Stan's big adventure part 1

Stanley and Emma's big adventure has begun, we have now been in Wellington for 24 hours and still don't know which way is up, what time it is and certainly have no idea of the day of the week. The journey was pretty arduous! After leg 1 - eleven and a half hours to Hong Kong, during which Stan slept fitfully, on my lap I wasn't sure I had done the right thing at all, but it's amazing what a shower and some fresh noodles, fried rice and spring rolls can do for your mood. The next leg was to Melbourne and we managed to bag two seats so both of us could stretch out a bit - Stan wasn't sure that sleep was really on the agenda as his body was now telling him it was the afternoon but after supper was served and the lights went out I firmly told him he needed to nap and we got in a couple of hours of snoozing. Michael sweetly gave me an ipod shuffle (and honey, the white wires are really growing on me!!) all loaded up with lovely music, so I did get a little respite for time to time. By the time we reached Melbourne the tiredness was really kicking in and when the gate staff asked me where I had just flown in from I said "I have no idea" and I really meant it! They took pity on this poor exhausted traveller as on the next (and final) leg which lasted 3.5 hours we had three seats to ourselves and Stan promptly fell fast asleep - the first time he had been properly horizontal for 24 hours and he slept like a log! I had to wake him for landing which he was pretty unimpressed by!

Landing in Wellington is fantastic as it was clear and fine - Sasha tells me it's pretty hairy in the fog and wind! My first impressions were all the amazing coloured roofs of the houses which cling to the hillsides right up to the airport perimeter and the very human scale of all of it. More to be written on this when my brain works properly

Today Vonne flew in for a quick visit on her way south to Invercargill, it was amazing to catch up, having not seen her for nearly 9 years there was a lot of catching up to do, but our friendship always seems so easy and we chatted away as though all the years and events which have taken place were all well known. She has just completed her chemo and looked well and very positive, fingers crossed that she doesn't have to go through any more horrors.

This afternoon with the rain pelting down we went to Te Papa - of which more later I am sure, Stan is wilting though and I am aiming to try and keep him awake until his normal bedtime and then hopefully he will sleep through as he did last night with only one upset. Then we have a few plans in place for the next few days - Oliver's birthday party on Sunday and then his first day at school next week and the beach at some point and a trip to the wineries. Mostly though just hanging out here with Sasha in her lovely house with the kids and acting like I live just round the corner - which is very appealing!