leaving for the Caribbean

I have been anticipating this Caribbean cruise more than other

vacations in the past and it is mainly due to escaping the weather and maybe having a vacation with a toddler that doesn’t involve an undue amount of stress because Oscar is now old enough to go to the kids’ zone on the boat.  We take off way too early for the airport because I made a late flight because of John’s need for more time to get grades in usually, but this year, he had grades done before he had to make his speech at graduation.  I think the two stressors were too much and he had to

  get one off his plate before he could focus on the other.  After the speeches on Saturday, it felt like a giant exhalation came from our house, because now there was only the vacation to focus on.  The anticipation led to leaving the house early and parking the car at Julie and Dave’s, catching the taxi and getting to the Grand Rapids airport a good 2 and a half hours before our flight, but we were able to waste time in the kid’s playroom, at the 

 Founder’s taproom and watching planes before getting on our plane.  Oscar is all about this plane ride to Baltimore, but then things head downhill.  We have raised a little traveler because we’ve forced him to do so, but he still is a kid that wants to go home when he gets tired and cranky.  Our plane is delayed in Baltimore and there’s more waiting time, we’re not boarding until after his normal bed time, everyone around us is frazzled because Atlanta had a power outage and most people 

 are frantically trying to fly anywhere around the city, so the whining about wanting to go home starts as we board the plane.  Thankfully, Oscar finally falls asleep after twisting several ways, switching seats, and whining a little for half the flight.  But we land in Fort Lauderdale to a hotel shuttle that is not running at 11:30pm and have to find a taxi which ends up taking more of our precious cash and when we get to the hotel, OH MY GOD!!!!  This is the first time that I have been totally disappointed in Hotels.com. 

  We arrive in the lobby and it is like a crack house with a one armed man checking people in, dreadful looking people standing in line and people running in to ask for more change for their money.  The one armed man takes time to call the police about some of the people hanging around and now Oscar is on cloud nine because sheriff’s have come in with badges, guns and everything…..Great.  When we finally get to our room, it’s really a nice room that has clearly been redone recently, but it doesn’t fix the bad taste in my 

mouth and by 2am, Oscar is still talking about what he’s hearing outside---which is the world’s loudest and busiest coke machine in the world.  I am trying to get to sleep wit the refrain that we have made it safe and sound close to the port, that we will most likely make our boat tomorrow and thankful that we didn’t fly through Atlanta, but it doesn’t help me go to sleep or stay asleep past 7am.  When  I wake up to take a shower and in so doing, wake up Oscar and John.