Neesie's Email - My strong willed child

This is Melisa (Erica's older, bossy & sometimes sweet sister) - I received my first email from our Mom this morning. From her message it seems like some of my "boldness" has worn off on my baby sister.

Before I post mom's email I want to give Erica and Aaron a message from everyone. Thank you for posting pictures!!!! It is awesome to see you guys having fun!!!

Here is Mom's first message:

I think Erica mentioned that our seating assignments on the airplane over here were spread out all over the plane with only two of the seven were together. That meant that Carter or Jackson would be sitting alone. Now who in their right mind would think you could leave a 4 or 5 year old sitting alone on a plane for 15 hours. Well, little Mother Erica, got her back up and protected her babies. She finally got enough people to trade seats that she got three together for her and her boys.

Then today (Saturday) she took on two taxi drivers. We spent the day at Hong Kong Disney. Our group is so larger that we took two taxies from the hotel to Disney and paid $130 Hong Kong money for each one. The concierge at the hotel had told us that was about the right price. So when we left Disney to return to the hotel, we expected to pay about the same amount.

Our ride back to the hotel was interesting to say the least. The speed limit I saw posted was 80, but we were whizzing past every other vehicle on the road. When I looked at the speedometer we were going 140 and weaving in and out of traffic!! Plus here they drive on the wrong side of the road! Poor David was sitting in the front seat and I think he kept his eyes closed all the way back.

Then, when we arrived back at the hotel the driver missed the entrance and ended up dropping us at the exit and we had to walk up a hill to the front of the hotel. The taxi meter said our fare was $128HKD, but the driver in our taxi said the fare would be $189HKD! David was telling him that was too much and when Erica realized what was happening she got involved...and boy, did she get involved! She told him we would only pay $130HKD. Then she realized that Aaron was having a similar argument with the driver of the second taxi and she went back to the door of that taxi and told him the same thing. My two precious grandsons were standing there and I wanted them away from those vehicles so I took their hands and walked back away from the taxies. Erica's final words were something like this, "We only paid $130 to get to Disney this morning and that is all we are going to pay you," and she stuck the money in the window, turned around and walked off. I don't know if those drivers thought they could take advantage of a bunch of Southern Americans or what, but they drove off with their $130 and not a penny more.

After we got back into the hotel lobby and mentioned it to one of the desk staff, he said, "You were certainly braver than I am." I have to say I was proud of my little girl.