Hello from Boston!

Well, here I am. Incredible to be here again, the fact washes over me in waves every now and again and I am really rather emotional about it all.
The journey here was not fun. Usually, as soon as the trip begins, excitement joins the terror and somehow the mix of emotions helps me get through the whole ordeal of flying. this time however that just didn't happen, all the way on the 5 hour bus trip to the airport I was overwhelmed with fear and nausea...and then I puked and I puked and I puked....thank goodness for a near empty bus and a working toilet!
I would have given anything to turn around and go home, dearest Sophie tries to talk to me and make me feel better but even having to think of replying made me want to throw up again!
We got to the airport SIX HOURS before the flight, that was a long 6 hours, we ate a sandwich and we read, we walked and we shopped a little, we couldn't check our bags in until 3 hours before the flight was due to leave so for 3 hours we dragged our bags along with us.
When we checked the bags in, one of mine was too heavy, so hoorah for being organised, inside the bag were more bags, travelled light on the way here but packed extra holdalls and backpacks for the trip home.
( oh and I am writing this at 7am , in the hotel lobby while I have some laundry going, I hate to take dirty washing home with me, you just know that is the one time you get searched, when you have a bag full of stinky clothes! If you want telling why I was awake at 6am...you're on your own!)
We got on the plane and I took my magic medicine, that stuff is heaven, within minutes I feel gloriously warm and crash, instant sleep to take away the fear...knocking at least an hour or so off my flight. Well that's what should happen, if you don't have a Sophie with you...
" Ha! Your face is going all red...are you warm? you ARE warm...you look like you are about to go to sleep.....are you? Are you falling ASLEEP? " As if that wasn't bad enough, through my heavenly groggy oh wonderful sleep moment I could hear her saying to the lady to her left " look at my mum! Heh.... she's is falling asleep....ha! I can't believe she can fall asleep right now!"
That kept me awake and have you ever had to stay awake when you are full of enough tranquillising drugs to floor a horse? That is not a fun thing to try and do. The result of having stayed awake and fought against what my body wanted to do was to get twitchy, really REALLY crampy and spasmy.....oh it was a living nightmare ( although I wasn't afraid of crashing, which was a plus) after 3 hours I took the pain meds that stop the muscle spasms, on an empty stomach. You know what that means don't you...oh yes, the return of the nausea and heaving.
I spent the last 2 hours standing near the toilet, praying over and over and begging for relief. The supper was served and the misery of smelling cheese and salmon and watcing people shoving food in their mouth, having Sophie ask me if eating might help and did I want to try some....just having to open my mouth to reply made me drool and have to walk back up the aisle to be near my safe haven of cool air and lavatories.
The great thing about all that is that the thought of the trip home is not at all a worry for me, whatever happens (barring a crash of course) will not be as horrendous as that trip over here.
The flight is an hour shorter, Dan is meeting us and driving us home, no 3 hour wait for the bus, no 5 hour journey in a hot stuffy coach. Oh joy of joys. Piece of cake.
Also, when I take my tablet as I settle in my seat? Sophie is getting one as well, or two even! If she even looks at me I will jab her in the eye with a plastic fork. Our flight is an evening one, the lights will be dimmed, we will have a light supper, not a heavy meal, she will be tired from all the marvellous fun we are having ( and we really are having fun, she is delightful and so fabulously excited in a touchingly childlike way about everything.)
I miss H and the boys, it is such a treat to have this time with Sophie, to rest and shop, be with these friends of mine that are so loving and accepting, this time though I long for H and the boys to be here too. It is not in any way spoiling the trip, we are truly having as perfect a time as I imagined we would, I just know that for me, this is it for a long time. I have been able to do this twice in one year, that is enough. I know that we have other things our money has to go on.
I have pretty much been able to do all our Christmas shopping, the boys have heart's desires and I can picture Christmas morning with joy and excitement....huge relief!
Sophie has been spoiled and spoiled some more, she has been generous and funny, touching and sweet.
She is as loud as ever, has proven me right in my explaining that she has no social graces or shame....she has done everything I thought she would do. She went on her date last night with George ( Cathy's son) and was endearingly terrified, to the point where, bless his heart, she insisted that rather than go out with George, he must come out with us, a 20 year old man with a group of 10 women, his mother's friends! He did it, I adore him! Then Sophie and he went out on their own...they came back to the hotel at 10.30 expecting everyone to be in one room having a party..they found me in my 'jamas. refusing to let them come in! George went home and Sophie and I watched a movie.
She has said over and over that she never thought friends could be like this, that she has never been so accepted and loved just for who she is, she is seeing how life can and should be and told everyone at dinner one night that she never ever wants to go back to how things were, that life is too good to risk every losing what she has now.
I haven't taken many pictures with my camera, I have been taking them with my heart. Somehow this is mine for the keeping, I will take a few and I did take the best picture last night of her when she was back and in her new monkey pyjamas....a sight to behold I tell you!
I think today is a quiet day, we have filled our suitcases and have no room for more shopping...although I could so easily keep going, I love to shop over here, I do want to pick up more decorations but they will have to be little ones that can fit in tight corners!
I think H misses, me, it never hurts for family to realise what we do and appreciate that even if they don't see or notice what goes on while they aren't looking, there is a lot of work done for them. I am excited to be home with them and decorate for Christmas, to welcome Grandpa and have a lovely time over the holiday period.
Time to go and see if the washing is dry and then our day will begin.
I have stuck to my diet beautifully, we have eaten some great food and all of it healthy and delicious, great to know it can be done!
3 more days of fun here to be had.....I am off to enjoy them!