Perspective

Pool Time! We have a pool in our building which makes it easy to go for a little bit here and there. The girls love to swim!

This was their first time back in a pool since last summer. The smile says it all.

The architecture here is amazing! This was taken poolside and is a reflection of another building.

This is after Cole's 3 hour nap when we were trying to wake him up. He was so out of it. Todd laid down with him for a minute and dozed off, too.

We didn't think the girls would need a nap. We were obviously wrong as they both fell asleep hard at about 6:30 p.m.

One of the many views from Victoria Peak

Surprisingly, there seemed to be a whole town on top of the mountain. The first store we saw when we got off the tram was a Starbucks.

Photos from our hike...

Skyler spotted this snake as we were walking. She also spotted the lizard and a few snails.

Skye was in good spirits despite being so sweaty she lost five pounds (or so she thinks).

Our first two full days in Hong Kong has been full of adventure as we are trying to figure out the lay of the land. Yesterday, we all went to the grocery store to pick up the essentials.  Between that and trying to figure out where to go for lunch and how to get there, our morning was over. When we were planning this trip, we spent countless hours going over the pros and cons of where to stay. We knew we wanted a serviced apartment and there are several to choose from. Without actually being here, we could just go on what we saw online and what Todd's co-workers that live in HK could recommend. We couldn't be happier with our final decision. Our apartment is wonderful. We have 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms with plenty of room for the 6 of us to spread out. The views are fantastic and the staff has been very helpful. It is, however, nowhere near toddler proof as we quickly discovered. We actually requested that they take all the decorative items out of the apartment as I know they wouldn't end up in the condition in which they started.  After our long morning, we came back to our apartment for Cole to take a nap while Noelle and I took the girls swimming.  To try to get through the jet lag phase, we woke Cole up after  3 hour nap. It literally took us 45 minutes to wake him up. He wanted no part of it. As we were waking him up, both of the girls crashed on the couch around 6:30. There was absolutely no waking them up. They were so soundly sleeping, a marching band could have come through here and they wouldn't even stir. This altered our dinner plans postponing them for a night with a new plan heading into today.

Today, we got an early start in hopes of wearing the kids out in the morning and taking earlier naps to try and get our bodies back on schedule. We took a tram ride up to Victoria's Peak. Cole was thrilled to ride on a "choo choo" and the views up there were breathtaking. It really gave us perspective as to how huge this vertical city is. We went on a 3km hike, saw a lizard and a snake along with plants and trees we've never seen before. It's very hot and humid here, but the kids did great. I won the sweatiest of the group award as I hiked with an extra 30 lbs on my back. Cole liked his view at 5 ft while we hiked and walked a bit when we stopped for the scenic views and some photo opportunities.  Skye said that she should now be able to be carried on my back as she must of lost 5 lbs sweating today (there's a 40 b weight limit for the carrier).  Overall, the kids did great and only said a few times that they would rather be swimming in the pool than hiking in the heat.  We successfully wore them out . They all napped for about 3 hours. Waking them up was a little easier today. I hope jet lag is behind us.

Everyone seems to really enjoy life here. Sydney has already said that the 15 hour flight was worth it!

Observations from 30,000 feet

Skye didn't even wait to fall asleep in the plane. This is in the limo on the way to the airport. I could fill a page just with pictures of her sleeping.

The Ipad kept Cole's attention the longest out of anything we brought for him to use on the plane. Gotta love Elmo.

Skye made herelf comfy on Noelle's lap on the plane. She slept the most out of all of us.

Sydney's excitement about almost being in Hong Kong was awesome. She loved following the picture of the plane's location on the tv.

We made it!

Cole did a good job riding on my back through the airports. I can't imagine doing it any other way.  He was a trooper through 2 car rides, a plane ride, and a quick trip on the train.

Noelle stepped it up a notch and carried two way too heavy carry on bags through the airport!

This is the lobby of our apartment building. Happy to be there. Ready to fall asleep!

Our full travel day is on the horizon...riding in the limo was a highlight for the girls.

We officially made it to Hong Kong on a rather uneventful flight. We just got our wifi hooked up, so I am already a little behind in my blogging.  As we were flying, I wrote down some observations...it helped pass the time (at least 20 minutes of the 15 hours).






