Heading Home for the Holidays!

Madison & I are headed home to the US for the holidays, leaving the first week of Nov, and Ryan is joining us in December. This will be my first trip back since moving to SEA, and my first time traveling back to the US alone with a toddler. We are taking a red-eye flight from KL to Toyko, which is about 8 hours, then we have a 5 hour layover in Tokyo (kill me now), then we get on our direct flight to Dallas which takes another 14 hours.

I think I've figured out a way to lesson the jetlag in the US with this plan:  keep her up as long as possible on the red-eye to Tokyo (b/c it's 10am in the US), then seek out the play area in Tokyo airport for a hour or so, then have breakfast in the AA lounge, shower, change Mads into p.j's, then board our flight to Dallas.. and sleep as long as possible so when we land at 8am we'll be refreshed. Well, that's the plan...I'll let you know :)

I am more than prepared for this journey. If you remember my trip to KL, then you would understand my concern doing it again, alone. You name it, I have it packed in her bag. Games, coloring books, playdough, ipad, stickers, snacks, p.j.'s, two of her "friends" (stuffed animals), etc.. It sounds like a ton of stuff but it's actually all travel sizes so it all fits perfectly in her rolling backpack. Madison loves that backpack and I have to say it was a great idea.. she packs it herself (w/a little help from mommy) which makes her very proud to have her "own" bag, and she pulls it herself through the airport, which makes people laugh & tell her how cute she is (which also makes her very proud of herself).

We land in Dallas at 8:00a on election day, which is ironic considering all the work I had to do to get our absentee ballots. It took two online requests, an email to the state capitol, and a call to the embassy. It's a bit concerning it took that many tries to just get our ballots, and appearantly it's not just a problem with us, as a few other of our American friends had trouble getting theirs as well. So if all else fails I can actually go to the polling center when I land and vote. After observing politics in a foreign country I am even more grateful for my right to vote. The day we land I also have a hair appointment at my favorite salon, which I'm really looking forward to! Malaysians are not quite sure what to do with my think blonde hair, so a cut & color is really passed due :) So I'm really pushing the envelope on the first day in Dallas, not knowing how we'll respond to jetlag, but it's best to stay up as long as possible the first day and go to bed on time so that's my plan.

Our schedule for the first week is a bit chaotic:
Mads & I will be in Dallas from Tuesday through Friday, then we're flying up to Tulsa for our cousin Stephen's wedding over the weekend, then back to Dallas Sunday night, then flying to KY on Tuesday night. It's going to be a crazy week, and I'm not sure how Madison (or I) will handle jetlag, but I think the trick is to just keep busy during the day and early bedtimes. We are staying with our friends, the Hecklers, in Dallas, and Madison is so excited about having sleepovers every night with the girls (we'll see if that actually happens, ha). Carie & I are going to a Mavericks game Wednesday night, which I'm super pumped about as I've missed American sports so badly.. ok I'll admit I want to indulge in all the basketball snacks as well. popcorn, nachos, beer, hot dogs.. yum..I will welcome the tummy ache the next day for my one night of sins.

I'm hoping for some snow in KY while we're there. I white Christmas would be so nice! I hope we can find all of our winter clothes easily at my parent's house, where all of our things are being held while we're in Malaysia. Thank God my mom was there to help me pack up the Dallas house earlier this year b/c she had enough foresight to pack our winter gear seperate from everything else, so when we came home for the holidays it would already be in our closets at her house. Really good plan! I did get a little lecture from Ryan about shopping in Dallas.. he knows how much I love fall/winter, and it's so hard to not buy a cute pair of boots or sweater to get in the holiday "mood", but he's right... we'll only be home a few weeks so it's not worth it. However, all of Madison's stuff from last year is too small, so she's the exception (I thought to myself, haha). I'll get my retail therapy shopping for her instead.

The Heckler girls are so excited to have Madison "living" with them for a while (so cute!). We've skyped a few times to talk about the "countdown" and get them excited, and to plan some fun things while we're there. They're most excited about having sleepovers (ie: Madison sleep in Madeline's room), but we've planned a few fun outings as well. The zoo, mani/pedi's, the arboretum, ice cream outings, tea party, etc.. I'm excited to have this time to let Madison see her friends and just enjoy being back in Texas. I hope it doesn't go by too fast!