Just What Time DOES this Place Open? Arriving at the Airport.

Just so you know, you should always arrive at the airport  1 1/2 to 2 hours before your departure time for domestic U.S. travel. Uhm, unless your flight leaves at 6am. In the case that your flight leaves that early you will probably be sitting at the airport in the semi-darkness for about an hour and a half. Oh well.

Shawn dropped me off at the curb, with both children, all the luggage and our carry-ons. We were actually pretty good about  what we packed, but there is nothing that makes me feel like  Griswold faster than standing amidst a pile of luggage.

We use Jack's wheelchair quite often in crowds. This gives us an advantage because it is 98% more likely that he will stay with us instead of running away. He has actually unbuckled before, but it's not common, and when he was in his previous wheelchair, that he had clearly outgrown, he walked with the wheelchair on his back, like a turtle...which sort of makes him look like a kid who *might* not need a wheelchair.

We have figured out that the drop off, with only one person taking the car to long-term parking is the most successful strategy for our family. It is just too crowded, and difficult to manage the long-term parking shuttle with children and luggage and a wheelchair. If at all possible, we find a bench, or other safe spot for most of our party to wait while one person drops off the car in parking, or the rental car in its lot. We have found that it's both faster and safer for the kids. Actually it's better for our backs too, because we are not trying to heave luggage onto a shuttle quickly with an entire bus full of anxious travelers, while we wrangle our children in an attempt to keep them on the bus instead of exiting out the other open door.