Florida - Part 1

I am still not healthy but I so want to blog and record our Florida trip so here goes the first 24 hours:

It was pajama day at Ally's school on Friday Feb 12 (the day we left) so the blue and red striped PJ's is what she wore to school, and then I could not get her to change clothes, so we added the pink skirt to her ensemble and that was her travel clothes for the trip. Here we are in Boston waiting for our flight to Charlotte. We were to change planes in Charlotte and fly on to Sarasota. We were supposed to arrive in Sarasota at 10PM and my mom would pick us up and drive us the 20 minutes to her place in Siesta Key
Love love love her

But the travel luck was not quite on our side. We got into Charlotte OK - had to trek all across the airport from B17 to E12, suffice it to say it was a long walk. We had plenty of time so no hurry. But we noticed there was snow in Charlotte and lots of flights were being canceled and delayed. I saw a flight leaving for Tampa at 800Pm we arrived around 630 and were supposed to leave for Sarasota at 815PM.
We get to our gate (finally) and we ask if the plane/flight will really happen. The gate attendant said, well you plane is running late it should arrive here about 20 minutes late so the Sarasota flight will be delayed about 40 minutes. We think, ok 40 minutes no big deal, phew.
Not so - about 30 minutes later I am walking around the terminal with Ally and I call Becky to see if she wants something to eat. She says they just made an announcement that our connecting plane has not left its origin yet - seems like a very long delay.
Now its time for background. In 2007 Becky and I were stranded in Charlotte after our visit trip to see Ally. Literally - had to spend the night in a hotel and were told we could not get a flight to Boston for 5 days. We ended up flying to Philadelphia and paying to take a train to Boston. We missed extra work - it was awful.
So thinking quickly Becky asks the gate person if there is room on the 8PM Tampa flight - there is, but we have to get to that gate, B15 ASAP so we can get on it. It is now 740PM. There were go - flat out speed walk/run to get all the way across the airport. We made it to the gate, got seats, together! I call my mom, tell her, make arrangements for a rental car and car seat in Tampa so we can drive down to Sarasota when we get in. The plane loads, the doors close and the captain says; "well folks sit back, relax, turn on your electronics its going to be a while. Get a good book, like War and Peace. We have to wait in line for de-icing"
So we get out the dvd player - the battery dies. We tell Ally its broken - she takes it pretty well. Its now 9PM she has been awake since 730Am with only a 30 minute nap at school. And we wait and wait and wait. We waited 3 hours 45 minutes to be de-iced and get in line for take off. Ally was AWESOME, AMAZING the best little traveler you could ask for. She cried once for about 2 minutes. She even ate some shredded wheat and fruit. The second the plane took off she fell asleep and woke up when we landed in Tampa.
Ok, here we are in Tampa, no luggage, but we did have an overnight bag. So we make our way to the rental car counter and wait for our car. Its now 2AM.
After a short wait the clerk asks if we can deal with a 2 door. I say give me whatever will get me out of here as soon as possible, and will fit the carseat. Ok he says here you go.

We walk out to the car and its a 2 door red Mustang Convertible! Becky manages to jam the car seat in. We get Ally settled and head on our way - its about 90 minutes to my mom's place.
Only 10 minutes in Ally says she needs the potty. We stop at a hotel (the only thing open) at that hour and ask to use the restroom. Of course she doesn't need to go. So we get back in the car and back on the highway and all of a sudden Ally starts to throw up. All over herself, her special Clifford travel blanket - it was awful all that shredded wheat all over. Becky is dealing very well reaching in the back to help Ally. I am driving. When she has emptied her stomach, Ally asks for a drink of water...of course Becky's had are covered in puke. So I get wipes from my purse (while driving) so Becky can get cleaned up and find a sippy cup of water.
After a few minutes we see a 24 hour CVS, stop go use their bathroom, buy soap and a few other things to cheer up Ally (like a pink fleece blanket to keep her cozy since the Clifford one is covered in puke - gotta love the $2.99 specials at CVS and more wipes, lots of wipes). Get Ally cleaned up, change her clothes. Becky cleans the car out. Then we're on our way again. Ally immediately feel asleep in the car. We finally arrived at my mom's at 330 AM. We put Ally in her crib and she slept thru till about 9AM.
Suffice it to say we have pledged NEVER to fly with connecting flights to Florida in the winter EVER again.
To this day, Ally still brings up "do you remember the time I got sick in the borrowed car?"
All in all we were more traumatized than she was.


In the morning my mom gave Ally an early Valentine's Gift a teddy bear we named fuzzy.

We just had to document the car. In the morning we drove it to the airport in Sarasota to return it and pick up our luggage.

parked at the airport

All angles - it might be the only time we are ever in a convertible!

It was pretty cold in Sarasota - my mom wore this hat all the time.

Every year I take a picture of Becky and Ally walking. Not my best shot ever, but its my family and I love them. After we got home from the airport we went to the beach.

Which we had all to ourselves since it was super cold there.

Now is also when I say its best to listen to my mother. She told me it was cold. I said - hah - Florida cold, not really it will be so much warmer than Boston. She advised that I bring a stocking cap for Ally. I laughed and scoffed at the idea, but I did it. I was so glad to have that hat. Ally wore it every day. She never complained, I think she was happy to have it. Frankly I wished Becky and I had stocking caps - our ears got pretty cold. My mom also said to bring warm clothes (Hah again) Becky and I wore the same pair of pants all week long - every day. We just did laundry every day. Thankfully I had packed some additional long clothes for Ally based on my mom's advice. So Ally had a few sweatshirts, which we layered everyday because one was not enough, and a few pairs of pants. She asked for long sleeves everyday.

We did have a great time. And I am already looking forward to next year! I'm going to blog more for the trip, and there was more excitement, but nothing as stressful as the trip down.