Another cheerful morning.

3/8/04: Katherine got off to bed well last night, and we drove in to school this morning. It was all going well and then Rebecca pipes up "I don't want to die until it's time to. I don't want to die before that."

Followed by all the kids asking:
Who will care for us if you die? (Rebecca)
- Daddy. And you might move back to VA near grandma and grandpa.
Daddy would have to quit work.
-Then how would our bills get paid?
(subject dropped)
Who will care for us if you and daddy die?
-Grandma and grandpa
Will they come and get us?
-Yes.
Who will take care of us until they get here?
-People at the Embassy.
How will they know you're dead?
-They'll know.
But if you both die at home, how will they know?
-You can call the Embassy.
I know, we can go to Mahnur's house (a neighbor)! (Rebecca)
-You can tell them if you can't reach anyone at the Embassy.
We don't know the phone number to the Embassy.
-I'll leave it by the phone.
We can use the radio in your room! (Katherine)
-Excellent, that's what it's for., emergencies Just push the button and talk into it.
Help Help, our parents are dead! (Katherine)
-Just tell them who you are and what happened. They'll know who you are and where you live.
Then who will take care of us?
-People you know. Mr. Ryan and Miss. Laura. Or Mrs. Graham. Or Mrs. Malone. Someone you know.
Mrs. Graham! She adopted Meg, maybe she'd adopt us too. (Rebecca)
-Mrs. Graham has 5 kids. You are 4 kids. How many kids is that.
(Rebecca counts) Nine! That's a lot of kids.
-Grandma and grandpa would come and get you.
What if you die while we're in New Zealand? (Rebecca)
-Grandma will be there.
What if Grandma dies too?
-You will fly home.
By ourselves?!
-No, wherever you are when we die, people will take you to the Embassy in New Zealand and from there there Embassy people will get you home. But if we die beforehand then there wouldn't be a trip to New Zealand.
Maybe Mrs. Graham would take us anyway. (Katherine)
(Nicholas chimes in with how if we died a bunch of fun things would still happen)
The discussion rapidly deteriorated from there.