1. I clearly didn't give the kids enough credit for being able to handle a 15 hour flight. The were awesome. It appears that Cole's patience for sitting in one place for a very long time is about 9 hours. Luckily, he fell asleep from hours 10-14.
2. Apple is making a killing. It has never been more obvious than when hundreds of people are idle for hours. Nearly everyone, no matter the demographic, had an electronic device of some sort.
3. Whoever designed airport bathroom changing tables must not have a toddler. Putting the paper cup dispenser directly over the head of a grabby two year old made for some good entertainment for him. I hope no one else using that bathroom was thirsty.
4. When you think you have enough time to eat before boarding, think again. Hearing "Bergeron...Party of Five" and "final boarding' does not help the digestion process.
5. I would love to have TIna Fey over for dinner. BossyPants  thoroughly entertained me for hours.
6. Bringing my sister in law, Noelle, with us may be the smartest thing we decided to do. I don't know how we would have gotten through the airport without her. She sat between the girls for the whole flight and I never heard a complaint out of any of them. The girls adore her....as do we.
7. Airplane food lived up to its reputation.
8. The movement and sound of an airplane has no drowsiness effect on Cole, whereas Skye can sleep in what looks like the most uncomfortable positions for hours.
9. I'm pretty sure Cole is better at Angry Birds than I am.
10. Seeing people walking to the airplane bathroom barefoot is all sorts of wrong. Take being barefoot in a college dorm shower and combine that with being barefoot at your local gym and multiply the ickiness factor by 1,000.
11. I say lose one row of seats and make the bathroom just a few inches bigger.

12. I'm glad we don't have to make this flight again for 5 weeks. As uneventful as it was, it's nice to be on the ground. We are ready to start exploring Hong Kong!

A Month in a Week

Colton having a blast at the Relay with Aunt Suzie's water bottle. He squirted everyone he came in contact with...and they were okay with it. Hard to resist that smile!

The boys having a great time!

The girls getting the feet "sandal ready" for HK

Skyler "bridging" over to Brownies

Skyler at the first grade poetry reading

Sydney left for school a third grader and came home a fourth grader

Skyler left for school a first grader and came home a second grader

Syd got her first triple and the Vipers win!

Cole and Grandpa Harley enjoying a quiet moment together at the Relay for Life

Saying bye after a long afternoon in the sun

Tug of war of Field Night at school.

The simple things in life put things in perspective...Cole and his Uncle Joel playing in the rain after a huge storm.

Hanging out at the Wheeling Relay for Life

Cole lost his curls...but he is now ready for the Hong Kong humidity

Sydney prepping for her haircut while playing x box

The girls during the "Sister Dance"

Skyler and Ally saying goodbye

Sydney as Janet Jackson during "Rhythm Nation"

Skyler the cricket during "Kiss the Girl"

A car, a set of keys, and some cool shades - what more does a 2 year old need?

In a little more than 12 hours, we will be on our way to Hong Kong.  Months of planning, running to the store for one more thing more times than I'd like to admit, and countless lists have gone into preparing for our 5 week adventure.  If it wasn't for the distractions this week, my anxiety about the upcoming trip would have been in hyper-drive. This past week has flown by as we packed about a month's worth of activities into it.  Everything started off with Sydney and Skyler's dance recital, which was awesome! 15 family members came out to see the girls and they didn't disappoint.  From there, we helped host a bridal shower, had a few of our friends over for one last play date, and Sydney played in three softball games. We also got all three kids' haircut, the girls' got their first pedicure, we went to Field Night at the girls' school, participated in an amazing Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society, went to a luncheon with my mom and sister-in-law, watched Skyler bridge from Daisies to Brownies, went to a First Grade poetry reading, and had family over tonight for some last minute goodbyes.  It was a wonderfully chaotic week and I think we are all ready for a vacation. We have six suitcases, 6 carry - ons, countless snacks, activities for the kids...yet, I still feel like I am a bit unprepared for this trip. I know the 15 hour flight is the short part of the vacation, but it's also the most daunting.  I still have much to do before the morning, so I am off to finish packing, straightening the house, and make sure we are all ready to go in the morning.  This blog is still a work in progress as I need to figure out the best way to post pictures and what form the lay out will take.  So, here goes blog #2.