Positive Mumsnet vibes needed for our most excellent adventure ....

[ghosty]

On Thursday DS (5), DD(16 and a half months) and I are travelling from NZ to the UK for my sister's wedding and to see family and friends.
Although terribly excited at the prospect of seeing my family etc I am totally dreading the flight(s) ... we are going via singapore with only a 2 hour stop there ... that is 11 hours from Auckland to Singapore then 14 hours from Singapore to London.
DH can't come with us as he has to work but he will be following later and travelling back with us ...
When I booked the flights DD was a small, placid, not yet moving, breastfed 9 month old ... she is now a large, walking, wilful, loud, tantrummy nightmare of a toddler ...
WHAT WAS I THINKING???????????????
Please send as many positive vibes as possible my way from 3am Thursday morning your time till 6am Friday morning ....
TIA

Give them something like Fennel medicien (check with pharmacist) we used to do that with dd on long journeys and it worked wonders, if not that Piriton, makes them a bit sleepy and calm.

Good luck and loadz of +ve vibes!!

You're welcome Ghosty

I know what, I will volunteer to care for both of them while you and Dh have a restful return trip

If I can come and stay with you in NZ

Where is it you live?

I love NZ DEFFO BRILL

We got DS a DEFFO BRILL camera @ Changi with a huge eyepiece hole thingy

Very easy to take photos

He loved the toy shops too

We went to Oz with Singapore Airlines in Dec with a 28 month old and a 9 month old, not the same ages as you and I was dreading the flight, but generally I was surprised at how much better it went. I couldnt believe it as they both slept more or less the whole time, think they were so bored that there was nothing else to do. The didnt sleep so much coming back but still wasnt too bad. Love Changi airport, also had a few play areas spotted around and a couple of toy shops. I dont know if it was for a special occasion but in the transit lounge they had a big area put aside for kids and had staff to help them with colouring etc and making things, sticking etc. They gave both dds a balloon and that kept the 9month old occupied for hours.

RTKM ... you're on!

DEFFO BRILL

North or South Island????

That is your phrase for the week isn't it RTKM ... DEFFO BRILL!!!
Live in Auckland ... North Island ...

OOOOOOH yes yes yes

Want to go NOW

We weren't in AKL for very long

kind of on our way up to Ninety mile beach etc.

Yes DEFFO BRILL is one of my phrases

Am sure that the flight will be OK

It's her phrase for life, Ghosty

suzyw did it, didn't she (in reverse) - with her two (she stopped in Singapore too I think). You'll be OK. Not the same thing but we used to regularly go down to West Wales on the train (5.5 hours) with ds1 (from age 1 upwards). I would take a rucksack with 'new' stuff in it - comics with freebie gifts on are great. Crayons, paper, little toys etc. (scissors were good - we spent an hour making chains of dancing ladies once, but you can't take scissors on a plane these days can you?) Every time he started to flag/whinge I would pull another 'rabbit' out of my magic bag. When all else failed I had chocolate buttons etc. stashed right at the bottom!

Having said all that - that was ds1. Ds2 is a whole 'nother kettle of fish. The thought of 5.5 hours on a train with him makes my blood run cold.

That wasn't helpful, was it? Good luck!

Sending you positive vibes GHOSTY ++++++++++++++

as you will be in the air now on way from SIN to LHR

Hope it is all going well

IIRC landing around 5am Saturday

Hope the flight went smoothly ghosty.

Welcome home!!!

GHOSTY hopefully you have survived the flight

And that DS and DD slept for most of the way, and let you have a snooze as well.

I am here!!!! In one piece!!!!
Thanks for the positive vibes everyone ... DS and DD were bloody marvellous, behaviour wise, although not much sleep was had ... DD slept the first hour and the last two hours of the first flight ... DS slept only for the last 2 hours. The second flight we all managed to get little bits of kip (DD had 3 short naps of an hour each and luckily DS slept at the same time as her)
Several people commented on how good the children were and how brave I was to do it alone ... do feel smugly clever now I have to say!
Arrived Friday morning, and felt pissed all day ... jetlag is a terrible thing ... the children are still all over the shop, falling asleep at bizarre times (DD pretty much dozed off in her high chair last night) ...
Anyway ... won't go on ... might not be able to log on for a while as am on my dad's pc and I don't think he 'gets' MN!

Message withdrawn

DEFFO BRILL

DEFFO BRILL

DEFFO BRILL

WELL DONE

WOW you came through it very well

Did you go to the toyshops at Changi?

What about Koi fish?

Yup,RTKM ... saw the fish and bought DS a transformer ... he was chuffed to bits! Only problem is we can't work out how to transform the bloody thing

Missed all this! Are you still in blighty Ghosty? Whereabouts? hope all is going well with your trip

DEFFO BRILL Ghosty

Am currently in the Chichester area, Marina, with my parents Marina.
Am off on an adventure to see Jimjams tomorrow! Am leaving kids with parents, have hired a car and am going on a roadtrip ... yeeeee haaaaa! Will stay the night with her and come back to rescue my parents.
After this weeks will be based in Surrey helping my DSis prepare for her nuptials .... have only just recovered from her hen night!
Am missing mumsnet as I never get a chance to check up ....

Message withdrawn