Flying With Kid(s)

I have done quite a bit of traveling since I started having kids, and some people ask me...how do you do it? Well, many other military, space-A flying mommies out there have perfected this task as well. After a few flights, you have a system worked out, and the whole travel-by-plane-with-kids process becomes quite easy. At first, I would accept help from strangers in a second, but now I'm like, "No thanks! You'll mess up my balance if you take one of those five bags from my right arm!" Ha. Okay, that was a bit of an exaggeration.

Having flown both commercially and military with kids (by myself) multiple times, I must say that I prefer military flights. They are free, which is awesome, but more importantly, I will never have to fly with a lap baby on a military flight! Each child having their own seat makes life so much easier (and ALMOST worth the cost of an extra ticket on a commercial flight).

Anyway, I'm going to attempt to explain my process here.


#1 Have a luggage set that connects. Or, just take one suitcase (One suitcase would be ideal for commercial flights that require you to pay for extra baggage--for military flights I'm allowed 2-70 pound bags per person, including both kids...so I could check 6 suitcases for free if I felt like it). I have never been a light packer, so I have to have the connecting luggage. Big suitcase for me, little suitcase for the kids (toys, books, clothes, shoes, diapers, blankets,kid toiletries, etc).


#2 Stack stuff on top of the luggage. That handle that pulls out of your suitcase is so handy! I hook car seats to it while not in flight. The carrier car seat hooks on like so:


And a bigger carseat hooks on like so:


This is the $55 Cosco car seat from target...so easy to travel with because it is super lightweight. If you have a heavier, more expensive car seat regularly, I'd recommend buying this one just for travel...it's just easier handling and comes with the case you see in the picture. If your car seat doesn't have any kind of case, you can hook it around the suitcase handle by using one of the straps, like so:

...then use the car seat to hold even more stuff! :)


#3 use a backpack instead of a diaper bag or purse. If you want a purse or diaper bag for your destination, pack it. I usually put my wallet, phone camera, snacks, toys/books, bottles of water/juice, diapers, wipes. blankets and changes of clothes for me and the kids in the back pack.

I walk into the airport like this (imagine Sam and Jocelyn in the stroller):


After I check the bags and the stroller, I look like this (except that I might not look that at ease because I will have an extra 20 pounds in the car seat that I am carrying and be spouting bribes to a 2 year old to stay right next to me if she wants some fruit snacks) Some people might prefer a child leash in this situation, but I just can't bring myself to do it:


I highly suggest using a carrier car seat for children still under the weight limit, because it is just easier than carrying a child AND a car seat separately after the stroller and bags are checked. Of course, if you only have one child and are traveling with them on your lap, then you would check the car seat, use a baby carrier, and this wouldn't apply to you. But for those who fly with car seats, I have even found ways to hook a car seat to my backpack effectively.

It can all look quite overwhelming when you see how much you plan on traveling with alone (car seat(s), stroller, suitcases, backpack, KID(S)), but once you have a system in place, it is quite manageable.

When Jocelyn was seven weeks old, as soon as we got her passport we hopped to Korea and back which was SUPER easy because Jocelyn had her own seat on the plane, I only had one kid, Melynda came with me and that helped a lot, and it was only a <2 hour flight. Then, in the month following our return from Korea, we hopped from Tokyo, to Korea, to Okinawa (stayed the night), to Guam (stayed the night), to Hawaii (spent a week in Hawaii with Brad while his ship was there), to California. Then we bought a ticket to Nebraska and spent a total of 11 hours on the ground in California (enough time to consolidate into one suitcase and drop everything else off with Kylie) before heading to Omaha with nothing but a backpack, a baby carrier and one suitcase (oh, and the baby). I left the car seat, stroller, and big suitcase in Kylie's car, and flew with Jocelyn as a lap baby (which is easy with a 3 month old, but not exactly recommended with a 13 month old--been there, done that on an eight hour international commercial flight and never doing it again). We stayed in Omaha for a week, then flew commercially back to California for the Tjerrild Family Reunion, then got on a military hop back to Japan. I had to deal with evicting the renter in our house and hiring a lawyer while I was in Nebraska, and I was taking classes online full time, but I still managed, lugging my books, heavy dinosaur of an old laptop, and the breast pump in addition to my normal stuff. So that wasn't too bad. I think that maybe the fact that all that airfare (Japan to Korea to Okinawa to Guam to Hawaii to California to Nebraska to California to Japan) only cost me $400($200 each way from CA to NE and back), made the travel so much more enjoyable.

But...now I have TWO kids. I got my first solo travel experience with them when Sam was about five weeks old...and it went quite well! We hopped back to California for my brother, Burt's wedding, looking like you see me in the above photos (exactly the same unfortunately because I haven't even lost ONE pound since Sam was five weeks old).

