Tomorrow morning marks our "six week" post referral wait mark. Monumental indeed. I have to say, time has gone by much more quickly than I thought it would....until now....right about now, we are talkin' a snail's pace. I never wanted life to pass me by, but right now, all I can say is "c'mon life, keep on movin'!!" The good news: families are passing court like nobody's business. I'm telling you, there is something to be said about choosing an agency who has their sh*t together.
We are almost ready to go. Dontations have been purchased and packed into a couple of Rubbermaid tubs. Every single OTC product (okay, its the pharmacist in me, I just couldn't help myself) that I could possibly think of and consider needing (either for us, my Mom or the kids) are already packed away into 8+ zip-lock baggies (labeled and all - I'd like to refer to the entire set as my "zip-lock pharmacy"). So, if you happen to be a family who may be traveling with us, you are all set....there is plenty of this stuff to go around. We have clothing in a couple different sizes, and even shoes of multiple sizes, just in case (ok, here is my disclaimer, other than height and weight, I have NO idea what size they will be wearing....I have been asking all of my friends, measured my little nephew, and have asked/stalked poor women in stores who's children appear to be about 3 and 5 years of age). And you know what? Every kids wears a different size shoe.
Tonight I made my second attempt at my birth family letter. It is one of those things where you have to be in just the right frame of mind to write, but, I knew I got it right when the tears started flowing. It came from the heart, exactly where it needed to come from.
The adoption community never ceases to amaze me. A family who I never met before sent me flowers for Mom's Day. Can you believe it? I couldn't. She is one of the most wonderful, thoughtful woman I have *never* met (smile).
Oh, and we had a "I hate yard sales" yard sale over the weekend. I decided during our home study, and before our home visit, it was time to purge. And purge I did. And, I purged again after our referral. It felt so good. What didn't feel so good was waking up at 6am on a Saturday only to haggle with cheap people about how much I think my stuff is worth. Needless to say, apparently, it wasn't worth much :) They wouldn't pay 25 cents for something, but they would take it for free. I am not even kidding. We are talking free electronics here! Amazing! At the end of the day, I didn't want to carry it all back into my basement. The good news, our old church is getting a decent dontation for their church fair this summer.
I loved Kelly's post this past week, about how she is keeping busy. Keeping busy is the only way to survive in the world of adoption.
And, if you haven't seen it already, please take a moment to check out Liz's new blog, "InventingLiz Goes Barefoot." She is a super cool, single mom, taking on a new entreprenuerial adventure, selling Barefoot Books. Barefoot Books sells all sorts of really neat books, many featuring stories from around the globe. I know my Mom wants to have a "welcome home" shower for us after the kids settle in, and Barefoot Books may make a perfect gift registry.
Accra Time
The Art of French Chic in Children’s Fashion
2 years ago
I hate yard sales too. The money we got was not worth the effort. So now we donate, either to Goodwill or through Freecycle. Much better.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting that things are getting closer. Hope everything goes super smoothly.
Thanks for the mention!
ReplyDeleteShoes were the hardest for me too, I ended up bringing a pair of crocs with fleece lining that did the trick, Elfe wore thick socks with them because they were a little big but that didn't really matter. You can get shoes in Addis if you really need them, and whatever you bring that turns out to be the wrong size can be left at Horizon House.
I'm thinking of having a yard sale soon too, I feel like I've purged several times and I don't know where all the crap comes from!
Ugh yard sales. We held one last summer and I couldn't believe how cheap people were. And shoes will be difficult even when they are home and you think you know what size they are! Haha. Good job on finishing the birth family letter! Hoping you hear some good news real soon!!
ReplyDelete~Anne
Oh, I despise yard sales - mostly because of that horrible haggling that the yard sale pros do. I mean, c'mon, you're going to argue over something that is priced at 25 cents?!
ReplyDeleteI love that you've got your ziploc pharmacy and donation bins ready to go. And that you're working on your letter. Those are great ways to keep busy. Hang in there. I'm hoping to hear your court news very soon!
Yes, I heart WHFC! Be careful what you wish for! My head almost spun off with 10 days' notice to travel. It was an amazing roller coaster. May your take off soon!
ReplyDeleteHow exciting. Yep.. no more yard sales for me. I took a carload to Goodwill last week. The only sense of satisfaction I got from the last one was when a woman asked me to take slightly less on something (a candle holder), and I said no. Then another lady came up and picked up the same object to buy. It was fun to watch the crazy woman follow her around hoping she would change her mind, set it back down and not buy it. ;)
ReplyDeleteGood to hear about the birth family letter. I was already thinking about that the other day. THAT has to be the hardest thing to write....
I hope I get a pharmacist in my group when I go. How nice to have someone who knows drugs well!
I LOVE purging and getting rid of 'stuff.' Each time I am amazed by the amount of crap we accumulate. We have lived in our current apartment for 2 years and already all closets are full! I don't know how it happened? ...I still have nothing to wear? =) I cannot wait to hear your good news and finally see some pics of your kiddos! Best Wishes1
ReplyDeleteThe adoption community is amazing, isn't it! I am often humbled and awed by the kindness and wisdom of APs I know (but have never met)!
ReplyDeleteI, too, found the birth family letter very difficult to write. Congratulations on writing something so meaningful to you. The birth family visits are truly life-changing. I hope to read good news from you very, very soon.