Diary of a plane ride around the world

Many people ask me "What is it like to travel to China with 2 small children?" Well we survived this last ride like we always do, but I thought I would give a play by play to those who are curious.

Monday night, 1 am - finally finished packing, weighing and re-weighing all our bags, finding needed medicine we had accidentally packed away and put 6 of the 8 bags in the cars

Tuesday, 6 am I woke up and showered, said goodbye to my brother-in-law who was leaving for work, finished packing toiletries, pajamas, Blue puppy and Bennett's dog that must be slept with, got boys up and dressed and then Nai Nai gave them breakfast and finally out the door for our hour drive to the airport

Tuesday 8:45 am arrived at the airport to check in with our 8 bags and two energetic and slightly stressed children. Bennett is screaming for me while we check in so Nai Nai walks him around the airport while Austin climbs on chair and opens and closes the ropes that mark off the check-in lines. It turned out the airline somehow had Austin as the infant ticket instead of Bennett so we waited 45 minutes for them to get that switched and get our tickets printed. Then, despite our vigilant weighing, every bag but one was at least 1 pound ( some 2 and 3 or 4) overweight. The lady was somewhat compassionate so anything 2 pounds over or less they let slide, but I did take out some boxes of muffin mixes, some toiletries and shifted several bags around at the last minute. Retape our plastic bins. Finally checked in, just in time to get to the gate.

Tuesday morning 9:50 said our last goodbyes to Grandpa and Nai Nai (rather hurriedly), went through security- unpacked 3 computers, took off everyone's shoes, put 2 strollers through, packed back up and arrived at the gate about 10 minutes before boarding

Tuesday 10:50- flight takes off from Raleigh to Toronto ( 1 hour, 15 minutes) we started out with animal crackers. The boys enjoy looking out the window - Bennett learned to say "white puffy clouds". Bennett did not like take-off, where I am apparently now supposed to hold him facing me but not strapped into the Ergo carrier- easy if he is 6 months, not so much at 23 months. Bennett kept laying down on the floor in the middle of the aisle, every time he got free. I think he liked the vibration of the plane.

Tuesday 12:30 landed safely in Toronto. Get some lunch at a restaurant- Bennett decides to eat a whole container of sour cream along with his quesadilla. He poops about 2 minutes before we board the big plane, so we do a quick change. Austin has been energetic but fairly cooperative up to this point.

Tuesday 2:50 take off from Toronto. We have 3 seats on the window side together, which is very nice. Chris gets to wrestle Bennett during take-off this time.

1 hour in- The boys have played with little cars, read books and are ready for a video. Veggie tales video #1 (the current fave). Bennett keeps trying to lie down in the aisle and I get reprimanded from the flight attendant but smiles from all the Chinese grandmas.

3 hours in- we have eaten the so-so lunch- Bennett eating mostly bread. I have given out new silly bands and rubber frogs. Austin is on video #2 and Bennett wants to run around. WE go up and down the aisles a lot- he is FAST. Then he meet mei mei- a little girl a few months younger. She is as extroverted and energetic as Bennett and they play for 30 minutes, laughing and chasing each other. I am sure the passengers don't like us but at least they are not screaming.

6 hours in- this is the part where you realize how much time is still left (8 hours) and you start to wonder if it will ever end. I think Austin was on another video and Bennett is getting cranky. it is Tuesday, 9 pm east coast time. Bennett starts crying and crying for me to hold him even though I AM holding him- he gets sort of hysterical when he is over tired (he has not slept up to this point). He finally falls asleep while I walk him around the back of the plane. Austin is tired but still awake.

8 hours in- both boys are finally asleep, but Bennett wakes up about every 45 minutes or an hour- half awake and crying loud, so I have to stand up and rock him and then he falls asleep again. I actually watch 2 movies this flight (I don't think I have done that since we had kids on a plane), pausing it when Bennett wakes up. Austin is slumped over asleep in his seat. I can't sleep though.

12 hours in- we are all awake again, getting ready to be served breakfast. We are all antsy at this point and Bennett is walking the aisles again with Chris.

14 hours in- Wednesday 4:20pm local time (4 am Wednesday morning in Raleigh) LAND. get off the plane, wait for our strollers, go through customs, get our bags. Seven bags finally arrive on the belt. We wait and wait and go to the office to report a missing bag. Then Chris finds our bag somewhere near the belt- I guess someone took it off and left it there. We hire 2 porters to get our bags to the door, where a driver is picking us up in a big van.

6:30 pm- leave the airport in the rain and are welcomed by a very smoggy gray sky

7:30 arrive home- greeted by the Hunemullers with help for our bags and dinner- we love our neighbors! Kids ate nothing but then we all went to bed. Slept till 3 am and then all got up by 3:30 and started unpacking

Well, that is it! We have unpacked all our 8 bags, moved furniture and are still tackling some boxes from the move, buying groceries and water machine, new paint for the basement (The orange turned out a pale peach and I want it bright) and ...go out of town tomorrow for 4 days. Whew! But we are doing well, glad to be back, glad to have neighbors ( we have hung out every day) and getting adjusted. BUT I am still up at 3 am- pray for my jet lag to get better.