Home Sweet Home

After 27 hours of travelling, counting the 3 hours in the airport prior to our first flight as well as the car rides to and from the airport, we finally arrived home.  The kids insisted on a sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's, though, so didn't even spend their first night in Canada in their own beds.  Since they apparently woke up at 3 a.m., I can't say I am too sad about that.  As for me, I'm not sure whether it's 6:30 p.m. or 6:30 a.m., if I should be getting up or heading to bed.  I'm exhausted to the point of nausea and hoping that an early night tonight will allow me to get back on track before I head back to work tomorrow.  I thought  another post about the trip, the travels home, photos and stories I neglected to share earlier was in order, however.  As the kids finish up their scrapbooks and discuss their favourite memories of the trip and how our 2 countries are different, there may be other stories worth sharing in a final post.  We'll have to wait and see.

Picture this - it is hour 18 in the airplane, 23 hours after waking up to start the day's travels.  The plane has landed in Toronto; it is 5:15 p.m., we're sitting towards the back of the plane and know we have to disembark, walk what will seem like miles through the airport terminal to clear immigration, pick up our suitcases, walk out of the customs area, put the luggage back on the belt and head towards the gate for our next, and final, flight home which is scheduled to board at 6:05.  Robert and I are carrying 3 backpacks, 2 rolling carry-on suitcases, a large shoulder bag, 2 small purse-like bags and a shopping bag while trying to keep track of the children too.  Finally, people are moving off the plane and Robert begins down the aisle.  Danica, our sweet, angelic-looking daughter, decides to do a starfish like move in the aisle with her feet and hands each planted on opposite seats, refusing to move and follow Robert.  I try to push, prod, encourage her with my nice, calm, Mommy voice which understands that she is just tired while my tired, stressed, frustrated voice in my head has other ideas as it gets more and more embarrassed at the fact that not only are we not going anywhere but neither are the people behind us on the plane.  So with full arms, I have to pick her up around her waist and try to carry her down the aisle too, just hoping that Duncan follows behind.

Other than that little episode, however, the trip home was fairly uneventful.  Danica actually slept most of the time though did struggle with her right ear hurting her during take-off and landing.  The flight attendant on our final flight was spectacular, though, and was able to convince her to plug her nose and blow out her ears and drink some water to encourage swallowing to help her.  Robert and I had been telling her that all along but what do parents really know?  On the way off the plane, the flight attendant then invited the kids into the cockpit to meet the pilots and see all the instruments.  I wonder if flight attendants know how they can totally make or break a flight, particularly when you are flying with young kids.  The ones on the other flights were okay but this one was awesome.

I think I forgot to mention in the last post about the unplanned visit to the park about my little crisis moment.  Robert and Duncan had just returned from the washroom when Danica decided she had to go.  Robert went off with her and then Duncan was just wandering a little on the path behind our table.  He'd asked where they went and I told him but I didn't notice that he then followed them.  A couple of minutes later, I realized he wasn't with the other kids and asked where Duncan was and no one knew.  Robert often tells us of how he was nearly kidnapped as a child but his uncle intervened and saved him and is also frequently telling us that kids get kidnapped from parks and such in the Philippines a lot, particularly those with lighter skin, and sold on the black market.  Needless to say, this is running through my mind as I try not to panic while Robert's sisters attempt to call his cell phone to see if Duncan is with him after all.  Thankfully he was but let me tell you that those 2 minutes until I laid eyes on him again were possibly the longest of my life and as soon as I saw him, I began to bawl my eyes out.

 Duncan and Danica on the "Adult playground" equipment

 Robert doing his workout

 Manilyne, Robert, Chessie, Aira, Duncan and Danica at the Quezon tower

 Walking a wheelchair-bound elderly lady barefoot on a rock walkway

(I'm guessing it's therapeutic as others were doing the same but I didn't try it)

 Aira, Chessie, Danica and Duncan

 Duncan and Chessie

 Danica trying hard to smile naturally for the camera

 Chessie and Danica

 Duncan's the ice cream man

 Me eating an ice cream sandwich (literally) with my soya drink on the table

My Disco moves at the park's "Disco Area"

While at the F1 Hotel, I overheard Danica talking to Duncan about the chapter book the hotel had on the bedside table.  Duncan was explaining to her that it was the Holy Bible and all the stories were about Jesus.  Later, Danica brought me the book and said, "Mommy - here is a chapter book for you.  It's all about Jesus - have you read it yet?"  She then told me that it would take me a long time to read because it was pretty long.

 Duncan at the F1 Hotel

 Duncan and Danica

 Our room - the bedroom

 Our room - the living room

The view from our room

 Rowena, Manilyne and Kent in one of the hotel's 3 pools

Rowena, Robert and Manilyne

 The 4 of us after dinner with Ninong Vic

Rowena, Vic, Robert, Pam, Manilyne

During this vacation, it has become rather apparent to me that my kids can fall asleep absolutely anywhere and in the most awkward positions...

 Danica on the plane

 Duncan on the floor

 Danica at Amana Waterpark

 Both kids on the way home from Bataan

Duncan in Tito Vher's arms in the mall

Other Random Pics

 Drying rice on the road

 Philippine pesos

 Duncan with one of his birthday gifts

 The family at the house after Duncan's Jollibee party

 One of Tita Celing's many geckos

 Robert and Tita Celing

 At Tita Celing's for dinner

 Halo-Halo (perhaps Robert's favourite Philippine treat)

 Singing karaoke

 Yes, that is a Hello Kitty motorbike

The airplane's shadow on landing

 Duncan and Danica on the mall "rides"

 Chessie and Aira

 Bonifacio High Street - Fort Bonifacio; Psy's "Gentleman" dance

 The Filipino flag in a maple leaf, flower and Pikachu pedicures

 Danica

 Krizia's 20th Birthday at The Pancake House

It was a very good trip but it is nice to be home too.  I am enjoying and appreciating all the comforts of home, such as my own bed, space and quiet, enough water pressure for a nice hot shower, toilets that flush consistently, dry washrooms, no ants.  I do miss the heat of the Philippines, however, as I'm finding Canada rather cool currently.  I also do miss some of the noise and chaos of all the children laughing and playing.  I wish the kids had longer to get to know Robert's family and to build a relationship with his parents and sisters like they have with my parents and brother.  Maybe we'll just have to Skype more often...Alternatively, we'll take a lottery win that allows us to travel back more frequently (and perhaps in First Class as those seats they make us walk past to get to the "no class" section as Robert refers to it look pretty sweet).