This Thanksgiving was our first long distance trip outside the state of Texas to go see Nana and Papa in South Carolina. It was Jackson's first flight, and Riley's first flight she was actually aware of. Needless to say we were anxious for days (weeks and months) leading up to that flight. We chose a shorter flight to Atlanta that gave us a longer drive once we landed just to get off that plane as soon as possible. Foresight was just as good as hindsight on that choice, as it was obviously the right decision. The flight to Atlanta was worrisome at first, because Jackson was his usual full-throttle self and showed no signs of being calm for the 2 hour flight ahead. Luckily once we made it to cruising altitude I got up and walked/rocked him at the very back of the plane (where our seats were) and got him to sleep. After that it was smooth sailing for the remainder of the flight.
After picking up our rental car, a white Charger which Riley fell in love with and referred to by name, "Charger" ("Daddy, I like Charger"), we were on our way. Nana and Papa were very excited to see the kids (and us too of course) finally christening their house with all of the running around, cries, screams, dirty diapers, and of course lots of laughter that comes with the territory of a three and (almost) one year old.
Thanksgiving Day was somewhat testy though. Riley, thanks to a lack of naps lately, was in rare form, and took every opportunity to show just how many of our buttons she could push in one day. But at least she did eat some actual Thanksgiving food this time, even if it was not very much. Jackson on the other hand was a pro at this Thanksgiving stuff. He gobbled up turkey, dressing, and a few green beans. He is an eating machine with a healthy appetite for all kinds of food and lots of it. Aside from an eating machine, he made a little progress toward becoming a walking machine while we were there. He took three steps without holding on to anything, so that's at least a step in the right direction.
One of the bonuses of this trip was the kids having a chance to meet relatives from back east whom they never knew existed. And even if they may not necessarily remember everyone, it was still nice for them to finally meet. I was especially happy that they got to meet my cousin Michael, who has always been the closest thing to a brother that I have ever had. And it was almost as if Riley sensed that (even though I am sure she didn't) because he got a very warm greeting as Riley walked up and gave him a big hug right after I did. Not that anyone received a cold greeting, because both kids warmed up to everyone they met pretty easily. Of course Jackson was not as sure about everything as Riley was, but that will change in time just as it did with her. It was very nice to see my Uncle Robbie...Susan and Maxie (huge thanks for the crib!)...Annette...Walter Lee and his family...and a quick hello to Paul at his store. Hopefully next time we can see a few we didn't get a chance to this time around.
All trips must come to an end though, and on Saturday it was time to return home. Luckily we got out of the state just in time, as Clemson got hammered by South Carolina (again). The nice part about that disaster was that I could wake up in the state of Texas...not one South Carolina fan to listen to. :) There's something to be said for that in my world after a loss like that.
Riley did not want to leave "Charger", but she said her goodbyes and we were off to the terminal. The flight home was not quite as smooth as the first one. This time around Jackson did not sleep. So we had two hours and ten minutes of wrestling him, trying to keep him somewhat interested in any and everything we could think of. It was challenging to say the least. But all in all I suppose it was not too bad, and not nearly as bad as it could have been. At least we were at the very back of the plane (both times), and had all the food and drink we could carry, so we had done all we could to avert any disasters. But hearing "We will be landing in 25 minutes" was almost like hearing an angel singing, because we could see the light at the end of the tunnel and knew we were almost back on the ground. Of course Riley chose that moment, when the flight was almost over, to take her nap. She slept through a choppy landing and everyone departing around us, as we were the last ones to leave the plane.
After I spoke to my Mom later in the day she noted how quiet and empty their house felt after having had a couple of little ones running around for several days. But we will be back sooner than three years this time, so the noise, fun, and pure insanity also known as Riley and Jackson will return soon enough (hopefully in July to our family reunion). It was a very good visit for all and we hope to see all again in the not-so-distant future.
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