The Light Side of Yesterday

I'm not saying she broke it For Sure, but...Daddy did say, jokingly of course, that she Could Go Ahead and Break it, He didn't care.

Our trip started out late yesterday afternoon. After a fun train ride with snacks and lots of ABC songs and color identification games, we reached the station where our hotel bus was to pick us up. We hurried to buy dinner and waited at the stop. And waited. The cool breeze turned into a cold wind. And we waited. And we waited. I dug into the bread bag and fed Jun her dinner. And we waited. And we waited. Just as Ryu was going to call the hotel, the bus drove up. A stone faced driver let us in for the 15 minute drive to the hotel where an entire nation of tourists was waiting for the same bus, crowding to get on, so we could barely get off. After a less than stellar check-in experience and a room smelling so strongly of tobacco, the line, "but at least it is cheap", began to loose it's encouraging effect.

Jun went directly to the console panel between the beds and started to push and turn buttons. Lights flickered on and off, radio stations went from Japanese news to pretty music and back again. And the odor in the room began to change from tobacco to...Number 2! The soaking wet diaper was then filled to capacity, and we began to forget about the other problems of the day.

Then, while preparing for her bath, we found Jun's Hello Kitty pillow, her pajamas, her pink blanket, and...and...and...NO BINKIE!!!!! I about lost it. I had to put her to sleep for her afternoon nap without Kitty as she was taking a "bath", and knew I'd have no luck trying to put her to sleep in a strange place without BINKIE!!! ARGH!

While Jun and I were enjoying the big bath, suddenly I noticed a third smell. Garlic and kimchi and sesame oil. Daddy was eating his dinner. I have to say, of the three smells, this was the best.

After the bath, Jun and I were lounging in bed and Daddy was turning off the lights. And turning off the lights. And turning off the lights. But, some of the lights wouldn't turn off. He called housekeeping. They came and pushed the same buttons he had. And the lights wouldn't turn off. They called a service man. He came and pushed the same buttons everyone else had, and the lights wouldn't turn off.

So, we had a choice. Unscrew the light bulb or move to another room. Please realize that this Mama did not follow enough of the advice she got from the Internet about traveling with a toddler, so Jun doesn't really have many changes of clothes. So, the damp onesie, turtleneck, tights, pants, etc. are draped all over the room. As well as everything we dumped out of all the bags to look for BINKIE. Ryu asks me what we should do. I, the good wife, say I don't mind. I will get up and get dressed, and....

So, we move next door to a very smokey room. Not yet baptized in other smells. But, it has a fresh supply of towels and this makes us happy.

As I am putting away my purse, hanging it neatly in the closet, a miracle in itself, for some reason I looked inside. BINKIE!!! The lost has been found! I started singing, "Hallelujah", Daddy waved his arms in the air, Jun jumped for joy. We were so glad Jun broke, er, um, if it was Jun, the light!

Then we started getting ready for bed all over again. Gave Jun her cold medicine she had gotten at the doctors that morning so she would get used to it before we flew. Oh, Jun flew all right! For HOURS! Finally fell asleep and after a few hours of the two of us sleeping cross-ways on a bed that is bigger than a twin but certainly not a double, I moved her...and am still living to regret it. From 11:30 to 1:00 or so we tried everything to put her back to sleep. But, I had already tried everything to get her to sleep in the beginning. When this happens at home, we all climb into the double bed, and Jun doesn't have so much room to move, and eventually falls asleep. So, yes, the three of us scrunched into the not a twin, but not a double bed and finally, Jun fell asleep.

But the room is soooooo hot. And the cooler doesn't cool the room. We have been sitting around all morning in our undies (or diapers as the case may be), taking it easy before the flight this afternoon. I woke up this morning with a smoker's cough, the air in the room is so terrible. Finally we figured how to open the window - it is on the 12th floor. YIKES! Only the very top opens, so Jun, even if she flies, can't fly out of THAT!

This morning I went to the convenience store for breakfast, and Jun sat in a big girl chair and drank out of a big girl glass and did so well. It was the first relaxing meal the three of us have...ever? had.

So, who knows how the flight will go. I am naturally worried about it all, but...I am sure we will eventually arrive!