What a day! Champion travellers.

What you don't want to hear over the loud speaker at the airport?  Your name called over the loud speaker asking for you to come back to the check in counter.  That just can't be good can it?   

We had been told there would be a delay, but the news I received was much worse, a 6 hour delay! Now with a new estimated arrival time of 9pm, certainly not what you want to hear when traveling with 4 children.  2 of which have school in the morning, and all of them desperately lacking in sleep after a fantastic couple of weeks away with cousins and a very memorable weekend of Birthday celebrations.   

Luckily on this return trip Coder was with me, having flown in the week before.

We had planned on an early bedtime.   Instead we cannot pick up the dog, so that is an extra nights accommodation for her.  Not that she would care mind you, Club K9 is just that, quiet the doggy retreat and she loves it.   Luckily I was able to ask a friend to pick up some much needed groceries, otherwise the boys would be going to school with stale biscuits, moldy bread and on an empty stomach with nothing to eat for breakfast.

After 7 hours of flights and/or airport camping I barely bat an eyelid when McDonalds only had frozen coke instead of the usual compromise of a frozen fanta.  I certainly wasn't going to deflate 2 little boys excitement because they had their hopes pinned on a frozen drink.  So that was a first, lucky we are going to be up half the night anyway hey!

My arms were wishing I had brought the backpack stroller, but I paced that course way like a mother possessed, knowing full well the wrath of an overtired toddler far surpasses any temporary muscle discomfort.  

 

And when the 9 year old, with his matted hair and glazed eyes resorts to desperately trying to sleep on the airport carpet, in between the rows of seats, you just smile inwardly, knowing what a fantastic time he has had with his cousins, especially the one closest to him in age with the same gaming interests.  He gives up after awhile, with the incessant piercing loud speaker rattling him every few minutes it is just impossible.

I have also learned a valuable lesson about balloon animals, or in particular, what not to do with them.  This is the status update Coder placed on Facebook, and that just about explains it all.

Sophie made lovely balloon animals for the kids, and stored them in the overhead locker on our flight to Melbourne. Two unfortunate events unfolded - the balloon animals popped randomly and loudly in flight and it completely freaked out the lady directly under them. By the time we landed, the flight attendants had the AC blasting on her, vomit bags ready, and she visibly sighed a huge sigh of relief only when the plane stopped at the terminal. So there you go - balloon animals on aircraft are probably the most terrifyingly evil things you can bring! Lesson learned!

Opps.  But it had them well entertained while we had to wait 30mins to check our bags in at Mildura.  

We arrived at home at 10pm, after a weekend of 70mm of rain our driveway was less then cooperative and whereas we got up the main portion of it, we slipped on the last rise to the house where we park.  Not able to get any grip we had to reverse to park the car at the paddock level and negotiate 4 tired children and 8 bags by foot through inches thick mud, uphill.  Excellent fun.


More details of the trip, and of course photos, will come in the next couple of weeks as I get re-organised and settled into the new school term.



I am linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT (I blog on Tuesdays).

My day out begins. (Nikon school)

Saturday I was in Melbourne for a 1 day intermediate photography course with the Nikon School.

I'm sitting in McCafe waiting for 9.30 to hurry up and get here.

My day started like this...



I heard pichu scream through the monitor, precisely timed 1 hour (uncanny) before my alarm was set to wake me.  This meant I started the day bright eyed and bushy tailed after just 4 hours of sleep. Might have been a bad dream because he easily drifted back to sleep with a few head pats (his favourite).  But it was too late for me, I did attempt to return to sleepy land, but on returning to my bed and finding Oshawott sprawled across the bed, arms wide, one slapping Daddy in the face and one holding my pillow hostage, I gave up on that notion. Instead opting to just get ready for my big day out.

The spider in the bathroom slowed me down slightly as I weighed up the chances of it launching itself off the wall to attack me. Logic and tiredness won the mind battle and I didn't even get out the vacuum cleaner to suck it up like I usually would. 

I tried to quietly leave the house. Forgot my phone, had to go back and get it, then the dog heard me as I got to the car and assuming it was a wallaby come to steal it, started barking.  It was 4.45am, the rooster was crowing,  not bothering to poise himself gracefully on a fence post, but from the warmth and cosiness of his roost.

After hearing many stories off near miss spider attacks from Coder I was hesitant to take his car to the airport... In the dark, but I had no choice.  The drive to the airport was incident free at least, except for remembering his car was a manual and occasionally forgetting to change gears. But the good news is that it can maneuver around a roundabout in 4th gear!

