Thursday, March 31, 2011

We Got the Work Permit!

We got the call straight from Zambia this morning.  Now comes the fun part:  packing for our Friday night flight.

We are allowed three bags per person PLUS a carry on and a personal item.  If you do the math...that's 20 bags, a stroller, and a car seat.  My sister-in-law hyperventilated when we told her that we've yet to pack.  I'm not sure what she's worried about...
Our Living Room at 11:46 pm.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

In Limbo

"Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world." --C.S. Lewis
I lost my beloved Uncle Tim on Saturday.  My close friend lost her dad on Monday.  Both of these men died unexpectedly and left a slew of heartbroken people behind.

I grieve their passing and for all that I'm about to lose.  We are leaving behind some incredible people--from our wacky family to our cherished friends.  I wish I could bundle (some of) you up and stuff you in our suitcases.  That way you could join us in our next chapter.

Unfortunately this isn't possible.  Even if you were available, we're using our extra space to haul coffee and chocolate.

Speaking of luggage...our bags are packed (figuratively, of course), and we are ready to go.  The hitch is that Eric's work visa has yet to be approved.   Mind you, that hasn't deterred him from booking our flights for this Friday, April 1st.  Oh, the irony.

Stay tuned.  I may be sending out an SOS message if we don't hear back from immigration tomorrow.  We may need a special ops team to distract my antsy pants husband until the documents arrive.






Friday, March 25, 2011

A Sad Day in Seattle



"God is the elephant in the room. A lot of people don’t believe in elephants. Which is fine. I used to not believe in elephants. Now, I’m not sure I believe in rooms."   --Richard Jesse Watson
We didn't get the work permit, so we aren't leaving Monday. 

Thank God.  No, really

Yesterday my uncle had a seizure and broke his ankle.  The doctors patched him up and sent him home,  where he had another seizure, and his heart stopped.    The paramedics jump-started his heart, but he remains on life support.  His brain is damaged, and his recovery is grim.

I am grateful that I got to say goodbye to him today.  I'm also thankful that I had an unexpected evening with him recently.   

Last Tuesday my aunt and uncle agreed to babysit our kids, so Eric and I could learn to make artisan cheese.  Our class was cancelled at the last minute, so we made new plans:  Eric visited a friend, and my kids and I scarfed down  Thai food/spaghetti with Grandma Jan and Grandpa Tim

Perhaps the class cancellation and visa delay is coincidence, but I believe it's Providence

Rest in peace, my dear Uncle Tim. I love you very much.



Monday, March 21, 2011

Fleeing Danger

Om nom nom nom.
As soon as there is life there is danger. --Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
Seattle is a dangerous place.  Sure, we don't have lions roaming the plains, but we do have predators who are equally as menacing.
 
A man was caught distributing violent child pornography over the internet.  They traced they guy to our hotel.  He was arrested while we were here and is now out on bail. 
 
Speaking of wild animals, hippos kill more people than lions.  And guess which country has the largest hippo population in the world?  It's Zambia with 40,000.  That is your fun fact of the day.

Friday, March 18, 2011

I Get Knocked Down...

Skiing combines outdoor fun with knocking down trees with your face.  ~Dave Barry
I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die
 Eric and I wed nine years ago on St. Patrick's Day.  To celebrate our anniversary, we ditched our kids, and headed up to Crystal Mountain for a day of skiing.

It was my third attempt at this insane sport. There's nothing quite like wiping out on the "Tinkerbell" run and being passed by 2-year-old ski squirts and their 90-year-old great-great-grandmothers. Eric was very patient and didn't want to ski alone, because I was "very entertaining to watch."
                                
At the end of the day he commended me:  I will nearly be able to keep up with Alex and Isaac on the slopes.
 

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Letters to the Tooth Fairy

"A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success."  --Elbert Hubbard

Esther
Alexandra has been lobbying to meet the Tooth Fairy for months now.  She has written many letters to "Esther", asking, begging to be turned into a Fairy, but she'd settle for a face-to-face encounter.  The Fairy told her that her boss won't allow this.  Alex  won't be deterred.

