Soooooo, I think in my last post I said that I was going to do a post on each member of the family....well folks, that was BEFORE I got on the plane. Silly me, I thought things would calm down when I got on that plane....NOPE!!! So that I don't sound like a grumpy pants, we'll just say that most of the things I expected to happen, haven't and there are a lot of frustrating aspects to moving overseas. I could go into detail, but I would still be writing this post when Courtney and Carlee decide to put me in an old folks home.....I am just going to start from the airport and get as far as I can while my little princesses are napping. We'll play back to the future later and catch up on Halloween, Christmas, and Easter another time. :-)
Our plane took off from Dallas at 8:20 in the morning!! We got to the airport at 6 to turn in our rental car, get boarding passes, get through security, etc. Oh and we wanted Court to potty one more time before boarding. That was the plan....it took us a little longer than expected to get our 9 checked bags and 6 carry-ons out of the rental and on to the shuttle. Yes, you read that right. And we had 2 kids and 2 dogs. Are you following my little trip to insanity here?? We checked our baggage and dogs (poor puppies) and headed for security. We were almost to the front of the line when I let Carlee out of her stroller to fold it up to pass through the machine (seriously, how small can they make those machines??) She immediately came up with an escape plan and darted off. Damon caught her and she laid herself out on the floor. Remember, we have 6, count them SIX, carry -ons, only one of which we are not carrying (because Courtney is big enough to carry her own junk---thank you!!) She started to crawl under the security petition and Damon (this is brilliant--really--so pay attention) uses his only available appendage to stop her....he put his foot on her dress so she wouldn't crawl away. I threw the bags I was carrying on the ground, Carlee's screaming bloody murder, and I yanked her up off the floor, swatted her back side, and stood her right in front of me....still screaming bloody murder. I got ALL of our stuff including shoes (FLIP FLOPS!!! and sandals) on the machine and start toward the machine you walk through. Carlee devised escape plan numero dos and darted through. Damon went after her only to be stopped by the TSA lady. Hello, there is a loose toddler in your area....that is a security risk lady. We again get a hold of a once again screaming Carlee and all make it through security. I hope they caught all that on security video. I am thinking about including it in our "Parent of the Year" application.
We walked up to our gate with what we thought was PLENTY of time (like 30 minutes) before our flight only to learn that Hello...they are already boarding!!! Since we have 2 kids we were told to go ahead and board....THIRTY minutes EARLY!!! Oh dear, these people know NOTHING about children!!! We started walking through the very narrow aisle to our seats (remember we have 6 carryons and a little junk in the trunk) and Carlee, feeling like she had spent every bit of energy she had, laid herself out in the middle of the aisle and REFUSES to move. At this point I began to notice the looks from other passengers....the "Can we get another flight, please?" looks. Obviously these people have never moved overseas with a very strong willed almost two-year old! Some very sweet woman popped out of her seat, smiled at me and asked Carlee's name and if I minded her picking her up....not a bit lady....at this point you can have her!!! She swooped Carlee up and took her to our seats. Oh I might mention for those of you not on facebook (where I spend WAY too much time), the ingenious travel agent who booked this flight didn't seat us all together. There was an aisle between the girls and us. Being the rebels that we are we switched things up and I sat with Courtney and Damon sat with Carlee. Carlee was entertained by the seat belt for a while and we both collapsed into our seats. Then we HAD to be buckled in our seats for take-off....it was no longer fun because we HAD to be buckled. I was pulling every trick out of my hat that I could think of. At almost altitude I asked the flight attendant if I could take her out of her seat....DUH, if it stops the whining. Now, we did have some breaks in there but our hat tricks never lasted too long. After she was let loose from the seat belt she insisted on being in MY lap...not her seat, not her daddy's lap (we tried that), it had to be MY lap....JOY!!! She bounced, she flopped, she played with the air, lights, anything she could get her hands on!!! Oh my!! It was a three ring circus in a 3 foot space. I looked at Damon and said "YOU OWE ME!!!".
