A Little Light Reading

I read _The Death and Life of Dith Pran_, a bound edition of the New York Times story written by Sidney Schanberg. It only took about an hour and a half, but now I feel I'm ready to read _Survival in the Killing Fields_ by Haing Ngor and Roger Warner. The book and the "Killing Fields" movie are intertwined as they share the horrors of survival under the Khmer Rouge, while the novel is Haing Ngor's memoir and the Times story and movie are about Dith Pran.

Another book I've read is _Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time_ by Dava Sobel. I know, it sounds dreadfully boring, but the author wrote a humorous account of the perils of old shipping lanes associated with not knowing where in the ocean you actually were; and of the race (which took decades) to discover a method for keeping track of time and place.

The novel I finished last night was Michener's _Caravan_. Silly me, I thought it took place in Africa somewhere. A personal preference is to not read what books are about beforehand. Hearing that "this author is good" or "this novel was interesting" is usually enough for me to try it out. I've been disappointed too many time by hearing rave reviews about a specific book and knowing too much about it beforehand to really enjoy the process of reading the pages. It never meets my preconceived expectations. But ANYWAY... this one takes place in Afghanistan and I really enjoyed his writing. What I found really intriguing was that it was written in 1963 and so much has changed from then, even from his comments about the Eastern Bloc. I'm certain I'll be giving some of his other books a try.

A little Catching Up

Three whole days since last I wrote? Shocking! So, what's going on anyway? I'm tired, so just a quick rundown.

Ian is having some issues getting his pilot's license. More about that if he feels the need to share.

Katherine is gearing up for her 9th birthday and her next swim meet.

Rebecca is still having troubles reading. What age do kids get evaluated for reading problems?

Nicholas is really blooming (he's 4, I can use that term for a boy) with his speaking and his socializing.

Jonathon has become very clingy, mostly in a good way.

The cats.. are going to a new home, on the 14th. They'll be indoor/outdoor cats there in a secure yard, which is a good thing because they have both been making more escape attempts when the door is left open.

Our stuff. Well, we had our packout survey done on Monday and the first wave of packers arrive next Monday. All that stuff will be going direct to VA and direct to Togo.

Things have been going so smoothly, I'm waiting for the bottom to drop out.

It's weird when...

It's weird when you know two completely separate people from two completely different circles and they end up in the same tiny town, specifically Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

They probably go to the same dry cleaner.

Still Searching

We're looking for a copy of John Stewart's _America_ but all the bookstores are sold out. I guess we'll have to wait until we get home.



We went to Fully Booked today because we love that store. For a few weeks it was a pain to visit. Seems they were reorganizing and shuffling their stock, because then every aisle was crammed with boxes and books covered the floor in stacks and now it seemed they had every book we've been looking for (ok, not _America_) sitting right out and the store felt full but uncluttered. Ian had been searching for the illustrated _DaVinci Code_ for me and today it was waiting on the first table. Woohoo! I also picked up a copy of _The Dante Club_ while Ian got another Grisham and Katherine has a new set of Boxcar Children.
We also went to the video store and picked up "Imelda". It was in the theaters but we didn't manage to see it then.
Lunch today was at Teak at Powerplant Mall. Eh, OK. The Thai salad was alright, Ian said his burger wasn't that flavorful. The girls said the potato leek soup was good and I know that Nicholas's pasta was good. But alright and good won't bring us back. Mati was -way- better.
This afternoon we created the beginnings of our Piles. Basically one to VA, one to Togo. I'm finding it much more difficult this time figuring out where things should go since we're planning six things at once. The items we're selling but not quite yet, the items we're not selling but not bringing with us, the items we'll need between packout and departure, the items we'll need in VA, the items we'll need right off in Togo, and then of course everything else we don't need right away anywhere and we won't see for almost a year.
We did a good job today but I do need to get the quilts cleaned before they get shipped to VA while sending the comforters and sleeping bags to Togo. I'll be going through the kids' drawers to send some ahead while keeping enough here for about a week that should fit in our suitcase. Of course our suitcases will be filled with mostly winter stuff. I went through all our tupperware keeping the flimsy ones here so they can be tossed out during our last week while putting some of the rest for Togo and some for VA. Ian cleared out the tool box which is going straight to Togo and after remembering the "no liquids" rule of UAB shipments, I had to redo the boxes of bathroom items I've pulled together. Same for the medicine box. We'll be carrying a pharmacy in our luggage for all the drugs that can't go UAB but will have expired by the time we see our HHE again.
And all that's only the beginning. We don't even have the packers here for another week so I know I'll feel even more wound up next Sunday at this time, when we're actually unplugging equipment and resigning ourselves to a quiet home. Just like our first couple weeks in Manila.
We have managed to break ties with many things and I hope it will only get better as packing day draws near... and the weighing scales. Things of all shapes and sizes that we thought one day we'll use, one day we'll finish, one day... one day. That day is now and to the curb they go. And disappear within minutes. Out of our house and into someone else's, the perfect form of recycling.

