We got to the airport early, and then later found out the flight was late so somehow we managed to entertain the boys for endless hours in the airport by introducing them to McDonalds pancake breakfasts (thanks Uncle Sam!), read magazines (thanks Helen!), colour pictures and sit on some arcade driving games and pretend to drive for a good hour or so!
Flying to Libya was pretty smooth, Tom was an angel watching movies, reading and playing with 'the King' (thanks Nanny - I wish you had seen their faces when we got them out!!) -The king being the matchbox sized car that was 'the only thing he wanted for Christmas' - I'm sure he will think of something else before then! Joshua was a very sleep deprived, high maintenance two year old, prepared to have a strop at the slightest thing so the journey did seem eternally long. But it wasn't all bad, Joshua took a liking to the chicken curry - obviously not knowing the reputation aeroplane food has- and ate better than he does at home, he had a lovely time playing with fireman Sam and a little fire engine with an extendable ladder, even though fireman Sam was bigger than the fire engine. He made me smile while he watched a bit of Madagasgar 2 with some headphones - all was lovely and quiet for a few minutes until the whole plane heard him singing '...I like to move it, move it, I like to move it, move it...' - oh well it beat the whinging.
Flying from Libya to Benin was notably different, the stroppy toddler fell asleep and looked like an angel, although took up more than his fair share of seat space. The earlier angel became a tired little boy who found it incredibly difficult to get to sleep given the lights and lack of space, but who did fall asleep on the floor a good couple of hours into the flight. We might have joined him except that Joshua kept threatening to fall off the seats onto his sleeping brother.
Anyway, it is good to be back, to see Tommy, to have had some sleep, to know we are here with all our luggage and the pushchair returned to us.
Saturday, 31 October 2009
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
back in the land of bath-tubs
We had a very long night travelling via Cameroon and Libya but made it back only an hour late yesterday lunchtime. Josh slept through most of the night, Tom through some of the night from about 1-6.30 am and I slept for about 20 mins before one of the flight attendants gave me an almighty shake to wake me as he thought I would really appreciate some chicken and rice with a pasta salad on the side - at 3am! Seriously!
It was one of those days when you want your camera handy, but we had enough going on with children and hand luggage to actually get one out. It is just totally different flying from Africa than anywhere else. Well we wished we had taken some drinks as no one ever asked or removed liquids from hand luggage and we lost count how many times to boys told us they needed a drink! A lady picked up my hand luggage to see how heavy she thought it was, 3 kg overweight according to my scales but Tommy assured me that they never weigh hand-luggage (and I could have moved some things to Joshua's bag if they got funny) so maybe her arms weighed it lighter than my scales? 'Mercy Ships' are like magic words when the passport people are looking puzzled, presumably over the lack of visa. No one asked anything about the luggage - probably just as well as we did not strictly speaking pack all of it.
So how was flying Air Afriqiyah? Well the planes were just like any other, the food better than average, just not appreciated at 3am, but good at midnight and 9am when we were awake and hungry! It was the first time that the maps on the Tv's flicked to one showing the direction and distance to Mecca and the top of women's bodies fuzzed out on the films! I learnt that when the flight itinery said 'technical stop' they actually mean a passenger stop but we could just stay on the same plane, I thought we were getting fuel! - I understand now how it was an air-bus! We got to see a beautiful sun-rise in Libya, I really should have got the camera out then but it was tricky moving with small people sleeping on your lap. When we got off the plane in Tripoli the flight attendants wrapped the boys up in some blankets as they said they would be cold. 13 degrees did feel a little chilly - but I thought quite a nice change-but the boys appreciated them and are quite excited about having aeroplane blankets to play with now!
We had a good time travelling with our friend Judy, who we were sad to be saying goodbye to in London, we were grateful for Sam helping with the luggage and especially pleased that we arrived safely and could enjoy a warm bath (and yes Tom has already started praying that the plane on the way home won't crash into the ocean :-) )
I'm sure this post was going to be much funnier when I had it in my head whilst being kept awake all night but now I am just too tired!
Sarah
It was one of those days when you want your camera handy, but we had enough going on with children and hand luggage to actually get one out. It is just totally different flying from Africa than anywhere else. Well we wished we had taken some drinks as no one ever asked or removed liquids from hand luggage and we lost count how many times to boys told us they needed a drink! A lady picked up my hand luggage to see how heavy she thought it was, 3 kg overweight according to my scales but Tommy assured me that they never weigh hand-luggage (and I could have moved some things to Joshua's bag if they got funny) so maybe her arms weighed it lighter than my scales? 'Mercy Ships' are like magic words when the passport people are looking puzzled, presumably over the lack of visa. No one asked anything about the luggage - probably just as well as we did not strictly speaking pack all of it.
So how was flying Air Afriqiyah? Well the planes were just like any other, the food better than average, just not appreciated at 3am, but good at midnight and 9am when we were awake and hungry! It was the first time that the maps on the Tv's flicked to one showing the direction and distance to Mecca and the top of women's bodies fuzzed out on the films! I learnt that when the flight itinery said 'technical stop' they actually mean a passenger stop but we could just stay on the same plane, I thought we were getting fuel! - I understand now how it was an air-bus! We got to see a beautiful sun-rise in Libya, I really should have got the camera out then but it was tricky moving with small people sleeping on your lap. When we got off the plane in Tripoli the flight attendants wrapped the boys up in some blankets as they said they would be cold. 13 degrees did feel a little chilly - but I thought quite a nice change-but the boys appreciated them and are quite excited about having aeroplane blankets to play with now!
