Car Talk

 July 31, 2011

The Scene:   The Sequoia, Nolan crammed beside Nina and Macy in car seats, Dart and I are riding up front and "Mulan" is playing on the truck's movie screen.


The Prevailing Attitude:  The girls are tired and cranky.  Nolan is 11.


Nolan:  Macy, Mulan is from China just like you.

Macy: I am not Mulan.  I am Pocahontas.

Nolan:  No you are Chinese so you have to be Mulan.

Macy: No I'm not.  Mommy did braids in my hair.  I have Pocahontas hair.

Nolan: No you have Mulan hair because you are Chinese.

Macy:  No I don't!  I am Pocahontas!  I am going to marry John Smith!

Nina:  I have magic hair.  It's turning yellow...like Tangled.

Nolan:  Your hair is turning blond because you are in the sun.

Nina:  Mooooom-meeeee, Nolan says my hair is not yellow!!!


Me:  Nolan leave them alone!  Nina you have magic yellow hair.  It is beautiful.  Macy you can marry John Smith.

Dart: No she can't.


Nolan: (snicker)



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Finding Ad

 July 30, 2011

Since 1999, the orphanages in China have been required to run a provincial newspaper advertisement for children that are found and brought to their orphanage. We call them "Finding Ads." These ads contain information about where and when the children were found and which orphanage is caring for them.

This is The Butterfly's finding ad.  She is listed as child number 1,034, meaning she is the 1,034th child to be listed in this paper by her orphanage.  As you can see there are more than 20 children listed on just this one day.  It's hard really to imagine, (sigh), that this is a normal part of the newspaper in China.  Normal and unnatural.

Mia approximately 14 weeks old

Listing a child in the provincial newspaper is one of the first steps in the Chinese adoption process.  This photo listing serves as notice to birth families to come forward if they wish to claim their child. Of course the notice is mostly bureaucratic protocol since abandoning a child is against Chinese law. I can't imagine many come forward to claim their lost child given the likely legal ramifications.

Given up at 4 months old, I can only imagine that is when The Butterfly's mother first noticed signs of her cerebral palsy.   I can also imagine that like any mother she must have loved her daughter with all her being.  The next image of a surely desperate mother leaving The Butterfly at the orphanage is too painful and sad to fully comprehend.

What did her mother think when she saw her daughter's photo in the paper?  Was she relieved that her child was safe?  Hopeful she would get medical care or be adopted?  Did she regret her choice? Did she really have a choice?  Does she hold her own copy of the photo now shared with me?

These are questions we (and most unfairly The Butterfly) may never have answered.

But, I do know that for me this tiny little newspaper photo represents the start of a complicated  journey that will very soon entrust me with another beautiful and very much wanted daughter and for that I am both grateful and humbled.

She was (swoon) such  a beautiful baby. 

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USCIS Fingerprinting Today

 July 29, 2011

We've lost count of how many times we've been here but its enough that today we had a whole lot of indignant attitude.

Got to love all the signs demanding "no pictures" and "turn off your cell phones". Why?

So you can't see this...


an empty waiting room?

Really we needed to wait a month before you could fit us into your busy biometric schedule?

Whatever.

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MU Shu Has a Family!

Do you remember the little 20 month old I met last month in Chenzhou? The one who became "my baby" during our visits to the orphanage? Well I've been keeping my eye out for her each time the new shared list is released and I learned that she was on the this past weeks list.

Ok I know what you are all thinking so let me stop that right now. NO, we are not adopting her.

...really people you are incorrigible (wink, wink) 

But some very lucky family is adopting her. She was matched within minutes of hitting the shared list and I couldn't be happier for her!

One less orphan, One more forever.


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Moving

 July 27, 2011

Well it is official Mia is moving to Beijing, well actually Tainjin one hour outside of Beijing. Her orphanage director has agreed to allow her to move to Shepherd's Field an American run foster home styled care facility for disabled orphans.

As you may recall Shepherd's Field was the last orphanage I visited in China during my Visiting Orphans trip in June. I was so taken by the warmth, dedication and available resources at Shepherd's Field I immediately began thinking about how to move Mia there. I am thrilled that Mia will now have access to treatments and therapy for her CP that have been absent her entire life.

