Home, FINALLY!

So after being unable to fly out of Buffalo on Saturday, we got moved to an Air Canada flight out of Toronto to Seattle-Straight shot.

We got to Toronto airport at 2pm.  Our flight was for 5:30.  It was a madhouse.  1/2 the flights to the US were being canceled.  We waited in line for over 3 hours to get a baggage ticket.  Note that this does not mean they actually took our 8 bags we'd been pushing around for 3 hours.  This means we got a ticket to put on them.  Thank goodness Linda and Larry stayed with us in line.

When we got to the ticket counter United had incorrectly booked our ticket, we did not have seats together.  I cried a bit, the ticket agent got on the phone and worked around it.

Oh, you may ask, "Why were you checking EIGHT bags!"  Well, let me tell you.... two bags of winter clothes, two of summer clothes (our week in Turks & Caicos) plus Christmas presents PLUS due to the guys last week trying to bomb planes the only reason we were allowed carryon was because Paul had the laptops and we needed diapers for Hennri.  So, all the roller bags had to be checked in. I'll get in more detail about why later.

So then by the time we'd been sitting in the long line, they had figured out another long line to Customs would make people insane (there were many police officers I'm sure not just for security but also for people who were angry at waiting in line for 3 hours when only 1/2 the planes were even flying).

So they told everyone to find a spot to camp out and they called us to customs by flight.  Because of this they had to keep delaying our flight to allow time for customs to process all of the people flying on the plane.

So at 7:30 they called our flight to customs.  We drag the 8 bags to drop off, go through regular security (metal detector, shoes off, etc.)  Then we go to our gate and wait in yet another line to each be patted down and our bag gone through by hand.  This was what was taking so long.  Can you imagine now why they wanted as much checked as possible when going through bags by hand AND patting everyone down?  Even the babies were patted down.

We got the gate about 9pm and the pilot came out to the area and said, "we've had the plane ready for hours, but have no ticket agent to let you on the plane!" Finally at 9:30 they found someone, we finally took off at about 11pm

Air Canada has nice planes.  We only had 2 seats on each side and 30 rows and everyone had an entertainment system in the back of the headrest.  Carter watched as many cartoons as he could before passing out.  Because United bought us $1200 seats, we were also able to get a meal for free.   The seats were nice and large.

We started the flight with Henri screaming and flailing around for 45 minutes.  There is a new rule that babies cannot be secured on a plane in a front pack.  Whomever made this rule obviously has never held a spirited or over tired baby on their lap on an airplane.  Trust me, there are letters that will be written.  I do not understand how a flailing baby headbutting me while my arms get more and more tired is safe.  I don not understand how me dozing off with a baby laying on my lap when we hit turbulance is safer than a baby in a front pack.  They wouldn't let you hold a 20 pound backpack in your bag that doesn't move because it's an unsafe projectile.  How is a baby on your lap safer??????  Common sense is sorely lacking in this rule, if you ask me.

Thankfully my parents had left us their truck after hearing the amount of luggage coming home.  We got it quickly and came home to milk and yogurt & bananas in the fridge for our arrival home.  Isn't that nice???

Alright, I'm off to enter my real world again, but figured I'd post so I didn't have to repeat the saga of the trip over and over :)