Hello everyone!
This is Heather's friend Molly. Heather asked me to update everyone on her situation. She is in China and has discovered that she cannot gain access to this blog from there.
However, we needn't fret! Heather has devised an alternate plan and we can still enjoy the adventure from afar. She asked me to redirect everyone to her new travel journal.
You can access it by going to www.journeytome.com. On the home page, you simply click the adoption journal link on the left side. On the next page, you will be prompted to enter a user name and password.
User name: Zhong
Password: Zhong
Heather will be updating this new spot with details of her wonderful adventure.
I, for one, will be following it closely.
Happy travels Heather, P and Zhong!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
T minus 1
The piles have now found their way to the suitcases, the paperwork has been checked, double checked and put in its proper order (hopefully), the lists have been assembled for grandma who is staying with the kiddos......what have I forgotten?? I am sure there is something that has been ommitted from the bags or the lists, but hopefully nothing life shattering.
The two older kiddos have been on edge the last few days....V especially is "fragile" as we like to say; weeping and easily brought to the edge of his composure. The arrival of my mom yesterday brought home my own weepy reality that I will be LEAVING MY KIDS tomorrow. Eeek. I had anticipated that it would be hard for them, but that they would adjust (and they will!). I had not properly anticipated how hard it would be FOR ME! I am trying to spend special time one on one with all of them this week. M and I had "coffee", painted nails and did art projects at the community art space. She was in heaven. Now time with V this afternoon. He wants to buy a jump rope! How could a mom not give into a request like that!!??
My mom is taking a quick course in "Our Family" 101. The final exam is a sink or swim killer!
This is the pile....oh did I say pile, I meant ream..... of notes that I have left behind....."pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explainin' what each one is..." *** I know that my mom is sure to appreciate the stacks of teduim as she tries to replicate our day to day. If she could only find the time to sit down and read them!!!
The countdown has begun......
***I will give a blog shout-out to anyone who comments with the correct artist and song title responsible this quotation! But know that in naming it you will be carbon dating yourself somewhat here in bloggityville.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Housekeeping: figurative and literal
On to housekeeping chores. First the figurative....if you received an announcement about this site from a yahoo email account, please don't send things to that email address. It won't be answered! While in China, I will continue to monitor my regular email account, so feel free to use that address! (Or just comment here to show me the bloggy love.)
Next (and I guess this is still more figurative housekeeping, as it has nothing to do with my actual house), we received the itinerary from our agency about what our days in China will look like. Here it is:
3.8 - P and I arrive in Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu province
3.9 - We have a day in Nanjing to recover from 30 hours of travelling, and get our bearings.
3.10 - We will meet Zhong at the Provincial Civil Affairs office in the morning. This will begin our 24 hour "bonding period." This period of time is standard in Chinese adoptions, to give parents a chance to do what??? I am not sure. I think this is a period of time that some (although hopefully very few) adoptive parents decide that this adoption isn't for them (**see below for my editorial comments about this....) Interestingly, we did not have this allotted period of time with M. We DID sign paperwork at the time saying that we had had this period, and found her acceptable, but we actually did nothave the official period of time. We signed all the papers on the very afternoon we met her!!
3.11 - Return to the Civil Affairs office and complete adoption paperwork, registration, notarization and start the passport process.
3.12 - take P to the airport to fly home....wasn't that a short trip for him? But he DOES get to fly back without being responsible for anyone but himself!! Z and I will then take the train to Suzhou city, the city where her Social Welfard Institute (SWI) is located.
3.13 - We will visit the SWI in the morning (I am unbelievably excited about this opportunity. We got to spend lots of time in the Children's Center in Vietnam where the boys lived, but did not receive permission to visit M's SWI in 2004.) In the afternoon Z and I will visit some botanical gardens and the Suzhou.
3.14 - Take to train back to Nanjing, pick up Z's passport and then fly to Guangzhou
3.15 - Do Z's medical exam and visa photo
3.16 - Sightseeing, hanging out in Guangzhou, where the spring time weather should be fabulous!
3.17 - 9am visa appointment
3.18 - Oath at the US Consulate office, pick up visa
3.19 - Depart for home!
