Back from the beach!

Yesterday was the end of our yearly trip to the beach. We had a really wonderful time hanging out with the other 4 families and seeing how much all the kids had grown in a year. No one got sunburned and all the kids took turns freaking out and requiring a little time away... a total success in my book.

Our return flight was to be expected in this day and age of flying. The flight from RDU to Charlotte was completely packed and when I checked in I saw that I had three seats for me and the boys in three different rows. Obviously this wasn't going to work as I was the only person who wanted to sit next to a 4 and 6 year old, but the ticket agent was powerless to help. She recommended I try the gate agent.

The gate agent was surprised and dismayed.. not at my predicament, but in my insistence in asking her to help. She sniffed and said that this was a problem for the flight attendant to sort out. (how crazy of me!)

On the plane we easily sorted it out by being the last to board and loudly proclaiming when we got on that "we are seated all over this plane". People dove out of their seats when faced with a 4 year old in a pink tiara with matching shoes and bag. We ended up sitting at the back of the plane with the transferring flight attendants and pilots. P sat next to a very nice (and hopefully junior, he was quite young!) pilot who was nice enough to answer all of his questions about the plane. P was very interested in the timing of when we had to put our trays and seats up and down, when he could and couldn't get out his Barbie computer, what that ding was, etc. The Stewardess behind us was interested in teasing P about his tiara and threatening to take it for herself. I'd like to see her in a fight with a determined 4 year old, but happily her teasing was just that. She did spend a lot of time telling the pilot seated behind me all about how much she loved getting drunk on 6th street, and proceeded to tell J how sure she was that his mommy did too once upon a time. Ah, I love it when people project.

Incredibly, the next flight from Charlotte to Austin was exactly the same, seats everywhere, people gleefully moving to get away from the kids, surly flight attendants sitting in the back row gossiping about the passengers...(this is a direct quote) "If they expect to sit together, they should have gone online and reserved their seats ahead of time" and the inevitable judgy question "I just have to ask, why is he wearing a tiara?"

To which I reply "He loves princesses, don't you?"