Most Certainly Not

Trying to Be Ready

Somehow, it's already Wednesday night.  We are leaving for Africa the day after tomorrow.

Today, I went to the law school and copied all the documents I need for our travel folder.  I made TONS of extras, just in case.  I need to finish putting it together tonight so that I know it's done and I have an easy 'go-to' place for all the information necessary to bring our girl home.

I also called the international adoption clinic and 1) had them call in prescriptions for M3 and 2) scheduled her post-adoption initial assessment appointment.  They will actually have a nurse or doctor on hand who speaks Amharic, a language being spoken to her now--although she is not fluent, I'm sure it will be more familiar than straight up English.

Hubs did a ton of laundry today.  Tomorrow, he'll be doing M3 laundry.  I have almost enough clothes for her pulled already.  I need to buy her shoes tomorrow while we are out and about.

I have other paperwork to gather up to put in the travel folder.  I've been after Hubs to print off things, but he's easily distracted...today it was by the laundry.  Start to finish.  He didn't stop until every piece was done.  It was kind of quaint.

I made a huge pot of spaghetti and meatballs for dinner with a side of garlic bread.  We ate a BUNCH.

Now, M2 is finishing up homework and they will be in bed soon.  I want to finish our travel folder tonight so it's done.

We go to the bank tomorrow to pick up crispy money.  We also have to go pick up some things to occupy M3's attention, shoes for her, snacks for us and anything else I figure out we need before now and then.

This is ridiculously overwhelming, but it's almost so surreal that I can go through the motions, crossing things off the list without thinking about it too much.

More tomorrow!

Crazy Train

All aboard!

My husband made it back safely into our arms yesterday.  We could not be more thrilled.  At the church, while awaiting his homecoming ceremony's beginning, we received a phone call letting us know that our Embassy date had FINALLY been confirmed.  Our Embassy date is March 30th.  That's next Tuesday!

We are leaving THIS Friday at 6:14 a.m.  Fortunately, I had to send our itinerary to our agency because that is the first I'd looked at my actual tickets.  I thought we had been booked from the travel package with a Saturday departure.  Nope.  Friday.

I'm.  Freaking.  Out.

So much to do.  So little time.

SRSLY.

M1 will be guest blogging here while I'm away so that everyone can stay informed on whatever we are able to communicate while we are away.

Having my husband home has been amazing so far.  M2 has not wanted to let my husband out of her sight.  She has been spending lots of time with Daddy.  It's adorable. 

Tomorrow is a huge day full of lots of little pieces and parts.  I have to adopt my husband's philosophy if this is going to work--"as long as we have the paperwork necessary to bring her home, we're good.  Anything else is icing.  We make sure we have everything she needs first.  And, we're adults so if we forget something, it's only a week we're doing without it."  He's right, I know.

This is soooooo surreal.

M3, here we come!

It Was The Best Of Times...

My husband comes home tomorrow.

He arrives home after spending a year in the service of a nation for which he would sacrifice his very life.

He arrives home as the very republic which he serves has suffered a fissure from which it may not recover.

The chicanery and cronyism that had to be in place to procure the 216 votes necessary to pass this horrific power grabbing piece of legislation nauseates me.  I feel like I should wake my children from their sleep, point their groggy bodies toward the TV and tell them that without MAJOR change in short order, this night marks the end of their opportunity to live freely and achieve greatly.  I honestly believe that if they do better than their dad and I, it will be in spite of the America in which they live and not because of it.

I have never been more angry nor more agape at the sickening lack of understanding of those who call themselves Americans.

Even if I bought every bit of BS that has been shoveled about this mess of a healthcare debate, the fact remains--WE CANNOT PAY FOR THIS.  Our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren should NOT be forced to pay for this administration's ideological leanings nor should our nation be bankrupted for a liberty sucking measure disguised as healthcare reform.  We cannot afford it.  And, frankly, it should have been a free market solution and not another hand out program. 

I'm so very tired of the elitist garbage and the leeches on our society who make it so by their vote which is equal to mine.  It sickens me that someone who looked nice, talked purty and put the media in his back pocket long ago found himself being handed a position he is ill prepared for and even less interested in doing well.  Very sad indeed.

I can't even feel better by saying, "Don't blame me.  I didn't vote for him."

I can't say that because I have two girls upstairs sleeping and one a world away (whom, by the way, I thought would have opportunities here she would not elsewhere...wondering about that now) who will struggle to pay off this 'legacy' Barack Obama was so intent upon bringing upon us.