I'm still in awe that we have been able to pull this off. The odds of this happening were beyond low. In the world of China adoptions waiting parents are usually happy to get a new update photo or shoe size but moved to an American run treatment facility, unheard of.

Mia will fly to Beijing along with three officials from her Guangdong orphanage one week from tomorrow.

I hope to get an email on her travel and transition soon after she arrives. Please pray that she is not too upset by the change.

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Adoption Political Correctness

 July 26, 2011



(Thanks Julie M for sending this too me. I needed the laugh.)

OK your turn, what was the dumbest thing someone has said to you about adoption? How did you respond?

Is it better to ignore, retort in a coy or snarky fashion, civilly but directly confront the inappropriateness of the comment or just tell them to piss off and walk away?

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Open Response...

 July 25, 2011

The comments field wont allow me to post my entire response to a reader who left a thoughtful but critical comment on my post about the Empty Stroller March.

Rather than break up the message in the the comments field and hope it is read I'm responding here.


Zander I really wish you left a way to link back to you.  When you take that much space on my blog I think I should at least get that.  sigh

Anyway...

You are right THIS particular post is simple, meant to promote a particular action and to resonate with a particular group of people (my wonderful readers and fellow adoptive parents).  The post was simple but then again how many people really understand the nuances of the US health care system?  Not many, but they do know it is broken and needs improvement.  THAT simple emotion filled response is what forced health reform to center stage, not a sophisticated understanding of the economic details.
It is much the same here.

You suggested that by using strollers covered in tape we were somehow ignoring older kids...this is a wrong perception but I get it. The strollers are a dramatic tool intended to elicit an emotional reaction and (hopefully) bring much needed attention to the topic, not an implied preference for babies. (If you come here often you will know I have not adopted infants, my kids all had special needs and I advocate for older kids needing families.  BUT the reality is babies evoke emotion and a biological response to protect and that's what we are going for.)


Do not confuse marketing with substance.

Here are the initial goals for BEB taken from their website which I linked to my post.

    * First, BEB Solutions will conduct onsite visits in sending and receiving countries. In-country visits will undertake process mapping, root cause analysis and needs analysis. BEB Solutions will then develop process improvement plans and pilot with partner countries.

    * Next, we will host a Summit of Nations International Adoption Conference, which will engage global child welfare leaders in thoughtful dialog regarding best practices, problems and challenges, and potential solutions in order to compress the adoption timeline. Dr. Charles Nelson, Research Director, Developmental Medicine Research, Children’s Hospital Boston will be the key note speaker at the conference.

    * Lastly, BEB is currently supporting the production of a feature length documentary film that will serve as a catalyst in educating the world about the international adoption crisis. The project will reveal the full scope and complexity of international adoption today, showcasing the successes as well as the struggles in the modern-day efforts to find permanent families for parent-less children. Filming will take place on four continents and feature the key players in the international adoption scene: child development experts, policymakers, families, and the biggest stakeholders of all: children. The film is one of the many major projects planned by BEB to reverse the declining trend, by promoting a culture of adoption as a positive, expeditious alternative for orphaned children once attempts at family reunification and domestic adoption have failed. The film is tentatively scheduled for completion in Fall 2011.


BEB's nor my thoughts on the subject are simplistic.  Our mutual  goal is to INCREASE safeguards for children which include the removal of UNNECESSARY delays (red tape) in the current adoption system. The basic tenet of the program is the removal of commerce from the process of adoption. 

Red Tape benefits no one and the child is the one hurt the most. I do not suggest that rules and safe guards be removed but rather standardized.  I advocate for a standardized process for all sending countries based on best practices.  I want a process immune from corruption and inefficiency,while safe guarding all members of the triad.

A couple other thoughts on your comments

- I disagree, international adoption should not be a last choice...while I will agree family reunification and domestic adoption are preferred the last choice is starvation, life on the streets, institutions and waiting longer than one absolutely must to be placed in a permanent family.

-the over arching issues that cause children to become orphans are great and require much resource, political will and time to change.  These are important issues but I have chosen to focus my time and energy on what to do in the meantime with kids that suffer NOW and can not wait (or its too late to matter) for the big fix. (Would you criticize those who work for Make a Wish Foundation for not focusing on curing cancer?)