Now to the literal housekeeping - Today is the first day since Feb17th that we have not had houseguests. We of course had a great time with everyone. The last set of guests was a family of 8 that included 6 kids, five of whom are under 10. Combined with my three, this made for a crazy, fun place. But, now that the guests are all gone, I am setting things right in the house, piling my dining room table high with things that are going to China, and getting everything in order! Hard to believe that we leave a week from today!
** Editorial comments - I think that it is truely difficult to assess what a child's personality, capabilities and suitability for a particular family are like when they are experiencing one of the most traumatic and scary events in their lives. Although I think very few parents use this "bonding" period as a way of disrupting their adoption of a particular child, it is still something that happens sometimes. All of my children have reacted/acted differently with us during the first 72 hours of their lives with us, then how they reacted/acted once they got to know us. In fairness, I likely acted/reacted to them differently to them in those first few days then I did once I got to know them, and what they wanted, needed, and how their unique personalities shaped how they wanted those needs met! T's transition to us was extremely difficult, but within 3 weeks he was a different kid, within three months he was completely different, and today he resembles that "boy of day one, two and three" not at all!
Next (and I guess this is still more figurative housekeeping, as it has nothing to do with my actual house), we received the itinerary from our agency about what our days in China will look like. Here it is:
3.8 - P and I arrive in Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu province
3.9 - We have a day in Nanjing to recover from 30 hours of travelling, and get our bearings.
3.10 - We will meet Zhong at the Provincial Civil Affairs office in the morning. This will begin our 24 hour "bonding period." This period of time is standard in Chinese adoptions, to give parents a chance to do what??? I am not sure. I think this is a period of time that some (although hopefully very few) adoptive parents decide that this adoption isn't for them (**see below for my editorial comments about this....) Interestingly, we did not have this allotted period of time with M. We DID sign paperwork at the time saying that we had had this period, and found her acceptable, but we actually did nothave the official period of time. We signed all the papers on the very afternoon we met her!!
3.11 - Return to the Civil Affairs office and complete adoption paperwork, registration, notarization and start the passport process.
3.12 - take P to the airport to fly home....wasn't that a short trip for him? But he DOES get to fly back without being responsible for anyone but himself!! Z and I will then take the train to Suzhou city, the city where her Social Welfard Institute (SWI) is located.
3.13 - We will visit the SWI in the morning (I am unbelievably excited about this opportunity. We got to spend lots of time in the Children's Center in Vietnam where the boys lived, but did not receive permission to visit M's SWI in 2004.) In the afternoon Z and I will visit some botanical gardens and the Suzhou.
3.14 - Take to train back to Nanjing, pick up Z's passport and then fly to Guangzhou
3.15 - Do Z's medical exam and visa photo
3.16 - Sightseeing, hanging out in Guangzhou, where the spring time weather should be fabulous!
3.17 - 9am visa appointment
3.18 - Oath at the US Consulate office, pick up visa
3.19 - Depart for home!
Now to the literal housekeeping - Today is the first day since Feb17th that we have not had houseguests. We of course had a great time with everyone. The last set of guests was a family of 8 that included 6 kids, five of whom are under 10. Combined with my three, this made for a crazy, fun place. But, now that the guests are all gone, I am setting things right in the house, piling my dining room table high with things that are going to China, and getting everything in order! Hard to believe that we leave a week from today!
** Editorial comments - I think that it is truely difficult to assess what a child's personality, capabilities and suitability for a particular family are like when they are experiencing one of the most traumatic and scary events in their lives. Although I think very few parents use this "bonding" period as a way of disrupting their adoption of a particular child, it is still something that happens sometimes. All of my children have reacted/acted differently with us during the first 72 hours of their lives with us, then how they reacted/acted once they got to know us. In fairness, I likely acted/reacted to them differently to them in those first few days then I did once I got to know them, and what they wanted, needed, and how their unique personalities shaped how they wanted those needs met! T's transition to us was extremely difficult, but within 3 weeks he was a different kid, within three months he was completely different, and today he resembles that "boy of day one, two and three" not at all!
Friday, February 22, 2008
Airline Tickets and AARP
Well, this week has been productive....not only did we get the travel approval necessary for collecting little ZhongZhong, but also purchased airline tickets to haul our behinds to China, AND more exciting, I recevied my first AARP card in the mail.
