Maui-Day 8- Going Home

We're back after enduring 14 hours of traveling and somehow I still love my kids and husband and I would like to emphasize the word "somehow".

(Isn't this photo so cute? The kids all snuggled up and not wanting to leave Hawaii)

I had a really off day today.  In two minutes I broke a glass table top outside on our lanai and I broke the glass pitcher of the blender, due to clumsiness and they both had nothing to do with each other.  Seriously, in two minutes, just minutes before we left for the airport.  Brennan sent me away to pack and to touch nothing else.  Can't wait to get that bill 0_o

I got the time wrong for our flight and ended up arriving 4 hours before our plane took off.  To boot, they had us seated in an exit isle, which we found out you can't sit in with an infant in your lap.  So that was a fiasco trying to fix on a flight that was full.

Traveling with this little man, to put it very nicely, was a lot of work.  We spent 4 hours in the airport, then 4 hours and 47 minutes on our first airplane.  For the most part he was quiet and took a good nap, but their were a few moments where he belted it out and some people weren't so happy about it,

Ever heard of the phrase, "Some people just need a hive five…to the face…really hard"?  While James was having an episode of protest against his containment, a woman turned around to look at James and put her fingers in her ears.  Hello!  I can see you putting your fingers in your ears and that face you're making.  I am so sorry you have to go through this.  I feel so bad for you.  It must be so tough for you!  

Luckily we sat next to a really nice old woman, who had a sense of humor and loved children.  She helped make the trip very bearable.  

Oh, if only that first part of our trip was the hardest.  If only…

We had a layover in Portland and had a while before our next flight.  James was atrocious.  He really showed his true colors.  While we sat down to eat at a restaurant, James threw himself down in the middle of the floor to throw a monster fit.  I took him out in the middle of the crowded airport where he could continue his tantrum.  It's so nice when people can walk by and say things like, "I'm so glad that child wasn't on our flight." "Oh yeah, me too!".  I can hear YOU!  What is it with people?  Can't you look at a women and have empathy for her?  Some people did at least and shared their condolences for our courageous trek across seas, but some people were just plain rude! 

My patience was gone.  I was tired and at the end of my rope.  We were power walking across the airport to catch our connecting flight that was already boarding.  Do you know what it's like to drag 3 kids across an airport with luggage?  I had to keep saying, "Hurry up! Hurry up!" and you know that only makes them walk slower.  

As we stood at the baggage claim after our last flight, there were families, standing all quiet and patient, waiting for their bags to arrive.  Then there was us.  My kids fighting over who gets to stand where, at the baggage claim.  I was watching for bags as Brennan watched James. Brennan came over and told me that he was going to get his sweatshirt out of his bag, which apparently was code for "You watch James".  I didn't catch that.  Some woman pointed out that James was trying to go up the escalator and   I chased after him yelling to Brennan, "Communication!  You should have cooommuuunicaaated that with me!"  Brennan then gave his defense. We looked so wonderful :)

We then went outside to wait for our shuttle to come pick us up, which took 20 minutes.  Twenty minutes might not seem that long, unless you just got back from Hawaii and it's 40 degrees outside and raining, and you're wearing flip-flops, and your children are wining to you, and it's 10pm, then yeah, 20 minutes is a long time.  

We got home after 11pm, for a total of 14 hours of traveling.  The kids went to bed before we could help them change and brush their teeth.  They went to bed with their clothes on, oh well.   

All said and done, the trip was awesome and so worth it!  I do not however plan to travel any long distances again until July when we go to Wisconsin for our family reunion.  The end.