-regarding the allegation of colonialism/entitled rich Americans, well I guessed you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.  I'm erring on the side of "do"

-And, I DO want to make it easier for adoptive parents but that does not mean not fully vetting parents.  In fact we need to do a better job on that front to.  Unfortunately prospective parents today are mostly vetted by their  net worth and ability to navigate the inefficient and often corrupt process.  I would much rather focus on training and preparation of parents. Hopefully we will get there.



-regarding this notion that we are stepping over kids here to adopt kids there...honestly I find that to be offensive and racist, no different than suggesting I as white woman should only marry another white man.   Multiculturalism is not something to be feared. In our home it is celebrated and we are richer for it. We are a proud German, Portuguese, Swedish, Kazakh, Russian, Chinese AMERICAN family.

-RAD and the emotional consequences you mention are generally caused by the trauma of abandonment and institutional care, not adopting parents....in this case WE ARE THE GOOD GUYS.

Zander I sense you are an advocate for adoptee rights and I want you to know we are NOT on opposite sides.  We are each participants in an imperfect system needing major overhaul. And I'm trying to help make change for good....for all of us.

PS I would love to continue the conversation (NOT DEBATE) but please leave some direct contact info.  My email is loriprinty@gmail.com.  I want to understand.

Hey Zander, did you at least vote for me?

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Home Alone

 July 24, 2011

I want my family back.


There I said it.




Sorry to disappoint those lusting after my kid/husband free week but the truth is this week was sort of...

BORING.


I will give you it was nice to have my house clean for more than a minute and I am sure the dishwasher and washing machine appreciated taking the week off but it was just a little too quiet, too calm for me.

I actually read two books, got to my club pool for the first time all summer, did a craft project I'd been planning since before Nina came home, repainted my front door and lost three pounds.

By all measures a pretty good week

but

I want need my chaos kids back.

And my husband,

well it turns out I missed him most of all.

Sigh, six more hours.


NEED A FEW CLICKS TO STAY AT #1...CAN YOU HELP A LONELY GIRL OUT?
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In a Galaxy Far Far Away...aka Minnesota

 July 21, 2011

Aidan is not an outdoorsy kid.

Which is an understatement,

of galactic proportion.


Originally he was going to stay home but he sort of screwed up and this was his "punishment"...

A week in a cabin in the north country of Minnesota.


It's been hard on him because he would much rather be playing video games and hanging at the movies with his friends but mostly its hard because he's never really been in trouble before.  (Honestly I think this might be his first "grounding".) I almost backed off but we had to follow through to maintain credibility plus he was being a real P.I.T.A with begging us to let him off the hook.

He's been there for almost a week and apparently has not spoken.  At all.  A vow of silent protest. He's so dramatic.

Until today when he finally communicated and WROTE me this email;

"Subject: THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU WILL EVER READ

Mom its Aidan, and Nolan in spirit. The game we have been following for 3 years now, star wars the old republic just became available for pre order. While Nolan and I want to eventually get our own accounts, we want to start by deleting my wow account and transferring the funds to our new game. The only problem we have right now is that the game's pre-order (which comes with the ability to play the game months before it hits the shelves) is $173.99. I fully intend to pay for this but do not have the funds at the moment, and so I would like to create a contract where you would buy the game for Nolan and me, and we would pay it off as quickly as possible with allowance and services. 

Normally you would also receive interest for fronting the money...this will be replaced by you having rights to play the game when it arrives. 

While you consider this proposition, please take into consideration that I am currently in a boiling hot, overly humid, horse fly infested, HELL HOLE IN WHICH THERE IS NO ESCAPE!!!!!!"

As I said, sooooooo dramatic.

And in case you wondered,  I agreed to loan him the money (though I don't think I'll collect that "interest").

I pretty much couldn't say no after Dart sent a picture showing Aidan looking grossly hot, with a pitifully small fish that he apparently caught with a make shift fishing pole made from a clothes hanger.

I DO believe we have crossed over to cruel and unusual punishment

the force is strong...your fishing skills...not so much.


Please don't forget to click



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Isobel from Butterfly House



 I am heartsick, broken.  Dear sweet Isobel, who I held just a month ago, is gone.

Please if you have a heart to adopt PLEASE find a way to do so now. They can not wait.

And PRAY for Lyn and the nanny's at Butterfly House who filled Isobel with love, made her giggle and smile, soothed her tears and held her in their arms... to the end.

