Leave The Stroller, Take The Cannoli

Let's go back and discuss some of the things that have happened in the past month or so, shall we?

Hey y'all -

On the 4th of July, the three of us packed up and headed out, bound for Arkansas. Your dad was being sent by the Navy to the Rim of The Pacific exercise in Hawaii, which I had thought was a somewhat classified event, but I just found out there's a Wikipedia page for it, so never mind. Since I still had to work full-time for those weeks he was gone, I figured it would be easier if we went and stayed with Peg and Tex so I could have some help. We normally fall apart a little when your dad's out of town - we eat an abundance of macaroni and cheese and forget to go to bed - so I thought it would be good to have other grown-ups around.

Into the airport, we hauled two suitcases and two car seats and gate-checked our stroller, but still carried two backpacks' worth of snacks and diversions. Sherpas carry less equipment on an average expedition up Everest than it takes us to make it to middle America.

Our departure kept getting delayed, because the plane we were supposed to use had just hit a bird on its way into Missoula, and they had to perform what sounded like some serious crime scene clean-up.

Didn't bother you guys a bit.

Our itinerary had us landing in Denver, followed by a 90-minute layover. As we waited and waited and waited in Missoula, more and more of our layover got eaten up, until the gate agent told us she was rebooking us on a later flight that would mean we'd have a 4+ hour layover. Hanging out with two small children (who I love more than my life and would obviously throw myself in front of a bus for, if need be, but still...) for that long did NOT appeal to me. I asked the agent if there was any way we could also keep the seats on that original connecting flight, "Just in case we're able to pull some kind of Hail Mary." She agreed.

When we finally made it on, an hour and a half later then expected, the plane was relatively empty. Laney asked if she could move back and sit by herself instead of sitting next to a stranger, which the flight attendant said was fine. Notice that she did buckle up her bear, for safety.

Hagen watched most of a season of "Go, Diego, Go," and ate most of a bag of cheese popcorn and all was right with the world.

I actually read a book (a grown-up one! all by myself!) on this flight, which was a miracle in mid-air.

As our plane touched down in Denver, I looked at my watch. Our next plane was scheduled to depart in 17 minutes. I used my phone to figure out the connecting gate number and then looked anxiously out the window to see where we'd be parking. We were in the fourth row of our plane, so if we parked in the same terminal as our connecting flight, there was still hope. Probably not, but when you're looking down the barrel at entertaining two kids in a crowded airport for four hours, dreams die hard.

As luck would have it, we came to a rest just three gates away from our original connecting flight. I explained to Laney, "When this plane stops and the seat belt light goes off, I'm going to stand up and hold Hagen. I need you to wear this backpack and hold my hand and when they open the door, I need you to run with me like we're in a race. Are you ready?" She nodded. My daughter's terminal case of hate-to-lose-itis was going to pay off.

We raced off the plane as planned and up the jet bridge. There were already a few people waiting at the top for the rolling door for gate-checked items to be lifted. Laney yelled, "MOM! What about the stroller?!?" "LEAVE IT!!" I yelled. "JUST KEEP RUNNING!" We made it to our next gate, completely out of breath, and handed our tickets to the gate agent as I wheezed, "Is there still time?" And then harp music filled the air and the angels sang a beautiful chorus and she said, "Yes, you just made it." I laughed and said, "We had to abandon our stroller. I figured spending $40 for a new stroller would hurt less than hanging out in this airport with two young'uns for the rest of the afternoon." "I know that's right," she agreed.

You guys decided you would rather sit together on this flight, and it took you about a minute to settle in.  All the running and drama hadn't affected you a bit.

Just before our plane pushed back, the flight attendant leaned down and whispered to me, "The gate agent wants you to know that she found your stroller and it's on board." Hallelujah, and thank you, United.

__________________

Peg Peg and Tex had bought sparklers to help celebrate the 4th, so we went out on the back porch that night and set up my tripod and had great fun doing stuff like this:

Then, Laney got hit on the top of the foot with a random spark. And then Peg Peg was moving her sparkler around in peace when Tex came up behind her with HIS sparkler and accidentally burned her on the arm.

...and so to recover, those two girls had to go inside and lie down on the couch and compare injuries and watch HGTV.

Two iPads, two flights, one Hail Mary, one rescued stroller, and two first degree burns.

And that's how we spent our 4th of July.

God bless America.

Love,
Mom