We came home from a fantastic week in Destin on Saturday. Not only was it fantastic, it was one of our best. Well, one of our best with the kids. I still sort of remember, because my memory is for shit now, how much fun we had when we went before we had kids and we stayed up late and slept in and only thought about ourselves. Now that was a great vacation.
But alas, now we have children and the focus isn't on us anymore. Or not as much as we'd like anyway. The guys still find time to get away and golf and the ladies go to the spa and shopping so it's not totally about the kids. This year was amazing because my kids were so independent. Amanda was a champ in the pool and I didn't even have to get in with her most of the time. She swam all over the place like a demon and there was only one time she looked like she needed help and that's when she was upset and crying about a game they were playing not because she was about to drown. She LOVED the pool and would ask to go in everyday and would have rather spent the whole week in the pool instead of going to the beach but we made them do that several days as well. They would go to the beach and then come back to the pool and they were all so tired every night it was wonderful. This was the first year that I can remember that Charlie wasn't upset as we drove to the airport that he didn't get to do everything he wanted to do. This year we attacked our schedule and made the best of every single day and played tennis more than once (unheard of) and even sent the adults without the kids so they could play real tennis (even more unheard of) that by Thursday we couldn't think of anything we still "had to do". It was awesome.
Saturday we got up and took a short flight from Pensacola to Houston and then got on another short flight from Houston to Denver and were supposed to be home by 3p. But that second short flight turned into a very long flight when we had to circle Denver for an hour or so and then got diverted to Colorado Springs and spend 2+ hours on the ground due to a ground stop (where they won't let any planes take off or land) in Denver that was a result of concerns about wind sheer. So instead of landing in Denver at 3p we landed at 9p. We discussed getting off the plane and renting a car and driving home and figuring out our luggage later, except that our car seats were under the plane. Foiled again. Did I mention that was Amanda's 5th birthday and according to her the "worst birthday ever". I think she'll forget about it when we go on her birthday trip to Disney World in a few weeks.
Sunday was spent making up for Amanda's missed birthday, trying to shake off the traveling funk from the day before and unpacking and doing a tiny bit of laundry. Of course now it's Tuesday and it still looks like we are unpacking by the back door.
Monday started with a bang as it was meet the teacher for Andy and Sarah and Andy's first day of math at the middle school. He's been doing advanced math since third grade and it finally caught up with him where his school can't offer the grade level of math he needs so he gets up butt early and takes the bus to the middle school for math and then we have to drive him back to the elementary school for his regular school day. The middle school started on Monday but the elementary school doesn't start until tomorrow so for the past two days he's woken up to go to math and then come home. Weird, but a nice way to ease back into school.
Today was Amanda's first day of her English preschool, the Spanish preschool doesn't start until after Labor Day, and tonight was Andy's 6th grade orientation. All that to say the last couple of days have been a whirlwind of activity and meetings and getting ready for school. Thankfully tomorrow they actually get to go and our scheduled life of predictability will return. It may not sound good to you, but it sounds like heaven to me. I even volunteered to help out at school again this year even though last year almost drove me over the edge. I like to help, but it really cramps my style.
So that's it, our summer is over. It was great, I only had those two days at the very end where I thought I might have to commit myself and otherwise it was thoroughly enjoyable. Okay, not thoroughly, but manageable. Let's see where this next school year takes us!
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Friday, August 1, 2014
Our Last Hurrah!
I find myself sitting here just finished packing for our last trip of the summer. Well, our last trip until school starts. We will also be taking a quick trip to Miami for Labor Day Weekend and then I am taking Amanda to Disney World for her 5th birthday, but this is it as far as summer is concerned. The funny thing is that I've been 95% packed since Wednesday. I never do that. Ever. Usually Charlie and I start packing around 9p the night before a trip and then we are up until some crazy hour getting the last few things in. This time all I did was unpack the suitcase from the last trip, which was mostly full of clean clothes since I've gotten into the habit of doing all my wash before I leave when I stay with friends and family so that isn't the first thing I have to do when I get home. I picked out a few different things and had the girls fill in the outfits that we still needed, and then I did the same thing with Andy, washing all his clothes from camp and then packing them before he ever got a chance to put them away.
