Step by Step

Hehe.  That title is a little play on words.  See, I am going to take you "step by step" through our time back in Minnesota.  


Well, not every single one...but definitely the highlights.  


And does anyone remember who sang a song with that title back in the late eighties?  Well, if you don't, I will supply a reminder later on.  Keep reading.  


Step 1.
Take huge van/taxi to hotel near airport in Amsterdam the night before our departure.  Due to a previous stay there and an assumption about the hotel restaurant not being open, walk over to event center next to hotel.  Find all restaurants there closed.  Be told that, in fact, your hotel restaurant is open.  Walk back to hotel.  Ring bell for service (yes, there is a bell).  "How can I help you?".  Tell her, well, we would like to eat (duh?).  Dinner doesn't start until six (about 30 minutes later).  Let out audible grunt/sigh of frustration.  Believe me--you would too. Feed J#4 in lobby of hotel, while trying to keep J#3 from taking over the ENTIRE lobby as his play area. Have an okay dinner, decide only to have burgers in the Netherlands in the future if they are made by me with my special recipe. Find out J#3 likes tradition Dutch croquets.  Hmm. That is a new one.  


Step #2.  Get a good nights sleep

Step #3.  Weave your way through the airport, luggage gets marked priority (one of the very few advantages of a husband who travels a lot ), grab a quick bite at McDonald's. Get on plane.  Entertain boy with a few DVDs, then with any car, train or airplane that is in our bags.  


Step #4.  Arrive in Minnesota.  Wait for stroller at gate.  Until EVERY last person has gotten off plane.  Find out stroller will come thru at baggage. Ugh.  Go thru customs.  Head to baggage claim.  Find only three of your five (yes, five) checked items.  Keep looking.  Yup, only three.  Fill a claim for lost baggage.  Try and keep two-year-old (whose body is telling him it is bed time) entertained while claim is filed.  Find rental car, stop at Target for a lightning fast (boo!) trip to buy the essentials (i.e. formula, diapers, cheez-it's).  Check into extended stay hotel. 


Step #5.  Visit the grandparents, let them love the littles a bit.  

Step #6.  Find way back to extended stay.  Sleep, until middle of night when J#3 comes into room, because, well that would be time to get up "back home".  


Step #7.  Wake up Friday morning and get ready for my day as a "deadbeat mom".  Ha.  After about nine months in the Netherlands, J#1 gives me a day off.  Pedicure and lunch with Mom, shopping with the girls, enjoy fantastic drinks and a great dinner at Ike's (randomly running into Facebook friend from high school in the bathroom), and then.... 


Are you ready?  


Are you really ready? 

Target Center.  Sold out (I think).  NKOTBSB.  

A few observations: 

• after a few drinks, the cheap seats we got were a bit scary. 
• I really don't remember as many of the words to these songs as I thought I would. Even after buying a few on Itunes to remind me. I am going to blame that on college. 'nuff said, right? 
• people at the concert were either in their mid-twenties (BSB fans) or mid-thirties (NKOTB fans).  And when "their band" wasn't playing, they were sitting down. Handy for me, since we were sitting directly behind some BSB fans. 
• I might be getting too old for this stuff: 

it was loud.  really, really loud.  

• back in the day, my fave's were Joey (no, not where J#3's name came from) and Jordan.  Now, it is Donnie. 
• but not because of his grabbing (think Michael Jackson) and thrusting.  Can someone please explain to me why the crowd went wild when that occurred? 
• a night out with some of your best girl friends is the best way to start off a trip

Hey ladies, the next time I want a Caribou Coffee to keep me awake for the concert at 3 in the afternoon?  Remind me it will keep me up until about 3 in the morning.  Oops. I mean seriously, as tired as I was--how could it keep me up that late? 


Thanks for sticking with me through this long post, but hard to break up the first few days.  From here on out, highlights people, I will supply the highlights.  But really, a travel experience with that many issues?  Must be detailed.  


Oh, the luggage?  Check in tomorrow to find out.  {insert evil laugh here}