Ann at Red Thread sent pictures to us of Eva's care package that she should be receiving in a few days. I tried to think like I was a seven year old girl again. I liked jewelry boxes and journals and dolls, things that were "my own" and places to stash the stuff that was "my own". So here is what was chosen:    
2 Comments
 We are sending a package to Eva using Ann at Red Thread. Because Eva is way out in the boonies, the package hasn't arrived yet, but Ann did send an email to me today with updated photos and measurements of our wee little girl. She is 43.3" tall She weights just under 40 pounds She will wear a size 5. Remember that Aidan is eight weeks younger than she is? He wears a 10-12. And now, on to the pictures:   Our son's wife is a college student, finishing a nursing degree. So two days a week this summer their children will come to our house. Today was the first day. I got no pictures of my grandson because he was too busy playing to sit still, but here is his sister trying hard not to take a nap. We played, walked up to see my brother's new piglets, and then when the little ones went home, Aidan and I took the youngest dog to the vet. Aidan insists that the dog, Mangus, is not his, but he couldn't stay in the exam room when he found out that Mangus needed blood drawn and three shots. He also sleeps with this dog every night. They're both sleeping on the couch right now; