Today we flew home from DFW to BOS, just me and the gang of four–and we were fine. Dandy, even. Got to the airport, checked our bag and the little bag of coats, went through security, ate breakfast, got on the plane, seized our portable electronic devices (in my case, the Kindle) and went to town. Thanks to my policy of forbidding all access to said portables while visiting Grandma (well, ok, not for me), we were delighted to see them and endlessly amused by them. It was a dream flight from my perspective, and apparently a huge relief to the lady seated next to the boys, who even said something nice about their behavior after the flight.

Other parents kept saying wow…just you and ALL OF THEM? And I would nod, and look at their smaller child or baby, and say you know, honestly, all of them are easier than your little one–speaking as someone who’s done both. No one believed me, but it was true. We have crossed the flying Rubicon. No one will scream (except in momentary outrage) or fight to get out of the seatbelt or demand to walk up and down the aisles. Done with all that. Wa-hoo.

One piece of advice for savvy travelers: SIPPY CUPS. Because the minute you let them get an open cup of anything and put it on that tray, it’s all over but the singing. Even Sam gets a dignified version.

Also, candy. We’re going to have to wean Rory back off the stuff now. She’s been mainlining candy and Sprite for the past week.

But those portable electronic devices…well, they were a godsend on the plane. Truly. But otherwise, they’re by way of becoming a problem around here. Not because I don’t just say no, because I do–but because I am getting tired of saying no all the time. I am getting tired of thinking about it all the time. It’s only Wyatt and Rory–and honestly, Rory is maybe more into it, or at least she takes the nos harder. I don’t like her escaping into the little electronic worlds so much. I am thinking about declaring some sort of Nintendo zone–as in, you can play as much as you want on Sunday afternoons, but other than that, no. I don’t want to say, whatver amount of time a day–because often, that should be no time. But sometimes I want them to go ahead and play–that Wii game represents a real break for me, and they do it together. But they just want it so bad, it kind of freaks me out. It’s more interactive than TV–but they almost never actually ask for TV. They don’t care about it. But this–it’s all Rory thinks about. She must ask for it twenty plus times a day. But they do do other things, and very happily, once that option is removed. Which makes me toy with removing it permanently. But I guess I’ll just keep saying no.