I would have done the same thing!!!!!

I was stuck in that same traffic coming into OBX –bet it was 4th of July weekend, right?! unbelievable!!! if I had had a box of wine after that, I’d had suck it down too!

Although I am now a grandma, I survived raising 3 children. This road trip sounded like one I embarked on. We had recently been transfered to another Province in Canada. Although the city we moved too was nice, within 2 weeks I just HAD to go back home. Thankfully my grandmother called and asked if I was coming for her 75th birthday party, and she’d help pay for gas.

I loaded my three darlings..boy 12, two girls, 7 and 3…into our newly purchased mini van (used) I left at 4:00 am for the 21 hour drive. My plan was to reach Vancouver, spend the night, and finish my trip with a 2 hour ferry ride the next day.

Everything was going along quite well (now remember this was BEFORE the days of DVD players) We played the beetle bug game (counting Volkswagens) we played the “guessing game” one person thinks of something and everyone asks yes or no questions to try and figure out what the object was. Add a couple times where the kids fell asleep, I was thinking this trip is going by almost ‘too’ smoothly.

After 10 hours, we were in the thick of northern BC, and it’s VERY winding roads, mostly single lane with the occasional passing lanes. I had been behind a huge semi-trailer truck sucking fumes for well over an hour, fatigue was setting in, the kids were getting rambunctious… when FINALLY there ahead of me was a PASSING LANE. I floored it (they are short passing lanes) and made it past 4 trucks, and 3 travel trailers… I was ecstatic!! however, the kids in the back seat were now picking their noses and wiping whatever little green gobs they found on each other…it was difficult to reach back and swat at them while trying to keep my eyes on the road… I know this for a fact! We were approaching a small town, and I’d had enough, I pulled over, unbuckled my seat belt, turned around and was about to lose it on my snot covered darlings, when there was a knock on my window…I turned to see a Police Officer.. I quickly looked out the back thru the dust caked window and could see the red and blues flashing..

My first thought was, great, I’m already peeved as I watch those trucks and trailers and RV go flying by me. I can’t give my kids the beating I thought they so deserved, I was cranky, had to pee in the worst way, tired and NOW I have a traffic cop motioning for me to roll down my window…I’m thinking.. did he stop me because he saw me turing around to wail on my kids???

Nope, just a simple speeding ticket, apparently the speed zone drops from 90Km to 50Km just after the lane ends (must have missed that sign as I flew past the last semi!)

He was kind enough not to give me a ticket, even though I had a BC driver’s license and Saskatchewan vehicle registration… perhaps it had something to do with the fact that when he asked for an explanation, I merely told him that my husband had been transferred to the Police training Depot, as a self defense instructor, he gave me a kind smile, and told me he did not want to be one to upset my husband!

Back on the road again… cruising up the Coquihalla Hwy I heard a slight “PING” sound.. and lost ALL power to the mini van. 2 hours later a tow truck pulls up behind us.. I have a total of $125.00 in my pocket, and he has to tow me into a one horse town. $75.00 gone, and I still have to find us a hotel.

I’m sure the look on my face alerted the hotel clerk that I was near my ropes end.. he let me have the room for $25.00, I bought snacks at the gas station, put the kids to bed…and called the front desk to ask where the nearest place was to find some wine…. well of course everything is closed at that hour…a few moments later, as I was about to go drown myself in the shower, there was a knock on the door, and the clerk had a half bottle of something red, in a dark green bottle.. he insisted I take it…as IF he had to insist!!!

I drank it alone while my kids slept.. called my husband, who said “honey, I’ll wire you money, don’t worry about the van…can your sister come get you?”…at which point I just burst into tears.. and poured myself another!

Mine? Sorry, are you asking about my writing style? Or the l author Kami, who wrote the first entry?

Patricia, you’re husband was likely napping away his anger…

I will say to my hubs.. remember this.. that, when this.. and then that.. and he looks at me like he has memory loss…

OMgoodness, another reason to drink wine.. it helps retain memory!!!

If it’s Kami you’re looking for, she authors our “Mommy in the Raw” column every other Wednesday at MomsWhoNeedWine.com and can also be found at: http://www.workingmomfence.com

I didn’t know you had to choose between a shower and a glass of wine. I’ve been known to manage both at the same time after especially taxing days.

And hey, Hardy’s 3L boxes are the SHIZZLE. Good stuff.

OMG!! I just LOVE reading of everyones travel experiences. Julie yours was just priceless!!

