We weren’t quite sure what to expect from the lils as we embarked on our trip to India, but I secretly felt that it would go one of two ways. They were either going to be travelling superstars, or we were going to be asked to leave one of the planes. I am so happy that they were the former, at least for the flights and airport time when I wasn’t sleeping alone in business class.

They got to charm most people in the lounge in Ottawa, as they excitedly watched planes land and take off. They did the same in the restaurant in Frankfurt, all the while discovering that German children apparently get their milk served warm (this did not go over well). We were doing well in the gate, where there were once again planes to watch, and people to make smile. By the time we got on the plane, they were pretty tired, so Woo flaked out in front of the seat back TV and Goose slept for about two hours.

When Goosie woke up she was cranky, and more than a little stubborn about how she saw things going. Unfortunately, she chose to express her displeasure by thrashing about, and ended up kicking the seat in front of her repeatedly. As soon as we saw this was happening, we tried to stop her from kicking. Simply asking her to stop and explaining that it was bothersome to the person in front did not work, as she saw the seat back as hers. I was reaching forward and holding her legs while trying to explain that the seat was not hers, when the woman in the affected seat leaned between the seats and said “Can you make her stop kicking my seat? It is bothering me.”

While I agree that it is a pain in the ass to have anyone kick your seat, Goose had barely awakened, I was clearly aware of the situation, and trying to nip it in the bud. Rather than point this all out, I apologized to the woman and let her know that I was doing my best to have it cease. Her reply to my apology shocked me. “Well if she doesn’t stop”, she said, “I will make you sit here, and take your seat.”

Not only was this an over reaction to the actual kicking that had occurred, the plane had numerous empty seats, including the one directly in front of her. Rather than point this out to her, or tell her what I really thought of her attitude, I chose to attack the flaw in her thinking. “That puts you beside the two year old for the rest of the flight, are you sure you really want that?” I said. It was the last I heard from her.