Learning to Fly

Our trip out to Utah was the first time ever for Luke to fly in an airplane. And boy was it was riveting!

Luke at the beginning of the first plane ride from Tampa to Phoenix:



Luke at the end of the plane ride from Tampa to Phoenix:



Yeah, he learned for himself that almost 4 hours in the air can get pretty darn boring.

But, once we got to Phoenix, things got a little bit more exciting for him. Since I refused to pay any extra money to check any bags, each of us got one rolling pilot case for the trip, which we each had to carry. Including Luke. No special treatment for him on that one. So he was a total trooper and gladly carried the suitcase that was, as about 28 people pointed out, "as big as he is!" He literally cleared a path in the very crowded Phoenix airport all on his own as people would see him lugging his suitcase and get out of his way to smile and make comments to him about how strong and tough he was. (I am sure those same people thought me and Jacob were total slave-labor jerks, but everyone pulls their weight in this family, dangit!) Anyway, his popularity came to a head at the gate as we waited in line to board the plane when a spanish man speaking broken English asked if his girlfriend could take a picture of Luke. She was Asian and told me that Luke was "very cute" and needed a picture. So we told Luke to smile and he enjoyed his .15 seconds of fame. And Cindy immensely enjoyed when I would refer to this experience as his "run in with the paparazzi." That was as close to a Barbie movie as her life was ever going to get.


The flight home wasn't any more exciting, however. Exhibit A:



And finally, the award for Best Cookies during the trip is awarded to two different places, the first being The Fairfield Inn at 45th South where we stayed all week and the second being on Frontier Airlines from Denver to Tampa. Free delicious cookies! It's such a simple thing, isn't it? The American public is so easily won over, I am puzzled why there aren't free cookies at all the places we spend our money. You're charging me what for a cramped airline flight that doesn't even have me sitting with my own children? And it's HOW MUCH to bring a suitcase bigger than a loaf of bread? Wait- FREE COOKIES??! Nevermind, you guys are awesome.