Example #1: My easy life included a week long trip to Colorado over the Presidents' Day weekend. My in-laws live near Beaver Creek, so we got to enjoy the skiing and beautiful mountains. Yay! We didn't get a direct flight to CO, so our trip consisted of four plane rides. 3 out of 4 plane rides E, my wonderful husband mentioned above, put his carry on and all of our jackets in the overhead bins. This was AFTER the flight attendants asked very politely if all passengers would refrain from putting jackets in the overhead compartments until all carry-on luggage was stored. (Yes, airlines are still charging for luggage and people are still refusing to pay causing airplane travel to be a big hassle as everyone is trying to bring on the biggest carry-ons possible. Yuke!) Anyway, the first couple of times I told E that it was rude and he should just put our jackets under the girls' feet (they don't need the leg room!) But he just shrugged and ignored. No one said anything to him and so, I stopped caring too.
The flights coming home were packed and for that reason (I guess) the airlines had put us in a 3/1 formation instead of our 2/2 seats that we had going up. This meant that one of us had to sit with both kids coming home. I offered to sit with them from CO to TX, but E is no dummy and he took that 1.5 hr flight for himself. The final leg was TX to NJ and the airlines (who think they are doing you a favor) put us in the bulkhead seats. That means NO under-seat storage. So, there I sit with a 6 and a 3 year old on either side of me complaining about this or that. (Just a note, our kids are WONDERFUL travelers but there is something about waiting to take off or land that drives them crazy.) I, of course, have put all of our carry-ons AND our jackets in the overhead bins even though I hate that since 1. I can't hardly reach them and 2. I have nothing to entertain the kids with. I have drinks in each hand, one for each kid, and a guy actually comes through with a HUGE carry-on bag and looks at me (remember I have two kids flanking me unlike everyone else around me) and asks, "Can you please move your jackets?" I wanted to laugh out loud. Instead, I gestured dramatically to the bulkhead and said (most likely with crazy eyes and in a high-pitched voice) that no I would not because I had NO where to to put them. And to top it all off, (and this is where Gina will laugh), I felt GUILTY the whole way home for being rude! So typical.
Example #2: This one is just an example of a typical day. Even though I was looking forward/worried about the kids sleeping in on Monday due to the two hour time change from CO to NJ, they got up at the wonderful time of 6:30AM. That was actually OK since it gave me time to get a shower before school (a luxury in my life!) A decided to wear her pj's all day and since she was just staying home with me, I considered that OK and one less thing I had to do before we left the house at 8. S has been into wearing day clothes to bed (thanks Doenges kids) so I had made her take off her airplane clothes and put on fresh clothes the night before. So, let's recap, up early AND already dressed. I could practically take a LONG shower and still get S to school on time!!! Took my shower. There were no major catastrophes that drove the kids into the bathroom room yelling. So all good, right? No, I jumped out of the shower at 5 till 8 and discover S has helped A change into her Super Girl costume. S has taken off her socks put on flip flops and SKATES. I have wet hair, a dog who is licking my legs, and girls dressed like they are putting on a CIRCUS and FIVE minutes to get out the door! I yell at S to put on socks and shoes. I yell at A to put her pj's back on. A starts to cry. I give in and just put tights on under the costume and let her wear it ALL DAY. While I am trying to get dressed, S brings me the ONE pair of lace-up shoes that she owns and asks me to help her put the on. I said the first thing that came into my head, "Seriously?" She turned around and went to her room to find one of the FOUR pairs of pull-on/velcro shoes that she owns. We got to school on-time, of course, and I...(come on Gina, you know the answer) felt guilty for being so snippish with S. A however had a great day as Super Girl!
Thank goodness I have an easy life. Otherwise, I might go insane!!
