Travel approval!!

Well.... the call came when I least expected it! I had heard the phone ring in the classroom but was busy with a student, as were my staff, so I let it go to voice mail. When I was free, I went to check the caller ID and saw an unfamiliar number and just figured it was a wrong number. I truly did not expect a TA call for a while. NOPE... It was Cheryl, who called again a few minutes later! I was initially ecstatic, thinking she is going to tell me that I have TA, but she was silent and laughing a little at my reaction to her calling, I guess. I immediately panicked and thought, " Oh NO! What if China has changed their minds and this is not a good call!?" Wrong again... It was Sera's TA call and Cheryl gave me the 2 options they had for travel.

One option was to travel almost immediately and I knew that was not at all possible, since I had so much to do, funds to get raised still and shifted around for travel use etc... to say the least of costs for traveling that early in October being triple what they would be for the second option.

IF the CA is approved by the US consulate, we will take the second option and travel and be home much sooner than I had previously imagined. I had thought I would try to be in China over the Thanksgiving break, in order to save my deductions I will have to take when I am off work. I cannot use sick time since I am not giving birth...., do not have that much personal time and will have my pay deducted for the days I am gone. Not the best option, BUT it is one I will happily take to bring this little doll home!! She will be home and may even have her needed surgery by Christmas!!

Aubri is excited to go but is really bummed that she will miss a friends birthday and Halloween. Andy is bummed period. He does not want us to go and cries every time he thinks about it, or gets really naughty and touches and turns everything in sight, which is his stress mode. It makes me cry to think of leaving him too. He just doesn't want to go back to China and prefers to stay with grandpa and go trick or treating with friends. I really can't figure out why, because he knows he will come back home with us, but he still refuses. I will miss him terribly and we will be calling him daily. Aubri is leaving him her pink blanket, which she has to have to sleep, so that he knows we will be back. He "wants" to take my pillow to grandpa's and he has a pillowcase with all of our photos. He uses pilow cases like a lovie, and folds and refolds them before just touching and rubbing the edges as he goes to sleep.

The excitement in traveling this time is so very different! Last time it was an adventure into the unknown and somewhat of a vacation in that we did some touring. Now we know just how hard the trip can be, have limited time to do it in, and will be separated.... Andy is so sweet though, because he will say, "Mommie, Sera will be scared. I guess you got to go ride that plane with her. She will be tooooooo pretty scared if she ride it alla by herself." He is so right! This trip has one purpose only! Bringing Sera home!

It will just have to be done! I have a million things to do to get ready. By 4.30 pm, as soon as my kids left, I had called my Dr and scheduled my shots in my knees before traveling, set up an appt for Sera when we come back, made sure the daycare is in place, checked prices of flights, wrote out all of Andy's necessary info for people caring for him, paid his lunches, talked to my principal, squealed with excitement and even danced around my classroom while trying to figure out what to do next and then came home double checked my lists and suitcases that I have everything needed for traveling. ...We just have a few prescriptions, some foods, a few gifts, a coat for me and a new camera to get ( mine died ) and we should be good to go there. I have made my lists of things that need to be done at work and have several done or started at least, to prepare for being gone. I am sitting with my dad today to go over HIS lists... I think I come by list making quite naturally. Now if I can just get everything on those lists DONE!!

Whew!! I know it will be less of a panic soon and I will just be eager to go get on the plane and just get back home!