So we left San Diego at 6:25 PM.  Perfect timing.  Just enough time to get excited, eat the inflight meal, and go to sleep.  It all worked out perfectly.  Then we landed...

I made a plan with Maya (6) that she would remain on the plane with baby #1 (1) who was asleep in her carseat while I carried baby #2 (1) off the plane.  We waited patiently for all other passengers to exit the plane then I proceeded to the exit.  I found my stroller there (thank God!), opened the stroller with baby #2 in my arms, and placed baby #2 in the stroller.  It was freezing cold!!!  I carefully arranged her blankies around her and turned quickly to return for my other children, my coat, and our bags.  I asked the flight attendant to keep an eye on the baby to which she agreed and then just as I was about to board the plane, a man's arm blocked my passage.

"Ma'am, once you have exited the aircraft, you cannot board the aircraft again due to federal aviation regulations."

"But I have another child and a baby on the plane!"

"I'm very sorry ma'am, but federal aviation regulations do not permit you to board the aircraft."

"Excuse me sir, I have two children on the plane, what do you expect me to do?"

"I don't know ma'am, but you cannot board the aircraft."

We just stood there looking at one another listening to my baby screaming from inside the plane.

I was nearly in tears but truthfully, I was too panicked to even think of crying! 

I thought to ask the flight attendant to please help me, but they had all disappeared.  Thankfully, at that moment, a female entered the ramp from the stairway outdoors.  I quickly explained that my six-year-old was alone on the plane with my one-year-old baby and she entered the plane and retrieved the kids and all of our things.  At this point I was literally shaking and trembling due to a mixture of bitter cold and adrenaline/flight.  I profusely thanked the woman over and over.  I expected the woman to be disgusted with the man, but instead, they both very brusquely ushered me to the terminal.  I thanked the woman very kindly again for helping me and she shut the door in my face.

Heck, it was better then our outbound flight!

The adventures didn't end there though...

I rang my girlfriend who was coming to pick us up.  She answered and quietly told me she was in the car and was being detained by the police because she was a possible terrorist suspect!  She had pulled into a firehouse station near the airport and parked in the visitor's parking spot to watch a DVD on Islam as she awaited my phone call.  Someone had dialed 911 and said they saw someone suspicious outside the airport...

The officer arrived without her noticing and had reached the minivan and saw through the wondow that she was watching a 'questionable' video and there began her troubles.

The officer finally agreed to let her go but she put her phone up so I could hear the lecture he gave her about the importance of not participating in suspicious activity near the airport and the importance of paying to park in the airport parking ramp.

The drive home was wonderful!

Ninety minutes of uninterrupted adult conversation with a good friend...

Gotta love it!

Then we woke up the next day and the temperature never rose above the teens.

Not loving it anymore...