How's that flight?

We arranged our reservations for Spain in the fall for a June 30th flight and the closer we got to that date, the more nervous I was to travel with a toddler. We talked about how to distract her and sought the advice of anyone who had flown with a little one. For months, I kept my eyes open for toys or electronic devices that would do the trick. I bought and later returned a portable DVD player and we also got an iPod touch. I feared a nuclear meltdown on the flight, tracked aboard for hours with hundreds of angry passengers. It made for a long day, getting a ride to the airport from Grandpa, going through security - as tedious as it is as an adult, it is awful with a little one. The flight itself went fairly well, she slept, but not for too long. We spent the rest of the flight pulling various toys and snacks out of a bag and praying for surrounding passengers to play along with her. The trip was all the longer with a stop in Madrid (where they had a terrific children's play area) before going on to Barcelona. All in all, Bridget got through it with flying colors making friends along the way, a relief for us.