Okay...so, here's the latest from the state department, issued yesterday:
Kyrgyzstan
Adoption Alert
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues
__________________________________________________________________
December 10, 2008
The U.S. Department of State does not recommend that U.S. citizens consider adoption from Kyrgyzstan at this time because of serious, ongoing problems in the country’s intercountry adoption process. A number of prospective adoptive parents have reported that their cases are not being processed. The U.S. Embassy has requested official clarification, but no formal response has been received.
According to local experts, no cases are being processed at this time. Further, the government of Kyrgyzstan appears to be making moves to strengthen its internal controls of and develop new legislation on adoptions. It has been reported that Kyrgyz citizens may have been denied the opportunity to adopt during the past year, even while some intercountry adoptions by non-citizens were being approved. At this time it is not clear what action will be taken on pending cases or if the Government of Kyrgyzstan will accept any new cases
The U.S. Embassy continues to monitor the situation and will provide clarification as soon as it is received.
I just won't comment on it right now, other than to say I am not surprised (any more) and can't wait to hear what my agency thinks of it all...I know two agencies are being very responsible in telling potential adoptive parents that Kyrgyz is not a good choice right now, and I agree. At the risk of ruffling feathers, if you are reading this blog because you are interested in adopting from Kyrgyzstan and want a young baby within the next year or so--DON'T. At least not now...I in no way, shape or form want to discourage anyone from adopting internationally, and specifically from Kyrgyzstan, BUT in my own personal, humble opinion--based on my own personal, humble experience, now is just not the time. Okay--I guess I did comment.
So, in an attempt to keep things somewhat lighthearted these days, I took the *tag* from Maria's blog...here are the directions:
List these rules on your blog. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their name as well as a link to their blog Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
1. I was the first person out in the 1987 Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee. My word was germproof...which is ironic as I am a little OCD--especially about GERMS! I was scared to death--there in the front row watching me were Ronald and Nancy Reagan! So...in my nervous haste, I started off saying, "j-no, g-e-r-m-p-r-o-o-f," but because I had already started with the 'j' sound, they rang the bell. Official rules, so it was fair and square. Taught me a valuable lesson--THINK before you speak. (Or, try to!) Also told me that being FIRST out on such an obviously easy word ROCKED because then there was NO pressure--it was NERVES I got out on, not my actual inability to spell a word correctly (ok, technically, it was, but you get the drift) and I had a great time for the rest of the week. In fact, I think that may be the time I was officially dubbed, "The perky brunette" for the first time...
2. John and I once got into a GINORMOUS fight because he flushed the toilet while I was brushing my teeth. I did not care that my civil engineer boyfriend (who was in the middle of building a waste water treatment plant for his Master's) told me that the pipes were in NO way connected or co-mingled. It was a VERY ugly fight...for the record, I realize the ridiculousness of that whole fight, and now the toilet flushing doesn't bother me. (Yes, it does, I just don't make a big deal about it!)
3. I was an obsessive, nerdy, short, frizzy haired, big teeth, hyperactive little girl in school (in hindsight, I realize not too much has changed, I'm just old enough to wear that all a little better :) )...I obsessed over one boy from 3rd grade to ninth grade. I'm talking obsessed...the same boy--who had absolutely NO interest in me whatsoever (with good reason--as I said, I was pretty nerdy and probably very annoying) and then obsessed over a different boy--checking out his middle school year books from the public library, cutting his pictures out and then returning the yearbooks (I know, I know...ROTTEN)--seriously...the best and most ironic part of all this? Twenty years later, that second boy turns out to be Yogi the Pug's dad (www.yogithepug.com) and is planning on coming to visit my kids for their Christmas party next week-with Yogi and some little stuffed animals (don't tell, it's a secret!!!) to surprise them!
4. I didn't get baptized until I was 19 years old, though I became a Christian when I was 7. I was afraid of the water. I am not a strong swimmer, and don't like to be under water without having total control of the situation...umm, yeah...God finally got tired of that lame excuse and gave me the courage....12 years later.
5. Some of my biggest regrets? Not going to law school (now I am too old, tired of school and unwilling to be in any MORE debt!), not being involved in drama in school--I would LOVE to be an actress (and think I would rock at it!), not keeping up better with foreign language study (four years of Spanish and I can ask where the bathroom is??? Geesh!), being short. Okay...can't change that one, but I REALLY hate it sometimes...I am REALLY short--and while that is most of the time a cute little quirky thing about me, in honesty, I hate looking at pictures of me with other women and seeing how RIDICULOUSLY shorter than they are I am!!
6. I live for musicals...ever since I was little (my mom said my first musical was Camelot when I was 6 months old) I have adored them. In fact, if I could change one thing about myself, it would be my voice--I want one that can SING! I sing--just not well. Even more than being tall, I would love to have a good singing voice--one that doesn't need a choir to blend in with in order to be acceptable! Seriously, The Sound of Music is my all-time favorite...I love the King and I, West Side Story, Camelot, Cats, Beauty and the Beast--heck, put some great sparkly costumes on and throw some to-die-for voices and I am HOOKED on just about anything!
7. I am not a big fan of chocolate. I know, I know...what kind of woman am I? The kind that doesn't live for chocolate. I like it WITH something...like Reese's (more peanut butter) or Rollos (more caramel) or chocolate chip cookies (more cookie)...but wouldn't cry if chocolate fell off the face of the earth.
So, there you have it. You are supposed to tag 7 people. Maria left that tagging opportunity up to those of us who read and feel so inclined, and I like that, so...feel free to be tagged!!!
***NOTE*** In doing spellcheck for this post, the word germproof came up! The suggestion is for it to be two words. Hilarious.
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