We left the house at 4:30 a.m. to make our 6 a.m. flight. The two-year-old behaved remarkably well on the first leg our journey. I believe the novelty of flying contributed to her accomodating behavior. It was too good to last. Sweet-Mary-Sunshine disappeared at our lay-over.

Near the end of our hour-and-a-half wait, a full blown tantrum ensued. She held nothing back in making a scene...screaming, slapping, kicking, turning entire face and head a deep shade of red, making body rigid so as to become impossible to hold, and then rolling around on the terminal floor flailing arms and legs.

The difficult behavior continued once we boarded our flight. Sitting belted in an airplane seat was no longer an option for my little one. She wanted to keep her body moving and demanded candy or should I say, "can-knee, mo can-knee."

Let's see if I can remember all of the in-flight joy she spread so lovingly. She:
-screamed because she didn't want to be belted
-spilled an entire drink
-screamed because she wanted to sit in a different seat
-screamed because she wanted my magazine
-screamed because she wanted someone else's magazine
-had horrendous gas
-screamed because I wouldn't let her color on me
-screamed because I had no more candy to silence her with
-repeatedly said, "poo poo, mommy, poo poo" when there was in fact no poo only horrendous gas
-screamed because she wanted one of her cousin's books
-screamed because it wasn't "dat book" that she wanted it was "dat (other) book" that she wanted
-screamed because she couldn't sit on my lap
-screamed because she didn't want to sit on my lap
-screamed because her cousin and aunt went to the bathroom
-had more horrendous gas
-screamed because I wouldn't lay my head on her lap and allow her to run her sticky, booger-encrusted fingers through my hair
-screamed from the time the wheels touched the ground until we taxied to the terminal...she apparently thought we should be allowed off the plane as soon as the wheels hit pavement (I'm sure everyone else in the cabin felt the same way)

That pretty much sums it up...wait...she gave the flight attendant a parting gift...gas.