Letting A Toddler Loose On A Plane

We are finally going to do it. After nearly two years with Little Z we are going to go on holiday, abroad. With a toddler…on a plane.

Is this insane?

I think I was ready when little Z was about 6 months old to be honest. The much more cautious OH wasn’t though and my options at that point, in my head, included:

1) Run off to New York on holiday with a baby by myself

2) Wait for the OH to be ready.

Despite my meticulous planning, in my head, I reluctantly put away the dream of having a solo (well, plus a baby) adventure in New York and waited for the much more cautious OH. Boring!

The OH was ready when little Z was about a year old. New York New York here we come!!! Oh but no…New York was veto’d. What?! Boring!

Then something happened. I suddenly wasn’t ready. Taking a newly walking Little Z on a plane? And abroad? With foreign waters and sicknesses and possibility of getting ill? Suddenly New York going abroad was a bit daunting. So I put it off, quite a while, till I was ready.

Now I am ready! Well…to be honest, I want to go before we have to pay full fare for Little Z once he turns 2.

New York has taken a back seat (apparently its a bad idea with a toddler. Hmph!) and we’re off to sunnier climates 6ish hours away with a beach to entertain us all for a whole week.

So my first dilemma is…how do you entertain a toddler on a plane for 6 hours??

So far my entertaining plans include taking the iPad, some snacks, hoping he has a long nap, possibly handing him over to any cabin crew that comments he’s cute, and letting him look out the window at clouds (are clouds entertaining?).

I keep having visions, though, about the consequences of letting a toddler loose on a plane. This post was actually going to be titled “Get that mother cuddling toddler off this mother cuddling plane”. But that’s a bit harsh…right? I’m very slightly worried about him running riot and us running around after him for 6 hours.

My visions include…

Toddler kicks chair in front repeatedly for entertainment till passenger in front gets a bit huffy.

Toddler refuses to sit strapped in during times of turbulence and has an epic tantrum.

Toddler runs around aisles during turbulence with one of us chasing after him whilst trying not to tumble over on shaky plane.

Toddler gets angry that Wifi won’t let him watch his favourite Sesame Street YouTube clips and flings iPad across plane hitting someone on the plane. Possibly causing injury.

Scenes like that Airplane movie from the 70s when everyone’s screaming (ok that’s a bit dramatic).

Toddler demands to be let off plane to go “outside to Paaaaaarrrrk!!” repeatedly.

Toddler requires nappy change and has tantrum in those tiny cubicles. Passengers watch cubicle as lots of clanging and banging is heard.

Toddler cries for most of journey because his ears are popping / he hates the pressure / is feeling poorly 😦

Toddler causes enough noise for cabin crew to offer us places in the “much quieter” First Class. Hurrah!!

Toddler sleeps entire journey and loves the inflight entertainment.

Toddler is utterly well behaved and even wants to “share share” his toys with neighbouring passenger.

Toddler wants to play the following (his most favourite) 58 times in a row and drives neighbouring passenger crazy

We all walk off plane frazzled and dreading the flight back in 7 days time.

So…how DO you keep a toddler entertained on a flight?

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Movies In The Gallery

This week the theme in the Gallery is Movies.

Have you ever wonder what Indiana Jones did between his massive break between the last crusade and the crystal skull adventures? I found out by chance on holiday a couple of years ago.

He took a long break and decided he wanted to stay in Petra and do this…

We happened to see it by chance on entering Petra, on our to the valley of Moses and the Treasury. I didn’t actually get to meet Indiana Jones unfortunately, I assume he was on his lunch break or something. I thought he may have cashed in on his fame a but more but, alas, there was only the one gift shop of its kind.

You can check out the entries in this weeks Gallery by clicking the icon below:

Landscapes in The Gallery

This week the theme in The Gallery is Landscapes

Go and take a photo of one that inspires you, dig one out of your archives or get creative. Trees (ahem), sea shores, beach, skyline, fields, roof tops, pylons, mountains, snow whatever.

This was taken on holiday in Rome a few years ago.  The landscape of the entire city is just breathtaking and if you like a bit of history then its like being in history heaven.  You can’t turn around without seeing a bit of history that shaped Rome and its like being on an adult school trip.  One of my favourite places was something called The Forum.  Its where some of the key councils and leaders would meet and discuss key matters that shaped their world  Every little ruin is still steeped with stories from the past and you can wander around for hours just learning.  You can see the Coloseum in the background just to the right.  Thats a whole story in itself!

 

Go check out the other entries in this weeks Gallery. 

Phone Photos – The Gallery

The theme in The Gallery this week is Phone Photos. The only rule being it should have been taken on your phone.

On our holiday to Jordan over a year ago we took a trip to Petra and did the amazing walk up to the Treasury. It’s an amazing historic city full of of insights into a forgotten civilisation. Most people come thinking there are a few key monuments to see. Myself included. Once we’d seen the very grand Treasury we found a little cafe to rest my weary feet. This was our view:

The entire cliff is full of caves and carvings made mainly for tombs. There are numerous walkways all the way up which are, to this day, safe to walk along. I got about half way up and then pottered back down again in the mid day sun whilst the hubby decided to venture right to the top where some of the more “esteemed” tombs were housed once upon a time. I sat sipping my water in the cafe and realised hubby had taken the camera with him so snapped with my phone. Hubby came down an hour later with about 200 snaps of caves. Took ages to go through them all!

You can check out more Phone Photos by clicking the icon below!

My Best 5 – Listography

The latest Listography on Kate Takes 5 is all about Our Bests. Any Bests. Whatever we fancy. So here goes…

1. My Best Meal
I am a complete fatty at heart and my favourite meal is usually a good roast, with Yorkshire puddings, gravy and roast potatoes. My best meal though was one my hubby made for me when i came home from hospital, 3 days after having baby. After days of hospital food he made me a simple fish fingers, chips, mushy peas and a fried egg. Yumm!

2. Best Car
My first ever car which was a purple Toyota Corolla and broke down constantly. It was a complete nightmare to maintain but it was my first ever car and even now I look out for it when I drive past the house of the guy i sold it to (Bit sad I know)

3. Best Ever Journey
When we flew Business Class on our honeymoon. Halfway into a flight I usually get grumpy and whine and moan about how Im uncomfortable, I cant sleep, fidget fidget etc. Not this time. The recliners are amazing. As is the food, in house entertainment, service, drinks, food…ah lush! We kept looking at the screen saying Weve only got 7 hours on this flight in a sad manner.

4. Best Holiday
Just after I graduated, my friends and I decided we would celebrate my first proper job by going to Paris on the Eurotunnel. None of us had been before and didnt really know much about the city or the various districts. I found a very nice picture of a hotel and thought wow, thats so gorgeous and so cheap! When we got there we were a bit stunned. It looked nothing like the picture on the website (Sacre Couer) and looked more like a dilapidated bedsit. Oh, and it was in the red light district directly opposite the Moulin Rouge. Despite this, it was the best holiday ever!

5. Best Day
Our wedding day. On the lead up to it I was totally expecting it to go wrong at some point on the day and it did. But I didn’t care one bit and loved every second of it, even the bits that went wrong.