Adoption wise.
Everyone I know who is traveling in the next two months seems to have piles of stuff in their bedrooms, clothes bought, gifts ordered, suitcases out,
and all I got is this:
Yep. A bathing suit. Don't ask me why.No bed. No clothes. No anything.
Maybe I'm in denial?
In about five or six weeks, we are having a boy.
Not much to deny there.
We signed.
Guess what else?I do NOT have the gift of hospitality.
And I have to buy FIVE gifts for wonderful people in China whom I've never met.
That is intimidating.
Ruby gave me some great ideas but I still haven't done anything about it.
Then there is the travel procedure which I don't really understand.
Where we go in each city for the fun stuff, who has to plan that, when, where, what,et cetera, et cetera, et cetera (Hearing Yule Brenner here).
We did decide to go to Beijing before picking up Joshua.
That's a relief.
Bob wants to go see The Great Wall.
The Great Wall we shall see.
He is so right.
Oh, then there are the plans we need, to take care of those left behind.
But that's another blog post.I DO have empty space ready and waiting.
We haven't got the bed yet because...the little boys will jump on it.
And one will fall off and bump his head.
Then mama called the doctor
and the doctor said.......
See?
I'm a wreck.
The whole post cracks me up. Love the Yule Brenner reference! (and the monkeys jumping on the bed)
ReplyDeleteUsually your guide service arranges the outings for you, and you may have some input-is there anything specific you wish to see? Do you have a preference for old stuff or shopping? They'll definitely try to take you to places to shop because they have agreements with some places-the jade factory by the great wall, the pearl factory in Beijing, the silk factory, etc.
Just make sure that you have some say in what you do with Joshua or the poor kid will end up staring at ancient relics that mean not a thing to a kid his age and which he won't remember anyway because he'll be too preoccupied trying to figure out what's going on with his little life and because he's a child and a boy. He'll want to play, not traipse around after a guide looking at man-made articles of stone.
There is a great park in Guangzhou with boat rentals and amusement park rides in the center-take him there if you can. The park itself is free, the other stuff is reasonably priced. There is a smaller park in Guangzhou that we stumbled upon with the equivalent of swingsets and slides. Ask for things like that for him. Ask about a zoo. Aidan loved the zoo, though he doesn't remember it now-he does remember the Great Wall and he does remember the hotel, but that's about it.
Let your kids help you with the shopping. They'll probably get excited at being able to pick things for their brother.
Hang in there,
Ruby
Oh honey bless your heart. Ok first breathe. You good? Ok next, GO PACK!!!! Like now! You are going to be leaving so very soon and things are only going to get more emotional and more crazy than they are now so the earlier you start, the more coherent you will be.
ReplyDeleteSit down with a cuppa coffee and start making a list, he needs a toothbrush, he needs a bed, sheets, buy another pillow, jammies, undies, clothes, shoes, toys & candy for when you meet him with a backpack maybe, go buy snacks for you and your fam whilst you are over there, get medicine to bring with you(EVERY medicine you can think of just in case) get your funds out of the bank and ready to go....a list! You need a list! And the sooner you get it done the better! Can you go ahead and buy the bed,mattress, etc now and have it in your house at least and then maybe when you are gone someone can set it up for you?
My mind went absolutely BLANK when we got our TA last time, it's not pretty my friend! Hope this helps! :) So excited for you!!
I can so relate!! I need you to tell me how to cope with all the unknowns of foster parenting. That's what has me paralyzed!!
ReplyDeleteLove how honest you are. Although I have no practical advice for your situation (and I'm very impressed by those who do!) I've been praying for you and will keep praying for you! Can I say that when we visited you were hospitable, welcoming, and oh-so-comfortable to be around? Even if you feel it's not your gift, you seem to have a way of enjoying other people. Just wanted to let you know and hopefully encourage you there. :)
ReplyDeleteSo excited to "meet" Joshua. What a gift!
Oh my. My anal retentive self is ready to hyper ventilate for you.
ReplyDeleteThough I have to say with as hot as it has been in my area, maybe just a bathing suit is fine for a while.
Bless your heart! I'm so happy you're going soon. And I suspect, you'll pull it all together one way or another. Look forward to following your trip.
ReplyDeleteYOU ARE A WRITER!! Your voice comes out loud and clear in your blog. Beautiful.
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