If I didn't think a cataclysmic schism could form in my nation and shake it to its very foundation before tonight, I doubt it no longer.

I only hope that there are enough Americans who possess enough of the individualistic, true spirit of our forefathers to root these robber barons out before it is too late.  If it isn't too late already.

If you disagree with me, you are welcome to put your comment in comments.  However, I warn you, I do not suffer fools lightly.  So, if you're going to express your opinion, make sure you have brought your A-game.  And, make sure you include in your comment how you think we will pay for this--especially in my cash strapped state of Ohio.

About to Become Interesting

My husband is back in the States.

That's good news to be certain.

The not-so-awesome news is that, SURPRISE!, he's not coming home within the window we've been told for months.  The worst part is, it appears this delay in his homecoming is due to the stupid homecoming ceremony. 

Can we talk about this honestly and frankly?

As a rule, I have less than zero interest in what some big wig National Guard person or stuffed shirt bureaucrat has to say about anything.  Specifically, on the day I have waited nearly a YEAR to have happen, I would prefer it if you just opened the bus doors, let the soldiers and gear spill onto the pavement, and allow their families to collect them...all the while keeping your mouths shut.

The idea that this is somehow "for the soldiers" is ludicrous on its face.  The position of, "Well, we didn't do anything for the soldiers who returned from Vietnam.  We won't do that again" is even more ludicrous.  People did PLENTY when Vietnam soldiers came home.  They treated them with open disdain and ignored them ON PURPOSE.  That should not result in the pendulum swinging to completely the opposite direction where now, I have to sit through a THREE HOUR event just to get my hands on my husband. 

Have your damned ceremonies on your OWN TIME.  Do it before you leave the post where the out processing is occurring.  Do it on another day.  Do it when you drag us all in for some idiotic briefing in a couple weeks.  The very fact that 'all time is Army time' is why I have grown to loathe the very thing that I find so honorable in my husband.  I love that he feels called to serve.  I hate, however, that his calling results in these types of thumb-in-your-eye type things.

Can we please just be honest?  Ceremonies like this have absolutely NOTHING to do with the families who have painfully waited for their service members to return home.  They have almost just as little to do with the soldiers and what they would like on this long awaited day.  It has EVERYTHING to do with the egos of people whom I do not know and if I did, I probably wouldn't like anyhow.

I think I would feel a lot less resentful if the 'event' were positioned honestly -- "Because we need the photo op, we love to hear ourselves talk, and it gets us out of boring meetings on a weekday (because we will NOT do this on a weekend...that would cut into OUR family time), we require that you come sit for three hours staring at the back of a head you have not seen in life since last year this time."  

Call me bitter, resentful, and bitchy.  If that's what this sounds like to you then I would guess you've never had a deployed loved one, certainly not your husband.  Or, if you HAVE and you don't get what I'm saying, then I doubt you've had 1/10 of the year that we have had here.  Otherwise, you'd get it.  If you don't, that's okay too.  I gave up caring what other people thought about what I think of this mess a LONG time ago.

I'm seriously debating going at all.  I could go 45 minutes after the start of the ceremony (which would be 2 hours and 45 minutes after I'm supposed to show), idle my car on the side of the road and wait for him to come out.  I can't imagine not being there when he gets off the bus, but I also can't imagine sitting there for THREE HOURS.  I'd rather not.  I'll do what he asks, though...per usual.

I would just like to register my open disdain for this idiotic show.  Just another way for the military to bully the families into submitting to their whims.  I, for one, am SICK OF IT.  And, if ANYONE makes a stupid ass comment like, "We realize that the absence of these soldiers is just as hard on you, the employers, as it is the families" I will loudly scream, "BULLSHIT!"  That occurred at the going away ceremony that we had to suffer through and I STILL have not forgotten how angry that made me. 

Because you see, that moment was very telling.  In the eyes of the leadership of the National Guard, my household is no more affected by my husband's absence than a multi-million dollar corporation known as UPS.  UPS, apparently, has not functioned at 100% since my husband has been gone.  Or, alternatively, I have barely noticed my husband's absence because I filled his slot with some other strapping delivery guy.  Either way, it shows an appalling lack of understanding, sensitivity and decorum.

If it sounds like I'm over this charade, you would be listening well.

I want my husband home.  Period.  As for the ceremonial bullcrap, you can swallow it.

Single Digit Midget.

