Tuesday, June 12, 2007

The road goes ever on and on…

You’d think that getting to sit on one’s behind for twenty-one hours wouldn’t leave one drained, but it does. Curiously so. I tried to sleep on the plane, but for aforementioned reasons, that didn’t happen.

Kina sat with me on the first flight. Our most common exchange began with her saying, “I’m bored.” I suspect that Kina exists in a constant state of boredom, requiring ever increasing stimuli to remain out of it. Either that, or she’s not happy unless she can constantly move around, and on an airplane, that just isn’t happening.

In between flights we continued our brilliant track record of still-sitting. The kids and I took a few walks around the concourse (where Kina noticed that our flight would be delayed… maybe letting her move around is a good idea). We ate something like lunch.

By lunchtime I had noticed a distinct pattern: Victor is a rambunctious little guy, but he doesn’t have to do anything to irritate his sisters. He just has to exist near them. And by near them, I mean within the greater metropolitan area in which they reside. It made me sad, because I love those girls, and I hate to see them being mean.

Anyway, I mentioned this observation to Dave after lunch. He sighed, then said, “yeah. It’s like that. I like to think of it as good training for marriage, though.” Heh.

Though at some point my resolve shall surely fail me, I have not yelled at any of the kids yet. It is difficult not to do so in some instances (“yes, we need to walk down the concourse. No, I will not drag you by your arm.”), but not particularly so. Andrea and Dave have really raised them well, and they are easy to like. They make parenting look much more rewarding than I imagine it for myself.

An example: It’s midnight (EST) on the plane, and Victor sits next to me, trying to sleep. He looks over at me and says, “Aren’t you going to sleep?” No, I say. I’m going to read. “Oh. Can I sleep on you?” Of course you can, buddy. So here’s this little kid, curled up on my lap with a couple of airline pillows and blankets, hugging my arm. “I love you, Jerry*”, he says, then he nods off** for a few hours.

I am sure that I have done this with both of my parents on several occasions, and they have explained how they feel about it. And I have shrugged it off. But at this moment, it is so unbearably clear to me. Who wouldn’t want one of these? Who wouldn’t want several?




*He calls me Jerry sometimes, rather than my name. He says I can call him Tom. I’m not sure I like what that implies about our relationship.

**Which completely cut off the circulation to my foot. You should have seen me trying to reposition his head periodically so I wouldn’t have to amputate.

3 comments:

jul said...

hi bug. we read your blog. sounds like you're having a wonderful time. we're at my apt. dad says i really need a couch. we're gonna eat a "big bowl of something that's not dead" and watch some of the ball game.
we love you and miss you.
xoxo
jul and dad

Craig said...

"I suspect that Kina exists in a constant state of boredom"... very amusing.

Digger said...

I'm re-reading your blog today - my patient is resting comfortably and so I have free time.

About the Tom and Jerry commnet....actually travel can be an altered existance....not unlike a cartoon....Jerry -- don't you think?....