I could not believe that I lost my second blog detailing all of the highs and lows of my trip! The hotel connection was really mediocre and I wished that the auto-save function had been implemented!!

The trip was over about a week ago and the memory is getting old and somehow, I don't feel like revisiting those events in the form of a blog. 

Nevertheless, it was a great, fun trip!  The hotel (W HOTELS) were fantastic! I would recommend the TIME SQUARE W HOTEL (not Lexington) and definitely the W Hotel in Montreal!

The best things that came out of the trip:

(1) R and R: I didn't realise how much I had needed the break. The first night that we got into NYC, I could not sleep. This could be due to the time zone change, but mainly because of separation anxiety from my kids. On some nights, I would wake up at 3 or 4 am and call them (it would be 3 or 4 pm in Perth).  However, by the second or third night, I was sleeping really really well. I did not suddenly wake to check on the kids in the next room or check the clock to make sure that I did not oversleep. 

Then I even started taking afternoon naps... what a wonderful experience!! Especially after a long morning of shopping and sight seeing.

(2) Couple bonding: Pat and I are so usually consumed with work and the kids that we really do neglect each other. The trip was good for us as a couple because we had no other (people) distraction and we talked about anything and everything.  He commented that "he has not really travelled with me", by that I am sure that he meant that I was very "set in my ways", ie difficult!

Pat is one who likes to take the taxi or one of those sight-seeing buses, while I prefer to take the sub-way and walk everywhere. Eventually, we did both - the bus and the walks. So a very happy compromise was reached. The outcome was that we managed to get an overview of the city (on the bus) while being able to check out the side streets of various parts of town.. like SOHO (on foot).

(3) Different experience: travelling with children is never the same as travelling with your partner. While we miss the kids, we were grateful for the "time out" and being able to do things that we could not have done if the kids had come along. For one, we would be always watching the clock to ensure that meal times and sleep times are being adhered to.  The cities that we visited, NYC and Montreal were fabulous "grown up" cities. I am not so sure that they are all that kid-friendly.  We went to musuems, art-galleries, grown-up restaurants, long walks and the midnight movie (MI3)!

So, I am planning my next trip to Tuscany... kids optional!

Here at Changi airport, just waiting around for my flight to NY. Pat and I are doing a quick 11-day trip to NY and Montreal. Pat asked me to take the (business) trip with him as it was a great opportunity to see those places... I was unsure about going for awhile. Then I made the mistake of asking my kids to make my decision for me.

I said to them, "If you don't want me to go, I won't". Sam and Elo unanimously said, "we don't want you to go". I was reminded last night of that promise I made. Sam said, "I thought you said you won't go if we asked you not to go?"

To make things worse, I was telling off my kids for whingeing so much yesterday. I can see now that they were just really uncomfortable with my being away. Elo (the 4 yr old) was extra clingy... she had her arms wrapped around my neck each and every time that she saw me yesterday.  She also head-butted her brother out of the way when she wanted my attention (strange football stadium type behaviour).

I was feeling quite stressed out by work and packing and cleaning out fridge (things to do before you go away)... so I snapped at Sam when he asked me whether I was only going for 10 days. Arrggh... bad mother.

Later on, I gave him loads of hugs and promised him an expensive toy (as you do ... when you feel that you have to compensate for your absence with gifts), but he only asked for "American lollies". He reckons that they make lollies of a different kind in America.  Such a sweetheart!

It's only 11 days, I keep telling myself! And I will be a much better and rested mother when I return!

I made them each a calendar of 11 squares with a love-heart on the 11th square. They will cross one square out each day and I said that I will be home when they get to the square with the love-heart. Hence, NO EXTENSION OF STAY!!!