1 Down, 7 To Go

Robi left for Africa today. Curry and Heidi leave tomorrow. They are all going in advance to have meetings and take care of some of the business aspects and formalities so that we can hit the ground running when we arrive.

I asked Curry, how we are going to get from the airport to Mampong, a one and a half hour drive. He said he will be picking us up in the Deaf School’s bus, if it is running. Why am I having flashbacks of “The God’s Must Be Crazy?” I can’t imagine it will be hard to spot us at the airport. Just look for a group of 5 sun-deprived Utahns… very pale:) It helps that Aaron is 6′ 5″ and sun-deprived. When we lived in CA and Leah was 2 years-old, I was always amazed that people would stop us in the store and say “Wow! Your daughter is SO WHITE! I have NEVER seen a child so WHITE!” I am not kidding, it was like a running joke. I don’t think you could get away making that comment about any color other than white though and I don’t suggest trying.

The flight from JFK to Accra is about 12 hours. I would love some suggestions of things to keep Alex and Leah interested and happy for 12 hours. I think our ipods last about 3 hours each. My laptop (if I bring it) will last close to 3 hours, ooh 3 hours of backgammon;). I know there will be movies, sleep, food and snacks… but 12 hours in the air? I picked up the 3rd Traveling Pants book for Leah as a surprise… she will devour it in an hour or two. I should have picked up the 4th as well… there is still time.

Yesterday Aaron and Leah completed their shots! Today I am ordering 15 family pictures at Costco. I am making copies of our passports. (You keep the copy on you at all times, rather than keeping the real thing – except for when you are at the airport, you better have the real thing). I will pick up 400 Signing Time temporary tattoos for the school kids. Doing wash and then spraying our clothes with insect repellant. Do you think I should spray then pack or pack then spray when we arrive in Ghana? I just don’t know.

4 thoughts on “1 Down, 7 To Go”

  1. Lynja_the_ninja

    sounds like you are well prepared. One thing I like to do to keep little kids busy on long car rides is go to the dolor store and get a hand full of toys. wrap them individually and give them one at a time to unwrap. you might be able to do something like that but with notes and surprises that will be coming their way or something. I know you don’t want to take anything extra but maybe you could wrap a favorite snack or surprise them with chapstick as one of the wrapped items. will you be able to charge your electronics while your there? do you think they will sleep at all on the flight? Good Luck 🙂

  2. 12 hours in the air? Hey, have you heard about this great series called Signing Time!? I know it keeps our kids occupied on road trips and on airplane flights.

    LOL.

  3. I suggest books and sleep. Especially sleep.

    When we went to Japan a few months ago, we flew on a plane from DFW to Narita (and back) that had little TV screens in the seat backs. So along with the entertainment that we had brought, we also had a choice of several movies and TV shows. Plus there was a continuously updated map of the northern Pacific so we could track just how close to Siberia we were at any moment.

    I don’t know if flights to Ghana are on that kind of airplane though. Please tell us all about it either way!

  4. When we went to germany on a deployment, it took about 14 hours. The air refuel (if your jet does) will make you sick if you sit in the back. Especially if you already have motion sickness. The jet has to remain still at the front, and so it causes the backend to sway (fishtail) so if you can, move to the front during the AR. I took some dramamine before the AR and it conched me out. LOL
    I dont know what FAA rules are, but it would be cool if the kids saw an AR. I did because we were on a military flight, and it was AWESOME.

    As far as how the flight itself is, good luck keeping children occupied, with no place except the isles to stretch it can get rather “cabin fevery” up there. I would try to sleep as much as I could, to match your sleep schedule with theirs. “Jet lag” is a bear. it will be worse on the way back. think about it, if you left there at 1000 and traveled 12 hours it will be 10 at night there and your soooo tired. its only going to be like 3 here. so you cant sleep cause you want to see family first. The best way to “get back” to our time is to gradually take an hour here and there until you can fully function again.

    overall, you all will be a few tired puppies by the time you get back. so like the wicked witch said, just sleeeeep, go to sleeep on that plane.

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