Steve Jobs, I love thee

My new answer to the question, "How do you survive that long flight????"

in the LA airport - 9 pm - run around and get your wiggles out

in the waiting gate - iPad

loaded on the flight - iPad

When your eyes can no longer focus, sleep.  Alice a mere 5 hours, Sam 7 hours.

after 14 hours on the plane - iPads (plural)

Arrive Sydney, exhausted but sane.

Our middle-of-the-night, 15 hour, airplane flight is just not a "teachable moment" or bonding experience with the kids.  It is just something to be endured, hopefully without any hysteria (from me or the kids).  The iPad kept them happy for so much of the trip this time, and that kept me happy (I even got to watch a couple of 2012 release movies on the plane....)  My, how times have changed from the dark ages when we started doing this back in 2005 with Alice.  I made them share one iPad up until the last hour of the flight.  Mandated sharing resembles some kind of parental guidance, right?