My Head is Still Spinning

The past few days have been a flurry of activity and I think my head is still spinning.

Right now we have confirmed seats on a flight leaving January 5, (going Detroit, Chicago, Seoul, Hanoi, DaNang) and are waitlisted for a flight leaving on the 4th, which would be our preference. It's going to be a long exhausting trip and I would like to have the 6th of January (a Saturday) in DaNang to recover from the flight before we meet Lan. (We don't have any guarantee that we will meet her on Sunday, since we are scheduled to meet her on Monday, but, it seems like most families from our agency have been able to have a meeting with their child on the Sunday they are scheduled to arrive.)

I've spent the weekend preparing paperwork such as our visa applications and Husband's estimated state taxes for the year (because we live on the state line, he works outside the state and they don't take out the taxes of the state where we live), and trying to do Christmas cards. And trying to balance the checkbook.

We went to church this morning and had one of those mornings where I felt like the priest's sermon was directed right at me and some of the things I have been feeling lately. (Although, at one point, the priest was commenting about God infanite capacity for forgiveness, even of those who commit crimes, and Husband leaned over, quoting from a movie, and said in my ear, "Well boy, that might getcha square with God, but, the State of Mississippi is bit harder case" and I had to stifle a serious giggle. That's my Husband, making me laugh in church.)

After church I had a very annoying experience at Toys R Us. I am really unhappy that they would run an ad in this morning's paper, indicating that they have the Tekno Robotic Puppy on sale for $49.99. Because guess who drove all the way out to Toys R Us, only to be told they had not had any in stock for over a week? Yes, that would be me, Lawmommy. And when I asked for a rain check, I got a sigh and a look that said she would like to kick me in the teeth for asking, and then she had to "check with her manager" and I heard the manager's comment back to her over her little walkie talkie which was something along the lines of "well, tell her if she absolutely must insist on having a rain check that she can fill out a form at guest services, but, she has to SPECIFY which one she wants or she's not getting one at all." I looked at the girl and I said, "I think I'd much rather shop somewhere where I feel like a customer and not an annoyance." And I left. Grrr...

We went this evening with my mom and step-dad to a Christmas light display at the Zoo. This is an annual tradition with us and we love it. This evening was the first night in about 3 weeks that it wasn't FREEZING, so, it was a good night to go. They had this one display, an enormous display, of lights of several colors, stretched across 7 different trees, and the lights blinked in coordination with a gorgeous rendition of the Carol of the Bells. My eyes got all full of tears, it was just so beautiful. (I know that probably sounds hokey, but, it was beautiful, with the twinkling lights and the music and the cold (but not freezing) night air, and my six year jumping up and down because he loved it so much. It was a beautiful moment and I am prone to fits of sentamentalism, what can I say?)

After the zoo, we all went to the Saigon Bistro again for dinner. This evening the resturant was quite busy. The food was excellent as it was last time, and the waitress remembered us and coached us how to pronouce the dishes we liked best. Gabriel, of course, at a dish of plain white rice. I'm not sure how to expand that child's palate beyond PLAIN CHICKEN and PLAIN BROCCOLI and PLAIN RICE and PLAIN TURKEY and ravioli with PLAIN RED SAUCE (no green stuff in it!!). He is really only adventurous when it comes to dairy products, at which point, I believe he qualifies as a "cheese snob" - he has to be the only 1st grader who will tell the deli lady at Kroger that he would prefer some "nice Havarti" when she has offered him a piece of American to sample. (Yeah, my kid is weird like that.)

Anyway, our dinner was excellent and I think I am becoming addicted to "bubble tea" - those fruit or tea smoothies with black pearl tapioca in them. Tonight we had a melon flavored one and it was heaven. When we were leaving the waitress told us she hoped we brought our daughter home soon. I told her we were leaving on the 5th of January and she was very excited for us.

I do believe that is all to report for now. Oh, anybody who has flown Korean Air, please let me know what your experience was. You can email me at l a w m o m 2 0 0 3 at y a h o o dot c o m.

LM