The last two weeks have been a blur. I can't even believe we've been home from New Jersey that long. We had a fabulous visit with April and Renee, which I of course knew we would, that went by way too fast. I cannot explain to you how much I love spending time with them. I can be myself with them, no holds barred even though I am a guest in someone's home, and I know no matter what they will love me and stand up for me and defend me and take care of me. They may make fun of my shopping habits, but they love me all the same and would be there for me in a second. I have absolutely no doubts. Friends like these are few and far between and I will be hard pressed to find more like them the rest of my life. Thankfully my husband totally understands and loves them almost as much as I do so that we can keep this pattern going. Next year I swear he is going to come with us.
So, we did the beach and Renee's husband Mark was so wonderful to take the girls into the freezing cold ocean and play with them. I'm not sure what game they had going on but when he left early in the week to go back to work they hugged and said, "good-bye wolfie". Total bonding. We went bowling and swimming and to the Pinball Museum where I scored the high score on Frogger. I would have done better if I wasn't keeping one eye out for Amanda the whole time. Next year we need to go without the kids. We also made it to Beach Plum, the most amazing ice cream place around. Also, Renee and April introduced me to this crazy card game called Mille Bournes that they played as kids, but not together because they didn't know each other then. We got slightly obsessed with it but really had a great time playing after the kids went to bed. And to top the week off we went to Camden one night for a Bruno Mars concert. I'm not the hugest Bruno fan, but I do like his music so it was a lot of fun.
After we got home Sarah started horse back camp which she loved and two of the instructors told me that she had great form and they were really impressed. That's a good thing because her past and future therapists have both said that horse back riding would be great therapy for her. So hopefully I can get in gear and set up some lessons for this fall. I also got myself back to the gym with my new trainer who's sole goal is to hurt me. It's kind of a strange thing to pay someone to make your life miserable, but hopefully in the end it will be worth it. Right now I'm still trying to decide.
So yes, two weeks have flown by and tomorrow we leave for Destin. Best family vacation ever with wonderful friends. We get back next Saturday and then Andy starts school Monday, Amanda starts Tuesday and Sarah starts Wednesday. I would say that the summer hasn't been long enough and I wish that we had just a few more weeks, but that would be a lie. I almost lost it yesterday and realized that I only had to get through today and then a nice vacation and then they would be back to school. Then we can get back on schedule and my life will still be crazy but a more controlled, metered out crazy.
It's been a fantastic summer, but why ruin a good thing?
The last two weeks have been a blur. I can't even believe we've been home from New Jersey that long. We had a fabulous visit with April and Renee, which I of course knew we would, that went by way too fast. I cannot explain to you how much I love spending time with them. I can be myself with them, no holds barred even though I am a guest in someone's home, and I know no matter what they will love me and stand up for me and defend me and take care of me. They may make fun of my shopping habits, but they love me all the same and would be there for me in a second. I have absolutely no doubts. Friends like these are few and far between and I will be hard pressed to find more like them the rest of my life. Thankfully my husband totally understands and loves them almost as much as I do so that we can keep this pattern going. Next year I swear he is going to come with us.
So, we did the beach and Renee's husband Mark was so wonderful to take the girls into the freezing cold ocean and play with them. I'm not sure what game they had going on but when he left early in the week to go back to work they hugged and said, "good-bye wolfie". Total bonding. We went bowling and swimming and to the Pinball Museum where I scored the high score on Frogger. I would have done better if I wasn't keeping one eye out for Amanda the whole time. Next year we need to go without the kids. We also made it to Beach Plum, the most amazing ice cream place around. Also, Renee and April introduced me to this crazy card game called Mille Bournes that they played as kids, but not together because they didn't know each other then. We got slightly obsessed with it but really had a great time playing after the kids went to bed. And to top the week off we went to Camden one night for a Bruno Mars concert. I'm not the hugest Bruno fan, but I do like his music so it was a lot of fun.
