Well we did NOT I repeat did NOT get our I-171H yet! Dave though is now convinced we will get it tomorrow since we can't go downtown again until Tuesday. I REALLY REALLY REALLY want him to be right. Actually I would even be fine with us getting it Friday or Saturday so we could take care of it on Tuesday. Dave is off all next week so if we get it sometime in the next couple of days we will be able to go downtown together....oh did I mention without the boys???? This school thing is getting better and better...LOL.
On another subject I joined Curves yesterday and had my first workout today. Can I tell you I'm really sore now? I will be going on Tuesday and Wednesdays after I drop the boys off at school and either on Mondays or Fridays after work. I think Fridays would be better so its not all in a row huh? We'll see how the schedule at work goes for that. I hope this will eventually become a routine for me and that I will actually NOT dread going. Keep your fingers crossed for my form and also for me to continue to go to Curves and eventually tolerate it...
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Sunday, August 27, 2006
This past week
This week has been a roller coaster of emotions for me. Tuesday my babies started their first day of kindergarten. I was really worried about Matthew so was thrown for a loop when he was fine and Bailey was crying.
Let me recap the morning for you. The boys woke up way too early and I had to yell at them twice to get back to sleep. Fast forward to us getting to the school. The boys are playing in the playground and Bailey was trying to go on the monkey bars and of course fell. He cried for a few seconds but got over it.
The school bell rings and I put Bailey in his line and tell him I going to get Matthew in his line. By the time I get back to Bailey he is crying. He is confused about where he is supposed to be. A mom of a boy from preschool reassures him but he is still scared until I get back there. He finally calms down and all of a sudden he starts crying again asking "Where will I see
you after school is over?????" I reassure him that I will be exactly where I am now. I keep checking on Matthew from a distance and he looks nervous but fine. I do not want to rock that boat so I stay with Bailey until they walk into school. This whole time I am holding back and trying not to cry in front of Bailey. Once they got into school I walked back to my van and started crying for over 10 minutes. After that I went shopping.The rest of the day was fine and the boys were excited to tell me about their days in school. It was great! Wednesday, Thursday and Friday all had the same ending to the day. We surprised them by both Mommy and Daddy picking them up from school on Friday. They loved it!
On the adoption front things are still at a standstill. I am STILL waiting for our I-171H. My social worker called CIS on Tuesday to find out they are not accepting any calls for the rest of the month since they are moving!!!! This is the most frustrating part of this for me so far. I have other adoption friends who are complaining about the wait between LID and referral. At this point I would just love to be able to say my documents are on their way to my agency or better yet they have gone through critical review and are being sent to China.....As many of you know I am NOT very patient!!!
The above pictures are of the boys with their teachers on "Meet the teacher night"
Saturday, August 19, 2006
My boys
Originally I thought this blog would be primarily to post things going on with our adoption. As I have been doing this for the past 6 weeks or so I realize I am also posting about our entire family. Today I will be focusing on the two special boys who I am proud to be their Mommy.
Many of you know that I am having a little difficulty coping with the fact that my babies will start kindergarten this Tuesday. It is hard to believe that they are growing up and no longer babies. It really does seem like just yesterday that I held each of them for the first time. Time has definitely flown.
We decided back in January that we would have the boys in separate classrooms. We did this for a multitude of reasons but most importantly for them to grow as individuals. Bailey is very outgoing and has no problems making friends. Matthew is more quiet and reserved so with his brother there he will just hang with him or the friends his brother has made for the two of them. Bailey tends to be bossy with Matthew though. We wanted them to both be able to bask in their own spotlights and make their own friends.
Well we found last week who their teachers and classmates would be. I was beyond devastated! Looking at the class lists made me literally sick to my stomach. Bailey is in a class with their two little friends from preschool. Matthew is in a class where he knows no one. I dreaded telling them and what the outcome would be. The talk with the boys went much better than I thought. Bailey of course was excited with his classmates. Matthew was a little sad but the more we talked I realized what is scaring them the most (which deep down I already knew) was that they weren't going to be together. We told them that they would be able to see eachother at lunch and at recess and for now they are ok.
