In-Flight Movie

The day of the big family vacation dawned with bleary eyes all around. We had fewer than eight hours of sleep collectively, let alone individually, as Daddy rushed to complete some work projects and the boys practiced their insomnia for the plane ride ahead.

Fortunately, Mommy had all our gear ready to go, so it was just a matter of scattering it on the sidewalk at Sea-Tac and finding an airline employee willing to check us in.

Miles, an experienced traveler, told his brother what to expect.

But there were some surprises in store for our eldest son as well, as Grandma watched him check out his new in-flight toys.

If they failed to distract him for long, another powerful weapon was waiting in the wings: a portable DVD player.

Once Miles was sedated by this miraculous device, Leo and Daddy were free to move about the cabin.

Leo proved to be an excellent traveler on his maiden flight, though somewhat reluctant to sleep.

Miles, by contrast, found a new use for the tray table when his eyelids grew heavy.

All in all, it was a relatively smooth journey for the youngsters and an auspicious start to our vacation.

Next stop: Kauai!