David had a good flight to St Louis. On Tuesday, he was asking me all day to go to Missouri. When I told him he had to go to Dot's, then night time, then before the sun comes up we leave, he cried. He was ready to GO! When I woke up at 0'dark-30, to take a shower and get ready, he wanted to go in the bathroom with me while I took a shower. I just told him to go back to sleep. He was disoriented about being awake and leaving the house before "it's light out." He had to go outside and check for light before he would let me dress him. We went to the airport, and as usual, I parked on the roof, so we could watch the planes, and this time, see the sun rise. It was a beautiful morning. Could not have been more perfect. We go down, get ourselves checked in. He sees a security guard, and tells him how we're going to Missouri, in lots of detail. Funny thing about being at the airport: he suddently wanted to go back home. I just think he was scared of going on the plane. I was prepared for our trip because I had a movie for the laptop, a couple of toys, stuff to write on and write with...We ate breakfast in the airport, and played with his car. He remembered about the little play area, so we went there to play a little bit before we had to board, since he was bored. :-) Another thing about getting on the plane is that he wanted to get on the small plane, and he told me I was going to get on the big plane. And I'm not completely sure what he's talking about, but he must have thought somehow we were getting on separate planes. I'm like, "No, we're getting on the same plane." And he says, "NO! You're getting on the big plane, and I'm getting on the small plane!" So I agree, but then I end up starting over, telling him we're getting on the same plane. Can I ever win with this child? So I finally told him, once we were in the air, that the plane was shrinking, and that the sound of the flaps getting moved around (or whatever is happening with them) is what caused that. And when we got close to the airport, that the plane was getting bigger again. I'm not sure he bought it, though. I just think that the small plane is the one that he sees in the sky, and the big plane is the one on the ground. He's still not good at take-offs and landings. He gets really scared.
For entertainment on the plane, he watched "Scooby Doo Goes Hollywood" on my laptop. For sound, I used a pair of earbuds, but they didn't fit his ears well, so everytime they fell out, he would say, "Uh oh!" And I'd put them back in.
We arrived in St Louis with no problems, except that he was saying it's "scary!" as we made out descent, because it's bumpy going through the clouds. He wanted me to hold him, for him to sit on my lap, which you can't do when you're about to land. Getting off the plane, someone asked him if it's his first flight, and he said, "Yeah!" This just kills me. I want to say that he does remember going on a plane before, but I can't judge what he remembers or not... We had to have Nancy pick him up since it's so cold that Amanda was unable to make the trip up to St Louis, since there was so much ice on the ground! While we were waiting for Grandma Kenney, we went out and played in the snow. He was thrilled to see his footprints in the snow. I'm grateful to my sister's in-laws for getting him a heavy winter coat, because he needed it! It was 22 degrees when we arrived at Lambert Airport, and even though he was dressed in a long sleeved turtleneck, he said "I'm cold!" so I put the coat on him in the terminal. Then we went outside, and he was so excited! We played in the snow for a bit before Nancy got there. He went off with her very well. I'd been preparing him for this change of plans because of the cold. I'm still not completely sure when he'll be back in Tampa, but at the latest it will be January 9. I talked to Amanda for a few hours later and she said that Nancy told her that David was really enjoying the snow! When he first saw the snow from the plane he said that "They have Christmas here, too, because of the snow." So holidays in general are still location specific. We have Christmas at our house, because we decorated, and so does Dot, because she decorated, and a house down the street. And, it would seem, anywhere that has snow, has Christmas.
When Nancy arrived, she taught him a new game: he said that he can see his "breaf", and showed her, and she showed him her breath, and then said, "I got you!" And then he blew his visible breath at her and cackled with delight! "I got you!" Oh what a fun game! He was very good about going with her. He'll have a lot of fun with his grand-parents and Aunt Marissa.
Saturday we went to dinner with my mother for her birthday. David behaved very well, for a 3 year old. :-) After the dinner we went to Dade City, FL, about 30 minutes or so north of Tampa, for a "Christmas Stroll", and we had fun seeing the different shops, and a bluegrass quartet, and general walking around with all the other people being there. His cousins were there, at the dinner and the Christmas Stroll thing, and we had a blast. At the end of the night, he wanted to find the horses (since there were carriage rides with horses) to tell them good night. So we went looking, but they were already gone.
David knows the name of the condition with his hand: Ectrodactyly. He says it pretty well. So when you ask him what's wrong with his hand, he says, "Ectrodactyly." My mom thought that was something else! She got a kick out of the fact that he knows, and says it. The idea is that it will befuddle anyone who asks, and hopefully they leave him alone about it. We'll just have to see. There's a kid at Gabrielle's Glen who already gives David some grief, by saying "My Daddy!" when he sees me, and of course David doesn't want anyone else to claim me, so he says, "MY DADDY!"
One of the days we were watching Curious George he repeated the way Dr. John (who sings the theme song) says "George" in his accent: J-oh-ge ... long O in the middle, and no R sound.
On Sunday we went to Walgreens to pick up a few things, and David became my defender. A man asked me for some money, and David said to him, very sternly, "NO! He's busy with me! And..." said a few more things about how we were getting presents and such. I hadn't really said anything to the guy except, "No, I can't."
We had Christmas for David on Sunday. He got some really cool toys! He got a Sponge Bob video game that comes in a single console/controller combo, two Scooby Doo movies, some clothes, some character stuff from the movie Cars, bubbles, a magnadoodle (which he was asking me how to write his name on), the Polar Express on DVD and the book, a digital Schrek watch, and a few other knick-knacks. He had a lot of fun, and had a good Christmas here. Just a bit early, though.
He had a cough again...and we did a nebulizer treatment. "Nebeewizer" It's becoming a weekly occurrence.
Monday night he would not go to sleep! He was just wide awake, and wide awake, and wide awake. He had a fever, so I gave him some children's ibuprofen, which brought his fever down. Not sure what it was, but he did sleep, eventually.
So that's it. It's been not quite a year, and what a year it's been. I'm sending this last edition of 2008 early, since David's now safely with his mother, and everything about this week is still so fresh in my mind.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Rusty
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