First time flying... with children

First time flying in my life with children. It is definitely... Interesting. Especially the fact that when going through security we took up the entire conveyor belt with all of our stuff. Everyone else around us may have been frustrated... I on the other hand was in the zone. :)

Flight 1: Austin to Phoenix @ 6am
Addi: B+ (played/read stories/colored)
Hannah C- (FINALLY fell asleep for about 30 minutes after some hollering)

Flight 2: Phoenix to SLC @ 8am
Addi: A- (played and then napped)
Hannah: A- (played and ate snacks)

Flight 3: SLC to Phoenix @ 5pm
Addi: A (slept the entire time)
Hannah: B+ (slept for 30 seconds, then woke up and played peek-a-boo with the guys sitting behind us for most of the flight)

Layover between flights 3 and 4 gets a big "F"! Addi threw a fit from the second she woke up all through the airport. She was kicking and screaming at the top of her lungs. If she didn't look so much like me I'm sure people would have thought I was abducting her... Some people laughed, some people pitied me, others criticized me. It was AWESOME.

Flight 4: Phoenix to Austin (arrived in Austin at 11pm)
Addi: B+ (colored and then fell asleep)
Hannah: B- (had a hard time falling asleep... she finally did... woke up once, and then fell back asleep for the entire flight)

Flying was not as bad as I thought it'd be. Hannah was a little bit better than I expected and Addi was a little bit more difficult than I expected (kicking seats, throwing fits).

Advice from others:
1. Take car seats on the plane. I didn't do this. I think it would've been a huge hassle to carry them through the airport. I checked the car seats (which was free) and they came out just fine.
2. Snacks, lots of snacks. AMEN!
3. Umbrella stroller in the airport. Serious LIFESAVER!
4. Backpack for Addi with new treats and toys. She loved carrying her own backpack and discovering the things I put inside.

My Advice:
1. Drink caffeine. With kids on the flight you WILL NOT get to sleep/read/anything, so just prepare to be an entertainer/snack server 100% of the time. Caffeine is a must!
2. Don't pay attention to people being annoyed around you when walking through security or on the plane. It'll just stress you out, and it will not make your kids behave any better.
3. Remember to buy water on the other side of security, or bring empty water bottles and sippy cups and fill them up at drinking fountains. It may be a while before you can get water on the plane.
4. Pack blankets and pillows and carry them on. Totally worth having to carry that extra duffle bag! Hannah sat on my lap on a pillow for most of the flights and it was great to have that pillow.
5. Bring another adult... yay for grandma!