Now, I know that I am getting "up there" in years compared to some that are still adding to their families, but come on people.....my family will be complete after this adoption, and I will STILL be "only" 40! Now, I admit that this number is a far cry from the "35" I planned as the "family cut off date" more than a decade ago, and before I even had kiddlets. But in the scheme of things, given I was 35.5 ( I count in half years as if I were still in elementary school) when my first child came home, and I am now nearly 4 kids into this parenting thing, I don't think I've done too badly. The reality of an (unsolicited) AARP card in my name is disconcerting nonetheless. And the letter that boldly stated "You are now elgible." What's a woman to do??
Our travel plans are coming together and we will be leaving Albuquerque on March 6th, arriving in China on March 8th. We will meet Zhong on the 10th, and the rest will fall into place thereafter. Hubbie will be flying home on March 12th. I haven't received the official itinerary from our agency, but do know that our visa appointment at the consulate in Guangzhou has been scheduled for March 17th, and my flight home leaves China on March 19th. Compared to our Vietnamese adoptions, this in-country trip is so quick. 16 months ago we were about to leave to pick up T, know that it would be about 27 days before we returned home. I will be gone exactly 14 days, and that includes nearly two days of travel on either side of being in China. Amazing!
I am starting to get really excited about this adventure.
Now, I know that I am getting "up there" in years compared to some that are still adding to their families, but come on people.....my family will be complete after this adoption, and I will STILL be "only" 40! Now, I admit that this number is a far cry from the "35" I planned as the "family cut off date" more than a decade ago, and before I even had kiddlets. But in the scheme of things, given I was 35.5 ( I count in half years as if I were still in elementary school) when my first child came home, and I am now nearly 4 kids into this parenting thing, I don't think I've done too badly. The reality of an (unsolicited) AARP card in my name is disconcerting nonetheless. And the letter that boldly stated "You are now elgible." What's a woman to do??
Our travel plans are coming together and we will be leaving Albuquerque on March 6th, arriving in China on March 8th. We will meet Zhong on the 10th, and the rest will fall into place thereafter. Hubbie will be flying home on March 12th. I haven't received the official itinerary from our agency, but do know that our visa appointment at the consulate in Guangzhou has been scheduled for March 17th, and my flight home leaves China on March 19th. Compared to our Vietnamese adoptions, this in-country trip is so quick. 16 months ago we were about to leave to pick up T, know that it would be about 27 days before we returned home. I will be gone exactly 14 days, and that includes nearly two days of travel on either side of being in China. Amazing!
I am starting to get really excited about this adventure.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
We have Travel Approval
Today we heard from our agency that we have received travel approval. They are anticipating that we will leave for China in two weeks time. Eek......two weeks. We will be leaving behind the three older kidlets who will be staying with Grandma. Hubbie will be in China for the first few days and then traveling home to help with the kids and I will finish out the trip on my own.
This is a picture of the sweet family on Christmas morning in their hand knit goodies from mom.
V is 5, M is 4, T is 3.......V and T are from Vietnam and M is from China.
Our new little girl is 2, living in SuZhou SWI in Jiangsu province, PRC.
This is a picture of the sweet family on Christmas morning in their hand knit goodies from mom.
V is 5, M is 4, T is 3.......V and T are from Vietnam and M is from China.
Our new little girl is 2, living in SuZhou SWI in Jiangsu province, PRC.
I need to warn you all at the outset of this that I am not a blogger, I am not an eloquent writer, i am not a great photographer, I don't have the discerning eye of a graphic artist. What I am is a mom who is about to embark on her fourth and last international adoption journey. I am leaving behind some little ones who are very dear to me, and I want to easily be able to show them photos and videos of their new sister.
So, thanks for joining me, and feel free to comment!
Monday, January 28, 2008
LOA on it's way
I am Heather. Wife, mom, swimmer, knitter, etc. I have 3 internationally adopted children, and one more just waiting to come home (though she doesn't know it yet!) Our Letter of Acceptance has been signed and is on it's way back to China. Now we just need to wait a few weeks for our Travel approval.
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