Tuesday, September 25th
Picture of Elena and her cousin Bella
No stress, no traffic jam, simply on time! I picked up Alexa and Morgan from school and we headed to the airport. I was pretty nervous all day, anxiously waiting our departure to Michigan. Actually, I drove to the airport with a feeling of relief.
Normally, I drive to my destinations. I love the highways. I love the openness of the roads. Playing my music, allowing myself to imagine and dream. So the airport was a “young” feeling. I laughed to myself as I thought; it takes the possibility of cancer for me to be willing to treat myself to the luxurious life, a flight!! Not one, nor two but three plane tickets! A pilot, a flight attendant bringing us drinks and a toilet! Wow!! How exciting!
Well, those thoughts quickly disappeared. I parked in long-term parking and as I stood there, the girls in their double stroller, I stared at my luggage thinking, my SUV gets me to the door with all this! Well, it was just Alexa, Morgan, me and a lot of luggage! I put one car seat across my shoulder (this had a bag), put on my backpack, hooked another car seat to my right arm, allowing my hand to be free to push the stroller and pulled our luggage with my left! I thought, “I’m definitely insane or maybe I am Wonder Woman!” lol! I was crazy bringing two toddlers on this trip, but now I’m insane thinking I could do it without help!
We check in and the ticket agent said my flight was delayed until 7:00 pm. Naturally, I was bummed but I thought, we’ll eat, play and just hang out because we had a two hour layover in Chicago, we had time. So I took my girls to the airport tavern! Yes, their first experience in the tavern at age 2 1/2!! lol! It was the closest place to eat and most importantly, they sold beer! Ahh, the taste of a Corona!
Well, when 7:00 came and went, I began to get nervous. I met some of the nicest people. Particularly, Sandy and Mark. It was not hard meeting people here; we were all stranded together for a long time! At one point, the girls wanted candy and I bought them licorice and all the junk they can eat with their allergies. When we returned to the gate, they let me know licorice was not going to cut it. I mean, they have waited over 4 hours with such patience. I thought “its candy and you seem to be having fun waiting!” Nope, they were ready to break. “I want “sarbus” mommy, no. “sarbus” no licorice!”
Ughh, ohhh! About now, my patience is gone; I’m tired, worried about my connecting flight and stressed as ever! I was just ready to get in my car and drive all 12 hours to Michigan! I would have but I also knew my leg wouldn’t allow me to. The muscle has to flex so much when I push the pedal and it was already in a lot of pain. I had Mike calling all the airlines for a back-up. No luck! But I need to buy those Starbursts!! No breakdowns now, we haven’t even begun our travels. That’s when Sandy over hears me and said she’ll go get them Starbursts! I was so excited, I dug in my purse for money all the time she saying, “Don’t worry about it.” Well, I had to not worry about it, I had no money! lol! I forgot my cash in my hidden stash!! I had two happy girls though; she bought them the BIG bag of Starbursts!!
At last!! We boarded the plane at 9:00 pm. Yet, another hiccup. It was a small jet; it only had two seats on each side of the row. Alexa and Morgan’s last flight was when they were still in my belly; I was 7 months pregnant and stuck on the runway for 2 hours! So here I was, comforting them from across the aisle as best I could. At some point, they fell asleep. Their heads just dangling from their necks, no pillow, no crib but a trooper like their mommy! I watched them sleep. Just smiling, excited to be there for their first airplane ride. I kept having flashbacks of the joy they had in the airport, just running, singing and simply having a ball! I started to think about my next step if we missed our connector. Thinking about my appointment that was at 12:30 the next day in Michigan and I was only heading to Chicago. I thought, if I make that appointment, there was no way for bad news. Not after this trip. But I was still hopeful my connector was in Chicago because all the flights were delayed.