We will continue to have kids, and that will make the 'single parent' flying process a little more difficult as time goes by. That is why I am hoping to be stationed in San Diego after we are done here in Hawaii. It should be easy enough to throw four kids in a minivan to drive to Grandma's while Brad is at sea for months at a time. It will definitely be easier than taking four kids on a plane by myself. By the way, I have seen it done! I was stuck over night in the terminal at Travis AFB, with a woman trying to hop back to Hawaii with her four kids before school started. Her kids were six, four and half, almost three and fifteen months. I thought she was amazing, and her kids were very well behaved. I think that whole experience was a glimpse of what I will be like in a couple more years. :) Hehe.

Anyway, I am looking forward to some potential KIDLESS travel this summer! The plan is to hop to California, rent a car, drive to my mom's and spend a couple days with her, leave the kids, then fly to Texas BY MYSELF (really? *big guilty smile*). I plan to spend a few days in the San Antonio/Boerne area, hanging out with my Aunt Janny and Uncle Mike, and then see my cousiniece Jessica graduate from USAF basic training! I'll head back to California, retrieve my children (I have never before spent 24 hours away from either of them, but that's not because I'm one of those mom's who can't handle being away from their kid for that long, I just haven't had many chances), then head to Silliness (Salinas) for a week or two until it's time to go to Bass Lake for the Tjerrild Family reunion! Brad will be flying in for that week, to join us at the lake, but he will be flying back alone, and I will be flying back with the kids. But, no big deal. I've got it under control. :)

I'll leave you with this public service announcement:


Don't let your kids try to put a car seat in it's carrying case. It could be dangerous to their health. :)

Future Husker Cheerleader?

Sixteen more years of practice, and she will be the best Cornhusker Cheerleader ever. "Start 'em early!" :)

I wish my blog would cut off the left side of the video, instead of the right side! If you click the link in the top left corner, it will take you to youtube, and you will actually be able to see Jocelyn in the frame. :)

A Story In Pictures

:) :) :)


:( :( :(

Ah Doh Rah Blay

I haven't been keeping up with updating recent photos of the kids, here or on Facebook. So, here are a few from the last three weeks or so. :)


Sam and Jocelyn in matching diapers, being cute.


He made the 'poop face', so I sat him on the potty for a little bit.


Cutie cousins.


"Where's your belly?"


Yummy! First time eating solids.


Story time with Aunt Stacey.


Daddy/Daughter Rock Band.


Happy Joey face.


Trevor helping Jocelyn put her sparkle shoes on.


Don't know how he managed this, but it looks like he wants to go shopping!


Jazz hands!!!


Secure in his manhood.


My sweetie pies.


Crawling lesson.


Just chilling.


Sleep posing.


In step at the zoo.


More zoo time, with my favorite thing at the zoo!

Pictures from today:


Brother and sister...he tries to eat her shoes, so she gives him a pacifier.


















Sam, just being a stud. Brad said, "Hey Sam, the 80s called and they want their shirt back". I'd just like to point out that I got this outfit (shirt, pants, and shoes) for $7.50 at The Children's Place yesterday. Deal! And, I think it looks good on him!

Breaking Up

Dear Facebook,

I know you probably already know this, but the past 48 hours haven't been the greatest for me. Of course you know, because I share so many intimate details of my life with you. I appreciate that about you, facebook. You are always there when I want to share good news, or when I need a little bit of sympathy. You always provide a shoulder for me to lean on, and give me something to smile about in my saddest moments.

In the past four days, I have felt like crap physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. My conscience has ached for mistakes that I have made, I have tried my best to rectify certain things, and I don't think I will ever be able to repay certain kindnesses that have been given me by some amazing people. Despite all of these things, facebook, I can just log into you and find something to smile about. I cried to myself a little bit on Saturday when I felt so crummy that I couldn't convince myself to go to karaoke. But I logged in, and there you were you to show me some adorable new photos of a friend's little girl...and that made me smile. Thanks for that. You always could entertain me.

You give me the ability to share with others, too. Unfortunately, you allow me to easily abuse this privilege. It's one thing to let me get away with posting too many pregnant belly photos, but you seriously need to step up on your end of this relationship and help me to keep my 'mouth' shut sometimes. Facebook, you have allowed me to abuse you, and it has affected others. I know it is my fault, and I should have some self control...but you are an enabler, and therefore just as guilty as me.

