Leavin' On A Jet Plane

We got the kids up earlier than the sun this morning to catch an 8AM flight to Washington DC. Eli kept asking, "Why is it still dark outside?" At the last minute (literally, in the park-and-ride lot at the airport), we decided to use the rental car's car seats in DC instead of bringing our own. That certainly helped immediately with the amount of lugging we had to do, and it turned out to be an all-around smart decision. Another bonus in the early morning was getting moved right up to the front of the security line due to our stroller. And then, from the moment we boarded the plane, two or three flight attendants were more than helpful with food, beverage and all-inclusive help offers. That good luck followed us through the flight. Having only taken long flights out west, lasting over five hours each way, this 'short' 90-minute flight went really fast. The kids BOTH watched a DVD for most of the flight, only getting fussy after we landed and had to wait to exit the plane.

That's where the good times ended. We grabbed a rental car and decided to drive through downtown DC before naps. The kids were exhausted though, so many tears and melt-downs later, we arrived at the hotel. Of course, once we got the kids settled in their room, they decided they were past the point of no sleep. They've never slept in the same room before, so this new experience riled them both up. It took close to 45 minutes to get them down. We then loaded up the car to meet some family for dinner. Only the car wouldn't unlock, open it's trunk, or start. Great. And the rental car agency was offering little help. In fact, they suggested that WE pay to have someone come jump start it. A few hours later, the situation was rectified and the kids had a great dinner with their cousin Rachel and her friend, K. In fact, Eli took a real liking to K. He appeared to have a bit of a crush. The evening ended with Maddux falling cheek first into a wooden corner, leaving her face purple right away. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt...