Aaaaairrplane!!!

Hello, Florida! We've navigated the various torments that were laid out for us today, and we can now bask in the glow of Fort Myers's awesome moonlight. It'll be much more worth it tomorrow when the sun is out.

All in all, the day went fairly well. Let's just pick up right about where we were showing up at the airport....

Sun Country does offer curbside check-in, and we decided this was a service we wanted to pounce on. After trying to pull to the curb (a lovely woman decided not to pull up and allow me access, despite having plenty of room), we got all the bags out, all the kids out, all the everything out, and I left Jen in line to cast our lot with those mysterious skycap folk to go park the car. By the time I made it back, Jen had checked in (she's speedy), but they couldn't get us three seats together...two were together, and the other one was across the aisle. I was pretty livid, since they don't let you check in online when you have kids. So, for those of us (parents) that desperately need (nay, REQUIRE) our seats to be together, we're the ones that can't take advantage of the online check in and seat selection. Bravo, airlines.

The security line was brutal, especially by Humphrey standards. Almost 45 minutes to navigate the snakey line of people, who seemed to be largely cheerful and in the proper holiday spirit. Comments were exchanged...people told us the girls were cute (and they were, sitting placidly in their stroller, content to only view the spectacle of air travel). Even the two people who tried to cut in front of us were rather happy, if not uber-ditzy. I've passed much worse lengths of time.

When the moment was upon us and it was our turn to pass through the steely jaws of homeland security, the girls remained in good spirit, but it is anarchy with all that stuff and the kids. Anarchy, I say and repeat for effect. We had a total of 4 bags, 2 kids, and a stroller, plus the ubiquitous bin of shoes and wallets and assorted castaway items not befitting a proper tour through the metal detector. It's a whirlwind, getting the kids out, taking their shoes off (oh yes, for those non-parental types and those not in the know, 22 month olds must have their shoes removed). This proved to be a near disaster, because Lily, freshly arrived in a phase where she likes to be in charge of her own destiny (it's called free will, I believe), does not like anyone removing and/or adding footwear without her consent. She almost lost it there, but didn't. In the end, the whole transit was relatively minor and easy. The girls suffered it well.

Inside the secure area, we headed for the playground right across from our gate. Yay, Humphrey has playgrounds! Hooray! It's a beautiful thing! Except when your flight is leaving and you have to tear one of your kids away from it! Boo for playgrounds! It was Lily, and she freaking LOST IT. She was in an outright panic, and so the trip onto the jetway, down the jetway, onto the airplane, and into the carry on baggage space under the seat in front of me where she eventually collapsed, it was all a nightmare. She was thrashing and biting and hitting and fighting me every single second, and with every part of her being. I think I had an out of body experience at some point during it all.

I left her on the floor of the aircraft, where doubtless numbers of passengers have vomited in flights past, and she thrashed about in abject anger. After about 10 minutes, while those passengers walking aftward eyed us with suspicion and relief that they were seated away from us, she began to only cry normally. Then barely at all. Then she recognized that her shoe was off. I asked her if she wanted a lollipop and for me to put her shoe back on. She happily replied in the affirmative, and she was totally fine for the rest of the flight.

I had Lily on my lap by the window when we got deiced. That was fun. She was a little scared because the truck was right next to our window, and it's a little scary, but when they started shooting out the Type 1, she thought it was all a hoot.

Abby was mostly good as well, the coy little monkey. Her biggest flaw was a constant fidgetiness that could not be assuaged at times. She would usually be okay, or we could entertain her for the most part, but a couple times she just really would not be happy. Also, she does not like turbulence, and is not a fan of anything abrupt or noisy. When they threw the first notch of flaps in during the arrival, she just about pooped her pants. Actually, she might have, since I smelled something terrible not long after that. She cried, and everything after that kinda freaked her out a bit. They used the speedbrakes once, and that makes the plane kinda drop a bit - especially if you throw them all in quickly - and I think she thought that was the end. Poor monkey.

Reunited with the Gels side once more, they seem to be quite happy. As are we. It's nice to be here, and we're hoping for a lovely holiday. No more playgrounds.

No pictures today, sorry. I'll be better tomorrow.

Day three hundred and ten.

ps. Lori, you did win, it was Abby's finger in the outlet that I was talking about. Although many other interesting points were raised. While I'd like to award you some credit for that, you've also tried to blackmail me recently with the withholding of treats, which is pretty harsh. That was made public at work, so now I'm getting a lot of pressure from coworkers to continue. Thanks! Now I'm the bad guy!