Airport Adventures

I am going to Ohio 1 week from today.  I am flying there.  On a plane.

In January I took both of the babies to Ohio by myself!  It was a disaster.  Poor Peyton.  An airport must seem like the ultimate amusement park to her.  Things to climb on, lots of attractions, and a seemingly endless supply of elevators, escalators and those weird moving conveyor belt things.

Poor Loralie was grumpy because she was so hungry.  Every time I tried to nurse her, Peyton would seize the opportunity and take off.  I had one of those monkey leashes but after a while she figured out how to unsnap it.  Before she figured that out, though, she escaped and when I caught up to her she threw herself on the ground.  She screamed on the ground as I pulled her through the airport.  She made a great mop.  I got many bad looks.  What else could I have done?  My hands were full of luggage and Loralie.

At one point I was changing Loralie's very poopy diaper and Peyton took off (for the thousandth time).  I was trying to speed wipe Juju but I kept seeing Peyton get further and further.  I had to stop what I was doing and chase her down.  I was running while holding Juju away from me because she still had poop on her.  People stared.  When they saw my running, screaming toddler, they connected the dots and gave me a sympathetic nod.  I found her on the conveyor belt thing licking the glass siding as it moved her further away from me.  I ran along side it frantically saying things like, "Peyton Jane, don't lick that glass anymore.  We have to go back to our seats."  "If you don't go back to your seats, somebody might steal your fruit snacks." "Peyton, please.  Juju is going to pee on me and I am getting poop everywhere."  "Fine, Peyton!  Go ahead.  Loralie and I are going to make good decisions and sit in our seats." (For the record, Peyton was unbothered by that.)  I think I finally got her to come with, "All right.  See ya later!  I'm going to see Meemaw and Papi and Aunt Sarah without you!" Yes.  I'm aware that that might be less-than-ideal parenting.

It progressively got worse.  It got so bad that they let me board the plane 25 minutes before anybody else, including other families.  Things were much better after we boarded.  Both girls were angelic.  It helped that Peyton was strapped into her car seat. Wouldn't you know that as the other passengers began to board the plane, Peyton pooped.  It was so stinky.  The whole plane smelled like her poop.  I couldn't get off the plane and change her so I had to do it in the bathroom on the plane.  Have you ever been in one of those?  I can't begin to tell you about the acrobatics involved in changing a poopy kid in that tiny space while trying to get them not to touch anything.  All the while I could hear Loralie screaming.  I had to leave her with one of the flight attendants.  When I was finally done and able to retrieve Loralie, the flight attendant looked frazzled.  I told her that Loralie was coming into the stranger awareness phase.  The older woman nearby corrected me and informed me that Loralie was just afraid of the black flight attendant (eye roll).

All of this, in addition to my fear of flying caused me to cry in our seats while Peyton said, "Aww...Mom.  We're gonna blast off! Pat pat pat!" Kudos to those of you who get the Little Einsteins reference.

I swore that I would never do it again.

I was mostly right.

This time I am only taking Loralie.  I have to tell you, I am so heartbroken about it!  I won't get to see my Peyton Pie for 2 weeks.  I worry about her ability to handle it.  Two weeks without either parent is going to be hard, even when in the care of her very capable grandmother.  I am also a little worried about how Loralie will survive 2 weeks without her sister.  And no, my last experience is not the reason I'm leaving her in Utah with the grandparents.  It would just cost an extra 500 doll hairs for her to come.  This is an emergency trip for an emergency situation at home and there is no emergency money left for my Popeye.  I keep telling myself that we won't be poor college kids forever.

I guess I'm done now.  This post didn't really have a direction.  I started it with a purpose but I have since lost it.  Now I'm going to spoil Peyton before I leave.  With cake and cartoons and cuddling.