Our flight from Charleston to Atlanta was delayed by 40 minutes, so we had almost 2 hours to wait. Here's how we passed the time:
Something about this fuzzy picture makes me smile. Could it be Tony's tilted head with a smile on his face, Rebecca's pure delight in disecting the airport chair (yuck), or Mary-Gail's thrill of running back & forth from the windows to the chairs. I don't know, but I'm still smiling.
LOL! Rebecca cooled her tummy on the aluminum part of the door.
(Don't worry, I wiped her down with Clorox wipes afterwards)
What big girls! Rebecca & Mary-Gail carried their own backpacks!
Rebecca had the coloring book, crayons, doodle-pads, and 3 Dora books; Mary-Gail had the snack-pack
("Ariel" fruit snacks, crackers, yogurt-covered raisins, licorice, apple slices)
Mary-Gail followed Daddy everywhere. I think the weight of the snack-pack slowed her down
Mary-Gail saying, "No Mommy. Too bad!"
Thank you to Auntie JoJo for lending us your Portable DVD player! Incredibles was a huge hit, especially Baby Jack-Jack. (Rebecca & Mary-Gail like to say, "Uncle Baby Jack-Jack" for Uncle Jack. Cute, really cute)
Flying with kids is sooo exhausting! Rebecca & Mary-Gail were complete angels on the 2 flights into Charleston (with the exception of Rebecca's feverish moans and constant coughing). And our flight from Charleston to Atlanta on our way back home was wonderful. However, once we boarded our flight in Atlanta to SLC, things changed. With the delayed flight and deplaning in a different concourse, Tony & I were in super-sonic speed mode. We had to hussel! I mean we were running up the escalators with children on hips and carry-ons on shoulders and backs. Tony & I made it with a few minutes to spare, but once we boarded, we sat in the airplane for nearly 25 minutes before it even moved!!!
Rebecca & Mary-Gail were exhausted (it was 9:40 pm when we boarded our flight in Atlanta), and they were hot (no circulating air b/c the plane wasn't moving), and they were tired of being held, and tired of being sick. Tony managed Mary-Gail, while I managed Rebecca. I wish I would have just managed them both from the get-go. Mary-Gail's coughing fits and sick face, along with Rebecca's cough and moans had the stewardess concerned.
Stewardess: Do they have fevers?
Me: No, Rebecca had a fever Friday night, but it broke by Saturday.
Stewardess: So, no fevers now?
Me: No, they are just hot, tired, and have coughs. (I was't going to mention our ER visit, being on antibiotics, or having viral Bronchitis - no way!)
The Stewardess got on the phone, which was right behind me, and assured someone (Tony thinks it was the Pilot) that our girls didn't have fevers. She continued to assure him as she asked me again, "No fevers, right Mom?" "No fevers," I said.
By this time the passengers at the back of the plane (Lovey & I were in the very last row) kept looking back at us with skepticism. I mean, Rebecca was drowsy, moaning, and coughing, and Mary-Gail was coughing (to the point that she sounded like she was going to throw-up); I could tell everyone was thinking "SWINE FLU." The Stewardess confirmed this when she said, "We just can't be too careful with everything that's going around." I think they were going to kick us off the plane!
Once we took flight Mary-Gail's bursts of coughing escalated into constant coughing with a "gag" at the end. Mary-Gail began crying and coughing, coughing and crying. She managed a, "Kiss it Mommy. Kiss it, " between cries. Her throat was so sore & raw from coughing, and she was miserable. Tony was holding Mary-Gail, and wasn't doing a "good job" of calming her down; and if Mary-Gail doesn't calm down, she throws-up. I tried to get Tony to calm her down, but Mary-Gail's coughing & crying became that lethal combination...she threw-up all over herself and Tony.
Tony doesn't handle throw-up very well. He made a huge fuss, (like he normally does), which fueled Mary-Gail's cries and coughing (to the point of gaging again). Oh my gosh - we were just 1 hour into our 4 hour flight!! I stole Mary-Gail and juggled her with Rebecca (who was adamant that she not be touched by anyone), while Tony collected himself. Mary-Gail didn't want to go back to Tony, and Rebecca didn't want to share me. Life was rough for the next 3 hours. The man in the isle across from us (one seat up) kept looking back and throwing ugly stares. I nearly stood up and threw my daughters at him saying, "You think you can do a better job?! Be my guest!" UGH! It was such a hard flight for my babies. By the time we landed in SLC it was 1:00 am and neither one of them had slept a wink.
Collecting luggage, waiting for Diamond Car Shuttle, and loading car seats back into the car was just as exhausting. I had Mary-Gail & Rebecca on my hips, my backpack w/laptop on my back, the diaper bag w/the girl's backpacks on my shoulder, and was trying to pull one of our two checked bags. Tony was managing the two car seats and our other checked bag. Does that seem a little off-balance to anyone else? Anyways, we made it home safely. Rebecca & Mary-Gail were exhausted and took a 4 hour nap the following day! (and so did Tony). Me, well, I did what Mom's normally do - everything but sleep.
The Stewardess got on the phone, which was right behind me, and assured someone (Tony thinks it was the Pilot) that our girls didn't have fevers. She continued to assure him as she asked me again, "No fevers, right Mom?" "No fevers," I said.
By this time the passengers at the back of the plane (Lovey & I were in the very last row) kept looking back at us with skepticism. I mean, Rebecca was drowsy, moaning, and coughing, and Mary-Gail was coughing (to the point that she sounded like she was going to throw-up); I could tell everyone was thinking "SWINE FLU." The Stewardess confirmed this when she said, "We just can't be too careful with everything that's going around." I think they were going to kick us off the plane!
Once we took flight Mary-Gail's bursts of coughing escalated into constant coughing with a "gag" at the end. Mary-Gail began crying and coughing, coughing and crying. She managed a, "Kiss it Mommy. Kiss it, " between cries. Her throat was so sore & raw from coughing, and she was miserable. Tony was holding Mary-Gail, and wasn't doing a "good job" of calming her down; and if Mary-Gail doesn't calm down, she throws-up. I tried to get Tony to calm her down, but Mary-Gail's coughing & crying became that lethal combination...she threw-up all over herself and Tony.
Tony doesn't handle throw-up very well. He made a huge fuss, (like he normally does), which fueled Mary-Gail's cries and coughing (to the point of gaging again). Oh my gosh - we were just 1 hour into our 4 hour flight!! I stole Mary-Gail and juggled her with Rebecca (who was adamant that she not be touched by anyone), while Tony collected himself. Mary-Gail didn't want to go back to Tony, and Rebecca didn't want to share me. Life was rough for the next 3 hours. The man in the isle across from us (one seat up) kept looking back and throwing ugly stares. I nearly stood up and threw my daughters at him saying, "You think you can do a better job?! Be my guest!" UGH! It was such a hard flight for my babies. By the time we landed in SLC it was 1:00 am and neither one of them had slept a wink.
Collecting luggage, waiting for Diamond Car Shuttle, and loading car seats back into the car was just as exhausting. I had Mary-Gail & Rebecca on my hips, my backpack w/laptop on my back, the diaper bag w/the girl's backpacks on my shoulder, and was trying to pull one of our two checked bags. Tony was managing the two car seats and our other checked bag. Does that seem a little off-balance to anyone else? Anyways, we made it home safely. Rebecca & Mary-Gail were exhausted and took a 4 hour nap the following day! (and so did Tony). Me, well, I did what Mom's normally do - everything but sleep.
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2 comments:
amanda, I'm in PAIN for you!!!! I'm so so so sorry. I swear the job of a mom gets about 11 gazillion times harder when we are on a plane. You are a wonderful mom, and I'm sorry it was so tough!!!!!!! Oh seriously I'm like wanting to fly to Utah and hug you.....
Well, this post has new meaning for me. Why does the flight home have to be so stinking miserable? No one puked on the flight home but it was NOT pleasant and we had the meanest woman on the plane who said that I either make Asher stop kicking her seat or I come up with an alternative plan--like punch her in the face? I also managed the stroller, three bags, and our two pieces of luggage while Jamie had the car seats and one bag. Where would our children be without turbo moms????
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