Can I go back to bed now?

When do we get to sleep in? Well never of course once you have kids but it sure would be nice.

Yesterday the boys were invited to a party for Kelly and Sunshine, held at Kids at Work. They, of course, had a blast in the germ factory. Sunshine turned 4, Kelly turned 5, and siblings were invited. So I crammed my four plus Meg and Katie into the car and we all trundled over together. At the same time as the party I also dropped off two pairs of glasses that needed repair and they were done by the end. It was amusing to walk through the mall with six little people trailing behind. We got the typical stares.
One of the games at the party was like musical chairs but much more clever and didn't induce kids to knock each other to the floor. Different colored construction paper was on the floor and enough squares for everyone to stand on one. Music played, kids danced and when the music stopped everyone hopped onto a square. A color was picked out of a bag and everyone on that color was out and the squares removed. It went on until there were two winners left. All the kids could dance even when they were "out" which is really all they cared about anyway.
We dropped Meg and Katie off just as their mom pulled up, and Meg asked if Katherine could sleep over. OKs all around, Katherine packed up a bag and went back to Meg's house, which really made -today- easy.
Katherine was invited to a birthday party for this morning, but Nicholas had a photo shoot for OshKosh way out at the Avalon Zoo past Marikina. Both couldn't be done at the same time but with Katherine at Meg's house, she went with them and then stayed until we got back. They went to Glorietta after and when we collected her she has just completed getting a pedicure and manicure. What an indulgence!
The rest of the family, as I said, was at the Avalon Zoo. Really really far away when we were supposed to be there by 8:30. Filipino time, we showed up about 9. Marikina isn't even on our street map and the little map we'd been given... well, let's just say distances on the paper weren't quite what they were in real life. There was also some concern among the other moms about the safety of the area, being so close to the northern hills and guerilla groups. We all figured that as long as we were home before dark all would be well. I figured if we were gone by noon, all would be well. Can you imagine kids standing around and smiling for 8 hours?
It was a simple affair where Nicholas had been asked to model some clothes along with five other kids, two of them being Kelly and Hannah from his preschool class. They did swimsuits while blowing bubbles and eating watermelon and other clothes while playing with beach balls. The zoo was actually pretty nice with animals as varied as wallabees, tigers and tapiers, and the compound was pleasant. Not a bad place to be, it was just so far away. Were there no places closer that could have sufficed for greenery? Afterall, none of the pictures involved animals of any sort.
The photos should be out in March, so I'll be asking Jennifer and Kristine to watch out for them. I also gave the organizer our e-mail address. Because you know, we'll be home in 26 days.

As actual numbers roll in...

The tsunami loss exceeds 200,000 lives. The true number will never be known, but the thought that in less than 15 minutes almost a quarter of a million people died...

It's mind-numbing.

Our friend, Chris, was flown to Phuket on Jan 2nd. Yesterday he gave a presentation to the Ambassador and the Consular officers about what he did and what we saw.

One survivor he spoke to tried to describe what happened. The survivor said it was like being in a washing machine. A washing machine filled with people, bricks, trees and trucks.

*Moment of Silence*

Tomorrow is the big day.

The treasured blanket has been found (in the top drawer of the kids' computer desk, of all places). It has been laundered, folded and gently put aside. Tomorrow, it will go in his Special Box. The same box that holds his tiny shoes, his baptism cross, the newspaper from the day he was born and an assortment of other milestone remembrances.
It's been nearly five years in the making and the time has come to bid farewell to his most favored of comforters. The once plush baby blue blanket has thinned and worn holes. It has turned a dusky gray with its frayed edges and chewed corners. It has been a hero's cape, a turban and a wrap. Most often, it has been a source of warmth and comfort and his best friend.
He asked me several times today if he could have it back once it was clean, then remembered that he didn't need it anymore. But I'm sad to see it go. Somehow I felt that as long as he had it, he was still my little guy. The one who needed an extra ounce (for that's all it weighs anymore) of security. With the blanket he was my quiet little boy who could be calmed just by touching the fragile piece of cloth. But who am I kidding, he hasn't been a calm, shy, insecure boy in a long while. It's been painfully obvious how he's been growing out of the blanket phase simply by how often he misplaces it. I'm certain it has phased me more than him. I spent evenings looking for it while he slept peacefully on. I spent days looking, for my own reassurance more than his.
It's time for me to break the blanket ties for both of us and accept that Nicholas is becoming secure with himself. It's time for mom to let him go a little more.
He looked at me over dinner and did have one final request though. He asked if he could be the one to put it into his box tomorrow.
Absolutely, Nicholas. Just don't be surprised if mom sheds a little tear for the big kid you're becoming and the part of the little boy you're leaving behind.