The girls and I stayed at a hotel at the airport the night before our flight because the first flight out was at 6am...I didn't want to even take the risk of traffic and spared us about an hours sleep. We took the shuttle over at 4am and the wait began. We didn't get on that first 6am flight and the gate agent looked at me like I was insane to attempt standby with 2 kids...she advised me that it was going to be a long day and I should rethink my travel plans. Her words were something along the lines that all the flights were overbooked and getting out on standby looked bad all week. Hmmmm....Hailey crashed about 6:30am (I had to wake her up at 8:30 because I had to pee!) and we just waited for the roll call on the next flight. They were pretty close together (less than two hrs apart) so we really couldn't wander too far. There was a large gap around lunchtime, so we got something to eat and I let the girls play at the playground (Yes, Seattle has one in the airport!!!) We actually ran into an old friend from Missouri who was letting her 4yr old blow off some energy before their flight! Random! Kailee definitely gave her immune system a run for it's money crawling around the filthy airport, but was I going to confine her to the stroller for 11 hrs??? And then hold her on the plane??? The girls were amazing...couldn't tell you exactly how I passed the time for 11 hours by myself with two little ones, but we did it!!
The main problem all day was that the flights were overbooked and they were asking for volunteers to take a voucher for a free flight and get bumped and then guaranteed a spot on the next flight. Finally after being turned away from the 7th flight of the day around 3pm, I told Hailey we were going to take a nap. The current flight boarding hadn't called for any standby passengers and a rumor was going around that a St. Louis flight was being cancelled and all of those passengers were going to be routed through Dallas. I was exhausted and had been up since 3am after going to bed around 11pm! I got Hailey all snuggly on a chair and I had actually even dozed off I think when we heard "MacDonald party of two" being called!!!!! We jumped up and boarded the plane and were in the air in less than 10 minutes!!! By the time we landed in Dallas at 9:00pm, all of the connecting flights to VA were over for the day (we knew that would be a problem if we hadn't gotten out of Dallas early). I had reservations for us at a nearby hotel and had packed overnight things for us in my carryon since the bags and carseats went directly to VA. By the time we made it to the hotel it was already after 10pm and we hadn't had dinner. We grabbed something out of the vending machine, took baths and all crashed by 11pm...only to do it all over again the next morning!! We were up by 5:15am and at the airport by 6am and, thank the Lord, got on the first flight to Richmond. Hailey was asleep before we took off and I had to wake her up after we landed. We had made it!!!! And then we hit the ground running with a wonderful visit with my friend Claire and her family....to be continued tomorrow...
Playing in the Seattle airport (I think this pic was actually from when we passed through the first time on the way to Spokane, but it'll give you an idea of the set up...lots of things to climb on, tunnels, and a slide...all with an airport theme)
A lifesaver!!!!
Lots of waiting and waiting!
Somehow that was comfortable...notice the wawa in her mouth! I caved and let her have it for this trip...I reasoned with the fact that I was forcing her to sleep in so many different/new places and thought the sucking/swallowing motion might help her ears on the plane. :) There haven't been any issues wanting it since we've been home. But she did ask if she could have it again when we go on our next trip (which won't be anytime soon!!!!) 
Kailee crashed in the Bjorn
Poor things...this was moments before I had to wake them at the Dallas hotel at 5:30am to catch our connection to Richmond. 
Asleep on the plane before we even took off!!!
1 comment:
Oh my gosh, that made me cry. Drowning is one of my biggest fears and to think that if you hadn't gone to the pool that day, that little boy may not be here!
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