I live in Ireland and travel back to Washington DC with my family( 1husband and 3kids) at least once a year. It is usually a total of 11-14hrs of travel time with no hitches or glitches. Since I have been doing the trip for 15years it is fairly routine, and I like to think that I am relatively prepared for anything.

On one particular trip home,4yrs ago, we decided to fly with Air Canada from Dublin to Toronto and then down to DC. A total of 18hrs of travel time according to the travel agent. At the time the children were 7,5,and 2 1/2. (2months shy of her 3rd birthday) No ammount of preparation would have helped with what we encountered.

The night before we were leaving I was up later then normal packing carry on stuff and did not get much sleep. It left me in a bad position for what lay ahead.

On the day we were leaving there were horrendus thunder storms up and down the eastern seaboard and were delaying flights on both sides of the Atlantic. My husband and I knew that we were in for it!!

We were due to leave Dublin at 11.30 which meant that we had to check in at 830am, and I had to leave my house by 6 to get to airport on time which ment waking kids at 5. At 12 our plane had not even arrived from Toronto. It arrived at 1:30

Their excitement about seeing their grandparents and getting on a plane was wonderful, but also very challenging. I lost count of the number of trips to the bathroom and how many packets of crisps and bars of chocolate we fed them just to keep them calm. Books were read, colouring was done, and songs were sung. And yes people stared at us and you could see that no one wanted to sit next to or any where near my hyper children. !! Since I was using all of my entertainment now, I had no idea what I was going to do to entertain them on the plane.

While I was doing most of the entertaining, my husband was working with the airline to make sure that our connecting flight was reorganised so that we would not be stuck in Toronto over night.

We left 3hrs late from Dublin (2:30)and our flight had to be rerouted way up north around the thunder storms. Hence our 7hr flight became 10hrs. At one point in time my 2 1/2 year old asked if she could get off the plane because she did not want to be on it any more. She then fell asleep on the floor of the plane.after throwing a tantrum because we said no. Thank God for small mercies.

My 7 and 5 year olds were listening to rock music on their headphones and at one point in time one was air guitaring and one was air drumming!! HAHA At least they were not beating each other. That came later when they realised that two faces cant look out of an airplane window at the same time. and at 30,000+ feet mommy will always win!! Daddy was sacked out sleeping. Lucky him! All booze on the flight had to be purchased and could not be taken off the flight.

When we finally arrived in Toronto, we were stuck in a holding pattern due to more thunder storms and grounded flights and no free gates. I can’t remember how long that took. Toronto airport is absoultly crazy to get around. Maybe I think that because I had 4 exhausted children at that point. I am including my husband in the child head count. Little did I know that things were going to get worse……

When we finally did get clearance to land, we had 10 min to get to our next flight to DC. Not a hope in Hell!! And cosmic melt down from my husband, (You think your kids are good at melt down, they got nothing on a 34year old grown man. ) and other 3 children.

We had to get off plane and get bussed to the terminal. We drove past our connecting flight to DC and my eldest burst into tears and my 2 1/2 year old then started crying because he was crying.Only She decided that she was not going to stop!! Being strapped in the stroller did not help the situation. My middle child then screamed at the top of his lungs at the oldest to stop acting like a baby. My Husband then weighed in trying to get all 3 to behave. I cringed with all of the ugly looks the other passengers threw at me.

When we got to the terminal, we had to collect our bags and then go to the Air Canada dest get another flight, boarding passes and bags retagged. (Fair play to Air Canada they were thinking ahead and already had us on a flight at 845EST. to DC) What torture!! The entire time my daughter screamed and my boys decided to fight over not wanting to walk next to each other and who was going to hold onto which side of the stroller. they were also not used to the 90+ degree heat so were melting. They were also hungry and we had no time to feed them. I had so many snacks and stuff and all they wanted was real food. Where was my magic wand when I needed it most.

After we had collected new tickets and bags, We had exactly 30 min to get through security and since we were flying to Regan National Airport our bags had to be opened and fumigated for Anthrax ect.. before being put into the belly of the plane. Then we had to go through a 2nd security screening requiring us to remove screaming child from stroller and all shoes, belts, and other metal. I was allowed to keep my underwire on!!

When that was finished we got to the jet way entrance forced the screaming child back into the stroller, and ran. The sign at the entrance said it would take 20min to walk and we had 10. !!! Forget the priority boarding all I wanted was a seat on the plane.

