Best idea EVER

I decided that since I needed to travel to Florida this week for business, I'd add on a few days and take the kids with me to see their grandparents (my in-laws). This has been the "best" idea ever.

Let me paint a mental image of my last two days for you...

WEDNESDAY - The day before departure.

Sadie breaks out in Measles pocks everywhere. Turns out she's one in 5000 kids that has a "moderately severe" reaction to the MMR vaccine. Sweet. That explains the 103 fever she's had off and on the past week. She doesn't go to sleep until 11 pm, and then sleeps fitfully, in 20-40 minute intervals.

Add to this that it is Halloween. Both children are hopped up on sugar and insanely wild.

Add to this, too, that I screwed up our flight reservations and realized on Monday that instead of leaving on Sat., we're leaving on Thurs. So work is a mess, and I have to do 3 days of work in 24 hours, before hopping on a plane to retirement hell where there is only one WiFi hotspot for miles (where I currently sit blogging... thanks Panera).


THURSDAY - Travel day.

I get up at 5:30, after about 2.5 to 3 hours of intermittent sleep to drag everyone out the door. Jason helps with the bags and kids, and we miraculously make it on time for our 8:00 flight.

Getting into the airport is fine. We have a skycap help. Getting through security was another ordeal entirely. Katie goes through fine, but then they decide I more or less need to strip the baby down, put the stroller through the conveyor belt (it doesn't fit and I've never had to do this before), take my LCD projector out and plug it in (seriously?! I've traveled all over with it and NEVER had to do that. They didn't even check the laptop!),... all AFTER Katie is on the other side. They won't let Katie come back to me. She's terrified and crying. I'm uttering words that should not be said in front of my 1-year old, hoping she won't pick up on them. (She tried to say one, but seems to have forgotten them today.) The security guard warns me about my "lack of cooperation."

We finally get on the plane, which is, of course, full. I hold the screaming Sadie for 2 hours. She falls asleep 10 minutes before landing. Then awakes screaming as we're to disembark. I got lots of nice looks from fellow travelers.

Orlando's airport is HUGE. I drag Katie and Sadie to the bathroom, we all get taken care of, but only with lots of juggling, hand holding and door propping so we can keep eye contact, as Katie is now terrified of airport security, who may "take" her from mommy again.

Katie decides she doesn't want to roll her little suitcase anymore. Nor does she want to walk. I'm half-dragging her, pushing a stroller and pulling the computer bag/Dora bag/diaper bag down the halls. I hear women clucking and saying how tough it must be to be traveling alone with small children. No, you don't say?! Would you like to grab a freakin' bag instead of walking behind me and making loud comments? And NO, I'm NOT a single mom. Just stupid. Out of my way, biddies.

We get the luggage and I make a half-mile long train of the five items of luggage, which I pull behind me to the car rental lot, as I drag Katie, push Sadie and pick up objects randomly thrown by Sadie along the way (shoes, jacket, socks, etc.). It's pouring. Of course.

Two hours later we're in retirement hell (Sebring Florida). All the way Katie asked if "we were there yet" every 5 minutes. Sadie finally slept.

Exhausted, I got the kids to bed at 8 and 9. Katie awoke at midnight (25 minutes after I hit the bed) with a fever of at least 102, croupy cough and sore throat. The girls then took turns waking up every 30 minutes until 6:15 this morning, when I gave up and let them out of bed.

Yes, this was DEFINITELY my best idea EVER!!