Tommy's Thanksgiving Debut

I wish I could get back to writing on a more regular basis now that I'm feeling a little more normal. There have been many cool family outings to parks and such that I've just not recapped because I can't seem to find the time to write. We went to Bernal Heights to look at an apartment there last weekend and spent some time in Precita Park that was totally fun. I love Bernal Heights - almost as much as Glen Park. If we are going to stay in the city due to work and school, I am going to pray that we find a good place there when the time is right. Both of those neighborhoods are so excellent. Glen Park has a little bit more small town feel to it. Bernal Heights has more cultural diversity (in a good way). Either one would be a such a perfect compromise - a great place to raise children while still living in the city. Of course you pay a premium for that and I know that for $2000 per month we are only going to be able to afford an aparment or flat instead of the house that we have now, but in order to have a 3 bedroom house in a good neighborhood in San Francisco, you better be prepared to fork over about $2500 per month and we just can't afford that right now.

Anyway, I'm digressing. We also had a great outing at Candlestick point a few Sundays back that I never got to recap. I hate to think of losing those precious memories. Weekends are so much fun, I just wish I didn't have to work so many of them.

But I better cut to the chase as they say, because I am totally wiped out after a day of travel and I want to get this down before I fall out. Tommy is having a rough adjustment tonight from all the traveling today, time changes, and different environment, and he is not sleeping well. I'm going to run in and comfort him, I'll be right back...

...he's better for the moment, but I think it's going to be a tough night for him, so I'm going to have to make this as quick as possible.

Yesterday I spent (of course) running around like a chicken without a head trying to get everything done. I was going to try to make Emmett a cake to eat today since he would be spending Thanksgiving alone, but I just ran out of time. I did, however, manage to make a nice dinner in the wok - scallops, snow peas and mushrooms in a ginger butter sauce. It was really yummy - I managed to get the sauce right this time and it wasn't too overpowering with the ginger flavor like last time. It was very good. I got us all packed and then Emmett and I started watching a movie, "In the Name of the Rose", I think it is called. I was sitting there thinking that everytime I pack ahead of time and think that I'm all on top of things is ALWAYS when I forget the most important things. I'm just one of those people that for some reason functions better when I'm running around like a maniac at the last minute. I hate it. This time was no exception.

I got everything ready and we got up at 5:30am this morning to get out the door early so that Thomas and I would make our 8:15am flight with plenty of time to spare. The flight was out of Oakland. We had just crossed the Bay Bridge and were within spitting distance of the airport when we realized we had forgotten the stroller. This would mean having to get Thomas all the way through the airport and through a two hour layover in Atlanta without anyway to control him, even for a few minutes. It was a challenge, but I discovered that it is doable at this point where it was a complete disaster a year ago when I tried it when I went to visit my Grandma in Michigan. He was reasonable and when he wanted to drag his heels I managed to convince him that if he didn't get back up and keep moving he was going to be in BIG trouble and/or get a spanking. We don't spank very often, but I guess often enough that Tommy knows what a spanking is and it seems to be a pretty good deterrent at this point. I felt bad for him at one point. We had gotten through the security checkpoint at Oakland and walked 15 gates to our gate. When I went to board the plane I realized that I had left my passport and boarding pass in the bin at the security checkpoint. I just about came unglued because I knew that anyone could pick those things up and use them. My biggest fear was that they wouldn't get turned in and the security would shut down the whole damn airport to hunt down my stuff so that someone didn't use it to board a plane illegally. That would screw up countless people's Thanksgiving holiday because I got too flustered and upset going through security and didn't manage to get all my sh*t together. Ugh. As it turned out, after practically dragging Tommy back the 15 gates (we were also limited on time), it was reasonably easy to get the stuff back. They had been turned in and I just had to go the Oakland police kiosk and give them my info and we were back in business.

The flight was uneventful. Overall it is so much nicer having Tommy have his own seat. Having that extra space is so wonderful. Also, it is nice that he is so much more interactive that we can read books, sing and just generally interact during the flight to keep him distracted. He slept about an hour, too, so that helped. We only had one episode where he got mad about something and screamed at the absolute top of his lungs. I know every single person on that flight heard him. It woke up about 4 rows of people. I was so embarassed. But I manged to get him to stop with more threats. Ugh.

We got to Atlanta and had plenty of time to kill there, so I took him to Sbarro and got a pizza turnover thing which I thought was a pretty yummy Thanksgiving dinner but Tommy didn't like it too much because it had a TON of pepperoni. Afterwards I decided we would get a special airport Thanksgiving dessert, but I wanted to get to our gate first. We had to ride a train to get to the other terminal. Tommy seemed to like that.

We stopped at what seemed to be a pretty nice place for an airport, something with a French name, Petit something or other and got a slice of Oreo cheesecake, which I was something I thought that Tommy and I could agree on. I really wanted a yummy dessert for the holiday and I knew that if I was eating it, Tommy would insist. That having been said, Tommy doesn't get much sugar and the effect was amazing. His already energetic level soared to new heights. He was running around everywhere and I was working like a maniac to keep up with him and also hold on to our two carry on bags and my purse while we were at the gate for over an hour waiting to board our plane. It was taxing, but I should add that at least he was listening to me when I was getting angry. He did not throw any major tantrums. All in all I considered it a success.

Which brings me to the best part of the story and the real reason that I made the extra effort to write this blog in spite of Tommy's having a rough night and also my being completely exhausted.

I figured that we would be the first to board the plane, being that Tommy is under 5. So as soon as they started making announcements overhead, I collected our things and headed to the gate entrance. The lady who was making the overhead announcement was standing there waiting for the plane to let her know to start boarding people. Apparently she had seen Tommy and I in the hallway because she beckoned to Tommy, wanting him to come over to her. Tommy, being the social butterfly that he is, ran over to her. She picked him up and was holding him on her hip. She said, "I heard you in the hallway singing the ABC's. Can you sing them again right now?" With that she held the microphone up to his mouth. Yes, that's right. The microphone that broadcasts the boarding rows to that entire area of the terminal. Tommy belts it out, the whole song, from start to finish without pause. The kid definitely does not have a fear of audiences. When he finished, "Now I know my ABC's, next time won't you...sing...WITH...ME", there was so much cheering and whistling, it wasn't till that moment that I realized just how many people had heard him. Definitely in the hundreds, since it was a full flight to begin with and everyone was waiting to board. It was absolutely adorable. I can't tell you how many people commented on it. He was like the celebrity of the moment, that's for sure. I was torn between feeling completely embarassed at us being such a spectacle and being so proud of him.

The second flight was uneventful. It was only 1 hour and 15 minutes and Tommy spent most of it drawing with his crayons. He didn't seem to recognize my Mom and Jerry right away, but warmed up to them very quickly. Once we got here to the house he once again has begun obsessing about the cat and also remembered where the toys were, so he does seem to have some recollection.

Well, better run...he is up now and the only way I'm going to get him to sleep I think is to make him a bottle and let him sleep with me. Too much excitement and adventure for one day.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Love,
Melissa