PLANE RIDE:
Our cross country trip to Spokane went really well! The plane ride with the two kids was difficult, but was an overall success. Logistically, getting through security and boarding and de-boarding the plane was the most difficult. Both Jimmy and I each had to carry a baby, so breaking down the stroller, carrying the car seat, and getting settled in took some clever maneuvering on our part.
Alex did well on the plane. We are assuming the constant white noise helped him relax and sleep. Jimmy and I just passed him back and forth as our arms got tired. Amelia had her own seat and did very well too. She had some trouble sleeping and was cranky at times, but was easily entertained by watching an unlimited amount of Sesame Street. She's usually limited to 30 minutes a day at home, so she was LOVING the hours of "TV."
There were moments when both kids were screaming, but it only happened a few times. This usually only occured during transitions... take-off and landing, and boarding the plane. One lady came up to us and told us that we were very brave to take two little kids on a plane and after the flight was over, she told us we did a good job ;0)
SPOKANE:
We mostly just spent time shuffling the kids between the grandparents' houses and visited with family and friends. Amelia was able to spend quality time with her cousins, Hunter and Colton, who are 4 and 1. The big event was Alex's baptism. Jimmy and I were able to get away and see a hocky game with his sister and husband, Amelia went to the children's museum with her cousins, and played at Chuck E Cheese. We had a great visit!
We found a cure for Alex's colic! The crisp, clean Northwest air seemed to do the trick. Once in Spokane he was feeling so much better. In Spokane, he only had a few crying spells and they lasted less than an hour! (Since we've travelled back to the DC area, he has stayed that way... yipee! He still has his moments where he is inconsolable, but instead of lasting for hours, we can get him settled in less than 20 minutes or so.)
Amelia had a blast! She was loving all the attention. However, by the end of the trip, she had turned into a full blown DIVA. All the attention, lack of schedule, different people and houses, and lack of strict discipline meant very little boundaries for her. She definitely took advantage of the situation! Her discipline quickly regressed into full blown diva mode, ha ha ha.
About 12-15 years from now, when Jimmy retires from the Army, we are pretty sure we will move back to Spokane. For us, it's home! We drove around the city and checked out our old hangouts. We have so many memories... especially Jimmy, since he was born and raised there. My family didn't move there until I was in 8th grade, but for me it's home.
PICTURES:
I usually take tons of pictures during our trips. However, when we got home and checked my camera, I had only 14 pictures from our trip, ha ha ha. Most, if not all, of the pictures posted on this blog from Spokane are from my mom and sister's camera.
