Sometimes I Write

Benny and I take turns taking our children on dates. One parent with one child doing something fun together. Today it was my turn with Zoe. We had to be at DIA (Denver International Airport) by 10:30 a.m. to get Cassandra checked in. I was surprised at how many minors fly alone. Cassandra is 16, so traveling alone isn’t really a problem, but there were a lot of younger children being checked in who would be flying with a flight attendant’s extra attention and picked up by an adult at their destination. (Is this normal Jetty Betty?) Because Cassandra is a minor, Zoe and I were able to receive special passes to get us through security and wait at her gate with her until she boarded. It was hard to see her go – I’m so glad she was able to spend the week with us.

So, Zoe had a blast today! DIA is a great place for a Mommy/Zoe date. Everything was a thrill for my almost three year old. She loved riding the escalator, pushing the buttons in the elevator, eating at Burger King, smiling at strangers, playing our family kissing game with Cassandra while we waited for her flight, and most of all, she LOVED riding the train. DIA has an underground tram system that takes you from the main part of the terminal to your concourse. The train has poles you hang on to while standing during the ride except for the very front and back. There is a long seat there and a gentleman gave up his seat so Zoe could sit in the front window of the train. The smile and look on her face during that short trip was priceless. I saw in her eyes the wonder of moving that fast towards an unseen destination. I delighted in her giggle as we passed an artisans work that was lit up by colored lights, and she said, “look mommy! Pretty!”. I held her close as we came to our stop and she looked up at me and said, “Can we go again?”

Zoe is a bundle of energy. She skips instead of walks, spontaneously lets go of my hand so she can twirl around, and all the while is singing a song that only she knows the words to. It’s awesome! I smiled so much today that it made me aware of how little I smile most of the time. I’m going to work on that.

Oh, our family kissing game? I hold her (or her brothers) on my lap with her facing me. She tries to kiss me on the cheek, but I turn my head just in time to catch the kiss on my lips instead. All of our children love this and they laugh and laugh while they try to hold my head in place. I keep taunting them to aim for my cheek, then don’t let them succeed until one of us is ready to quit the game. Thanks to Aunt Laurie for teaching us that one!