...Well, we're working on that. Samuel is really doing great for a 26-month-old boy. It wasn't a specific goal of ours prior to the China trip, but he started showing some interest and some control so we decided to go for it. It would be great to only have one child in diapers when we return. Also gives me another reason to be glad we aren't planning to bring the boys with us, because from what I hear about the public restrooms in China... let's just say I'd rather have a toddler in diapers than one who needed to use a "squatty potty" in a big hurry.
Our passports arrived back today from the Chinese Consulate in Houston with our travel visas stamped inside. They're actually very cool-looking. I've never traveled to a country that required a visa to be issued in advance - I actually remember being rather disappointed during my first couple of trips to Europe that I acquired so few stamps in my passport. Customs agents in European countries practically yawn when handed an American passport. The stamps they give (when they bother to give them) aren't a whole lot more exciting than the due-date reminders I remember receiving in my library books back in elementary school. The Chinese visas, on the other hand, are quite pretty and very official-looking - nice mementos of our upcoming journey, permanently affixed to our passports. (They also were not cheap, which is, of course, the flip side. Apparently, China increased the visa fee for U.S. citizens in response to the U.S. State Department charging Chinese citizens more for American visas. Ah, isn't diplomacy grand?)
Expecting our Article 5 to be issued by the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou on June 2nd or so... travel approvals are taking just over 2 weeks right now... we're getting very close - and I realized just the other day that I don't think we have ANY MORE PAPERWORK to fill out prior to our trip. Other than updating our wills. And signing power of attorney for the boys' medical care over to our parents while we're away. Gulp. Those are the things I don't like to think about.
No comments:
Post a Comment