The Mosenthins: Home sweet [warm] home

We flew out of Syracuse, NY on New Years. While I felt sad leaving family, after a week away from home, it was kind of nice to get home. Rach and John were on the same flights we were on so we left at the same time and we all hung out together in Charlotte during our layover. Kevin loses his gold status with US Airways in February but he was able to get us bumped up to first class for free one more time. We had an uneventful flight home, which is always nice. When we got into West Palm, Kevin and John went to get the cars (Kevin from the long term satellite parking and John from the motel they stayed at the night before they flew out.) We long ago discovered that it's much easier for Kevin to catch the bus and bring the car back rather than trying to fold the stroller and load everything on the shuttle bus that goes to the long term parking lot. Normally, Kevin helps me get all our stuff out to the curb and then Kay and I just wait outside for him. Since Rach was there, she graciously offered to help me get all our suitcases off the belt while Kevin went to catch the bus to save some waiting time. We had decided Rach would stand with the bags by the luggage belt, Kevin would have to stay with the car out by the curb and I would haul our four suitcases plus carry- ons and the stroller and car seat out to the curb once Kevin got there. Well, as only Rach and I could do, we decided that we could manage to move all our stuff little by little till we gradually had it outside without being more than a few steps away from the luggage at a time. That way, if John got back first, Rach could go ahead and leave. The only problem was there were about 3 of those pesky baggage guys with their carts there wanting to help us and for some reason they could not seem to understand why we didn't think we needed help moving 13 suitcases, 7 carry-on bags and the stroller with a tired 3 year old in it. We told them our husbands were coming - which WAS true. We DIDN'T tell them we were too cheap to pay $2 a bag just to get our bags taken a few yards out to the curb. Now you may not find this story funny at all as I am relaying it to you but trust me, at 12:30 in the morning, it was hysterically funny. (Besides, even if no one else thinks it's funny, I imagine Rach will giggle about it all over again 'cause I'm getting tickled just remembering how silly we looked!) We stood there for a few minutes until most of the guys had left but one. When he was looking the other way, I grabbed about 3 suitcases and made a dash forward about 15 inches. I then ran back, grabbed another suitcase and the stroller, Rach grabbed the remaining stuff and we dashed the 15 inches while never taking our eyes off the suitcases we had already moved. We finally managed to slink by the baggage guy if you can call 3 people running across the airport with 100 bags sneaking (or slinking)! We stood there for a few minutes looking around sheepishly to see how many people were watching us. Rach said, "Let's go for the bricks now". That was where the carpet ended and the brick tiling started near the doorway. After 2 or 3 sprints back and forth, we were about to the door. This lady was sitting on a bench by the door and she was like, "Do you all need some help?" By that point, we were one more short dash from being outside so I thanked her but told her we were just trying to get them outside. However, that made both Rach and I sheepish and embarrassed enough that we went from chuckling a little to giggling so hard that it was hard to run with 5 suitcases apiece because we were laughing so hard. With one final burst of speed, I hauled my first load out, dashed back, met Rachel with the rest of the stuff and we sprinted to the finish line - all bags safely by the curb. Just as we got outside, John was pulling up so they loaded their stuff and just as they were pulling away Kevin pulled up so it all worked out perfectly.
It was quite late by the time we got home but Kaelyn came alive. She had only napped about an hour total the whole day but when we got home and she saw the new toys she had left behind on Christmas day (especially her Little Einsteins rocket), she was not ready to go to bed. We never do this but she was so heartbroken about having to go to bed that we let her take the Rocket and toys to bed. We figured she would be out of it in no time and then we could move them. She stayed awake and played with them till Kevin went in later and took them. By that point (probably close to 2:00 AM), she was so tired that she laid down without protesting as soon as Kevin took them. And so ends our Christmas travels story. But... I have a whole CD full of Disney World at Christmas time. Don't worry though, I've already decided I should probably spare you all and not post them.