The Kilroys #11

When J. Edgar Kilroy's boss suddenly changes plans and sends him flying to New York for an important business deal, the anxious family man finds himself boarding a plane for the first time—armed with nothing but sleeping pills and his mounting dread. With his wife Emma, son Natch, and daughter Katie cheering him on, J. Edgar wrestles with his nerves through a sleepless, turbulent flight, convinced that every detail—from his unlucky number six to the pilot's speed—spells disaster. By the time he touches down at LaGuardia, his frazzled state leads to some hilarious confusion when he finally stumbles into the high-stakes business meeting that awaits him.

When Natch and Katie's parents force them to stay home while Mom heads to an auction sale and Pop goes golfing, the kids decide to surprise their exhausted folks by cleaning the house and preparing dinner. But after a day of disappointments—Mom gets outbid on everything she wants, and Pop's golf game goes nowhere—the parents return too worn out to even enjoy the kids' efforts, collapsing into bed with complaints and regrets. Natch and Katie are left to enjoy the fruits of their labor alone, while their parents spend the night dreaming about the very activities that wore them out.

When Natch Kilroy's car breaks down, he dusts off his old roller skates for a quick trip to the Sweet Tooth—and accidentally sparks a town-wide craze that catches the attention of a reporter looking for a good story. As roller skating fever spreads through town, Natch finds himself unexpectedly in the spotlight, with his words about childhood and healthy living making headlines in major magazines and earning him official recognition. But not everyone's thrilled about the skating sensation, and Natch learns that being famous for a good idea doesn't always keep you out of trouble at home.