That’s what I love about the Bay Area…. its close enough, but yet far enough from San Diego. Perfect for a short weekend getaway while toting two little ones. Add to that a $97 roundtrip airfare sale on Southwest… and we’re sold!
Last year we went to San Francisco, so this year, we decided to switch it up to San Jose. We have family there, so we saved a TON on lodging and transportation. I like these little weekend getaways because the kids get to explore, there really is no agenda but to roam around and pig out, and its not as stressful as a full-on vacay.
Now that the lil’ guy is 2, we had to buy him a seat. So it ended up being me and the the two in one section of the plane. Considering it was only an hour and 20 min flight, I actually only armed myself with snacks and the iPad… and survived well! Its funny, because now that they are older, they recognize that their ears are doing something funny… but there wasn’t a painful crying or anything from it like the infant stage. Most of the time, I told them to keep eating their snacks. Or at times, I would pinch their nose and tell them to act like they are blowing their noses. That worked as well. My daughter was quite entertained by the Skymall magazine, pointing out things she would like to “buy”. hehe. By the time the drink and pretzels were being served, they were both comfortably watching the iPad and I was catching up on my entertainment mags. ahhhhhh.
I was so proud of my lil jetsetters. They did so well on our little getaway. We even got some compliments from nearby passengers. I’m not sure if this was because they both have been traveling a couple times a year via plane since 8-10 months old. But I’m sure it helps. Either way, it keeps me encouraged to continue taking them places to explore. Goodness, my daughter didn’t even want to go home!.
I will make one note though regarding my neuroticism: When we travel – there is a lot of straying from “the schedule”. *sigh*. Sometimes more than I’d like. However, considering the kids are little bit older now, they didn’t really seem to notice and it wasn’t anything crazy. They did go to bed a little later, napped a little later, napped a little less. BUT, they had a ton of fun, tried new foods, interacted with new people, was able to adapted easily in a different home…. I mean, the wealth of learning that takes place in just a little getaway is certainly priceless.
I think outside of properly arming yourself with snacks and entertainment on a flight… the biggest tip I have for happy kids on vacay: Still maintaining some form of their regular routine. Flexibly… but maintained nonetheless.
mommyneurotic 