Courtney was great....as you can see in this picture, she was very well occupied by the emergency pamphlet. By the time we landed in Germany (which this pic is from our 2nd flight), she knew everything anyone would ever need to know about emergency procedures on an airplane. Oh, and she asked a billion questions about it. It got to the point I told her I wouldn't answer any more questions about the pamphlet. Do you hear the circus music playing.....if not you should...it was a CIRCUS!! I finally after about an hour and a half pried the pamphlet out of her hands and replaced it with her Leapster. Parents, if you don't own one and you have young kids....GET ONE!!! We bought it for her birthday and it was PERFECT. Headphones and all!!! Then, darn the pilot, we had to descend and Carlee had to be put in her seat belt which she apparently thought was a straight jacket. Cue screaming temper tantrum. Then 10 minutes later she collapsed from exhaustion and we were blessed with 20 minutes of silence [cue angels singing].
We arrived in Baltimore around 1. Our next flight was not a commercial flight so we had to collect all of our luggage AND dogs. Gees!! We got a skycap (I think that's what he was called) and headed to the USO. Online they mentioned sleeping rooms . After only about 10 hours sleep in about 2 1/2 days...I was looking so forward to sleeping!!! We got down there and a)they won't allow the dogs in the USO, so one of us has to sit in the airport with the dogs and b) the sleeping rooms are for adults only. They had a "family room" that was a small room with a TV, toys, and 2 cribs. The volunteer at the desk told us they would be checking luggage for our next flight (called a rotator...military only charter flight) at 2:15....close enough we went to the AMC area and waited (reminder 2 kids, 2 dogs, 15 bags!!! One of which is marked with a bright orange tag that says "HEAVY!! Use team lift") Damon found a Subway and got some lunch.....yay!! Lunch!! Since we last ate at 5AM and it was almost 2, we were more than ready for lunch. I think at one point I considered eating of our carry-ons!!! So while we were eating our lunch they began checking baggage. There appears to be a regulation that says animals must be in separate kennels. Here we are in Baltmore a few hours from our flight to Germany and we are being told, for the first time, that our dogs cannot go on the flight in the same kennel. Cue steam and FIRE coming from my ears!!! Damon, being wise, sent me to the USO with the girls to rest. In the end Damon had to take a taxi to Wal-mart to buy another kennel....$100. I should say thank you because we are turning that in as a travel expense and will be reimbursed. I dare them to kick that one back!!! We went to the family room HOPING for some rest.....needing rest.....only to find 2 families already in there watching Elmo and playing. I tried, but there was no way that the girls would even consider a nap. So I let them play. I thought, oh yeah, they have wireless here....I'll get on the internet. Except the wireless signal doesn't reach into the family room. It was not my day. And if you know me well at all, you know I don't do "tired" well. I am a serious grouch when I get overly tired. We managed to survive our 7 hour layover in Baltimore. This is how I entertained Carlee for about an hour....find a deserted area and let her go...just not up the escalator!!
After many free snacks from the USO and many attempts to get on the internet, it was time to go to the waiting area for our next flight.....an hour and a half early. Really, we need some child development people in the airline business!!! Once we boarded our flight I gave each girl a good ol' dose of Benedryl....Court sat down to examine the emergency procedures (shocking, I know!) and this is what Carlee did.....
Go ahead, say it....you just wish you were me!!! You are jealous!!! HA!! This lasted about 15 minutes until my good friend Bene Dryl took over and she passed out COLD!!! That my dear friends is the key to a successful flight with a toddler. Shoot, even Court was out by the time we got to altitude. They were both so exhausted!! As was I!!! And did I get a wink of sleep....NOPE!!! I don't sleep on moving transportation in my old age. Can't. I tried. I shimmied this way and that. I moved Carlee all over the place....just couldn't get comfy. They showed 3 movies. I payed attention to 2. Dozed in and out. Ate dinner, a snack , and then breakfast (it was an 8 hour flight). I watched the sun come up. Then Damon and I decided to wake the girls up to eat since the last food they ate was a snack in the USO before we boarded. They ate breakfast and we descended. The pilot announced on our decent that the temperature was 50-something degrees and raining. Oh boy!! As you can see in the pictures, Courtney was in shorts, as was Damon, Carlee was in a dress, and I was in capris. Not weather appropriate clothing. Good thing I am smart and I packed jackets in our carry-ons....for everybody, but ME!!! I don't remember much about the ride into town. I do remember that I kept thinking, "huh, this is pretty." Then I was back to dozing. Once we got into our hotel room, Damon's sponsor took him to the commissary so we would have food that evening. I remember Damon leaving and Damon coming home. I have no idea what happened inbetween!! Scary!! Once he got home, we ALL took a LONG nap. We woke up long enough to eat dinner and go back to bed.
Well, both girls are up from their naps...I must be going. More to come on the grand adventures we have had.
