A mother's nightmare.
Okay, not
really a nightmare, but a really, crappy dream.
I can't even begin to count how many times I have flown with Hazel, in less than two years, she has been on s.e.v.e.r.a.l flights, we've easily gone through security at least 15 - 20 different times
(oh, how I wish I was exaggerating). The majority of those trips it's just been the two of us. We sail through, no slowing us down, the only hold up we've ever had was when a sweet TSA agent was determined to fit Bob through the x-ray machine, even though I told him several times Bob's big hips
(or wheels) only fit through the big machines
(which he didn't have).
Do you get the picture that we are not crappy fliers? We are not the family you curse when you're stuck behind us in the security line.
(Save your cursing of us for the flight.)Why would I be remotely worried about our little, itty, bitty flight from LAX to SLC? Let's add that I had my brother, his wifey and my mom all there to help. Annnnd, Seth was driving back with my dad, so they had all of our big luggage.
We had to drop off our rental car, ride the shuttle and be to the airport all by 6 or so in the morning. We arrive at the airport in "plenty of time" to discover that the lines are
horrendous. Oh, what? We checked in yesterday? Why, yes, we did. However, when traveling with a "babe in arms" you have to pick up their boarding pass at. the. counter. Not to mention I was lugging around a 50 pound carseat, that I really wanted to check.
(Why isn't baby brother carrying the carseat like a gentleman? Oh, because he injured his back - funny story, really).
The lines were so crappy they actually had lines to get
in other lines. A.W.E.S.O.M.E. And don't even get me started on the length of lines at the curb. Bleh.
I think I would have been less stressed if it had just been Hazel and me. But, we now had an audience. I assured my family they could go on to security and we'd catch up after we got checked in.
Just as I was envisioning my family flying off into the um, sunrise a kind Southwest worker appeared before me. I explained to him that a.l.l. I needed was my kids boarding pass. He then whispered sweet nothings
(or helpful directions) in my ear and I zipped out to the curb where there was an unknown help desk and only me in line!
The only problem with checking in said "babe in arms" at the help desk...I couldn't check the stupid carseat. Dude. Lame. That's okay, I know how to check at the gate.
To security we go! Thank you, THANK you,
THANK YOU to whoever invented the special "family lines" at the airport. I will steal children when mine are too old to get that special privilege of cutting off all those people in line.
I wasn't even worried about security.
Ha. Ha. Ha.
The items to be "securitied": carseat, backpack, laptop/laptop bag.
I whip out Hazel's meds,
(in their designated ziploc baggies), I pull her milk out, I pull out the laptop and send it all on it's way.
Hazel and I walk through the metal detector and are relieved at the lack of a beep. I patiently stand on the other side of the x-ray machine.
First to go through: backpack, meds and milk.
(Have you ever seen the x-ray of a Bitty Baby - yes it was still strapped to the back of my backpack - ...HILARIOUS.) As usual they pull the milk out to do its test. I, of course, am supposed to supervise this...so Hazel and I walk over to the milk testing counter. Before TSA man can test, I hear my name...Mollie is asking if the car seat breaks down to anything smaller. Um...I'm sure it does, but that's a task left to Seth. So I just give the TSA man a shrug and say sorry. Back to the milk. It passes. I start to walk back to the x-ray machine and the carseat TSA man is holding up the bin with my laptop and case, yes...it's mine. Apparently it was shady
(you know those Mac-users)...so off through the x-ray it goes again.
Dude. Finally I, and all my junk, are cleared through security. Praise be.
I felt like thanking and congratulating my little audience on witnessing the slowest check-in/security check we have ever had.
Barf.
(Oh, I saved the barfing for the ride home from the airport.)
A mother's nightmare.
Hazel and Seth were good sports, but eventually Hazel was done and searching for something more exciting.
We also know that we'll be out of town more in the next month and a half than we'll be in town.
Hazel was a lot of help at un-decorating the tree. She was taking the ornaments off faster than we were putting them on. As a result, there are no ornaments on the bottom 2 feet of the tree. Oh well! We're all about compromise!
with this wild family...
didn't mean we'd sit home and be lame!
After feasting we, lowly worker bee parents, gathered up our Queen Bee and visited a few neighbors. Hazel was loving the attention. Seth and I were ready to pass out on the couch, and that was only after visiting three houses!
she is pulling Seth along, so funny.
Thank you, big sister, for the pics of the fam!
She also learned that sticking out your tongue makes the job a tad bit easier.
We enjoyed the hayride, it's been almost three years on the East coast and I'm still in awe of the farms and the rolling hills. So awesome.
I really wish I could make time s.l.o.w down. It's not that I don't want our little Peach Pit to grow up, I just want her to take her sweet time. Because when she white-knuckle grips my hand, I want that moment to last forever. 
