The one with a flight home.

Our last last day was good, full of stops and stores, but good.  I planned the flight late, it didn't leave until 5:45 so I wouldn't be stressed about leaving, and miss out on more time together.

Luca refused to nap the day of our flight--which wouldn't get us home until 2am in our brains, which were still obviously going to be on Ohio time--it just stressed me out even more--and then of course when we got in the car to go to the airport he crashed out--so he slept for about a half hour.

He didn't even wake up when Halie got him out of his seat.  He stayed asleep until we had checked our bags. 

We said goodbye to Halie and Grandma Becky, and headed through security and to our gate--which is always the in the last terminal--and the very farthest gate from security.  Once we were there we still had a little time, so I let Luca out to walk around.  He was waving to all the cars out the window and made some friends.  There was another family with two little boys, they just played and played.  they learned each others names and I even chatted with the parents.  I figured we could sit near each other on the plane so they could occupy each other.

I boarded first though, and I always go to the back of the plane--its louder back there so it drowns out my child and his toys, and there is more of a chance of us getting an extra seat if possible back there--but the other family sat more in the middle--I heard one of the boys say, "But I want to sit by Luca!!" and laughed, and hoped they would come back, but they didn't.  It all worked out.  Our flight had 40 extra seats!!!  I love when that happens since its so rare lately.  I kept Luca standing as to warn people and make them avoid our row, and put a bag on the seat by the window--I am not even ashamed.  We had the whole row to ourselves--and it was BEAUTiful.

Luca was occupied with the iPad most of the time, suckers in hand, and his bear close by.  I downloaded his newest favorite movie, Barbie Swan Lake, and he watched that a few times, skipping around to his favorite scenes--I didn't even know you could do that.

He was so happy and occupied for most of this flight, I even got to do some indexing!  I had a batch downloaded and started, so I finished that guy right up.  I'm glad I finally figured out how to do that offline!  I wish I had before, so I could have downloaded more than one, but Luca got restless after that anyway.

I need to remember to bring things for me to do--he usually is well occupied, especially when he gets his own seat--which will basically be from now on, since he will be 2 NEXT MONTH people.

We got to Denver to our flight being delayed 2 extra hours, making our layover almost 4 hours.  Not fun with an tired tired mom, and an overly tired toddler--because that only makes them more obnoxious and full of energy.

We wandered around, got disgusting food twice, that I paid $30 for, and I let Luca walk on the moving sidewalks forever.  I never got him going backwards though, and I am sad about that.  It would have worked like a charm.  

We got to Denver a little before 7, and our flight was delayed until 10:30.  I noticed there was a flight leaving to SLC at 9:25 and so I went and put myself on standby after calling my dad and figuring that out.  I was too paranoid to leave that gate incase they called my name, so we just found a seat and made ourselves comfortable.  By then it was 8ish.  Luca was so tired by then he just sat in the stroller and watched frozen.  People commented on how good he was being--and I knew it.  I was shocked that he was still awake, and quiet for the most part.

So many people from my original flight came to get on standby, that they stopped even adding people after there was a list of 20.  I was grateful I did it so early, and praying that we could get on.
Once they started boarding I got our stuff all ready just in case.

They did end up calling my name, but once they noticed Luca they asked for his proof of age which EVERY single airport employee tells me I WILL NOT need it after my first initial flight, so I never bring it with me--we don't have a passport from him yet, just his birth certificate, so I don't want to travel with it--don't worry the passport is on my things to do now.  Anyways.  They almost didn't let me on, and I almost walked away in fury that that would be the reason we couldn't go.  They ended up letting us on "only because of the time crunch," but it was technically against FAA rules.  

We got on and got the second to last seat available--and aisle shockingly enough.  Then the last lady to get on the plane came back to sit in the middle seat next to us, and scoffed at the middle, and just stood there, so I offered to move over to which she agreed--nice lady.

Luca crashed before we even took off and woke up as we landed so it was fine, uncomfortable but we did survive.
Turns out that flight only got us to SLC a half hour before our original flight would have, and since so many people came to get on this flight our original one probably wouldn't have been full, and we left without bags because they stayed on the original flight--so I should have just waited, but I was just glad to be home and done.

Luca was crying and crying out of tiredness once we landed, and was just begging for daddy--it all started when I told him he had to walk off the plane to get to the stroller, because I had to carry our bags.  He was crying until we found dad--after a potty stop.

We were going to wait for the bags, because it would have only been another half hour, but I was sooo done, and even though Luca had gotten a second wind from being reunited with his dad we left, and planned on coming back in the morning for the bags and carseat.  They gave us a rental carseat--I was so ready to just drive home with Luca in the booster seat--that is how tired I was.

We went right home, and Jose put Luca down--like Luca would have even let me attempt that after a month away--and I fell asleep on top of my bed and blankets.  Luca let us sleep in a little in the morning, and I like it that way--obviously, but more so because it basically puts him back on Ohio time the same day.  Works like charm.