Back on the West Coast

I guess it's about time to post again. Life was very relaxing while visiting family and friends on the East Coast. Internet connections were not the best hence the lack of blogg entries for you all to read. I will however catch up slowly with stories and pictures. SLOWLY is the word I must stress as I will be preparing my second grade classroom for another funfilled school year and of course my home for another child. What such I talk about first? How about the awful experience flying home to Las Vegas. Sure why not vent a little ...

Mom rushes me & Reece to the Buffalo airport, while driving I decide maybe I should call and see if my flight is even on time; low and behold it is not! Great extra hours spent in an airport with a 22 month old is not my idea of a groovy time. Luckily the Buffalo airport has a fantastic Fisher Price play area that is better than any playground I have been to. Reece was so excited when he saw it. Before even getting to the play area I wasn't sure I was going to be able to fly with my 22 month, since absentminded pregnant lady forgot to bring her sons birth certificate. (Which made going over to Canada a little hairy as well; that story to come later...)
Curb side check in was swamped, so I decide inside looks shorter and faster. I go up to the E-Ticket lady and mention I am flying with an infant.

"Great can I see him and have his birth certificate?" she kindly asks.
Uh, no my mother just took him for a ride around the airport while I check the bags and did I mention I don't have his birth certificate? It's in Las Vegas.
Well, we need it and you can't fly with out proof of his age.
What I have flown with you guys (Southwest) nearly 10 times with my son and you have never, ever asked for his birth certificate before. (That's because I have always used curbside check in where the Joe Shomos out there don't care!)
"What can I do?" I asked the voice cracking starting to panic.
Well, you'll have to fax us a copy in the next 10 minutes your plane is leaving in 45 minutes.
That's impossible! There isn't anyone I can call in Vegas to go to my house and get it and then find a fax machine to use. What else?
Well, we can call a pharmacist and ask them to verify the child's age.
Great I say while digging through my luggage for my allergy medicine so I can get the number for the Target pharmacy in Vegas. THANK YOU TARGET!!

Nasty rule abiding lady called Target and verifies that Reece is 22 months and then asks to see him. Luckily mom just pulled up to the curb and was getting him ready to come in the airport. I go out and explain the whole dilemma to her and she just laughs at me and tells me to relax. Words I have heard countless times from my mother. I go back to nasty lady, show her my beautiful tan almost 2 year old and get my boarding passes. Somewhat relieved I start heading to our gate. Reece was such a big boy for me. He walked right beside me while I carried his car seat. We are still praying he gets his own seat and doesn't have to sit on mine. Member I have an 8 month old baby growing inside mine which leaves little room on my lap for a wiggly 22 month old. Maybe I just should have bough Reece a seat... NOPE God is great and gave me a seat on both flights to Vegas!
As we are walking by the FP play area I only let Reece hang out for a few minutes because I was too nervous we were now late for our flight since nasty lady held us up for so long. He was not happy to be leaving all those great toys, but he complied when I told him we were getting to go on the big blue plane. Low and behold, we were not late at all, everyone was still waiting. UHHHHHHHHH I sigh and take Reece to the window so he can look at the airplanes. Finally the plane arrived and we were able to fly. Did I mention I had a connection in Chicago too? Smart planning mama said the flights home to Vegas are always so long for Reece, lets try breaking it up this time by having a lay over so he can get off the plane and stretch his legs. HA HA, never again will I do that on purpose. He stretched his legs alright just for as it took him to race mommy to the other big blue plane. So we ran from C-18 to C-1 and boarded our second flight home.
We stepped on the plane and I asked the flight attendant if there were two seats by a window for my son and I. Now this plane was hardly full, but she did have to get on the loud speaker thingy and ask if anyone would mind moving seats. Thankfully someone in the 17 row moved and Reece and I were able to park ourselves right over the wing. A very noisy area for a babe to sleep near. No, I mean that good kind of white noise. I was ready to sleep as well. It was now 8 pm EST and I was pooped! Traveling while 8 months pregnant with a 22 month old is not my idea of fun. I will not be doing it ever again; nor will I fly with 2 children and without my husband to assist. So I guess our futures summer vacations back east will always include a road trip across the US. Oh, that sounds like fun; maybe we should just move back huh?

Oh my journey across the US is not over yet. My dear friend Mel, (yes girlie your getting your 2 minutes of fame on my blogg) called me just after my fiasco in Buffalo to tell me she couldn't pick me up, but that she would leave a car for me at the airport. JOY, 8 months prego, 2 suitcase, a backpack, a carseat and a sleeping toddler to deal with after 6 hours of hell! Not to mention finding the car loading it and driving it home when all I want to do is sleep. THANKS MEL!
Good thing God is great cuz once again my son was a champ and did wonderfully on the plane ride. He ate snacks, watched his new Finding Nemo movie and then finally fell asleep with 40 minutes left in the flight. Since I was in the middle of the and my child was sleeping peacefully I was the last one to leave. A very kind flight attendant carried my backpack and car seat off while I carried my sleeping angel. God had a wheelchair with my name on it and the flight attendant said here use this. She plopped his car seat in it and strapped my backpack on it as well. I placed Reece back in his seat and we went for a ride. How funny must I have looked. Prego mama pushing sleeping toddler in a wheelchair.
We headed for baggage claim with a quick stop in the restroom where the flushing toilets woke Reece. He was a bit startled and started to cry. I think I would be too if I woke up in a restroom. We continued on our quest for the luggage with a stop at Starbucks so I could get change for the smart cart I had to rent. Reece was not pleased again. Why are we stopping, more ride, more ride mommy. He would ask. After waiting for what seemed like forever for my Vanilla drink we head to the smart carts.
I notice all the luggage from our flight is gone, Great. I head over to the Southwest area and tell the lady that those two bags are mine. She says fine and I leave Reece there for a second while I go get a smart cart. Reece sees me bring it back and immediately says no mama, no cart, chair, more chair. He knows that when we use these carts he has to sit on the metal basket area that must just dig right into his little bum and legs. He wasn't havin it this evening. So I struggled to load the cart as two strapping men watched and snickered the whole time. Then got Reece down and ready to go. He wanted to walk, why not let him stretch his legs but boy was I nervous. I wasn't up for racing and walked rather slow. Once crossing traffic and making it to the parking garage, we started to board the elevator. Reece was alost closed in the doors because ignorant man inside was pushing the wrong button to hold the door open for us.
Lord, just let me make it home. We found the car, took a while loading it and finally left that God forsaken McCarren airport. Called my dad to tell him we had arrived and I was heading to my house. Stopped for a gallon of milk, got home, got Reece ready for bed and then we both drifted off to sleep.

NEVER WILL I FLY ALONE WITH CHILDREN AGAIN!!!