Raq to please be giving advice on matter.

You can safely combine Benadryl, Motrin and Tylenol.

Uh, for Em. Which should knock her ass right out. Is she still sick?

She is, though not as bad as she was yesterday. We've been keeping her hydrated and dosing her with Motrin and Tylenol for colds and coughs. We've also had her napping a lot. She's pretty active, her fever's down, and the snot faucet is at a trickle.

We've been keeping her hydrated and dosing her with Motrin and Tylenol for colds and coughs.

Well, even just Benadryl and Motrin will put her to sleep for the flight. Easier on her, easier on you, easier on the plane.

Cool. I'll pick some Benadryl up tomorrow. I looked at Target yesterday, but couldn't find any for toddlers.

Watch out for the 'how could you drug your child patrol' But I would plan on things to help Em sleep esp if she is sick and fussy.

Watch out for the 'how could you drug your child patrol'

::shrugs:: That was my pediatrician's recipe. There are plenty of times when everybody getting enough rest is the most healthful thing you can do.

Watch out for the 'how could you drug your child patrol'

To them I say, "Fine. You hold her for 4.5 hours on the way to Detroit."

Watch out for the 'how could you drug your child patrol'

I imagine this like a mobile library, giving out helpful hints and free samples. "Ever wondered how you could drug your child? Read our free brochure!"

Raq to please be giving advice on matter.

They have liquid Benadryl, but it's a bitch getting it into an unhappy toddler on a plane by yourself. I recommend doing it beforehand in a restroom if you think you will need it (I only had to dose Mal on the last of 8 flights, so I wasn't expecting it and had to do it in the plane bathroom with Mal rocking out at 100 decibels). It seemed to take about 20 minutes to kick in.

Um, some kids have a paradoxical reaction and it makes them hyper, so if you have time to test it first that might be good.

Make sure she's sucking on something for takeoff and landing (I'm sure you know that one, but with a cold, doubly important).

If she doesn't conk out, the safety card is practically indestructible and you can make up stories about the people and planes. Armrest UP! Armrest DOWN! was a huge hit with Mal, as was windowshade UP! (tho I think that one bugged my fellow passengers). Lots of walking the aisles. Kindness of strangers.

And it will be more difficult to go through security, so allow time. There's just more stuff to scan, and if you've got her in a stroller you'll need to get her out, collapse it, then reset everything on the other side.

May the Force be with you.

(Oh, and those little bottles of vodka are child-size, IJS)

Cuba Gooding Jr. winked at me in traffic a couple months ago. That's so much the anti-celebrity sighting that it eats into the good ones and makes a couple of them smell funny.