One drawback to not traveling alone with 4 young children is apparently you look more suspicious.  I was 'randomly' selected for the drug swab test.  I love how he casually chatted to me about my travel plans as he swabbed my armpits, pockets and luggage for amphetamines! 

The one time that I am flying by myself (in 8 years) and could enjoy a snack and hot drink on my very own seat tray they didn't have any cheese and crackers!  They don't have perishables from Hobart. Right, I forgot Hobart is a third world state. No wonder Tasmanians like to think of themselves as completely separate to the mainland, look at how we are treated!  

It is ok, I can live without the snack because I am actually enjoying being able to use my own iPad, whilst listening to other people having to deal with their screaming children. Ah the memories of just yesterday, still so fresh, like a tantrum snapshot permanently frozen in my mind.

Gotchya! (our surprise visit to Broken Hill)

School holidays are upon us.  Rather then stay home, being referee for 2 weeks, I decided to take the boys back to Broken Hill again.  It has been a long first term in Hobart, especially for Voltorb getting used to full time school. The boys were super happy with the news, Coder was relatively happy, meant he could get alot of work done on End Permian, but he would miss the ratbags.  So tickets were booked, bags were packed and off we went.  Oh, and I decided to keep this little gem to ourselves and not let anyone know we were coming!

It's not a decision I made lightly, you see, my sister also has 4 children. So turning up on a school night at 7pm, needing somewhere for 5 extra people to sleep is no small ask.

The trip over was fairly smooth.  Travelling alone with 4 children, the youngest being in a pram, the second youngest whinging about walking, and the other two using toys as bowling balls in the airports, certainly gets some looks from strangers.  But it also brings out the best in (some) people.  People offer to help, they don't think twice about trying squeeze the backpack stroller in an overhead compartment, or hold onto the toddler so he doesn't fall off the baggage stand on the bus.  Luckily I do have 2 randomnly capable children that like to pull cabin bags, and even better, know that if they don't there won't be any future solo parent holidays.

Backpack stroller, best recent purchase.  4kg of sanity neatly packed in cabin bag sized backpack.  One little thing made the trip almost pleasant.  Really, I got so many comments, like 'wonder Mum' and 'I don't know how you do it', ahh my little secret.. the backpack stroller! Melbourne airport is a chore at the best of times, but just a tiny bit more stressful with no time (none, we got off one plane and walked right to the next gate as they were boarding) in between flights, carrying a heavy toddler, bags, and keeping tabs on 3 others.  Having the stroller made things much easier.

 Pichu was intrigued by the constant flow of people finding their seats.  It became a little weird when he started touching their legs on the way past. And, tic tacs = win.  Well for us.  I'm sure the cleaners wont be so impressed with the half packet dropped down into the backs of our seats.

On our trip to Coolum for Christmas, Coder convinced the younger boys they were controlling the plane with the meager seat recline button.  Most people don't seem to know it has this hidden function.  Takeoff speed, altitude, descent and most importantly brakes.  Oshawott in particular takes his job very seriously, and gets very upset if his button doesn't depress properly, how will the plane work?!  I can never get a photo or video of this because the phone has to be always off at those times.  

On our descent into Melbourne, out of the blue, Voltorb asked me if I knew the way to the airport? Curious, I said I did, but why?  Well in case we crashed of course.  He was worried we wouldn't make our next flight if we crashed and had to walk to the airport.  Ah, that old chestnut.  Yes Voltorb, I know the way, but we would probably miss that next flight, but they'd just pop us on the next plane to Adelaide.

5 hours in Adelaide airport was a bit of a downer, thank goodness for the fenced playground in the middle!  Pichu even had a nap in the backpack stroller, though I had hold the handle down so he could sleep comfortably (no recline position).  I even got to have a coffee and read my photography magazine (all the while holding the pram handle down).

 On landing in Adelaide we had 5 hours to spare so we were in no rush this time to get off the plane and therefore took our time.  One of the benefits of being last off the plane is you get to chat with the pilots!

 

We shared lunch with a few extras.

 Nap time.

Oshawott loved the special crown that came with his lunch. He was just a little tired by this stage.

It was dusk while we were waiting to board the Rex flight, big windows, tired kids.

Safely in Broken Hill, thanks Oshawott and Voltorb for that...  we bundled into a maxi taxi and made the short trip to my sister's house.  It was dark.  I asked the cabbie to stop a few doors down, and we lugged the bags (minus one that had apparently taken a detour to Perth), as quietly as 4 tired excited kids carting 5 bags can be, up to the house.  I had the boys ring the doorbell as I recorded.

I don't think they had any inkling!  My sister quickly rang my Mum and made an excuse to get her to come over.

Read about our trip home here. It was not so rosey.