Winter Sun
So flights had been booked, email confirmation sent and travel insurance secured – it was definite, I couldn’t back out now! I had clearly either lost all sense or was having a particularly brave moment but we were Tenerife-bound; 2 things were certain, I had to endure a 4 hour flight on my own with 2 kids and, on the flip side, once I landed my Aunt and Uncle would be on hand to help. Oh and the sunshine, now that was calling for sure!!
We arrived at the airport on Sunday lunchtime, my husband helped to check our bags in and waved us off as we disappeared into the departure lounge. Once he was out of view I knew that was when the fun and games would really begin; at 15 months old Imogen is still is very reluctant to walk so I knew going through security was going to be the biggest issue and I literally had to sit her on the floor whilst I folded up the pushchair and remove all shoes, belts, bags, coats, cardi’s…in the meantime, Fin asking a string of questions – ‘why do I have to take my shoes off mummy?’…’but why mummy?’…’why is my jacket going into that machine?’…’will I ever see my jacket again?’… (Imogen still on the floor, while I’m still removing various items while trying to answer Fin)!
Security done and we sailed through the boarding procedure, to be quite honest, we took so long to pass security and then re-dress and gather all of our belongings (with Fin still asking umpteen questions!) it was almost time to board the plane! Before I knew it, I was sat on the plane, praying to sweet Jesus himself that no one was assigned to sit in the 3rd unoccupied seat to our right. He must have heard my pleas because 20 minutes later, in which time I shield off more questions from Fin, we were up in the air with a spare seat, sunshine-bound!
Fin will talk to absolutely anyone; he is a complete social butterfly, so once he’d exhausted his question bank and was satisfied that he knew what every button did, explored every table tray and taken in all the sights he was just dying to get chatting to the rest of the plane, and it was at this moment that I knew my flight fears had evaporated because sitting directly behind us, rather conveniently, was a 3 year old boy! The friendship was sealed instantly; well just after Fin showed Joshua his Nintendo DS and Joshua presented his Leapfrog Leappad! Hey presto – they barely made a peep between them!
So while Fin was keeping himself entertained with his new best friend I could concentrate on keeping Imogen amused, and the absolute catalyst to this amusement? Food. What she lacks in mobility she certainly makes up for in eating. Without wanting to make my daughter sound like a farm yard animal she is a grazer and was quite happy to graze her way through the flight. Little bit of this, little bit of that…!
Then before I knew it we had landed, we had made it to sunnier climes and with a breadstick still hanging out of Imogen’s mouth we were greeted by my Aunt and Uncle (Fin flinging himself into my uncle’s arms – Joshua? Joshua who? Ron is my new best friend – so fickle my son!).
We enjoyed a truly amazing week, it was full of sun, sand castles, the odd (more than odd if I’m being honest!) carafe of sangria and long lunches on the beach while the kids played in the sand. I even got a few late morning lay ins and a whole day off – although it was more like half a day because once I’d enjoyed a lazy relax and read my way through a girly weekly (that told me how to lose 2 stones in two hours – didn’t work!) I didn’t really know what to do with myself and met up with the kids for lunch!
We blinked (it seemed) and we were back at airport security, removing all of our garments (luckily with less questions from Fin and this time the relaxed Spanish rules let my Aunt hold Imogen from behind a rope to save her from the marbled floor!) and then back on the plane. And who do we see…Fin’s old new best friend, Joshua, whom he was friends with until he ran into his Daddy’s arms in very cold blighty…fickle but very friendly my boy!
