Travel Approval at last

I've gotta hang out with my friends more often. Barbara, Anne and I meet for lunch on Thursdays, each taking a turn being the host, and this week it was Barbara's turn. I was just lamenting my sorry state of affairs when my cell phone rang. Great news! Our TA was in and she had already requested a consulate appointment. Even better news, no matter which of the 3 days we get, we still get to leave on March 3! Gotcha (the day we meet her) is scheduled for March 8 or 9 (Happy B-day Matt). Suddenly the sun shone brighter, the sky was bluer, and the clouds in my head and heart were blown away. We are going to China! The funny thing is, I was at Anne's house for lunch when we got the call that we had HengAi's file locked in. These ladies bring me such good luck!

Of course we can't buy tickets until our cons. appt. is confirmed, but at least I know enough to start researching specific tickets. The only sad part is that we will miss the other family adopting HengAi's friend by one lousy week. I was really sad about that, but at least we will be able to help the girls Skype each other. Oh, and I think we have actually settled on a name before receiving this child - a record for the Mike Housley family! We have always liked the name Hannah, but it just seemed wierd to give this poor girl so many H's in her name: Hannah HengAi Housley. But it seems to fit her (so far - we'll have to reevaluate when we meet her) so we're rolling around Hannah HengAi on our tongues. Just the poor girl's luck; she'll fall in love and marry a Hayden Henry Hansen.

This photo is our first annual "Bear Hug" photo for Valentine's Day. One of the few where Esther has a grin instead of a grimace. She is such a lovely girl, but cannot manage a normal smile for a photo - she always seems to look like she has an underbite and angry eyes. We just have to catch her off guard!

I've got TABS

Otherwise known as Travel Approval Blues Syndrome.  Some of the symptoms include lack of energy, intense cravings for chocolate, and an aversion to housework (or anything productive, really).   Also the inability to keep away from the telephone or email, despite the lack of any encouraging signs of new and long-awaited information.  It also keeps you from concentrating from the task at hand, such as laundry.  I sprayed all of Esther's food stained clothes with Febreze instead of Spray 'n Wash.  Sigh.  I've got it bad.  

When we were waiting for Esther, this part of the wait was pure agony.  I wish I could describe it to those of you who have not gone through this, but I think it is a bit like trying to describe childbirth.  You really cannot find the right words.  Sometimes you even forget yourself how it was, but when those contractions start up, you think, "Oooooh, I remember this.  This is gonna hurt!"  I guess I'm having contractions, friends.  I admit, I tried to distance myself a little this time with Heng Ai, hoping these feelings wouldn't really kick in until I got on the plane, that it wouldn't be so painful this time.  No such luck.  Ouch, ouch, ouch (breathe, breathe, breathe, etc)!

Okay, out of my whiney booth.  There isn't a darn thing I can do to get that TA to arrive any sooner, even if I feel like we got skipped.  I sure am having a grand time with Esther and the boys.   I'm trying to focus on Esther more, knowing that the arrival of a big sister will affect her more than anyone.  She's really into books lately and loves to carry around big piles of books, settle herself in with a blanket, and enjoy "reading" to herself (the same 10 or so books, over and over and over again).  She moved into a big girl bed at Christmas and I have loved lying down with her at nap time, and watching out of the corner of my eye to see her eyelids droop, then finally close.  She has been very affectionate lately too, and wants to hug and be held, which is just delightful.  At naptime she usually leans over to say, "We're best fwends, right Mom?  Best buddies."  How can you not be helplessly in love with such a sweetie?

Josh and Caleb had to dress up today for the Valentine's etiquette brunch, where (shudder) they were each partnered with a girl they had to escort, serve, etc.  At first they resisted dressing up at all, but by the time they left this morning, to my surprise, they both had white shirts, ties, and sport coats on.  They looked so sharp, wish I had taken a picture (story of my life).  Josh has some really great friends who give him great recommendation on books to read, and that boy can charge through a series of books in a week.  We've caught him reading waaaay after bedtime, but as much as I want to chastise him, I'm secretly proud. 

Caleb brought home a New Year's Resolution list that he made at school.  His two resolutions are to turn in his homework on time, and to build a robot or machine by 2012.  Okaaaay.  He'll have to work with Dad on that one.  He does get a kick out of taking things apart and trying to fix them, and as always, he is absolutely confident that he'll figure it out.  He modified his valentines' box to include a slide with backstop.  Very inventive (but lousy at cleaning up after his experiments.

I should get to bed  - this post has taken me about an hour and a half, but that is mostly because Jason has been talking nonstop, and I'm trying to convey the impression that I'm actually paying attention  :)