And the "Eagle" has Landed!!! (or at least called...)

I couldn't sleep last night... Marissa (age 5) had a fever throughout most of the day, and was finally asleep. I had sat through (endured, really...) the newest Cats and Dogs movie (more about that one later), and wasn't sleepy. Couldn't sleep, actually. My eyes were tired and burning, but something in my brain wouldn't let me sleep.

I still hadn't heard from Rey (my European-bound 16yo). BUT! It's a good thing I didn't go to sleep, as I wouldn't have heard the phone ring at 3:03am (my time-PST)! I was catching up on my shows (see sidebar... I'm a self-proclaimed addict) and the landline rang! OMG! You've got to be kidding! Yes... it did!

And it was my lovely daughter, that left for Europe on Monday morning. She apologized for not calling sooner. But I knew she was safe and was having a good time. She had just gotten off the night train from Florence (or Assisi... I don't really know, but somewhere in Italy!) and was in Paris. The boys in the tour had already gotten their rooms, and the girls were waiting (I guess "ladies first" isn't in their etiquette...) for theirs.

But she took a minute (3 actually) and gave me a ring. I can breathe, now. I already knew from a post of a chaperone that they were ok, but I really wanted to hear it myself. I consider myself lucky.

Other parents are still waiting for calls. They have only seen their kids post on Facebook that they are ok and/or having a good time. They all have international calling cards and some even have international cell phones. But... those parents are still waiting. I'm sorry that they are. There's something about hearing your child's voice on the other end of the line, knowing they took the time and let you know how they are. It's as close as face-to-face as you can get, without actually getting there. I'm glad she called me, and wish the same for the other parents.

When I heard her voice, all I could think of was the cliche line, "The Eagle has landed..." It fits here. First, her school mascot is the Eagle. AND! her favorite animal is... what? THE EAGLE! AND it happens to represent our country, as well. How totally appropriate on a whole lot of levels. (*snicker* I thought it was cute... anyway...)

As for the fever of Miss Marissa... it's gone today, but yesterday was low-grade for most of it. She still wanted to go to the movies... ick! I usually enjoy kid movies, but this one? Ugh! (The first one was rather cute...) The first one was MUCH better. Marissa had a good time and laughed in all the right places, but me... I couldn't help but see how fake some of the cats and dogs looked. Be consistent, people! It's not just kids you are trying to please; it's the parents, too! And the villain cat of the movie just reminded me too much of "Grandma Wrinkles" from The Real Housewives of New Jersey (sorry, Dina Manzo!) and creeped me out. Hopefully, that movie will end up in streaming format from Netflix, so I won't have to buy it.

Tonight I'm going to bed much earlier. We've been out and about for a good portion of the day (hubs didn't tell me we were gonna be hitting Ontario Mills!), and my feet are now killing me, as I wasn't prepared and wore flip-flops. Time to hit it! Night...