After we got home Sarah started horse back camp which she loved and two of the instructors told me that she had great form and they were really impressed. That's a good thing because her past and future therapists have both said that horse back riding would be great therapy for her. So hopefully I can get in gear and set up some lessons for this fall. I also got myself back to the gym with my new trainer who's sole goal is to hurt me. It's kind of a strange thing to pay someone to make your life miserable, but hopefully in the end it will be worth it. Right now I'm still trying to decide.
So yes, two weeks have flown by and tomorrow we leave for Destin. Best family vacation ever with wonderful friends. We get back next Saturday and then Andy starts school Monday, Amanda starts Tuesday and Sarah starts Wednesday. I would say that the summer hasn't been long enough and I wish that we had just a few more weeks, but that would be a lie. I almost lost it yesterday and realized that I only had to get through today and then a nice vacation and then they would be back to school. Then we can get back on schedule and my life will still be crazy but a more controlled, metered out crazy.
It's been a fantastic summer, but why ruin a good thing?
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Half Way There
This summer is flying by. In fact, the title of this post isn't even correct. We are past the half way mark and only have 4 weeks left of summer. Best of all, I can honestly say that this has been, in the kids words, the best.summer.ever. There has been minimal fighting, not too much of "I'm bored" and lots of quality time with cousins and friends. We had great visits with family in Michigan and Chicago and the kids were crying, even Andy, because they didn't want to leave. Tomorrow the girls and I head to New Jersey to meet up with April and Renee, my two best friends from college, for our annual visit to the shore. They already started without me so I cannot wait to get there. If I ever decided to leave Charlie for two sister wives it would totally be with these two.
After Jersey we have two more weeks at home and then Destin. I can't even begin to tell you how happy this makes me. Then the craziest part of all is two days after we get home, school starts. It's going to be one big happy blur. Even though I haven't written much, I've been thinking about you. Thinking about how sad I'm making my mom when I don't post and every time I talk to her she says "we really love your blog", thinking about how I want to tell you everything that we've been up to and all the crazy and funny things Amanda says but when the day is over and the kids are finally in bed I just don't have the energy to sit down in front of the computer to write. The best time for me to think about writing a post is while I'm driving the kids to one of their activities or camps (I really do my best thinking in the car) but I have no way to write it down and as soon as we get out of the car it magically escapes my brain because all the other tasks take over.
This week has really been at the top of crazy meter. We got home late Saturday and on Monday Andy started an amazing computer camp that had something to do with building Minecraft mods (and as far as Minecraft is concerned that's about all I can tell you) but it was an hour drive each way. Which meant two hours when you drove right back home after dropping him off/picking him up and really meant I was in the car four hours a day in bumper to bumper traffic. By the end of the week I was DONE. On top of that we had to run the girls to therapy and speech and gymnastics plus work in Andy's scout meeting and piano lessons and make up piano lessons and a fun summer school the girls were in this week and having someone come fix the ceiling where they tore up the drywall putting in new lights and getting Andy packed for sleep away camp and the girls and me packed for New Jersey. Thankfully Charlie was in town this week and helped me out immensely but I think he's glad we'll be gone next week so he doesn't have to rearrange his schedule to help out so much. That's why a week at the beach with my girls is exactly what I need to relax and rejuvenate and head into the last three weeks of summer.
I am so thankful we've been able to do what we have done this summer. The kids love it and are really starting to have an appreciation for it as well. Although it can be a little stressful at times, I know that we are making memories that will last a lifetime and for that, to quote the little green guys from Toy Store, I am eternally grateful.
