It's Spring Break! Normally we would plan a trip somewhere to do something, but we've been pretty busy with gymnastics and other travel these last couple months. Still with a week of downtime, the kids certainly would want to have something going on. Theresa had the thought, why not head out to Colorado since it's Avery's spring break too? The kids would love to play together.
Hmm, what if though, instead of everyone going to Colorado, it was just the kids... Theresa and I could do some tropical and warm destination while Ian and Alli went to stay with their grandparents for the week! I think that's a great plan! We check with Gram and Pop Pop and they were totally all for it!
But how would the kids feel? They've been on plenty of planes in their lifetime, but never traveled alone before. Interestingly, at 12, Ian is not considered an unaccompanied minor anymore and can go through security and up to the gate all by himself. And he's allowed to accompany his 10 year old sister too, without anyone else from the airlines keeping track of them! Yikes! They're really growing up, aren't they!
We aren't going to make them do that though. We'll go through security and walk them to the gate.
And so, we were at the airport super early, knowing the other spring break crowds might make it busy. That and the backups at TSA meant we didn't know how early we needed to be there.
Nice. Barely any wait at all. We got to the gate with plenty of time.
Oh wow! Look at the plane that's coming for you two! It's painted like the Colorado State flag!
That's fate! Gotta get a picture!
Time to line up!
I gave each of them a disposable cell phone, just in case. There's always a chance that the flight might get diverted to another airport. They scanned their boarding passes and were down the jet bridge! They brought bags of Ghirardelli chocolates for each of the flight attendants. Gotta make a good impression. They got help putting their bags in the overhead bin, and settled into their seats for the long flight from Florida to Colorado. They even got a shout-out from the Southwest crew for bringing them treats.
We watched the flight tracker as they made their way to Denver. It was a beautiful day there, so we didn't expect any issues.
And there's the picture from Gram at the gate! They've arrived! And look who else decided to surprise them at the airport. Avery!
Driving back home for a fun-filled week!
Dinner tonight? Homemade pasta with Pop Pop. They rolled out the dough and fed it through the pasta cutter.
The kids were questioning why they needed to bring their dress-up clothes to Colorado. Gram has a special surprise for them. They've had many tea parties hosted by Gram, but today they're going to a real tea party at a castle! Miramont Castle in Manitou Springs is open year round for tours and high tea.
They all dined in The Queen's Parlor.
Everyone looking very fancy and dressed quite proper.
Very nice.
Yum!
They had fun on their outing. Thanks Gram and Pop Pop!
We facetimed each other most nights while they were there. Avery got to sleep over the entire week!
The kids all got to help out at the library where both Gram and Pop Pop volunteer at the book shop. They sort through donations, shelf them, and keep the whole thing organized. They were called to go pick up a collection of puzzles from a donor and came back with over 100! Wow!
The local YMCA has partnered with the city to have a big water park inside it. The kids doing their swim test to make sure they can run around un-accompanied.
Got the bracelet! Good to go! They had such a fun time playing and were very tired that night.
Alli's turn to pick dinner tonight. She chose Cuban. The girl loves her grilled chicken, rice, and beans.
Cuban sandwich for Ian please.
Playing The Game of Life. It doesn't matter who is in the lead for the whole game. At the end, when one person can put all their money on 1 number from the 12 numbered wheel, there's always the chance for an upset. Pop Pop pulled off just such an upset tonight.
Checking out a new Asian market with ramen bowls.
All too soon, the week was over and it was time to come back to Florida. Gram had them line up to see how much they're going to grow between now and the next time they get together.
They've had a really fun week playing together with everyone! Thanks Avery!
Then it was off to the airport with Gram and Pop Pop, with a stop for lunch along the way.
Riding the train with Gram.
Off they go!
We'll see you soon kids!
No comments:
Post a Comment