It is probably very much politically incorrect to use the word midget.  However, it rhymes with digit and, in this instance, is military-speak for short-timer.  I'm not sure what our single digit is, but I know it's less than 10 days now and that's good enough for this girl.  And, of course, "know" is not actual knowledge, but Army knowledge.  And, yes, that is an oxymoron.

If you look over to the right sidebar, you will see a widgit for voting in the Pepsi Refresh campaign.  Actually, you see a partial widgit. Try as I might, I could not edit the html code to make it fit in that skinny sidebar.  However, the link for voting still works and that is what is important.  From now until the end of the month, you should be voting EVERY day for Our Military Kids to receive a $50,000 grant from Pepsi.  This organization is fantastic.  Among their many initiatives is the grant program that M2 applied to and received $500 to continue her piano lessons while her dad has been deployed.  That money was a Godsend and came in super handy.  No super tricky hoops to jump through either.  Just an easy application and some supplemental documentation (daddy's orders & her birth certificate copy) to support her application and $500 was ours.  Now THAT is an organization I can get behind and support too especially because they offer direct support to kids who are sometimes overlooked--the children of National Guard and Reserve members.  The only tricky thing is that Pepsi's site appears to have a glitch--make sure when you vote that your allotted votes per day goes from 10 to 9.  That's how you know your vote has been counted. 

This weekend was kind of ugly.  It's ending on a good note, but when I'm in the thick of things, it is too overwhelming to remain positive.  Maybe if I weren't feeling so beaten down, I could have pulled together a 'turn that frown upside down' attitude, but this weekend?  Not so much.  I sometimes wish I had the whatever it is (confidence?) to say, "Listen, bub, this has been a long year.  The house?  Yeah.  It's pretty much a disaster area.  Get over it.  I did."  But.  I can't.  Not even a little bit.

This weekend it was all about the upstairs.  I just about ready to call it 'done' in my bedroom.  I have so many bags to take to Goodwill and even more things to go into the outdoor trash bin.  Part of me wonders why in the world most of this stuff was not thrown away long ago, but the other part knows it's because trash is sneaky.

The main level of the house is holding its own.  The kitchen needs some TLC and the carpet needs to be de-dogged.  Tomorrow, those idiots go to the groomer.  I CANNOT WAIT.  The only thing that would make the day better is if I were going to be home all day without them here.  THAT would be worth it.  As it is, I have to work and I'll likely not be able to leave them at the place until the last minute because M2 has track practice and I don't want to bring the whole famdamily home in the car together after practice.  I will, I hope, be able to vacuum A TON while they are gone.  And, once they are brushed out and smelling less disgusting, I'm hopeful the entire main level of the house will be glorious.

Dishes and school uniform laundry will be done before I go to bed tonight for sure.

I need to get the house under control for the last time because it's go-time for Africa trip planning.  The last word I'd received from the adoption agency was that they had not heard anything from the Embassy that would suggest our suspected 3/30 date would be delayed in any way.  They expect to hear this coming week if we're a go.  The last thing the Embassy needed was a negative TB test from the doctor and M3's negative results were reported to them a couple days ago.  I have to trust that my husband will be ready to man up and make this huge trip no matter what day he finds himself getting home to us.  I know it is going to be intense, but the idea of making her wait a day more than she has to is not attractive to either of us.

Big week this week.

Glad you're here to share the ride.

Anticipating the Bump

I have a feeling I'm in for a rather rough landing and although things are pretty jumbled up at this point, I'm going to enlist your help in documenting what I imagine could be a rather interesting end to this month. 

My ever-present, uber-wise friend, AWTM, commented on my Facebook status today that things might be easier for me to handle if just any one thing were concrete.  However, right now, everything is in the air and that just leads to a weird sense of crazy.

I'm worried, however, that at some point this whirlwind dust-up known as 'my daily life' is going to clash.  It's like I picture myself keeping lots of juggling balls in the air (funny, though, that they resemble huge bowling balls) and as time passes, these balls will go up but not come down.

For instance, I have been juggling an entire cadre of balls thanks to deployment.  When my husband comes home in a few weeks, the deployment ball fest goes away.  In its place, reunification juggling.  And, the uncool thing about that is--you don't know what that looks like until you're in the thick of it.

Plus, the adoption is ongoing.  There are soooo many details yet to square away and although I can barely keep track of them, I'm not freaking out about it.  Somewhere in my mind, I keep telling myself, one thing at a time.  I can really only freak out about the deployment ending right now.  But, once it's over, I will only have a matter of days (a week or more if our Embassy date doesn't confirm) to cull the travel details.  And then, the ADOPTION juggling balls go away and the "you have a new, full blown child in your home" joins the juggle mania.

