Why I Love South Dakota

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

Home on the Range

I love South Dakota. The smell, the stark beauty, and the solitude reminds me of what a special state this is.  For a place that many people have never been to and confuse with North Dakota (which, to be clear, is North of South Dakota), some find my adoration surprising. But if you go there, particularly the western part, you’ll know what I mean.  I’m probably a little biased though. My relatives are cattle ranchers out there and many of my childhood summers were spent on the prairie riding horses, going to rodeos, and playing with some of my 25 first cousins. It’s a place I want Fia to experience, which is why we’ve visited each of the past two years.

This time around she was 21 months, and every morning she would run out in the living room, press her hands and face up to my aunt’s big bay window (which overlooks a beautiful pasture and pond with no other house in site) and say, “outside, outside.” Until this trip, I had never heard her say that word before. Makes me realize some of the sacrifices of New York City living. Don’t get me wrong: there are a lot of advantages to living here, but being outside constantly isn’t one of them. Plus, our loft apartment has windows 20 feet up, so she can’t really see outside. We go out everyday, but I think the visual is important too.

Anyway, I decided to post a few of my favorite pictures of her from this trip. That’s all.

Fia's First Horse Ride

The Badlands of South Dakota

My TV Addicted Toddler

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

Practice Makes Perfect

I’m getting closer and closer to having an official television addict. Hope to have mission accomplished by our next flight in about 6 weeks. This last one showed great promise, ie: tantrums on takeoff and touchdown (when DVD players aren’t allowed). Once airborne, there were chunks of quiet time–mesmerized by Baby Einstein videos–followed by throwing objects when it ended.

Things that still need to be refined: teaching her to not take her headphones off. This will eliminate the meltdown that happens from lack of sound. Making her understand that the eject button is her worst enemy. When pressed it leads to reloading the whole DVD, which leads to great frustration when I can’t fast forward through the FBI copyright warning.

There are a few more, but all in all, I think she’s getting it. We’ll practice more in the coming weeks from home since I find feeding her is far easier when she is watching television. In 20 years she can blame me at her Video Anonymous meetings, but until then, I’m taking the road of least resistance.

Babies on Board First Class

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

Flying first class is a treat. Who wouldn’t love to do it? But unless you have miles or elite status on the airlines, you pay a pretty penny. And for most of us, it simply isn’t worth the cost.

Recently two airlines decided to ban babies from first class.  More are considering it. And the polls in both these highlighted arguments are strongly in favor.

In my pre-baby days I would have absolutely 100% applauded this decision. And I must say, I agree with it 90% now. I mean, if I paid thousands of dollars for a ticket and had to contend with a screaming infant, how could I not be furious? (there is a tiny part of me that thinks, “But what if she were really good on the flight? But it’s not something you can predict.)

Fia has been on about 30 flights so far. Every family member is a plane ride away and my husband’s work often takes him to LA for chunks of time. So she’s even made the cross-country flight twice. But she was smaller–about 6 months. And slept most of the way.

Now, at 19 months, it is simply not fun to fly. I dread it.

If you are bold (or oblivious, or unconcerned) enough to think first class is your “right”–even with the chance of your baby melting down–then I have two suggestions:

• Should your child act out, be willing to trade your seat for someone in coach. I find bulkhead to be pretty great, because you can put a blanket on the floor and let them crawl a bit, without kicking the seat in front of them, etc. It may even calm them down.
• Divide and conquer with your spouse. One of you sits in first class with the baby. The other in coach. If your baby begins to scream or fuss, then take him to the back. At least this way you’re covered.

One of our better flights

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