the bags are packed!!!

Okay, the bags are packed, the bills are paid, the house is clean and yet my Mom is still on her cruise!!!! Actually she wont be back until Wednesday night, just in time to hand off the dog and fish and a quick catch up before we leave Thursday!
I am amazed that all of our stuff fit! I just have the carry-ons to pack. I'd take a picture but I think the camera got packed!
Our visas should be here on Monday, just 74 hours before we leave, good thing I don't sweat the small stuff! Now I just hope that the visa with my old passport number will be okay with my new passport! The Vietnamese embassy assured me that as long as I bring my old passport and my new passport all will be fine. We'll see!
I am amazed by the papers I feel I need to bring! As a single mom I have to prove that I and I alone am my child's parent, thus I am able to take her out of the country alone! I am bringing her; passport, certification of birth, name change, adoption papers and her certificate of citizenship. This should cover all of the "single parent" bases!!
Now if only the government had consulted with me when they were re-designing the passport. I would have suggested a "parent page"! One page that lists the parent(s) of minor children. This page alone would prove whether there are 1 or 2 parents!!! If there are 2 and only 1 parent is taking the child out of the country then they would have to have the proper paper work! Don't get me wrong, I think the steps taken to prevent child abduction are wonderful, but as usual the government did not take the easy route!!!!
So off we go with a file of papers, fun bags, ramen noodles, a few outfits, Polaroid cameras and film, and so much more...