Here is the email I received from them. 

"It is with great sadness that we share the news that Isobel has passed away. This brave little
girl exceeded all our expectations – living for longer and with more joy than we originally
thought possible. Isobel was one of our first babies. She was sent to us due to her incurable
liver disease, and she soon became a princess in Butterfly Home. She learnt to charm her
way into the hearts of visitors, and gently tease her brothers and sisters. She was funny and
clever, with a little bit of drama about her too. Most importantly of all, she was loved, and
she reflected that love back to those around her.

Isobel passed away peacefully on the night of Tuesday 19th July in her nanny’s arms. Just
last week she was in great spirits – a cheeky little girl enjoying cuddles, music and playing
silly games. During the time leading up to her death, she was never alone, and the nannies
who love her sang and prayed over her as she slept. This special little princess will be
deeply missed at Butterfly Home. We are forever thankful for the support which allowed
Isobel to live a cherished life."

waking up from her nap when we first arrived

playing with my bracelets around her legs...

big smiles

lunch time

just wanting to play

you were loved

To You, O Lord, we humbly entrust this child, so precious in Your sight. Take Isobel into Your arms and welcome her into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping nor pain, but the fullness of peace and joy with Your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

To make a donation to Butterfly House in memory of Isobel please go here.  

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June Bug

 July 20, 2011

Please meet June... Junie B...  June Bug, whom I met while in China last month (yeah it was June). Smiley Junie B really wants a family of her own but sadly she has just a year left to find one. June just turned 13 and in China once a child turns 14 they can no longer be adopted.This is Junes last chance for a family to call her own.

June faces a harsh reality without a family. She needs someone to come forward NOW!

June is a very sweet and gentle little girl. I actually thought she was much younger because she was so small for her age that and she still liked to play. She played hopscotch and skipped rope and  when we marched around the driveway outside the orphanage with her and the other kids she stayed right by me singing and giggling so hard I thought she was going to fall over. Even at 13 there is still so much little girl in her!
June in the yellow dress (btw her faces is painted!)

June's special need is so slight that many in our group never even noticed it. And most importantly June wants to be adopted. I personally spoke to her about this and she says she wants a foreign family to adopt her. Experts will tell you this is a hugely positive factor for attachment with older children.

If you would like to learn more about June please email me at loriprinty@gmail.com.

You can also read more about June on my friend Shannon's blog.


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Fingerprint Notice

 July 19, 2011

USCIS were your ears burning?

Did you hear me say what an outrage it is that it takes months to process my immigration paperwork?

Is that why I got my fingerprint notice yesterday?


I don't mean to complain, I'm glad to finally have an appointment to be fingerprinted

for the 7th time in three years

but I'm curious...

Why can't you coordinate with the State of Ohio or the FBI and share the fingerprint results that we got 2 months ago in order to complete the home study we just sent you?

OR (if that is utterly ridiculous)

Why not use the same prints you have on file and run them again to see if in the months since our last adoption we have turned to a life of crime?

I know I'm just a little mom here in Podunk Ohio who doesn't understand how things work. I'm sure all this is way over my pay grade. And yet...I do have five soon to be six children and I am the CEO of a 50 million dollar company, and I do own my own consulting firm, write a "top mommy blog", and work with multiple charities....the point being I'm somewhat familiar with the concept of efficiency.

I know it's probably not real big in government circles but you might want to look it up..."eeeee-fficiency". And while your there; redundancy, bureaucracy, apathy, competency....

We are going on the 29th.  God help me if the biometrics dude reads this blog.

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AP's Go to Washington

 July 18, 2011

And I want you to come with me.

For the Empty Stroller March on the US Capital on August 26th.


The march is being organized by the Both Ends Burning Campaign, a global movement to transform the broken system of international adoption.
During the march protestors will be pushing empty strollers wrapped in red tape to represent the bureaucracy that prevents children from being with families.

WHO: Both Ends Burning Campaign
WHAT: “Empty Stroller” March on the U.S. Capitol.
WHEN: 2:00 pm; Aug. 26, 2011
WHERE: START: Children’s Carousel on National Mall
END: Upper Senate Park, Washington, D.C. 20001

Here is why I’m getting involved;

Both Ends Burning (BEB) is a campaign focused on transforming the process of international adoption.

