Friday morning was the big day. We were finally going to America! It has been four years since I last saw my brothers, so I was more than anxious to get going. But I also decided that I really wanted to bring in treats for the teachers as a thank you for all the great work they have done with the kids. So I was packing these bags
while simultaneously baking these muffins.
I thought it wouldn’t be so bad, since we were mostly bringing bags of bags (to be filled in the US), and chocolate, cheese and sausage to give away. There really wasn’t a whole lot of our stuff that needed to be packed. But there was more than I realized, and in the rush I ended up leaving behind a few things (like my wedding ring) and some books that I had wanted to give to my nieces and nephews.
The teachers really loved the treats, and I may do it again next year as well. At least, as long as we aren’t leaving on vacation that same day. 🙂 I made peanut butter chocolate banana breads, raspberry lemon muffins, and blueberry streussel muffins. I had originally meant to bring a giant platter of fruit as well, but I simply ran out of time.
What were the kids doing while Chris and I were running around like our pants were on fire?
Taking it easy, kickin’ back and relaxin’, of course. I mean, it was the first day of vacation, after all!
Finally, finally, with just seconds to spare, we made it on the bus, we took us to the train. I love taking public transportation to the airport, since it means we don’t need to pay to park the car the whole time. And I don’t need to stress too much about time, or traffic. As long as we make the correct bus, we are good to go!
Having everyone safely on the plane is the signal for me to take a deep breath, relax, and begin to enjoy my vacation. 🙂 On the short flight to London we were in two different rows and also across the aisle from each other. But the kids are old enough that we didn’t need to help them with every little thing, and the big ones were really good about helping the little ones. They had lots of new books and puzzles to keep them entertained, as well as the novelty of the plane ride itself.
In London we just had time to get off our plane, walk/run through the airport, and get on our next plane. But it’s better to have a short layover than a long drawn out one, especially when children are involved. Our plane across the ocean was a.maz.ing. We flew British Airways, and I cannot say enough good about them. They have this new section on their planes called Premium Economy/ Economy Plus. The tickets weren’t much more than regular economy, but they made all the difference in the world. We were in our own little section, just behind first class and business class, and there was even a curtain separating us from the peons in the way back. 🙂
But that wasn’t the only difference. The seats were wider, we had more leg room, the tv screens were bigger, and they closed all the shades so we could get some sleep if we wanted. Also, the two crying babies were in the back section, so we could barely hear them. I tried to get Noah and Alexandra to sleep for a little while, but they weren’t tired. So we just let them watch whatever they wanted (over 50 movies to choose from, touch screen technology) and went to sleep ourselves. Best. Flight. Ever!
But when we finally landed in Salt Lake, after another plane change in Chicago (there’s a reason the tickets were so cheap for summer time) the kids had had enough. It looked like they were not happy to be in America at all!
But it was just the exhaustion brought on by a long day of travel. Alexandra even asked, as we were waiting for the rental car, when we were going home. She was tired and wanted to sleep in her bed. Poor thing.