Two planes

Yes it is very important and Lathen will tell you we rode TWO planes. We got to the airport all early in fear that it would take forever with two kids to get through security. Wouldn't you know it there was hardly a line and they let Kevin go all the way up to the metal detectors. So yes we got to the airport two hours early only to sit and wait for our flight for well two hours. The kids were so excited and Lathen kept repeating (all day actually) "It's taking too long!" The kids set in the window and watch airplanes come and go until finally it was time to board. The kids did great on the first plane, mostly. They loved looking out the window and watching the ground get smaller and further away. They loved the cart that brought juice and pretzels. Well if you have young children you know what lots of juice means to a small bladder! Lathen looks at me and says "I have to pee." So we all three got up and walked to the small (understatement) bathroom. The nice line of two women let us go in front of them. I almost wonder if they did so they could laugh. In we all three went and cramped was not even close. As I tried to bend to help Lathen with his pants I smashed Kiera's face into the wall with my behind. She then proceeded to yell at me "Stop it Mommy!" Lathen of course was loudly (understatement) telling me about the very cool blue water. As we came out those nice ladies had this sly smirk on their faces..hmm. I also got to sit besides the guy that felt it was his duty to talk to me and tell me everything he knows about everything. As we started our decent my ears started to hurt (yes we all had colds) and Kiera's did too. She fussed the entire 30 minutes of landing, poor girl. Lathen kept yelling everything he said and he told me he couldn't hear. As we landed they announced our gate as B5 and they the connecting flight to Raleigh, NC was B22. Sweet! I get off the plane with diaper bag, camera bag and Kiera all in arms with Lathen carrying his backpack. We get to gate B12 when the Spirit whispered "check your flight." I step over and ask about my flight only to learn that it had been moved to F7! "WHAT?! Where is that?" Next terminal over passed the E's. As I turned around and started for F7 has fast as I could drag little Lathen he began to give up on me. I took over carrying his backpack on top of everything else I was carrying and off we went again as fast as his little legs would let me drag him. Lathen tired and hungry sounded something like this "I just want to go to Gigi's house. I don't want the airplane. Please carry me. My legs hurt. I can't make it Mommy." I encouraged him even though I started to think I wasn't going to make it! We did finally get to our gate with 3 minutes to boarding, shew. Just enough time to buy three bananas and two oatmeal cookies at the Corner Bakery in front of our gate, thank goodness for that! Yes it cost way to much, but our second flight wouldn't have any snacks at all.

Our second flight was more interesting. We had to trade sits with a nice girl who didn't mind at all. They had Lathen in a aisle and me in the aisle across from him. As we took of again he kids were thrilled and watched out the window. Soon after getting juice from the cart they have come to look for Kiera fell asleep, finally! Not long after that Lathen told me he was tired and he fell asleep too. You would think I would know better than to let Lathen down two full cups of juice, but it make him quiet and happy and the immediate gratification at the time seems so much more than him making it the entire plane ride without having to go pee. Sure enough 20 minutes into his nap he wakes with a jerk to tell me "Mommy, I have to pee." "What?! Can you hold it? We land in 15 minutes and I really want Kiera to sleep through the landing." Of course to that he answered "No, I have to pee now!" I call the flight attendant to ask if she will walk Lathen to the potty so I didn't have to wake Kiera up for it. Note that we are the second to last seat from the back and two steps from the bathroom, which I knew but also knew my three year old wasn't up for working the door. When I asked the flight attendant she gave me the most stupid look and pointed saying "Uh, it's right there." I was thinking "I know you retard, but he is THREE!" I simple replied "Yes, but he doesn't know that and he can't work the door." By then it was too late Lathen as already seen her hesitation and he wasn't going to go with her. As I attempted to lay Kiera down she woke up, of course. I sat her in the seat and buckled her up. No I wasn't going to try and fit all of us again in a smaller plane's bathroom. As I stepped away Kiera began to scream that "Oh my gosh my mother just left me" scream. There I stood, door open, son peeing, daughter screaming and me thinking "what was I thinking!" Everyone around got to listen to Lathen pee (as the door was open) in between Kiera's screams. It was great. Finally we land and I think it's almost over, haha! We even got in 20 minutes early. What did we do with 20 extra minutes, we sat and waited for our gate to clear. Yep, we sat doing nothing with nothing for the kids to look at for 20 minutes! Lathen again began to say things like "It's taking too long!" "Tell them to move." Then one of those moments happen that are only funny when they happen to other people. Lathen looks over at the nice girl that traded seats with us (who was napping) and asks "Mommy, why is the black girl sleeping?" "Uh, well Lathen she's tired." (Keep in mind his ears are stopped up and he is well LOUD). A few minutes later Lathen looks over and asks "Mommy, why is the black girl awake?" "Uh, well Lathen she isn't tired anymore." Then Lathen got this look on his face and says "Mommy, why is she black?" Imagine my panic and horror as my son now decides to try and figure out nationalities and what makes people look different. I quickly explain how we are just born with different colors of skin and then quickly changed the subject to "Who is going to hug Gigi first?" As we played this game Lathen looks over and asks "Is she going to hug Gigi?" (Yes the same nice girl who traded seats with us). I said "I don't know Lathen probably not" to which Lathen replied "Why not?" I told him that she didn't know Gigi and therefore wouldn't hug her. He seemed upset that she wouldn't hug Gigi so I told him "If she wants to hug Gigi she can." To which Lathen replied "She can't hug my Gigi!" I chuckled, the girl chuckled as we both thought this was a jealous thing over his Gigi. (my mistake). I asked Lathen why she couldn't hug his Gigi? He said "She can't hug Gigi because she might turn Gigi black." I couldn't believe it. I was so embarrassed! I tried to explain that it doesn't work that way and that isn't something we should be talking about all while I never looked up! Ugh! Thank goodness the plane began to taxi again and into the gate we went. Again it was taking too long for Lathen and he started to let the entire plane know it. So the rows in front of us laughing at Lathen's three year old mind set on time all told Lathen they could go in front of them (thank you thank you kind people). One last funny thing Lathen did was as he stood in the aisle waiting to move he looked over and began having this very adult conversation with the guys sitting there. Lathen told him all sorts of things so matter of fact you wouldn't think Lathen was making a business deal, crazy boy. Needless to say I am working on teaching Lathen about different nationalities. I never thought to talk to him about it because it's not a big deal to me (I personally never think about it), but apparently I do need to inform my kids so they understand. Any suggestions on how to do that?!