Six days before my 39th birthday I got some great news…I’m accepted into the Flores MBA Program at LSU. As I sat on the floor watching Scooby Doo with Bronson I tearfully read my acceptance letter. It was definitely a surreal moment. After all, getting my MBA has been a thought long before Mo and B were even here. A… Read more →
Category: Single Moms
Strippers at 16 Year Old’s Birthday
Is it me, or are Sweet 16 parties getting out of hand? When I turned 16, we’d get together for a sleepover, eat pizza, cake & ice cream, and maybe try and watch a rated R movie on HBO through the fuzzy lines. Recently Diddy’s son turned 16, he got a Maybach. Kids are having over the top birthday parties that… Read more →
Olympic Moms
Gabby Douglas has made history at the London 2012 Olympics. She’s the 1st U.S gymnast to win Gold medals in both the Individual and Team All-Around competitions in the same Olympics. She’s also the 1st African American All Around champion in OLYMPIC HISTORY!!! When she was just 14, Gabby’s mom, Natalie Hawkins made a huge sacrifice. Gabster left her… Read more →
Mother’s Day 2012
I have so much fun with my boys. Fun for me is pretty simple, hanging with my kids with minimal arguing & whining. So, for Mother’s Day, I just like to relax. It all started with breakfast in bed. With a little help from Auntie Mona, the boys made all my favorites: bacon, egg & cheese bagel, fresh fruit, and… Read more →
Man Fathers 82 Children
*ATTENTION* All Players report to Germany. 42 year old Ed Houben is about to school you. Ed was a Virgin til age 34, but now he is finding a way to give back to mankind. He is donating his sperm for free. That’s right, he is giving women and couples a chance to have a baby without the high costs… Read more →
Calling All Underdogs…
I like to cheer for the underdog. -The small school over the highly successful large university -A Veteran athlete trying to make a comeback -A hometown hero who overcame the odds -The little guy over the big lunch money bully… Lately, I’ve realized that I have a lot of people cheering for me. Somehow, I’ve amassed a great circle of… Read more →
Life After Divorce
I normally don’t talk about my personal life (or lack of…) but I get so many questions about how to move on after a divorce. There are a ton of books, specialists, and websites that tackle this, I didn’t use any. I can only say what worked for me. My marriage was doomed from the start, but I stayed in… Read more →
Airplane Flight Tips For Kids
My dad recently celebrated his 70th birthday in Memphis. While I was excited to join in the celebration, I was dreading the 4 hour flight to get there.
If you don’t have kids, or haven’t traveled with small children, you have no idea the level of concern I felt for the month leading up to this.
Once you’re up in the air, your options are pretty limited as to what you can do to occupy a 15 month old boy. Luckily, I had my sister to help entertain Morris, so I could focus on Bronson. Boy, did I get a workout. No one wants to the “that mom” on the flight with the crying/screaming baby.
I planned out the flight very meticulously. I wanted to make sure I was fully prepared.
Here’s what I learned:
1. On a previous flight, I tried Motrin to help “assist” him in sleeping on the flight. Didn’t work. He was awake the entire time. This time I turned to Benadryl. Didn’t work on the first leg, but he slept for 1 hour on the return flight. I’ll take it. Any sleep is better than no sleep at all. (As always, check with your pediatrician before giving any medication)
2. We bought him his own seat. It was just more comfy for him and me. Also, this enabled me to take a car seat on the flight in hopes of him falling asleep easier in it. (He didn’t, but I tried).
3. Get chummy with the flight attendants. They turned out to be my best friend. They gave Morris snacks and didn’t bug me at take off or landing about anything. They even seated passengers around me in another row just so I could have more space.
4. I dressed nice. This might sound dumb, but for some reason, strangers seem nicer and more understanding when you’re wearing a dress rather than sweats.
5. Take tons of snacks. They were great diversions. Bronson really enjoyed sucking on lollipops (look for the sugarless ones) and they made me feel like the sucking was easing any discomfort in the air. He managed to sit still while he ate his lollipops. Throw your no candy rule out the window on a flight. Lollipops were a lifesaver for me.
6. Be prepared to entertain. You will not be kicking back on the flight reading the newest John Grisham novel. I was like a circus clown the whole flight, constantly pulling tricks out of my bag. My kids never liked the baby toys. They always seem to go for the ipod, camera, blackberry, remote…you know the expensive stuff. I indulged Bronson with this on the flight.
7. Strangers can help. Normally, I ignore and avoid strangers at all costs with the kids. However, on a flight, any help is good. Many grandmas and grandpas loved giving Bronson attention. He liked it too. I let them play patty cake, peek-a-boo, and all the other trusty baby games mid-air.
Good luck.
My best advice, take a G5 if you can.