I always have. Jake has been gone a lot and I have never been the sit at home type.
Zoos, play areas, museums, grocery stores, department stores, restaurants, fairs, CHURCH!, etc....
You would think that with all that under my belt I would know my limitations.
But no.
Instead I plow forward.
I had no babysitter last night so I loaded all four girls up and we ALL headed to my high school girls kick off slumber party for our church youth group.
that was ok, not fabulous, but ok (we lasted until about 9:45p and then had complete melt down! it was good until then though)
so I plowed some more.
to the Air Show.
That's right Erika.
You were scared of taking one toddler with two people.....
You were smart.
After driving up to the gate and seeing the hour long line of cars (I'm guessing?) I took an exit to go park in a shuttled area.
Shuttle = School bus and that does not = easier.
I had the four girls, the stroller and the smallest bag I could muster because they said that's all that would be allowed in gate. (Imagine my frustration when I saw that I was the ONLY one who obeyed that rule!)
Sophie poops right as we are getting on the bus.
The HOT, CROWDED, SCHOOL bus that is.
Nora is screaming because the noise of the brakes are scaring her.
It was an adorable scene and we weren't even there yet!?
We arrived, the ride was really fun - Lydia and Samantha are fascinated with school buses so for them it was fun.
It wasn't fun for the people sitting around us - we just smelled.
Exit the bus.
Enter on to a steaming hot slab of concrete with over 100,000 visitors and not many airplanes to get on.
What????
We managed to find a few - with VERY LONG and SCARY staircases
But, again, I plow.
4 little girls in 4 airplanes, 4 miles, 4 corn dogs, $7.50 for three bottles of water that I only wanted to pay $4 for, and 4 friends who we ran into and walked around with.... later.... we just had to go.
But wait?
The exit?
Where???
ALL the way over where???
Are you kidding me???
***crying***
Enter sympathetic dad in uniform who opens up a locked gate for me to push my 150 lbs stroller through and we're off!
Or so we think.
We load into an already FULL school bus - all five of us and our stroller (that the bus driver just held in one hand next to him because there was no where else to put it)
Nora poops this time.
Nice.
Off the bus, no harm done.
Into car.
But, can we back up?
No, because the line for loading the buses ran right behind my car.
I kid you not.
ONLY IN THE MIDWEST would I have to actually ASK people to move.
I don't complain about the mid-west mentality on here very often because I am fully aware that it is not all Midwesterner's but having lived all over the world I feel qualified to say that this place baffles me....Jake and I call it the Twilight Zone and many of my military friends have other not so nice names ;-).
So, after loading my car up with four toddlers a double stroller and all my gear less than 4 feet from this line, a crowded line who had nothing better to do that just stare at me doing all of this - I had to turn around and ask the people to move.
Fabulous.
We are home, over stimulated and feeling really stupid for even trying.
It's nap time and we can't sleep because there's this really cool air show going on....
RIGHT OVER OUR HOUSE.
What was I thinking?
I could have had them see ALL of that in our back yard.
Stupid.
9 comments:
Oh, that was a VERY entertaining story, I loved reading it, feel bad that you actually had to DO it though! You should have called me, I would have plowed with you...ah, on second thought, I wouldn't have, you are way crazier than me!!!!!!!
(j/k). he he!!
Funny story!! I joke that I'm on house arrest, because I'm just not as brave as you. That was quite impressive.
I have to admit you painted a very wonderful vivid picture of your adventure. Sorry we missed it!! Thanks for being crazy it gives us far away folks something to read so we don't feel like we are missing things. I am glad you are all safe and sound, hopefully a little less crazy next time!! Hee heee hee!
You are so brave! We were there, wish I could have helped you out. Kyle mentioned hopping on the bus and I said absolutely not with 3 kids, a car seat, double stroller and all our crap. The line at the gate wasn't bad, but we didn't get there till after 12. Of course we were chosen for a search of our vehical at the gate- they made us unload the kids to let a dog sniff our car. Gavin began to cry after he got to go into the plane and he wasn't able to go flying- it was actually quite funny, he had no clue he wasn't in the air show. My kids refused to go to the bathroom while we were there- over 5 hours, we get to the car and of course they are asking to go while we are stuck in traffic to get out (I actually asked Kyle if Gavin could pee on a tree in the parking lot, he replied with I'd rather him go in his car seat). The kids made it till we got to Capeheart and had to stop at the Mexican resturant and let them go. I couldn't have done it without Kyle and I am like you about getting them out of the house even if I'm alone (what's new). Well, I am glad you survived. Enjoy the air show tomorrow from your house and good luck with naps! (We have had the same problem and I live off of 370) Thanks for sharing!
I did it too, although I went much later in the day, after naps and it was a pain, but just in a different way, I got your email, so I will send an invite, and when you get time (ha ha ya right) you can read our adventure- overall it was great!
Whoa! You are increigirl! My DH and I were vendors at our small town air show. There were only 9000 people. I gasped at many parts of your story, you blow my mind! What also blew my mind, that others may have skimmed over was the $7.50 for water!!! was that each???? I hope not. We sell ours for $2.00 per 500ml (and we're in the great white north). Anyway, I know that wasn't the main point to your story, but I just had to ask.
But at the same time, you have to learn how to do those things, right?! If we don't try those things ("we", being moms who have lots of kids close together) then we don't know what we or our kids are capable...the next adventure might be a surprising success!! Congratulations for the attempt. That's what motherhood is...attempting with failure and attempting with success!!
Hmm, that's all I can say to that!
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