Come Fly With Me

It is 6:55 am and in six days I'll be in Europe.

Yes, again. I asked Mom and Dad if they would like me to come be tour guide for Italy during their farewell tour after their mission. They have never been to Italy, and although we won't be visiting the area in which I actually served my mission, I wanted them to experience the people, food, and culture we enjoy so much. John wouldn't slack off work to go (he did just start this job in February) so I am taking Katie with me.

Which explains why I was up at 6 am this morning. I hope to push that to 5:30 and then 5 am by Sunday, to minimize jet lag. We leave Monday and stop in London (nice and necessary since we are using the last two travel dates available with airline points) then fly on cheapo Easyjet to and from Italy before returning. I have spent WAY too many hours online forming an itinerary with sites, transportation, reservations and food options built in so I can minimize wandering and frustration while traveling with parents and child. I feel an incredible responsibility, maybe compulsion, to make it a good trip since it will almost certainly be my parents' only time in Italy and perhaps the only time Katie goes to Europe.

Sounds glamorous, though, doesn't it? I have been consumed with the particulars and the budget but my plan is to get it all tacked down enough so I can step back and enjoy seeing it through Katie's eyes. Although I started out doing this for Mom and Dad (I've actually quenched my thirst for travel) it's all about Katie now. John and I are hoping this trip will give her confidence in herself and in how much her Mom loves her. We have seen it happening already, which makes the hours and hours of planning worth it.

7 am, blog done, and Katie rolls in, on skates, in pjs to say hello. How cute it that?

Central Market OCD

Yesterday when I ended up in Southlake for the second time I decided to hit Central Market for birthday flowers for a friend. We love Central Market. We have spent date nights and family home evening activities admiring the gorgeous, rarefied produce, prowling the aisles and collecting random things like fresh mandarins, McVities biscuits, blood-orange soda and a lump of Saran-wrapped cheese named Kirkham.

Last night I was exceptionally disciplined and ignored the shortbread, walked right past the baskets of crusty rosemary loaves fresh from the oven, turned away from the bread pudding in the pastry cases (see a theme here?) and was all the way to the floral department before I got stuck. Central Market generally has a nice selection of interesting bouquets, but last night the only thing calling to me was a plain sleeve of vivid orange Gerbera daisies. I should have asked to have them wrapped with a smart bow and left it at that, but no, I thought I could do better. I began to experiment with various combinations. Nothing worked. The store employee aka "foodie" helpfully suggested several options. Nothing worked. Twenty minutes, one antsy friend, and a relieved foodie later, I left with a slender vase holding five vivid orange Gerbera daisies, one hydrangea puff, two blades of lemongrass and a lime green and orange plaid bow.

Next time I hope I have the sense just to take the daisies and run.