The Secret to Being A Good Mother

     My husband is planning a trip with my oldest son to Las Vegas, and I can't help but recall the first time we took him there.
     He was four months old.
     In my defense, I had nothing to do with planning this trip.  While plane tickets were being purchased and hotel reservations were made, I was busy giving birth.  My husband arranged for us to spend our baby's first Christmas in Sin City.  We're Jewish but still.
     Air travel from Chicago in the month of December was predictably awful. It was below zero, snow was blowing, and runways were icy.  Upon boarding the plane, we were told that they had to de-ice before taking off.  Then we waited.  We waited so long that they had to de-ice again.  Then we waited some more.  The crew was changed, they added passengers from a cancelled flight, and de-iced again.  We were prisoners on the plane for nine hours and still faced a four hour flight.
     All of this activity may have distracted you from remembering that I was traveling with a four-month old baby.  It did not, however, distract me.
     I was facing thirteen hours in an enclosed public space with an infant.
     In their defense, the flight attendants were as nice as they could be.  They offered blankets, magazines, and peanuts galore.  However, when they came around with the drink cart, baby formula was not one of the choices.
     In those days, thirteen hours translated into at least four feedings and five diaper changes.  My husband, who was in charge of carrying the luggage, had told me many times with a smirk on his face that they did, in fact, sell baby formula and diapers in Las Vegas.
     Luckily, I had ignored him completely.
     The baby and I could have stayed on that airplane for three days.  I was prepared.  I pointed this out to my husband many times over the thirteen hours, and many, many times since.
     That experience taught me the simple secret of being a good mother, and I am glad to share it with you: Think of Everything.