Is a red eye flight a good idea for a 2 year old?

In June we were looking for flights so we could fly to Maine and spend time with my in-laws. As we were looking we were noticing that the flights were expensive. At least double from the last time we bought them to fly to Maine. Plus, we had to buy a third ticket now that our daughter is 2. We were looking for decent flying times, from Denver to Portland, Maine which means we have to go through a city. There is no direct flight from Denver to Portland, Maine. The decent times, leaving Denver in the morning and returning to Denver in the late afternoon, were super expensive. We are talking about 900+ dollars. Well, 3 tickets at that price would be too much money and we wouldn't have much to spend on vacation. So what do we do???? Well, we caved and went for a red-eye flight. We had to decide if we would be taking the red-eye at the beginning of the trip or the late night at the end which wouldn't put us home until 3am. Knowing I had to work the next day, pretty much nixed that option. So we opted for the red-eye at the beginning of the trip. This isn't Baby A's first Red-Eye. She took one a year ago. Did good but this time she is more alert, and a little person. We knew she wouldn't get much sleep and for a child who has schedules and routines, how would this effect her? I knew she would be fine but I have never seen her over tired b/c of her routines that I wasn't sure how the lack of night time sleep would effect her.

We wanted to make the day before we left as calm and normal as possible. We woke up on Monday morning, packed the car and drove 2 hours to my mom's house. She lives only about 30 min. from the Denver Airport. We spent the day there, putting Baby A to bed for nap time at her usual time, 1pm. She slept 2 1/2 hours. Yeah!!! We hung out and put her to bed at her normal 7:30 pm time. She crashed out. Good so far. At 9:30 we woke her up to head to the airport for our 1am flight. She was awake in the car and we told her to go to sleep again. And she did!!! Good for her! Once we got to the airport, she woke up. I thought once we got through security we would be able to find a quiet, dark corner to wait for the plane and get her back to sleep. No such luck. We tried, held her, rocked her, but she didn't sleep. Too much excitement going on. She was up,talking, looking at the planes, but not once showed any signs of anxiety, tiredness, crankiness, etc. Once we were on the plane and in the air, she finally fell asleep. She woke up about 20 min. before landing, looking at people, playing, looking out the window since the sun was up now that we were on the East Coast! One gal across the row from her was so impressed. She didn't make one, unhappy peep the whole time. We got off the plane, ate breakfast at 7:00 a.m. which was really 5 a.m. our time, and waited 3 hours for our next plane. Again, she was playing, watching all the people, and looking at the planes. Not once showing any sign of being over tired. Our next flight was only about 1 hour long but we thought getting 5 hours of sleep she would crash out. Not so fast. She had a ball. We got to Grammy's house and played it cool. We kept her schedule and switched her to Eastern Time, putting her down for her nap at 1pm and bedtime at 7:30pm. When she wasn't sleeping, she was riding her tricylce, swimming, playing with the dog, and happy as a clam.

We are still wondering what made her such a tropper? How come she didn't show signs of being tired? How come she never cried or was cranky? We don't know. We could only assume it is b/c she gets her 13 hours of sleep on a daily basis, is well rested, has consistency, and a schedule that we don't mess with. She probably wouldn't mind taking another red-eye flight.

As for me.....That is another story!

Testing our strength to follow through and support one another

Everyday we continue to teach our daughter manners, respect, how to share, love, and many other important values. Each day something new happens or she tests us in a way that we have to follow through on what we say. As hard as it is we have to do it. Two things have happened this week that have tested us on our calmness, sternness and on supporting each other.

When both Dad and I are home we often put baby A to bed together. We go to her bedroom, read books, calm down, change diaper, put pj's on, drink milk, brush teeth, sing her a lullaby and put her down. We love this routine and ritual. It is so calming for her and by the time we walk out of her room she is ready to go to bed.

As we were hanging out in the bed room sitting on the floor with Baby A standing between us, she decided to hit me. So I said our usual, "Bummer, 1 minute time out and picked her up and put her in the hall facing the wall." After one minute I said, "Time out is over I love you." In she walked with a somewhat mischevious smile on her face. She came and stood right b/w dad and I, facing Daddy. Now Daddy asked her to do something, I can't remember what it was, but it made her unhappy. She decided to bring her right arm back and slap him across the face. I'm not talking about a little, soft slap. I'm talking about the slap across the face you see on soap operas. I went, "uh" and Daddy stayed calm and said, "Time out, go in the hall." As soon as she was out of sight, he started into a silent laugh and I turned my head into the closet and laughed hysterically, but silently into my arm. Of course we don't want her to hear or see us laughing because that would be very encouraging for her. We had 1 min. to get our laughs out. When T.O. was over, she came in with a somewhat similar smile as before but laid on the floor waiting for her diaper change. Of course Daddy did say, "I love you." I guess those two time outs told her that she can't get away with hitting people. The rest of our bedtime routine went without a hitch.

Last night we were having dinner outside on the deck. You couldn't have asked for a more perfect evening. The weather was amazing, no wind, homemade stir fry, we had played outside all day and now we were enjoying each others company for dinner. Once Daddy and I were done with dinner we were just hanging out at the table as Baby A continued to eat. There were some things in the stir fry she didn't like, like those little corns. So if she got them in her mouth she would spit them in her hand and we would tell her to put it on her plate. Well, after a few times of this she decided to take some and drop it on the ground. She did this after I said, "You don't have to eat that, just put it on your plate." So I had to act fast and say, "bummer, we don't drop our food on the floor, dinner is over." I stood up and took her plate inside. This caused a raucous. She was super sad. She kept crying and saying, "My food, my dinner time." I so bad wanted to give it back to her because she rarely throws food on the floor and if she drops it in an accident I wouldn't take the plate. But this clearly wasn't an accident. She has to learn that we don't throw our food on the floor. So I let her cry. Daddy missed the whole thing so was unsure of what happened. As she continued to cry Daddy asked, "Did you throw your food on the ground." She said, "Yes." At least she admits it. Well after about 5 min. I was able to get her out of her seat and get ready to head up stairs. She saw a banana on the counter and started to stay, "My mana." So dad was all for giving her this, I wasn't. His concern was he didn't want her to go to bed hungry. I felt it was o.k. b/c she still had milk to eat and she did eat a lot of her dinner. As soon as she got the banana she was done crying.

What will the consequence of this be for us? I guess time will tell.

Time Out or A Different Consequence?

This past week we went to a friend's cabin up in the Black Hills of SD. It was about a 6 1/2 hour drive. Baby A was great. We arrived at 5pm. It was enough time to have a good dinner, get her some exercise and get her to bed.

The following day we had breakfast and then went driving around. We ended up in a small town that is about 30 min. from the cabin. By the time we arrived it was 12. I was hoping we would get back by 1 for nap but it didn't seem like it as we needed to eat lunch and there was a fish hatchery down the street we wanted to take Baby A to feed the fish. By the time we got back to the cabin it was 2. An hour late. Yes it bothers me a bit, but we were on vacation so I could deal with an hour late. She didn't sleep as long as she normally does, probably because we were somewhere else that was new and exciting. Once she got up it was pretty late so we hung around the cabin. I went on a mountain bike ride and Baby A got to ride her bike around the cabin with her dad and friend. Dad fed her dinner. I returned at 7. It was time to get her ready for bed. Baby A and friend were playing peek-a-boo. She was having a blast, belly laughing like you couldn't believe. When we went down stairs to get ready for bed she was calming down. Then it happened....

I laid her on the bed to change her diaper and she hit me. So I said, "Bummer, time out" I put her against the wall for 1 min. Then I said, "Time out is over. I love you." So I resumed in trying to change her diaper again and she hit me again. Deja Vu. Time out again. After the third time I started to get a bit frustrated. I had to decide, will I keep putting her in time out b/c that is her consequence, which could mean getting ready for bed could take a long time. Or do I do something else. On the spur of the moment I decided to skip time out and I said, If you keep hitting me we will go straight to bed without ready books. She kept hitting me so I quickly finished changing her, put her pj's on, and put her in her crib. I said, "I love you. Goodnight." Then it hit her. I watched her mouth turn down, open wide and start to cry saying, "Books." I reiterated, "I am sorry honey, I love you but you chose to keep hitting me so you have to go straight to bed without ready books." Then I left. Boy did she cry. I walked upstairs and looked at my friend. I wasn't sure what to do. I don't want to take books away from her but at the time Time Out wasn't working. After a bit I went back down b/c she was still crying, hard and when I opened the door, she said, "Books," through her tears. I repeated again what had happened, told her I loved her and it was time for bed. Then I went back up stairs. I proceeded to go back one more time but couldn't calm her down. I know if I took just one book out that would do it, but if I did it...she would start to think she was in charge. She needs to learn there are consequences other than Time Out and some will be very sad.