Last night Alex lost another tooth.  Unfortunately Esther didn't get our forwarding address, because she didn't show up.  The following is Alex's letter to her:

Dear Esther,
It's me, Alex.  I still remember you!  My brother Isaac is here.  I know that we broke up and got lost.  Here, this is what you can do with me.  Go tell your boss that I'm nice and friendly.  Don't come by when I am sleeping.  Do it when I am awake.  I will not tell anyone else, only my family (or not them).  And Isaac will not tell any one else.  Love, Alex

Car Trouble

"Marriage has no guarantees.  If that's  what you're looking for, go live with a car battery."  --Erma Bombeck

The van's battery died on Sunday.  Eric flagged down a guy in the parking lot and asked for a jump.  
When the guy popped his hood, there was a big ol' Ziploc of  weed on his battery.  "Oops," the guy said sheepishly, "you weren't supposed to see that."  

Since it was a new battery, we worried that the alternator was on the fritz.  We spent three hours at the Honda dealership yesterday.  Fortunately it was just a dead battery.  I mean, it's irritating that the battery was a dud, but at least it we didn't need a $1000 alternator replacement.

The boys and I spent the next three hours getting the van detailed.  Now we have the impossible task of keeping the vehicle spotless until we sell it. Ha!





Thursday, March 10, 2011

World Vision Farewell Party

Today Eric's colleagues said goodbye to us via beat poetry, choral singing, and roasts.
One highlight was from Jeff Brown who explained Zambia through graphs.  Apparently over time each of the following will decrease for us:
  • # of pieces in our safari wardrobe
  • # of times we ask if the water is safe to drink
  • # of times we ask when an event will finally start
  • # of times we ask when an event will finally end
  • the need to share our "wisdom" with Zambians
Our friends at World Vision have shared significant life events with us: our engagement, marriage, loss of Eric's dad, new home, Alexandra's birth, Isaac's birth, Oliver's birth, Oliver's heart surgery and subsequent hospitalizations, and many, many holidays.  We will miss you greatly.  Thank you for honoring us today.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Ollie Stands Up!

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity."  --George C. Patton


Oliver--with his signature creativity--stood up by himself today.   This child never ceases to amaze us.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Containing the Crazies

"A child is a curly, dimpled lunatic." --Ralph Waldo Emerson


I just got a call from the front desk:  "Sorry to bother you, but there have been several complaints about your children playing in the halls."


For the record they haven't been playing in the halls.  They have, however, been running up and down four flights of stairs several times a day.  Even Oliver crawled up all of them this morning.


I have the kids run stairs, so they don't climb out the window and scale the rooftop.  My cantankerous neighbors have no idea the havoc my cherubs can wreak.  
  
Guess it's time for the duct tape.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Humble Pie

"When you hear the third smoke detector go off, dinner is ready."  --Anonymous
I can't make eye contact with the hotel housekeepers. All of my children have vomited in places other than the toilet. And the poor housekeepers had to clean it up.

Tonight I put olive oil in a hot pan and sent three smoke detectors into screeching rages. For our safety the windows don't open more than 5 inches, so I couldn't fan in fresh air. After 20 minutes of cacophony, I looked around for a weapon of destruction.

Before I found anything, a hotel guy came to my rescue. He detached the alarm. I offered to hurl it out of our 4th floor window, but he thought removing the battery would be sufficient.

It won't surprise me if the hotel staff throw us a farewell party.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

The Home Stretch

Cleanliness is next to impossible. ~Author Unknown

This quote sums up my day.

Eric and I scrubbed every crevice, crack, and corner of our house today. For 12 hours. I'm exhausted, so the television is parenting my children. (How did we live without this blessed contraption?)

Eric is at the dump (yes, again!) for the final time. We made a pact today to live a life of simplicity. No toys. No hobbies. Nada.

Last night it was Oliver's turn to throw up. We had a fun scavenger hunt at 2 am for his inhaler. I'm glad we are getting the flu out of our system before our flight on March 28th.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Cue the Dueling Banjos



"We are hill-freaking-billies!" --Eric Showell

We are also hoarders. This stark realization came as we packed our home and garage. I won't reveal here how much junk we took to the dump. It's embarrassing.

But we admit that we have a problem. That's the first step.

This morning we signed closing papers on our home. The Escrow Guy said that it is rare that we are breaking even. This happens to his clients less than 1% of the time. Between this and the miracle that we sold our home in three days, we are pretty delighted.

We now live in an extended stay hotel. My kids are enchanted with the television. Especially today since half the family is down with the stomach flu.

Ah...the adventures have already begun, and we've yet to board the plane.