We had a good time travelling with our friend Judy, who we were sad to be saying goodbye to in London, we were grateful for Sam helping with the luggage and especially pleased that we arrived safely and could enjoy a warm bath (and yes Tom has already started praying that the plane on the way home won't crash into the ocean :-) )
I'm sure this post was going to be much funnier when I had it in my head whilst being kept awake all night but now I am just too tired!
Sarah
Saturday, 17 October 2009
family
It has been a long week since we heard the news that Sarah's Grandad and our friend Hal died last Sunday. Sarah, Sam and the boys fly home tomorrow, to arrive Monday lunchtime.
In between tears Tom said '...but I wanted to see Great-Grandad at Christmas..'
I know so did we all. It is so sad having people you love so much not there any more. Our hearts are back home right now, constantly thinking of people we love, wishing Africa just wasn't quite so far away and wanting to go and give a few people a hug, but soon we will.
We live in the certainty that we will see him again, and in the meantime he is enjoying one great party with the God we are here to serve. We will miss him, but be grateful for having had such a wonderful Grandad.
Please be praying for us as we travel back overnight tomorrow, especially that the boys will sleep. We leave at 23.15 to arrive in Tripoli, Libya at 06.50 and then get our connecting flight to London at 08.30 to arrive at 11am.
In between tears Tom said '...but I wanted to see Great-Grandad at Christmas..'
I know so did we all. It is so sad having people you love so much not there any more. Our hearts are back home right now, constantly thinking of people we love, wishing Africa just wasn't quite so far away and wanting to go and give a few people a hug, but soon we will.
We live in the certainty that we will see him again, and in the meantime he is enjoying one great party with the God we are here to serve. We will miss him, but be grateful for having had such a wonderful Grandad.
Please be praying for us as we travel back overnight tomorrow, especially that the boys will sleep. We leave at 23.15 to arrive in Tripoli, Libya at 06.50 and then get our connecting flight to London at 08.30 to arrive at 11am.
Thursday, 15 October 2009
Speech therapy on board
We are really grateful that Sally has been working with Tom in speech therapy and that he is making great progress. This is an article about what else Sally gets up to...
http://megisinafrica.blogspot.com/2009/09/speech-therapy-program.html
http://megisinafrica.blogspot.com/2009/09/speech-therapy-program.html
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
boo boos and stickers
Part of learning ship lingo is learning the term boo boo, maybe it is American, maybe universal, I have no idea, but I have just never used it. Anyway a boo boo seems to be the preferred term used by the under fives for any bump, scrape, bruise etc.
Todays boo boo was not so fun for Joshua, a big heavy door had a not so pleasant interaction with his finger. Without a first aid kit consisting of more than a few plasters I took him down to the crew nurse, leaving a small trail in the corridors so that Tommy and Tom could find us where we ended up in the hospital recovery room. We were helped by some very lovely nurses who cleaned and steri-stripped his finger, and found some yellow smiley face stickers. And then we waited for antibiotics and an incident form and MORE stickers!! We are lucky to live somewhere with so many fabulous nurses on hand, they were so sweet and gentle with him - Thank you Kristin, Rachel, Esther and Judy!!
We came home and steri-stripped teddies arm, Tom gave Josh the picture he had drawn him and told him 'Joshua you were so brave' to which he replied 'yes Tom I WAS so brave'. Quite right - and modest with it apparantly. Seems to have almost forgotten the whole thing now except for being puzzled about why the bandage has to stay on his finger and is looking forward to going back to the nurse tomorrow to play the crocodile game!! I notice no one said I was brave or gave me any stickers (probably coz I wasn't, all nurse instincts leave when it's one of your own kids).
Todays boo boo was not so fun for Joshua, a big heavy door had a not so pleasant interaction with his finger. Without a first aid kit consisting of more than a few plasters I took him down to the crew nurse, leaving a small trail in the corridors so that Tommy and Tom could find us where we ended up in the hospital recovery room. We were helped by some very lovely nurses who cleaned and steri-stripped his finger, and found some yellow smiley face stickers. And then we waited for antibiotics and an incident form and MORE stickers!! We are lucky to live somewhere with so many fabulous nurses on hand, they were so sweet and gentle with him - Thank you Kristin, Rachel, Esther and Judy!!
We came home and steri-stripped teddies arm, Tom gave Josh the picture he had drawn him and told him 'Joshua you were so brave' to which he replied 'yes Tom I WAS so brave'. Quite right - and modest with it apparantly. Seems to have almost forgotten the whole thing now except for being puzzled about why the bandage has to stay on his finger and is looking forward to going back to the nurse tomorrow to play the crocodile game!! I notice no one said I was brave or gave me any stickers (probably coz I wasn't, all nurse instincts leave when it's one of your own kids).
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