Somehow we were able to make our hit time of 9am to leave for the airport. My mom picked us up, we shoved the luggage in the car and we were off! Got to the airport, checked bags, did a little shopping for last-minute items, got some euros and said our goodbyes. Amazingly, we got through it shedding only a few tears! Note: this post has few photos. Sorry in advance. Future entries will have the proper visual aids, I just couldn't juggle the camera and everything else!
TAMPA to MINNEAPOLIS
Gather three backpacks, two kids and one suitcase and we are off to the shuttle....except that I can't find the NINE (yes, nine!) tickets that we received at check-in. Holy *#@%!!! We head back down to the Delta counter and new tickets are printed. Ok, now we are off! Flight delayed by one hour, so we get a light lunch and eat until it is time to board. Kids are doing well and are excited. Flight attendant thinks they are cute, which is always helpful. I notice there is a GIANT man across the isle from us. So large that his body consumes the armrest when he sits down. Ironically, he is behind one of the few people that decides to recline. Space is so tight for him that he has to eat his parfait in the rear of the cabin. Behind us is a man who has mistaken the plane cabin for Miami beach. Straw hat, gold chain, leathery skin, and a loud floral print shirt that he has opted to leave unbuttoned, except for the single closure below his round belly. The only thing missing is his metal detector! These two people alone would have kept me entertained. But about 15min into the flight, my nose is confronted with the smell of, well, a fart. As I'm contemplating what kind of person does this in a confined area, my sweet Jones leans over and whispers "Mom, I just went gassy!" Well, on the up side, at least I'm not AS grossed out as I would have been if it belonged to someone else. So I lean over and whisper "Ok, well do it quietly and then pretend it wasn't you." It's the best I could do. So he whispers back "but it IS me." This exchange goes on for about 10min before we finally come to an understanding.
Next, I pull out the insulated mini thermos bottles I got for the kids, special for this trip. With a built-in straw and top, for no spills and no germs. Kinley's is a pink princess one and Jones has Spiderman. The flight attendant stops by, the kids pick out soda, she fills the thermos bottles, I put the tops on and everything seems fine. Until Kinley decides she is thirsty. One push of the button opens the top to reveal the straw. The carbonation from the soda has created a liquid rocket which shoots past Kinley (thank goodness) but hits the woman directly behind square in the forehead. I can only apologize profusely and try not to laugh. Lesson learned - no soda in the thermos.
MINNEAPOLIS to AMSTERDAMWe make this connection easily. I'm feeling confident. The kids were so good on the last flight that I had two couples tell me how well-behaved my children are. Well, of course that jinxed me. As soon as we board and find our row, all hell breaks loose. Kinley starts to FREAK out. I mean total breakdown. There is a very sweet twenty-something next to her. For some reason, Kinley is acting like this girl has devil eyes. She is screaming at the top of her lungs, and arching her back so I can't get her in the seat. I try distracting her with the tv's on the back of every seat - she can watch a special movie! - she doesn't care. I try threatening her with no movie - she doesn't care. I try ignoring her - doesn't work. This little girl is so upset I am barely strong enough to force her into the seat and secure her with the seat belt. She finally calmed down. We got settled, put movies on and waited for dinner. I was thrilled when they announced beer and wine were free on the flight. Cheap wine never tasted so good! The kids ended up getting about 4hrs of sleep, and I got about 2hrs. As we were preparing to land it dawned on me that if we land at 9:15am, we probably won't be able to make our connection flight which was scheduled to leave at 10am. I was right...
All goes well on the last flight in to Nuremberg. We get off the plane and have to go through security = being sniffed out by a drug dog. No worries for us and the kids thought it was pretty cool that the dog could pick out a bad guy! All of our luggage was there, except the booster bottom to Kinley's car seat. I had feared this might happen and explained this to the Delta employee in Tampa. He assured me he would take care of it. I'm sure something life-threatening distracted him from this task. Oh, well. So many other things could have gone wrong. David arrived right as we entered the main building from baggage. Perfect timing! As soon as we got home, the kids took their tortoises outside to explore. They named them Rex and Tinkerbell. Here they are, looking a little rumpled from the trip but excited to finally be HOME!
Will post again soon. I think the first entry (hopefully) is the most difficult. Miss everyone so much!!!
TAMPA to MINNEAPOLIS
Gather three backpacks, two kids and one suitcase and we are off to the shuttle....except that I can't find the NINE (yes, nine!) tickets that we received at check-in. Holy *#@%!!! We head back down to the Delta counter and new tickets are printed. Ok, now we are off! Flight delayed by one hour, so we get a light lunch and eat until it is time to board. Kids are doing well and are excited. Flight attendant thinks they are cute, which is always helpful. I notice there is a GIANT man across the isle from us. So large that his body consumes the armrest when he sits down. Ironically, he is behind one of the few people that decides to recline. Space is so tight for him that he has to eat his parfait in the rear of the cabin. Behind us is a man who has mistaken the plane cabin for Miami beach. Straw hat, gold chain, leathery skin, and a loud floral print shirt that he has opted to leave unbuttoned, except for the single closure below his round belly. The only thing missing is his metal detector! These two people alone would have kept me entertained. But about 15min into the flight, my nose is confronted with the smell of, well, a fart. As I'm contemplating what kind of person does this in a confined area, my sweet Jones leans over and whispers "Mom, I just went gassy!" Well, on the up side, at least I'm not AS grossed out as I would have been if it belonged to someone else. So I lean over and whisper "Ok, well do it quietly and then pretend it wasn't you." It's the best I could do. So he whispers back "but it IS me." This exchange goes on for about 10min before we finally come to an understanding.
Next, I pull out the insulated mini thermos bottles I got for the kids, special for this trip. With a built-in straw and top, for no spills and no germs. Kinley's is a pink princess one and Jones has Spiderman. The flight attendant stops by, the kids pick out soda, she fills the thermos bottles, I put the tops on and everything seems fine. Until Kinley decides she is thirsty. One push of the button opens the top to reveal the straw. The carbonation from the soda has created a liquid rocket which shoots past Kinley (thank goodness) but hits the woman directly behind square in the forehead. I can only apologize profusely and try not to laugh. Lesson learned - no soda in the thermos.
MINNEAPOLIS to AMSTERDAM
AMSTERDAM to NUREMBERG
We exit the plane and enter through the gate, and I'm a little panicked. I know we are cutting it super close, and I can't find one of those departure displays anywhere. Jones drops his neck pillow and a nice couple picks it up and calls to us...I ask where to find the departure list. About a 100ft down there is a congregation of people. There it is, listed in order of departure time, I assume, because it's not alphabetical. Takes me several minutes to find our flight and realize that we cannot possibly get from gate G to gate B in 5min. I want to cry. But I don't want to look too pathetic, so I forge ahead, looking for something...anything....anyone that can give me some information. Finally find security/customs and they direct me. Phew! But once through customs (where they think we are from Mexico....maybe the recent sun exposure from the beach?) I am lost again. Find the Information desk, find the KLM customer service area and am delighted to find we are already rescheduled on the 1pm flight. We are given a free phone call, 30euro in food vouchers and 150euro in flight credit. Nice! We have lunch, which YUM!!! Ham and cheese croissants, fresh squeezed juice, fresh salad and espresso. I'm feeling very European already. Having handled the flight change, ordered lunch and paid for it using euros AND vouchers, I'm gaining some confidence. Also optimistic because we are almost there! We have time for a photo next to the frogs...
Will post again soon. I think the first entry (hopefully) is the most difficult. Miss everyone so much!!!
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