I think I'm most concerned about the intersection between realizing I really had nothing to be worried about regarding the homecoming day (although reunification is another story) but worried and prepared anyway only to not fully prepare for the adoption traveling.

So.

I had to come up with a plan.

This weekend, it's all about the upstairs.  My bedroom is a shambles.  I know some women who treat their bedrooms as their retreat.  When my husband is gone, the bedroom is the last place I want to be.  I spent some time with that room being "my" room before I remarried.  Once I married my husband, it became "our" room and I prefer it that way.  And, when you don't sleep, you don't really care if the room is in perfect order.  So.  Yeah.  It needs attention.  Once it is squared away, I am making a list of adoption travel things to do.

I know what needs to be done prior to homecoming--spray tan.  dogs groomed.  manicure.  stock fridge.  done.

Those I will spread out over the remaining weeks.  I need to put together a list of pre-travel to-do (which I may share here so you can freak the frick out with me) so I can start crossing a couple things off a day.

For now, I'm going to try and turn in kind of early.  Since they apparently removed all the phones in my husband's deployment zone, I guess I can go to bed and not worry about the phone interrupting my beauty rest.  I've had my bedroom window open since yesterday afternoon and I am STOKED to be able to sleep with my window open.  The quality of my sleep last night was amazing.  Could not believe it.

I ran today.  It hurt.  I ran the hillier portion of my neighborhood and thought I'd like to die.  I didn't.  I got my hair done today--color is WOWZA so I hope it tones down (M2 likes it so you know it's loud) and it's still long.  She only took off what she absolutely had to because I told her I wanted to have the length so I could pull a ponytail still--have to think ahead to Ethiopia.

Ethiopia.

Where my daughter is waiting on us.  My daughter whose dad wrote about how glad he is that we get to go "get our girl soon" and how he loved seeing her smile in the new photos I sent him. 

New photos, you say?  Why, yes.  Didn't I share?  Shame on me.

Enjoy!

Coasting Along

I rarely coast along.  At this stage of the game, the ability to coast might seem like a good thing.  However, what it looks like in my world is me kind of tuned in, but mostly tuned out, not overly concerned with the daily things that need monitoring (bill paying, refrigerator stocking status, materials I've promised to procure for students, etc.) but subconsciously consumed by things over which I have no control (where my husband is and what he's doing, where my daughter is and what she's doing, where the Embassy is and what it's doing).

I feel worlds better today than I did yesterday.  Thanks to 'teh internets' I was able to reach out and make contact with several people who had been sifting through the latest State Department kerfuffle who could lend me information.  I was able to collect enough data to say that March 30th is still do-able in our case (given that the families who will be traveling this weekend for their March 16th date didn't learn of their confirmation until the last week of February) and that planning travel is still a good idea.  Also learned enough to be pretty confident that this increased scrutiny has nothing to do with our agency or us and that it should just be business as usual in our case.  We also learned that our representative in Ethiopia is seeking an in-person meeting at the Embassy to check status, etc.

How much enjoyment that brought to be able to breathe yet another sigh of relief. 

Then.

Panic.

I could be leaving the country in 18 days to go to Africa and pick up my new daughter.

And, before I can even get my running shoelaces in a knot over THAT and all it means, my husband will be home in a bit as well and I still have things around the house that needs done.  Packing for an overseas trip and making your house immaculate are counter-intuitive endeavors.  I also really need to set the girls to work on cleaning up and clearing out their rooms.  They have not made the switch yet and, where M2's current room is pretty sparse given that most of her junk is in my room from months ago, M1's room is pretty pre-teen clutterific.  Aside from a slumber party I'm making sure M1 attends this weekend and M2's basketball game Saturday, our rears will be in gear on the upstairs in the house.  That should make for a fun weekend!

I did use coupons yesterday at Wal-Mart to the tune of over $20 in savings.  I purchased quite a few things for our trip--medications in single dose dispensers, chewable Pepto and other no water needed forms of medications.  I also picked up some Vick's Vapor-Rub.  You just never know.  I have coupons for toothbrush and toothpaste for M3 plus some other fun things and thought to cut out coupons for Pedia-Lyte single serve powders (will definitely buy and take some with) and for PediaSure drink for home use.

I am thrilled beyond measure that we could be meeting this child in less than three weeks.  I'm freaked the frick out, however, that we'll need to prepare for a trip to Africa to do it!

