we'll just glide, starry-eyed

It may not look like much, but this is potentially the best invention since air conditioning:


Actually, it's not much, which makes it even more impressive (why didn't anyone else think of this?!). It's just a panel with wheels that you strap to the back of your carseat.


Then, rather than lugging said carseat through the airport, you can wheel it -- and your youngun -- around like this!



Voila, happy toddler and free hands! Thank you, GoGoBabyz.

We did a plane trip over a long weekend and this thing totally saved the day. We buy tickets and have the kids in their seats on the plane for safety's sake, and we use the carseats back on land too.

As for keeping busy, obviously airports and planes are fairly busy places, and flying is pretty fun, The babe was mostly occupied with the Nuby teether


and a handmade stuffed cat from Tibet we found at Ten Thousand Villages -- perfect for chewing.

(Side note: everyone always mentions how babies are upset by the altitude change with take-off and landing. One reason we take the carseats on board is to do what we can to help with their safety during these two portions of the flight, so the wee one was strapped in (not nursing and not having a bottle) and didn't seem to mind a bit...maybe we were lucky, maybe it helped that she is producing buckets of drool to go along with the teething...)

Our other child was once again busy with books! This seemed perfect for a map-obsessed toddler on his first flight


reusable stickers were a big hit too!


And snacks for everyone, of course.

It was by no means easy for us to travel with two, but we did manage pretty well -- and without checking luggage to boot!