The Boys Home From Catalina

I’m so glad the boy is home from Catalina safe and sound.  They arrived home this last Friday night.  The Monday before we dropped him off at the airport for his week long trip to Catalina with his fellow classmates.  The weather was really warm the whole week so he was glad to be open in the cooler weather. He said even though he put on sun screen he got sun burned on the tops of his feet, shins and shoulders.  The food was good.  The bathrooms were OK except if you were staying on the boat.  They did they went snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, touch tank and tide pooling.

The flight down to LAX his about 45 minutes, then they rode a bus for the about an hour to Long Beach Cruise Port and then a 4-5 hour boat ride to Catalina Island.  Fortunately he didn’t get sea sick.  The weather was really warm.  They got all situated on the island.  The boys stayed in tents on the beach and the girls stayed aboard the boat. There were 6 in each group of  three groups of  boys and girls.  They all had marine animal names.  His group name was the Narwhals.

Study Trip To Catalina

We dropped the boy off at the airport this morning.  He and his fellow 8th graders are heading to Catalina for a week with their science teacher.  They will be sailing and staying in a schooner.  The girls will be staying on the boat and the boys will be staying on the beach in tents.  They will be studying the marine life, fish and native plant and animals.  It's going to be quiet here without him.

Washington DC Trip Day One 11-26-10

My sister-in-law picked us up and drove us to the airport for our flight to Washington DC.  We got to the airport at 9:15.  Our flight left at 11:00 so we got there in plenty of time.  The security line wasn't too bad and moved fairly quick.  We got to our terminal and hung out a bit until it was time to board the plane.   The plane took off at 11:08.
This is the first time my son has ever flown, and I haven't flown since the 1990's. All of the procedures are different now -- I didn't know that EVERYTHING went in the trays and through the x-ray machine. At least we didn't have to go through the new full body scanners (yet). Anyway, the security line wasn't bad so we were pretty early. We got to our terminal and hung out for a bit, waiting until it was time to board the plane. My son spent the time taking pictures of the planes we could see out of the terminal windows, including the Boeing 757 we were going to fly on.
When we finally boarded it was pretty tight. The boy got the window seat, I got the center (by preference) and hubby got the aisle. He barely fit at all! Good thing we like each other. The people in the row ahead of us reclined their seats of course (on a one hour flight!) and we could hardly reach our under seat luggage. How rude! But we had to get our stuff: gum for the boy, though he didn't need it, and also a trip journal he's keeping for a school report, and my new noise cancelling headphones! They're really nice -- boy and hubby agree -- and we only have one set and it's mine.
The boy may be a first time air traveller but he took everything in stride. He sat at the window so he could see the sights.  He enjoyed the plane taking off, and the in flight beverage service (but no pretzels). We landed at LAX at 12:18.  After we got off the plane, we found some lunch now we are hanging out in the airport waiting for our connecting flight which leaves at 4:00pm so we won't get into Dulles Airport until midnight.  It is going to be a long day. My son is playing with his DS, hubby is on his computer and I am on my computer as well while we wait for our connecting flight!  My son is enjoying the trip so far.  We have lots of things planned to see the week we are there.