Blahging

I've felt kind of 'blah' the past few evenings and didn't want to subject anyone to my ramblings.  So, I just skipped it and went to bed.

Part of it has to do with scheduling.  Always running around--busy, busy, busy.  All good things this weekend, though, so no complaints from me for once.

Part of it has to do with my husband.  Sometime this week or early next, he will be wrapping things up where he is and starting his journey home.  As anyone associated with the military knows, we won't have firm dates until he's stateside and even when we know them, we can't share them.

The other, major part, is likely what's going on with the adoption.  I won't retype it all, but I blogged about it on our adoption blog.  I'm not going to sugar coat how I feel about any of this.  Changing the rules at the end of the game and constantly moving the damn finish line when I'm crossing it, PISSES ME OFF ROYALLY.  If I didn't have M1 and M2, I'd be on a plane to Ethiopia to stay until the State Department gets it poop in one sock and live with the child the Ethiopian government recognizes as ours.

I ran yesterday and it was glorious.  I did a little over two miles, in the sun and became warm enough that I took my jacket off and tied it around my waist.  I'm almost confident that in the coming days I can go sans jacket...amazing.  Thank you, Lord, because I needed the sun and the run.

M2 starts track tonight.  I know what time practice is, but I'm not sure where the team is supposed to be meeting.  I love how uninformative information can be.  Do people really TRY that hard to be vague or do they just not read what they write?  Telling me that practice is 'at the school' does me now good.  If I were Laura Ingalls Wilder with a one-room schoolhouse, I'd be picking up what you're putting down.  But, our school is big.  So...no help.

Until M1's acting class is done or M2's track meets start (whichever comes first), we again have something going on every night but Fridays.  I'm okay with it, I think.  I need a distraction from the waiting on Embassy date confirmation.  I'm racking my brain because I have to know someone who knows someone who works at the State Department.  I want my questions answered and I want my daughter home.  And, I want the same for other waiting families.  I'm just OVER THIS...and my companion, Headache, is back so I know my body is ready for closure too.

Please pray that our Embassy confirmation comes this week.  I have already booked lodging and will be booking travel very soon.  We will start to lose (more) money if this doesn't happen soon--I hate the limbo!--and until she is home, we cannot apply to receive our adoption reimbursement from Hubs' employers.  Sigh.  Aside from that, we cannot hold, love on and reassure our daughter that we are not full of crap and that we ARE coming soon.  Poor, poor baby.  I'm just sick over it.

I Need to Run Until the Wheels Fall Off

For no more than I have been able to exercise or run, I'm super surprised that my weight has kind of been holding its own.  That is not to say that I have been feeling my best, sleeping well or even that I like the way my body looks now compared to when I was running.  However, I am trying to be optimistic that in the next little bit, I'll be able to drop some weight and have a less upholstered appearance.

Some of the things I'm employing in my quest are things that a couple years ago I would not even have thought to put them in my cart.

I think Dannon Light and Fit Yogurt is particularly yummy.  The shape of the container is more friendly than the Yoplait containers as I like to add some crunch to my yogurt. 

Plus, Dannon Light and Fit comes in 80 calorie containers (where Yoplait is closer to 100 or more) and even 60 calorie containers.  I find I can knock out my hunger in the morning with one of the 60 calorie packs and then eat some before dinner to keep me from stuffing my face with whatever I find while dinner is in the oven.

This brand of yogurt has an even newer container design that is almost square which offers lots of room to add in granola and stir without wearing it.  I approve.

You have to be careful with granola, though.  You would think something so crunchy and lacking in chocolate would HAVE to be good for you, but no.  Granola can be very packed with fat.  I like the  Bear Naked brand and they have a "fit" version. 

It's on the pricey side, but I only use a spoonful at a time, so it goes a long way.  M1 likes it too and I like that she's taking in some yogurt because I don't think kids get nearly enough calcium.

But, I see Amazon has 6 packs that they sell.  I'm going to price that out and see if I make out better that way.  It is verrrry good!  I'm pretty sure my friend, Kim, introduced me to it one day when we all remembered to pack our lunch.  She's also the lady who converted me to running so she's quite the positive influence.  Hm.  She's also the woman who was present on that fateful Thursday karaoke night after the bar exam.  The night that ruined tequila for me forever...bye, bye margaritas.  So, yeah.  Don't get the idea that she's 100% innocent. 

