The countdown

     The countdown to our trip to China has been a long time coming.  It was impending since I quit work in the Fall of 2011, that it would be next fall.  I'm glad it didn't happen that fall.  I wasn't keen on the idea of Thanksgiving(my favorite holiday) or Christmas (my 2nd favorite holiday, my kids' favorite) away from home, friends and family.  It was set in stone we would be coming in Feb 2013,  just in time for Chinese New Year.  I put it out of my head, totally preparing for Christmas since before Thanksgiving.  I tend to over board on crafting, so I was busy trying my hand at mosaic bowling balls, mosaic trivets, fancy hand mirrors, infinity scarves and my first quilt(a small lap quilt for my husband to keep him warm when we are gone).....So everytime I was asked if I was ready.  No, I still have more crafts to do.
      Since the New Year I've had a laundry list of crafts I wanted to achieve before I left.  But none of those have been done, instead I made a new list of things to make, all neccessary to take on the trip.  Neck pillows and removable covers for them.  We tried the blow-up ones once.  Once.  I'm hoping the children will sleep on the plane.  I've made coordinating scarves for the kids.  Cases for all the game tablets with a pouch for their headphones.  I made wrist wallets for the kids and myself.  We tested them once putting offering money in them for church.  I finished my first quilt duvet cover for my in-laws as a thank you for letting us stay with them.
      I've alreayd warned the boys that we will be celebrating their birthdays differently, not only no daddy (his visits don't line up with their birthdays),  I won't be able to bake their cakes (their ovens aren't as big as ours.  Wensen was okay with this if we could get a chocolate cake.), and no party with friends.  So I had to make them favors for their birthdays.  Any excuses for more crafting?  I'm thinking them up, wondering if I really have time to make a nice luggage tag or if it will end up just tying  a pretty scrap of fabric.
     The suitcases finally came out Saturday, we leave Thursday!  So I packed most of my clothes, did laundry, packed most of the kids clothes, did more laundry.  And then stubbed my toe!  Ouch.  The first 12 hours it looked fine, then bang, purple.  I'm not looking forward to my feet swelling on the plane or getting stepped on during travels.  T minus 2 days till our quiet (ha ha) family of  5 travels for the first time by plane.  Now if I can only get all my stuff packed in time!