We're in Germany!

Wow. Has it really been that long since I posted last? I guess time flies when you're having fun...errr, when you're really busy. Lots has happened since the last time I wrote. And yet most of it is unimportant enough that I've forgotten about it. So many times I thought, "wow I should really blog about this. This would be a funny story." And yet, I never sat down to write about it.

So...as you can see from the subject of this post....we're here! So many people have emailed me with questions, so I think I'm going to do "Questions with Christy" again. We'll just do 5 this time.

1. How did the plane flight go?

It went so much better than last time. No security conundrums, no ticket counter fiascos, and no "running to our gate" situations. We went straight through security with such ease...and the security guards there were so helpful with all our stuff. Even though...without their help, we have a "Plan of Attack" that we came up with a few trips ago that helps us, as a "family", get through security without all the fumbling, as well as the rolling of eyes from the impatient people behind us, who really just wish they could run through the security process. I can't imagine doing this with more kids than we already have.

The flight to Dallas was great. During our layover, Brian treated/introduced the girls to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Caramel Apples. We each got our own and the girls LOVED it.

Spencer slept better on this flight to Germany, and so did Brian. I didn't sleep a wink. It WAS nice though that Spencer had his own seat.

And i kept telling the girls, "You need to try to get some sleep. Even though it is the middle of the day to our bodies while we're flying, when we get there it'll feel like the NIGHT to our bodies, but it's 7 a.m. in Germany and we have to stay up all day again. You need to get your sleep now." They insisted they were fine. But sure enough, 15 minutes before the plane landed, I looked over and they were both OUT! They were so bummed I had to wake them up. But during the rest of the day after we got home they had a 9 hour daytime sleep.

We also had someone pick us up from the airport so we didn't have to walk miles across the airport to rent a car with all our stuff. Then, everyone pretty much slept on the way home (an hour drive).

2. How has your jet lag been?

HORR.

I.

BLE!

And yes, I meant to write it that way. Much worse than last time. Here are a few notes to self next time I travel...

*get lots of sleep BEFORE the plane ride. Brian and I got about 3 hours sleep each night the 3 days before we left. Being overly tired and trying to catch up on jet lag is not a good combination.

*plan fun activities for the daytime to take our minds off the tiredness and the temptation to sleep too much. Last trip, Brian had fun day activities for us and it didn't feel as bad.

*Don't travel with kids. Oh wait, we can't do that. But seriously, waking up with the kids, WHILE at the same time having our own insomina bouts is really bad for the system. Cuz the minute we finally get to sleep, having a kid wake us up out of a dead sleep cuz THEY'RE having insomnia is so not good.

I actually have been so tired this time around that I've felt physically nauseous and had the shakes (kind of like when you get food poisoning and you feel kind of "out of it" and clammy...hate that word btw, but it's the only one that works here). Brian's jet lag has been totally fine, he's been super functional so he offered to let me sleep in the other room last night (on the couch) and he would get up all night with the baby. So...I put in ear plugs, took a Flexeril (kind of like a muscle relaxer I take when I'm having a bout of fibromyalgia insomnia) and slept like a baby for many hours.

I can't WAIT til tomorrow night. Spencer should be well acclimated and I can implement my months of waiting til the day I could be in one place for more than 2 weeks and get him to sleep through the night....even though he IS sleeping in our room. But that's for the next question.

3. How's the hotel/apartment you're staying in?

It's been okay, except kind of different. We were hoping for the same apartment from last time, but they gave us one across the hall and although it's two bedroom, it's way smaller and has many things different. The car they gave us is only 2 door and can barely fit 4 people, and the front sitting room is pretty small for Spencer to crawl around in. The biggest thing that is different is there is only one bathroom...alas, nowhere to put Spencer's portacrib for him to sleep. So, he's in our room. We'll see how well that goes.

You have no idea how bummed I was realizing the irony of the situation. I've been waiting/anticipating/hoping for MONTHS to be able to get him out of hotel rooms/other people's houses, so that I could let him cry it through and not have to wake up with him so much. My reasoning was that I didn't want to wake everyone else up in the hotel room with his crying. And I didn't want to wake everyone else up when I was staying at other people's houses. And I also knew that when he was sleeping in the same room as us, he could hear us tossing and turning so that would wake him up too. So I always gave him a bottle to get him back to sleep. I just kept telling myself, "just wait til Germany. You'll have a place to put him to sleep." And now...we're just back in the same situation with him sleeping in our room. *sigh*. *HUGE sigh*. But I'm going to do it! I can't wait any longer. Brian and I are going to have to do some serious hiding under the covers.

4. What's the weather like there?

The day we came in it was pretty chilly. But it's warmed up a bit. It's not as green as when we were here. But it's still lush. Most of those yellow plants I took pictures of before have been cut down, but there are still a lot of plants and flowers blooming. It's really pretty.

5. How did the girls do moving over there?

Surprisingly well actually. If any of you know X&X personally, they have a really hard time saying goodbye and complain that it's going to be "sooooo long til we see them again." They have a hard time saying goodbye to their dad and his family, to their cousins in California and to their friends in Sierra Vista. However, this time around, not one tear was shed, not one complaint was muttered and they were really "settled" about things. I think they too, just like me, are craving some "normalcy" and stability. They've been traveling for months now and I'm sure just really want to get back to life. They are begging me every day to go get registered into school.

I'm really proud of them at how well they are doing. They are really growing into fine girls. They have been keeping themselves clean, their stuff somewhat picked up and actually cleaned the house, dishes and everything, while I was sleeping this morning. (Really it was because they are trying to butter me up for a dog...but hey, whatever works ya?)