A process that I have personally been both benefactor and victim of... I have been given two (soon to be three) beautiful daughters through international adoption BUT the process has been riddled with inefficiency, unnecessary delays, corruption, and exorbitant expense. It's broken and the fact that I "got out" with my girls isn't good enough.  The system needs to be fixed for the next family and the child still waiting for them.

BEB believes that growing up in a family is a child’s most basic human right.

As far as I’m concerned anything that gets in the way of this is an abuse. I know the arguments; heritage preservation, confirmed orphan status, child trafficking, they are all legitimate concerns. But I am taking about true orphaned kids waiting because of red tape, lack of funds, bureaucratic inefficacy and lack of political will. Don’t let anyone fool you; there is NO supply and demand issue here, just kids who need parents and QUALIFIED parents being blocked at every turn!


KAZ PARENTS HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD ADOPT ANOTHER CHILD FROM KAZ IF YOU COULD? IF KZ WAS OPEN, AND YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO COME UP WITH $50KOR LIVE THERE FOR 2 MONTHS? HOW ARE THE KIDS IN THE BABY HOUSES BETTER OFF TODAY, CLOSED OFF TO Families?

BEB also believes there must be a reduction in the amount of time it takes to place orphan children in their forever families in order to decrease the detrimental effects of institutionalization and for these children to be able to reach their full potential.

This is perhaps the most personal for me. Right now my daughter is ROTTING in an orphanage getting NONE of the services and LOVE that she is entitled to only because we, HER FAMILY, must wait for the red tape to process. WHY IS IT TAKING USCIS 90 DAYS TO PROCESS THE I800A FORM? As an adoption community we are very good about helping one another navigate the red tape but it is not enough. WE NEED TO CUT THE RED TAPE NOW AND FOREVER MORE.

CHINA PARENTS MOST OF US ARE ADOPTING KIDS WITH MEDICAL NEEDS, HOW CRITICAL ARE THOSE MONTHS OF USCIS DELAY TO OUR CHILDREN! WHY IS OUR OWN GOVERNMENT ALLOWED TO TAKE NEARLY A THOUSAND DOLLAR FEE AND GIVE SUCH CRAPPY SERVICE!!

HEY USCIS THEY ARE KIDS NOT CASES. HURRY UP!

And so I’m going to Washington and I’m going to push my taped up empty stroller and I’m going to hope and pray that somehow enough of us show up that someone in authority will care enough to do the right thing

So if you want to join me PLEASE DO. Leave a comment here or email me directly. Once I know who is coming I will arrange for meeting points, hotels and even driving buddies.

If you can’t go please sign the petition to end the red tape, consider joining BEB’s Campaign to improve international adoption and share this post with your friends in the adoption community.

And check out this video, it's spot on!  (BTW-and totally random- this is the kid from the viral "all the single ladies" video-too funny.)



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Daddy Dressed Me

 July 17, 2011

A few of you might have wondered worried about Dad taking the girls for a week.

I mean how on earth would he dress them?

well I got an email today and now we know.

sigh, well at least they match each other.

Now I'm wondering how many "I heart daddy" shirts he packed?

Dearest husband, if you are reading this...HAIR COMBING IS NOT OPTIONAL! xoxo

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Farewell Family

 July 15, 2011

Honestly I should be ashamed to admit



how happy I am



to see them



GO!


but come on a week at home without kids or husband

one week in the last 12 years

I mean you get that right?

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It's a GOD thing

 July 14, 2011

(GOD THING #1)
I didn’t plan to go to China on a mission trip until just a few weeks before I left.  Shannon the group’s leader emailed me pretty much on a whim.  She knew a friend who adopted a child from Kaz, (a child they also named Nina) and this friend read my blog and one day mentioned the blog and me to Shannon.  Shannon sent an email inviting me (a perfect stranger) to join her trip and without a ton of thinking about it I said yes.

I’ve mentioned here before that visiting orphans in China while your own child waits in a Chinese orphanage was not one of my better made plans.  Going into it I thought it would be a good way to fill the time while I waited for Mia to come home but the truth is it left me even more desperate to bring her home.  

We can wax on all we like about the nannies being so loving, the orphanage is clean, the Director is kind, blah, blah blah.  In fact I am sure someone reading this will say “yes BUT our orphanage was different” ….”They did the best they could with what they had”.

