To China We Will Go!

I've been a little distracted.  I forgot about the kids piano lessons until a few minutes before we should be there on Monday.  I had to call and cancel. I forgot about their dentist appointment until the very minute we should have been walking out the front door on Tuesday. We were late.  I forgot about something on Wednesday too, but now I've forgotten what it was! I forgot to buy groceries for the one lunch my kids have to pack.  The one they pack every single week for Thursday classes.  But, it slipped my mind and 20 minutes before we had to leave, I ran to the store, came home and slapped 5 lunches together.  We were almost late.

But, we did in fact get our Travel Approval on Monday (1/24!).  So I kinda have an excuse for why I can't seem to remember my name or where my glasses are....."they're on your face, mom!" 

I can't seem to complete a thought and all I can seem to do is hit the refresh button on my laptop so I can see if I got another email from a travel agent with better prices or new schedules or one from a fellow traveling family with news of hotels or anything!  We have booked nothing yet!  AND WE LEAVE IN LESS THAN THREE WEEKS! 

I take that back.  We booked our hotel in Tianjin.  We booked that one because last time we stayed at the Renaissance Marriott and Paul wanted to stay there again.  He is Marriott reward Gold Card Member (I know, ooooOooOooo, right?).  Anyway, he did get three nights for free and it works out to like $60 a night for the 5 nights we have to be there.  Breakfast included.  So that's done.  At least something is checked off the growing list of things that need to be done before we leave!

What's not done?  Oh. My.  Well let's see....the international flights going to and fro, the in China transportation from the North to the coast and then to the south, the guides (to speak English for us!), the hotels in three other cities we have to stay in, the appointments with the orphanage, Civil Affairs, the passport office, the visa medical and others.  I haven't packed....duh.  I haven't made all the kids schedules out so they get where they are supposed to be!  Or a schedule for when to give Claire medicine and cath her and......I haven't gotten a cell phone issue worked out so we have cell coverage in Asia.  I haven't done the grocery shopping so my kids won't starve.  Okay, I guess technically speaking, their grandparents wouldn't let them starve!  I haven't finished planning the Father-Daughter-Dance here in Charleston, haven't finished writing out lesson plans for the kids, or gotten with my subs for the classes I teach. 

There is just so much to do.  And so little time.  I told Paul tonight that I was going to be difficult to live with the next few weeks.  He said, "I know". 

Good thing he didn't say, "what's new?" 

Oh and did I show you what made my day even more special?  Not only did I get travel approval on Monday, but when Isabel came back from the mailbox, she handed me a box.  I saw where it came from, but was confused.  I was confused because it was from Hip Mom Jewelry and I knew I had not ordered anything from there.  But, someone had.  I opened the box and promptly burst into tears!  Who wouldn't?

 

Someone very sweet had done that for me!  Sweet Karla!   She ordered this for me and used my family code so that we would get the fundraising money.  The gift that keeps giving!  That fundraiser is coming to a close on Monday and I will be able to see what we made. 

We only made $30 from Wild Olive Tees, but I tell you, that is $30 I didn't have before!  And then a sweet family that did a WOT fundraiser before us, completed their trip before they were able to get their money so they passed it on to us!  So, add that to the $30 we made and it's over $100!  We also sold all our gold jewelry to a friend that brokers gold.  He even gave us his commission.  We aren't big jewelry people, so we didn't have much, but we had $650 worth!  Every penny helps, right?

Well, I better go refresh my email or find something else to sell.  I'm going to get my boy!