These Are the Days: Christmas in the Northeast {part one}

Before leaving for the northeast, I went back and forth on whether to bring G's car seat on the plane ... as in, install it on the actual plane seat.

In my opinion, the pros were to keep him safer and to keep him contained. Also, I figured he wouldn't make a fuss of sitting in it since he is already quite accustomed to being strapped in.

The cons? Lugging it through the airport (although I did score a GoGo Kidz from CL), installing it on the plane (and having to do the research to make sure each plane would accommodate the beast), and having to keep G from kicking the seat in front of him.

Ultimately we decided to check it and have G just sit in his seat. Easier said than done, but we all survived and luckily were seated next to {mostly} understanding people. P.S. This car seat cover is awesome for using at the airport. We have used ours several times now, and it has held up perfectly while keeping our car seat pristine.

The hardest part on the plane was the take-off and landing when you couldn't use any electronic devices, aka the beloved "pad" as G calls it. I brought lollipops, M&Ms, fruit snacks, and coloring/sticker books for exactly these "emergency" times when G was less than stellar. It also helped for me to hold him instead of attempting to keep the seat belt on him.

We were very glad to get there after one connection and settle in at Grandpa Frank and John's house. They have a beautiful, cozy place nestled on five very picturesque acres. Definitely not a hard place to stay at and Frank always goes above and beyond with fabulous meals.

Even though it was my first Christmas away from my family, they really made everything very special for us and it was even more wonderful to share my first white Christmas with G.