I travel enough for work that I have the walking-strip-show down pat as I prepare for security. I’m pretty much unfazed by travel delays and can deal with schedules being off as I go across time zones.

But ask me to travel with my family and I become a different person.  (Just put me in that “Casual Traveller Line” at security.)

Everything has to be in it’s perfect spot in our luggage, boarding passes prepped as soon as possible, itineraries mapped out and – most important – getting to the airport super early so I can get the kids through security.

So I was shocked at 5 AM this morning as both kids calmly kicked their shoes off, put their stuff in a bin and walked through security like a seasoned road-warrior.  Heck, I was still putting my laptop in the bin and emptying my pockets as they got waved through the metal detector.

And this was after they calmly woke at 4 AM, grabbed the rolling bags to check out of the hotel and walked through the airport like a foreign correspondent heading off on another assignment.

Hmm. guess the apples didn’t fall far from the tree and they have a thing or two to show their dad.