Back to Speed Limits

Well, we made it! As I've always said, the things that I fear the most usually turn out to be nothing at all. Since I spent three weeks of sleepless nights worrying that the kids and I would be thrown off the plane due to their bad behavior, it did not come to pass. Josiah and Annika were extraordinarily well behaved for the first nine hours of the ten hour flight. They played with their Leapsters, watched TV on our iPods (Hans generously loaned us his for the trip), colored and ate. They did not sleep that entire flight. By the time the tenth hour rolled around, they were starting to get a little antsy, but hey--who wasn't?

Delta treated us very nicely. They didn't hit us or poke us with cattle prods or yell at us. They fed us a lot of food and came down the aisle with water every 20 minutes. The flight attendants brought Josiah and Annika their two meals before they started the meal service so that I could help them eat while waiting for my own meal. We had lunch and dinner and two snacks, one of which was ice cream. Annika stayed dry the entire flight and after a demonstration, used the airplane potty. Josiah completed several laps up to the first class curtain and back.

At Atlanta, we had to go through so much rigmarole. Ridiculous. One thing that was cool is that while we were in line at customs, I heard someone start clapping, and looking up, saw the first bunch of a group of National Guard members coming (in uniform) through the airport. There were a bunch of them, I'm not good with the group names, maybe a company? I'm sure Mr. D4 will correct me on that if I'm wrong. Anyway, a lot of people started clapping, but not everyone and that made me a little disgusted and sad. No matter what people's opinions are in regards to the war, they should be on their knees kissing the boots of the people who give up months of their lives for the cause. One of the men was on our plane from Atlanta to Minneapolis, he was in the 34th because he was wearing the Red Bull patch...he got a little frustrated when his big pack wouldn't fit into the overhead, so a bunch of people and the flight attendant all got up and jammed it in there. He explained that he had been traveling for five days...boy, I'd be getting frustrated too!

I haven't been home for a year either, but I wasn't out in some Godforsaken desert risking my life every day for a lot of ungrateful people.

Anyway, long story short, we made it and everyone's doing pretty well. Josiah and Annika have been a little wrung out, but I feel fine since I haven't been sleeping well anyway. I'm pretty much used to going around in half a daze. Annika was so tired last night at supper at the Olive Garden that she ate her noodles and then lay her head on the table and fell sound asleep. That would be the first time that ever happened.

And yes, I have been to Target twice already. We went once in Edina with the kids. I was so excited and overjoyed that I wanted to lay on the floor and cry. Unfortunately, Josiah beat me to it, but he wasn't excited and happy. He was upset that he had to share his popcorn with Grandma and me. Yeahhhh. We went through the toys and everyone was doing fine, but as soon as I dared to start looking at jewelry and pajamas, the whine-fest began. So I ended up taking Donna and the kids back to her place and then I returned to warm myself in the warm glowing warming glow of Target. And lo, the angels came forth and sounded their joyous trumpets as I slowly went up and down the aisles, gasping in amazement at things such as the enormous selection of yogurt and the new OPI nail polish colors.

Excuse me, I'm getting all choked up.

Today we're going to the Mall of America. I've got a whole purse full of coupons to use up at the Gap, Banana Republic and Gymboree. I'm having heart palpatations just thinking about it. Shopping online is great, but it's just not the same...

Minnesota looks beautiful, as always. Some things changed, but more things stay the same than not. It's my favorite place on earth...heaven!