GO Team GO!

The last time I was sitting at this airport gate, I was not in the mood to be gone for two weeks (recall June 13, screwed up dance recital, Paul's birthday, and a plane full of Germans and an unhappy, depressed Spacemama). This time my only regret is that Paul and Anna aren't with me. Darn that feeling that gets me every time I walk into an airport without them lately. The feeling is getting worse. Maybe next year they can come with me overseas at some point. When the car picked me up, Anna was full of hugs and kisses, but not overdoing it, and I swear she had a look to her almost like she thought it was cool to get into that car and go to the airport (maybe it's because Mommy wasn't driving :) ). She asked me if there would be movies in the car. You should have seen her face when I told her the next time she was coming with me! Excited! I swear she's such a BIG GIRL.

This weekend the 3 of us were scattered 3 different ways. I was at the ISS Physics workshop, Paul was on the 2 day Capitol to Coast relay run from Austin to Corpus Christi and Anna was having sleep overs and manicures with my mom and my sister and the family in Austin. My brain came back too full, Paul's body the most sore ever in his life, and Anna with more toys and bracelets and candy.






















My plane flew in from California to Austin last night. Anna slept over at my sister's house where she had a blast with the kittens and her older cousins. I scooped her up in the morning and as we were driving away she said she'd missed me, and was I going on vacation again soon? I told her one more time, tomorrow, then I'm back home on Friday. She said "then that's it?" Yes, that's it. Thing is she said it all not with a depressed tone "awww do you HAVE to go?" But rather like "OK, cool, see you when I get back. Love and miss you and I'm good". She's such a big girl and for now she's ok with this travel. Besides she gets to party and sleep in my bed when I'm gone :) All day she said she was glad I'm home, she'd missed me and she loved me. It's been the sweetest thing ever.

And I think she's grown like 2 years just since Tuesday.

We were halfway to Corpus to watch Paul cross the finish line when I realized she was wearing two arms full of these shaped-rubber bracelet things I'd never seen her wear before. She gave me half of them for my arm.

I'm glad the 3 of us are at a point where we can pull off something like this: Anna's old enough that we can all go separate ways even if only for 24 hours, and have a great time and meet up again. Today we grabbed Paul at the beach when he was finished, and since they played harder than I did (only my brain is tired), I drove us back to Houston.



We are one worn out crew.


On to Berlin tonight, and back home on Friday. The next few times I travel, they're joining me.