Maybe so, but would you send your kid there now?  Perhaps for a little summer camp? How about just one night?  I doubt it.

The truth is these places are awful, even the best of them simply pale in comparison to the ideal situation…a family.  

An orphanage is NOT a sunny day care center where kids just happen to spend the night. And frankly China standards and sensibilities are NOT America’s.  Every minute I was in the Chen Zhou SWI made me more aware of this and more impatient for Mia to come home.

But of course while by definition no orphanage can be considered “good” or even “good enough” some are better than others.  When we arrived at Shepherd’s Field I knew immediately that they were one of the “better” orphanages.  By the time I left I was consumed with one thought, “How do I get Mia here?”

(GOD THING #2)
Originally the trip to China did not include a stop at Shepherd’s Field but Shannon having a heart for all things adoption wanted to visit this place and help advocate for some of the children there.  It almost didn’t happen except for her tenacity (and Him of course).  

We spent only a few hours at Shepherd’s Field however I was able to tour though almost every building and see first hand how the children there were thriving.  The difference compared to Chen Zhou was remarkable.  Yes it was still an orphanage but efforts were taken as much as possible to approximate family life. I was able to meet and talk with Dr M, the American physician who ran the clinic at the facility and I was impressed once again at his passion for the children in his care.  He was a practical man who understood the limitations they faced but somehow remained cheerful.  I shared my story with him about Mia and he was (it seemed to me) both surprised and encouraging about our decision to adopt a child with cerebral palsy.

(GOD THING #3)
Because Shannon and I had a mission to meet all of the children available for adoption we were given tremendous access to the facility.  Although we were originally told we would not be allowed in the clinic our guide brought Shannon and me into the building anyway.  It was there that I met Dr M who would later play an important role in our mission to move Mia.

I came home from China and continued to think abut Mia and Chen Zhou and Shepherd’s Field.  I also learned that there were more delays for our adoption; delays that could push us well into 2012 until we are able to bring Mia home.  And so I took a chance.  Using Ann at Red Thread I sent a gift to Mia and a letter to her orphanage director.  A letter that asked if he would either allow us to provide for a private speech therapist or move her to Shepherd’s Field.  To my surprise he responded very quickly though Ann agreeing to either option. I immediately set about researching therapists in China and also sent an email to the people I had just met in China.

About a week went by.

(GOD THING #4)
A few nights ago we were laying in bed when a little after 11pm the phone rang.  It was Ann from Red Thread calling from China! She was calling us to follow up on our letter.  She said she was so moved by our request that she wanted to make sure the director knew how we would proceed. Since then she has worked as our unofficial translator and facilitator.

And then, finally, this morning came

(GOD THING #5!)
AN EMAIL FROM DR M AT SHEPHERD’S FIELD SAYING THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ACCEPT MIA!

I have to say that I am actually kind of completely shocked that this is going to happen because honestly I’ve never heard of anything like this before. This is not how things work in China.  

Mia will now be living in a family styled group home.  She will have PT, OT and speech therapy. If I can’t have her here, I’m glad she can be there! It is a miracle as far as I’m concerned.

A total GOD THING.


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Adding to your mostly correct perception of my present level of dysfuntion...,

 July 13, 2011

I am waiting for an email from Shepherd's Field in China.

Waiting to hear if they will permit Mia to be moved there.

REFRESH
REFRESH
REFRESH
REFRESH
REFRESH

Add the 12 hour time change and you start to get a picture of the logistical (much less psychological) difficulties at play.

1AM REFRESH
2AM REFRESH
3AM REBOOT, REFRESH
4AM CONTROL ALT DELETE, REBOOT, REFRESH

REFRESH, REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT! 




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Adoption Makes you do Crazy Things

 July 12, 2011




Just take the mail for instance.  We have to mail a lot of VERY IMPORTANT documents when adopting.  They don’t call it a “Paper Pregnancy” for nothing.  These certified, authenticated, apostilled, more valuable than gold documents are far too PRECIOUS for regular US post!
Oh No! All documents MUST be sent by overnight courier.

That said, a sign that you might have gone off the adoption deep end might be;

1.   You opened a personal Fed Ex accounts to send all important adoption documents in 12 hours or less.  You inquire if “guaranteed overnight” comes with a "penalty of death" clause?
my actual envelope going to USCIS
checked x3!

