After a hellish experience with Airtran Airlines, The Family Joy has mercifully escaped what seemed like certain death-by-airline and returned from 12 days in New York.
We arrived, thanks to Airtran, eighteen hours after our anticipated landing and, within two hours of our New York arrival, K rushed The Rooster to the ER for the hot glue gun to the forehead treatment.
Yesterday, we spent HOURS on the tarmac and during that time we were able to entertain our children well.
However.
The Rooster screamed,"BLANKIE!!! I WANT MY BLANKIE!!!"
the entire time we were actually flying.
At the end of the flight, a well manicured, high-glossed woman turned to me and, pointing a bony finger at Rooster, said,"She's clearly not ready for your European vacation."
I turned my head away and said nothing because, though I tend to steer away from using THE C WORD, I was very sorely tempted to use it.
Hello?
It's simple Brady Bunch Wisdom, Lady.
If you don't have anything nice to say...
Shut yer effing pie hole.
[That's what Mr. Brady always said, right?]
Despite the horrifying bookends that were the start and end of the trip, the middle was very good.
Every other year, my mother-in-law treats us all to a family reunion at Silver Bay on Lake George in the Adirondacks.
Never mind that northern New York is having one of the wettest summers in history...
With oodles of Aunts, Uncles and, more importantly, cousins around...
The rain wasn't really an issue.
There were boat rides to be taken...
(Aunt Sheila took it very seriously.)
And celebrated...
Shuffleboard to be... shuffled...
We were required to wrestle our relatives...
(This was not her first attack.)
Ice cream to be eaten...
And flower beds to be trampled...
But now we are home.
And can you guess the first thing I did?
I stood in a nest of fire ants!
[INVOKE THE C WORD REPEATEDLY!!!]
[SPRINKLE IN ADDITIONAL CHOICE EXPLETIVES!!!]
The effing joys, I tell you!
39 comments:
I didn't think it could happen, but now I miss upstate New York.
Great memories!
My rule for flying with kids is to never make eye contact with anyone not themselves flying with kids - they just don't understand and I ain't gonna be the one to explain anything to 'em.
Ouch to the ants, too!
Looks like a great time - even with airline torture at both ends. At least you didn't drive 12 hours both ways like we did... never again! I'm too old for that.
I've been reading in Reader and not commenting for a long time now, and for that I apologize. But ya got me here with this post! SO cute. What a great time. My husband's family should do this, but OH THE WHATEVER -- I can't even think of a word for it.
Mayor looks JUST like his dad, and Roo looks like a little miniature you with your husband sprinkled lightly on for flavor.
Very very cute - both of them!
Looks like you all had a wonderful time! Great pics!
Oooh! Great pics!! Take me with you next time!!!
AIRTRAN! That's why I slept in Atlanta instead of going to D.C. for my speech. Effing Airtran.
Looks like fun, though, J. Lots of fun.
Welcome home & sorry about the ants!
Worry not about the evil airplane lady -- karma is a bitch and she will get hers. The pictures look like so much fun.... I know I'm old and everything.... but will you adopt me? Even y our extended family appears to be FUN!
i just love it when you post pictures of your adorable family!!
*sigh* stupid C WORD lady from the plane!
Aren't the Adirondacks grand? Even in the rain.
I grew up about an hour north of Lake George. Beautiful.
Glad you had a nice vacation - despite the bookends.
We just spent a week at a beach in Maine and watched 6 inches of rain come down in 6 days. We had a blast but didn't get a tan. Our planes were easy and now I am back to traveling again. I need to play and win the lottery...
True, Mayor and Roo are both spitting images. We go to that part of the country this Friday. I'm so excited to get out of this Texas heat.
Thanks for sharing the photos. Looks like the trip was amazing. Welcome back.
Your vacation photos make me long for an extended family more than you know (I have no first cousins and my husband doesn't have any that aren't estranged from his uncle; sigh). Beautiful, happy shots.
And, I came THIS CLOSE to booking our flight to FL with AirTrans---so glad we didn't after reading this!
I love Lake George. It's so peaceful and fun. Reunion vacations like that will be great memories for your children. I wish my (boring) relatives would get together like that!!
Awesome pictures! Sounds like a great time!
what c word are we talkin here, cake?
Chrysanthemum? Cockle? Crappity doo dah?
Great pictures!
That looks like an excellent reunion, super glue and all.
What a perfect time you had . . . except the glue to the forehead (I'm no stranger to that) or the fire ants (luckily, I AM a stranger to those)! Yikes!
Ewww, I think I flew with that lady once!
I tripped her.
It was an accident.
Really.
Honest and for true.
Humph.
Sounds like a blast!
At first I though the airplane lady was making a poor attempt at a joke. But I guess not - by your reaction. In that case - how rude! She must have never raised children. :)
Great pics - I love summer vacations with lots of family and cousins around. We always did ours in Vermont on an annual camping trip with my Nana.
I also love that one of your relatives is training the next generation right - as a Red Sox fan!
I've been to Silver Lake, did you make jewelry, I made a couple of silver rings last time I was there. It sounds like a wonderful time, except the flight, and the ants.
Luving the pictures of your grand get away!
Definitely looks like it was worth all the trauma.
Uh, yeah, what's up with the not so nice lady on the plane. People without kids on planes are not nice.
Looks like good, summer fun.
That sounds like the most awesome time...I want to be adopted!
You take GREAT pictures! It looks like so much fun.
(sorry to hear abou tthe ants)
MAKNJ
You got me all pumped up for my first trip to NY(C)
And all scared for my first trip on an airplane with my terrible two.
all i know is that house, or whatever the fuck it is is GORGEOUS!!!!!!
I am dying of jealously. On so many level, I won't even start...
What a lovely family! Wish mine had reunions like that. But all we'd do is sit around and stare at each other.
I also had a fire ant experience recently, but it was from picking up sod at Lowes. They didn't even remove it after I told them. I fully expect to testify at a negligent homicide trial when someone allergic decides to spruce up their lawn (yes, I watch too much Law and Order).
Welcome home! That looks like it was a swell trip there in the northern woods.
You are so lucky to have such a nice big family.
All I can say is that the traveling? It gets soooo much easier. You will be the one smiling knowingly at the disruptive family soon. I know of whence (which?) I speak.
Looks like the perfect vacation! Love the photos - thanks for sharing.
Looks like tons of fun! It's wonderful to have so much family to spend time with.
This is the kind of family I always wanted. It looks lovely, kids surrounded by cousins, aunts and uncles.
Your daughter looks so much like you, she's lovely, as is your son.
Um, did those two boys move in front of the target before or after the arrow was shot? Just askin'
Despite the hot glue gun and the evil woman on the plane, that looks like a fabulous trip.
Airtran sucks. There's no other way to put it.
oh my word, glue gun aside, the kid photos are KILLING ME! Soooooo cute. Especially the one of them all laying on the ground.
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