Only for Memories Sake (although I am pretty sure I won't ever forget)

Doug had to be back in Virginia for work and I decided to stay in Oregon after Kelsey's wedding for another week and a half.  I LOVE being home and I don't get back nearly enough as I would like to, so I thought that I would take advantage since I was already going to make the trek there....I might as well make it a good trip!  But this meant that I was going to be flying home to Virginia with the three boys by myself.  I know what most of you are thinking "She is CRAZY!" and I am here to tell you that I am not only CRAZY....but probably have somewhat of an insanity problem as well.:)  Anyways, I was all packed up and ready to go. I made a stop at the dollar store the day before our flight and I had a backpack full of NEW goodies that would excite any 3, 2, and 7 month old!  (Or so I thought) Our flight left at 5:20 AM so we left for the airport at 3:30 in the morning.  My parents are saints....My Dad dropped off my mom and I at the curb and my mom got an escort pass so that she could help me get all the way down to the gate and through security. Everything was running rather smoothly even if it was 4 in the morning.  We said our sad goodbyes(I always hate saying goodbye to my mom) and on the plane we went.  Our flight was booked in two stretches.....PDX to PHX....2 1/2 hours.  Sweet, I thought...the boys will sleep and so will I....and that is exactly what happened. Not the entire flight, but the majority. So I was happy.  Next stretch....not so sweet.  PHX to IAD 4 hours and 45 min.  We made a pit stop in PHX to change diapers, use the potty and stretch our legs a bit before we boarded our next plane.  I intentionally waited to board until almost last so we wouldn't be sitting on the plane any extra minutes....seconds....milliseconds....anything.  We board and get all situated and get out on the runway and this is what I hear over the speaker "Sorry to inform you folks, but all East Coast Bound flights are going to be on hold for about an hour due to weather....we will get you up in the air as soon as possible."  OH CRAP....are you kidding me?  You think that 4 hours and 45 minutes isn't long enough to entertain three exhausted boys?  Great!!  Why not just tack on another hour!  So there we sat...and sat...and sat.  Let me digress for just a second.  Mikey has been an angel baby since he was born.  I have said it multiple times and he still is a really good baby except he is at the age where he only wants to sleep in his bed.  He is not a snuggler....he will not cuddle and just lay on your shoulder....he is a wiggler and just likes to be put in his bed and he will fall asleep on his own.  I don't blame him one bit, but it is making it more difficult to take him places when he is tired because he will not just fall asleep very easy.  He will fight it until the bitter end...until he can't fight it anymore.  And he has a MAN cry!  A very deep "I want steak!" kinda cry.  It is loud!  So anyways he had slept about 40 minutes of that first flight and I was thinking, "this will be perfect, we will board this plane and he will sleep!"  Boy was I wrong!  He slept maybe 2 more 30 minute stretches of that now 6 hour flight!  And what did he do the rest of the time....MAN CRIED!  On top of that....Tanner peed his pants, Jake spilled his whole cup of juice all over him(by the way...what airline doesn't have lids for drinks that they give to the kids???....you want me to pay 6 bucks now for snack box and you can't even provide me with a lid?), a glow stick exploded on everyone, and the old man across from me was huffing and puffing about how loud Mikey was being.  He had his earplugs in and was folding his ears over and bending in between his legs like he was going to die.  I wanted to punch him in the face.  I almost sat Mikey on his lap.  The never ending flight finally came to an end when we landed in IAD and sat on the runway for another half hour before we could get off the plane.  LOVELY!  I have flown a MILLION flights with my boys and they are usually great but I always have a nightmare problem with the getting to my destination.  This time was the icing on the cake.  Let's just say I was soooooo happy to see this face when I walked off that plane(of course we were the last ones off).

  I am pretty sure he was thrilled to see us too....just probably not in the state we were in.:)  We pretty much looked like white trash walking to baggage.....Picture this......Tanners sweats almost falling off because they are soaked....Me nasty and greasy with no make-up and no shower and smeared graham cracker and glow stick allllll over me, plus my hair all mangled because all three of the boys are obssessed with it.....Jake with OJ all down the front of his shirt....and Mikey with graham crackers just encrusted all over.  I am sure it was the prettiest sight Doug has ever seen!  It was priceless!  I was beat!! Let's just say I am probably not going to attempt to tackle that one again anytime soon.