Am I ready?

This Friday, me and the kids will fly to California to see my family. I am still a little in denial that I will be taking three kids through the airport on a plane, then a layover, and another plane all by myself. Yikes! Did I mention by myself? We are flying through Memphis on the way there and total travel time is about 8 1/2 hours not including getting to airport early, waiting and then getting bags on other end or driving to my dad's house. If I included all of that, I would estimate from door to door to be about 12 hours of travel time.

So the things I am most worried about are:

Security. No, not the actual security, but getting through it in one piece. Taking three kids shoes off, my shoes, off putting everything through the scanner, hoping a kid doesn't try to bolt or crawl away and then getting all our stuff and then getting our shoes back on. See, just typing it is making me exhausted. I can already anticipate the looks of annoyance from the person that will be standing behind me in the line.

Potty Time. Miss M is newly potty trained. I really just want to stick a pull up on her and tell her to pee in it, but that would be setting us back and probably wouldn't be a good thing in the long run. We traveled to Hawaii with the dude when he was freshly potty trained but there were two adults to shift potty duties between. I am sure Miss M will need to pee a billion times because peeing means freedom from the car seat on the plane. The dude has already volunteered to help me watch the girls, but he said no diapers or potty help. I am sure we will manage and maybe just in case I will bring two extra outfits and some pull ups just in case.

Packing for plane: The baby just turned one, so she isn't off bottles yet so I need to make sure she has bottles, then I need sippy cups for Miss M, snacks, entertainment, toys, clothes, car seats. I can just imagine I will look like a sherpa guide with all the crap I think I will need.

Packing in general: Three kids, myself, one week where the day time temp is 80's and night time temp is 30-40's. This means I think I will need a crap load of clothes to layer for the different temperatures. I think I am going to buy diapers, formula, etc. in California. If I pack the girls lightweight jackets I can probably minimize some stuff.

I usually feel really confident in traveling with the kid, but I actually have only ever flown by myself with the dude and we have done some serious traveling together. The only trips Miss M has gone on were with both me and hubs. I am dreading the travel, but I want to see my family so I will just go for it and usually my anticipation is much worse than what usually ends up happening.

I got the letter to travel with the baby, so at least all is well in that realm. Luckily, the social worker was really good about getting permission for her to travel. Also, her parents were excited about her getting to travel.

I went to the Target dollar spot and got some coloring activity books, a small magnetic drawing board, then got snacks, too. I am also bringing the iPad, DSi, iTouch, and phones so maybe I will have enough to entertain the kids on the flights and in the airport.

What are the best travel toys that you have used?

Exploratorium

I went to the Exploratorium several times as a kid and have fond memories of driving down to San Fran, walking around Fisherman’s Wharf and going to the Exploratorium. So, for this trip to California, I had to take Christopher to experience some little bits from my childhood and it was so fun seeing it again through his eyes.
He LOVED the Exploratorium. He RAN from exhibit to exhibit touching and playing (the museum is interactive) with everything. I loved seeing how excited he got making a tornado, listening with bat-like ears, trying to walk across the pebbles when the decibel meter was seeing how quiet he could be, looking at the developing chickens and going in the weird shaped house that I remember from my trips.
Not sure that he learned a lot, I tried to read to him what the exhibits were about, but he was more interested in seeing how they worked and doing things and then running full speed to the next exhibit.
Here he is enjoying the Exploratorium of San Francisco.

Diverting Water (This was one of the biggest hits, isn't water usually though?):

Playing with Black Sand and a Magnet, I loved this as a kid:

C and Brian listening with Bat Ears:

The funky shaped room, they loved looking tall:

Uncle Ronnie, Brian and C, I think making fog:

Oh, and did I mention the Exploratorium is right down the street from the Golden Gate bridge? Pictures to follow later.

My Jedi Knight

The dude got chosen to fight the Dark Side at the Jedi Training Academy. He got to fight Darth Vader!!!!! He told everyone: I wore a brown hood, got to hold a light saver (yes saver), and fight Darth Vader. It was sooo cool!

California Trip, Day 3

Yay! We are in California for a few days vacation with my mom (Mimi) and my sister (Aunt Jocie), who is on Spring Break.
The trip was not as good as has been in the past, the dude has always been an angel on the plane and a great traveler. Well, this time he wasn't great. He whined a lot, only fell asleep on the descent into Salt Lake City, and said he did not feel well. Hint #1, he never says he doesn't feel well. Hint #2, he only ate fruit loops, one piece of candy, and 4 bags of peanuts the whole trip and barely drank some water, no milk. Luckily, he did not disturb those around us, just me a little. We landed, he was so excited to see Mimi and Jocie. We went to go to lunch and he got sick at the restaurant. He ended up being sick the rest of the day and went to bed at 6:30 p.m. He woke up at 3:30 wanting to go into the "hot pool" (hot tub). I managed to get us to stay in bed until 6:45 when we went up and snuggled Mimi. He felt 100% better and is not sick anymore. Yay!
So far, we have gone in the hot pool three times, went to the Sacramento Zoo, and went to dinner at Hacienda Del Rio, have been eating there since I was a kid. He has been totally loving on his Mimi and his Auntie. He also has got to hang out with my brother's girlfriend's son Brian, who is 3. They are on the alligator together.