Go here...do this!

Please, go to this site and read about the proposals that will affect pre-adoptive parents already in process of adopting children. (Though this affects those adopting from Hague countries, and Kyrgyzstan is not, children waiting are children waiting--regardless of where it is they wait!) As any one who has read my trials and tribulations with adoption paperwork knows, there are SOOO many hoops we have to jump through (many RIDICULOUS AND REDUNDANT) simply to parent our child. And, all things considered and based on others' experiences, we had it EASY! Well, one of those hoops is getting permission to adopt an orphan (we get this permission from our country)--and the process changed after we had already gotten approval. This change, at the time, was supposed to grandfather in those already in the process, and prevent them from having to go through the whole darned thing again should their approval run out and they simply need an extension (as is SO often the case, and sadly, I think will be the case for us as well)of their approval status. Apparently, that grandfather clause is about to become non-existent, and the move to keep that clause needs to be supported!! Forcing parents to START OVER instead of allowing them to extend (and folks, I'm not unreasonable...I'm not saying that extension should be forever--but at least as long as it takes--look at the lengths of wait times for some of these countries!) is just another money-making waste of tax-dollar resources. And pretty much a nice slap in the face to those poor people who have been AND STILL HAVE TO wait--just to bring their child home. PLEASE...go to the site, read up if you want, and voice your support to do something that for ONCE doesn't penalize poor parents-to-be just to make some flipping money.

Folks, the dow made record gains today. SURELY we don't need to keep nickeling and diming adoptive parents (any more than they already are) to keep our heads above the water.

I'm now stepping off my soapbox.

Well, I asked for it...

Crud. Ask and ye shall receive! Don't like waiting? Here--fill your time with NINE BILLION different things you have to compile and have certified and notarized and authenticated (and so on and so on....)

The Kyrgz checklist came to me and it is a nightmare. I am really nervous about the medical because it is going to be the equivalent of asking my DOCTOR for HER firstborn! She basically has to sign her name in blood, and those of you familiar with military healthcare already know how hard it is to even SEE your doctor, much less get all this stuff done. THEN the paperwork says to put the medical as one of your last things since it expires in 6 months. Ha ha. I can't even get into SEE her for 6 months!! So...here's where "Let Go and Let God" steps in. I am just going to put together a list of these things I need to do, and in the order I should, and then tackle them over spring break. Sounds like a plan, right?

The Department of Homeland Security sent us a note saying they sent our I600A form to the Baltimore office...which stinks, because Baltimore is further (miles and time) than Fairfax is but because we live in Maryland, we have to use the Baltimore office. The Fairfax office says it's a Washington Metro area field office, but obviously not. Those Northern Virginia snobs sticking their nose up at us Marylanders!! (Ha ha, I can say that because I grew up as one...and only a NOVAian can understand--you just didn't go to Maryland if you didn't have to!)

Soooo...my hopes of getting fingerprinted next week probably won't come to fruition either. Maybe I'll call the Baltimore office and see if I can get it to happen anyway. In the meantime, I have lots to do!

John, by the way, was inspired to work on things last night. See...all goes well if he just does as I say!

Hating waiting...but I won't complain!

Ha ha..I am hardly waiting for anything right now. Imagine me when we are REALLY waiting! Another mom going through Kyrgz just got their I600 confirmation and we haven't. That's a little worrisome to me because we sent ours of a couple of days before. Hopefully in the next day or two. Next week is my spring break, so if I have to trek out to Fairfax and visit the office myself, I can (and will) do so. Homestudy paperwork is slow...got the lovely tests for HIV, TB and drugs yesterday, and see my doctor next Friday and then the Homestudy medical paperwork (my part) will be done. I think for the agency, it will be more specific and need more credibility, but for now, I am happy to at least be moving through the homestudy. I know that all the paperwork the agency needed to send out has been, and most has gotten back. Now John, on the other hand...well, I'm a little concerned about things he is in charge of. He keeps telling me he needs a list. No, he doesn't. He just needs to do what I tell him. (If it was that easy...) There are very few things I need John to do--namely the medical and mail things I put together for him. Both seem to be difficult for him. The other things he needed to do for homestudy--a questionnaire about himself and draw a floorplan for our house--he said he would do on the boat. I doubt they are done. So...we may be having a 'come to Jesus' (as I like to call them) talk about doing things we say we are going to do when we say we are going to do them. I am certainly not without my own procrastination tricks, mind you. I just don't let them affect the status of a several thousand dollar / human life project.

That's all I am going to vent about that right now. Just call me Forest. Forest Gump.

I like Nanci's quotes at the end of her posts. I think I will pick that up. So, here's the first one.

"Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried." Don't know who said it, but applicable nonetheless.

And on a sidenote, my dear, sweet and very loved and missed grandmother would have turned 95 today. I lost her 9 years ago in July and have never spent a day that I didn't miss her. In our family, she was quite the matriarch--opinionated, stubborn, critical and outspoken (nut didn't fall far from the tree, huh?)--and though she was all those things, to me, she was my Grandma Gosnell and she loved me. I'm talking LOVED loved me. Possessive, almost. Infuriated my mother, but sure did make me feel special. Happy Birthday, Grandma...I have no doubt she is exactly where she lived her life to be.

"You and I were meant to be"

Fun day at school--always love celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday with Read Across America Day. I lost a student today, but gained one immediately, so our class load is still the same. The student I lost, however, was the same who told me I needed to say please, so I am hoping for a little less confrontation on a daily basis.

Another blogger on nearly the same trip as we are made the comment that I may be paying a bit too much attention to some of the comments on the blogs I am reading and she may be right. I have to say, though, I still just think more and more about what place I have deciding who is right for my family. Especially as I am listening to the music from M's blog and the words talk about how "you and I were meant to be"--isn't God amazing with what He tells us and even more when we actually listen? Our homestudy social worker prayed for us when we went for the initial interview and I have to say that I cried and cried as she talked about the choices we would have to make and the wonder of this child that God is creating JUST FOR US! I still tear now as I think about the depth of that statement--God is creating our child, just for us. The ONE designed specifically for our family. Who am I to insist that He do that, just as long as she's a girl? Uggghhhh...friends, feel free to lift us in prayer. I said it yesterday and still think I feel it today--a girl is my heart's desire, but a precious little boy...I think of my nephews, of the sweet and loving little boys I teach...I still am so torn! Today one of my SWEET little boys was in the cafeteria before school started. He is a VERY lovey little boy, and just a doll. I walked by him, and as I did, he called my name out and blew a kiss. I blew a little one back, told him good morning, and kept walking. As I walked away, I could hear him tell his friend, "That's not my mom, that's my teacher. She's just as good." That made my morning. Imagine that every day coming from my very own?? Here's praying that siblings or a girl AND a boy are available. We put two children on our I600A. John freaked out about how much more that would cost, and who can blame him? We'd make it work, though. Period.