Airborne!

The idea of flying with toddler twins made me a bit trepidatious. Compound that anxiety by flying stand-by* and completely carry-on, and I began planning with more detail and contingency plans than some countries make before invading Iraq.

(*Our dear friend Jason Barton is an airline pilot and gave us buddy passes to fly for a pittance. The trade-off for this remarkable deal is the lack of a seat guarantee...let alone 4.)

For weeks, I researched how to transport kids and carseats and luggage through airports. A twins club friend offered us a carseat with wheels; we contemplated taking two umbrella strollers; we borrowed a second Ergo from other friends. One day I found a gizmo on Amazon for strapping the carseats directly to the rolly suitcases. But then instead of paying $15/strap, I decided I could make this myself.

Note: my husband who has a degree in mechanical engineering had NOTHING to do with this...this was me...Jen, the non-engineer. And it was brilliant...like people stopping us all over the airport and Washington DC metro system to tell Brian how brilliant it was.

Because with this simple contraption (the latch system is hooked into a series of caribiners), we were able to roll the girls around the airport in the comfort of their own seats with one hand free...

And allow them to safely fly the friendly skies...

(at least when they weren't perusing the literature in the back seat pocket, crashing out cold in my arms or taking care of business...)

Travel safely by car...

 And by Metro in our nation's capital and through the National Mall.  

Although not pictured, the girls actually rode in the seats through the metro station and to get to the Mall.

And that's what I call a brilliant design.