Be kind to flying moms

I jinxed myself the night before our flights to Texas by telling my friends that I have never had problems getting fellow passengers to switch seats with my kids or husband so we could all sit together on the plane. After all, when you see a woman with 3 small children boarding a plane, most passengers would pay to escape being within 3 rows of us. Well not this trip. On our first flight I had to approach the entire row to explain I needed them all to move. Now that sounds bad, but actually, one person was sitting in my seat, the other got to escape their middle seat to sit in a window and the third unpleasant woman got my 6am wrath when she gave me lip about moving from her aisle seat to Myann's aisle seat one row up. She asked me what choice she had and I informed her that she was welcome to sit with me, Anders, and Shane and enjoy their fighting and whining or she could go sit in a row with 2 other adults. She continued to protest, but moved. Then the next flight I was in a row with all three kids, but Brian's seat was the aisle 3 rows up. No one around us would move so Brian could sit closer. To repay their kindness/stupidity, when the kids went nuts (after all it was 2 pm and we had all been up since 5am, makes for awesome kids). Some of the noise was squeals of joy, but 3 kids with one mom in a confined space inevitably results in fighting, squealing, and bumped seats. I did not try to contain the noise either. I was tired and irritable, and decided that my fellow passengers needed to see why it was to their benefit to have switched seats with my husband, so I could have his assistance. Later Brian told me that the noise was really bad and he could hear people commenting. He gets really bothered by the kids being loud, but I do what I can do and really careless about the comments and stares. We live far from our families, which means we have to fly. We fly A LOT and sometimes the kids are great and sometimes they are not great. At Christmas, they were awesome flyers, this trip, they were whiney and not obedient. Part way in to the flight, once Brian explained the situation to the mom and child nest to him, she offered to have Shane sit with her, so Brian could help me. After the switch and separating the kids, they were really good and all was quiet. Note to readers, if a mom asks you to switch seats, it is in your best interest to oblige.

The funny story out of it was Shane taking advantage and sitting alone. During drink service, two carts were parked next to us, blocking our access to Shane. We were trying to get him his sippy cups of milk and juice, when he was asked by the flight attendant what he wanted to drink. Brian and I listened attentively for his response, knowing what he would say. Shane, "Do you have Sprite?" Flight attendant, "Yes." Shane, "May I have Sprite please?" I know Shane was thinking, Score, I can have whatever I want. Soda is reserved as very special treats in our house and Shane knows this. I know he was being sneaky and feeling like quite the grown up as he ordered his own drink. Brian and I were giggling at the exchange.