It’s airport day!
Haven finally gets to use her backpack (she’s been waiting and waiting because we made her). Even though it’s way too big for her, and there’s no way she can realistically carry it, she tries and falls over, back-end heavy. It carries her long-lost tablet and a bunch of little toys and treats she likes.
Goodbye Tobacco Row Mountain in the Virginia Blue Ridge!
Goodbye business highway 29!
Jack was great in the airport and got some attention from strangers who admired and pet him.
Below: “Let’s raise a glass (or sippy cup) to the new adventure! Huzzah!” (That’s not her backpack. That’s “Mr. Cuddles”. He kept her from wandering off.)
We had to wait around for a long time before Condor had a ticket agent at the counter. It was a little odd. But the agents, when they finally got there, were quite helpful.
Once we got the luggage and carry-on thing figured out, we got Jack squared away. But no one asked to see Jack’s paperwork I had worked for. Bri had to wait around much longer for security team to check out the crate and everything before they put Jack in the crate and took him.
While he waited, the girls and I went through airport security. It took an hour of standing in line with a toddler who was about to blow an emotional gasket. She tore down parts of the lane barrier things–twice–trying to climb them. I was carrying a huge laptop bag, a violin, Haven’s backpack and rolling carry-on, a jacket, Haven’s shoes, which she insisted on taking off 30 minutes before absolutely necessary, and my purse. Annora was carrying almost as much. We were happy to get done.
Baltimore-Washington (BWI) had a fun kids play area near our gate. Haven was finally allowed to run and climb anything she wanted! Annora and I traded off time watching Haven. Annora is a big, big help.
Look! Our plane!
“Mama! Holding hands! Holding hands! We gonna take off! Fly high into sky! Holding hands! Holding hands!”
And after supper and a change into jammies, she crashed while watching Monsters, Inc. It rolled across her screen three times during the flight.
Haven sat next to a lovely German lady who was returning home from visiting family in the States. It was her granddaughter’s first birthday. 😊 She liked Haven quite a lot.
Annora and Brian sat in a different row.
Almost there!
We landed in Frankfurt, Germany around 10:30am local time. Then we all dashed to get where we were going–Brian and the girls to the next flight, me to pick up Jack and to the earlier train to Berlin then switch to the train to Poznan. (Otherwise I’d be traveling a whole day longer with little to no sleep! Ugh.)
Meandering Meltons 