Whydiss

This summer we went on a venture and covered 3424 kilometer over 14 days and it was all done by train. Our family adventure was to visit family. Our first stop was my best friend who lives in Central Queensland and we went to her son’s 9th birthday party. Second stop was my brother, sister in-law, two nieces and one nephew have a cattle station in Western Central Queensland. Third stop is my little sister who is getting married; we were going to attending her engagement party. By the way I love my sister’s fiancé, he is the coolest Dude.

One of the hardest nights of the trip was when our 4 hour layover to change trains ended up being 12 hours. Thankfully my best friend helped us by picking us up from the train station and giving us a bed for the night. Except I was not able to get much sleep because I had to ring the train hotline every hour to find out what the situation was with our delayed train. The train was delayed due to the extreme wet weather. Lucky for me my Dad works for the Railway and I was able to call him and he would ring the train controller (or Fat Controller if you’re a Thomas Tank Engine fan) and find out what was happening.

As dawn was breaking the train finally arrived at the station and we were all more than relieved. The kids where jumping with excitement and were wide awake, I on the other hand had red eyes and was thinking only of sleep. Once we were in our little cabin, I made up the bunks and told the kids it was time to sleep even tho it was 6am. The saying ‘was asleep before my head hit the pillow’ was me at 6.05am.

Could you believe that at 6.30am I woke up to a little hand poking my shoulder saying, ‘Mum, Mum, Mum I am hungry’?

All the parents right now are nodding their heads right now and smiling that knowing smile. My response was ‘not now’.

At 6.35am a little hand poked my shoulder rather roughly and said ‘Mum, Mum, Mum I am really hungry’. My response was ‘not now’.

At 6.40am a little hand poked my shoulder and said ‘Mum, Mum, Mum I need to pee’. I woke up, put my shoes on and grabbed my hand bag.

It was not easy watching my other child sleeping peacefully and as I locked the door to our little cabin all I could feel through my foggy head was envy. After our pit stop at the toilet, we heading to the dining cabin and brought the pesty child breakfast, I enquired about the offer of free tea as compensation for the long delay. The response was something about having to check with HQ when the office opens at 9am.

When I was first in our cabin all I think about was sleep but now that I was up and walking with the other travelers all I can think about is my promised free cup of tea. Definitely was not firing on all cylinders on that morning. Finally back in our cabin I arranged for the portable tv to entertain the child that was awake and I curled up once again on my bunk and was asleep within a mille second. In my sleep I could feel my body slowly unwinding and sinking further and further into deep sleep when I a little hand was placed on my shoulder and right up close to my face I head a voice say ‘Mum, Mum, Mum I am hungry and need to pee’.

Only one of my eyes could open and I see the outline of my other child because I couldn’t get that one eye to focus. Slowly I scrambled for my shoes and handbag and kept banging into the walls, I seemed to have problems standing and I can’t figure out why. The train is rocking more sharply and jerking back and forth, my foggy brain registers that we must travelling very fast trying to make up some lost time. We buy breakfast and head back to our cabin and I checked the time on my phone and surprised to see that it is only 7.05am. I have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, how am I going to sleep in our tiny cabin now that both children are awake?