The Longest Shortest Time

Ground Rules vs. Air Rules

In preparing for Sasha’s first plane ride last week, I asked for advice from some of my friends with experienced baby travelers. One of the common suggestions was to pack a bunch of small toys Sasha had never seen and reveal them to her on the plane. It was very important, I was warned, that she not see these treasures until we were in the air, so as to capture her attention for as long as possible.

The day before we left I went to a local toy store and scoured the small toy bins. I picked up a cow whose eyes pop out when you squeeze his body, a wind-up seal who came with the name Sasha, a coloring book with stickers, and one of those drawing toys with a honeycomb screen and magnetic pen. We were flying with Sasha in our laps—just squeaking her by as a lap baby—and she was wriggly pretty immediately. And throwing snacks and stuff. She was absolutely not interested in watching anything on the TV on the back of the seat in front of us. So I brought out the first toy: the cow. She squeezed it a couple times and then was done. I tried the drawing toy. Instantly tossed on the floor. Coloring book? Same deal. Six hours to go. I was worried.

Until I remembered. Wait, I know my kid.

My kid doesn’t like new things. Not on the ground and clearly not in the air either. She likes things she knows. Things that she has played with over and over. Or read or listened to or watched. I quickly rooted around for the Sesame Street DVD I’d brought and put on the “B is for Bubble” video that she watches again and again when she is sick. (Same song but different kids as the one below.)

As soon as the video began, I could feel her body relax. Then we took out what she calls her “tiny books”—Marice Sendak’s Nutshell Library—and she filled in the words as my husband read to her. Eventually she said she wanted to lie down on our laps and she passed out for the final hour of the six-hour flight.

I guess now I know, next time we fly, I should just think about what normally makes Sasha comfortable and happy on a carpet will probably make her comfortable and happy in the clouds.

California brought many new experiences other than air travel. Sasha met her Grampa Joe for the first time, as well as her aunties and uncle. She went to Disney Land. She began initiating conversations with any and all strangers. And she rode a pony—uh, all by herself.

And then, the day after we came home, she turned 2. (Told you we just squeaked her by as a lap baby!) Which I guess, by my rules, means she has officially aged out of LST. I am trying to figure out what to do about that. Keep the podcast about children under 2? Expand it? Maybe just have the blog be about older ages? I’m curious to know what LST followers are interested in. Do you like having a project entirely dedicated to very early parenthood? Or would you like to see the project to grow in age as your children grow?