Nope! We landed at 11:00 and it left at 10:30!! Can you believe that? I missed my flight by thirty, yes, 30 minutes! We land. However, I have two beautiful little girls who finally fell asleep and it’s only possible for me to carry one if I am going to keep them asleep. As I thought this, here comes Mark (the guy we met at the airport), all the way to seat 17 to offer help. Meanwhile, his wife, Sandy is getting our stroller! What relief!
We get off the plane and walk to baggage claim. I’m still not sure what I’m going to do. My options are drive 5 hours or get a hotel and wait for an early flight in the morning. Or so I thought! We found out there where no hotels for 30+ miles and no rental cars! Just Alexa, Morgan, a stroller and myself! The whole time, Mark and Sandy still with us while I figured out the next step! This is a couple who has been stranded in the airport since noon!! They still had another hour to drive to their destination! They patiently waited, offering to drive us to Midway Airport or a hotel or wherever we may choose! It was God, sending in the angels! Lord knows, I needed them!
I finally decided to stay at the airport overnight! It was after midnight and I had a 7:30 AM flight. I sat there, watching my girls sleep in their stroller. How life for them can be so tough, yet they adjust without complaining. I missed Elena so much, we hadn’t even been gone a day. How I hope she would understand why we had to go without her. I thought about my appointment, once again thinking, it will be good news. Here I am staying up ALL night at an airport!! There’s no way I’d be put through much more! It was worth the trade because I was here watching my girls sleep. I often reached out, rubbing their tiny hands. Stroking their cheeks. Trying to give them warmth with my t-shirt, wishing I was 28 pounds more, then the shirt may cover both of them. lol! Often repositioning their head to a more comfortable position. I never got sad because I felt good about my upcoming appointment. I mean, what are the odds the Memphis Airport loses communication, the Chicago area has bad weather and you have to stay at the airport ALL night with two children! Again, I’ll take the trade if it means good news at 12:30.
Of course, I found a friend in Texas still up at wee hours and we text messaged each other, sharing some humor at her expense. So, naturally my phone went dead. But not before I sent my sister a text message saying “I’ll take the girls to my appointment because I land at 10:30 and I won’t have time to drop them off.” But I will be at that appointment!
I was determined!
No stress, no traffic jam, simply on time! I picked up Alexa and Morgan from school and we headed to the airport. I was pretty nervous all day, anxiously waiting our departure to Michigan. Actually, I drove to the airport with a feeling of relief.
Normally, I drive to my destinations. I love the highways. I love the openness of the roads. Playing my music, allowing myself to imagine and dream. So the airport was a “young” feeling. I laughed to myself as I thought; it takes the possibility of cancer for me to be willing to treat myself to the luxurious life, a flight!! Not one, nor two but three plane tickets! A pilot, a flight attendant bringing us drinks and a toilet! Wow!! How exciting!
Well, those thoughts quickly disappeared. I parked in long-term parking and as I stood there, the girls in their double stroller, I stared at my luggage thinking, my SUV gets me to the door with all this! Well, it was just Alexa, Morgan, me and a lot of luggage! I put one car seat across my shoulder (this had a bag), put on my backpack, hooked another car seat to my right arm, allowing my hand to be free to push the stroller and pulled our luggage with my left! I thought, “I’m definitely insane or maybe I am Wonder Woman!” lol! I was crazy bringing two toddlers on this trip, but now I’m insane thinking I could do it without help!
We check in and the ticket agent said my flight was delayed until 7:00 pm. Naturally, I was bummed but I thought, we’ll eat, play and just hang out because we had a two hour layover in Chicago, we had time. So I took my girls to the airport tavern! Yes, their first experience in the tavern at age 2 1/2!! lol! It was the closest place to eat and most importantly, they sold beer! Ahh, the taste of a Corona!
Well, when 7:00 came and went, I began to get nervous. I met some of the nicest people. Particularly, Sandy and Mark. It was not hard meeting people here; we were all stranded together for a long time! At one point, the girls wanted candy and I bought them licorice and all the junk they can eat with their allergies. When we returned to the gate, they let me know licorice was not going to cut it. I mean, they have waited over 4 hours with such patience. I thought “its candy and you seem to be having fun waiting!” Nope, they were ready to break. “I want “sarbus” mommy, no. “sarbus” no licorice!”
