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Last year my husband worked almost 300 miles away from home for five weeks. But on the weekends, he commuted by air from Melbourne, Australia, to our home in Canberra. Every Monday morning, I woke our two children early and drove Daddy to the airport. However, it wasn't long before every second sentence from 3-year-old Ruth was, "When are you going to drop David and me at the airport?"

One day after she'd asked this question for the hundredth time, and her brother was at school, I replied, "Right now." Her eyes lit up. "Now?" "Yes, now. I'll take you to Inglewood Airport (Inglewood was the name of our street), and you can fly to Melbourne." Ruth could hardly contain herself. She was finally going on a plane. The excitement on her face eroded in an instant as we pulled onto our street and she realized what Mummy had meant by "Inglewood Airport."

"No!" she cried, "not this airport! I mean the real airport. Mummy, I want to get on a plane." And then she burst into inconsolable tears. So I told her if she still wanted a trip to Melbourne, she had five minutes to pack her case. She managed to wipe away the tears and give Mummy one last chance to make her day good. Meanwhile, I raced around gathering bathroom scales, labels and old boarding passes, and I also rearranged the lounge.

Ruth returned and was quite amazed when I greeted her like a complete stranger.

"Good morning, Madam, how are you today?"

"Good," said Ruth, a little unsure.

"Excellent. Flying to Melbourne today? Just one bag?"

"Yes."

"Lovely. Put it on the scales here, please?" She placed her suitcase on the scales, and I slapped on a sticky label. "Great. We'll put that on the plane for you, Miss Strong. Here's your boarding pass for Flight 123. Just take a seat in the lounge, and we'll call you up shortly."

By now Ruth was trying hard not to laugh, and I knew she was going to enjoy the day if only I could keep it going. I hurried away to dig out the old toddler trolley; after off-loading the blocks, I flew back to the kitchen to fill it up with nibbles. Before ten minutes were up, I came back to the lounge to collect boarding passes. Ruth needed no coaxing by now.

"Here's your seat, Miss Strong. We'll be taking off shortly; I'll bring you a selection of magazines." Then I announced we were on the runway and asked the cabin crew to please take their seats. After a couple of minutes bobbing up and down, we reached altitude, and I jumped up to demonstrate the safety procedures.

I explained the brace position, how to use the oxygen masks and pointed out the life jackets and nearest exits.

As I pushed the refreshments trolley down the aisle, my daughter's eyes nearly popped out of her head. Next was the in-flight entertainment ("Garfield") and lunch. Never before had Ruth had chips so close to lunch, but when you're on a flight, anything goes.

After the movie, it was time to pick up David from school, so we put our flight on hold for 40 minutes.

"David, David! I'm on a flight to Melbourne! I watched 'Garfield'! And I had chips!" Ruth blurted out as David climbed into the car.

"You've been on a flight? Today?" asked David, confused.

I explained to him about our "flight," and when we got home he joined Ruth on her travels.

Just before tea I returned to the cockpit to land the plane and say farewell to my passengers.

"Please make use of the airport toilets up that corridor to your right. Then make your way back here to collect your bags and go outside to the Alfresco Airport Cafe." David and Ruth had never been so obliging about going to the toilet. The flight had ended. The day was nearly done. But the adventure wasn't over.

"After your meal," I announced, "a taxi will take you to your hotel." Ruth gasped with delight.

"Wow," said David.

The taxi was, of course, our Jeep, and the taxi driver was Dad. He drove them around to see some Christmas lights. Not surprisingly, after such a long flight, Ruth fell asleep in the car. Back at the house, she was carried to bed where she slept soundly all night.

Emma Strong is a freelance writer, radio announcer and author of Kids' Church Drama—Christmas and Easter and Youth Church Drama—Parables. She lives in Canberra, Australia, with her husband and two children. She's a MOPPETS leader at Gungahlin Community Baptist Church.

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