You remember as a kid, when you were out late as a family, how your parents would pick you up from wherever you fell asleep, buckle you in the car, drive you home, get you out of the car, carry you inside to your bed, put on your jammies, and tucked you in – all while mostly out like a light?

Well, our kids did the same tonight.  Except it was a slightly different routine than from my childhood.

At a little after 10 p.m., we had friends drive us to the ferryboat dock, and at 10:40, our boat left.  Chickpea curled up on Kabob’s lap and fell asleep, and Garbanzo fell asleep in his stroller.  We rode the boat home and enjoyed a nice chat while both kids slept.

When the boat docks, we walk down the metal stairs off the ferryboat and off onto land.  Then we get onto a bus, where Chickpea promptly falls back asleep, this time on my lap.  Garbanzo’s still out in his stroller.

At our stop, I carry Chick off the bus, and Kabob carries the stroller.  He takes Chick from my arms and carries her, while I push the stroller home.  Garbanzo’s still out.  We walk a few blocks to our home.

We get to our building, enter the code to get in, and get in our elevator.  Both kids still out.  We get off on our floor, unlock our front door, and take off Chick’s shoes for her.

Kabob carries her to bed and tucks her in.  I push Garbanzo’s stroller to his crib, and Kabob gingerly transfers him to the crib.

The kids stayed asleep almost the entire journey home.  It’s now 11:45 as I write this.

Sigh…  I really do miss the idea of taking only 10 minutes to get somewhere.  I’m really looking forward to that.

I have a post going in my head about the cultural things that bothered us when we first moved here, that we got over after being here awhile and eventually forgot about, and are now starting to annoy us again because we’re about to visit the States.  It has been hard to be “all here,” as we anticipate our time Stateside.  We’re starting to feel that smidge of annoyance again at how no one here multitasks, how it takes forever to get anything done, and how there’s absolutely no concept of waiting in lines.

But that’s for another post.  Soon.

posted: 08 September 13
under: culture