Summer: Part 1

Well, I survived a week alone with the boys. It's been a long time since Aaron travelled. It was a well practiced routine for us back then. Gabriel was a toddler and Drew was just a baby. This time around Drew could not seem to get why dad was not coming home at night. He asked almost every day when he was coming home. I felt bad!

The real pathetic part was the creeps I would get after the boys would go to bed. I thought about having them sleep in bed with me but couldn't figure out how they would keep me safe when the Boogey Man came.

One night I woke up because I could hear something...I don't know what...in the house or just very near? I grabbed the Louisville Slugger to go and investigate. As I was creeping through the house I was remembering that I read that often a persons weapon is turned on them by home intruders. This gave me pause. I really did not like the idea of being pummelled to death by a baseball bat. The pause also gave me time to identify the sound as a lone frog on my front porch. I headed back to bed, running fast when I had to pass the black hole in the wall that was the laundry room and leaping into bed a good 2 feet out so that whatever is hiding under my bed could not grab my feet.

The next night went much better but I did wake up to hear another creepy sound. Deciding to use a little more common sense, I layed there and waited for the goo of sleep to leave my mind before acting on anything. Eventually I was able to recognize the sound as an owl and went back to sleep.

The last night we were to leave for New Mexico in the morning for my Grandmother's 80th birthday party. Drew was so excited he couldn't sleep. He woke me up with his hair going every which way. Clutching his stuffed bear he asked, "Is it morning now mom?"

The bathroom was glowing behind him from the moonlight that was coming in from the window above my tub. It fooled me for a minute into thinking that we needed to get up and head to the airport. I looked at the clock. 2:23.

"Yes, son it's morning, but it's not time to get up."

I opened the covers and he nuzzled into me for what seemed like a great night of sleep for him. I however, was kicked in the gut and later my back.

The boys are great travellers and everything went great at the airport. They carried their bags and hustled thru like pros. We flew out on one of those crappy little jets that only seat two people on one side of the aisle and one on the other. Our seats were separate. Two together one in front. I thought I could sit in front of them. Maybe I'd be able to read with out them interrupting to ask for something every 5 minutes. During the loading the boys started arguing. Drew was trying to act like he was afraid to fly and wanted the window closed. Gabriel wanted it open.

"I'm nervous!" Drew said

"No you're not. You always love to fly!" I argued. I wondered if he even knew what "nervous" meant.

"It means you are kind of scared and excited both." he answered.

Poop. He is nervous. I sat down in front of the boys with a man with the WORST case of BO I have ever encountered. Across the aisle was another man who was sweating the courage he had to drink before getting on the plane. The combo of the BO and alcohol sweat was fabulous. I mean, I was so glad that we were on the smallest plane in the world with these two guys. The boys kept arguing until BO man offered to let one of the boys sit next to him and I behind him with the other. I jumped all over the offer! No more stinky men and the boys would not argue. Drew was happy to make the switch.

I later questioned my wisdom in letting my son sit alone with a total stranger. A man who was all too willing to offer to sit with a young boy and who does not have the mind to use deodorant when he will be in close quarters with people. Well, there are other people on the plane, I thought. BO man is not going to do anything to Drew when there is that other guy sitting right across the aisle. But the other guy was out cold, sleeping in a marinade of cocktails.

Drew did great though. He charmed the whole plane with a count down to "blast off." BO man had a map that he shared with Drew as they looked for all of the different places that they had visited. I always give the boys Blo Pops when we fly for lift off and landing. Helps with the pressure in the ears. Drew shared a Blo Pop with BO man. (Whose real name, Drew discovered, was Mike.) Upon landing Drew said goodbye and I thanked BO Mike for switching seats. Another passenger approached me, pointed at Drew and said "That boy is going to be president of the United States one day!" Drew shouted "NO WAY! I'm going to be a Chef!" Atta boy.