Home Again Home Again.

We made it home yesterday, after fourteen hours of traveling. The kids did marvelous - I was the biggest mess of the bunch. I just get so frustrated and touched out and I just want five minutes to myself to go weep or scream. I'd almost rather drive, because at least then the kids are strapped into their seats and they can't touch me, and I can play their music for them, and also, I don't have to worry about the judgement of other travelers when I beg Ellie to stop talking or tell Adam to stop crying.

There were storms in Chicago, so our 10:45 flight got delayed until 12:10. We boarded the plane and were sitting, waiting for the ground ordinance in Chicago to clear. But then it hailed, so they were going to have to inspect all of the planes and no one was allowed in or out. Back to the airport, after an hour just sitting there (thankfully, the plane was full of nice midwestern people who smiled when I let my baby crawl up and down the aisle.) At the airport, I had a calmative and we had lunch, and just sort of wandered around, waiting for the call to go. Our 10:45am flight left at 4:15pm, for a 45 minute flight (but at least the flight attendant gave us free hooch.) Then we sat on the tarmac in Chicago for an hour until they could get us into a gate. In Chicago, we got dinner, and then tried to keep everyone sane (read: me, I'm insane) until the 7:45pm flight out. The kids were really good - we tried to just let them get out all of the possible wiggles, in hopes that they'd sleep on the way home. When I was changing Ellie into her jammies in a bathroom, she told me that it was "the best day ever." GLAD YOU THINK SO, YOU LUNATIC. 

The flight home was four hours. Ellie watched Frozen, Adam slept for the first hour and then cried most of the rest of the flight. He had about an hour of cuteness, and then he was just so whipped. I was standing up and rocking him and bouncing him and shushing him and being mean and frustrated with him... and then he finally fell asleep during the final 20 minutes. KILL ME. Ellie of course, did not sleep at all, and passed out in the car on the way home, to be dumped directly into her bed.

As much as yesterday turned me into a crabby, melodramatic bitch who whined about never traveling again, I am so glad we were able to be home this weekend. Seeing Ellie eating her breakfast and chatting with Grandma Rosie, or putting on a show with Hailee. Adam getting walked around by his uncle David and uncle Bennett and playing puzzles with Aunt Betty. While we were sharing memories about my grandpa, my kids were making some wonderful memories (sure, they're still really little, but I can do some of the remembering for them.) 

Now it's back to regular life. The cats are home from the vet, looking not too much worse for wear (Thor does sort of look like he'd rather die next time than be boarded.) I managed to get everything unpacked, and am now just sort of mystified as to how an empty house can get so dirty! We got both kids in the shower this morning to wash off the travel funk, and in a few minutes it's off to music class. Adam has been napping most of the morning, and Ellie is on the couch with a pillow and blanket, blearily watching Elmo. Hopefully they'll all take some good snoozers today.