Yesterday, I forgot to mention that we’d purchased (8 pounds for adults; kids free) roundtrip shuttle tickets to/from our hotel. It worked fairly well from the terminal to the Radisson. However, the 9:15 shuttle for our terminal (4) never showed up. We waited until 9:35, and then I grew impatient. So, we hoped in a taxi that had just arrived and went to Terminal 4.
En route, I commented to Libby that I’d learned my lesson (albeit a little pricey) to not use the shuttle for the return trip (as taxis are only a bit more expensive and a lot less hassle). I think the can driver overheard our discussion.
On getting to the terminal, the cabbie hoped out, sorted our luggage onto a baggage cart, and told me the cab ride was on him. It seems he had a soft spot for us, especially with a wee daughter in tow. He’s the proud father of four girls, one of whom I noticed (based on a sign in his cab) he was donating his tips to support her charity bike ride for the RSPCA between London and Paris. I thanked him profusely and insisted he take a 20 pound “tip” for his daughter.
After he departed, Libby commented that she had a “good feeling about the cabbie” from the moment we stepped into his vehicle. Oddly, I had the same feeling, which was proven to be justified. What a kind man, and I’m sure wonderful father. In the end, the entire experience was very affirming of the goodness possible in strangers. Hopefully, he felt the saw way.
As for the flight… no upgrade today. But, we had confirmed Economy Comfort seats that made the trip far more enjoyable — extra leg room (useful), more recline, and free drinks (not especially helpful today). I almost feel bad for calling it “oxymoron” in the past…
We were delayed leaving, but Emerson fell asleep on the taxi out to the runway. I watched a Qantas Airbus A380 do it’s takeoff roll (very cool), while we waited a good while to takeoff ourselves. Emerson slept for about another hour in the air. By then, it was time for lunch… of the “toddler” meal, she ate grapes and crackers.
After lunch, she spent 25 minutes playing with a straw and a water bottle… threading the straw through a narrow opening. Next, we used the iPad to watch an entire 50 minutes of Sesame Street, followed by 23 minutes of Mickey’s Clubhouse. She sat through both shows happily.
After the videos, we played with some apps on the iPad, both old and new. These were less successful as they didn’t amuse Emerson as long. So, we returned to Sesame Street (with snacks and drinks along the way).
With 2:55 remaining, it was time for a diaper change (nighttime diapers are really useful for travel too). She returned with a new pair of draws on and watched videos for another hour or so. At this point, Emerson started getting tired, and I managed to get her to drift off to sleep.
Unfortunately, she awoke with a start with about 1:30 left in the flight. She then proceeded to have a mini-meltdown, which we believe was 100% attributable to her teeth (we noticed her gums were bleeding before takeoff in London and it looked like 2-3 new teeth may be coming in). So, we administered baby Tylenol, and she settled back down fairly quickly. So, minor crisis handled… though I think it nearly killed Libby. 
Things remained fairly calm until final approach when she started crying again. We’re not sure if it was her teeth or maybe her ears due to the pressure change. Whatever the case, she was asleep by touchdown and remained so until we cleared customs, baggage claim, and security.
We had dinner at JFK, and we’re now back in the Delta Sky Club. If we’re lucky, she’ll fall asleep for the flight and remain asleep until some sort of reasonable hour tomorrow morning.
Will update with the final installment, probably later tomorrow. 😉
Welcome back home … Emerson seems like a good traveler most of the time, so her mini meltdown is quite forgiveable.
Thanks for the comment on my blog … pre-drafted posts of the trip going up pretty quickly, but then there may be a slowdown due to heavy work commitments that look like they will eat up a lot of my free time
Nice to have you back. It sounds like you had a good trip overall and that Emerson is becoming quite a cruiser. Thanks for sharing your travels with us.