Susie's Leaning Tower of Chocolate for 2002 April 19

Today is my very last day with my kids, and my very last day in Iasi (unless you count crossing the street to the train station at 6AM tomorrow). I started crying twice at work (once playing with my little angel and once making faces at two of my boys through the playroom window) and once reading about all the nice things people are doing for my mommy's birthday. We said goodbye to lots of workers and the Director and the Doctor, with lots of kisses, and we gave them their gifts; the Director and the Doctor loved the scrapbooks we made for them. Jamie isn't coming to work tonight because she doesn't want to see us all bawling, and especially Doinita when she says goodbye to us. However, I convinced Kristen to come for moral support for those of us who are leaving.

Kristin's little girl is in the hospital to get her eye-flicky-into-her-head thingy finally checked out. Unfortunately, that means she has to say goodbye to her in the hospital, which is sad enough because she bawls when we leave anyway. We brought her lots of toys yesterday.

I am so sad to be leaving my kids. How can I leave them?? They need me! Luckily there are more girls coming and Kristen and Jamie will be here in between. I've finally been taking all the pictures I've been meaning to take for the past three months, such as a Communistic building picture in Dacia, a scary railroad bridge picture, a horsecart picture, etc. I still have some more to take, of the city but I'm not going to do it if the sun isn't out when we leave work.

Last night I went with Kristen visit Violeta. It was so awesome. We played with her baby and ate some yummy food, fruit salad because she didn't know if we were on the Post or not (a fast, kind of like Lent). We talked about tons of stuff, I think our entire conversation was repeated in both languages to make sure we all understood everything. She gave us gifts too, a basket and a wedding sash, for each of us. She is such a wonderful person, I'm sad we didn't get to visit longer.

The next worst thing about leaving, second to leaving my kids, is the trip home. We have a 7 hour train ride to Bucharesti and then we have to be at the airport at 4 Monday morning to go to Amsterdam and then my flight to San Francisco is ELEVEN AND A HALF HOURS LONG. Then we have to drive down to Bakersfield, but by that point I'll be having fun. Well, the only non-fun part is AMS-SFO because I am going by myself and I'll probably cry a lot. Lisa pointed out they could show Planet of the Apes 6 times in that amount of time. GAG ME! Maybe I'll get to babysit some cute Indian kids like on the way up. Maybe I'll just sleep the whole time. I can't remember the plane ride home from France.

See you in America! ~Ma duc in America~ as one of our kids sang as we went to play outside.

We've been sneaking pictures at work all week. I also have been recording my kids' voices- tickling them mostly since they don't talk. And I have some kid at the hospital pointing at me and yelling "Andreea!" My kids have such adorable giggles. Hopefully the pictures will turn out cute too. I like the ones we got to take on Saturday, with permission, but the kids look so posed. It'll be nice to have a couple of us actually playing with the kids, and in different outfits and stuff. And they wear cuter clothes during the week.