Elodie's Family

Bathroom Trip #3 of 21???

Hazel^^

"Mommy mommy, I have to go potty!"

"Again, Hazel?" Elodie looked down at her eldest adopted daughter. They had only been on the plane for two hours and already she had gone to the tiny bathroom three times.

The four year-old bobbed her head up and down, making her blond curls bounce around her shoulders.

Elodie sighed and turned to her left, where her other daughter, Ivy, who was only one, slept peacefully in her car seat. "Ok, but we have to be very, very quiet," she whispered, standing up.

"Ooh, quiet like spies!" Hazel said eagerly clambering out of her seat.

"Sshh," Hazel put her finger to her lips when the metal part of Hazel's seat buckle clapped against the floor loudly.

"Sorry!" Hazel murmured with wide blue eyes.

Elodie had to bite her lip to hold back the laugh at her daughter's funny expression. "Come on!" She held out her arms to lift her over Ivy, since the car seat took up so much space of the already cramped area. 

Carrying the little girl on her hip, Elodie made her way to the bathroom, using the chairs as support with one hand as she held Hazel with the other, thankfully they were in one of the last few rows so it wasn't far. Even so, the plane decided to lurch thanks to turbulence when she was not holding a chair and she fell forwards with both she and Hazel yelping, earning glares from the other passengers. 

"Sorry!" Elodie muttered sheepishly. Then, setting Hazel down she whispered in her ear "smile!"

Consequently Hazel's lips parted into her award-winning grin, showing off her toothless gaps in the front of her mouth. 

"Aw!" the other travelers' faces turned from ones of irritation to ones of delight. 

Sighing, Elodie smiled as well and held Hazel's hand as they continued on their way.

After what seemed like forever but was really just a few moments, they reached the small door. 
"I can go by myself, mommy," Hazel said in a grown-up voice. 

"Ok sweetie, don't be long, I'll be right out here if you need anything." Leaning against the opposite wall while she waited, Elodie closed her eyes to rest. It was 10pm, their flight had left at 8pm California time, and they still had 12 hours to go. It would be 10am California time by the time they landed in Beijing, China and met up with the girls' father aka her best friend. Since China was 15 hours ahead, it would be 1am of the next day when they arrived. 

Pushing aside thoughts of the trip, who she was meeting and the looming jet lag, Elodie focused on the plane ride ahead. So far, Hazel had gone to the bathroom three times in two hours. That meant that assuming she kept up the same rate, with 12 hours to go . . . she would make 18 more treks to the bathroom before the night was over. 

No, oh gosh, no. Elodie thought, stunned by the math. I can't do this 18 more times with everyone trying to sleep!

With a click the door unlocked and slowly swung open. "I'm done, Mom!" Hazel said happily.

"Good job honey, how about we go back and try to sleep a little ok? It's really late."

"Ok," Hazel agreed cheerfully, showing no signs of being tired or wanting to sleep. 

It was going to be a long flight.