Return of the Mac

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I flew back to Dubai with the boys on Thursday, on what we call ‘Daddy’s airplane’. Except DH wasn’t flying it, and nor was he on it.

BB and LB are good at air travel really, and I guess for a 3 and 6 year old, they could be classed as frequent travellers, but there are certain inevitabilities about flying with small children.

They needed the toilet just as the food arrived, and also the moment the seatbelt sign came on; they couldn’t get comfortable despite being pint-sized; they weren’t hungry when given their meals then clamoured for food later on when there was none. They wriggled, fidgeted, got bored and LB kept bumping the seat in front.

Brilliant, brilliant idea

As we boarded the full A380 at Heathrow, LB asked a flight attendant if we were going to space. “Too many people today,” he told her, as though he commuted the route daily. But not funnily for me, he didn’t sleep a wink, preferring to give me the Spanish Inquisition over whether there were owls chasing us (it was mostly dark) and would they get chopped up in the engine?

For my part, I ruefully turned down an upgrade (it was only for me, not the kids!), I entertained two energetic boys for seven long hours, rummaged around for missing items, let the 3yo sit on my lap for as long as was tolerable and made multiple trips to the loo.

But, you know what, it is getting easier. Each year is a little better than the last, and when I think back to last year’s long flight with a tantruming two-year-old, playing tray up/tray down, light on/light off and ding the flight attendant, I realise we’ve come a long way, even if it’s still really tiring.

Thanks to an iPad loaded with games, there were even some moments of quiet reflection, when I looked out the window at the ink black sky and the airplane’s shadowy wing. I found myself thinking about the gleaming metallic finish, the gentle, sloping contours, the speed it was capable of, and its ability to transport me from the sights and sounds of Seoul to the sunsets of Long Island.

So, was I appreciating DH’s airplane in all its gigantic glory?

Well, if I’m honest, I was thinking about my new beautiful, super-speedy MacBook Pro laptop, which I bought in England to bring back to Dubai. Love it!

6 thoughts on “Return of the Mac”

  1. Oh, I remember those loooooong flights – they are bad enough without having to entertain Little People – sounds like things are definitely improving, though. Enjoy that new Mac!

  2. It sure is getting better! We had a long flight from Seattle to Dubai which started with some technical issues and were delayed for four hours (sitting inside the air craft) and it actually went well! Good thing about it was that the kids fell asleep like rocks and slept most of the flight. But one is looking forward to that business seat..!! Welcome back! xxx

    • I saw your FB post about that and felt so sorry for you! Seattle to Dubai must be one of the longest flights possible, even without a 4hr delay – that’s great they slept most of it! See you very soon! Xox

  3. Ha! Funny – I wrote a very similar post when we moved here from Houston. Have you made it through a movie on a flight yet since having kids? I did, only recently, but obviously not in one go – more like 15. 🙂

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