Setting out, I was very nervous about travelling alone with a 2 1/2 year old full of spunk, I prepared as much as I could in advance and used all the tools at my disposal. In preparation, my friends at Samsonite loaned me a strap that I was able to utilize to carry Tallis's car seat through the airport, it was quite the contraption and I got a LOT of funny looks but mostly looks of pity or complete AWE that I was doing it! Here is how I maneuvered through the airports with my hands free. I tucked Lamby and Blankie in each of my back pack straps so there were actually things hanging off me too...
Our first leg of the trip was from the bus station here in Allentown to Newark Airport, I had purchased our bus tickets in advance so we arrived at about 445AM for our 505AM bus. Tallis was still in her Jammies by design, I planned to change her at the airport. The bus arrived a few minutes late but we got our bags etc. onto the bus and found our seats. Tallis sat by the window so she could watch the traffic. I expected that she would fall asleep, she didn't. She was very nervous at first, I think it was that it was so early, she was on a moving vehicle but not in a car seat. she sat VERY still for the first 3/4 of the trip and spoke in hushed tones because the people around us were sleeping.
We arrived at Newark Airport and I was readied for whatever came my way - knowing that this was going to be a challenge to wrangler her car seat, our suitcase and her through to check in. When we got off the bus, a sky cap was literally almost waiting for us! He grabbed our suitcase and said to follow him, he got our back checked and sent us on our way through security. This was just the first of many divine interventions on this trip! The security line was long but fun, Tallis hung out in her car seat!
So now I have all of our personal belongings up on the conveyor belt. I mentally prepared Tallis that Lamby had to go through the screening so that they could make sure he was "safe to fly on the airplane with us". She reluctantly let him go but was waiting anxiously at the other side! Gathering up the belongings was a challenge - she was awake and now ready to run, she actually took off from me once I had to leave our stuff and grab her. Eventually I was able to get us all packed up again - now to find the gate... I braced myself for what I assumed could be a very long and painful walk. As I begin walking toward the terminal where our gate is and turn down the appropriate corridor, I realize that our gate is RIGHT THERE, I mean literally 600 feet from security check point that we had just cleared... I sighed in relief! Then I saw that there was a diner right across the hall way from the gate... PERFECT! We can have breakfast and kill time while we wait for boarding! So far, so good. Tallis even watched a little Peppa Pig on the Kindle while we waited and ate.
After breakfast, we made our way to the restrooms, to get Tallis out of her Jammies and into her clothes for the day and make our way to the gate for our departure.... as we stood in line waiting to board the plane, she got away from me once more and a very nice woman caught her as she ran by, thank goodness. As we approach the gate, she falls out into a full blown tantrum, she doesn't want Lamby in the car seat, she doesn't want me to carry the car seat, I have to carry her, etc. The boarding agent was very helpful (the third angel of the trip) and she carried the car seat and led us down to the plane past a whole line of people and dropped us at the door of the plane. The person she put us in line in front of actually offered to carry her car seat on to the plane for me! WIN! We got to our seats and the car seat installed without any issues at all and now we are strapped in and ready to ride!
We had skittles to chew for our ears and spent a lot of time talking about the plane going up and all the gadgets and features. She did pretty well, she watched Peppa Pig on the Kindle and at one point started holding her ears. A colleague had recommended as a frequent traveler with children that I bring benedryl because the antihistamine effect helps open up their little ear tubes. I dug that out and gave her a half a dose, considering she had been up since 4AM and it is now 11AM she was asleep in no time :)
She woke up about 30 minutes before we landed and was a little cranky and tired, I chalked that up to her ears and the long day it had been so far! As we landed and got to the gate, the nice man sitting next to us (our next angel) offered to carry her car seat off the plan for me. We got off the plane to the gate area and I restrapped it on to my back pack and we were off to meet Aunt Hobby. As we got there, the people around us from our flight were all exclaiming how delightful Tallis was on the flight :)
Our return trip home was on October 28. Holly dropped us off at the airport and we were able to get curbside check in and baggage check! this was AWESOME. I strap her carseat back on my back and we are off to find our terminal and gate! We had to ride an escalator - this Tallis LOVED, she wanted to do it again! lol! Palm Beach security check points were much easier to get through than Newark, either that or I was now more experienced carrying the load I was carrying and wrangling a 2 1/2 year old! Either way, we got through security with no issues, Tallis even put Lamby up on the conveyor so they can be sure "it safe for him on da plane mommy". Tallis got a badge from the TSA (sticker) for being such a good girl! We loaded up from security and I braced for what I feared would be a long commute from security to our gate. Once again we got really really lucky! The gate was very close and there was a Burger King right there! We got some breakfast and settled in to wait for boarding. By now, Tallis thinks she's the expert frequent flyer, so when they started boarding the first two boarding zones, she was up and ready to go crying because we weren't in line yet even tho they weren't boarding our zone!
This time she walked right down the jetway and on to the plane without even blinking, I had told her our seat was seat 24 (Two Four) so she is in front of me and walking and there is an empty seat and she stops and looks back and tells me "momma dats not our seat, not two four" the other passengers were cracking up! It's her second flight and she's telling me how it's going... lol! We got to our seat and there was a very nice lady in our row who offered to sit wherever we needed her to, our seats were the window and the isle (why airlines do this I will never know). She even took Tallis a row back and talked with her while I installed her car seat (another angel!) We got strapped in and this flight she stayed awake the whole time, I gave her half a dose of benedryl and kept her chewing on skittles and we had no ear issues! She watched TV on the kindle, played with stickers and colored the whole way and was perfectly content... the perfect angel! She loved looking out the window and when the plane did a dip on take off she exclaimed "momma my tummy funny" lol! I told her my tummy dropped to! We laughed and talked about our trip and the fun we had the whole way. The people around us kept asking questions about how old she was, her vocabulary and if she was always this pleasant - to which I responded - I WISH! :)
When we landed a very nice gentlemen (another angel) carried the seat off the plane and Tallis walked off as if she owned the darn airport! We got out of the jetway and I strapped the car seat on and we were off. We had exactly one hour to get our checked bag from the carousel and get to the bus stop to catch our bus back to Allentown. If we missed the bus we would have to wait two hours for the next one! This time I picked her up and carried her... so I have a 25lb back pack, 10lb car seat and a 34 lb child and I am all but sprinting through the airport. Tallis cried when we passed an escalator she couldn't ride... lol We made it to baggage claim before the luggage from our flight even started coming down! Whoohoo... we now had 45 minutes before the bus comes... we might actually make it - if the bus stop isn't a mile away... our bag comes through! yay! Now... I have my back pack, Tallis's car seat, the suit case AND Tallis and we head outside! I cross over to the HOV lane and ask the first official looking person I see where the Transbridge bus stop to PA is. He said - it's right there and pointed - 20 feet away! We made it! we would make the first bus with no problem! We make our way over to wait for the bus - we have 40 minutes to kill... Tallis does so playing with dolls.
When the bus arrives, we have paid for two tickets and we board and guess what? there aren't any two seats available together ANYWHERE and no one is looking to move to accommodate for us. I took a seat and told Tallis she would have to sit on my lap - she CRIED... "my seat momma, I want my seat", she settled down quite nicely with a lollipop and 10 minutes later was sound asleep on my lap, after a few stops we were able to move to two seats together so she could lay down... we arrived in Allentown at 5pm.
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