Fried Scorpions…delicious...yummy!

Have you ever watched the show on TLC hosted by Andrew Zimmern called Bizarre Foods? I think I have been too lenient with Nathaniel in allowing him to watch that show.  He told me the other day that he was going to try eating a delicacy in China….fried scorpions.  I told him that it won’t be long and we will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to try whatever may be appealing. Between you and I, fried scorpions will not be on my top 10 list of foods I try while in China. But to each their own!  He added one caveat, that he would eat a fried scorpion…not the big ones, the smaller less plump/juicy ones for $5.00. I might take him up on that challenge as long as I can get it on video. Wow, only $5.00…I am getting off cheap. Hmmm...$5.00 per scorpion...what if he likes them? I think Nathaniel is getting excited which makes both Sonja and I happy and breathe a sigh of relief. I think the good news is, as the travel date approaches, about 6 weeks or so from now, we will be making a journey of a lifetime. For all of us. However, I am feeling the pressure as there is so much to do and I feel I am walking through a foot of mud.  That is…we are making progress...but slowly.

So, we should be receiving our approval for travel documents today via FedEx. More than likely, we will not actually get them until tomorrow as the documents need to be signed for. So, our next steps include:

1. Begin working with Holt International’s Adoption Agency’s recommended travel agency. I am really of the opinion that they all know the ins/outs of international adoption travel. Leave it to the experts.
2. Begin collecting all the documentation we need to bring with us to China.  Holt has been very good in providing us with a complete list.
3. We need to finish Zoe’s room. Sonja has made progress...but we both need to buckle down and get it done.
4. Begin packing…what to bring...oh what to bring…for sure I will want to bring my Cheez-it’s. Can’t leave home without them.
5. Apply at work for our leaves of absence.
6. Plan on stopping mail, newspapers and get a lawn mowing service.  Lawn still has to look good when we are gone.
7. What ever else we need to do between now and then.

Needless to say, we are getting very excited about Zoe.  Our first introduction to her via pictures/video was in November so we have had a lot of time to think about her. By the time we pick her up she will have just turned four years old.  We will have missed her birthday by about a week but that’s OK as we can make up and celebrate (if she will allow us to) while we are in China.

So what’s up with Nathaniel these days? Well he is in full swing with his new baseball team, the “Ralston Rams”. All the players are becoming quite friendly and enjoying playing baseball.  The team hosted a spaghetti feed and raised around $2,000. The Gross high school coach has invited him to practice in the offseason with the team.  I think the coach likes him and Nathaniel is holding his own...even though most of the boys he wrestles with are two years ahead of him. Finally, Nathaniel is getting ready for his band duet. He is working with another student who plays the piano and he tells ne they are souding pretty good.  He only has about a week left before they compete... I have heard the song he practices so many times…I find myself humming the notes to the song. Fortunately he sounds much better than I do!

Enough rambling…thanks for checking in…more to come…