More Contact

Here is a child that loves her family...Just kidding. But I'm gonna bean that son of mine! He checked his email (he will now know I know his password!) but didn't respond. I would be interested in your comments on what kind of slow torture I can administer upon his return.

Kate called yesterday in the middle of the afternoon. Her previous calls had all been between 1:30 and 4:30 in the morning so I wasn't expecting it to be her. She hinted that we hadn't been as lucid as we could have been when she called during their evening so decided to try calling after she got ready in the morning to see if we could actually make conversation.

We could barely understand her since her voice was really hoarse. Apparently they have discovered a way to connect their I-Pods to the speakers in the bus. There was quite a sing along to everyone's different I-Pod songs. Now I really wish we would have gotten nicer gifts for the bus drivers instead of the little token gifts we sent.

Here's a funny that only a parent can appreciate. As some of you heard at the airport, I had purchased five disposable underwater cameras for Katy to take on the trip. She was adamant that was ay more than she would possibly need. One or two would be more than enough. I finally told her to take two and I would just take the rest home with me or just give them to kids who might have forgotten to take an underwater camera along. Being a mom I couldn't resist adding that I only got extra because I wanted to make sure she had enough to take all the photos she wanted. Just trying to make her life a little better. After all, the cameras were in the checked luggage, how much trouble could they be? She fell for the guilt and took all five cameras. When she had to have her luggage scanned, the cameras had to come out and go into her carry on. She was pleased! Then when they went through security, the cameras were 800 speed film so she had to take them out and have them hand checked. She went through security with disposable cameras hanging all the way up her arm! She was a happy girl. When I talked to her yesterday, she told me she had used four of the five cameras and was "trying to save" the last one for the rest of the trip. Even through we're half way across the world, I still had to remind her that how lucky she was to have me. I can't imagine how these pictures are going to turn out, but we will have plenty of them. If your kids were ever underwater, we probably will have a picture with them in it!

It sounds like they are having a great time and getting to know each other. I have heard really funny stuff about many of the kids. I can't wait to see Kate's personal journal that tells the real story!

DMersmann