So I’m back here in the home of my youth. *yawn* I’ve been up sporadically through the night with my little jet lagged and bewildered boy. Its nearly 6:00 am here, but 12:00 noon UK time. It’s funny how I am so used to being exhausted that I don’t feel completely terrible.

With much anticipation, we woke up early and made our way to the airport. Jon lingered as we checked in and it was kind of emotional saying goodbye. I know he’s going to miss us. So we then went into the gate area and Iona got all excited about the planes etc. I then showed her the special colouring book I’d bought especially for the journey. The thing is, I hadn’t really been dreading the plane trip. I mean, long haul travel is kind of easy these days. Easyish. I mean. The British airways website boasted of sky cots and children’s entertainment. The standard I’d been used to on long haul flights for quiet some years now.

So you can imagine my shock, when we boarded the plane and I was faced with only one aisle stretched ahead of me, with simply three seats on either side. It was a small 757 plane. The kind you usually take when you have internal connection at the end of a trip, or the kind you take when you’re going on holiday just a few hours away. No sky cots, no personal tv’s….nothing. I was terrified. How in the world was this going to work? Thankfully I was seated next to a guy who didn’t mind being next to two kids. He was quite pleasant and helpful. Iona was a star. really. I mean, me being her cranky frustrated mother got snappy with her from time to time, but overall, I am amazed she coped as well as she did. She simply coloured in her new colouring book for most of the time.

Going to the toilet was tricky as I had to take both kids with me as Iona did not want to be left. Then there was the whole breastfeeding thing. I was exhausted and once I actually dozed off with Judah feeding, only to wake up, with him passed out, me exposed, and the woman in front telling me to please tell Iona to stop kicking her seat. Whoops.

There were no special on board toys for kids, no kids meals. A full adult meal was unapologetically slapped in front of Iona which in some ways was a great excitement for her. She got to spread laughing cow cheese and butter on everything. She’s never tasted the evils of processed cheese before and thought she’d gone to heaven saying “this is very tasty mummy!” The flight attendants were in that totally not bothered mood. You could just tell.

All in all though, we survived. It was have been SO much easier on a proper long haul carrier. I’m convinced Judah would have passed out in the sky cot for most of the time and Iona would have had a lot more fun. She concluded at the end of it that she did not like flying very much. I don’t blame her. Poor thing. Speaking to Jon later..he actually rang up and spent the day complaining to BA and American Airlines about our experience….felt so protected and loved! he he

I made it through immigration where the officer told me I was crazy to be traveling with kids, after gruffly asking “are these your children”???  However at the end, I made it through customs and it was a happy reunion with Granny and Uncle Dave (a surprise) The weather was hot hot hot and soon we were back at Lake Shangrila.

I was suddenly overwhelmed really. Back home…so excited to be showing Iona where I grew up…so excited to be back myself. It’s so beautiful here, and I love being close to the water. Granny had of course stocked the house with new clothes for the kids so Iona was in infused with fresh energy and excitement as she insisted on trying half of them on. She was also quick to strip off and go wading into the water. (was so pleased at this and glad for her being brave….am getting sick of the mollycoddling that seems to be happening to her at nursery and other places back in England)

I couldn’t get over how the kids stayed up the rest of the day. They were so full of energy. We took them to Wal-Mart, and I was overwhelmed again. So much stuff!!! So many clothes so cheap…so many different kids of toys and games and so cheap. So much food…so cheap but also soooooo processed..yet lots of cool healthy stuff too. It’s like America has both extremes….aisles of hamburger helper, but also the latest raw vegan essential ingredient. I even found a “low acidity” Tropicana orange juice! which great as I love orange juice but Judah doesn’t seem to like it in the milk.

So eventually we got the kids to bed. I was excited to buy Iona a proper box of Crayola crayons…the kids with a zillion colours in it. Something I just never seem to see anywhere in England…or at least not in Congleton. I suppose that’s the difference. You can get most things in England..and it’s fine, and I don’t necessarily miss all that much anymore from the states…but there is something so great (even though we all hate the evil superstore) about being able to drive a few minutes down the road and having everything you could possibly need right there at your fingertips…24 hours a day seven days a week. Yes, it’s being spoiled…but at least I’m aware that it’s being spoiled and I don’t take it for granted!!

So after getting the kids to bed, I had my mother’s wild alaskan salmon and a nice salad with spinach from her garden. So yummy. Then I watched some episodes of Glee on my parent’s computer through the big screen. (something Jon and I have not managed to figure out how to do yet) All this time, I wasn’t tired! I finally went to bed, only to be woken up several times in the night by Judah. He’s sleeping in the little Graco travel cot. I tried bringing him into bed with me but the bed is like 100 feet off the ground and very squishy so he was even unhappier in there! It was ok though. He eventually got down and there was a lovely thunderstorm rumbling through the night as well. Something else I really have missed.

So today it’s raining and dark….it’s different here. Whenever we have a rainy day in the summer, it’s really really dark..but it’s still warm, except for the breeze of the cool rain. I really love it actually.

So i’m about to get get a shower, and get myself some breakfast. Today I’m going to see my sister!! I can’t wait!