After Jersey we have two more weeks at home and then Destin. I can't even begin to tell you how happy this makes me. Then the craziest part of all is two days after we get home, school starts. It's going to be one big happy blur. Even though I haven't written much, I've been thinking about you. Thinking about how sad I'm making my mom when I don't post and every time I talk to her she says "we really love your blog", thinking about how I want to tell you everything that we've been up to and all the crazy and funny things Amanda says but when the day is over and the kids are finally in bed I just don't have the energy to sit down in front of the computer to write. The best time for me to think about writing a post is while I'm driving the kids to one of their activities or camps (I really do my best thinking in the car) but I have no way to write it down and as soon as we get out of the car it magically escapes my brain because all the other tasks take over.
This week has really been at the top of crazy meter. We got home late Saturday and on Monday Andy started an amazing computer camp that had something to do with building Minecraft mods (and as far as Minecraft is concerned that's about all I can tell you) but it was an hour drive each way. Which meant two hours when you drove right back home after dropping him off/picking him up and really meant I was in the car four hours a day in bumper to bumper traffic. By the end of the week I was DONE. On top of that we had to run the girls to therapy and speech and gymnastics plus work in Andy's scout meeting and piano lessons and make up piano lessons and a fun summer school the girls were in this week and having someone come fix the ceiling where they tore up the drywall putting in new lights and getting Andy packed for sleep away camp and the girls and me packed for New Jersey. Thankfully Charlie was in town this week and helped me out immensely but I think he's glad we'll be gone next week so he doesn't have to rearrange his schedule to help out so much. That's why a week at the beach with my girls is exactly what I need to relax and rejuvenate and head into the last three weeks of summer.
I am so thankful we've been able to do what we have done this summer. The kids love it and are really starting to have an appreciation for it as well. Although it can be a little stressful at times, I know that we are making memories that will last a lifetime and for that, to quote the little green guys from Toy Store, I am eternally grateful.
Friday, June 20, 2014
They Did What?
During Amanda's last few weeks of school they were doing a unit on animals. They talked about farm animals and jungle animals and pets and whatever else you tell preschoolers about animals. As part of the unit they took the kids to the pet store to look at the animals. It wasn't that big of a deal to go to the pet store, the school is in a strip mall and there is a pet store right there, so they walked to it.
When I went to pick her up, all the kids were sitting with a beta fish in front of them. Hmm, what's this? Yep, they bought each of the kids a fish without telling the parents. Ugh. My brilliant daughter told them that we weren't allowed to have pets and her mommy would not let her take this fish home. She knows the rules even if the teachers don't. The teachers said she could leave hers at school and it could be the class fish. Nice try, but I'm not going to be that mean mom that let's all the other kids take their fish home and tell my 4 yr old that she has to leave hers behind. So, now we own a fish.
But it gets better. The fish needed a bowl, because the one it came with was way too small, and it needed rocks at the bottom and a unicorn statue and a plant and water conditioner and food. $40 later our free fish was equipped to live at our house. But that's not all. When Sarah found out Amanda had a fish she freaked out and needed her own fish. Back to the store for another fish, bowl, treasure chest and plant. The other things they could share.
Of course the girls had to argue about what the names of their fish would be because they were both blue and Sarah wanted to name hers blueberry even though she got it several days after Amanda got hers and Amanda thought blueberry was a fantastic name for her fish. I really hated the whole thing. Finally Amanda grudgingly picked another name that because another name that finally ended up being cupcake. Weird name for a fish, but she's four so I'll give her some slack.
In their defense, the girls are pretty good about feeding the fish everyday because I'm not going to do it and I have never seen two people so in love with fish in my entire life. They know this is the only pet they are ever going to get from us so they are truly enjoying it. Also, I cleaned both of their bowls today and it wasn't a horrible experience so I guess they can stay and I won't accidentally flush them down the toilet.
When I went to pick her up, all the kids were sitting with a beta fish in front of them. Hmm, what's this? Yep, they bought each of the kids a fish without telling the parents. Ugh. My brilliant daughter told them that we weren't allowed to have pets and her mommy would not let her take this fish home. She knows the rules even if the teachers don't. The teachers said she could leave hers at school and it could be the class fish. Nice try, but I'm not going to be that mean mom that let's all the other kids take their fish home and tell my 4 yr old that she has to leave hers behind. So, now we own a fish.
