The middle

I recently did my trip to Orlando with Sam.  It occurred to me as we were seated in row 13, seats F and E on the plane, that from now on I will forever be stuck in the middle seat.  As long as I am traveling with one or both kids, I am doomed to be sitting in the middle seat coming and going.  This is just a matter of fact.  There really is nothing I can do to change it.

I believe we've finally gotten to the point that we can get on a plane and my 3 worst fears won't come true - 1. do something that causes an emergency landing, 2. get us kicked off the plane, or 3. make the 6:00pm news.  The flight with Ian in January was a dream.  And my flight with Sam in March was almost perfect.  We managed to go the entire flight (both ways) without alerting any of our fellow passengers we were on board.   This is HUGE!  Most certainly I never thought I'd see this day coming.  The woman next to me on the flight back home gave Sam a major compliment on how great she was behaving.  If she only knew what it was like in previous years! 

I am no longer holding my breath for the two hours we are in the air.  I don't even need to come armed with tons of toys, snacks or bribes.  It is a pleasure to get from Point A to Point B (in the most efficient mode of transportation possible) and not be a stress case.

As for ALWAYS getting stuck in the middle seat, this will be a small price to pay.

A funny ha-ha moment:  Sam had to go to the bathroom during our flight back.  While she was sitting on the toilet, she looked over and noticed how close the sink was to her.  She said, "How great is this!  You can wash your hands and pee at the same time."  Only Samantha would find a benefit to a very small bathroom.  :)