day 97

Day 97. Nothing to report. Yet. The day isn't over.

This is how I filled my long days last week:

I bought myself a pair of shoes for China. I live in flip flops in the summer. But the thought of traveling around China in flip flips really grossed me out. So I went searching for something I could wear for two weeks in China that would cover up my feet but still be comfortable enough to wear when it's 100 degrees outside. I really wanted to get a pair of Crocs but even the tiny ballet ones looked like clown shoes on me. So I settled for these...

I spent several hours sorting through all of Nathan's summer clothes from last year and pulled out enough clothes for Caleb to wear while we're in China. I did buy him flip flops and tennis shoes. The tennis shoes are probably going to be too small and the flip flops may be too big, but I'm counting on the fact that most everything is made in China anyway and I'll be able to find shoes for him there if we need some.

I also bought several journals and pens to give to the orphanage workers as gifts. It is customary to give the orphanage directors, nannies, interpreters, and tour guides gifts. Yikes. That's a lot of people. I found these adorable gifts in the Target dollar section (which isn't really all $1.00 stuff anymore. They sneak in things that are $2.50 too. Still cheap, but misleading none the less and shouldn't be in the dollar section if you ask me). They are way cuter in person. The journals and pens are made in India. I find it amusing that we will come bearing gifts that aren't really American things at all. Oh well, what's more American than Target, right?! And at least they aren't Made in China!

I started reading this...

And I bought this backpack for Caleb. It won't hold much more than chapstick, a (very) small toy and maybe three crayons. But what it lacks in storage and functionality, it makes up for in cuteness...

I also got my second round of immunizations for traveling. I hate, I mean HATE needles. But last week wasn't so terribly bad. I didn't need to gulp down a quart of water so that I wouldn't faint. I didn't start sweating profusely. I didn't get dizzy from holding my breath. I didn't even have a headache afterward (which I generally do from the anticipation and stress of anything involving a needle). I didn't cause (much of) a scene at all. Very successful for me. And, no, no pictures to prove it. Maybe I'll be able to fake a smile next month when I go for my third round.

I have nearly all my clothes organized and ready...

to pack in a few old suitcases from my parents. They just bought new luggage and were going to send their old ones to Goodwill. I'm pretty sure that China has a 44lb limit on how much your suitcase can weigh. We only have two pieces of luggage that we own and one is way too big to take to China. I know b/c we used it to travel a few years ago and it was over the 50 lb limit that Southwest had. Andy and I were traveling by ourselves and I had the brilliant idea to pack all of our stuff in one huge suitcase instead of two smaller ones. We didn't even bring carry-on luggage...just one very large suitcase to check. And neither of us had traveled enough to even think about a weight limit. Let's just say we went over it. Way over it. And had to pay a significant fee. And I do recall the nice airline check-in lady telling me that I could take my suitcase over to the side and take things out of it to make it lighter. I remember thinking, "uh...do you have any idea how I pack? I have systems. And it didn't' take 5 minutes to throw all of that weight into that suitcase. It took a long time to get it all right. All organized." But that has nothing to do with China or Caleb. So I'll stop there. Oh my. All that I'll say is that I'm not the best at being the laid back, go with flow, no big deal kind of girl. Nope. Not even close. Andy is. He's exactly the opposite. He'll be the reason I survive traveling to and from China. With a toddler. That speaks no English. He'll also throw a few pair of shorts and a ton of tee shirts in his suitcase the night before we leave. Yes, he will. And I guarantee you that I'LL be the one who forgets something. After months of trying to plan and prepare, I'll be the one to forget my flat iron. Or my shoes. Yep, it will be me. julia. sitting and waiting and spending way too much time on this post thinking about it all.