But it gets better. The fish needed a bowl, because the one it came with was way too small, and it needed rocks at the bottom and a unicorn statue and a plant and water conditioner and food. $40 later our free fish was equipped to live at our house. But that's not all. When Sarah found out Amanda had a fish she freaked out and needed her own fish. Back to the store for another fish, bowl, treasure chest and plant. The other things they could share.
Of course the girls had to argue about what the names of their fish would be because they were both blue and Sarah wanted to name hers blueberry even though she got it several days after Amanda got hers and Amanda thought blueberry was a fantastic name for her fish. I really hated the whole thing. Finally Amanda grudgingly picked another name that because another name that finally ended up being cupcake. Weird name for a fish, but she's four so I'll give her some slack.
In their defense, the girls are pretty good about feeding the fish everyday because I'm not going to do it and I have never seen two people so in love with fish in my entire life. They know this is the only pet they are ever going to get from us so they are truly enjoying it. Also, I cleaned both of their bowls today and it wasn't a horrible experience so I guess they can stay and I won't accidentally flush them down the toilet.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Kid Quote of the Day
Andy: That flight is going to Chicago and then back down to Wichita.
Me: Where's Wichita?
Andy: Nebraska.
Me: Kansas.
Andy: Nebraska. Kansas. Same thing. Corn, corn and more corn.
I'm sure the people from Nebraska and Kansas are happy to hear that!
Me: Where's Wichita?
Andy: Nebraska.
Me: Kansas.
Andy: Nebraska. Kansas. Same thing. Corn, corn and more corn.
I'm sure the people from Nebraska and Kansas are happy to hear that!
He's On His Way - Finally!
Today was a totally craptastic day, pretty much from the beginning to the end. To be honest, I did not handle it well. To be even more honest, I have not been handling much very well. We are over booked and over scheduled and I thought I could handle it all and I can't. Charlie's new job is fabulous and he loves it but it is taking a toll on all of us. Compound that with a bunch of crazy, out-of-the-ordinary things happening all at the same time and I am about to lose it. This evening in one of my not so finer moments I told the girls I wanted to run away, in a very loud voice. I wasn't lying, I do want to run away, but that's not something you say to little kids. That's scary to them. I scared my girls.
It all started very early this morning. Today is the day that Andy left for Chicago en route to his trip to Spain with my parents. I booked him two days early in case there were any issues and so he could hang out with his cousins for a couple days without his pesky little sisters around. We got up at 6a so that we could leave at 7a so that he would be on time for his 9a flight. Charlie was also leaving for Chicago today (unfortunately on a different airline) where he was connecting to a flight to London. So I left with Andy and Amanda and Charlie stayed back so he could drop Sarah off a tiny bit early for the car pool ride to Girl Scout Camp.
The plan was to get Andy all checked it, make sure his plane took off okay (that's the rule with Unaccompanied Minors (UM), which he was today) and then drop Amanda off late to her Spanish camp before I went to my final Pilates class for the summer. Except nothing lately goes as planned. We got to the airport and got parked and inside without any issues. Once we got up to the gate we were informed that there was a weather advisory on Andy's flight due to weather in Chicago and he would not be allowed to board. They do not want UMs to board a flight with a weather advisory because it has a higher likelihood of getting cancelled or delayed or rerouted and they don't want to have to look after him in any of those instances. I understand the rule but at that moment was not happy with it. The advisory was on until 2p, so they rebooked him on a 2p flight and we left. We contemplated trying to get him on Charlie's flight but it wasn't going to work and it turns out that Charlie's flight was delayed and he almost didn't get to Chicago in time to make his connecting flight to London so it was better that he didn't have to deal with Andy.
I was so not happy at this point because I had paid to take the toll road to the airport (and home), paid to park and was now going to miss the Pilates class that I had already paid for and Andy was still in my possession. I will not keep a running tally of how much this day cost me because you don't even want to know.
