The plane landed, and we began unhooking the carseat, which, is not easy in a plane, but it went pretty quickly this time. Yeah! (I learned last year to take off my watch before wedging my hand between the back of the carseat and seat of the plane. It really is no fun to be traped like that, trust me, I know! The kids and Brian had gathered up all of our carryons, and we were able to unload from the plane quite quickly without holding anyone else up. So quickly in fact, that our gate checked stroller was not at the gate yet. So, I waited for the stroller while Brian took the kids (somewhere, because before the stroller came, he was back with them). I gathered the stroller, threw the careseat in it, and we were on our way to the BAGGAGE CLAIM!! OOOOHHH!!!!
Actually, in the Orlando airport, that's kind of fun, because you get to ride on a MONORAIL!!! And, isn't the announcer the same one as at Disney World?? We were all very thrilled to ride the monorail, wheeee!!!! Lydia looked out the window and confirmed that "We are
ACTUALLY in FLORIDA, because I just saw a palm tree!"
So, with that confirmation we quickly set off in search of our luggage. We were so quick that our luggage was not yet off the plane. (We were SMOKIN TODAY!!!) Brian waited with the stroller and the carseat, which he seemed to think was a fair trade off for sending me with all three kids to get the luggage. Corey, being 15 actually WAS a big help, but after the 10th time of telling Lydia to
PLEEEEEZE get her hair away from the conveyor belt,
and telling her that
NO this was NOT a ride
and
Do NOT climb on there!
and progressively getting louder and louder as I said,
"
LYDIA!
LYDIA!
LYYYYYYYYYYYYYYD
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
UUUUUUUUUUUUUU
RRRROOOOOOO
ZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!"
I sent her over to help Brian guard the stroller and carseat. I figured he needed help, seeing as how HE was ALL ALONE! You just never know what kind of trouble a carseat and stroller could get into! Yep, that is considerate thoughtful me again!
Corey, Arminda and I grabbed the luggage and then dragged it over to Brian. Brian in the meantime had decided to hire one of those guys to help us take the luggage to the car, so the guy threw our stuff onto a cart and started off at a fast trot to our rental car counter.
I am not stupid, so I am QUITE sure I could have figured out how to check into the rental car counter with the computer. I mean, at the grocery store, I would RATHER go through the self checkout lanes. I don't like having to deal with strangers if I don't have to. Or, as Corey once put it, "I don't like human interaction." (I don't consider any of my Disboard friends strangers though!
) However, our very helpful guy (I know these guys have a name, but I can't think of what it is) decided I couldn't possibly figure out how to click "next" on my own, so he stood over me and told me what to push. It was nice but rather annoying at the same time. I think he wanted a big tip. After I took our paperwork, the guy took our luggage (ok, I'm cracking up laughing right now, because I just asked Brian, "What do you call the guys that take your luggage"?, to which he replied without a pause, "Thieves.") trotted out of the airport, and across a busy little street to the parking garage. He took us to a row of minivans (no cramped little car for us THIS year, we were riding in style!!) and told us to take our pick. Being eaily amazed, we were very impressed that we got to actually PICK any car in the row we wanted!!! Of course, we gravitated towards the Chevys, but the ever "helpful" luggage guy tried to talk us into a Dodge!
EEEGADS 
!!
It must have been some sort of mini jet lag, because we started loading our stuff into it!!! I know, I know, what the heck were we thinking??? We are born and raised GM people for pete's sake! (I know, Cindee, how could we!)
After hooking up two carseats and loading the luggage, we regained our senses and woke as if from some sort of (bad)dream. Shaking our heads to clear them from our fog, we quickly began unloading and unhooking carseats and I desperately yelled to Corey:
"Get into a CHEVY!!! QUICK!!! Before they are all gone!!!"
Never mind that there was only one car gone in the entire row of minivans, and every third car was a Chevy, we weren't taking any chances!!!
Here's the minivan we ended up with, isn't it pretty:
As we settled into our Chevy Uplander, Brian and I looked at each other with a sigh of relief, knowing we had narrowly escaped driving off into some sort of strange alternate universe where Dodge is considered better than a Chevy!!
[[[[[shudder]]]]]]] We held hands as we drove out of the parking garage and to our new Florida home (at least for the next week).
Part 5:Brian and I have a "misunderstanding"(post#73)
That is just too funny. My dad was a total Chevy guy. It takes us so much time and effort to get off a plane that we just wait until everyone else gets off first. You are an excellent storyteller! 
and what a narrow escape you made by getting the chevy!! jet lag truly is a terrible thing isn't it
No one has ever noticed that before. please post it
please post it
in the backseat. We bought him a digital camera to make it up to him!
