Thanksgiving With Aunt Kathy
Greetings and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
This year we flew into Phoenix to feast with my sister, Xavier's Aunt Kathy. It was Xavier's first plane flight, not to mention his first time in Arizona.
Xavier did exceptional on the plane. We had no idea what to expect. We packed a milk bottle for him to drink from as we took off. A mother with a newborn of her own handed us a lollipop; it's the trick she uses with her three-year old who sat in front of Xavier (her newborn she breast fed during takeoff).
The takeoff and climb did not bother Xavier, who had already drank his milk and sucked his lollipop to nothing before the plane left the gate. It was the descent which he found difficult. It was the stereotypical screaming you always hear on a plane. Since no flight attendant was around (they were all belted in their own seats), we lifted Xavier up so he could watch us land (he had the window seat). Looking out the window distracted him from the discomfort in his ears and he went quiet, except for oohs, aahs and "thats".
In preparation for the trip, Rebecca took Xavier shopping for his own luggage. Xavier loved it, wheeling it around both airports like a champion! And it you tried to assist him, he would slap away your hand and yell "No!"
Xavier loved Aunt Kathy's place. She has four cats, and Xavier chased them around the house; they got little rest. He also crawled through their kitty tunnel (a collapsible five-foot fabric tube) for sport.
Interestingly enough, Xavier had Pink Eye (which started manifesting Tuesday, the day before the flight; as a gift, he shared it with Rebecca) and it forced us to find a Little Clinic to get an exam and some eye drops. During the exam, it was discovered he also had an infection in both ears. Glory to God that was caught, or the flight home may not have been so nice.