Thanks for all the prayers

First off, thanks for the prayers, definitely felt surrounded tonight.  I figured telling Akila could go two different ways.  Kind of icky and bad, or she would be excited.  I was hoping for excited, and that is what we got.

Initially, she was a bit upset.  Her first question tore my heart out.  "Are they nice people there?"  Good question.  Then we started telling her about it, had her watch the video that is on their website, and started reading the student handbook to her.  She started to get really excited, it reminded me of when she went to the crisis home in September.

Michael and I were very calm and not emotional telling her, and she was very tuned in to our emotions.  She didn't want us to be sad, and I told her I am sad.  She said not to be sad, as she would have fun.  She got really excited about the fact that they earn a weekly allowance and have like a bank account the money is kept in.  Super excited.  She was also excited that she won't have to wear uniforms like she does to her current school.  And even more excited that they have a professional hair stylist who comes to the center to do their hair.  If only he or she did their nails too, she might have thrown a fit to go tomorrow instead of Thursday.

We talked about visits, phone calls, dress code and lots of the details.  It got her excited.  She then went running down to our family room to tell the other kids.  She told them in a bragging kind of way, and they handled it gracefully.  She was an angel the rest of the evening, and kept looking at our faces to see if we were emotional.  She felt very strongly that she does not want us to be sad or cry, and I told her that I can't stop being sad about this as I am going to miss her.

We are going to the Water Park of America after school tomorrow to have some fun family time before she leaves the next day.  My nephew works there and graciously got us free tickets.  The kids are all excited about this, as am I.

I will be up late tonight and tomorrow working non-stop to get everything ready.  We have painters coming (I bought a groupon a year ago that expires on Saturday) to paint our kitchen on Thursday morning at 8.  We are just going to leave them here to paint which I'm fine with.  But I have been peeling wall paper in this kitchen for over 7 years (no exaggeration), and it is pretty much done.  But I need to clean the walls up a bit and deal with some rough spots.  So not in the mood, but I guess I never really am!  I will look at it this way, I will get to come home from a long stressful day to a new kitchen.