What I'll Do To Get Some Sun....

Alex, Hayden and I leave for Florida in less than two weeks and I. Am. Terrified. Seriously...ok, maybe terrified is an over-exaggeration, but I'm more than a bit worried. Worried about the flights only. I can handle Florida!

Ok, in reality, I'm probably resigned to the drama that this trip could turn into. I know I'm going to be stressed, I know that getting down there will probably suck the life right out of me and age me 15 years. But at least I know that, right? At least I expect it and am already anticipating it, right?

I should be old hat at all of this by now. Alex has traveled to Australia four times now, and Hayden one time. Alex has flown to Florida two times as well. But-I had back-up. I had my husband. Two people, four arms! Four eyes, twenty fingers. And no matter that the trip to Australia is a gazillion times longer than the trip to Florida-having that extra person makes things easier! I would totally be less stressed about going to Australia with two adults and two kids, than I am about going to Florida with one adult and two kids!

Alex is great...Alex knows the drill and listens reasonably well most times. Hayden. Oh Hayden. She is a different case altogether. She's mobile now. She wants to crawl and pull up and get into anything and everything she sees. She DOES NOT want to be still and sitting primly on my lap. And when Hayden starts getting mischievous-that's always when Alex wants or *needs* something. And home girl is like a broken record: "Mommy, can I get some juice...Mommy, can I get some juice...Mommy, I want juice...Mommy, I neeeeeeeed some juice-y PUHLEASE". So yeah...that happens in the middle of Hayden wailing about the injustice of not being able to eat the side of the coffee table, etc.

So I'm anticipating stress. I'm anticipating chaos. I'm anticipating that there WILL be meltdowns-especially as pay-back for our virtually melt-down free trip to Oz. I've emotionally resigned myself to this. There will be no sneaking in quick chapters of my book. There will be no five minute cat nap. There will just be preemptive planning to counter emotional outbursts BEFORE they begin!

Wish me luck, folks. This is new territory for me, having never flown with kids without the hubs. This indicates how desperate I am to get out of the snow and cold for a week! I'll deal with the flights...I'll deal with dirty looks...just let me see the sun for seven days straight!

On the upside...Dan is flying down later in the week so I don't need to do the flight back alone!

*sigh* I wish where we lived offered direct flights to Fort Myers...that would take away a big part of the worry...making the connecting flight...scurrying children through airports...oy.