Traveling with children = No Fun

Have you ever tried flying with two little children and a dog with your significant other?  We did last year.  We went to New York to visit family with our two children and dog.  It was a nightmare and a half.  Someone suggested to me that I should tire my daughter out so by the time we got on the plane, she would be so tired she would fall asleep.  So, I did that.  But by the time we got in line to go through security, she was not happy.  She was cranky, she was hungry, she was tired.  But we made through and on the plane was not fun either.

Once we got on the plane and waited to leave the airport, she was crying hysterically and nothing I did or said could cheer her up.  At one point on our flight, the lady behind me said to my husband "control your kid".  I was mad because I was doing the best that I could.  It's not like I want to hear her cry through the whole flight.  Then when nothing was being done to make that lady happy, she ended up kicking the back of my seat.  I told my husband and he told the flight attendant.  The flight attendants were not happy about that and when we landed security escorted her out and had a talk with her.

On our way home, I made the prudent choice by having my daughter nap before we were to leave to go to the airport.  Everything was pleasant on our way there, she was happy, she was not even cranky.  But when we got on the plane and got ready to take off, things hit a slight snag.  We had to sit on the plane and wait one hour and ten minutes before taking off.  Due to the weather on the north route, we had to wait for the planes ahead of us to taxi off.  They said there were like eleven planes ahead of us and we had to wait about five to ten minutes per plane taking off.  And while we were waiting, she was still pleasant.  But once we were up in the air, she had her meltdown.  

I think the next time we fly I am just going to make a Quiet Book.  I will have to make two because if my son has one and my daughter doesn't, it will just be a catastrophic disaster.  So, I will plan the next time we fly or take long road trips to make a Quiet Book for them.  What other ideas do you have?