With sweat pouring off of me and the husband and the kids crying and barely able to run we got to the end of the jet way only to have a security gaurd tell us to “calm down, slow down, there is no rush the flight is delayed.” In order to enter the waiting area, we had to go through another set of metal detecters and once again remove said screaming child from stroller. (She has a great set of lungs.) and shoes, belts ect ect.. Not sure why as there is no place on the jet way to pick up any kind of terroist weapon!!

Once in the waiting area, Husband and 2 sons head to mens room to change into dry clothes. Never travel with out a change!! I sat with my daughter in the waiting area. She is screaming for her daddy “I want my daddy. Go away!!!!” Well here comes Mr. Canadian Policeman. With his gun and night stick. I knew what was comming next. He thinks she has been snatched. The conversation went something like this:
He says to her and not me ” Where is your daddy. ”
She says” I don’t know. ”
He says” who is this?” And points to me
She says”My mommy and I hate her.”(yea partially correct answer)
He looks at me, ” Where are you from and where are you going to?”
As if he did not know that I was going to DC, I told him we had done the transatlantic flight and were heading to Regan National Airport in DC and then on to my parents house.
He says”Where is your passport and bording card. ” Now this looks real bad because my husband keeps all documentation and tickets ect.. and was in the mens room. Which I duly told the police officer.
He says” OK well I will wait until he comes back.”

My daughter then turns into the sweetest little thing when My husband returns. My Husband looks completly shocked and insulted that the police officer would think that we snactched a child, and my boys, being kids saying” Wow you have a really cool gun!! have you ever shot any one?!!, and do you have real handcuffs?and What is that stick for? And “Are you a real Policeman?” Does not help the situation.

I am ready to kill husband and am mortified with my children’s questions.. I was delighted that police officer was doing his job!! When the police officer was happy we were all a legit family he left us alone. All I wanted was to get on that plane and then… The flight was cancelled due to weather. We were told that we could go to the AIR Canda desk to get a flight leaving the next day. The storms were not shifting fast enough and planes are not allowed to fly into Regan National Airport in DC after 10pm. FUN FUN FUN!!

My husband lost the rag( lost his temper) and got very belligerent with the Air Canada Rep at the same time my 2 boys decided to beat each other to death and my daughter who was strapped back into stroller decided to start screaming. Magically back came said policeman!! I hauled hubby out of situation appologising profusely to the Rep and dragged him towards baggage claim lecturing him like one of the kids.

When I finished, I sent him to the ticket desk….

Several passengers helped me well by giving my kids lollipops. This was one of those times when candy from strangers was ok!!! They at least shut up and became angelic and went peacefully to baggage claim. By this stage it was nearly 10pmEST. We had been going for over12hrs. and the children were beyond ravenous and beyond tired!!

We got lucky and our bags never made it to the plane so while hubby and daughter were trying to get a hotel room, none available due to so many cancelled flights, I had the boys. The 5yr old fell asleep on the chairs in the baggage area supposedly minding the stroller and carry on bags and the 7year old helped me grab bags.

We did not have any Canadian money with us either. We did not think that we would need any as we were not planning on staying the night.

My husband came back to me in the baggage area having totally lost the plot with the entire situation and my daughter on his shoulders was crying because she stuck her lollipop in his hair and could not get it out. ( I had a very hard time not laughing in his face and telling him to grow up)

At that moment Several passengers went to bat for me and told the Air Canada Rep that it was horrible that they were leaving a family stranded. One passenger went to a vending machine and bought some soda for my kids and another gave them some money for breakfast and another passenger gave me her hotel booking so that my kids could have some where to sleep that was safer then the airport.

The Rep then took another look at me and then did give in and made some calls, got us a free hotel room, and prebooked us for our flight in the morning. Again Thank God for small mercies.

All I wanted was a stiff drink and sleep. She gave us vouchers for free pizza!! Nice and all as it was, it was not what I wanted!! We arrived at the hotel (a”no tell motel”) that I would never have ever in my right mind stayed in, but after 15+ hrs of travel I was not in my right mind. And Beggars are not choosey.

The night staff brought in a roll away bed, which once it was unfolded ( I tried not to think about what caused the nasty looking stains on it, or what she might catch by sleeping on it) and made up, my daughter said it was her’s, fell on it and promptly fell asleep. The boys crashed on the other bed, and I tried to drown my self in the shower because I had no wine!!!! and the husband was not going looking for me He said I did not need it! ……..

The next day we arrived in DC and had a great 2 week holiday.