Getting Ready

Just wanted to pop in quickly and let you know what we've been up to the last few weeks. After a great visit with Nana D (Matt's mom) we've spent the last week preparing for that time-honored ritual among overseas expats ... the long summer holiday at home.  We're heading back to the States today (leaving HK at 4 in the afternoon and arriving at LAX two hours earlier). This is how we've been getting ready: 

1. Swimming. Mainly at our pool, but going to the beach too.  The water is really the only place to be once the thermometer hits 30, after all.  Plus, the pool is the only place where Finn is at a disadvantage by crawling, so he's actually been walking! (Not on land yet, though.)  The biggest advantage of swimming, however, is that it tires him out like nobody's business, which = long naps and long nights.  Both of which allow us to do....

2. Laundry. loads and loads.  Seriously mad amounts of laundry. Last night we kept setting the alarm clock so we could get up and switch the machine from wash to dry, or throw in another load. I have this crazy goal of having everything we take with us be clean, and everything we leave here (including bath towels and bed linens) be clean. Five weeks in a hot, closed-up apartment is just too long to leave dirty stuff to smolder, but this is one logistical feat that makes me understand why people hire full-time helpers.     

3. Scheming. Planning. Making lists. Packing. Weighing. Repacking. 

4. Crafting. I'm putting together a grab bag of toys (ie, post-it notes and stickers) to keep Finn busy on the plane, and wrapping each one to prolong the excitement. I couldn't find any puppets I loved (or were worth the cost!) so I made these out of an old pair of socks:

And this--Finn's farm mat.  I took some of his favorite animal photos, laminated them and put velcro on the back. Then made this felt horizon to play with them on.  For a boy who loves his velcro and loves his animals, we're hoping this buys at least, oh, 15 minutes.  Our seatmates hope so too.  

See you on the other side of the Pacific!  If you're the praying sort, we could use a few today.