Around 8:30pm her father came home and heard her crying. I quickly explained the situation and he said, "I'll go down, is there anything you want me to do." I said, "Just don't read her a book."

A few minutes later he came up and all was quiet. I wondered, "Did he read a book?" Then I realized that we are both on the same page and we don't contradict each other. He ended up picking her up for a few minutes to hug and rock her.

Did this consequence work? Is she still hitting me? Yes, every now and then and she goes into time out but she hasn't hit me while we have been getting ready for bed. I think she likes her books too much!

Time Outs

We are definitely in the stage of Time Out. We started it a while back when Baby A would hit me, not dad because she never hit him, just me. Well, yesterday...was a full blown time out day. We probably had 5 time outs within the first hour of our morning. So of course it makes me wonder...does it work? We follow the Love and Logic advice on time outs. When Baby A does something, in this case, we say "Bummer! Time Out for 1 minute." We sit her by the stairs facing the wall and don't pay attention to her for 1 min. Then when it is over we say, "Time out is over! I love you!" She usually says, "No Hit". It is suggested not to react much, but when it happens over and over again in a short amount of time, it is hard not to react. My doctor suggested that if she hits, be stern and say, "No Hitting! You need to go to Time Out." So I have tried both. It probably isn't good to be a bit inconsistent with the reaction. I like the bummer idea but wonder if she needs something a bit more stern so she knows it is wrong. On the other hand, I wonder if being more stern shows her she is getting a reaction out of me so she will do it again. Today she was with Dad for the morning. She only had two time outs. Yes, she is hitting him now too. I think she is getting really smart and testing more and more.

So as I sit and wonder if it works, I do believe it does, I just wonder if she is hitting more to see if we keep putting her in time out. If she thinks she will break us down...she is wrong. She will keep going to time out. I am predicting that eventually she will get bored of going to time out and it will subside a bit. I look forward to that day. In the mean time, I am going back to my Love and Logic Books and reading the chapter about 2 year olds and logical discipline. I am grateful for this book!

Camping and Sticking to Schedules-Does it Work?

Last week we went on our first camping trip of the season. Not only was it the first trip of the season but two of Baby A's friends were with us with their parents. Prior to this trip, Baby A was always the only little person there. This could be a different experience. Would we stick to the routines? Of course WE would but would she? I figured she would but you never know when there are other little people around. It could get challenging. Dad and Uncle went out early Friday to secure us a good camping spot. Baby A, me, Aunt, and Friend drove out together. We didn't leave our place until 5. I knew that getting there by Baby A's bedtime, 7:30, would be a challenge. She would want to run a round a bit. By the time we got there it was just after 7:30. Pretty much all camp was set up, but I had a few things to get done for her before she went to bed. We were flexible a bit on this night. We let her play with her friends for a bit. By the time she got to bed it was 8:30, an hour later. She did fine, fell asleep quickly, and slept all the way through the night. No she did not sleep longer, but she woke up and played for a bit before dad and I moved.

Next day was a fun filled day in the sun and wind. Nap time came. All the girls went down at the same time and believe me, she was ready. She was tired and is so used to napping at that time she doesn't even fuss. Now when we camp, dinner doesn't tend to be made early for the adults, but we tried. By the time we ate dinner it was 7:00 on Sat. night. 30 min. to eat and get to bed? Nearly impossible. When it was time, we made our rounds and she happily said her goodnights to everyone, including her friends. We got into the crib by 7:45 and she was out. 15 min. late, not so bad and no fuss from her.

We are so proud of her and how she handles her routines. Rarely do we have any fussing. She knows when it is her bedtime and she is ready for it!

