We're coming home!

Yippee!! Hooray! We got the phone call we've all been waiting for this afternoon. Martin called to say that we got approval from the US Embassy to apply for Molly's visa so that we can fly home.

That means our paperwork was processed in 6 business days at the embassy. Some families have also heard the good word while others still wait. While we're excited to be among the first to get approved, our hearts are with our friends who haven't gotten word yet. Since we've been here, we've formed a family of sorts, all rooting for one and other and walking the same path. So it only seems right that they would hear at the same time as us. But they haven't and so it is.

Next step is tomorrow we head to the U.S. Embassy again to apply for Molly's visa. With the $380 cash in hand, we will go en famille to the embassy for what will hopefully be out last visit. We've already got Molly's passport (well, actually World Child does - they've kept all of our pertinent paperwork) and the general turnaround time for visa applications is 24 hours.

If our travel agent is able to work wonders, our hope is to fly home Friday. I guess that would mean we arrive on Saturday around noon at Dulles. Crazy, huh? Here we've been sitting waiting, waiting, waiting and all of sudden, spring into action. It's such a relief to literally be almost home. We could try to push things and fly on Thursday night but it would mean checking out of our hotel, rushing to the embassy to get the visa and then racing to the airport to hop on the flight to Bangkok.

It would be a big stressor and traveling with two children, we've decided to just relax and go the following day. Our loose schedule is definitely an asset in the travel planning. Some people have to return on certain days. I must say it is an immensely huge relief to see the end in sight. Not knowing when while waiting can be so difficult. At least waiting and knowing when the waiting will end is more palatable.

Also, it would allow Molly one more day to get better. I can't remember if I wrote it or not but the poor thing has bronchitis and ear infections now. She had a tough day today - lots of crying and not wanting to be put down and frankly, if I had what she has, I'd feel the same way. She's on all sorts of meds and hopefully will be on the mend in the next day or two. I'm trying different remedies too but haven't found one yet that makes the shift I'm looking for.

It's time to come home and we are really ready. Max is starting to escape from the hotel room again and is becoming very fresh with us. I think it will do him and us good for him to be on his home turf again. He has the staff at the Melia wrapped around his fingers and he's actually figured out a wonderful thing. He knows where the hotel's internal florist is and, with babysitter in hand, charms his way into the florist's and gets free flowers! So, our room (1920, Karrie, just like you!) is full of flowers at all times. Tonight he came home with a dozen yellow roses. I complain not.

So Max and the Melia. He has become quite mischevious and knows his way around this enormous hotel. (It holds the biggest ballroom in Vietnam!) When we go to the elevator (we're on the 19th floor) he always pushed the up and down buttons now, regardless of what floor we are going to. Once in the elevator, rather than pushing "G" for the ground floor, he pushed Level One, knowing that he is guaranteed an escalator ride down to "G" from the first floor. In the restaurant, our little tyrant general has all the waitresses humming around him. He asks them for whatever he wants from the sumptuous breakfast buffet and they give it to him - without asking me or Tom first. This child has pigged out on desserts and chocolate rice krispies. Hence, the aforementioned freshness. With the insouicance of Eloise at the Plaza, he orders the hotel staff to go away when they knock on our door and tells his babysitters how to entertain him. Sometimes I think he thinks he's in charge of our household. His charm is waning though and he is close to having us all evicted.

Max's excitement of being a big brother has waned as well. The honeymoon isn't quite over but he has definintely focused more interest in the bridges outside our window than his sister. He does love her, likes to help feed her and wants to tell me how to administer her medicines. She follows him everywhere with her eyes and adores him.

It's hard to believe Molly has been with us now for two weeks. It feels like she's been with us forever as we slowly make the adjustment from being a trio to a quartet. She is sleeping a little less during the day and enjoys playtime, cooing at us and giving us big gummy smiles.

There's still so much I want to write and say about Hanoi and our time in Vietnam but it's 11:30 p.m. and I'm pooped again. I forgot how tiring it is waking up in the middle of the night for feedings. At least Molly only does one or two of them. We're lucky.

