One Week

 I haven't been posting.

Mostly its because I've been doing EVERYTHING I could think of to keep myself busy so our court date would be here soon.  Also - I've been teaching, and taking a grad class and thinking about my boys 24 hours a day.

I'm beYOND excited about holding those sweet little bundles for the first time.  Its all I think about ever.  How soft and squishy and lovey they will be the second I hold them.  Breathing in their sweet baby smells, and feeling their little bodies breathing while they sleep in my arms.

I'm trying to decide which toys they might like to play with.  We've been sleeping with baby blankets for each of them.  That way the blankets will smell like us, and our house.  When we go see the boys, we'll wrap them in the blankets each day we're there, in hopes that they'll start to associate those blankets with us.  Then when we have to leave, we'll leave those blankets behind.  We're hoping this little step will help ease their anxiety once we are gone, and when we come back again.  And when they take those blankets home, they will smell like their Ethiopian home, so hopefully it will comfort them in that way as well.

Oh, and donations.  David and I have each received RIDICULOUS amounts of donations from our schools for the orphanage.  Its insane.  I am so humbled by what all these families have given for the benefit of others.  We have been sorting and packing donations all night, and aren't even half done.  Plus, David piled LOADS of things in a bin to travel with.  It should have weighed 500 pounds based on all the wipes, diapers, lotions, soaps, medicine, clothes, diaper rash cream, bottles and other great stuff.  But no.  It weighs 45 pounds.  A safe amount below the 50 pound weight limit.

So perfect.

This weekend we're packing our bags.  We're trying to put all of our personal items and things for the boys in our carry on items, and save our checked bags for donation bins.  I'm going to really have to organize my bag well because I ALWAYS over pack.

I have all my lesson plans done for when I'm gone, and done for the week I am back.  Copies are made.  Things are sorted.  So I'm set there.  I have report cards due the week I'm gone, and I'm just about done with those.  And I'm getting all my parent teacher conference things done this week too because conferences are the very day I'm back at work.  Oh - and on Tuesday I am being observed by my grad class professor.  Because why not pack it all into the last week before my trip?

And yes, I know this post is about nothing and everything at the same time.  But that is pretty much what is going on in my head right now.  I have SO much to do.  But its kind of perfect because its making the time go fast before our trip.  So thanks for bearing with me.

Oh - And the MURAL IS DONE!!!  Its finally done.   And its so amazing I could cry.  I'll take pictures before we leave. (Maybe.)  If I have time.  But I probably will.  So check back.

And I had another shower - so pictures of that are coming too :)

And now I'm going to bed.  If I can shut my mind off….