2.   You stake out locate the drop box with the earliest possible pick up time.  You inform driver if he is late.  You don’t actually have a package for that day since you are simply checking on his reliability for future mailings.

3.   When you actually do mail something you drop the envelope in the slot and open a minimum of 3 times to assure envelope actually drops inside.  A flashlight may be helpful at this stage. (Also one might choose to photograph envelope as it about to be dropped into the box to post in your adoption blog or baby book.)

4.   You wait near said drop box until truck arrives to empty box. You assure no package is dropped or otherwise left behind. You check the driver's ID.

5.   You consider following the truck but realize THAT would be ridiculous. 

No chance of delay..."my" box outside
FedEx Operations building

6.   Instead you opt to track your package online, hitting the “refresh” button every 5 to 10 minutes.

7.   Upon receiving an electronic confirmation that your package was delivered you call the recipient to confirm the online system is correct.  Of course,  you insist package is opened and that all items in package are described in detail to assure nothing escaped from envelope during transit.





 
And the real kick in the teeth is, after all that OCD diligence, more often than not your envelope ends up lost on some bureaucrats desk, ignored for weeks and months on end.

Which might be a subject for my next post..

I’m thinking about calling it, “WTF, MY KID IS ROTTING IN AN ORPHANAGE WHILE YOU TAKE A TWO HOUR LUNCH AT PANERA!

I digress.
Your turn now...fess up...who has stalked the Fed Ex truck? Who's mail man has filed a TRO?  And, who has USCIS on speed dial?

Signed,
Mia's Mama
Day 13, (not) Patiently waiting for her I800a approval!

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(Sigh.......)

 July 11, 2011

There are days (like today), when a dull cheerlessness washes over me. I’m not sad, not at all.  I think, possibly,  I’m just a teeny, tiny, little bit bored.
It is the kind of ennui that I have grown to expect after a whirlwind of activity such that I have had in the last few months, made worse I think by the relentless tedium of the adoption wait. Expected or not, it’s my most uncomfortable state.
In many ways I thrive in the chaos of too many projects, deadlines, big goals and always, ALWAYS something new and exciting.  My comfort zone is sort being OUT of my comfort zone. That or I need Ritalin.
I’ve always had that tendency but since turning (ahem) 45 a month ago it has intensified.  I feel like time is moving faster and things on my to-do list are not getting crossed off fast enough. 
Each day feels precious: too precious to waste.
 And yet at the same time there is also a deep sense of appreciation for the slowness of some days, (like today I suppose)...days when I don’t collapse into bed until well after midnight, exhausted and feeling like I missed something important.  
Days when I can be earthy and romantic and aware. And I know I need this too.
I ping pong between these states of hyper activity and Zen-like tranquility, not certain which I prefer. I sense a balance somewhere in between is best. Normal. Just not for me.
Such bourgeois (non) drama for a Monday morning huh?
Please tell me I’m not alone. And if you have the recipe for perfect balance please do share.

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The longest part of the paperchase...

 July 9, 2011

Not that this makes for great reading but I wanted to briefly share, (MEMORIALIZE),  a little bit of Mia adoption progress.

This afternoon as I was cleaning up from a glamorous day of pressure washing our patio Dart rounded the corner to the backyard waving an envelope like it was some sort of a trophy.

Well sort of.

It was our I800a notice of receipt!

And so we are officially, FINALLY (as of June 30th) in line with USCIS.

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How Will I Live?

 July 8, 2011

For the record, I don't personally know Jamie.  I was asked if I would be willing to let her write a guest post on the subject of mesothelioma. This is a personal blog, an adoption blog:  I do not write about cancer.  And she had no way of knowing that my grandfather, a larger than life, teddy bear of a man, died of mesothelioma.


Guest Post By: Jackie Clark

News of your impending death is a heart breaking revelation that is extremely stressful. For a young mother on the threshold of parenthood, eagerly planning the kind of life she herself never had for her child, news of a terminal illness is devastating. Even though every sickness is not unto death, a young mother who faces the challenges of that possible separation learns early on that her nurturing and parenting skills take on an urgency that is different from those who appear to be in the picture of health. The interesting thing about that difference is that it's the very thing that will enable her to live. This yearning to watch my child grow created a fight in me that could not be beaten.

