Rah's First Flight

Robert finally got his chance to fly the friendly skies. Well I'm not sure how friendly they are now days with airline ticket prices, baggage fees, long lines, and the half-can of a drink that you're given (without a movie and with the inability to move freely about the plane). Flying post 9/11 is not that fun of an experience when you have its predecessor as a comparison; but since Rah doesn't, he was riding high and many others on the plane couldn't help be become elated off of his sheer excitement. Living life vicariously through a child can be very exhilarating!

So we flew from Houston to Raleigh this time, as I spend most of my summers in Fayetteville. I usually drive up so I can have access to a vehicle - move around freely visiting as many friends and family members as possible. But as Darryl planned on joining us a few weeks later and Robert had never flown, this seemed to be a perfect opportunity - plus I found excellent ticket rates on Southwest which doesn't charge any baggage fees for up to two checked bags.

On our way to the gate

We drove 2.5 hrs to Houston to catch our 1 pm flight and struggled with our luggage. Its kinda difficult to move throughout the airport with a 5 yr old and 6 bags! But the benefit is that you get to go through express lines and avoid the X-ray scanner, plus you get priority seating - so I must say Rah ended up being pretty good on that note.

Rah in the airport terminal

Rah posing

Rah about to board the plane

This is the point of which Rah realized that the blue part was the "actual plane"

Here we go...

One last phone call to daddy  before taking off 

Rah all smiles

Rah took this pic too - again low angles not my thing!

Our view as we were taxiing off

Pics from low angles are NOT flattering

The flight was about 4 hours total but after about 2 hrs he'd had enough and become totally irritable.The books and crayons I'd brought for him were not sufficient in occupying his attention. I of course had my iPod and was attempting to take a nap. I thought that maybe the window seat would make up the difference but it wouldn't. With his nonstop questioning he "allowed" me to sleep about half hr in total but we managed to get some cool pics. I gave him the camera and he took some pics too!

 Rah took these pics...

And he noticed our luggage coming out!

He loved confirming how I told him actual cars looked like his toy cars; but quickly informed me that they were "actually smaller". He also at one point yelled jokingly that the "plane was gonna crash" when we were going through turbulence -Ii just knew that the Air Marshall was gonna come get me. I quickly informed him that you couldn't say such things on a plane because many people are nervous about flying - but as usual he didn't believe me.

He called to let daddy know he landed

Rah even got his own bag off the turn style