Mommy on the other hand is still beyond nervous for her little boys. They have been in daycare and preschool already but this is different. They will be away from eachother for 6 hours a day. They will not have eachother to protect them or encourage them. I know they will be fine but its still scary.
I have changed the song on this to represent the things I want my boys to do. I want them to get in there and shine. I want them to play, learn, and have fun in kindergarten. I want them to play with new children, create new memories and love life. There is a line in the song that says "if you get the chance to sit it out or dance. I hope you dance." This is all I want for my boys.
Boys good luck on your new adventure and know that Mommy and Daddy are right behind you cheering you on.
Many of you know that I am having a little difficulty coping with the fact that my babies will start kindergarten this Tuesday. It is hard to believe that they are growing up and no longer babies. It really does seem like just yesterday that I held each of them for the first time. Time has definitely flown.
We decided back in January that we would have the boys in separate classrooms. We did this for a multitude of reasons but most importantly for them to grow as individuals. Bailey is very outgoing and has no problems making friends. Matthew is more quiet and reserved so with his brother there he will just hang with him or the friends his brother has made for the two of them. Bailey tends to be bossy with Matthew though. We wanted them to both be able to bask in their own spotlights and make their own friends.
Well we found last week who their teachers and classmates would be. I was beyond devastated! Looking at the class lists made me literally sick to my stomach. Bailey is in a class with their two little friends from preschool. Matthew is in a class where he knows no one. I dreaded telling them and what the outcome would be. The talk with the boys went much better than I thought. Bailey of course was excited with his classmates. Matthew was a little sad but the more we talked I realized what is scaring them the most (which deep down I already knew) was that they weren't going to be together. We told them that they would be able to see eachother at lunch and at recess and for now they are ok.
Mommy on the other hand is still beyond nervous for her little boys. They have been in daycare and preschool already but this is different. They will be away from eachother for 6 hours a day. They will not have eachother to protect them or encourage them. I know they will be fine but its still scary.
I have changed the song on this to represent the things I want my boys to do. I want them to get in there and shine. I want them to play, learn, and have fun in kindergarten. I want them to play with new children, create new memories and love life. There is a line in the song that says "if you get the chance to sit it out or dance. I hope you dance." This is all I want for my boys.
Boys good luck on your new adventure and know that Mommy and Daddy are right behind you cheering you on.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
I am such an idiot!!
I can't believe myself sometimes!! I went to Kinkos this morning to copy the authentication page and then send off my info minus the I-171H. While there I realized that I never had my adoption petition certified or authenticated!!! I had them with me but for whatever reason I NEVER gave them to the SOS and therefore didn't give them to the Consulate. I never even realized that I had forgotten it until today!!! I am glad I caught it myself but now I am two steps behind again. I now will wait until I get my I-171H and go get those two forms taken care of at the same time!!! I will pay the extra money to have everything expedited though. Hopefully I will have everything to our agency by the beginning of Sept and hopefully have a LID sometime in Sept. Please continue to pray that we speed ahead with this form and get moving again. I HATE being at a standstill!! I HATE not being in control as well.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Pics from Sunday
Extended family pic
Bryan, Carly and Josh
I have finally beaten the system and am able to post some pictures from Sunday. The top one is of the whole family including Carly's father and grandmother. The middle one is of the 4 cousins that until June of this year hadn't seen eachother in 17 years. Its great to be a family again!!
Still waiting
We are still waiting fot our I-171H. Our social worker believes we will have it this week. I will keep my fingers crossed but no longer am thinking positive about when we will get it. On a more positive note though I will be getting my documents from the Chinese Consulate this morning. Here is the status as of this morning...
