“In America there are two classes of travel – first class, and with children.”
-Robert Benchley
This past weekend was our first trip with the kids, and the destination was St. Louis, Missouri. St. Louis as we all know was the birthplace of the ice cream cone. This fun fact will have some relevance later on in this post. The trip began as most trips of any significant distance do: we went to the airport. However, unlike most people who fly on a daily basis we were loaded down with bags, car seats, and children. It wasn’t easy, but we somehow made it (hooray for bungee cords). Ashlyn even got to enjoy her first ride on an escalator.
Once at the airport we stopped off at a wonderful place to eat called Chili’s. If you haven’t gone recently, you should go. Many times. For lunch and dinner. On the same day even. My family will thank you! The airport stay was fairly uneventful, although getting James past security in his convict outfit was tough. Next time we’ll dress him in something that doesn’t make him look like he just escaped from infant prison. The plane ride itself was surprisingly easy. We didn’t take many pictures, but we did hear some great quotes from Ashlyn:
- Ashlyn: “Why am I talking like that?”
- Mom: “Because you need to swallow.”
- Ashlyn: “what? What? WHAT??” (said progressively louder)
And later…
- Ashlyn: “Who did that?”
- Mom: “Did what?”
- Ashlyn: “Turned my ears back on.”
Once in St. Louis we quickly checked into the hotel and went to bed. The next day we had some time to kill before the wedding so we went to the local children’s museum and a few popular St. Louis eateries. Ashlyn had a large waffle for breakfast, and for lunch she had the largest root beer float we’ve ever seen (see, I told you there was an ice cream reference). James just sat around and smiled.
The museum was basically a large children’s play area with a lot of science related activities. Ashlyn had a great time playing with bubbles, flying balls, and the static machine. Okay, so technically she was scared of the static machine but since you can’t see her crying in the picture I’m posting it as if she’s having a blast. Imagine her yelling “Whee!” in that picture and you won’t feel as guilty thinking that her hair is funny.
The wedding was short and well done. The bride was beautiful and Ashlyn seemed to enjoy the festivities. James had to make a hasty exit during the ceremony, but we sat near the back and it wasn’t a problem. This was also the where we heard another memorable Ashlyn quote after the bride walked back up the aisle at the end of the ceremony: “I have a pretty dress, I can get married too!”. Sorry sweetie, you still have 19 years before you can start dating so you have to wait a bit before the wedding. I’ll admit that I got a little misty eyed, knowing that someday I’m going to be the one walking down the aisle to give her away. But I have her for at least 19 years.
Ashlyn really enjoyed the reception. The montage below is just a small selection of pictures.
The day after the wedding we went to Uncle Dean and Aunt Cheryl’s condo (the bride’s parents) for some brunch. Ashlyn had a lot of fun and the time flew by before we had to get back on the plane for the trip home. Ashlyn did pretty good all in all, although it was work to keep her entertained on the way back. James just slept and ate.
So I’d say it was a successful trip, albeit a very tiring one. I’ll end this post with a picture of James hanging out with the bride the morning after the wedding. Congrats Sara and Anthony!
Oh, before I go, I have one more Ashlyn quote to share. This happened at the reception, when the preacher was saying a few words.
- Preacher: “On the count of three, everyone say ‘I do’. One… two.. three…”
- Audience: “I do!”
- Ashlyn: “Why did everyone say one, two, three, Caillou?” (Caillou is a children’s cartoon)
- Me: “They said ‘I do’, not ‘Caillou’.”
- Ashlyn: “Oh… I’m married now!”
Not yet little one. For now, you’re still our little girl.