Leaving Berlin

Okay, okay, so we have a Wi-Fi connection at our hotel in Dover! And, while I'm waiting for Roger to return from returning the hire car, I'm going to fill you in on our trip so far.

We were up bright in early our last morning in our Berlin house. Roger and I were busy cleaning up and getting the kids and suitcases ready. Our Embassy ride came to get us at 8 am, and with one last goodbye to the house, we were off to the Tegel airport.

It didn't take long to remember why it was that we didn't like to fly with the kids. Just while we were checking in, Kit was already lying on the floor.
Jed was being good though, and we were grateful for that at least.
We were able to find a spot in the waiting lounge for the kids to run wild before we got onto the plane. They both enjoyed a banana donut each (yuck!), and then we got on the plane. They did very well on the plane - both of them. Jed ate his entire Kase sandwich! Thank goodness for portable DVD players and Scooby Doo DVDs! Jed was so excited about sitting by the window. When we first took off and got up in the air, Jed said to me that he could "see the whole world from up here." It was so cute. Then, he said that he could see our old house in Berlin and he could see Pariser Platz! He was very sad about leaving the house in Berlin - in fact, he held my hand the whole way to the airport. I was glad to see him get excited about something since he was so upset about leaving.

When we arrived at Stansted airport in London, we had to take a shuttle train to get our baggage. So, the boys were excited that on this trip we were taking cars, planes, and now trains - boats would be saved for tomorrow. Here are the boys riding on the shuttle train.
Fortunately, we didn't wait long for our luggage, and we were off to our hire car. Unfortunately, the line was long at the desk, and Kit was due for a nap - and it showed. I stayed with the boys and the luggage carts while Roger went off to collect the hire car keys. This was not a pleasant experience by far. Kit was all over the floor, squirming on his knees backwards across the walkway. Besides the "yuck" factor, I was, at this point, stressing big time. Again, I was reminded why I didn't like to travel with the kids except by car. It makes all the difference in the world when we control our own schedule.

What seemed like an eternity later, Roger returned and we were off to get our hire car. It was here that Kit refused to get into the car, and it got a little ugly. Once we were in the car and driving (on the other side of the road - felt a little strange at first, and then comfortable all of a sudden - flashbacks to our Aussie days), Kit nodded right off (AMEN!).
I was so happy to see the signs to Dover as we got closer. It had already been a long day - and we still needed to get to Canterbury.
And, while I have said much about Kit here, I would also like to say that Jed behaved quite well for most of the trip. Of course, he had moments too, but they were nothing like Kit's moments. Jed was actually interested in our trip, the transportation required, and the ultimate destinations each time. Amazing what the difference of 2 years can make!