The Lists

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!! I am on a sugar high already, thanks to our clients.
I ran home at lunch, and our passports, with Visas, have arrived. Our plane tickets have not - hopefully they are en route. For those with travel in their future, here are The Lists:

The To Do List:
1) Get 60 day supply of contact lenses, prescriptions, vitamins
2) Hold mail
3) Call credit card company and tell them we'll be abroad
4) Order all the cash in new bills (~ 2 weeks in advance)
5) Blank check with neighbors for emergencies
6) Blank check with dogsitters, along with letter autorizing treatment until I can be reached
7) Copies of passport/visa, for us and to leave with my parents
8) Copies of life insurance policies/bank info left with parents (we will be traveling without our daughter, so this is for her benefit)
9) Purchase travel insurance - we used http://www.travelguard.com/, they have an adoption discount
10) Copy music and Russian-language cd's to mp3 player
11) Copy videos to bring with us (~40)
12) Set a few lights on a timer
13) Turn of water to the outside faucet
14) Set thermostat to 55F
15) Close off the dog door
16) Set up blog just for our daughter, to leave her messages/pix/videos
17) Get cellphone "unlocked" - to allow us to buy SIM card in Kaz - this only works if you have a GSM cellphone.
18) Setup contact info & website with adoption doctor (we're using Dr Friedman with CHOPAdopt, of Univ. of Penn). And practice uploading videos/pix to website so she can view them.
19) Cover the garden for cold weather
20) Arrange for someone to rake while we're gone
21) Setup bills/mortgage for online autopay (they already are, but if they weren't, this would probably be important)


The Packing List:
1) Digital camera/camcorder (carry on)
2) AA batteries for camera (we can probably get them there, but we're playing it safe)
3) Electical adapter/converter (note - you need a 25-50 watt converter for cellphones, laptops, etc, not just a 1600 watt adapter, which would be for hairdryers & irons).
4) Laptop & power cord & cord for dial-up internet (carry on)
5) MP3 player & headphones w/ splitter (carry on)
6) MP3-player speakers
6) Power strip (cuz we have several electrical devices, and only one converter)
7) Unlocked cellphone and charger
8) Deck of cards (carry on)
9) about 8 books total that neither of us have read (2 carry on). One I bought yesterday - a "how to" book for clinical massage, for grown-ups and babies alike :-)
10) Workout equipment - a yoga mat & yoga DVD's, a jump rope, resistance bands, and a "thigh toner" - I have no idea if the latter is any good, but can apparently be used for thigh and tricep presses, and was cheap, small & light weight.
11) Peanut butter, energy bars, instant oatmeal
12) 2 coffee mugs and an "over cup" drip filter
13) Money belts, with cash divided
14) Change of clothes for carry on
15) Prescriptions, vitamins
16) Minimal toiletries, apparently they'll have whatever we need there. I brought contact lens solution cuz I'm picky about it
17) Passports & all the adoption documentation (in water-proof accordion folder) (carry on)
19) Melatonin (carry on)
20) Clothes - dark, warm. No sneakers except for working out. A nice outfit for each of us for the court hearings. Dark socks, per someone's recommendation.
21) A present for the baby (a plush book with finger puppets, picked out by Ava)
22) Lots of childrens OTC meds & first aid stuff, for the orphanage
23) The Gifts (a mix of cosmetics (thank you to Ava's mom) and jewlery, and one tie)
24) A scarf to wear as my "recognizable" piece of clothing - adoption doctor recommended I wear it everyday, to help child recognize me.

Tonight we will determine whether all of the above will fit into 2 suitcases and 2 small backpacks. I'm optimistic.

I can't wait to step off the plane in Kostonai!!!!!