How to "Enjoy Your Flight" with Twins

How do you do it? People ask me.  

You just do, I say.

Anyone with kids knows that traveling, whether by plane, train, or automobile, just isn't the same as it used to be.  I've learned a few things, some by trial and error, some by fabulous tips gleaned from other moms, about flying with twins.  I've shared some that pertain to babies in the past: click here to read one entry, but now that the boys are one and mobile, we've had to learn some new tricks.

1. Okay, this isn't new, but it is the photo you've been waiting for:   Hubs and I carrying the boys' Sunshine Radian carseats.  We have a love-hate relationship with them.  We LOVE that we can get them on the plane rather easily (everything is relative, folks) so that the boys sit in their own seats.  We HATE that they are so dang heavy and cumbersome going through security.  Those suckers are 27 lbs. each, heavier than the boys are!  But totally worth it once we're on the plane.  See how happy we are?

 2. Next, BE PREPARED.  I was a Girl Scout, Hubs was a Boy Scout (okay, for one day, but it counts, right?), so we were ready for twins!  Hardly.  But there are few items I've come to make sure are always with us.  Study the next pic carefully:  

M is STRAPPED DOWN!  He has NO CLUE there is floor because we carried him to the seat, buckled him into the aisle seat while we buckled the car seat in, then buckled him into the torture device car seat.  Oh, wait, I got so excited, I forgot where I was going with this one.  Okay, first, the sippy cup.  Don't leave home without it!  This one is full of blue Gatorade (don't ask) which went through security just fine.  TSA lady waved her magic wand to make sure it wasn't explosive and it was all good.  Second, the Munchkin snack trap.  My fab sis gave these to the boys for their birthday and they are LIFESAVERS.  Just fill them with Kix, Teddy Grahams, Mini Nilla Wafers, yogurt bites (pictured here) or whatnot and you're good to go.  Third, binky on a leash, which is the little orange thing being shoved into the snack trap.  All hail the binky leash!  Fourth, the bib.  Otherwise your spendy carseats will be covered in yogurt bite goo.

3. Travel Bag.  I must give credit where credit is due.  Grandma A made the boys their own bag for the ride.  I've known I wanted to do this, but thought I'd need it when they're older, like two, but I was wrong.  Wrong, wrong!  This flight went SO MUCH SMOOTHER than the previous three that we've taken in the last month and this bag is why. 

N still hasn't seen the contents of the bag yet, so he's wondering what's up.  They were entertained kicking the bag for awhile (it's a lunchbox backpack!  So cute!) until the novelty wore off.  Inside was a book, two cars, a rubbery bouncy gooey toy and aforementioned snacks.  Thank you Grandma!  The bags are re-packed and put away for our next flight.  Woo hoo!

4. Last resort entertainment.  The snacks and the bag will last most of the flight (if it's 1 1/2 hours long, like ours) but you still need a couple tricks up your sleeve.  That's where the overhead light becomes a fabulous source of entertainment - on/giggle/off/giggle/on/giggle/off/giggle...you get the picture.  Same with the window - up/giggle/down/giggle/up/giggle/down/giggle.  You can bust out Peekaboo Barn on your *brilliantphone* if you're at cruising altitude, but on this flight we're only there for 30 minutes otherwise we seem to be ascending or descending.  But my all-time favorite last resort entertainment? Skymall Magazine!

Hundreds of pages for your one-year-old's ripping pleasure!  

Thanks for choosing Twin Engines Airlines.  Enjoy your flight.