This week I had a group of remote team members come to Novi for a meeting and, like last year, I hosted the group at my house for a pizza party. The local team came, too, and many of them came with their families. Before everyone arrived, SSA were excited to start eating chips & dip. Big night lol!

We ended up with 21 adults and 8 kids (5 and under) at the house. It took a little while for everyone to warm up but, soon enough, everyone was playing together. Steven liked to direct the activities and Amaya spent time standing on as step stool surveying her domain. Sammy took a near immediate liking to my colleague, Lisa.

Steven, showing off his Frozen tattoo.

Feeding Strawberry!

Thursday was “Fancy Day” at camp. Amaya was thrilled to get to wear her wedding dress and wedding shoes. Steven immediately knew he wanted to wear the dress I always tell them is “too fancy” for camp. Sammy just likes clothes that twirl.

Steven has still struggled to stay in bed at night but finally, finally earned the 6 stars needed to get his watch. Only another 345,564,765,274 days until he earns his next 6 stars. 😉

Amaya had a fever on Thursday night and couldn’t go to her last day of camp so, since we were home together until Megan arrived, we decided it was the perfect time to add a little summer color to her hair. This time she picked red and orange.

Next thing we knew, it was Friday evening and Steven, Sammy, Amaya and I were off to NY for the week!!

The four of us are getting into a good routine. TSA > Potty > Snack Run > Happy Meals > Watch Planes At Gate. This trip, Sammy even wanted to try the moving walk without holding hands. He was nervous but proud.

Our flight was scheduled to leave at 8pm and arrive at LGA at 10pm. Just prior to boarding, we got word of a weather related ground stop in NY which put a hold on anyone boarding the plane. I thought we were done-for but, by 7:45pm, we were getting on the plane. Again, we have a nice routine down. Sammy was excited to sit across the aisle next to a “friendly stranger” and Steven took up his usual window seat.

The kids settled in and we were ready to go! Only New York wasn’t ready for us to arrive. 🙁 We waited and waited and waited and waited. Thank goodness for the new airplane with tvs at every seat. That isn’t typical for my NY flights and, with only one tablet for Sammy to use, I’d have been totally screwed.

Spirits staying high as we waited!

At 9:45pm (2 hours in), we were given the opportunity to get off the plane for an hour with an update and reboarding expected at 10:45pm. I decided it was best for us to stay put. Everyone was settled, and tired, and I didn’t see much to gain from taking all our stuff off the plane only to have to get all settled again an hour later – especially since the kids were relatively content watching shows.

Everyone reboarded just before 11pm and we were set to take off for NY when the seemingly inevitable happened – another ground stop in NY which meant that our current crew would time out. We weren’t going to NY.

This is what we were contending with.

At 12:15am – 4.5 hours after we boarded – we got off the plane with a new flight time of 8:15am. It was crazy. I tried so hard to get a room at the Westin on the airport property but, as the agent was reserving my room, someone else snatched it up. We didn’t have a car at the airport and, at that point, calling Jason to drive out to get us only to turn around 4 hrs later seemed nuts. I called around quickly for an airport hotel that had an available shuttle bus for us.

The Comfort Inn came to the rescue and SSA were thrilled to ride the bus. Amaya made a point to tell her brothers that she also rode a bus like this “at Texas”. Steven said the ride was the “greatest ever”. So, in the end, I had happy, excited kids at 1am in MI when I expected to have happily sleeping kids in NY.

We slept from about 1:30am- 6am when I bribed the kids with juice at the continental breakfast and we hopped back on the shuttle bus for our flight. Our luggage was still on the plane so we had just the carry-on items we brought on the plane with us. In the end, that worked out well because it was less stuff to schlep around but I might pack a few more necessities in our carry-on next time.

Back on the shuttle!

And back on the airplane!

This time, for the first time, we mixed things up and Steven sat across the aisle.

You can’t see it here but he made friends immediately, as he does.

Before the flight, Sammy saw our pilot and went over to say hello. He told us to come by the cockpit when we landed and we took him up on it. He was so generous with the kids. It was a wonderful end to a wild travel adventure.

We made it!!!! I can’t say enough about how spectacular Steven, Sammy and Amaya were through the entire ordeal. They were cooperative, helpful and calm. Amaya, in particular, seemed to sense when she could make a sacrifice to help her brothers be-it changing seats on the airplane or sharing a toy. I am so proud of all three of them.

We got to NY and I promptly fell asleep from 12pm- 2:30pm. Then again from 3:30pm- 6pm. Amazingly, the kids just jumped right into fun. Amaya and Sammy each napped for about 20 minutes in the car but I honestly have no idea where they got their stamina. Youth, I guess.

Steven, laughing at something Chase & Charlie said.

Sister-Cousins

Hugs with Nana

Missed it all. 🙂

Fresh air.

Finally, ASLEEP.

Today Amaya got dressed and put on ALL her skirts. “I have a long dress, don’t I? Send a picture to Dada.”

We had a lazy morning with the Goldbergs and, after lunch, got ourselves together to go to the mall for glow-in-the-dark mini golf.

First time for Sammy and Amaya!

Savta started indoctrinating the kids into the world of perfume/cologne at Neiman Marcus. The kids are all obsessed. “Smell my arm.” Sammy said, for his next staying-in-bed prize he wants 5 bottles. “If one runs out we’ll have another. And if that one runs out we’ll have another. And if that one runs out we’ll have another. And if that one runs out we’ll have another. And if that one runs out we’ll need to buy more.”

For dinner, Auntie, Dod Shuki, Jake and Naomi came over. Lots of kids and lots of noise!

We wrapped up the day with TV and now everyone is fast asleep.

After a rocky start, we’re off to a great start of our week in NY! Have a good one!!