This is really hard for me to say, but I think we should take a break. Don't act sad, I know you won't miss me that much. You'll get used to me being gone, and perhaps even decided you really like it. I really like you, and I'll miss the games that we play, and the people that we chat with together, but I think this has to be done. Why? Because when I'm with you, the chances of making a complete idiot of myself are much higher than when it's just me. You take my witty sarcasm and turn it into something that is only recognizable as pathetic drama mongering. I don't like that! I'm so comfortable with you that I sometimes allow control to slip from my fingertips and end up regretting things that I say when we are together. You just make it too easy to type-type-type and click comment. My opinionated, sarcastic, off the wall, outspoken personality needs more of a buffer than that! Don't get me wrong, most of the time it's just good times...but I'm not sure that is enough to make up for the few instances in which I have caused unnecessary drama, hurt feelings, or offended friends. If I forget to act like an adult when I am in your presence, then something needs to be fixed.

I'll just come out and say it...facebook, I love you. I do. However, you have been facilitating my stroll down an unwanted path, and I need some time to think about what I really want. I have some growing up to do. I need to go to rehab, and I need to do it on my own.

It's not you. It's me.

It's likely that I will find it hard to get through my every day without you. You are my link to the outside world, my escape from being surrounded by tiny children. I will likely yearn for your company, and try my hardest to fight against it. Once I feel that I have matured enough, and that we can give this relationship another shot, I will have rules. I will not come crawling back, begging for you to forgive me. I will expect you to help me help you help me. Got that?

Until then, goodbye sweet facebook. You'll be in my heart.

Love,

Amy <3

Our Kids So Far

I am one of six kids. Jodi, Mandy, Stacey, Kylie, Amy, and....Burton. Hmm. Mandy, is really Amanda...but there was still a bit of a theme going there with the 'ee' sound at the end of each of our names. I like that about us. :) Personally, when thinking about baby names, I have always liked girl names that end with 'lyn'. In fact I will add to the cheesiness by sharing that I'd prefer to have all of my daughters' first names end with 'lyn', and have all of their middle names be three letters. OCD? Perhaps. Weird? Probably. Tacky? That's me!



So far there is only one girl, Jocelyn Joy. I knew when I was 12 years old, that I would be naming my first daughter Jocelyn. A woman who I knew for my entire life, who cared for me when I was a baby and taught me pretty much all I know about how to care for an infant, died when I was twelve. Her name was Jocelyn Lee Astin, but we only ever referred to her lovingly as Joey. Joey was a foster mother. She cared for babies, over 100 of them in her time as a foster parent. Some of these infants were special needs, and she loved nothing more than to give them all of her attention, love, and to dress them up in beautiful baby clothes. She was even awarded the 'foster parent of the year' award for Monterey County on more than one occasion. My sister Kylie and I spent a lot of time with Joey as we were growing up. We loved helping with the babies and we loved letting her spoil us. We went on trips with her to the bay area to visit her son. We wanted to be Rainbow Girls and Jobs Daughters like her beautiful daughter, Diana, whose life was sadly cut short due to cancer. I will always have the fondest memories of this woman, and could think of no better name to give to my first little girl. Hopefully, my daughter will grow into a woman as caring, loving, giving, and wonderful as her namesake. Jocelyn's middle name is Joy, after Brad's Great Grandfather. His name was Joy Joseph Whitten. Brad's grandfather's name was Leonard Joy Whitten. They have kept it in the family, and Brad suggested it as a middle name for Jocelyn. We thought it was a perfect fit. Brad also liked the idea of calling her J.J., even though I completely planned on calling her Joey (we both still only call her Jocelyn after two years). While I was writing Jocelyn's birth announcements, I researched the meaning of Jocelyn. It turns out that her name means playful, joyful, or lighthearted. With a middle name like Joy, having a first name that also means joyful might seem redundant, but we don't believe that you can have too much of a good thing! She is our joy!

So that's Jocelyn. Now, for no good reason at all, here are the other girls names I have picked for our future daughters:
(not in any particular order)

Carolyn Sue
Jaquelyn Rae
Marilyn Lee
Kaitlyn Mae (My sister Amanda already has dibs on Kaitlyn, but if I get to five daughters before she gets one, I'm using it!)

Now onto boys. We always knew that our first son would be Samuel Wilson. Brad is a fan of using family names, but he doesn't think the world is ready for a Bradrick Junior. He likes skipping a generation, so we wanted to use Brad's dad's first and middle name. When I got pregnant last year, we were thinking about Carolyn Sue for a girl, but we knew it would be Samuel Wilson if it were a boy. Unfortunately, less than a month after I found out that I was pregnant, My dad passed away. When we found out that we were in fact having a boy, I really wanted to use my dad's name. My dad's name was James Terry. So, Sam ended up being Samuel James, the first names of both of his grandfathers. We had some other boys names picked out for future sons with James in them, but I felt strongly about using it this time because of the time line of me getting pregnant right before my dad died.

Other Boys names we like, mostly family names:
(in no particular order)

Isaac Benton
Julius Astin
Leonard Wilson

I know we won't be usinge all of these names because we have trimmed our 'How many kids we want' number from eight to either four or five. But, we sure will be prepared if we change our minds and decide to have 9 or 10!