It's the week before Christmas and we're flying to Boston to see my family. I've talked to my mom, Ellen and Kari and of the three, Kari is over the moon excited about seeing us again. Josh is glad that his family and mine are so close, but neither of us are driving there this time because of the snow. He doesn't like driving in the white shit and I've never learned how. The Sunday of Christmas, we fly to Baltimore and take a rental to his place in Bowie. "Here we are guys," Josh says, pointing to LAX to emphasize the fact we have to fly.
"Ixnay on the upidstay. I don't like flying, remember?"
He gives me a quick kiss before we file out of the cab and pay the fare, tipping the patient man. He's smiling that evil smile and turns to me. "I have to pick on you sometimes, babygirl."
"Whatever," I say, rolling my eyes.
"Love you."
"Love you too. We should get our bags checked in. We have two hours before it leaves, how are we going to occupy three small kids?"
"The same way me and the guys would occupy ourselves," he answers, smiling.
"No sugar, they're hyper enough."
"We didn't always keep ourselves occupied that way."
"Enlighten me, love," I reply, the kids pulling me toward one of the restaurants. "Stop sé." The stop and wait impatiently while Josh and I talk.
"I brought a video camera and we can have them do skits," he tells me.
"Now it makes sense, I suppose."
"I'm going to take them to the Subway over here. What do you want?"
"Whatever you order, Pepsi with it please."
I walk over to the Subway and order three ham & cheese meals (six inch, cut in half and made how they specify) and two foot long Italian BMT meals. The kids get Sierra Mist and Josh and I have Pepsi (mine is cherry and his is plain). We sit by the gate with him and eat. "You like it?"
"It's good."
"Can you actually taste it or are you being a Hoover vacuum?"
"I taste it. It's unique. What's on it?"
"Honey mustard dressing, tomatoes, pickles, black olives and provolone cheese in an Italian BMT sub on wheat."
"Is this what you always get at Subway?"
"Sometimes, yes."
"It tastes really good."
We eat our subs and Josh pulls out the camera to occupy the kids, making their own show for the next hour and a half. He and I are laughing like crazy, the kids are having a blast and the time flies by. We hear our flight being called over the intercom. "It's time to take a break from the show and board the plane, guys. They called us."
"Ok, momma. Now, a word from our sponsors. Ma's insanity and Josh's spazzspuds," Aaliyah says, looking into the camera and laughs wildly.
Josh and I look at each other, smiling and shaking our heads. "They're way too creative and have overactive imaginations, I'm telling you."
"We encourage it and they love it."
"Their mom is just as creative as they are, if not more."
"Josh, you get into their 'Lego Adventures' and imaginary games so much, it's remarkable. When you talk about it, it sounds so real. I can tell when you just got done playing with them, you get so animated when you talk about what you were playing with them."
We get them situated on the plane and give them books of all sorts-coloring, drawing, reading. Mikal has his Fear Street book, Aaliyah has her princess coloring book and Demitryus has his 'Cars' movie coloring book. "How do I get 'animated' when I talk about what the kids and I played?"
"You're excited, very descriptive and your eyes twinkle. I think it's so cute."
He leans his head back against the seat and closes his eyes. "Prove it."
"We have a camera."
~~~~~
We land in Boston, grab our bags, get our rental and drive to the Mariott hotel in Fitchburg. We settle into our room and take the kids down to the Coco Keys part of the hotel so they can go swimming. "Momma, come over here!" my littlest yells, wanting me to go under the water fall with him.
"Josh, can you take us down the water slide?" Mikal asks, pulling on one of his hands.
"Pleeeaaassseee?" Aaliyah begs, successfully pulling off the sad eyes and pout that I mastered as a little girl.
"She looks just like you when she does that Charpentier pout," Josh calls to me as he takes the older two on the water slide and I head for the waterfall with Demitryus.
"She is an exact replica of me!" I remind him.
My cell starts shrieking 'Ma!', signaling it's my mom calling. Josh answers it because he's closer and watching the older two go down the slide. I nod at him, our silent way of asking what's going on. He comes over and kisses me. "Vikki will be here in an hour, she wants to swim with us. She misses the kids. This is why you planned to be here a day earlier than Bowie, hmm?"
