And they are OFF!

I just returned from the airport.
I put Maxwell and my niece on a plane to go to Washington DC with my mom, for a week.

This is an exciting adventure for them, but a tiny bit nerve jangling for me and my brother. As interactions with my mother go, this was largely very smooth.

In fact it was all feeling a bit too good to be true until my brother phoned me at 8:00pm to tell me that I needed to meet him at the check in counter at 9:30am so that we only had to pay the unaccompanied minor charge once, since they will honor it for up to three children traveling together.

WHAT?

What charge?

Maxwell has been flying alone for five years and there has never been a charge.

It seems that this airline, charges $75 for children flying alone.

Oh, good thing I know, since I don't usually carry $$$ on me, and I had not deposited my paycheck into my account, and I had just paid a big dental bill and was down to my last $50 or so in the bank... nice.

and why are we checking in at 9:30am for a 10:00am flight?

Oh, right, that is how my brother likes to do things- on the fly, at the last moment, without a plan.

Nein Danke,
not for me.

"Ummmm, I am really not comfortable with that plan. I would rather pay the full price and get there early and not be rushed or stressed."

It seems he had not made any childcare arrangements for his younger child, who had to be at school at 8:45, and they live (on a good day without traffic) an hour away from Portland.

OOOPS!

As a rule I am not what you would call a calm person, and yesterday was a really ratty day, and by 8:00pm, I was sort of burned out, and naturally I became a bit upset over the pressure to meet at 9:30.

Eventually I asked Mark to deal with the plan, and I went to pick Maxwell up from karate practice.

When I returned it was all ironed out and we agreed to meet at 8:30, and if they were not there by 8:45, I was to leave and go through security.

And it all worked out well enough.

Naturally, because I had insisted on being early, there was not a soul in the airport and we had tons of time to wait around.

We got to walk on the people movers and eat bagels (that were NOT good at all!)

My brother got to lecture me about being overly polite, and overly concerned about other people, and being overly nervous,
all of which makes me nervous as hell.

All because I kept insisting that the children stand on one side of the other of the aisles, so that people walking faster could pass easily.

"Heidi, why do you care so much about those people?"

ummm, it's called being polite??

anyway we got through it and while I will most likely not sleep for the next week, until his is safely back in his own bed, I am glad that Maxwell gets to have a cool vacation, because god knows his parents are never going to get it together to leave town anytime soon.