Cool Mom

93: Toulouse

Tonight we fly out to Toulouse, France for Tess's university graduation. Today is also June 28, which means that Sebastian is two months old.

I packed the children's things yesterday and I'm only halfway through my own packing when Sebastian's cries reach my ears from the room next door. I sigh and start to get up from the stool in my wardrobe but before I can, I hear Hazel's soft voice singing a poem and soon after the crying stops.

I smile to myself and then return to my packing. Hazel joins me soon after.

"Seb was crying but now he's sleeping again." She proudly informs me.

"Thank you for helping, mommy." I smile and kiss her cheeks, "My phone is in Sebastian's room, can you call daddy and ask when he'll get home?"

She leaves to call Daniel and I finish packing my things. Hazel tells me that he'll be home in an hour. I'm zipping up my suitcase just as gets home. I leave the bedroom so that he has space to pack his things.

With Hazel's help I pack a separate small suitcase full of Seb's essentials: diapers, wipes, formula milk , milk bottles and bibs to protect his clothes. We'll only be there for four days but you can never have enough baby products. Then I pack his carrier bag for the flight and to carry around with us while we're in Paris.

Daniel joins me soon after.

"All the packing is done." He informs me and I nod, "Yup. I just need you to have Hazel and Sebastian's strollers taken out. I think Hazel's is in the white BMW and Seb's in the Audi."

"On it." He says, heading for the front door.

We have a late lunch of burgers and then Daniel heads off to shower and change for the flight so that he can get some work done while Hazel and I get ready.

While he's doing that I feed Sebastian and then change his diaper. Then I change him into the dark green romper that Hazel and I picked out for him. By this time Daniel has come out so I hand Seb over to him and watch father and son head to the library before I head for Hazel's room.

I send Hazel in to shower and then help her pick out pants and a shirt that she can sleep in on the plane. Once Hazel's ready, I leave her to spend time with Vanessa and head off to get changed myself.

An hour later, a driver loads the suitcases and strollers into a car and drives them to the airport. We're delayed half an hour since Sebastian throws up milk all over Daniel's shirt and then Hazel has a hard time saying goodbye to Vanessa.

But finally an hour later we reach the airport and Daniel drives the car up to the runway where the private jet awaits.

By the time we take off it's almost 11p.m. and Hazel falls asleep immediately after. Sebastian is sleeping in his carrier in the seat across from Hazel's. The air hostess brings me my coffee and I sit chatting with Daniel until we both fall asleep too.

I am the first one to wake up. There's sunlight coming in through the plane's windows. When I return from using the bathroom Daniel is also awake, feeding Sebastian milk from his bottle.

"How long till we land?" I ask him as I sit back down in my seat.

"An hour more." He says and I decide to wake up Hazel so that she can eat something before we land.

Hazel offers no resistance as she's eager to look out the window. I share a bagel with her and have coffee with it.

"We're about to begin descent." The copilot informs us.

When we step out of the plane, onto the runway. The sun is bright and sunny. It's perfect French summer weather.

A white Mercedes waits for us with the car seats that we ordered online already in the back. Daniel buckles in Sebastian while I help Hazel with hers. When Daniel gets in next to me, he hands me a sim card that I replace my American sim card with.