Aug 15, 2006
7:28AM On FedEx vehicle for delivery
7:17AM At local FedEx facility
Aug 14, 2006
11:27PM Arrived at FedEx location
10:14PM Left origin
4:07PM Picked up
Today I will go get copies made of the Consulate sheet and also print all of our picutes and get more passport pictures. I will send everything out to my agency tomorrow.
Another cool thing happened this weekend. We got together with my family who we hadn't seen in over 15 years. My older cousin Bryan and his wife Carly had a baby naming ceremony for their son Josh. I will post pictures from the event. It is soo nice having more family again. I only have two cousins so its wonderful to finally be reconnected to them and my aunt and uncle. Can't wait for our next get together in two weeks!!
Aug 15, 2006
7:28AM On FedEx vehicle for delivery
7:17AM At local FedEx facility
Aug 14, 2006
11:27PM Arrived at FedEx location
10:14PM Left origin
4:07PM Picked up
Today I will go get copies made of the Consulate sheet and also print all of our picutes and get more passport pictures. I will send everything out to my agency tomorrow.
Another cool thing happened this weekend. We got together with my family who we hadn't seen in over 15 years. My older cousin Bryan and his wife Carly had a baby naming ceremony for their son Josh. I will post pictures from the event. It is soo nice having more family again. I only have two cousins so its wonderful to finally be reconnected to them and my aunt and uncle. Can't wait for our next get together in two weeks!!
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Tagged again
Thanks Jessica!!
I am...a true friend, loving, caring, sensitive.
I want...my I-171H!!!!
I wish...that we could get Diana by next summer.
I hate...terriorists!!!
I miss...my step-mom Char. She would love to be here for all of this.
I hear...the boys watch some goofy cartoon.
I wonder...if Diana has even been conceived yet.
I regret...nothing.
I am not...good at giving up control.
I dance...with Bailey and Matthew or with Dave at all weddings.
I sing...all the time but terribly in my car.
I cry...at the drop of a hat....
I am not always...organized.
I make....great brownies, taffy apple salad and ground beef with asparagus.
I confuse...peoples' names all the time even if I have known them forever.
I need...my husband and my boys...and Diana even though she isn't' here yet.
I should...get to work.
I start...projects with great intentions until the next project sparks my interest.
I finish...whatever needs to be done the most.
I will now tag Kym and Tina.
I am...a true friend, loving, caring, sensitive.
I want...my I-171H!!!!
I wish...that we could get Diana by next summer.
I hate...terriorists!!!
I miss...my step-mom Char. She would love to be here for all of this.
I hear...the boys watch some goofy cartoon.
I wonder...if Diana has even been conceived yet.
I regret...nothing.
I am not...good at giving up control.
I dance...with Bailey and Matthew or with Dave at all weddings.
I sing...all the time but terribly in my car.
I cry...at the drop of a hat....
I am not always...organized.
I make....great brownies, taffy apple salad and ground beef with asparagus.
I confuse...peoples' names all the time even if I have known them forever.
I need...my husband and my boys...and Diana even though she isn't' here yet.
I should...get to work.
I start...projects with great intentions until the next project sparks my interest.
I finish...whatever needs to be done the most.
I will now tag Kym and Tina.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Paperchasing at its finest
Ok so I bit the bullet and decided to go downtown and get all my documents certified and authenticated today. I am still missing my I-171H but I thought I would get these done to keep myself sane. I'm not so sure the sane part is working....
I take the boys with me and we get to the SOS and get our stuff certified without any issues. We then go to get them photocopied and then drive to the Consulate. We park at a meter (thanks Debra) two blocks away. We get to the Consulate and I get ready to stand in line and then read the sign. I had brought a prepaid Fedex mailer with me so they could just send me my docs instead of me or Dave having to come back downtown. Anyway the sign says that you MUST pay with a money order or certified check in order to do this. I have cash. I ask the security guard where I can get a money order. He tells me and off we walk two blocks to get the money order.
