Living in America... visitors welcome

[SuperBunny]

East Coast
MaNanny - Boston
Twinmommytobe - Boston
MuminCT - CT
Greatgooglymoogly - NY State
Yesthereare4ofthem - NY State
Brooklynmom - NYC
alarkaspree - NYC
MKG - New Jersey
Mummimamma - PA
Poetmum - PA
Twirl - MD

South
Earlybird - TN
jabberwocky - AR
Sunchowder - Florida
Marls001 - Bentonville, AR
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Midwest
SuperBunny- Chicago
Dodgykeeper - Dayton, OH
Chocchipcookie - Ohio
MonkeyLover
KickAssAngel - Ann Arbor, MI
MumofFivemeanschaos

Rockies
Alipiggie - Boulder, CO
Ribena

Northwest
AnnieLaurie - Seattle, WA
Dooneygirl - Oregon City, OR

California
SittingBull - nr San Francisco
Califrau - Milpitas
loopsngeorge - Brentwood, LA
Syd - Manhattan Beach, LA
SofiaAmes - LA
LATyke - Redondo Beach
CarmenSanDiego - San Diego

Texas
Texan - Dallas
Tiggyhop - Houston
Vixie78 - Houston
BananaPudding - Austin
Cosmicdust - East Texas

Canada
Hellish - Ottawa
Shouldlistenedtomymum - Hamilton
Nooka - BC
Jacksmama - Langley

Exotic Islands
Anorak - Bermuda
cp - Trinidad
Barefeete - BVI

Brazil
Albert

There were a lot of helps in that post. I need a thesaurus.

Oh I just had a brainwave! Request a wheelchair as you have a bad back and see traveling with a young child. Not only will they help you they will whisk you through security etc! Can you pull off an Oscar worthy performance?!

Thanks mananny. I will call the airline(s) and see. And, at this rate, I will have a bad back so won't need to fake it!

How about flying to Manchester? Even though BMI cancelled the flight out of O'Hare American still fly - it is often cheaper than to Heathrow.

I didn't know BMI had cancelled that flight. Virgin fly here too, or used to. Will investigate further tonight. I did a quick search yesterday and then panicked and stopped hunting. Will be more level headed later. Thanks for all the tips.

I don't think changing planes makes that much difference to the stress levels tbh. Remember that the suitcases and car seat will travel right through, so it's just what you take with you that needs to be carted around. Getting help is still an excellent idea!

We went via Amsterdam when we came over to Canada and I think it saved a couple of hundred pounds for each of us. The children really enjoyed playing with trolleys at Amsterdam airport (they still talk about it a year later). However they were 7 and 8, so a fair bit more self sufficient (I was also on my own, and I think we had six suitcases as well as maximum carry on).

Ok. I am feeling a bit better about it. I think I can manage. Well, I have to. And other people do it. And, all that matters is that Dinner & I land safely in England at some point.

Thanks for all the encouragement, everyone. I am in a mild flap about this all and need a lot of stroking and pats on the back and gentle "shhhh"s.

Sorry for being so needy!

I might book flights before the weekend.

No problem! And go on being needy wherever there are people who can help you (especially to those who are after all paid to help). I once traveled back from the US to the UK with a broken arm and recently wired together broken jaw. I was offered a wheelchair on my first flight and refused it thinking I would be fine. It was never offered again and I just couldn't bring myself to ask for help when I really needed some TLC. Sometimes you just have to admit you are a bit weak and feeble and ask for all the help you need. Your ds no doubt being gorgeous should sweeten the hardest hearts in any case

What she said ^^^

I keep looking at all my stuff and thinking I'll just hire a skip and start again at the other end. It's a tempting thought especially today. But that's because I am a lazy moo due to lack of sleep. My 6 week old has seriously painful gas issues and I have told the Mum to take him to the Dr as no baby should be screaming and writhing in pain and then doing farts a grown man would be proud of. So I was up all night after my busy day in NYC, and now I am working straight through til Friday lunchtime. Coffee is my lover friend.

I don't envy you guys with the packing and long trips. But it will be worth it in the end

mananny, is the baby breastfed? Ds1 was like that until I cut out milk and ice cream.

Mananny, I imagine by Friday lunchtime you will be collapsed on the floor with a bottle of wine exhaustion.

That poor baby. I remember being quite shocked at the noises my darling newborn could make!

I WILL ask for help. I'm rubbish at that but I will do it!

Jabber, I have to go dairy free again and I'm dreading it. I've been meaning to start it for about a week but somehow I seem to accidentally eat cheese or milk in something so vow to start tomorrow. It seems tomorrow never comes.

lol, it's hard. Ds1 is dairy-free but can do goat's milk and cheese so it's not as bad as it could be.

hi, i'm in the uk now.

sb - whilst queuing to get through security, someone noticed that i was on my own with dd, and immediately whisked me into the 'disabled' lane, saying i couldn't possibly line up with a young child!! dd is 5, and i didn't feel i was having any probs, but they were convinced that anyone alone with a young child should be given help. i've never had such niceties from uk staff, but in the us they always seem to help out.

are you being met at the airport? that also helps a lot.

i had a completely sleeples red eye coming over, but seem to have adjusted already. dd is at a sleepover at her cousin's today. apparently, my dsis wrapped her in a blnaket & cuddled her, and she fell asleep. i think dsis likes having dd around as her two are older & it reminds her of when they were babes.

sorry if typing is crap, but my parents are technophobes & there fore have the oldest, clunkiest keyboard in the world uk

Ooo, hello kickass. Good to hear about security being helpful. Am relying on DS to get us through quickly. When weq cam e back to the US last time, he was 4 months old and was crying as I waited to go through immigration. I was briskly marched to the front f the queue while other parents scowled and muttered.

Tell us wonderful things about the UK. Have you had fish & chips yet?

Goats cheese. I can live with that.

Right, 3 weeks. Possibly 2. Ish. Feck.

and remember, you only have the suitcases & car seat until check in, usually just a few steps from where you get out of the taxi, then you can pile all your hand luggage onto a trollay, and, in spite of what they say about child safety, let ds ride on top of it.

it is all very familiar, and i've had no probs with driving here again (except forgetting about th handbrake). and my family are all here - that's the big bonus.

feeling better?

Is it my imagination, or is it always fridays that I manage to pop up on this thread and everyone else is - of course - away doing better things....

(AL wonders if there are any repeats of Grey's Anatomy on cable since nobody around to chat with)

Yeah, that happens AL. But today is Thursday.

Oh dear.

There is no hope for me (4 months of sleepless nights and counting)

Still, better to permanently think it is friday surely, than monday, or tuesday...

How are you SB?

I'm ok, AL. Procrastinating a lot.

How are you?

Just in case anyone is tempted, I advise you not to spend a Friday afternoon at the City of Chicago Police Headquarters. It's full of scary people and guns.

I am going singing ALL weekend. Yay.

I'm ok thanks. DS2 is 4 months old now - how did that happen?

Gearing up for our first visit home - going for a month in a couple of weeks. How on EARTH am I going to work out breastfeeding/sleep patterns in a different timezone??!!!