Eyes to the Mountains: Arnold Goes To Disney, Day 1

I GOT MY FIRST PLANE RIDE TODAY!!!!!! Oh my goodness, I was SO BORED!!!!! For real, what kind of enjoyment do people have with this flying stuff?

I got about 5 hours of sleep last night. Between being sniffed and stalked by the pseudo-plush-stuffed animal (aka cat) and the rude awakening this morning by that most annoying song, "Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?" I was in as zombie of a state as a turtle could be. (Are zombie turtles a thing?) The mama thought she was being so sweet by waking her kiddos up to their favorite Disney song, but it just made me crawl further into my shell and the song still got stuck in my head.

We did get to the airport in time for our flight, despite the car being frozen in a block of ice, the Mama forgetting the ice-cream for the gentleman that took us to the airport, and the horrid rush hour traffic nearing Portland.

Then there was the line for security that took a half hour. All in all, it was ok because they eventually brought a sniffing fur-creature by and then treated us all like we were pre-check. So, because of the trained canine, we didn't have to take off shoes or unpack suitcases or even go through the invasive self-scan machine. I mean, I can't hide my round shape very well, but I'd prefer not to know people were examining it. But we got to our gate in plenty of time for the adults to get coffee. They seemed to revive a tiny bit after this.

At a nearby gate at the airport terminal, there was a young girl that was traveling with her family through the Make-a-Wish Foundation. She was announced and applauded and made to feel so special by everyone at her gate. It was cool to see the fuss made over her, yet I can not even imagine the parent's desperation to make happy memories with their daughter who was facing a dire medical diagnosis. The joy and pain of it all.

We finally boarded our flight. I sat with Jayce for most of the flight. He read a Tintin comic book that his mama gave him, and then played on his Ma'Bee's phone for a while. Later, I transferred to Anya's lap. She was much more snuggly, and even saw that I was safely belted in for the landing. That made me feel really great, if a little squished.

Jayce said that the plane ride was not what he expected at all, "because the window shades went up and down". Anya said it was what she anticipated. I am not sure that is true, though, because after about 45 minutes she was pretty much done, and her mama had to explain that this is sorta what airplane rides are all about: sitting. Later, in the car, she asked, "What did we have to be on the airplane for?" I suppose distances and timelines aren't really her strong suit.

I remained bored the entire time. No books to look at, no phones to play with, no pictures to color. This flying thing is not nearly as fantastic as it was made out to be.

Once we landed, our baggage came quickly. Then we began a mile-long trek to the rental car agency. We now have a nice little Toyota Camry, and the Mama was very excited about it. The gentleman at the desk also had kiddos, and was familiar with the glazed, exhausted, fuzz-brained state of mamas traveling with young children. He was very gracious. I was glad to be back on the ground, and road trips are a piece of cake for me. I was more than happy to have an hour drive to the hotel, as long as my flippers stayed on the ground.

The hotel is fantastic. Really. I got to nap there while the humans got a late lunch, and I slept so well in a large squishy bed. They did not take me to the mall to walk around later. I was bummed about that. But that's ok. Tomorrow is Disneyland, and they promised to take me!

All buckled in and safe,
even if it's hard to breathe

They all plan to match tomorrow. Mama has a friend named Lisa, who does custom shirts and mugs and such. She made these shirt sets that are completely PERFECT for the humans, all customized and personalized and they arrived at the hotel in record time. All 4 of them are SO happy. The company name is Tisa's Pieces. I'll consider asking her to customize my shell next. However, she likes glitter, and I'm not so sure I want to sparkle. The mama, though, would totally recommend her for customized awesomeness. Pictures to follow.

Well, humans, I am tired and need to sleep. I somehow got stuck with Jayce this evening. I thought Anya was going to sleep in this spot, but she didn't. Now, I am suffering the indignity of being flipped on my back and used as a pillow. As if I am soft!!! Humans.