We get back, I wait my turn in line. When the lady goes through my documents she says "10 documents right?" I respond "No, there are 11." She recounts and then asks me to count them. I realize I have left one document in the car. We get out of line and then walk 2 blocks back to the car to get that other document. I am praying it is there otherwise I have left it in the copy machine at Kinkos about 1 1/2 miles away. We get to the car and thank goodness its there. We go back to the Consulate and the doorman is now laughing because I have been back twice before this. This time everything is a go and we are on our way. We walked 12 blocks (two blocks at a time) to get all I needed. Boy do I have a story for Diana...
Now back to waiting...this time for my authenticated documents and of course for that blasted I-171H. Trust me the world will know when I get that final document.
Oh yeah, I forgot to say that Bailey and Matthew were INCREDIBLE throughout the whole morning. They will be rewarded tomorrow. Not sure how but stay tuned...
I take the boys with me and we get to the SOS and get our stuff certified without any issues. We then go to get them photocopied and then drive to the Consulate. We park at a meter (thanks Debra) two blocks away. We get to the Consulate and I get ready to stand in line and then read the sign. I had brought a prepaid Fedex mailer with me so they could just send me my docs instead of me or Dave having to come back downtown. Anyway the sign says that you MUST pay with a money order or certified check in order to do this. I have cash. I ask the security guard where I can get a money order. He tells me and off we walk two blocks to get the money order.
We get back, I wait my turn in line. When the lady goes through my documents she says "10 documents right?" I respond "No, there are 11." She recounts and then asks me to count them. I realize I have left one document in the car. We get out of line and then walk 2 blocks back to the car to get that other document. I am praying it is there otherwise I have left it in the copy machine at Kinkos about 1 1/2 miles away. We get to the car and thank goodness its there. We go back to the Consulate and the doorman is now laughing because I have been back twice before this. This time everything is a go and we are on our way. We walked 12 blocks (two blocks at a time) to get all I needed. Boy do I have a story for Diana...
Now back to waiting...this time for my authenticated documents and of course for that blasted I-171H. Trust me the world will know when I get that final document.
Oh yeah, I forgot to say that Bailey and Matthew were INCREDIBLE throughout the whole morning. They will be rewarded tomorrow. Not sure how but stay tuned...
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Weekend Happenings
Some pics from our weekend...
We had a pretty eventful weekend this week. Friday night me and one of my adoption friends Kelly went out for dinner. We had great food, great (strong) Margarita and of course most importantly great conversation. I told Kelly how amazing this whole process is. When we started out on this journey we knew we would be getting a baby girl and that we would begin to incorporate her heritage within ours. I never knew how many GREAT people I would meet who I probably would have never met except for this adoption. We have truly made some wonderful new friends!!
Saturday we went to Dave's company picnic. It was at a AA baseball game. After the game they put on a great fireworks display. The boys had a blast!!
Today was another awesome day! We had a get together/bbq with other families who are either adopting or have adopted from China. It is so good to meet people in our area who know exactly what you are going through. Also it is great because there will be families that look like our family to have playdates with. Again it was great food and Great company. Thank you Danielle for hosting us especially since you will be leaving in less than two weeks to get your little boy Charlie. Good luck with everything!!
We had a pretty eventful weekend this week. Friday night me and one of my adoption friends Kelly went out for dinner. We had great food, great (strong) Margarita and of course most importantly great conversation. I told Kelly how amazing this whole process is. When we started out on this journey we knew we would be getting a baby girl and that we would begin to incorporate her heritage within ours. I never knew how many GREAT people I would meet who I probably would have never met except for this adoption. We have truly made some wonderful new friends!!
Saturday we went to Dave's company picnic. It was at a AA baseball game. After the game they put on a great fireworks display. The boys had a blast!!
Today was another awesome day! We had a get together/bbq with other families who are either adopting or have adopted from China. It is so good to meet people in our area who know exactly what you are going through. Also it is great because there will be families that look like our family to have playdates with. Again it was great food and Great company. Thank you Danielle for hosting us especially since you will be leaving in less than two weeks to get your little boy Charlie. Good luck with everything!!
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
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