3 weeks...

It's really setting in for me, finally.
3 weeks from today we will be in the air, on our way to Shanghai.
Things keep moving and falling into place. The movers came out on Tuesday and we will be able to take pretty much everything we had hoped to bring to Shanghai- minus Cooper's slide. But, really, that was kind of a reach... :)
The house packing has begun and I am blown away by the things I'm finding as I pack! Seriously, I own a coffee grinder, a tiny crock pot for dips, an espresso machine, all these random little plates... these are things I've owned for years and had totally forgotten about. How does this happen???
Anywho, Sophie's school orientation is set and I'm already trying to set up a babysitter for Cooper so I can go. See, things aren't so different there... Sophia's teacher has already been emailing us and setting things up to help her transition be easier. We've been really impressed with the school and how much they are wanting to be involved in every aspect of our family coming to Shanghai. It has relieved a lot of stress I've been feeling about the school situation ever since we found out there were no openings at the Shanghai American School.
We've also had some issues with getting Cooper to and from his school but we're hoping our back up plan of hiring a car and driver ourselves will work out. I'll be bringing him and picking him up for a while until things feel more comfortable there. Keep us in your prayers as these details get worked out.
Other prayer requests- we are realizing that Sophia is starting to figure out something big is happening. She has known for months that we are moving to China but you never know how much she really understands. In these last few weeks friends are starting to tell her they will miss her and grandparents are getting sad when talking about the move. The way this is manifesting isn't so great, however. She is regressing some and acting out more which has been elevating the stress level in the house. Please pray that we are all more patient with each other and more understanding that we are all under huge amounts of stress. Also pray that we are able to give these stresses to God who can effortlessly take care of them!
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers that continue to be felt daily!

If you are interested in knowing more about Sophie and Cooper's schools, here are their websites: http://www.bisspuxi.com/ (Sophia's school) and http://www.theessentiallearninggroup.com/ (Cooper's school/therapy place).