And Then There Were Two

For the Chinese New Year holiday, our initial plan was to meet up with my parents in Hawaii and escape the cold. While the price for airfare and hotel was quite a bit higher than I could stomach, the main thing that made us drop this plan was the baby. You see, Hannah is a screamer. Like she'll give blood curdling screams for no real reason at all for very long extended periods of time. It makes going out to small enclosed spaces, like restaurants, a bit difficult without people turning around to see if we're beating the bejeebers out of our baby. Therefore, I'll pass on a ten-hour flight. Maybe next year when she's older.

So instead, I jokingly asked Caitlyn if she would want to go to visit the grandparents in Texas with my aunt. No Mommy or Daddy. She said, "Yes." That surprised me a bit, but I didn't take what she said very seriously. She tends to talk crazy sometimes like the wife. But every now and then, I'd bring up the topic again and each time, she would still say that she wanted to go to America without us. Therefore, we decided to make it official and purchased plane tickets for her.

I think my parents were just as excited as Caitlyn about the trip. Caitlyn, because we had been telling her that she wouldn't have to go to school if she went, knowing perfectly well that school is on break here. And my parents, because the wife and I would not be there to tell them what they could and couldn't buy or give to Caitlyn.

In other words, they could spoil her rotten, and there was not a darn thing we could do about it. In fact, the second they found out Caitlyn was coming, they went out and bought her one of those toy cars that you can drive. WTF! My entire childhood, I wanted a Bigfoot monster toy truck to drive, but never once did they ever think to buy one for me. And now, they run off lickity-split and buy their granddaughter one. And to top it off, it's a two-seater!

Finally, this past Friday rolls around, the day of her departure. We're not sure how Caitlyn is going to handle things. Will reality hit her that we would not be going with her and cause her to start crying and pleading us not to leave her? Heavens know what I would do to her if she bailed out at the last minute after already spending the money on the tickets.

Instead, she gives Mommy a hug and says good-bye without even turning around as she and I head out the door to go pick up my aunt to go to the airport. Hmm...wasn't expecting that. In the car, she happily talks about all the movies and ice cream she's going to eat on the airplane before falling asleep. She wakes up just as I arrive to pick up my aunt. She's quiet now. Quiet is not a good thing in a situation like this. A few minutes later, I hear a sniffle, and then the floodgates finally open. She begins crying about how she wants to go home to find Mommy. Finally! The Caitlyn I know is finally back!

We let her cry it out for a bit before I try to turn her attention away from Mommy and back to the ice cream she'll be eating on the plane. It works! She begins asking about what type of ice cream there will be. Then, to seal the deal, I tell her she can watch as many movies as she wants. Presto! No more tears.

But, we still had the final hurdle of getting past check-in and Caitlyn actually seeing me leave. Once again, she surprised me by simply saying good-bye and walking hand-in-hand with my aunt through inspections without turning around again. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be happy about that or a bit hurt.

My aunt and parents have been reporting back about how happy she is over there these past few days. Talking to her through Facetime, she announced that she didn't want to come home. Had no interest in seeing Mommy or Daddy again. Fair enough...Then I asked if she realized that she would have to go to school there and that shut her up pretty quick. Wuahahaha!

With Caitlyn on vacation, the wife decided to take advantage and booked a 4 night, 5 day shopping  trip to Japan with her mom starting this past Tuesday. So now, it's just Hannah and me shooting the breeze at home. And what am I most excited about doing now that I have the apartment almost all to myself? Besides walking around in nude, of course. Cleaning and rearranging things! Sigh, I think I've been domesticated. But at least I'll be doing it with a beer in my hand!