Trip to Ottawa

Charlie and took a trip to Ottawa today from Chicago for a 5 day R&R. It' s american thanksgiving and an excuse to hang out with the all Charlie's cousins.

Our plans are big, visit the air museum with grandpa, go skating, see a hockey game and get as much time in with Kevin and Derek as possible - Charlie's words not mine ;-)

Mom was with us at the airport before takeoff since she was on her way to Toronto to meet up with with Tante TT for a trip to Bahamas for their own R&R. It was a bit of separation anxiety but I was able to contain it with distractions such as pilots, dogs and general swinging him around.

Charlie was pretty funny since there's a Starbucks down in that area of the terminal and he asked for money from me and could have ordered the 'chai latte' on his own with no problems, he's a pro at that phrase and imitates it quite often throughout the days and nights.

Now, this was the first flight he was really genuinely excited about. He just couldn't wait, and was always wondering why the plane wasn't there and why we hadn't taken off yet. Very anxious. The rest of the plane was pretty much asking the same questions as he was for example we'd be all settled in and just waiting at the gate (we took off over an hour late) he'd say, why aren't we leaving? when are we leaving? Of course, his voice carried throughout the front seats and the people I could hear would respond "Ya, why aren't we leaving?". It was funny and he was very well spoken about it (not whinny just inquisitive).

Once we took off he fell asleep and was out for the rest of the flight. We got the bulkhead which means that while in his car seat he wasn't squashed in at all and plenty of room to kick back and sleep (a mistake we made on an earlier flight where we were extremely squashed in in one of the back rows of a previous trip to Ottawa...without Mom that time as well).

When we landed he woke up with plenty of questions where Mom was and if on one side of the plane was Ottawa and the other Toronto. Don't think he understood my explanation. The funniest part is that I only speak french to him and at times they are words he hasn't heard before and i know it, so he just keeps asking me why and looks at me puzzled. Funny, but i refused to kick in English (since that's how he learnt the English words in the first place!).

I did manage to read a lot of my Lonely Planet for Israel while he snored in my one ear.

At customs we got pulled over by the guy to another area to have Charlie's documents further checked. I guess the guy didn't like the sticky note that Eileen scribbled just before we left. No one had questioned us in the past, and as the guy said in the back, there is no legal requirement to have letters certified or notarized for having a parent bring a child to Canada. Oh well, it only took a moment to get through. I think in the future I won't have Charlie talk to the gate agent and we'll get an 8.5x11 sheet of the same note from Eileen. It was just a fluke however, i'm sure.

Uncle Matt was waiting for us on the other side and for 15 minutes that's all I heard from Charlie, was that he wanted to leave that side room (so did I) and go see Uncle Matt, then when he saw Uncle Matt, he was shy. Funny.

Anyways, Charlie loved Memere's tub, it had bubbles and those jet sprays and he just didn't want to get out (although bath time he typically never wants to get out at the best of times).