"Yes, so Ma could spend today and tomorrow with us."
"Is she staying here at the hotel?"
"In our room tonight, yes, but that's it."
"That's fine. We only see her a few times a year."
"Could we eat at a cheap restaurant tonight?"
"Which one?"
"King Buffet on John Fitch?"
"How much is a plate?"
"Ten, for adults and the kids are five."
He thinks for a second and nods, agreeing to do so. We've been up since two this morning, on the plane for quarter till five, and landed here around two. We got to the hotel for 3:15 and it's almost dinner time. I'm surprised Josh and I aren't crabby yet, but I'm sure we're all going to be asleep by ten. Demitryus is rubbing his eyes and Aaliyah is spacing out, indicators that they're tired. They're beyond focused on the water park and having fun, not caring that they may need a nap and will mean they should be the first to KO. "Kimosabi!"
"Nana!" Demitryus replies, recognizing her by the special nickname she gave him when he was born.
She calls Demitryus Kimosabi, Mikal is Banana Head (his hair was blonde enough that the doctor said he didn't have hair), and Aaliyah is Drama (she used to throw migraine inducing tantrums, but has grown out of them). They hug and greet each other like they usually do. As soon as the older two notice my mom, they run over and greet her like their younger brother did. "Drama and Banana Head!"
"We missed you, Nana!" Aaliyah informs her.
"I missed the five of you as well!" she tells them. "How are your songs doing?" she inquires, looking at me.
"Three more of them were recorded and are all being released on four different artists' albums by June. I make enough as a songwriter and co-producer that I don't work as much," I explain.
"Is that how you can afford everything?"
"Yes, with so much extra that the kids have more than their needs covered."
"What about rent and bills?"
"Rent is covered until the end of this month when I move. I can afford first, last, security and six months' worth of rent up front. The bills are up to date and I have close to six months' worth of payments for insurance, electric, phone, cable, Internet and cell phone bills. If things keep going so well, by the time Aaliyah's birthday comes along, we can buy our first house!" I announce excitedly, causing Josh to laugh.
"I get animated? You were just caught on tape," he teases.
~~~~~
During dinner the kids are talkative and eat their fill as well as Josh, Ma and myself. We load up the kids to head back to the hotel, but the time we pull into the Mariott's parking lot the three little ones are asleep in the backseat. "Wow, this is rare," Josh comments in complete amazement.
"I usually time it so that we get home before they get too exhausted. I guess I forgot to factor in jet lag."
He kisses me. "You're right. It doesn't take long to get them back on schedule. You never cease to amaze me. I can handle carrying Mikal and Aaliyah. You handle Demitryus best."
"Seal the deal with a kiss?"
"Are you always so affectionate?"
I smile. "Well, yeah. He treats me better and respects me. He's my other half."
~~~~~
The next few days are spent between my mom, cousins and, of course, Dawn. Everything goes a bit calmer and smoother than Thanksgiving did, everyone has met him and are more comfortable. We have to board the plane to Baltimore in three and a half hours, we're running 45 minutes behind!!! "Josh, did you find where mini Houdini hid my wallet?"
"You find my cell?"
I hear his cell play Richard Marx's 'Right Here Waiting For You' as I call and it's under the bed. Mikal crawls underneath and grabs it for Josh.
Aaliyah moves the pillows. "Here, momma!"
I whip around and smile triumphantly, proud of her. "Thank you, babygirl!" I kiss her forehead. "Now let's just hope we can get to the airport in time!"
We make sure we have everything and race to the airport, checking in twenty minutes before we board. We're Bowie bound now and the kids are excited, but exhausted because it's a 9pm flight. We'll land in Baltimore around ten, ten-fifteen and get to his house around quarter past eleven at night. They should sleep through us putting them, still in their car seats, in the rental and the drive to Josh's house in Bowie. From the car to their respective rooms and beds, that'll be a bit trickier.
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