Wow! What an incredible trip to the Big Apple! It was a whirlwind week, but we all survived and we had a great time. So much happened in such a short amount of time, that I am going to break it up into a 3 part series for you. I want you to be able to soak in every bit of the madness.
We left town last Monday night. I think I have already mentioned that Bowser got it in his head the the red-eye flight would be a good idea. Let's just say we won't be doing that again. In all honesty, the Goombas were great. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I made them fear for their lives at the first sign of misbehavior. Our flight left at 1 a.m. So, we kept the regular schedule the day before and just put the Goombas to bed a little early, thinking they would at least get 4-5 hours of sleep before we left for the airport. Sometimes I amaze myself with my wrongness.
The Goombas did not fall asleep til after 8 p.m. We had to wake them up to leave for the airport at 10 p.m. Of course, they were all very excited, so they jumped out of their beds ready to go. We got to the airport and somehow managed to drag in our 4 suitcases, 5 backpacks, 1 double stroller, 2 purses (one for me, one for Peach, of course), and 2 carseats. I can only imagine what the other travelers were thinking. I'm sure it was something along the lines of, "Please, God, do not let this family be on MY flight!"
We checked in, took the train to the terminal and prepared to wait. Thankfully, the flight was on time, so we weren't sitting around for too long. Also thankfully, the moving walkways were on. I'll give you one guess as to what the Goombas entertained themselves with for the hour we were waiting. Let's just say that if Bowser ever sees another moving walkway, he will probably run for the hills screaming in terror.
As we boarded the plane, we started getting "the Look." You could practically hear people rolling their eyes when they saw the kids trotting down the aisle to find our row. Luigi watched in awe as our flight attendant went through the safety procedures. When it was time to take off, Peach giggled and clapped, and oohed and aahed as she looked out the window.
One of the nice things about Jet Blue airlines is that they have tv's in the back of each seat. So, we set the Goombas up with headphones and a movie. I settled back into my seat and prepared for everyone to doze off. Again with my wrongness. Within 30 seconds Luigi wanted candy. Peach wanted her headphones off. Then on. Then off and on again. Mario sat quietly next to Bowser and played his DS.
The movie was over in about 90 minutes, so I turned the tv's off and made it dark. Now they will fall asleep and we will all get some rest. Nope! Luigi had to go to the bathroom. Not wanting to be left out, Peach decided she needed a diaper change. Mario got thirsty and had a brief argument with Bowser over the fact that we wouldn't let him have a Dr. Pepper at 3 in the morning.
Once everyone settled back in, I knew for sure this time that everyone would fall asleep. Just as I closed my eyes, Peach threw down her pacifier. (Sidenote: Yes, I realize she is too old for a paci, but I didn't think getting rid of it right before a 5 hour plane ride would be a good idea.) Then Luigi threw down Puppy. Then they made it a game and started throwing things at each other. Poor Mario was trying to rest, but the nasty lady next to him kept making snide comments and pushing him out of the way. Then they all wanted to switch seats. So, Bowser and I switched places and he got Peach out of her carseat to give her a break. Which of course, meant that she was supposed to go running like a wild banshee up and down the aisle, right?
Before long, I looked out the window and realized I was watching the sun rise. Oh dear Lord. It was a beautiful sunrise, but I knew that meant sleep was not going to happen AT ALL. Until, that is, the pilot announced that we were preparing to land, which prompted Luigi and peach to pass out cold in their seats.
We landed, trudged our tired bodies through the airport and found our way to baggage claim. Once again, we loaded up all of our belongings. Thank goodness for those handy smart carts! We got the kids each a donut to keep them happy, and we trekked what seemed like 10 miles through the airport to get to the train that would take us to the car rental place.
I have to say, at this point, we were all holding up pretty well. We managed to go with the flow. Even the Goombas mustered up a bit of patience and were well-behaved through the airport. When we got to the rental car place, however, things began to unravel quickly.
The Goombas started running in circles shrieking at each other. I realize that they were only doing this because if they paused even for a moment, they would have passed out on the floor. I tried to keep them entertained while Bowser waited in line while the cashier helped a nice man that had flown in from Japan. It only took him about 30 minutes to get his car. Aaak! Just when Bowser finally got to the front of the line and relief was in sight, Mr. Japan came back in and interrupted. "My lucky color is red," he said. "I do not want a blue car. I want a red car!" SERIOUSLY?????? At that point I was about to head into nervous breakdown stage. I just shook my head and laughed to stop myself from jumping up and wringing his neck!
After a few more minutes, we were finally loading up into our rental van. Once the Goombas were seat-belted in, they all crashed hard. Luigi was snoring before we even pulled out of the parking space. Bowser and I just looked at each other. "Well," I said, "welcome to New York!" Then I promptly joined the children in dreamland while poor Bowser was left to navigate the Long Island Expressway on his own...
To be continued....
Cheers!
~Daisy
No comments:
Post a Comment