We went to outrageous measures so I could get some packing done.
Ila and Fae love aunt Larae!
Hong Kong airport
In the duo-glider, hitting the streets of Nanning
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| Watching Winnie the Pooh REALLY early in the morning. |
They are starting to ackowledge eachother!
Buddhist temple my friend Heather took Larae and I to
we fed the fish--it was awsome!
chubby buddies
So after a CRAZY busy week we finally started our trek to China….um….WOW! Holy Moly Wow! It all started at Salt Lake international airport where they told us that they could not find our paper tickets for the twins. So Ezra had to stay with Mister check-in man while Larae and I made our way to security with the twinsies with out him.
We started the whole shoe removal process, folded the stroller, got the babies out of the car seats, took off our coats, took out our ipads and computers, etc. etc. I’m a tad flustered trying to get this all done and keep the babies happy and the security guy standing next the portal has the nerve to say “you’re stuff doesn’t push itself through.”
I called him a not so nice word in my head and proceeded to push our stuff through with a baby in my arms. (My angry feelings are flooding back to me as I write this.) I watched a movie about traveling with infants online at delta.com to try and get prepared, the security people on the movie were all helpful and smiley. So not the case with Ms. Really poorly drawn on eyebrows and mister “it doesn’t push itself through.” GGRRRRR.
Larae and I finally make it through and start gathering our things when they inform us that our stroller has tested positive for explosives…..Awsome! Mr. Bomb squad informs us that, me, Larae, and the babies are all going to have to be patted down. At this point I’m really wishing that Ezra were with us. They call up Mrs. Short blond to give Larae and I a good patting. So we stand there with our arms sticking straight out while they do their thing.
I much rather be the one being patted than be the patter…….okay that sounds awkward……I’d rather just not be involved. They are EXTREMLY thorough. The safety of the United States is in good hands people!
As we were standing there waiting for them to check all the rest of our belongings a young guy standing by says, some thing like “whoa, it’s quite the task traveling with kids.” I respond, “yeah, especially when you have an explosive stroller.” Luckily Mr. Bomb squad didn’t hear me say that. But I’m pretty sure Mrs. Short blond did, she just laughed. Probably not the best timing for that remark. Oh well.
When every thing was finally done being tested Mr. Bomb Squad felt it his civic duty to give Larae and I a chemistry lesson on why we tested positive for explosives, his exact word were, “remember back to high school chemistry class.” (rolling eyes) Seriously? (First of all I never took chemistry….and right now is really not the best time buddy).
As Larae and I head to our gate I’m wishing that I had eaten more breakfast and I tell her that there is no way we are getting on the plane without Ezra.
Flight Number 1 -Salt Lake City to Seattle 3hrs:
Ezra makes it just in time, we are able to take our carriers on board and the babies sleep the whole time. We arrive in Seattle and have time to eat and feed the girls. Little Friendly Chinese man keeps coming up to the babies, of coarse he has to touch the hands and the cheeks. As we wait little friendly Chinese man has his buddy take several pictures of him posing with a small stuffed seal. So funny.
Flight Number 2 –Seattle to Tokyo 11hrs:
Starts out pretty good. At about hour 7 things start to go down hill. Fae is being pretty content but Ila is starting to loose it. We are all getting tired but it is impossible to sleep while trying to keep babies happy. By hour ten we start to descend, Ila has a head cold and starts screaming harder than I’ve ever seen her scream. Ezra and I are helpless. Not a good Mom moment. Stressing out. We are supposed to have a two hour layover but we are late arriving in Japan and end up having to rush through security and pretty much straight onto our next plane—I’m starting to loose my cool. It’s the middle of the night back home. I have motion sickness.
Flight Number3- Tokyo to Hong Kong 5 hrs:
Glad that planes have barf bags. Babies sleep. Feeling sick and uncomfortable can’t sleep wondering what in the heck I was thinking. Beyond tired. Lots of coughing on the plane- glad I brought my car seat covers. Finally make it to Hong Kong gather our nine bags of luggage, catch a bus to the hotel, so glad Larae is with us. Been traveling 27 hrs.
Get cleaned up at the hotel. Go to Bed. Wake up 3 hrs later to feed hungry babies, eat a wonderful breakfast, chill out at the hotel while Ez shows Larae some sights of Hong Kong. Order room service- a banana split, instead they bring me spaghetti and meat balls- welcome to China.
Flight Number 4 Hong Kong to Nanning 1 ½ hrs:
We were the only white people waiting for the flight and were receiving a number of curious looks. I have to say I started feeling quite nervous about boarding my last flight, bringing my two babies into the mainland. But the 737 was less than half full so we sat in the back by ourselves, it was great. We met up with our bags and pretty much carried our stroller through an obstacle coarse of curbs, bars, and vegetation with the girls in it over to the van where the company driver was waiting. We took a back road into town so the traffic wasn’t too crazy. Finally made it to our apartment.
All in all the whole experience was a lot like giving birth—you have no idea how you survived the 32 hours of labor pains and the C-section you were supposed to be numb for, but in the end you survived.
When I started rating my experience traveling to China in my top 3 worst life experiences, Ezra reminded me of all the tender mercies we were given throughout the whole trip.
1:We were able to take our car seats on every single flight except the shortest one.
2: On our 11 hr flight where Ila was screaming a cute young mom from Salt Lake City was sitting next to Fae she was taking care of her while Ezra and I tried to calm Ila down. It could have been anyone sitting next to her but it was a stranger that I felt comfortable with. (Larae- had to sit a couple rows in front of us- only one car seat per row.)
3: In Tokyo the Japanese flight attendants let us board the plane 10 minutes before anyone else. There was no place to sit in the terminal and I was not feeling well so this was huge for me.
4: We got into the VIP line in customs, it’s meant for government officials. A big blessing because if we would have been even a few minutes longer we would have missed the last bus to our hotel.
5: We did not have to change even one poopy diaper on an airplane. Twins-4 different planes, no poopy diapers= miracle.
So even though I don’t recommend traveling across the pacific with two infants, we have proved that it is in fact possible.
We loved having Larae with us for a few days and were able to give her the quick tour of Nanning—but first, she had to pass initiation by surviving rush hour traffic. We were sad to let her go but glad that she still seemed to like us after spending countless hours on planes, towing luggage, sleeping on a rock hard bed, and only being able to find Q-tips. ( ;
The girls have been excellent sleepers since they were about 2 months old sleeping soundly for 8-9 hours a night. (It has been a gift to a mother who feeds, entertains, and cleans up after twice the babies.) I was really worried about what flipping their schedules upside down would do, but within about 4 days of being in China they were completely adjusted and are still sleeping 8-9 hours at night. Ila and Fae are rock star sleepers! I am even more grateful for this blessing now that I am lacking the help that living with my parents provided. Aka Grandma.
All in all we are adjusting pretty well. We just smell a little different.