I decided we were going to make the absolute best of the situation so instead of being late for camp Amanda was on time and Andy and I went out for a nice breakfast together and then did some shopping at REI for some camping gear he needs for scout camp in a few weeks.
We were a few minutes late picking up Amanda (which was actually an early pick up but not as early as I had wanted) and then made okay time to the airport but had a small snaffu with parking. There wasn't any. All the lots were full except for one, so I got a ticket and started looking for a space. Except we went up and down the aisles over and over again and couldn't find a spot. At this point we were an hour and a half away from departure time and we still hadn't parked. For some airports that isn't a big deal but for Denver International it is. I detest that airport. It takes forever to do anything there. I started freaking out, may have screamed very loudly a few times to relieve the stress and finally decided we needed to go park in one of the offsite long term parking lots that would get us to the terminal faster than trying to find a spot in that lot.
When I went through the ticket booth I told the guy there weren't any spots and I wasn't paying my ticket and he informed me that I had been in there 12 minutes and owed him $3. Twelve minutes I looked for a parking spot and couldn't find one and they were going to charge me for it. I yelled at him, apologized because I knew it wasn't his fault but I was mad anyway and paid the stupid fare because he wasn't going to let me out of the lot otherwise. I could have mailed in a protest but I needed a receipt and for $3 I didn't want to wait any longer. Thankfully the driver at the offsite lot saw how frazzled I was and took us immediately to the gate and didn't make us drive around that lot forever. I think in the time he got us there we still would have been driving around the first lot.
We found our way inside, got Andy's bag checked and found the shortest security line we could. When we were 10 minutes away from boarding time we started asking people if they would let us go in front of them. Everybody was really cool about it until we ran into someone who was only three minutes away from her boarding time and that kind of put a stop to our line jumping. Luckily, and it's not often that I say luckily about a flight delay, Andy's flight got delayed another hour right after we passed the TSA agent so we could stop rushing. Then we just had to wait.
He finally boarded around 3p and was in the air by 3:15. Only 6 hours after he was initially supposed to leave. I then went to pick up Sarah at her friend's house where she had been since they got home from camp. Within five minutes of Amanda running off to play with Sarah and her friends both girls came back yelling that the other was lying and tattling on each other. I should have just left right then, but told them instead to work it out or we would leave. My wonderful friend, Theresa, invited us to stay for dinner which was awesome because I had nothing planned at all and it was getting late. One of the few positives in the day.
So we stayed to eat and in the meantime my sister called to say she had picked up Andy and he was safe with her. I think he landed about 15 minutes after I got to Theresa's house. Man. After dinner it started to thunder and lightening and it was getting late anyway so the girls and I went home. They were both scared so I told them they could sleep with me tonight until they started fighting again and I just lost it. I cannot tell you how tired I am of them fighting. It used to be rare but now it's all the time and Sarah just gets mean and doesn't know how to be the older, more mature person so it gets nasty.
I'm so done, and I told them so. Some of it they heard, some of it they ignored, some of it will probably scar them for life. Not my finest hour, but I just couldn't handle another thing today and there was no relief in site. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. For now I'm happy to know that Andy is safe and happy and is about to go on the trip of a lifetime.
And the girls are finally asleep.
It all started very early this morning. Today is the day that Andy left for Chicago en route to his trip to Spain with my parents. I booked him two days early in case there were any issues and so he could hang out with his cousins for a couple days without his pesky little sisters around. We got up at 6a so that we could leave at 7a so that he would be on time for his 9a flight. Charlie was also leaving for Chicago today (unfortunately on a different airline) where he was connecting to a flight to London. So I left with Andy and Amanda and Charlie stayed back so he could drop Sarah off a tiny bit early for the car pool ride to Girl Scout Camp.
