What’s in YOUR Carry-On?

The big day has come and gone. If you’re reading this shortly after it posts, we are already in the air, making our way toward our new home. The packing is done. What made it in the final round made it. The rest is sitting in a drawer awaiting the next trip this way over the ocean or a compassionate friend who feels like carrying a little extra luggage when they visit.

In the end, we left what went into our kids’ carry-ons mostly up to them. It was our way of limiting the toys they brought along, and giving them some control over the process. Whatever fit in the carry-on was fair game. The only stipulation, aside from those placed by the airlines, was that I wanted a little room in the front pocket to stuff some of the surprises I like to give them for the trip.

We’ll be in the air for 15 hours, and then have a 12-hour layover in the Hong Kong airport before journey’s end. Some friends in Hong Kong may take us out for a few hours, so that should help with the boredom factor, but we’re hoping some of the items in our personal luggage will keep us busy as well.

So here are the contents of our carry-ons.

This is Pumpkin’s:

And here are the things I snuck in the front pocket:

Here is Sweetpea’s carry-on (only essential items, of course):

Here’s what I snuck in:

Sprout’s case started out the lightest when we moved into Grandma’s a few weeks ago. Somehow over the last few weeks, we’ve managed to discover more items that just had to be crammed in:

And here’s what I’ve stashed away for her:

So what’s in Mommy’s carry-on?

Some games; crayons; vitamins for the kids; my knitting (dolly underwear) on bamboo circular needles, which I’m assured won’t be confiscated for their potential deadly properties; a homeopathic for jetlag and my neck pillow. I’ll tuck my eReader and some books into my laptop case, and the remaining room in the carry-on may have to be reserved for Sprout’s shrink-wrapped quilt, which I almost forgot had to be packed!

No surprises for me. I’m just hoping to stay on top of things for the flight and layover. Can’t wait to see JavaMan Wednesday night!