For starters, I wasn't quite sure how I was going to get the boys and I to St. Louis since my van got smashed by a tree. I could get a rental, but I could only have it a certain amount of time, and it didn't make sense to just let it sit in a parking lot for 5 or 6 days. My parents ended up driving to Taylorville on Wednesday afternoon, so we could all drive to St. Louis together.
A couple of things you should know. I have anxiety (duh). My mom, although she hasn't fully admitted it, had anxiety. I KNEW we would snap at each other because we always do. She's one of my best friends, but we know how to push each other's buttons.
We arrived in St Louis. It's rainy and cold. Here we are. 3 adults, 2 kids, 3 suitcases, 3 carry-on bags, 2 purses and 2 car seats. I bought these straps to hook the car seats on to the suitcases, which turned out to be the bigger pain than anything. We ended up putting Daniel's seat into the car seat bag and I carried it on my back.
We waited for our shuttle bus, and our driver was amazing. We went up to get the luggage checked, which goes okay. I was bound and determined to gate check my car seats since I wasn't taking them on the aircraft. Dad kept telling me it would be okay, and that they just get shoved in with the other stuff anyway, and did I REALLY want to haul these seats around for the next couple of hours? I'm panicked. These are literally brand new seats. He promised me that if anything happened to them, they'd buy me new ones. Next thing you know, I'm parting with my seats and literally bidding them a safe journey.
Next stop. TSA. There weren't that many people there at all, but dang were they cranky. I'm sorry that I haven't flown in almost 8 years and don't know quite what I'm doing. And I'm sorry that my kid doesn't understand he can't walk through the metal detector before you tell him he can. Thankfully we made it through and could breath, as we had a couple of hours to go.
We walked around and then went to Chili's for a quick lunch. At some point we realized we didn't have James' pilot hat that we had brought along. Mom was sure it was gone because she balanced on a suitcase in the parking lot. Bummer, but oh well.
I was really hyping up the plane ride to the boys to get them excited. We finally got to board. Thankfully we were all able to board together during the family boarding. We got seats across the aisle from each other. The boys wanted to sit by me. We ended up taking off 30 minutes late because they had to deice the plane.
Finally, we start rolling down the runway. The plane picks up speed. The engines are roaring (which sounded a lot like the tornado we had just been through). Daniel looks like he's seen a ghost and starts to hyperventilate. I'm reaching for a barf bag just in case. As this is happening, James lets out the most blood curdling scream, and just kept going and going. I'm literally leaned over trying to calm them down and praying no one pukes.
Things finally calmed down some, but they held onto their bags the whole flight and each time the altitude changed, they'd breath into the bag. Then 4 hours of, "Are we there yet?" I did eventually get James to go sit by dad, and had mom come over with me. I couldn't handle 2 kids landing. Landing went a lot better though.
We touched down in rainy San Diego, and I texted Erica and Kendra to tell them we landed. Kendra was already at the airport waiting for us, so I told her to meet us at the luggage carousel.
As we're deplaning, Daniel wanted to give candy canes to the pilots so we asked the flight attendant if he could. Dad and James were already off, but they let Daniel go into the cockpit and he even got to sit in the copilot's seat and check things out.
After a bathroom stop, we headed to claim our luggage. Dad and I waited, while mom and the boys went to find Kendra who said she couldn't find us. We get all 3 suitcases. I watch as everything starts to be claimed. Less items are coming. The carousel stops. No car seats. I was straight up spazzing out that my car seats didn't make it. In the meantime, mom comes back with the boys and no Kendra. How is she lost and where are my car seats!?
Mid anxiety attack Daniel casually points to a sign and says, "What's oversized luggage?" I look up to see a sign and race around the corner to see my 2 car seat bags! Mom asked the guy standing there were United carousels were. Turns out there are 2 terminals and she was in the other one!
We were FINALLY ready to go find our shuttle to the renal car place. After telling mom that the car seat wasn't strapped right to the suitcase, and her snapping that it didn't matter, we get off the elevator and she's beyond mad that the car seat is falling off. We exchanged words and continued on.
The guy at the shuttle was ridiculous. I watched as he put the car seats on the top shelf as they wobbled around.
We finally get to the rental place. The guy had also unstrapped the seat from the luggage and I decided that was it. I'd just carry all 23 lbs of it. I grabbed the orange strap. Rolled it up. Put it in the suitcase. (There's a story about that coming another day.)
Got our rental. Spent 10 minutes installing car seats. I think it was nearly 2 hours after we landed that we actually left the airport. At some point I realized we didn't have one of the car seat bags. In the shuttle bus fiasco, mom left it on the seat. I get more upset than I should over a stupid bag.
Next, we had to get on the freeway, in the dark and in the rain. Mom starts to get on. Panics and veers off onto a side road. She finally got up the nerve to get on.
At this point traffic is slow as molasses. We're hungry. We still need to go to WalMart for groceries before we get to the condo. James is passed out in his car seat. Mom loves to use voice command on her GPS, but half the time it doesn't understand. As she's getting madder and madder she yells, "CHULA VISTA!" GPS: "Did you say chili beans?" I mean, Kendra and I lost it. Mom is annoyed and we're cracking up. Eventually we make it to an Applebees. James woke up long enough to come in and sit down. Then he promptly passed out and slept through supper.
Next stop was WalMart. By now it's almost 9:00. It's still pouring. Mom, Kendra and I head in to get stuff. Turned out it wasn't a super Walmart, but they had most of what we needed.
Back to the van which is already crammed full of stuff, with a bunch of bags. We had them piled everywhere.
We FINALLY arrive at our condo. Getting in was interesting. We go in, and mom is upset that the beds are different. We were all at each other about everything. By the time I tucked the boys in it was after 1am Central time.
After that, it was off to bed to discover what adventures awaited us the next day!
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