Trip to CA with twins: One month out

Today is exactly one month to the date that Kris and I will embark on our most challenging twin parent adventure thus far.  We are flying to CA with the twins to meet my extended family and celebrate an early Thanksgiving.  I am extremely excited for my family to meet my husband and twins for the first time.  However, me being the extreme Type A person that I am, my planning brain has already kicked into full gear (think lots of lists). 

I have done my homework.  I read multiple blogs about flying with twins under one year of age.  Of which, many scared the dadgum pee out of me.  I read the FSA website guidelines on security with infants.  I read the airline guideline about flying with infants.  And after all that reading, I sat there...a bit frazzled and overwhelmed.  But after collecting myself and reminding myself that I am a strong woman, I proceeded to list making. 

No joke, I have made 5 lists.  1) The "diaper bag" list (one diaper bag per child - each with its own list).  2) The "Checked Baggage" list.  3) The "Carry On" bag list, complete with "his" "hers" and "theirs." (each with its own list).  4) The "What can we absolutely NOT forget" list (including pacifiers, favorite books, cameras, video recorders, etc...).  5) The "In Case of Emergency" list, complete with diaper explosion tools, throw up incident preparation, and fussy baby aversion (benedryl/tylenol).

To minimize our juggling abilities and provide for a sane trip, we have decided to only take the bare essentials.  Thankfully for us, we are staying with my aunt, who is a grandma of 3 children under the age of 3 so her house is adequately equipped with all the baby goodies (pack-n-plays, car seats, double stroller, formula, diapers, and wipes).   So, all we really need to bring are the items needed for a smooth flight.  I have never blown through a box of Ziplock gallon sized bags so quickly in my life.  Those things are a twin mom dream. 

A few tips that I learned from fellow twin mom travelers:
1)  Bring a spare change of clothes for babies AND adults for the plane ride.  You never know when puke or poop will wind up on ya!
2)  Bring plastic rings (you know the kind that loop together and hang off of the car seat).  This way, once you board, you can pull out the toys and attach them to the plastic rings.  Then attach the rings to the tray table so that you aren't digging and searching on the ground for the beloved toy and avoid a tantrum.
3)  Backpacks and wearable baby carriers make for a hands free walk through the airport.
4)  Forget the cute wipe case or the convenient travel wipe case....bring a stack of wipes in a Ziplock bag.  One diaper explosion alone will exhaust all wipes from a travel wipe case.  Be prepared for at least 2 diaper explosions.
5)  Be patient and channel your inner twin mom super powers of juggling, multi-tasking, and just plain awesomeness.

I'm looking forward to figuring out and mastering my packing abilities.  I'm sure that my Type A-ness will shine in all its glory when trying to fit 4 individuals clothing into ONE large suitcase.  <sigh> Long gone are the days of having a whole suitcase for my shoes and matching accessories.