Damn those Blue Angels!

Fall has arrived, and in San Diego this also marks the arrival of the Navy's Blue Angels for their annual air show at what used to be known as Miramar Naval Air Station (the home of the Top Gun training school), now known as Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (somehow not nearly as endearing).

Last weekend the Blue Angels put on several shows. Prior to these shows there is a significant amount of practice to assure the safety of the pilots and the crowd, as well as ensure an acceptable showing for the masses that attend. The shows I don't mind. It's those practices that have wreaked havoc in our household.

If you have never been to a military air show, they are a sight to behold. I have not attended one for a number of years now, but the precision and power demonstrated is a thrilling experience. Unless you are two years old.

For those of you that are unaware of this next small fact, it is an important contributing factor to this addition to our families' tale. Noah and Grayson are cared for at a child care center that is part of a government facility. Said government facility is right across the street from the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

Just a moments worth of deduction will bring you to this conclusion - if the air shows were held over the weekend, the practice for the air shows would necessarily be held during the week. During the day, during the week. While my boys are at school.

What some people see as grace and might and skill, my little boys see as large, thunderous machines roaring at full thrust five hundred feet over their heads while all they wanted to do was slide down the slide.

Grayson and Noah loved seeing airplanes up in the sky. They would see one off in the distance and joyfully point and cry excitedly "Airplane! Airplane!" They don't do that now. They are absolutely terrified of any airplane, of any size, at any distance. They don't want to go to sleep at night because they are afraid of airplanes. They try to climb up your body if they even think that they hear an airplane. For no reason, Grayson will exclaim "I don't want the airplane to come in the window!"

Damn those Blue Angels!