The plan was to get Andy all checked it, make sure his plane took off okay (that's the rule with Unaccompanied Minors (UM), which he was today) and then drop Amanda off late to her Spanish camp before I went to my final Pilates class for the summer. Except nothing lately goes as planned. We got to the airport and got parked and inside without any issues. Once we got up to the gate we were informed that there was a weather advisory on Andy's flight due to weather in Chicago and he would not be allowed to board. They do not want UMs to board a flight with a weather advisory because it has a higher likelihood of getting cancelled or delayed or rerouted and they don't want to have to look after him in any of those instances. I understand the rule but at that moment was not happy with it. The advisory was on until 2p, so they rebooked him on a 2p flight and we left. We contemplated trying to get him on Charlie's flight but it wasn't going to work and it turns out that Charlie's flight was delayed and he almost didn't get to Chicago in time to make his connecting flight to London so it was better that he didn't have to deal with Andy.
I was so not happy at this point because I had paid to take the toll road to the airport (and home), paid to park and was now going to miss the Pilates class that I had already paid for and Andy was still in my possession. I will not keep a running tally of how much this day cost me because you don't even want to know.
I decided we were going to make the absolute best of the situation so instead of being late for camp Amanda was on time and Andy and I went out for a nice breakfast together and then did some shopping at REI for some camping gear he needs for scout camp in a few weeks.
We were a few minutes late picking up Amanda (which was actually an early pick up but not as early as I had wanted) and then made okay time to the airport but had a small snaffu with parking. There wasn't any. All the lots were full except for one, so I got a ticket and started looking for a space. Except we went up and down the aisles over and over again and couldn't find a spot. At this point we were an hour and a half away from departure time and we still hadn't parked. For some airports that isn't a big deal but for Denver International it is. I detest that airport. It takes forever to do anything there. I started freaking out, may have screamed very loudly a few times to relieve the stress and finally decided we needed to go park in one of the offsite long term parking lots that would get us to the terminal faster than trying to find a spot in that lot.
When I went through the ticket booth I told the guy there weren't any spots and I wasn't paying my ticket and he informed me that I had been in there 12 minutes and owed him $3. Twelve minutes I looked for a parking spot and couldn't find one and they were going to charge me for it. I yelled at him, apologized because I knew it wasn't his fault but I was mad anyway and paid the stupid fare because he wasn't going to let me out of the lot otherwise. I could have mailed in a protest but I needed a receipt and for $3 I didn't want to wait any longer. Thankfully the driver at the offsite lot saw how frazzled I was and took us immediately to the gate and didn't make us drive around that lot forever. I think in the time he got us there we still would have been driving around the first lot.
We found our way inside, got Andy's bag checked and found the shortest security line we could. When we were 10 minutes away from boarding time we started asking people if they would let us go in front of them. Everybody was really cool about it until we ran into someone who was only three minutes away from her boarding time and that kind of put a stop to our line jumping. Luckily, and it's not often that I say luckily about a flight delay, Andy's flight got delayed another hour right after we passed the TSA agent so we could stop rushing. Then we just had to wait.
He finally boarded around 3p and was in the air by 3:15. Only 6 hours after he was initially supposed to leave. I then went to pick up Sarah at her friend's house where she had been since they got home from camp. Within five minutes of Amanda running off to play with Sarah and her friends both girls came back yelling that the other was lying and tattling on each other. I should have just left right then, but told them instead to work it out or we would leave. My wonderful friend, Theresa, invited us to stay for dinner which was awesome because I had nothing planned at all and it was getting late. One of the few positives in the day.
So we stayed to eat and in the meantime my sister called to say she had picked up Andy and he was safe with her. I think he landed about 15 minutes after I got to Theresa's house. Man. After dinner it started to thunder and lightening and it was getting late anyway so the girls and I went home. They were both scared so I told them they could sleep with me tonight until they started fighting again and I just lost it. I cannot tell you how tired I am of them fighting. It used to be rare but now it's all the time and Sarah just gets mean and doesn't know how to be the older, more mature person so it gets nasty.
I'm so done, and I told them so. Some of it they heard, some of it they ignored, some of it will probably scar them for life. Not my finest hour, but I just couldn't handle another thing today and there was no relief in site. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. For now I'm happy to know that Andy is safe and happy and is about to go on the trip of a lifetime.
And the girls are finally asleep.
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