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destination boca
You know that phrase, “Life’s a journey, not a destination.” They weren’t talking about traveling with kids… right? Because when you are flying with your children, seems to me it’s all about the destination.
Before we leave for the airport, I tell 3 1/2 year-old Dylan that she has to TRY to go potty.
Dylan: Nooooooo. (sobbing) Nooooo. (More howling) I don’t want to try.
She finally, begrudgingly, sits down on the toilet. But nothing.
In the airport, before we board the plane, I tell Dylan she has to TRY to go potty again.
Dylan: Nooooooo. (Very dramatic sobbing that tips off the other travelers that I must be a super cruel mummy.) I don’t have to goooooooo.
Dylan finally caves (after threats of no DVDs on the plane as if I would carry through on that!) and comes to the ladies’ room with me. She sits ever-so-quickly on the toilet. Nothing.
We are on the plane.
We are in the air.
She is peeing.
On the seat.
Dylan: Oh no! Mommy, I’m having an accident. I’m having an ACCIDENT!
Not a few drops but streams of pee are soaking her tights, her dress (she is a fancy flier), the seat and the seatbelt.
God, if only, “I told you so” was an appropriate parenting technique.
At least I have a dry pair of pants and a sweater for her to wear. And the next person who sits in that seat will never be able to track me down. I made sure that we didn’t leave a scrap of paper that could possibly connect us to that drenched seatbelt.
Finally, we are in warm, sunny, heavenly Boca Raton, Florida.
That night, my in-laws graciously babysit and we head to Trattoria Romana, an Italian restaurant where a huge group of older Floridians are outside waiting for the valet.
And I’m thinking, “God, I love this town. I have never felt so young. Boca is like a shot of Botox without the money or the injections. You just feel so fresh and vibrant here.”
Inside the restaurant, there are lots of “young” folks like myself. The food is delish and Rick’s cousin Wendi (the original Obama mama) makes her Barack pitch to a most likely Hillary-loving 4 top next to us.
In addition to a lot of spunk and a rock star aura, Miss Wendi has got major angst over this Super Tuesday. She and her boss Congressman Robert Wexler (D-Fl) boarded the Obama presidential party train early on and both hope they’re backing the winner.
We get home around midnight and that’s when 14 month-old Summer starts crying. Not sure why. She doesn’t mention anything specific but she does seem to have some aversion to her pack n’ play.
Then, of course, Dylan wakes up because of all the shrieking.
A rapid 2 1/2 hours later, I’m defeated. Rick’s defeated. We sleep awkwardly and uncomfortably with two little monkeys hogging all the room in our bed.
Summer catches up on her baby beauty sleep poolside the next day.
And both girls have a fab case of Boca fever.
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I had to laugh at your pee story, but only because that is absolutely something that I feel SURE has to happen to every family at least once.
Case in point: Clara did it this weekend in a restaurant…
I hope you all get some sleep and enjoy the sunshine!
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I am officially jealous! Boca Raton! I would so much rather be sitting at the beach right now than getting ready to scrub toilets!!
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What is it about the pack 'n play that little ones immediately start screaming when you try to put them to sleep in it?
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You're making me glad I haven't flown with the kids in almost 14 (!) years…
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What is it about your posts that make me feel so normal! Today's is another that I'll be forwarding on to Rob…Maggie just started wearing undies and has already become "try to pee" averse. The thrill is gone, as they say. Thankfully, we don't have to get on a plane soon. But we are getting in the car Sunday for a road trip…yikes. So jealous of the pool and sunny pics!
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It's sunny here in AZ, but Boca Raton just seems nicer right now. Great pictures. Your girls are so cute.
I still dread flying with my kids, and they're 6 and 9.
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Gotta love Wendi and her Obama speeches! Didn't you LOVE Trattoria Romana….one of my faves!
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I love the shout out to my girl Wendi! She is VERY convincing when it comes to Obama and the girl does not care that her pitch is an uphill battle in Boca!
She wins those Bubbies over everytime!
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Samantha is potty trained, but I make her wear a pull-up on plane rides- and really long car rides where it is not safe to pull over and use the portable potty. It is a great fear of mine that she will announce that she has to go potty before they turn off that fasten seatbelt light.
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I'm SO jealous you're in FL. It was negative 12 here this morning. Wench.