Ughh, ohhh! About now, my patience is gone; I’m tired, worried about my connecting flight and stressed as ever! I was just ready to get in my car and drive all 12 hours to Michigan! I would have but I also knew my leg wouldn’t allow me to. The muscle has to flex so much when I push the pedal and it was already in a lot of pain. I had Mike calling all the airlines for a back-up. No luck! But I need to buy those Starbursts!! No breakdowns now, we haven’t even begun our travels. That’s when Sandy over hears me and said she’ll go get them Starbursts! I was so excited, I dug in my purse for money all the time she saying, “Don’t worry about it.” Well, I had to not worry about it, I had no money! lol! I forgot my cash in my hidden stash!! I had two happy girls though; she bought them the BIG bag of Starbursts!!
At last!! We boarded the plane at 9:00 pm. Yet, another hiccup. It was a small jet; it only had two seats on each side of the row. Alexa and Morgan’s last flight was when they were still in my belly; I was 7 months pregnant and stuck on the runway for 2 hours! So here I was, comforting them from across the aisle as best I could. At some point, they fell asleep. Their heads just dangling from their necks, no pillow, no crib but a trooper like their mommy! I watched them sleep. Just smiling, excited to be there for their first airplane ride. I kept having flashbacks of the joy they had in the airport, just running, singing and simply having a ball! I started to think about my next step if we missed our connector. Thinking about my appointment that was at 12:30 the next day in Michigan and I was only heading to Chicago. I thought, if I make that appointment, there was no way for bad news. Not after this trip. But I was still hopeful my connector was in Chicago because all the flights were delayed.
Nope! We landed at 11:00 and it left at 10:30!! Can you believe that? I missed my flight by thirty, yes, 30 minutes! We land. However, I have two beautiful little girls who finally fell asleep and it’s only possible for me to carry one if I am going to keep them asleep. As I thought this, here comes Mark (the guy we met at the airport), all the way to seat 17 to offer help. Meanwhile, his wife, Sandy is getting our stroller! What relief!
We get off the plane and walk to baggage claim. I’m still not sure what I’m going to do. My options are drive 5 hours or get a hotel and wait for an early flight in the morning. Or so I thought! We found out there where no hotels for 30+ miles and no rental cars! Just Alexa, Morgan, a stroller and myself! The whole time, Mark and Sandy still with us while I figured out the next step! This is a couple who has been stranded in the airport since noon!! They still had another hour to drive to their destination! They patiently waited, offering to drive us to Midway Airport or a hotel or wherever we may choose! It was God, sending in the angels! Lord knows, I needed them!
I finally decided to stay at the airport overnight! It was after midnight and I had a 7:30 AM flight. I sat there, watching my girls sleep in their stroller. How life for them can be so tough, yet they adjust without complaining. I missed Elena so much, we hadn’t even been gone a day. How I hope she would understand why we had to go without her. I thought about my appointment, once again thinking, it will be good news. Here I am staying up ALL night at an airport!! There’s no way I’d be put through much more! It was worth the trade because I was here watching my girls sleep. I often reached out, rubbing their tiny hands. Stroking their cheeks. Trying to give them warmth with my t-shirt, wishing I was 28 pounds more, then the shirt may cover both of them. lol! Often repositioning their head to a more comfortable position. I never got sad because I felt good about my upcoming appointment. I mean, what are the odds the Memphis Airport loses communication, the Chicago area has bad weather and you have to stay at the airport ALL night with two children! Again, I’ll take the trade if it means good news at 12:30.
Of course, I found a friend in Texas still up at wee hours and we text messaged each other, sharing some humor at her expense. So, naturally my phone went dead. But not before I sent my sister a text message saying “I’ll take the girls to my appointment because I land at 10:30 and I won’t have time to drop them off.” But I will be at that appointment!
I was determined!
