Home Sweet Home

Aaaaaaaah, it is nice to be home.

Our trip was amaaaaaaaaaaaazing, but alas, it has come to an end.

I hope to spread out the details of our trip over the upcoming posts, but I will start at the end today.

(I digress to point out that my new header picture is most probably temporary until I find one I like better. I never realized how much harder it is to get ALL four kids to look decent in a picture at once, than it was to get three kids to coordinate themselves for a decent shot. I also updated the "about me" section, with just a small change.)

We arrived home yesterday at 12 pm or so. The trip home was pretty uneventful and the kids were well behaved, as far as kids who are traveling a good deal of a whole day can behave.

We left at 12 am Israel time on Monday morning. We landed on American soil, "Newark" to be specific, at about 5 am EST. My parents who reside in Chicago and my sister who lives in NJ took the same flight home. Although, my parents are spending a week in New York, so they completed their trip. My sister who should have completed her trip was continuing on to Denver for a conference, and we had to wait until 10 am for our flight to Chicago.

Since (my most favorite) Uncle was picking up my parents, he so graciously brought us some yum food from the Staten Island KOSHER Dunkin' Donuts, so we had something to eat over the next five hours.

We hung with my sis until we each had to go on to our respective flights.

When we landed in Chicago, my father-in-law came from the factory, which is less than ten minutes away from the airport, to pick us up in the van. I have an 8 seater Toyota Sienna. With two seats folded, we got ALL our crap luggage and carry-ons and strollers etc... into the car. This left six seats... uh, we are a family of six, and my FIL drove the car to the airport - do the math. So, illegal, dangerous, questionable, actions aside, Bam remained in his car seat, and his car seat sat on my lap. Shhhhh, don't tell.

We drove to the factory to drop off my FIL and so Hun could pick up his car and follow us home (of course I was now able to safely secure Bam's car seat in place). Bam cried all the way to the factory. I wanted to leave to home as quickly as possible, but I promised Ro a cup of soda, as she was sleeping on the airplane when they passed out the toxic bubbly drink. Bam cried as we waited for the soda and then cried all the way home. I assumed he was hungry (although, the boy does not stop eating, so who knows).

As soon as we entered the house, no quicker than opening the door and placing the car seat down, Bam stopped crying. I went off to give the kids a quick lunch of 3 yogurts, six "Eggo" blueberry muffin tops, one "Thomas" whole grain English muffin buttered, some leftover bagel and cream cheese from Dunkin Donuts and one bowl of maple brown sugar oatmeal, and totally forgot Bam was still in his car seat, due to the silence. I was able to get the older three in for a nap before I even thought of taking Bam out of his car seat, and he was so content.

I am convinced, that even he knew he was home. He was probably sick of being schlepped around on airplanes, taxis, buses, cars, strollers. He probably recognized the familiar temperature, smell and atmospheric pressure of his home. He seemed so happy to be home, in his safe and familiar environment.

The kids napped until 4:30 pm (only because I woke them up). 4:30 pm Chicago time = 12:30 am Israel time. If I did not wake 'em, disaster would ensue.

I had hoped to take a nap as well between 1 pm and 4:30, while they slept, only Bam decided to nurse, fall asleep, be placed in crib, wake two - six minutes later, repeat... for 3 and 1/2 hours straight. So at 5 pm, I put a movie on for the older three (and let's face it, one jet lagged, overused mother was totally justified in utilizing this babysitting process at the time). While they watched, I went off to the couch in the living room, l lied down with my baby "attached" and pretty much, he nursed, while I slept.

I vaguely remember some kids approaching me for items, such as...... FOOD, but I think I made them fend for themselves. G-d knows what they ate.

I woke at 6:45, in the same spot, with the SAME child still "attached" to me, only because Hun walked in the door. (He had gone back to work for a bit and then to the grocery store for essentials, because I allowed my housekeeper to shop in my fridge before we left and she cleaned me out.)

It seemed Bam, was asleep, whilst "attached" to me. So I removed him and placed him in his crib. Hun so graciously gave the children supper some sort of meal which consisted, mostly of cereal and milk, and then bathed them and put them to bed, while I woke from my couch slumber to walk upstairs and begin my bed slumber.

I only want to say one thing right now....

I LOVE MY BABY!!!

He pretty much slept from 5 pm until 5 am (give or take a bit). He woke to nurse and smile and coo until 6:30 and then went back to sleep. I did not get out of bed until 7:45 am. (Although the other little critters began to rise at 6 something, but that is pretty good considering their circadian rhythm is all messed up).

I did not know if they would be up to camp today, but off they went. And me - oh sooooooooooo much laundry and I have to get it all done by tonight (because we begin a nine day period that leads to a fast day in which we can not do laundry, amongst other things).

And with that, I will leave you, because the next load is up.

Good to be home!