The Downside of Traveling for Free
Earlier this week, our family flew to Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii for my uncle’s funeral service. We were only going for the day but since we were traveling stand-by, we had to make sure we brought along a few essentials just in case we couldn’t make it back home.
You would think it’d be a piece of cake considering that I travel for a living. However, I just couldn’t get my act together. How in the world can you put all your 3 oz liquids into one quart-sized bag? And what do you mean I can’t pack those bottles of Vitamin Water in my rollerboard? Do you know how expensive it is to buy water in the airport terminal? Oh, and even the baby’s shoes need to come off while going through security? *sigh*
But the worst part was when we were trying to get back home and found out a later flight was canceled. They were moving all confirmed passengers up to earlier flights making it almost impossible for non-revs to get on . . . and we had a party of 6. It wouldn’t have been too bad if it were just us grownups because we’re familiar with the pitfalls of traveling for free, but I had Girlie Girl and Baby Bug with me, too.
To make matters worse, I committed the #1 parental cardinal sin. Yup, this professional traveler and supposedly organized Mommy didn’t pack enough diapers. As I used the very last one, I prayed to the Airplane God to PLEASE let us get on the next flight. It must have worked because it was music to my ears when I heard our names called. Unfortunately, they only had 3 seats available and Dad insisted that we take them. This just goes to show that no matter how old your children get, you’ll always sacrifice for them. Thanks Dad & Mom!
Now I’m sitting on the plane and congratulating myself for making it this far without too much incident. Girlie Girl had to sit by herself but had fallen asleep right after take-off. Baby Bug played with my iPod for most of the flight and didn’t even kick the seat in front of her. She did spill juice all over her dress but I was able to change her clothes. Things were looking good.
When I saw the lights of the Honolulu International Airport, I breathed a sigh of relief. We made it! And as the tires touched down onto the runway and I watched Baby Bug happily licking her lollipop (don’t judge me) it happened. I felt a warm liquid spreading in my lap and down the side of my legs. I sat their in disbelief. Baby Bug just peed all over me.
My mind started racing. I could use the burp cloths in my diaper bag to construct a diaper but realized that I didn’t even know how. Sad, huh? Maybe I could find some duct tape in the galley and just tape the whole thing together? And what about me? Would it be too obvious if I walked off the plane with a blanket tied around my waist?
I made a decision. As soon as the plane parked and the seat belt sign went off, I made a mad dash to the lavatory. Luckily, a really good friend (and fellow Mommy) was working the flight. I asked her to leave Baby Bug’s diaper on but change her back into her juice soaked dress (juice is better than pee, right?). I woke up Girlie Girl and told her to stay in her seat until I came to get her. Then I went into the lavatory to clean myself up as much as possible. Luckily, I was wearing black slacks so the wet stain wasn’t too noticeable. I just hoped I didn’t reek of pee! I ripped off the wet seat cushion and replaced it with the extra one we always carry on-board, apologized profusely to my friend, and made a hasty exit with my pants stuck to my butt.
I think it will be a while before I travel with the kids again.
Anything like this ever happened to you? It would be nice to know that I’m not the only one.
WW: Punchbowl Cemetery
May 27, 2008 by Kailani
Filed under hawaii, wordless wednesday
For more WW participants, visit the official WW Hub or 5 Minutes for Mom.
Giveaway: Warm Biscuit Bedding Company
This giveaway is now closed. Thank you for your participation.
The winner is lace of Keeping My Fingers Crossed!
Congratulations!
With Summer just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start thinking about ways to entertain the kids while they’re out from school. Check out Warm Biscuit Bedding Company for some pretty cool solutions!
How about this adorable tree swing? This wooden swing which looks like a leaf will most definitely occupy the kids as they play outdoors this Summer. It can hold up to 150 lbs. and measures 15.5″ x 9.5″. Just make sure that you secure it to very strong tree branch!
Or how about this Kids Fishing Set? Your young ones can now have their very own fishing pole just like the grown-ups! This set includes a telescoping fishing rod and landing net, 25 hooks, 2 floats and spilt shot weights tin all neatly tucked into an easy to carry, zippered carry-all.
Even babies can enjoy Summer with this mobile as Butterflies dance around in a beautiful array of pastel colors. Place mobile over crib for endless wonderment or by an open window and see them really fly around! There are even two tiny bells attached that add a mystical element.
The generous people of Warm Biscuit Bedding Company has generously donated a $50 gift certificate to one lucky winner. To enter, just stop by their site before June 3rd and take a look around. Then come back and mention what your favorite item is (excluding those already mentioned above). That’s it! A random winner will be selected and notified on June 4th. The winner will then have 3 days to claim their prize.
To earn extra entries, just subscribe to my feed and/or mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here and to Warm Biscuit Bedding Company. Please let me know if you’re doing/did the extra credit so I can make sure you’re entered properly.
This giveaway is open to US addresses only. Good luck!
Create a Buzz at cre8Buzz
I recently came across another social networking site called cre8Buzz. Now, I know you’re probably thinking, “Oh no, not another one.” and I wouldn’t blame you. However, I decided that it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try and really didn’t expect too much from it.
Guess what? So far, I’m really impressed.
cre8Buzz believes in promoting the little guy (blogs) because they feel that everyone deserves a chance to be seen, heard, and found . They’ve also come up with a cool concept called “The Anthill” which I have yet to explore. However, it seems kind of like a community blog that allows you to publish your best work.
What has really impressed me is the interaction among members. With 24 hours of signing-up, I actually received about 20 messages from people welcoming me and some of them actually made stops at my blogs. Since then, I’ve responded to most of them and have actually made a few new blogging friends. That’s always a great thing!
To me, cre8Buzz seems to be a cross between facebook and kirtsy where you can get can buzzranked on absolutely everything you post – stories, photos, videos, profiles, audio files, etc. The more positive feedback you receive, the higher your rank, and the more your site is displayed. There’s even a widget that allows you to show-off your rank on your personal blog’s sidebar.
I’m still in the exploring stage but so far so good. So if you decide to sign-up, let me know and we can be friends! My user name is Kailani and you can find my profile here. Hope to see you there!
