Here we are! Eindhoven! Homesick, questioning our reason, slap-happy, sleep deprived, tired, cranky, fuzzy brained, and amused. Rewind 26 hours ago:
I'm completely stressed out, having stayed up until midnight packing, trying to avoid the last minute throw-everything-in-your-suitcase-that-you-haven't-dealt-with-frenzy. Might as well have gone to sleep early. I was up at 6:40 am doing last minute laundry, packing up blankets and curtains, and then for two hours tried to find a way to throw everything in our suitcase that we hadn't dealt with. No matter how we packed we just had too much stuff. I'm still amazed how a completely empty house can produce 2 suitcases worth of extra stuff, one basket loaded to double its size with cleaning products and blankets, 3 grocery bags of food, and 3 big trash bags. I was pumping adrenaline and dangerously hungry (for those of you who have not had the bad luck of being around me when I'm hungry, thank your lucky stars). Before bad turned ugly, Curtis rolled up with a homemade breakfast that would rival the Hilton (assuming of course the Hilton would care enough to bring us breakfast); fluffy, scrumptious blueberry pancakes, with Ashley's mouth watering homemade, self-picked, blackberry jam, crispy bacon, fresh raspberries and blackberries, a mango puree, and the most delicious cheese and basil scrambled eggs I've had. I'll remember to add milk to my scrambled eggs next time. The breakfast was bittersweet, sweet and delicious in taste, and bitter in reminding us of the wonderful friends we would be leaving behind.
An hour later after a last sweep of the house and an almost tearful minute of silence saying good-bye to my walk-in closet, we were loaded into two vans, Ezra, Micah, Granny and I driving with Becky, and Aaron with Kevin. No trouble in the check-in although we were the type of family with the insane amount of luggage (11 bags, 6 carry-ons, and 3 car seats)that you really never want to be stuck behind in line.
After some confusion with the agent thinking that Aaron needed a visa to fly into Belgium (which of course he doesn't), and alleviated of $150 for an extra bag, we successfully although not quietly shuffled Ezra, Granny, Micah, our 2 car seats, and 7 carry-ons (how did they multiply, seriously?) past the elevators Ezra was dying to ride, through security, on to and off the first plane and through the entire Chicago O'hare airport.
Aaron walked his feet sore keeping Ezra entertained, while granny plundered the airport stores for toys to keep Micah happy. She lucked out with a very fun little wind up plane that mimicked take off (OK,just reread the post and need to amend after two days the toy is very annoying). Thankfully the Chicago airport has a really great childrens playground, a little out of the way, but very fun, complete with freight plane, slide, tower, lots of buttons and blocks to stack and crash on. The real blessing of the trip happened on the plane. Supposedly the flight was fully booked (as long as fully booked means tons of seats in the business class). This particular aircraft was divided in 2-5-2 rows of seats in economy. We were in the row with 5, all packed tight together. The row in front of us was completely empty. I tried not to get my hopes up, but I couldn't help hoping and uncharitably wishing that who ever had booked those seats, would not show up. My wish came true, and perhaps the wishes of those who had seen Ezra melt down when we got on the plane, and who hoped for something to happen to quiet him down. With two rows of seats to bounce around in, even Ezra survived the trip. The on-board entertainment system was messed up, which was helpful in as much as it compelled us to sleep. Ezra lay on the floor, Aaron stretched across 4 seats with the useless two car seats stacked on top of each other in the last seat, and Micah and I shared four seats. I actually got two solid hours of sleep on the plane. Unheard of.
The second blessing of the trip is that we talked the shy 18 year old assistant to my mom into helping all of us through passport security with our luggage. He loaded everyone but Aaron up on his cart and cut past the 30 minute line of people waiting for the passport control. I made a mental note to ask for special assistance next time we fly with Ezra. Had he had to wait in line, we all might have lost it completely. Nonetheless the kids were great if altogether bored waiting for the luggage, and then for the driver to find us, and then for the driver to pull his car around, and load all of our stuff into two Mercedes.
An hour and a half later we arrived at our apartment in Eindhoven. It only took us three or four trips in the elevator to get everything upstairs. The place we're renting for a week is better than a hotel room, but very closely resembles a psychiatric ward with it's white walls, white furniture, and white sheets on everything (not that I've actually been to one). I'm tired, cranky, exhausted, and homesick for my house, for color on the walls, roomy walk in closets, fresh air, friendly people, big fridges, and A/C.
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