I Have to go Potty...at 10,000 Feet

So I've mentioned before that Hubby is a pilot. Occasionally we'll fly to see our parents. We did this a lot right after we had Carsen for many reasons:
1) We could afford it.
2) It was faster.
3) We thought we were super cool b/c we flew home.

Did I mention the dog (Eddie) also flies? He's a seasoned traveler. Most of the time he's the co-pilot and does very well. At first he's anxious but after take off he settles down and falls asleep.

Ainsley was about 18 months the first time she flew. She didn't want to keep her headset on and loved to look out the window.

Maybe I should mention when we take an airplane home it's a 4-seater. Usually a Cessna 172 or 182.

Charlotte's first trip she was 7 months and also chose not to wear the headset. She fell asleep w/in a few minutes both coming and going. Eddie did not make that trip. Would have been a little crowded to say the least. No room for Eddie to wander on the floor like in the car.

Now to the point of this post:
At the end of Spring Break, we flew up to see Hubby's sister in Omaha, NE. Charlotte again didn't want to wear the headset which was fine, but this trip she didn't fall asleep w/in minutes even though she was beyond exhausted.

No she decided to scream for an hour and 15 minutes of the 2 hour trip. She fell asleep during the last 20 minutes. Hubby and I passed her back and forth for most of the trip. The older kids played the iPad.

On the return trip is where things got interesting. Carsen had been the co-pilot on the flight to Omaha so on the way home it was Ainsley's turn which meant Carsen was sitting in the back next to me.

About an hour into the flight, Carsen said he had to go potty. Hubby told him we still had an hour to go, could he hold it? That was met w/ a very abrupt shake of his head and him clutching his pants.

Hubby and I exchanged glances over the seat and I mentioned I had a water bottle.

I had no idea how much pee actually came out when a person pees! I had a small Dasani bottle and he almost filled it.

It's not the first time we've dealt w/ bodily fluids. When I was pregnant w/ Ainsley I threw up in the plane in one of those air sickness bags.

Hubby threw it out the window. Can't imagine the surprise if that landed on someone.

Life Before Kids

I've often thought about things my husband and I didn't do before we had kids. We all have those lists: take a road trip together, travel more, save money, etc.

We visited my sister-in-law and her husband over the summer in Omaha and I was green w/ jealousy most of the time. They live in an apartment in downtown Omaha. They live on the top floor above a bakery. We walked around most of the area which included a farmer's market, numerous shops and restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, etc. Their apartment also had floor to ceiling windows all around their living/dining room.

The whole time we were there I couldn't help but marvel at the simpleness of their lives and all the options they had to do things. The farmer's market was just a block away! You could hear the night life happening right outside their windows. (Granted some nights it was a little loud, but still it created an awesome atmosphere.)

They had leather furniture, not my taste, but they had the option! With kids that's not exactly the friendliest of fabrics. My sister-in-law is big into home decor (sometimes I don't understand her vision) so there are always a lot of decorative items by the TV or sitting on the bookshelf. Now that it's Christmas time I'm sure their apartment looks like a department store window display.

I couldn't help but be jealous of all they had at their disposal. Not only the variety of venues for food, shopping, and entertainment, but the freedom to do nothing all day if they chose to, to take off on a weekend trip at the last minute, or simply to talk to each other w/o interruptions. Some days I wish I could trade lives w/ them, and others I feel so lucky I have what I do.

Who wouldn't want to spend a weekend in the LBK (Life Before Kids) phase?