Committed to Flight
A "tip in triplet" in the making. Today I booked a flight to Minnesota from Florida for Christmas for two adults, a will -be 9 year old and triplet babies.
I have traveled largely for business on planes and I will never forget the time I flew to Los Angeles on a 4 hour flight at Thanksgiving time. There were several families on the flight and they showed the film Stuart Little. I sat back and read a book listening to music when all of a suddend the entire plane errupted in roar from the laughter of children. It was like the time we took our oldest daughter to see Finding Nemo opening weekend. Kids seemed to be bouncing down the ailes and the energy level in both that theater and that plane would solve the current problem of oil prices if one could just find a way to channel it. Corn...... please here is the opportunity.
So I am signed up to be one of those people who you have seen on the plane. They are struggling with strollers and bottles and a baby with this nervous control that could break at any time. You have been the one in line thinking to yourself, oh please don't let me be sitting next to them. It isn't that kids are cute, they are. Of course they are. Lets face it, traveling with kids is difficult - for everyone.
One of the biggest adjustments for us with triplets is really that we are suddenly a big family. Perhaps not by everyones standards, but certainly by mine. It is new, it is a new us. We are no longer the double income, single child small group that was calm and unnoticable. It happens quickly and it changes everything. But you have to get out there. Of course it is going to be a juggling act, everything is. I expect both "A" and I will be completely exhausted when we arrive. But there will be another change to our family.
There is nothing like Christmas with children. My brother and his wife are expecting and at Christmas their son will be 4 months old. Three years ago my brother, then single, flew down to Florida with my parents and we had a Christmas with the five of us and with our oldest daugther. Even she was only there part of the time as she spends half her holiday with her father. This time I image that same energy level, as with the theater and that plane ride to LA ,will be present as we celebrate with my brother's with another 5 year old step daughter, the triplets at 15 months and new born at 4 months joining us. So yes, I will be that person on the plane and no... I don't expect to enjoy it. I will also be that person who gets to enjoy a Christmas full of family and anxious excitement over stocking stuffers and visits from Santa.