We planned a last minute trip to Indiana to visit family and also to attend a funeral in Ohio for the grandfather of a close friend of our's. It was great to see everyone and get to spend a little time visiting with family. Unfortunately, the trip started with Grayson and Wil being sick. By the end of the weekend, we all (including my mom) had been afflicted by some sort of stomach bug...which was not fun at all. Top that off with my parent's very uncomfortale guest bed and then an ice storm...all in all...not the best of weekends.
We hoped to make it home before the storm it and if our plane would've left 30 minutes prior we would've made it...but unfortunately, we got stuck at the Indianapolis airport. We decided to grab a hotel when the flight was officially cancelled. Unfortunately, the shuttle to the airport was going to be 2 hours due to the weather and it was already almost 10pm..so we hopped in a taxi with some other folks and got the hotel. We still wern't feeling well, but we got some sleep...We got up early the next morning to get to the airport. The roads and the cars looked awful...the ice appeared to be other an inch thick on everything.
We got to the airport, but we still weren't feeling well and while Wil went to the bathroom Grayson and I waited. As we were waiting, a cameraman came up and asked to interview us. As much as I wanted to say no (I had no make-up, a stomach bug, and my hair pulled up with a hat on) I figured this poor guy was just doing his job on this miserable day and I should be helpful. We finally got back to the gate and our plane was covered in ice just like the roads and the cars. The other concern is that most of the flights for the day had already been cancelled.
We got on the plane around the time we were supposed to (surprising since the crew showed up late) and pulled away from the gate. I admit to being a bit more than terrified when I saw how much ice was on the wings and that we couldn't see out of one side of the plane due to the thick layer of ice on the windows. We sat on the plane for about 45 minutes before they started de-icing. We were on the plane for another 2+ hours while they de-iced, but unfortunately it was taking too long and there wasn't enough ice removed, so they pulled us back to the gate.
For the record, I must say that Grayson was quite a trooper throughout this. He was so well-behaved that people were commenting about what a good baby he was.
They told us to get off the plane, but they would continue de-icing. When we got back in the terminal, all of the stores and restaurants were closed and the planes for the rest of the day were cancelled...at this point, I figured we'd be getting a hotel. We had already been at the airport for 5 hours and on the plane for 3 (it's a 1 hour and 10 minute flight from Indianapolis to DC), so I was really doubting that we would get out of Indianapolis at all. About 30 or 40 minutes went by and they told us to reboard the plane. We got back on the plane, the pulled away from the gate and started de-icing again.
While we were waiting the flight attendant who had been super sweet to Grayson came by and asked to hold him. He went to her and as she was talking to him, he slapped her right across the face. We heard a couple of snickers coming from people behind us, but Wil and I were so mortified and stunned. We shouted no and Grayson realized he did something wrong and started to cry. He reached for me and when I took him back, he laid his head on my chest and fell asleep. He slept the rest of the trip to DC.
After about an hour of de-icing and anti-ice, we finally headed down to the runway. We still had some ice on the windows, so I was a bit on edge. After that the flight was pretty smooth and we made it to DC just fine. We were so thankful to finally arrive that several people started to clap when we landed. Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of the adventure. The pilot came on with good news and bad news. The good news, we made it to DC...the bad news, there was a plane at our gate and we would have to wait for another 47 minutes until that plane moved so that we could get to the gate. I offered to walk, but unfortunately we had to wait.
It was so great to get off the plane! As people walked off the plane several more people commented about how great Grayson was. One man even said, "he's a saint, an absolute saint!" It was quite a compliment and I admit that I was quite proud of the little man too...despite his slapping the flight attendant, he was wonderful!
After we got off the plane, we got our luggage and headed home. I'm not sure I've ever slept so well as I did that night.
