A Loooong Trip Home...

Hiya folks! In case you haven't figured it out yet, I was on VACATION!!!

Yep, kept it a secret.

I didn't want anyone breaking in and trying to steal my stash of spray paint or piles of old clothes waiting for refashion.

(Besides, if you came over you might have been attacked by the four raccoons that had taken up residence under my FRONT PORCH. Yeah, I live IN TOWN. NO, I was NOT ok with the situation. More on this subject later. )

Anywho, the amount of prep that it takes to pack up a family of four for a planned 11 day (actual: 14. Keep reading) vacation cross county with zero checked bags required a significant amount of time and organized strategy. Which is not exactly on my resume under the "positive qualities I possess" section. And seriously, when I say cross country I mean Pacific to the Atlantic. CROSS COUNTRY.

Four carry on suitcases
Two adult backpacks
One toddler backpack
One stroller
One Lil Chick
One Bubbalu

Huh, is that all? It seemed like WAY more when we were hauling it all through the airport.

We had quite the adventure getting home.

6 AM EST: Wake up, pack everything, say goodbye to Charleston and my Brother and Sis in law for the 5 hour drive to get to the airport.

4 PM EST: Getting ready to board.

7:45 PM EST: FINALLY boarding.

9:30 PM EST: an emergency medial related landing due to strange odors coming from the back of the plane making people sick (My very first thought was: "A strange odor? WOW that must be a really severe case of Montezuma's revenge.")

10:00 PM EST: Deplane...with all the above mentioned stuff

11:15 PM EST: a cancelled flight (insert two completely exhausted and overwhelmed children)

2:00 AM EST: FINALLY arrive at a hotel for an unplanned overnight stay. We are now further east (and farther from home) from our departure city (insert two sobbing children who BOTH just want Mommy to carry them...OK, I wasn't exactly holding it together like a mature adult at that point.)

2:01 AM EST: *zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz*

1:30 PM EST: Check out of the hotel to hang out in the armpit airport of the country. Sorry, it just wasn't particularly awesome.

7:15 PM EST: Take off for puddle jump flight

9:45 PM EST: FINALLY on the next plane to head home! YAY! Only a four and a half hour flight to go....and The kids are SO excited to be strapped into their seats and be flying! Sweet! (sarcasm font)

12:00 PST: Seattle. Home sweet home. More crying all around (OK, Lance was the champion who held it ALL together. Roses* and poems? No thank you! A husband that can carry a 4 yr old on his shoulders, wear a heavy backpack, pull THREE roller suitcases, a toddler backpack AND my backpack so I can carry my barefoot, Dr. Seuss look-a-like screaming like a banshee 2 yr old child? YES MA'AM. LOVE him.)

(*Hydrangea bushes please :)

Oh yes, and a 2 + hour drive home. (THANK YOU DAD!)

3 AM PST: Finally home, crashed into bed.

Yes, that is a 48 hour trip home. Could be worse (um, Ethiopia anyone?) but let's just say that we arrived home last Thursday and I am STILL trying to catch up on sleep.)

The progeny post-vacay reprogramming has been rather, uh, CHALLENGING. Lil Chick's jet lag is now a 10 PM PST bedtime.

But you say, "Hey, that doesn't make sense!?" I know, right? She should be used to 3 hours EARLIER for bedtime...5 pm ish. But, put a 2 yr old down to sleep at 2 and then 3 am EST two nights in a row and BLAM! 1o PM jet lag :) Weird, I know.

I've got some stories to tell, pictures to share and a new airline policy that went into effect on the 2nd half of our return trip to annihilate all coming up. Sounds FUN, huh?!

Missed you all...

A

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