How we handled two birthday parties in one day

A week ago from this past Saturday we had two birthday parties in one day. Before I had children I used to think, wow, 2 birthday parties in one day. That is a lot of stimulation for a young child. I don't remember going to two birthday parties in one day when I was a kid. I kind of assumed that when I had kids, we wouldn't do that. And then it happened. Baby A received an invitation about a month a go for a little girl's 3rd birthday at the gymnastic center. It started at 11:30. I figured that would work. We can be there for about an hour and a half and get back for nap on time or just a few minutes late. So I RSVP'd and a couple weeks later we were invited to a friend's daughter's 2nd birthday that same day at 4:30. Bonus for me...both parties were perfectly scheduled around Baby A's nap. Obviously not for us, but it was very convenient. At first I did consider unRSVPing to the first one but then figured, there is no point as it didn't interfere with her nap. Remember, you are reading from the parents who schedule their days around Baby A's schedule 100% of the time. My second concern, pizza and cake were being served at both parties. We eat very healthy in our house. Yes, we do have sweets every now and then and pizza, but definitely not in one day. So I thought this would be interesting to see how Baby A would handle the food.

Saturday came. We were off for party number 1. All the kids got to run and play in the gymnastic center for 1 hour. They were all very good. 12:30 came and so did lunch. I was eyeing the clock quite often wondering if the kids could eat pizza and cake in a 1/2 hour because we had to leave by 1. Baby A had 2 bites of pizza, a few bites of ice cream and cake and then stopped. Good girl, she stopped when she had enough. By 1 the party was actually over and most of the parents were scurrying out of their, I'm assuming to get their kids home for nap. We followed right behind. As I pulled out of the parking lot I saw Baby A's eyes drop closed rather quickly. She was out. I kept thinking, should I try to keep her up for the 10 min. ride or just let her sleep and get her right to bed. I let her sleep even though I knew she would probably wake up when I took her out of the car. But I had faith she would go back to sleep quickly for two reasons. One, she was very tired, and secondly, she naps at the same time EVERY SINGLE DAY so it is part of her routine! We parked, I took her out of the car seat, she woke up, we went straight to her bedroom, I skipped the milk, took off her shoes and coat, changed her diaper quickly, and had to remind her it was still nap time. I sang her the songs she likes to hear before bed, put her in the crib, and she was out! Thank you for consistency and routines.

Party number 2 was at 4:30, well after she woke up, we went, she didn't eat any pizza, ate a few bites of chicken fingers, and half a cupcake. At 7:00, you guessed it, we packed her up, drove the 10 min. home and put her to bed for her 7:30 bedtime.

We had a very successful first experience with 2 birthday parties in one day. We definitely can do it again, as long as the parties work around her schedule, otherwise, we will be skipping one.

Back to play time in the crib!

Just finished up a 3-week visit from Grandma who lives over 2,000 miles away. So Baby A had lots of excitement. Grandma was around almost daily, and Kita (the cousin doggy) who Baby A loves was around a lot. We still kept with the schedule...1pm nap time and 7:30 pm bedtime. Baby A was always ready for bed when it was time but her naps weren't always as long as she normally takes. Somedays were great naps, some were less than 2 hours. We always give her play time after nap and in the morning in the crib. Sometimes she plays up to an hour. These 3 weeks it was less play time than usual. Grandma who only gets to see Baby A twice a year wants to see her when she gets up. So we were a bit flexible. Honestly, for me...it was hard b/c we have Baby A in such a great routine. Down for nap at 1 and out of crib around 4 whether she sleeps until 4 or wakes up earlier and plays. So the week after Grandma leaves, isn't any different regarding routines but less excitement for Baby A. Her first couple naps, she slept so so. Not as long as normal. Her average nap is over 2 hours. One day, soon after Grandma left, she woke up she started crying. It was just before 3pm. This tells me she is still tired but wants to get up. Her crying increased so I went upstairs. As I peeked through the door, I saw her standing up in the middle of her crib, with the saddest face, crying, staring at the door. As soon as she saw me, she hit the deck, back to the mattress with her butt in the air. I went in, rubbed her back and softly said, "It isn't time to get up yet. I love you. I will be right downstairs." She whispered, "k" and as I walked out the door, she looked back and again I said, "I love you, I'll be right down stairs," closed the door and left. As I patiently waited by the monitor, I expected to hear crying again......waiting.......waiting......Success!!! No Crying!!! I was so excited! She is so comfortable with being in her crib and she is so familiar to the routines that I was able to walk out of her room without her crying. For the next hour she was in her crib. We are unsure if she fell asleep or not. It was quiet for a long time. We dare not peek in the door b/c if she saw us...that could be it. Eventually we heard her, playing and talking to her posse that she keeps in the crib. 4:00 came and it was time to get up.

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