flew solo with my two kids. Some call it being brave and amazing, I call it insanity. I also do not think I will be dabbling in these types of adventures again anytime soon. I was surprised that the first leg of the trip which was almost 3 hours long went well. My little one did not sleep though and neither did the toddler. However, my toddler was content reading, smiling at people around us and making faces at them and so was my infant. We spent time munching on airplane snacks, drinking juices and watching Sesame Street without sound. We landed at our connecting destination and things "appeared" fine. I got several thumbs up and "you're doing great!" encouragment from people around me and the flight attendants.... it was bound to go downhill from there and it did.
In Baltimore, my daughter refused to eat any food I got for her and sonce we are potty training her, that did not go well either. It all came to a "head" (so to speak) on Concourse B in Baltimore International. I think she was exhausted and then did not want to go "potty" in her diaper and was probably too constipated anyway so the entire thing went poorly - she was screaming from pain and crying - she exhausted herself after crying for 45 mins, refusing to get on the aircraft and worse, refusing to buckle herself in. Meanwhile, as she is screaming, my infant passed out in the ergo carrier. As I boarded the plane, as I wandered in the terminal and so on, people kept staring at me- I felt the weight of the stares, the weight of "talk", the weight of the smiles and many "awwws" and "ooooohs" of those who actually did understand and sympathized with me. A man travelling solo with his two kids on this 28-min leg of the flight actually helped me out and said it was okay. He had been through this too - his kids were 2 years apart. In any case, I felt horrible and cried a bit myself too. I was exhausted, hungry, and humiliated.
It was relief when she finally went and calmed down a bit and enjoyed her trip and visit with the grandparents and relatives. Flying solo is not easy so all you people out there who stare and judge - shut the "BLEEP" up and offer assistance. Oh I almost forgot - there was a guy in the row in front of me on the Denver to Baltimore leg who refused to move and let a mother sit next to her daughter. What an asshole! I do remember that and thought, thank god I rushed to get on board early so I could sit next to my two-year old. His excuse for not changing his aisle seat for another aisle seat was "well, I prefer to sit here because this passenger is more petite." What an ass. When I compared the two passengers, they were roughly the same size and both were nice and cute. Anyway, people like that give passengers a bad name and deserve to be escorted off the plane mid-air with a parachute in hand. Haa More to come on our trip in more postings.... Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
