MSP FTW

(Translation: Minneapolis-St. Paul airport for the win!)

We weren't sure how things would go with the flights, since we had to get the boys up before 6 AM to leave for the airport. But they were great! (James didn't want the pants I picked out and didn't want to change his shirt, so he wore his PJ shirt for the trip -- but one of the advantages of being three is that you can wear what you want sometimes.)

We didn't have a wait for security, and they had a family line -- we didn't have to go through the body scanner, and they didn't give us any hassle about bringing James's formula.  Woo-hoo!

The boys were cheerful and well-behaved in the airport for breakfast, and happy to sit in their seats on the plane.  We did the family pre-boarding, so getting the car seats in wasn't a problem.  Mattie was impatient for takeoff! There was a little bumpiness during the landing, and Mattie liked that -- he kept saying "Whee!! That tickles!!"

We were the last ones to get off the plane.  The flight attendant asked if it was the boys' first flight, and I said it was the first one they could remember.  So she let them look in the cockpit, and gave them pilot's wings!  Cool!!  (They'd been watching a Caillou episode where Caillous goes on a plane -- and Caillou was clearly flying in a different era, since he didn't have to go through security, was served a full breakfast on board, and chatted with the pilot.  So I'd been telling the boys it wouldn't be the same, but lo and behold, they did get to do some of what Caillou did!)

We had a long layover in Minneapolis, and the airport was great.  The information people sought us out and told us about the play area, which the boys loved, especially the space shuttle. And as an added bonus, the Chik-Fil-A at the food court gave them free stuffed cows.  :)  The boys also liked the moving walkways. 

Matthew slept through the entire second flight, and James happily watched a Dora episode.  And we were all happy to see the relatives in Aberdeen!