Ski Lodge

2// Where Do I Sit?

Sunday, December 26th

Reader, Christmas came and past, and my mother never gave up on this trip. She presented the whole thing to my father like a Christmas gift, and my grandparents, who had been at our house for Christmas dinner, had readily approved of the trip. They get to house sit our mansion with a pool and a hot tub and an indoor movie theater while we're gone!

So now it is December 26th, and I am sitting in the airport on an unusually hot winter day in Texas on my cell phone with six excitable adults, two young children, and my mortal enemy... I mean Emmett Becker.

In between rounds of my sudoku, I look up to see Weston and Laura playing Angry Birds on their iPad. They look so calm and considerate of each other, especially compared to the tooth and nail sibling fight that I'd had to break up when we were scrambling to find our terminal. Dr's Greene decided they would separate the youngsters on the flight just in case.

"Flight 1632 will be boarding soon" the lady at the front desk says over the intercom.

"Trish honey," my mom pokes my arm, "did you pack gum? You know I always get those dreadful earaches whenever we go on planes."

"No, but I can go get some from that little shop we passed if you lend me five bucks. Stuff is expensive here," I sigh.

"Ok, take Laura with you, because her mom said she needed to go to the bathroom before we get on the plane," my mom smiles innocently as if that's not her purpose for asking me for gum.

"No problem, mom," I smile, getting up from my seat and taking Laura's hand.

"Weston said that you can see the ocean from planes, so I'm going to sit by the window and see the ocean," Laura states.

"I don't think we are going over an ocean," I reply.

"But it's a plane," Laura says determinedly, as if being in a plane automatically means we'll be going over an ocean.

"Well," I smile, "you'll have to keep watch then."

She smiles up at me as if I've just given her the greatest responsibility in the world. Kids are adorable.

"Weston isn't going to sit next to me because my mom thinks we'd get into a fight again."

"You probably would," I laugh.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean we don't love each other and don't want to sit next to each other and stuff."

"You are very insightful for a seven year..."

"Can I buy candy?" she interrupts me, pointing to some candy bracelets sitting next to the gum at the store counter by the bathroom.

"Go to the bathroom, and I'll buy the candy and meet you right here. Don't go anywhere else," I say sternly but smiling.

Her little gel shoes squeak on the laminate floor as she skips to the bathroom, almost as if they are as happy to be getting a candy bracelet as she is.

I grab a small chocolate bar for Weston as well, and after paying the clerk, I meet back up with Laura who is holding a shiny quarter she found on the bathroom floor.

"That's gross," I look at it cross-eyed as she holds it five inches from my face.

"It's my lucky penny," she grins, "I found it on the floor next to my stall, and I crawled under the wall, and the lady on the other side screamed, and then I crawled back, and left the stall, and washed my hands and the penny."

"Wow," I say debating whether or not I should tell Dr Greene that story, "also, that's a quarter."

"Really?" She holds it back to her face, "How much is a quarter?"