Mini Vacation: Day #4 Traveling Home

     Well today was the day we all flew home together. We got up bright and early and loaded up the car so that we could take it back to the air port. While we returned our rental Big Brother checked out the Blue Angel Cockpit again. After our trek through security with all of the inconveniences that come with traveling with small children when you don't get to go through the preferred line. 

     We checked our car seats this time, which I HIGHLY recommend if you are traveling with carseats and not having your child sit in it on the plane, so we hauled our carry on luggage to the gate and waited. It was nice this time to have Hubby to wait with us, even though he was catching a later flight out of the same gate. I think the kids liked having him there to wait with before we boarded. 

Big Brother carrying his own carry on

Family picture before we boarded (1)

Family picture before we boarded (2)

     We said goodbye to Hubby again and hopped on our plane and headed out of Florida as a storm cut across the US freezing a variety of states. Froggie slept through about half of the first flight and Big Brother played with his Leap pad. Our flight landed about 30 minutes early so we sat and waited to pull into our gate for a little while. Big Brother was a little restless while waiting but so are most people who are stuck waiting on a plane. We trekked across the airport and Big Brother officially became a pro at moving walkways! 

Window seat

Sleepy Froggie

Leap Pad entertainment

SO bright he needed sun glasses

The view

Our first flight towards home

looking out the window with Grandma

Sitting with Grandma

Enjoying her big girl freedom

Moving walkway pro

     Once we got to our gate and still had a TON of time so we packed up again and headed up to the USO. Froggie got to sleep in a pack and play and Big Brother got to play with a bunch of toys and have lunch. The USO was amazing, they had a really nice space and wonderful volunteers!

USO in NC

Playroom at the USO

Snoozing at the USO

Playing in the playroom at the USO

     We boarded our final flight and Big Brother was really excited to sit near the window again and was waiting for us to take off and get the ok to turn on his movie. I had just finished promising him that he could watch Mater's Tall Tales as soon as we were in the air and allowed to turn on my Kindle and turned to talk to my mom. As soon as I turned back to talk to Big Brother he was passed out in his seat so I set him up with my sweat shirt as a pillow, and his blankie and Daddy Doll. 

     The Flight was pretty uneventful, Big Brother slept for the duration of the flight and Froggie had fun until we were coming in to land and she wasn't allowed to look out the window over Big Brother. She then fussed and cried until we were off the plane. 

Sleeping on our second flight

the view on our second flight towards home

Coloring!

She had lots of fun coloring

She loved the window

Heading towards baggage claim

Carrying his "Big Navy Ship"

     It was  nice to visit Florida and be there for Hubby but it was REALLY nice to be closer to home. Once we collected the car seats and waited for the shuttle back to extended parking my mom brushed all the snow and ice off the car while I put the car seats back in their normal spots, Big Brother locked the car once before we realized we needed to either leave a door or window open so that he didn't lock everyone out of the car. 

     After our drive home and a quick dinner I headed back out to pick up Hubby at our local airport. It was considerably colder here at home than in Florida so I picked up some coffee on the way there and Hubby and I headed home!