No Girls Allowed

That will be the theme around here all weekend, as Flynn & I (along with Papa, Nana, & Nessa) take off tomorrow for a long weekend with Gi & the girls in C A L I F O R N I A ! Flynn's first ever plane ride (yes, I am nervous) & the first time any of us have seen my sis since June (new record for that by the way).

Flynn made a "California Chain" & it's short now! She is so excited, she can hardly stand it. She asked me yesterday if Aunt Gi will cry a happy cry when she sees her.

This trip will be monumental in a few different ways:

• Flynn's first plane ride
• Outside of hospital stays, this will be my first time away from Gabe or Jeff for longer than 24 hours
• In our entire marriage, this will be the first time Jeff & I are more than 30 minutes apart for the night (I've only left him to go to an overnight ladies retreat in St Louis)
• Flynn's first time going west of Missouri
• The first time Flynn & Gabe will be apart more than one night
• The first time someone other than me will care for Gabe for an entire day

I am a little worried, about having an extremely allergic kid up in an altitude really far from the nearest hospital -- unreachable via ambulance. I am scared I'll give her a snack on the plane that she's suddenly allergic to. Or that there will be cross contamination somehow (despite my plan to wipe down everything within arm's reach of her).

What I'm not worried about is Gabe, as he will be in Daddy's charge.

What a great feeling. To know your kids have the absolute best father in the world. Seriously. These kids couldn't be luckier, for they were chosen by God to be put into a family with a daddy who is so loving, so caring, extremely patient, & very Christlike. Add to his spiritual attributes are the skills & talents he has. How lucky can a kid be to have a dad who is a teacher?? Every moment becomes a teachable one. And something as simple as playing in the backyard becomes a science lesson. Not only does he have knowledge, but know-how. He knows how to talk to kids, knows how to manage a kid's behavior, & knows how to make life fun.

So, I might as well just make this a brag-on-Jeff post. After all, there's plenty to say. I think the best thing a daddy can do for his kids is to love their momma. And love on their momma. And the only thing that might make Jeff pass by his kids when he walks in the door, it to beeline to me to give me a 'Honey I'm home' smooch.

I know there is never any doubt in my kids minds that their parents are in love. They sense the commitment. And what a feeling of security for kiddos in this insecure world.

He's happy to tuck in, read a story, & do a bedtime prayer. He cuts their veggies just like they like'em. He knows to remove the valves on the sippy cup when putting them in the dishwasher. He can install a car seat like a pro. He's an advocate for Flynn in every situation.

When this weekend became a possibility, Jeff could've insisted that I take Gabe. He could've insisted that we not go until he could be along. He could've been fine with it with a list of stipulations, which included him not making any sacrifices or arrangements. But he didn't. He was excited for us. And went right to work, helping me brainstorm who could watch Gabe when & where. On top of that, he was downright excited that he & his boy were going to get some serious one-on-one. When at the last minute, I proposed another possibility that would mean him not taking a day off work for Gabe, he was quick to stop me, "I was looking forward to spending the day with Bubs though."

Honey, you might have had a dead battery in your garage door opener, but when it comes to being a dad, you work perfectly every time.