Traveling with children on a plane......

in numbers!

2:  # of children.

1:  # of parents.

5: # of items to check, 3 bags and 2 car seats.

5: # of carry on bags....(I don't know what I was thinking?!?!).

1: # of strollers.

1: # of grandmas helping out during the check-in process.

60: # of minutes we arrived at the airport before our flight was to take-off.

2: # of seconds it took me to realize that it is spring-break season and the airport was an absolute madhouse.

45: the # of minutes we waited outside in the freezing cold to check-in curbside.

1: # of times Jack had to use the potty during those 45 minutes.

30: the # seconds it took for the curb-side attendant to tell me I couldn't check my car-seats curbside (due to the NWA/Delta merger) and I would have to go inside to do so and I was now going to miss my flight!   

0: # of signs notifying me of this change.

1: # of screaming babies due to being cold, hungry and tired.

1: # of my children running around, crawling on the floor, dancing and just plain constant moving due to total boredom with the situation and inability to sit still!

15: # of minutes it took to recheck-in on a new flight and pay for the those darn bags.

30: # of minutes we stood in line for security...thank goodness my mom stayed in line with us!

1: # of times Jack had to use the potty again during that time.

10: # of minutes it took for the boys and I to go through the actual security.

Lots: # of shoes, jackets, bags, stroller, computer, etc to take off/out and put on the rollers!

30: # of minutes to get coffee (my life-saver) and food (the boys' life-saver) and decompress before getting on the plane.

1: # of people (a very nice man) Jack talked to the entire 30 minutes we waited to board our plane.

1: # of hours the flight took

45: # of minutes Owen fussed or cried during the flight

3 : # of us SO incredibly happy to see Pat waiting for us in Chicago!

Oh, how they missed you Pat!