Article 5

After some delays for New Year celebrations, today we received notice that our Article 5 is ready. This leaves just two more steps before we move forward with travel plans. We wait now for our Travel Approval, then our agency can make a Consulate Appointment, and then we book plane tickets. If all goes well, dh and Bear will leave sometime in early March.

Now reality sets in for me. In the next few weeks I begin the monumental task of packing for this trip. Airlines within China only allow one suitcase per traveler (they will have two in-China flights) that can only weigh 40 pounds each. In those two suitcases I have to pack everything needed for almost three weeks, along with all the clothing and essentials for a one year old little boy I've never met. I will have to guess at his size and send a few things a little bigger and a little smaller. I will also pack a small pharmacy trying to anticipate any maladies my travelers might encounter, not to mention medications for the little one. We also have to pack 7-8 gifts to be given to officials. I, thankfully, found some great boxes of chocolates on sale after Christmas.

Packing is further complicated by the fact that in their three week stay they will travel to three different climates. They will need winter clothing for their first stop, spring/fall clothing for their second city, and summer clothes for the final stop. Then there is also dh's lack of packing organization. I pack and put everything in a certain spot. I fold things tightly, organize them by type, put things you need first on top, etc. He sort of throws it all together. Trying to explain my packing methods to him is like a Frenchman giving instructions to a Russian. He nods and agrees, but I know he isn't getting it. There is no better proof of this than the Gotcha Day photos of Banana during Joseph's adoption trip. When I asked what was going on with her hair he responded they hadn't been able to find the hair brush for two or three days.

Despite the multitude of tasks, and more paperwork, and the craziness of trying to get Bear ahead in school so that her three week absence won't throw off our summer, I am thankful things finally seem to be coming together. We are another step closer to our dear Peter.