This has been one of those days that it is difficult to keep your eye on your goal. I had contacted two travel agents that came highly recommended and both sent me their proposed itinerary within minutes of each other. One uses American and Cathay Pacific. The other uses Continental. All charges are within a few dollars of each other, some have us arriving in the middle of the night, some you spend most of the day in an airport waiting on a connecting flight. One does much better on pricing kid's tickets, but the other trip does not take nearly as long.
When we went before, Jana and I would scour the internet for prices. No one came close to the travel agency my other adoption agency used. They also offered a business/casual, something like that's price was very reasonable. This time you can get fares close to what the agents are offering by going to any airfares website.
I am just not a good airline traveler. I wish I could meditate or something. I get claustrophobic and just remember that it felt like days flying over the Pacific in the dark. You really lose all concept of time. We left at midnight from LA and they immediately fed us dinner. Now that can really confuse your system. It is really not that long, but because you cross the international dateline, you don't arrive until at least a day after you started.
I wish someone could find a trip that would leave here at 10:00 a.m. and arrive early afternoon in China, non stop! in first class, of course!
As if that wasn't enough, when I got home there was a letter stating that to get Grace's passport, I needed to send her adoption certificate. I had taken it with me, but the lady at the post office insisted no foreign documents can be used to get a passport. I paid the extra money to get it expedited. My mom paid the regular rate 4 days before I applied for Grace and got her passport last week, less than 2 weeks from the time she started. It has now been 1 1/2 weeks for us and we aren't any closer.
The airlines don't want to write a ticket without a passport, the government doesn't want to expedite a request without a ticket. Now what are you supposed to do?
At least we aren't in as difficult a place as my dad. When Dad was born way out in the country, no one bothered to register his birth. He thought he had finally gotten enough documentation to get a passport, but his was also rejected. Now the government won't recognize that he was born, but they did draft him into service and trust me, he has paid taxes every year!
When I got the call for us to go to China to get Grace, Darcey's passport was in the same limbo as Grace's is now. So we made a quick road trip to Houston. That was another of those nights when terror struck Jana's face as she announced at 11:00 pm that she didn't have any pull ups for Darcey. Darcey was supposed to sleep with me, so believe me I headed out to get some. I'm sure there are really nice sections of Houston, I just can never seem to find a hotel in them. I was also almost out of gas, so thought I would take care of both. Let's just say the area around the Greyhound Bus Terminal is not a place you want to visit often. I admitted later that I had also forgotten my toothbrush and makeup, so Darcey wasn't the only problem.
The next day we were at the federal building when it opened. Jana and I could not seem to go anywhere without a diet coke in our hands. The security screener told us to put everything on the conveyor belt. Jana put her opened diet coke on there and believe it or not, it spilled all in their machine. I thought we might get arrested, run out, something. It was pretty wild. They were extremely patient, dried the inside of the machine and waved us through. Maybe they thought we looked so bad from the little amount of sleep dragging the 2 kids who had less.
Work is suddenly going to become an issue as my mind is a thousand other places. I got a project back with the thousands of edits, and didn't get home until late.
I know it was a long day for the girls. Thankfully Marcie had come by with great craft ideas. I can't complain about the girls staying. I bought a $1 package of coffee filters last week for one particular craft and they have provided HOURS of enjoyment. I have never seen such creativity from such a simple product. They have built fountains, fashioned barbie clothes, decorated Hogwarts, anything and everything. Plus had a million laughs from them.
Tonight I think Gillian was trying out waxing her eyebrows with masking tape. Then they all did. I guess it is time for the eyebrow thinning lesson. We've done a legs shaving lesson. I even had Darcey shave hers so she would know how to do it. Both of the older girls have plenty of "feminine" supplies for when that special day arrives also.
I've gotten a good response to my toothpaste and toothbrush collection. Now I understand that I should be asking for yarn. There is a group of older girls who knit all day to help pay their way. So I will update my wish list.
I have been thrilled with the response people have had with my ramblings. You are all too kind. I'm not sure why you have to have a GMail account to comment though. Maybe my experts can tell me.
Tomorrow morning the radio is going to just focus on the Jonas Brothers! OOOOH! I can't wait!
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