Tom got tix for the soccer game tomorrow night here in Hanoi. Japan versus Saudi Arabia in the Asian Cup. He's going with two other Dad's he's befriended for a guy's night out.

We got a babysitter tonight and went out for a superb meal. Before I describe that though, I must write about Miss Van who has babysat for both kids several times now. She is quite stern but very loving at the same time. She coddles Molly almost the whole time and manages to engage Max as well. She's the one who takes him on walkabouts around the hotel and how he learns about the bowels of the Melia hidden from nearly all guests. Van is immensely competent (she has two kids of her own) and, like many Vietnamese, has no problem telling me what I should be doing better to raise my kids.

First off, I need to make the room warmer for Molly's cold and tonight she told me I need to not only put socks on Molly's feet at night (which I already do if all the footy pjs are dirty) but I need to also put socks on her hands to keep her warm. She says these things to me as if I'm not fit to be a mother. I can't tell you how many times Vietnamese woman have told me what to do for my children. They've very outspoken and don't hesitate to tell you exactly what they think is right for you. At first it was a sort of endearing cultural habit. Now it's just annoying.

Anyway, back to dinner. We went to a wonderful restaurant called Wild Lotus. The ambience was hipper and cooler than Tao in New York, more intimate as well. Stepping off the sidewalk into the restaurant's compound is like walking from a chaotic world into a zone of serenity and calm. The decor is so "yoga hip" and cool. Candles lighting every step on the way up to the restaurant, water trickling in fountains and awesome statues of the Buddha abound.

What was really nice, especially in contrast to our visit to uber-hip Verticale, was that the restaurant was mainly full of Vietnamese people. At Verticale, we were one three tables there - all foreigners or expats. Tongiht, at Wild Lotus, the food was insanely delicious and we braved dishes we never tried before. This is meant to be an upscale Vietnamese restaurant serving modern fare based on timeless ingredients and infusions. I've heard good things about the restaurant and also wanted to go because our dear friend Sean has a yoga studio in New Orleans called Wild Lotus. Or, in Vietnamese, it's Da Lien. Thought I'd get him a tee shirt but they don't do that sort of thing here.

First off, I had spring rolls. They were, without a doubt, the best spring rolls I've tried in Viet Nam. And I might add, I've become quite the spring roll connoisseur since arriving in Hanoi. I like them because they are refreshing, low fat and fresh. Tonight they were filled with shrimp, mango and mint leaves. So delicious, so light. Yum! And Wild Lotus is not stingy with the servings. Tom had spicy pumpkin soup which had swirls of grated ginger on top. Then he had shredded duck wrapped in rice pancakes and served with a spicy plum sauce. I tried one and agreed that they were very tasty, fresh and light.

After that, we enjoyed trying sauteed pumpkins buds and garlic. The pumpkin buds are pumpkin greens - very mild and tasty and the light sprinkling of crushed garlic added to their taste. Much milder than spinach or beet greens and tastier than kale. We had ordered sauteed morning glories in garlic but they were out of season. We also had grilled shrimp on skewers that was dipped in a dish with freshly sliced chilis and salt soaked in lemon juice. And of course, there was the omnipresent bowl of rice.

We were disappointed in nothing, save for the fact that we didn't have any room leftover for dessert. It was truly a fabulous meal and fairly priced. $38 for the two of us! Same as the boring old buffet here at the Melia, even with the $1 cab ride included. It's refreshing to have grown up time with Tom. It's been nice we've been able to get away a few times to do just that. We figure it's one of the best things we can give our kids is a happy marriage. Happy parents mean happy children.

I can't wait to get home to the Eastern Shore of Maryland where my sister Suzy tells me the tomatoes are just starting to come in and she's already eating local peaches. My mother-in-law says she has been having steamed corn every night and if you're from the Eastern Shore, you know there is no finer corn on this planet.

Absurd observation made today:
I've been wondering why many taxi drivers dash around town with pineapples in the cars. They're kept in between the two front seats in the cup holders. It finally occurred to me that they are air fresheners. So long silly scented pine tree freshener. Just get a pineapple. Smells better.