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The WORST part of flying…my kid is terrified of automatic potties and won't use the airplane toilet either…she gave herself an infection after holding it an record 14 hours when we got stuck on a layover one time. The Worst!
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Thanks for the laugh! I'd imigine it was incredibly trying time on the plane but it does make a great story for telling. As it's -10 here with windchill I'm a bit jealous of the Florida weather right now.
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You are so right about feeling so young in Boca…
And at present I have a bit of Florida envy as we are bracing ourselves for another snowstorm…
But somehow I viciously smiled and thought…"well, at least I am not on a plane sitting in pee…
; )
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I have the flu and am nearing death but the pee story actually made me laugh. I'm actually laying (lying??) on a cold tile floor because I feel so crappy but I put the laptop down here so I could check in–that should tell you how great your stuff is and how much I look forward to your girls' adventures…
Back to my sickbed (sickfloor?)…
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Oh Man…I guess I should check the seat before I sit on it to make sure there were no accidents. What are you telling me..that we're not supposed to use "I told you so"..opps
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Kind of gives new meaning to the ol' "mile high club" thing. Josh will certainly become a member as he is not taking well to potty training…
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The last time I flew with a child, my son was 16 months old. Never again!
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Which is worse Dylan peeing or when she threw up on the person sitting next to you? Ok, they are both bad . . .Hope that you are having a good trip.
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I never tried it, but in light of our last discussion about the joy of tricking your kids, I wonder how it might work if you just said (right before you leave the house) "Okay, time to go, no time for peeing, let's go. If you have to pee, too bad!" And then when they start begging to pee, you say "oh, fine, just hurry."
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You are so lucky, Sun, Fun and a Pool….sigh….we got snow and blizzards almost as cool. Have fun!
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Just came back from Palm Beach with my almost 4 year old and my 6 month old. There is nothing crazier than traveling with two little ones. Enjoy Boca
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I am having major Boca envy.
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You see? Your story just confirms what I believe – there is a cosmic balancing law somewhere on parental enjoyment. You and the hubby have a great time at dinner and then, you get no rest because the girls are fussy at night.
On another note. I don't chance it. We carry diapers all the way when we fly. Potty training is all good and everything but flying invokes the hiatus law. Saves time, problems and messes. I also tie the barf bag around the kid's neck first thing after boarding. It took a couple of messy vomiting incidents, before I came up with this nifty little solution.
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You turned pee into giggles. Nice, nice writing.
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We have to go to Chicago & New Orleans with a one-year- old. We're debating whether the car or airplane would be worse. Now I know to bring plenty of diapers no matter how we get there.
thanks for the laughs!
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Thanks for the shameless plug _ for those of you in TX, OH, VT or RI – Go vote Obama! As for the rest of you, please forward me your flight info and seat assignments, as we know those planes do not clean up well! I also must add that Dylan and Summer are the CUTEST girls in town!!
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Oh my goodness…I am speechless. And more than a bit disturbed as I'm flying to Colorado tomorrow and on to Australia next week-and now I'm wondering if some kid peed on my seat that I"ll be in for 14 hours!
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We'll be heading from Hell Ay to New Yawk in June with Tully, the not-yet-2 toilet training toddler, so she'll have on a pull-up en route but when we get there, she'll just pee on street corners like the Dylmeister. Have fun in Boca – the birdies need a little sunshine – so does mom & dad!
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"Trattoria Romana" and there was me thinking you were having some Eastern European faire
Seriously though hope you don't mind me posting, for while I'm not a mom myself, I do teach a bunch of teen moms out here in CA.
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Oh, they are so cute (and it's a good thing, right?) I console myself with the fact that while "I told you so" doesn't quite work yet, some day, when I am like 90? And they are wheeling me into something vaguely stuffy and formal (like their presidential inauguration or something) I'm just going to pee everywhere. That'll show 'em.
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Boca Fever! Awesome!
(And yeah, the pee-in-the-seat thing? We've been there, too. Too scary — has every airline seat been peed on??)
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Traveling with kids? You should get combat pay.
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somehow I missed this post… I just love the pictures of the girls. Beautiful! Is the peeing on the seat any different from a leaky catheter?
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Christmas, Sam with the stomach flu, no running water on plane, no back-up outfit, no more extra diapers…after that one, it’s amazing I ever left the house again.
And your girls look like they belong on the beach!
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