Aloha!!

We leave tomorrow for Hawaii...and the timing couldn't be better! It started snowing this evening and more snow and rain is in the forecast for this week...I am so ready for 70 degrees and sunny!!! Of course, this means I'm up half the night packing things that I've left out until this point. I've had the piles of clothes for each of us sitting, waiting to be suitcased. My new tactic for packing is that I lay the things out for a few days to be sure there's not anything I'm forgetting (like the time I only packed one pair of shoes for Caroline, and she lost it in the airport as we arrived. Lovely!)
Since the new policy on airlines is to pay for every single checked bag, PR has limited me to two bags plus the car seat. We've decided to be a little crazy and attempt to put Caroline down in the bed with us (I can feel an ulcer forming in the pit of my stomach.) The luggage we're using is what I call "body bags," because they are monstrous and long like a golf bag. It is absolutely amazing how much you can cram into these suckers, and since I've been restricted from packing my hairdryer (hello ponytails), there's really nothing breakable. My only worry is that the baby shampoo is going to open and spill from those very trusty airtight Ziploc bags I pack them in and all our clothes will be bubbly. (Speaking from experience, unfortunately.)

Our second hurdle (after packing the bags to be no more than 50 pounds) is the ELEVEN hour flight. Yes, it is fabulous that we will not be bumped or miss our connecting flight by booking a direct flight...but ELEVEN hours???! I'm wondering what to do with Caroline for 10 of those hours, praying that the kid will sleep maybe a total of 1 hour. There's only so many $1 Target bin toys you can stuff in your carry on.

But, it will all be worth it....I can see it now, me- relaxing on the beach sipping a Pina Cola.....dangit! Okay, virgin Pina Colada is the best I'm going to do. Hawaii, here we come!~