California Traveller

Matthew's big birthday present from us this year was airplane tickets to travel along to California for his mid-winter break.  Before he turned five, he somehow heard that you had to be at least five years old to travel alone on a plane and he's wanted to travel alone to Grammy and Grandpy's house ever since.  He finally got his chance even though it took us two years to come around to the idea.

Matthew has traveled on airplanes a number of times before and he was familiar with the routine.  He planned to take Jon's old iPhone (without the phone plan it works just like and iPod Touch) and he had planned out that he would put it in airplane mode and turn in completely off before he boarded, that he could use it after they made the the first announcement that he could use electronic devices, and that he would have to put it away when they began their decent.  He also took some books and paper/pen to take up the time that he couldn't use the iPhone.  In short, the kid acted like he's a frequent flier.

When we arrived at the airport, he was fitted with an "unaccompanied minor" ticket necklace that flags all of the airplane folks that he's flying alone.  He thought he was pretty cool with his ticket sticking out and letting everyone know he was headed to SJC.

After he boarded, Jon had to wait around the gate area until the plane was in the air (airline rules), so he had to get a couple pictures of Matthew's plane backing up.

 

 

Matthew did great on the flight and made it to San Jose without any problems.  Grammy and Grampy were waiting at the gate in San Jose to pick him up.

He had a lot of fun in California.  We weren't there to know all that they did, but we know that he went to Happy Hollow, went fishing, went to Disney on Ice, went miniature golfing, and a lot of other fun things.  It was strange but fun for us to talk to him on Skype a couple of times to check in on how his day went.  For the most part, he was the one trying to get off of the call with us because he had so many fun things to do.

After 5 days of fun and sunshine, it was time for Matthew to come home.  Grammy and Grampy again took him back to the airport where he was fitted with a new SEA necklace.

Jon was waiting for him at the gate.  The flight attendant brought him out and Jon mentioned that Grammy and Grampy said he was so good for them in California.  The flight attendant chimed in with: "I believe that.  He was the easiest kid I've ever had fly with me."  It was fun for us to know that we have such a mature and well-seasoned traveller in our seven-year-old.

He's starting to get it!

After thousands and thousands of attempts, he's finally starting to get a hang of the unicycle.  I wasn't sure the day would ever come!  Note, this is not his best, but all I was able to slyly capture.  For some reason he gets nervous when he's being recorded!