Flying the Happy Skies

If any of you regularly fly with your kids, you will know what a pain in the butt it is.  From clarifying which car seats are approved and what seats can accommodate them, to the big sedation debate, I can whole-heartedly say that when I recently travelled to Florida with my two kids, it was anything but relaxing.  We almost missed our flight, I had a slight altercation with a flight attendant, and since the flight was midmorning, alcohol was not served (don’t even get me started on the cruelty of this).  But after a little while and a couple of Gravol we were all settled in.  I managed to entertain my kids with the overly bulky three-ring circus I had packed in their carry-on bags and only had to enlist the help of strangers once.  Three hours and only a few misdemeanours later, we landed smoothly at our destination and to the joy of all involved, deplaned.  All in all, it could have been worse.  No one actually puked or had a full-out tantrum (although I got dangerously close).  We all made it there in one piece, and the airline didn’t ban us from using their services again.  Am I looking forward to our next flight?  No.  Will I fly again with my children?  Sure; but I will plan more thoroughly, pack less stuff, and ensure that I fly late enough to enjoy a good stiff drink.