coming home to GR from Long Island

A really early start to the day because we didn’t take daylight

 savings into account when we booked this trip.  Oscar just started crying when John got him up to get dressed.  He rallied when we said that we were going to take a taxi to the 

train station that takes us to the airport.  With all that transportation, what toddler could say no?  We had to go in two separate groups because it’s me, Sandy and Greg and 4 of the students from the trip.  So, we head out to Penn station and rendezvous there to get on the Long Island Railroad.  We had our tickets and waited for a while before they ever posted where our train was.  They only give you 10 minutes to board once they post it and Oscar suddenly decided he didn’t want to go down

 the stairs and get on a train, so that took some doing.  But he enjoyed spending time next to Blair on the train and it was a nice ride out to Long Island.  I like the options of transportation in the northeast, but if they could just move trains around like Europe does, everything would be perfect.  We would have made this trip in 10 minutes and gotten to sleep later if we were on a European train. 

 When we got out to Ronkonkoma, a little panic when the doors shut on the guys and they couldn’t get off the train.  Thankfully it was the last stop and they didn’t get taken to 

  another station.  We went down to the taxi stand that has a $5 shuttle and had to go in two sets again.  Long Island airport is a very small airport and it makes Grand Rapids airport look big, but that made getting checked in easier.  Since this was the first time going through security without John, I needed the small place to make it less hectic.  Oscar 

 walked through the x-ray like a pro and we were putting everything back together and at the gate easily. We got to watch our plane land, taxi in and the bags come off and go one before having to board the plane.  Oscar stayed awake for the ordering of drinks and fell straight to sleep with doggie under his head on the arm of the chair.  Landing in Baltimore jolted him awake though and he was out of sorts after such a short nap.  He cried as soon as we got off the plane and didn’t really stop much until we got on the next plane.

    He was hungry, tired and didn’t want to get off the plane, couldn’t understand that we had limited time to get to the next gate and get on another plane.  But he seemed to understand that he needed to be quiet when 

we were on the plane, because he didn’t make another peep once we were on the plane.  And for the first time, he complained about his ears on takeoff and landing.  When I told him to drink something because it would help his ears, he tried to put his cup in his ears.  But was excited when he yawned and they popped.  It helped that both Kyles were sitting by us.  Oscar kept watching the one sitting next to us editing a hockey game and would try to talk to the Kyle across the aisle that was sleeping.  But we successfully made it to GR without a crying baby which was all I wanted.  Got to the car and went to spend time with Julie, Dave and the kids because Rachel and John don’t get back for a few hours.  A homemade meal and time with friends who get you are exactly what’s needed after a trip like this.  It’s been a hectic week and I think the little guy has had fun, but going to school on Monday after a late night and traveling all day was not part of his plan.  He wanted to stay in his pjs and play with his toys that he didn’t have all week.  Of course, John and I felt the same way.  We might have to start scheduling in sick days after traveling…..