Day 1 - Travel Day

This morning started off bright and early. After getting to sleep around 1:00am, my alarm went off at 5:00am and after one hit of the snooze button I was up. I got up and hit the shower while everyone else slept. I made a coffee and straightened my hair and then got the kids up to get ready. I realized we were our of bread and milk and I also needed to get some cash our for the airport shuttle. Got back and fed the troops while I chucked some last minute things in the suitcases and got them out the front ready for the shuttle about 5 minutes before it showed up. We had a ridiculously early pick up time in relation to our flight but it was fine. We left home at 7:43am and then did a pickup at Northmead and another at Eastwood then it was through Lane Cove tunnel and over the Harbour Bridge and on to the airport. We were last off at the international terminal at 9:30am.

Bags waiting for our shuttle pick up

P on the bus

The driver insisted we pay for the return journey as well so Steve had to go find an ATM, despite me having an email saying to pay the driver on the day. I will take that up with the company when I get back. We were still there an hour before check-in but Steve spoke to someone and they opened it about 20mins after we for there. There were only two people in front of us so we were soon at a counter. The attendant put my details into the computer and immediately saw a problem. Out tickets weren't confirmed and were also showing us leaving a day later. I was asked to go down to the service desk to have it fixed. We dragged the kids and luggage down there to be greeted by the lovely Jessica. She was perfect and apologetic and lovely. It wasn't Virgin Australia's fault, but that of a certain TA from Flight Centre. I had emailed, with no reply, called and left messages with no return calls and finally a call to Flight Centre's "Compliment and Complaint" line on Tuesday before I had my tickets sent to me. I emailed her back querying the dates on the e-tickets as they showed the old dates. Once again I had no reply. I thought well it must be ok to use them as the itinerary showed the amended date. Well it wasn't. I know it was sorted in the end but that is not the sort of issues I want to deal with when using a TA. I'd be better doing it myself! Anyway so back to the lovely Jessica, she chatted to us while the tickets were being fixed up. She also made sure P's cars seat was ok to use onboard and and gave us some seats I was happy with. We have B and Steve in seats 41AB and C and P and I in seats 42 AB and C. She then sent us to the business check in queue to check our bags and we were away. Though customs and security with surprisingly chatty staff at both and over to McDonalds for an early lunch and a play in the park.

This place will look familiar to any travelers our of SYD with little'uns

Waiting...

Our pretty V Australia Plane

We ate then I went to the chemist to grab a few last minute things and a few lollies to have as bribery for later. I also used the free wifi to check My beloved Facebook, DisBoards and also to activate my T-Mobile sim card. Hopefully it will be good to go when I switch it on in LA. We also got in with the early boarding group so we could install P's seat and get organized. We all got settled and it was a smooth take off right on schedule.

It is now 5:40pm and we are 1/3 of the way into the trip. We have an ETA of 9:21 am while I'd an hour and ten minutes earlier than expected. I really hope we stay on that target! we were served lunch about an hour and a half into the flight. I had a butter chicken with basmati and veggies and Steve had the braised beef and mash. Both meals came with a pesto penne pasta, a bread roll and cheesecake. My meal was really nice. The bread roll was dry as usual and the cheesecake not that great but the real food was a winner. The kids had a burger which was like a slider with a thick pattie. P got me to pull the meat off and cut it up. She ate it all. B didn't rate it. They also got a potato salad with a slice of chicken on top, a bread roll, cheesecake, water crackers and yummy cracker barrel cheese and a Kit Kat. I swear next time I'm ordering a kids meal!

Kids Meal food porn

Burger

Adults Meal: Pesto pasta, Bread roll, Butter Chicken and Rice, Cheesecake

Butter Chicken

Pesto Pasta 

The kids are only being slightly painful with mostly just little whinges. They have both been asleep for about An hour. I'm off to try and join them now. It's going to be a long Friday (again) for us when we get off this plane!

It's now 6:45pm Australian time. I finally convinced Peyton too go to the toilet. She has held on for 6.5 hours. She has a phobia of plane toilets. She honestly thinks she'll get sucked down them or something. I talked her into it and promised I'd let her out before I flushed and I'd hold her on the toilet. We got to the doors and she was backing u into me and literally shaking but I dragged her in and held on to her and she went. Yay!!

For drinks so far we have had a bottle of spring water on boarding. I've had a vodka and lemonade, a white wine, a cup of tea and I just helped myself to another bottle of h2o from the snack bar. Last time over the snack bar was stingy. Nothing but a jug of water and some tiny cups. This time there is the jug, bottles of water and small packs of Smith chips and Fritos.

Snack Box. See below for contents. 

Lavosh Crackers, Apricot Jam/Preserve, Lemon Shortbread, Cranberry/Pepita/Almond Mix

Shortbread!

Another positive is I got 45mins sleep lying across two seats. That's a rare advantage of being only 153cms high on one of my tall days! Even the fetal position is more comfy that the furthest economy recline. Happy days!

Sleeping Child #1

Sleeping Child #2

So the rest of the flight was ok. The only bad part was I didn't sleep anymore. I got lugged with Peyton sleeping in her seat, Brandon across the other two, Steve in front across all three and me perched on the edge on my row. It sucked. This lasted for 2.5 hours. Then it was time for breakfast.

Kids Breakfast, I couldn't stomach the grown up one so there is no photo

 Two or so hours later we landed at LAX. By the time we got off went through customs and immigration, collected our bags and got the shuttle to the hotel it was 11ish. We checked in right away and got a room on the 5th floor. The kids were asleep in minutes and after Steve and I had showers we were asleep too.

Bed @ Holiday Inn Express LAX

Peyton testing the bed

Brandon testing the chair