Priorities
Posted By jayna on January 10, 2012
Every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday you can stand back and watch a flurry of activity coming from our house. Constantly late, we rush out the door, trailing bookbags and diaperbags and lunchboxes. Seatbelts and latches and buckles are done up, one by hurried one. Away we go as the car slowly begins to heat up, with the temperature gauge slowly rising as the sun glints off the hood.
E’s school is just 10 minutes away, but the drive takes us past an array of sights. Turning out of our neighborhood, we can see the sun rising above the mountain range behind our house. Another turn and we’re in a shopping mecca, passing early morning Starbucks drinkers and minivans on their way to Target. Around the bend and over the hill and we catch the fog lifting from the other mountain range. Twists and turns bring pastures full of cows, dense woods and more stunning views of our favorite mountains. We pass century farms, decrepit trailers and multimillion dollar developments. Each of the landmarks, the girls know by heart. Their favorite, hands down, is the airport.
Ever since we began this route in the fall, Miss E has been dreaming of flying on an airplane.Each drive is full of hope that that will be the day one lands over our heads. She’s dropped off her daddy, flying to far away places and heard her mother complain of jealousy. She has wistfully watch them climb into the air, weaving stories of destinations and declaring her future itineraries. Airplanes, to her, are full of magic and mystery and grow-up wonder.
Her 5th birthday is coming up this spring. One day, during our drive home, she turned to me and asked if she could fly on an airplane when she turns 5. Knowing this would something easy to work out, I enthusiastically agreed. We could hop on a commuter to DC or meet the rest of the family in Ohio. Easy peasy. Ever since then – for months now, we’ve had a standing conversation about how wonderful it will be to fly in an airplane when she turns five. Over and over and over again.
Today, we rounded the last turn and saw the magnificent sight of a plane taking off from beside us and soaring over our roof. Once again, birthday talk started. She wants to fly on an airplane and it will be so awesome and it is the only thing she has ever wanted and she can’t wait to be five so she can fly! I looked back in the rear view mirror and casually mentioned that if she got to fly somewhere for her birthday, that would be her only present, as plane tickets are very expensive, leaving no room for new toys and clothes and books.
*stunned silence*
*eye-balling in the mirror to make sure I’m serious*
And then she came up with her response . . .
“I think I need to be six to fly on an airplane.”
OHHHH I Love her!!!!
What a cute story! She’s so reasonable! My son keeps saying that he wants to drive a motorcycle when he turns 5. By himself. This scares me.