Highlights and Kidisms

Repost from facebook

April 26, 2009:

We have been having a great time here in WA, visiting the grandparents and playing with the cousins. But apparently I can’t remember passwords without my very own computer at home doing it for me, so today I’m going to post here instead.

The flights were pretty uneventful, I survived the 3 hours of sleep the night before (I knew we should have really cut back on the chinese food and giggling the night before, but it was too fun to quit! Thanks Raini!) and managed to get out the door at the appropriate time with everything necessary. I balked a little when they charged me for each piece of luggage at the check in counter, but I’m sure I made up my little fuss to them when I immediately ran head first into an overhead sign right in front of them. I still have a good bruise from that on my forehead. Seriously, I’m short! How did they not think that was going to be in the way of most people?! Maybe it’s just their way of getting back at all of those people upset about paying extra for their suitcases. Ha ha. Take that! Maybe next time you’ll purchase tickets through OUR website instead of Expedia!! Whatever.

Then we had the usual rigamarole of going through security. We approached the line up area and were immediately directed to “the Family line” at the end of the row. They were such nice older gentlemen pointing the way, I thought for sure they were going to be equally as helpful when we actually got there. Yeah, not so much. But, we made it through the running away of one child down the row, the folding up of the stroller and placing it on the cart just to remove it from the cart and setting off the alarm once or twice, finally reaching the other side of the all-powerful **que fairytale music here** archway through to the friendly security staff and waiting airplanes. And then we spent another 20 minutes putting our shoes on, finding our bags, coats, belts (yes, you were right, Raini, belts are really NOT a good idea when going to the airport) etc. etc. Thank goodness for Grandmas, though! Colby’s mom always goes through the security check with me and the munchkins with a gate pass especially designed for grandma’s helping with children. I don’t know how I’d do it without her, or my own mom on the way back, either!

So on the plane to Denver there was a very nice Stewardess/grandma who took pity on me and was very helpful. She gave the two older kids free in flight tv and so they got to watch cartoons the whole way. The earphones were uncomfortable, though, so they mostly just stared at the tv and watched Spongebob’s antics without any sound. That was fine with me! I was thankful for the lady’s kindness, but Spongebob is really not my first choice for my kids to be watching. Blech! Stewardess Lady was sweet, though. She helped me by holding Elayna for a while when she wouldn’t sleep and even took her own grapes from her lunch to give to my kids when Josh told her he was hungry. I did have snacks with me, but apparently the paid for snacks that everyone else is buying is more desirable to small children.

And, she talked to the kids. Really, you try to be a good parent, but sometimes the best (or worst) report card you get is when your child becomes verbal enough to have conversations with other people. Children say pretty much anything and everything that pops into their heads. It can be very nerve-wracking for the parent.

Here is how one of the conversations went between Josh and the Stewardess:

Stewardess: Is your name “Dirt Magnet” ? (’cause that’s what his shirt said…)
Josh: NO! Ha ha ha! My name’s Joshua Colby ....! And that’s Emma Leigh Anne ....., and that’s …..” he went down the list of family members present and those not present, and who we were going to visit, etc. etc. etc.
Stewardess: Oh wow!
Josh: …….. is YOUR name “Dirt Magnet” ???

Oh my. Thankfully she just laughed and thought it was funny. She then patiently explained that the reason she asked him if he was “Dirt Magnet” was because that is what the front of his shirt said. He’s clueless. He can’t read yet, I sheepishly tried to explain. We never did find out her actual name.

Well, eventually we made it all the way here and have been enjoying our time very much. Elayna had a lovely allergic reaction to something the next day, but we’ve avoided everything that could possibly have caused that, and will hopefully have it figured out soon. And this post is getting long, so I’ll end it on last night’s after worship prayer: said by Josh:

“Dear Jesus, please come and take us to Heaven. Please take all of my family and my real family and all of my cousins and my grandparents and my momma and daddy and my sisters. Please come and take us to Heaven tomorrow and make today our LAST day on this old earth. Please take us to Heaven tomorrow.
After Supper.
Amen.”