For those who might not know, mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer that develops in the protective lining of the stomach, lungs, and or the cavity around the heart. Because the disease is asymptomatic, early diagnosis is difficult. This allows the disease to thrive; its long latency period keeps it from being detected until it is in the advanced stages. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos and inhalation of asbestos particles. Although it has no known cure, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation offer curative or palliative treatments designed to extend life, alleviate pain, and increase the mesothelioma life expectancy. For me these treatments have co-in sided with my fight. I have beaten the odds; I am a mesothelioma survivor.

As a young mother with mesothelioma, you can still be a great mother. You will have to plant things in your young children that someone else may have to water and harvest, but your awareness of this lets you plan and make quality decisions for your child's life and future. You can decide how you want to be remembered; you can plan memorable activities and events for the two of you; you can keep a journal or write stories telling your children about you and your dreams for them. The little things that you do now will make a mark on your child's heart that cannot be erased.

Mesothelioma is a killer, but it doesn’t have to completely destroy you. Despite the prognosis you hold the keys to how you live your life and raise your children. When you face death through mesothelioma, it can be on your own terms. You've found a way to live.

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Hope Springs Eternal

 July 5, 2011

Well GREAT NEWS we got the OK from Mia's orphanage director to bring in speech therapy or move her to Shepherd's Field! Operation "Let's Talk" in underway.

I have sent out about 30 emails so far this morning trying to locate speech therapists to work with Mia in Guangdong.  I’ve heard back from a couple of US based folks who have provided a couple leads and of course I followed up on those as soon as I got them.  Most of my inquiries went to China though where is well past business hours.  I’m hoping and praying I’ll get a positive response by morning.

It turns out that speech pathology is not a widely practiced modality in China so there is a very real shortage of trained professionals with most therapists clustered in major metropolitan areas. (Mia is not in a major metropolitan area.)  Realistically the odds of finding someone who can get to Mia’s orphanage are not good but I’m an optimist and believer in everyday miracles. 

Relentless Hope… it’s sort of a gift (or curse) of mine.

I have also contacted Shepherd’s Field to inquire about the possibility of having Mia live there while we wait to bring her home. 

Shepherd’s Field was one of the orphanages we visited while in China last month.  It is an American run, group foster home styled “village” located about an hour outside of Beijing.  Compared to the State run orphanages it was Shangri-La.  Shepherd’s Field is a complex of buildings including home style residences for the children, a clinic, a school, an activity center, green space, a playground and an inn for parents to stay while bonding with their children.  Add to that American trained physicians, regular visits by physical and speech therapist, English and Chinese preschool and a caregiver for every two children and you start to get an idea of how exceptional this place is.
One of my very distinct observations about Shepherd’s Field was that the babies there were babbling and making all the appropriate pre language gurgles one would expect from a toddler.  Not so in the Social Welfare Institute.  There the babies were near silent, already showing signs of “typical institutional” language delays. Even without therapy I am certain Mia would develop better language skills at Shepard’s Field but of course they have the therapy too.
I’m torn about uprooting her from the only “home” she knows and its hard to know the best option.  Then again I don’t know if either is a realistic possibility yet.  Mia’s orphanage director has said yes to both options but I need to identify resources and get a few more people to say “yes” before we make any real progress.
This parenting from the other side of the world is tough.

To learn more about Shepherd’s Field and how you can sponsor a SF child please visit their website here.


Hey check it out we are back at #1 Mommy Blog.  Keep up the good work.  And, keep clicking that brown bar down there. While you are at it, say a little prayer that a Chinese speech therapist who just happens to summer in Guangdong reads Top Mommy Blogs!

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Kazapalooza 2011

 July 1, 2011

We are on the road heading to Philly to meet up with a couple families from our China travel group. Can't wait to see how these families have blossomed.

Made me think that I never shared any pics from last month's Kazapalooza in Tampa.

It was a great event from what I could tell. I spent most of my time working so it's hard to say.

We had almost 400 kids, parents, grandparents and friends attend. The local news even showed up!

Here are a few pics from the weekend...
(the last two are my favorites. It's Nina Bea with her kaz BFF Sadie K, this year and two years ago at her first Palooza.)





PS don't forget to click the brown top mommy box. Number 1 is getting closer!

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