Whirlwind trip

Our whirlwind trip is at and end. Alea and I spent this last week in Massachusetts with some very special friends and had a wonderful time. It all transpired when our friend Crystal came over last week and announced that she was taking a last minute trip to Mass. to visit some of her friends. I, of course, felt sad that I wasn't able to go too but happy that she was going back "home" for a few days.

Later that night while I was out getting everyone ice cream, Crystal and Wren talked about the possibility of me going and taking Alea. It was possible budget wise because, at 18 months old, Alea can still fly free. Of course I was excited but nervous at the same time. Alea is a very energetic little girl and the thought of keeping her in one place for an entire plane ride has been exhausting and a big reason we haven't already made the trip back. After a short moment I decided that we had waited long enough and that we had better go before Alea starts high school.

The next few days were a rush of getting suitcases packed and snacks purchased. I spent the time checking and re-checking to make sure we had EVERYTHING I could possibly think of to keep Alea entertained on the plane as well as an empty sippy cup that I could fill once we passed through security.

Wednesday rolled around and it was time to go. We drove that evening to Choctaw and stayed the night with Crystal's parents and discovered, while chatting in the kitchen, that my suitcase was probably not going to come in under the 50 lb weight limit. All that extra checking and packing resulted in a overly heavy bag that would most likely be considered cargo instead of checked luggage. Luckily Crystal's mom had an extra suitcase that I transferred some things to.

We arrived at the airport at 6 am the next morning with ALL of our stuff and began the check in process. After paying for our checked bags (which is another blog entry in itself) we made our way to the gate and waited. This was the first time I've ever been able to pre board a plane and it certainly made it much easier.

We were seated and began to unload all of Alea's entertainment. She was fine eating snacks and watching a video for the first few minutes then fell asleep. She woke up with an hour left of the first leg of our trip and started to get fussy. The last 20 minutes, however, was straight out of my worst nightmare. She began screaming at the top of her lungs, contorting her body in ways that I've never seen before and kicking the seat in front of her. I don't know if her ears were bothering her or if she had just had enough flying but all eyes were on us. The flight attendant came back to us at least 4 times offering help but there was no calming her. When the worst of it was over Alea didn't want to have anything to do with me. The only thing that kept her sane was sitting on Crystal's lap. The pilot couldn't get that plane on the ground fast enough and after what felt like an eternity, we were moving toward the gate.

We got off the plane and prepared for a 3 hour layover in New Jersey. The waiting went better than expected and the last hour to New Hampshire was fairly uneventful. We arrived at about 4:45pm and traveled to Chelmsford, Massachusetts where we met up with the Harrington family and had dinner. It was so wonderful to see my old friends again and Alea warmed up to them right away.

We spent the week hanging out with the Harrington's and their boys Sean and Brad and enjoyed visits from Nia and Parker Jones as well as Robin McGaunn and Mark Chmiel. There was a 6 inch snow fall while we were there and it was beautiful. I'm glad I don't have to plow my driveway anymore or shovel our sidewalks but I do miss the winter wonderland that is New England this time of year and Alea was able to go outside and explore her first big snow fall. Despite the weather I was also able to enjoy some shopping time with one of my best friends Stephanie Potter and had an enjoyable dinner with friends/former co-workers Lesley and Mary, two of the sweetest ladies I know.

Alea enjoyed two play dates, one with Brendan Lasky (just 3 weeks older than her) and Nathan Sheehan. Richard and Nimol Sheehan came over one evening and ate Brickhouse pizza with us as well. Alea was given so much attention by everyone and enjoyed every minute of it. We attended our former church, New Colony, and soaked in every precious minute we had with our old church family. I've missed everyone so much.

The week in Massachusetts was over way too quickly. Before we knew it, it was time to return home. The plane ride back to Oklahoma was somewhat peacful. The flight times were scheduled more evenly and there was no 3 hour layover in New Jersey. Alea did have a few breakdowns but slept most of the second flight into Oklahoma City. My friend Crystal was a great support and made our flying experience much more enjoyable. Now that we know what to expect we'll have to plan another trip "home" before too long but this time Wren will have to join us. It's good to be home but I really miss my Massachusetts friends. Hope to see you all again very very soon.

Check out Alea's new photos posted for March