Details....

All the details I don't want to forget....

I was SO nervous to fly with the kids. I always THINK I have a good idea then when it comes down to it I get nervous, second guess myself, don't sleep well and sort of (okay really) obsess over it.
However...
The travelling was fine. Mike came to the gate with us which made getting through security about 200 times easier. We had almost an hour to kill at the gate and so we played man to man defense and the kids ran around the airport. Getting to our seats was no problem. Emma loved to search for our row number "looking for 1-3, 13!"
The plane from Pensacola to Memphis was small, 2 seats on either side of the aisle. Andrew and I sat in our seats and Emma sat across from us in the aisle seat. A very tall man was her seat partner which I thought she would freak out about...but she didn't. She actually said "Hi, I'm Emma." I was blown away. She is so unfriendly and rude sometimes and then others when I think she will be she's perfectly delightful and friendly. Go figure! Andrew was difficult to entertain so it was an added bonus that Emma just happily played with her pony the entire one hour flight. Getting off one plane and on another with 2 kids, a stroller, a car seat and a 30 lb back pack is challenging. We got off one plane at A-8 and our next plane was at B-42. It was probably almost a mile walk....but I figured the exercise was good. The kids weaved in and out of people and when we got on the plane they were pretty tired. This flight we all had seats in the same row! We watched some Maisy Mouse and Andrew fell asleep! Emma hates falling asleep on the plane so she tossed and turned for a while and then I took Andrew out of the seat and put her in where she fell quickly asleep. When we landed in Philadelphia and the lights came on Andrew woke up but was in a daze. Emma was still dead asleep. Not one person (including the flight attendants!) asked me if they could help me...... I was so surprised since when I flew with the kids in March to Arizona everyone within 3 rows of me asked if they could help me get off the plane. So, I had to take 2 trips to get off the plane. But, I made it. In classic Emma, sleep through anything, form Emma slept off the plane, into the stroller, into the car and into the bed....all the way through to the next morning. The kids slept great on the trip. I was so worried since last time we were there they hardly slept at all....and it was ugly. We put Andrew in the walk in closet (no judging) and Emma slept in the bed with me. The whole thing went so smoothly it was actually enjoyable. AND, we wore Emma out so well she took 2 naps while we were there! (Unheard of!) This morning I had to get them up at 5:20 and was equally as nervous about the flights...they were both chipper and ready to "go see daddy" when I got them up. Security was busier in Philadelphia and I tried to be as organized as I could. When I got to the metal detector I had to take both my kids out of the stroller and a lady behind me said "okay, move it honey." I stopped, stood straight up and looked at her. Paused and said "oh, I'm sorry is it stressful travelling all by yourself?" and then went back to preparing my 2 year old and 1 year old to go through a metal detector. I was more than happy to walk right by her after the security checkpoint when she was still trying to get her shoes on and I had myself, 2 kids and stroller ready before she could tie up her Nikes. Ha! I maybe should have bit my tounge...but I'm not so good at that. Maybe. Sometimes people deserve to be called out on rudeness. And, acting like your queen of the world and making snyde comments to a mother who is clearly moving as quickly as she can to get her 2 small children through security alone deserved it. (I thought so anyway).
The flights home were...okay. Andrew was pretty wretched on the first flight. He's like a Wild Mustang, but much smaller, so like a wild Shetland Pony. He's got a fuse the length of a thumb tack and whenever something isn't EXACTLY like he wanted he goes off in an angry shetland pony rage. I'm not sure what to do about it....but on the airplane I just wanted him to be quiet. Emma played with her ponies and then fell asleep for the last 20 minutes of the flight. Thank goodness she didn't need much entertaining! Here's the stuff that actually entertained Andrew on the plane
Watching Maisy (for about 5 minutes)
Reading Where's Maisy (about 400 times)
opening and shutting the window shade (about 1000 times)
Opening and shutting the tray table
Eating reecees peices
Drinking "uice uice" (juice without the j)
throwing things on the floor...

Luckily he redeemed himself when he fell asleep on the taxiway in Memphis and slept until about 5 minutes before we landed in Pensacola. I guess I'll keep him. Emma and I did her sticker book and read "Little Bunny Foo Foo" about 10 times.

Both the kids were SO happy to see daddy. Sadly, we got home, he changed his clothes and went to work. BUT, he got another flight done so he's down to 9! Interestingly before we went to Philadelphia Mike absolutely couldn't come with us. There was no way they'd approve vacation (for anything other than a wedding or funeral) this close to his ending date. So, he didn't come.....BUT.
He flew early Friday morning and was actually home by 10:30
He didn't fly this weekend
His flight on Monday was cancelled for weather (tornado watches)
His flight on Tuesday was cancelled because the instructor had something goin on
He flew today AFTER we got home.
He TOTALLY could have come.
Why can't I see the future!!!????