Canada (part 1)

By Published On: July 21st, 2016

Greetings from Canada! We survived our first trip as a […]

JesseAkiraGreetings from Canada! We survived our first trip as a family of four on an airplane to the Great White North, and I’m surprised that we actually managed to pull it off. Flying with one child can be a little intimidating. But with two? I can’t even begin to tell you how much sleep I actually lost on the few days leading up to our flight. It’s no secret that Akira has been a little more difficult than his sister was at his age. The thing is, though, he’s not necessarily a “difficult baby.” In fact, I think I might actually put him in the “normal” range, but because his sister was such a unicorn, he just seems harder.
I packed their suitcase, and we loaded up the car to head to the airport. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta is listed as the world’s busiest airport, so thinking about that fact while imagining running through the terminal to make our flight with two littles in tow was enough to make my stomach turn a little. We made it to the airport on time and checked our luggage along with two car seats before taking the train to our terminal and gate. Anaïs has always loved flying and traveling, so she was giddy with excitement. I was able to get Akira down for a good nap before we left for the airport, so he was in a good mood, content in his carrier and soaking in everything that was happening around him.

As we boarded the plane, I noticed horrified looks on people’s faces and I could sense their anticipated disappointment at the fact that we were the family with the two children under the age of 5 who could potentially have a meltdown while 30,000 feet in the air. Thankfully, we proved them wrong!
Anaïs watched the ground below as we soared high into the air. She laughed when we hit some turbulence and said we were inside a cloud. Akira had no idea what was happening but was surprisingly happy to just be on our laps. Armed with a bento box of freshly cut fruit, vegetables and hard-boiled eggs, along with yogurt melts, baby food pouches and banana puffs, the kids were happily snacking through the flight, and I felt like I managed a mom win for the day. We made our connection in Charlotte before making our flight to Toronto and when we finally touched down in Canada, Jesse and I high-fived each other over how well our kids did and how much we had prepared for the trip. And that it was Akira’s first flight ever and he did remarkably well was enough for us to feel like we have this whole parent thing on lock.
Now that we are here for the next week, we are spending time with family and are planning city adventures full of food, exploration and memories. After this week, we head to Niagara Falls for a few days where we will meet my side of the family for a reunion! I can’t wait for what the next few days will bring.
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