The final hour...

Did I mention the 1 hour delay on the tarmac in LAX?

9 hours and 32 minutes down

3 hours and 20 minutes left.

About to cross over into the future.

Eat Pray Love blows.

Good Morning LA

Fabu visit with uncle Bri and auntie JoJo. Javier and I ate like "virgins" all day (super yum). We tired (the kids) out at the park, watched an amazing dog movie (they talked!!! It unfortunately got snubbed in the Oscar race???), played (read: tortured) Scooter -- Madeline didn't realize Scooter was a cat and was bummed when B&J didn't have a scooter waiting for her at their apartment. Ended the evening at The Grove. More running around, more eating (not like virgins this time), more good conversations.

So we're back at LAX now. Waiting to board a 13 hour flight. Maxwell is fast asleep; he fell asleep at dinner, head down on the table and slept through the security line which we were held up because of play doo. Madeline is decked out in her PJs, face pressed up against the window, gazing at the planes. Her dred is crazy big today.

Leg 2 - Waiting to Board

Maxwell refused to be photographed. So LA

First leg

And we're off. Without a hitch. 4:30am wake-up. Showers. Prompt arrival of our transportation (forever indebted to grandpa!). Easy check-in. Security.

Besides smelling natural gas/propane more then once on the flight (attendant thought I was insane, but I swear it wasn't just me that smelt it). We are now in sunny la la land waiting for uncle Bri and ready to chow down on some food. Both kids are still awake and in good spirits. Even Javier is smiling!!! All is good in our universe.

Kiwi-ese

Some random thoughts to start this thing out...

Whoa, holy shit, we're going to New Zealand.
Yes, with the kids...Yea,...both of them!?? Well, 5-6 hours to LA, then another 13 or so hours to Auckland. I know, but they're good travelers (knock-wood).

Anywho. Feeling excited, anxious. Actually more anxious then exited at this point. I plan on being excited once I'm on the plane and preferably on the other side of the International Date line. It's just that I'm not good at waiting...and right now all I'm doing is waiting to get there and we've haven't even finished packing.

The kids are excited. I have tried to explain how long the plane ride will be but they say No problem and they can't wait to see the dinosaurs! Say what???!!

Here's a short list of the lingo down-under (and yes, apparently down-under is appropriate even for NZ – pronounced en zed)

• Bach A basic holiday home, classically found at the beach or by a lake 
• Bloke The common man, the ordinary guy in the street 
• Boy-racer Young person in a fast car, usually with the stereo ‘cranked up’ (‘loud’!) 
• Cheers Often used in place of ‘thank you’ 
• Chilly bin Polystyrene box to keep food and beer cold 
• Chippies Potato chips or crisps 
• Choice Great, excellent: “That sports car is choice!” 
• Chocka Full 
• Crook Sick 
• Cuzzies Relatives 
• Dairy Convenience store, sometimes called 'the corner dairy' 
• Footy Rugby, the national obsession 
• Haere mai Welcome 
• Hard case Clown, witty person 
• Hokey pokey New Zealand’s favourite ice cream flavour, vanilla with toffee bits  
• Jandals Open-topped rubber sandals, known elsewhere as thongs or flip-flops  
• Kia ora Hello 
• Kiwi A flightless bird or a person from New Zealand  
• Knackered A tired person ("I've been at work all day and I'm knackered!") or a broken thing ("My car won't start, I think the engine's knackered").  
• Lollies Candy or sweets  
• Mate A close friend 
• Motu Island 
• OE Overseas Experience 
• Pinky Bar Chocolate bar with marshmallow centre 
• Shout Paying for something on behalf of others (often a round of drinks or dinner) 
• Puke Hill 
• Stuck in To ‘get stuck in’ is to start working on something 
• Ta Thanks 
• Thanks Often used in place of ‘please’, as in “I’ll have a bottle of orange juice, thanks.”  
• Tiki tour Scenic route 
• Togs Bathing suit  
• Whanga Harbour, bay 
• Wop-wops In the middle of nowhere  
• Yonks Forever, a long time

Ta we'll be wop-wops yonks eating hokey pokey with our mates and a hard case or two. I'm sure by the end of it we'll be knackered from our choice OE motu experience. Gotta finish packing our togs. Cheers!