So much to remember

When she began to set up for her new “instant family,” Sharon Newton could only guess what she’d forget. It turned out to be 3 car seats for the ride home. Here’s what the family has put together so far — with their own money and donations: TO GET THEM TO CANADA:

2 years of planning

$350 per month for the last year to transport the family to a safe zone in Uganda, feed and educate them

1 year of immigration legal help to cut through red tape

constant Internet connection to discuss plans and updates

air money: Newton would not disclose how much he paid to fly the family of four to Canada from Nairobi or how much cash he wired for pocket travel money

translators to ferry the French-speaking Magies through airport stops in Brussels, the U.K. and Canada Customs TO GET THEM HOME TO MIDLAND:

3 balloons

1 borrowed minivan

1 hand-painted welcome sign

3 teddy bears with ‘2005’ stitched on “so they’ll remember the year they came”

diapers ( just in case)

3 kids’-sized parkas and 1 adult-sized for mom

3 pairs of winter boots for playing in the snow

3 pairs of mittens

3 toques

3 sets of fuzzy slippers

Smarties for the long ride TO GET THEM SETTLED:

new sheets and towels

3 sets of flannelette pyjamas

3 painted nameplates for the kids’ rooms

4 new wardrobes for four seasons (in Africa, there are only two: dry and wet), including socks, underwear, undershirts, pants, sweaters, t-shirts, snow pants, hats, mitts, scarves

toys and books

a storage locker (for the furnishings donated for when the Magie family moves out next year) WHAT THEY DON’T HAVE:

car seats

a vehicle big enough for the new, 6-person family

winter sleds