T Minus 3 Days

Sandi asked me how late I was up to last night. LATE!!! Another 1:00 am. After Sandi and I finished talking at about 9:30, I began my computer work. But first I went through a trauma. You can laugh but truly I almost had a panic attack!! And I haven't had one of those for 7 years!

I was wearing those new glasses I bought. They had 'bugged' me all day: slipping off the bridge of my nose, feeling slightly heavy over the nose etc. By the end of the day I was so tired (I wonder why? Could it have been the 1:30 am from the night before?), that I felt like I was wearing a wooden 2x4 frame of glasses. So I went looking for my old glasses. Couldn't find them. Finally everyone joined in. I started panicking. These things on my face were feeling heavier by the moment. I was envisioning myself in Africa having to wear my new glasses and having headaches all the time. Might sound funny, but it was not funny!

Thats what happens when you fall into peer pressure. Even at my ripe old age! I didn't *need* new glasses. A friend who thinks that glasses should be updated every two years suggested it. I fell for it. But you know, I have never ever disliked glasses I have bought (before). I love these frames. Very stylish. Just got to get used to the heavier feel and find out about why they are sliding.

Anyhow, I was just sitting here on the couch - having wasted 30 minutes looking everywhere 10 x over - when my husband yelled, "Found them!" They were tucked in my bed! LOL! I guess I had switched them over first thing when I was waking.

I will be going back to the eye doctor with the glasses to see if they can do anything - if not.... I am not sure what to do. I might just have to slowly get used to them, or just wear them when I go out? LOL!!

So last night, after chatting with Sandi and making plans I began writing my behind T Minus post. Those take time. When I had done that I went back to doing the girls video. I am pleased. It looks good.

I hope I can post while away, but pictures are so important that there is a good chance I will only be writing and saving while away, and then posting when I come home with photos. But I might put up the posts and upload a couple photos for each post and then interject the photos in the posts properly when I come home.

Today I am planning on staying home. I have a huge pile of ironing that I have to do. It has been sitting for the last month. I do *not* iron. I iron when we need things. But this was stuff that I had bought and washed and then will iron before I put away, and I have kept putting it off.

As well, as this, I think my list is almost done!!

I got a devotion this morning that lines up with what I was saying last night:

Nothing that is not God's will can come into the life of one who trusts and obeys God.

I can trust, and so am blest. God is Love, and God is faithful, so in perfect Peace I rest.

Notice that word: trust.

I had to deliver a foamie to another friend for another child to sleep on, get keys cut for all the friends who are coming to my house while we are gone.

First thing this morning, I am going to veg and get the girls' video finished. Then I begin ironing. As you can see, I am going to be writing this post as the day transpires. I am going to bed by 10:00 pm tonight! No more staying up!!

Yesterday, I took Cassidy to the wool shop. I don't believe in favourite children, nor do I have any, but I have to say, I thoroughly enjoy how well rounded this child is!!! He is very boy, but he is also very openminded to everything.

This is an example of his life: 3 grades above in math, is a book worm and always has a few books on the go, understands concepts years beyond his age, could be left alone on a movie set at age 8 and know he will not run around or chat needlessly, loves soccer, baseballs, hockey, football and now swimming, and does well at all of them. He just took swimming lessons for the first time and passed from the beginning right through level 6 in two weeks! Just did a soccer evaluation last night and was the fastest runner in the evaluation.

At the same time as all this he is most creative kid. He is not fazed by doing anything that would be considered 'girlish'. When he was 8 years old he was the only boy in a class of 25 girls ages 10 - adult! They were learning hip hop. He loved it.

Right now, he is just finishing knitting a scarf. I taught him in about ten minutes the other day and it even has a pattern! He is rushing to finish because he wants to learn to cast off before I go. He is then planning to make a multicoloured doll blanket for the girls' doll bed. So we went to the wool shop and he chatted with the lady and she very carefully explained everything to him and he is quite excited. He discovered that a boy named Kyle crochets doilies and sells them through her. He thought that was great and told me he needs to learn to crochet. I LOVE it!!

The only flaw this child has - cause every child has one - is I tell him he is my drama queen. *grin* He is a little dramatic or pouty when he does wrong. But other than that he is so well rounded, so easy to teach, keep busy, etc! It makes life easy!

I just realized it is FRIDAY!! I thought it was Thurday. Yuck! That means I have to go to town today. *pout* It also means I have lost a day. Like I can afford that!

4:30 pm update:

Okay, apparently my glasses are not useless. *smile* I felt that I had spent all that money and would not be able to wear them. The guy adjusted them and it appears they will work. But at the same time, I have to adjust to wearing a heavier frame again. This one has sides that are very funky - they flip! My kids say one side says mum will play, and the other side says I will work. One is black and white and one is black with tiny diamonds. Very neat.

I ran through town and did all my errands and it is still 4:30 pm. Another day gone! ACK!!! Bank more more donations, another bank for exchanging the money since I ran one bank dry! Gotta love that! Sports shop to pick up more soccer ball pumps and needles, paying some bills, getting some more icecream. NEED that icecream at the end of my long days!!

So now, I am cooking tacos - these people are lucky to eat these days!! LOL! Then I am about to begin ironing that nasty pile of laundry and listen to an audio while doing so. Doesn't that sound nice! My four little ones are 'washing' the van. Hmmm. We shall see how they do. They were offered an icecream cone if I was satisfied with the outcome. *grin* My big boy is finishing his days work with his dad. And my biggest boy is packing up to come home after seven weeks away from home! And my baby girls are being prepared for their mummy and daddy to come and get them next week! *smile*

~~~~~

11:11 pm.

Sandi and I are both up - midnight at her house. All babies and children asleep, but both of us thinking about this orphanage. We are emailing back and forth with great ideas and planning. I can't wait to get to Ethiopia and get going on these ideas!!!!

Okay, so the rest of my day was typically busy with all the silly little loose ends. So many that it is amazing that I can think straight. For instance, I suddenly remembered I was supposed to be a phone number for our guest house, so they can call our agency to give them directions to bring us to the guest house the night we arrive.

So many of those tiny important details!!

More donations today! God is so good!!! We are so pumped about what we can do! I am just praying that we can get amazing prices for the stuff we need. I hope that it is not mostly in American dollar prices, cause that would mean our money would dwindle faster.

Well, we are down to the bare bones. Packed the last of the kids bags tonight. Have been dropping things off at their friends' houses, so that I don't have to do it on 'the day'.

Off to finish the girls' video now and then off to bed. Tomorrow, I clean the house and finish the laundry and hope it stays done, so our girls don't come home to a mess. Like they would care or even notice? LOL! *I* would!!

Ray suggested I leave the ironing. I told him no way!! He said I could show the girls that is what mummys do. (Joking me, of course) I said I want to just learn to survive with eight kids - no extra jobs like ironing! LOL! Seriously, I have never done eight kids before - I will be in survival mode for the first little while. Meal, (I didn't say 'cook', I said 'meal'. Could mean take out!)sleep, sit, read, cuddle, play, meal, sit, read, cuddle, play. That is about it! When I know we are not going to spontaneously combust, *grin*, I will add in more complex things, like going for a walk, making a batch of cookies - you know, the things that take extra concentration or effort. *grin*

Night all!