My four kids are all grown up but this brings back so many memories of stuff we/they all did and now we have the grandchildren and are back to it all in reality!

Thank you so much for giving me a really good laugh on a wet grey afternoon

She and I chatted for a bit during boarding. She was returning to Seattle on a solo parenting trip, and said that the kids had done very well.

JINX.

The whole ride back, the supremely overly tired baby alternated between crying and screaming. And her preschooler, having no awareness of his poor mother’s situation, alternated between demanding and meltdown mode.

I believe at one point, the older boy must have soiled himself in some way. And to deal with it, the mother relented to the kindness of the stranger behind her in the bathroom line, who offered to hold the baby while the wardrobe change occurred. It took a very, very long time. And seated in the last row of the plane as we were — right in front of the bathroom — my husband and I could hear everything going on in their bathroom.

When she finally emerged with her eldest in a new set of clothes, the flight attendants had to close the restroom. I can only imagine the state of the place.

Meanwhile, the baby, the poor baby who was so SUPER tired yet unable to sleep (probably because of the vibes from his super stressed out mother), had nearly fallen asleep in the stranger’s arms. But he roused himself promptly upon his mother’s return, and recommenced the wailing.

My kids were great travelers on this trip. My eldest even pulled his wheeled carry-on through the airport himself. And I AM SO THANKFUL. But for the grace of God, you know?