SLC Trip: Day 5 Going Home

Day 5 we woke up, got packed up and drove to the airport. Fortunately the airport was not busy and everything through check-in went really smoothly. Unfortunately, my girls were really tired (I let them stay up too late the night before after the wedding, playing with their cousins). Anja was by far the worst. A two year-old who is tired is not a good fit with an airplane ride. She squirmed, whined, tried to run up and down the aisle, and cried any time I didn't let her do what she wanted to do. Oh, did I mention she has a temper and also hit me when she got mad when I told her "no"? We were about half way through our 3 hour flight. I was holding a squirming Anja on my lap because she kept trying to crawl under my legs to escape into the aisle. Elise was crying because she wanted to sit on my lap but couldn't because I was restraining Anja. It was at this time a man sitting kitty-corner behind me leaned forward and said "Ma'am? Could your children be suffering from painful ear pressure due to the altitude?" I turned to him, trying to restrain Anja as she pulled my hair and hit my face and screamed "LET ME GO!!!" And with all the self-control I could muster (which was not much, I admit) I said "No, they suffer from being over-tired. They suffer from being small children confined in an small space." I saw the wounded look on the man's face and I felt a little bad, so with my best faked smile on my face I said "but thank you anyway." And then the man said (can you believe he is continuing with this?) "I just thought, maybe if they chewed on some gum that might help." Yeah, buddy, that's just what I need, to give my two year old some gum. Then I wouldn't have to worry about her hands in my hair, because I'D HAVE GUM IN MY HAIR!!!!!! Oh my GOD, unless you are asking if you can help me by entertaining one of my children and therefore making my life easier, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!

Anyway, we did make it home. Very glad we went!