I'm also skipping the soda still. Every so often I will have one, but I'm talking once every couple of weeks if that.  There are days, though, when all I want is a fully leaded Coke.  However, I have had 11 Cokes in my fridge for the past two weeks...that's a record.  I love the LaCroix water and I go through it like no one's business.

The other thing I'm going to be eating a ton of in the next couple weeks to detox and keep away from more harmful things is my hummus. 

I like it on Triscuits, carrots, and any number of other vegetables.  It's a good way to keep from eating not-so-friendly things the kids may eat.  It's also a nice little lunch or dinner when I'm not hungry for a serious meal.

I only really like this brand, but I'll pretty much eat any of the varieties under this brand name.  Right now, it's this particular kind--roasted egg plant or, in funner terms:  baba ganoush!

So, is this ALL I plan on eating between now and when my husband comes home?

Maybe.

I just INSIST on having the middle number in my weight being one number lower than it is now.  I will not accept anything less.  I don't have far to go and I'm tired of looking at the same number on the scale each week.  Seriously.

As for the non-weight obsessed focus of my week--I've been working lots of hours this week.  By tomorrow I will have clocked as many hours as I turned in on my previous time card.  That will help the old bottom line a little.  I'm trying to finish some things up and set other things in motion so my boss won't feel like I've abandoned her when I run off to Africa soon.

I spoke with a great travel agent today and I'm confident we'll be able to book our travel and be okay with it all very soon.

I heard from the director of the NGO who funds M3's orphanage who just returned from seeing our girl.  She said she's doing so well, recovered from her illness and understands that we are coming soon.  She also said that she is jealous of us b/c she just loves our daughter so much and can't wait for us to meet her because she knows we will as well.

M1 and M2 are doing okay although we will be up early tomorrow.  M1 has to sing as mass, so she has to be at school earlier than normal.  M2 neglected to do her spelling word sentences, although she told me she had done them at after-school, so she will need to be up, dressed and ready to finish her homework in the morning.  I'm SURE she'll be thrilled.

So thankful that tomorrow is Friday!

Perfection, Thy Name Is Peanut Butter Egg

Saints, preserve us.

The Reese's Peanut Butter Egg is back.

I know, I know.  It's been in stores for a bit now.  So far, I've been able to ignore it...almost.

But, it's very hard to continue to ignore them as the Easter displays have started to crop up and the convenient six-pack for $3 has begun to appear in all the places I shop.

This is horrendous timing.

I'm trying to restart my religious zealot approach to running.  I have a ridiculously short time until my husband is due home and I have some, um, outfits that I'd like to wear.  And, in the world of military wifedom, it is one thing to be able to get into said outfits in time for homecoming.  The gracefully getting out of them by then, however, can be a completely different story. 

Sigh.

Reese's eggs have been my favorite since I don't remember when.  And, my Grandma Michael could always be counted on to feed my obsession by putting pretty much JUST those in my Easter basket.  I'm sure my handing over her favorite, Peeps, without anyone noticing was part of our unspoken deal.  It's sad that this year I will be stuck with a basket of Peeps and no one will be here to give me my Eggs.  Of course, my Grandma would say, "Min.  If you wanna wear those silky undies for your man, you don't need to be eating all these eggs anyhow."  Grandma could pretty much always put things into perspective, especially in the silky undies department.

I've been putting in hours at work which means lots of other things are going on the to-do list and not being done quickly.

I have meetings with students tomorrow at 12:30 and 1:30.  If the weather permits, I will be running before going to work.  The sun was out for a few moments today and it was rather nice.  I MISS THE SUN!

I've started visiting a site called Zulily.  It's an invitation only site like the Rue La La one I like so much. 

Zulily, however, is dedicated to kid-type items. 

Tonight, they had a great boutique open featuring some really cute stuffed animals. 

I decided M3 needed one. 

I was torn between some of the offerings, but finally decided on the kangaroo. 

I love, love, LOVE the pattern.  Very retro and fun.

I also imagined all the teeny little trinkets and fun things I could put in the pouch.  I thought it would be fun to slip little surprises in there for her to find while we are in Ethiopia.

Note to self:  Pack little things to put in the kangaroo's pouch.

We had a great dinner tonight.  I need to start the dishwasher and hang up a load of school uniforms before I go to bed.  These days are long, but still passing too quickly to finish everything I need to do.

On tomorrow's list?  Calling the travel agent to book our trip to Ethiopia.

I cannot believe that in three weeks I could be meeting my daughter.  I mean.  Seriously.  That's a trip, literally and figuratively!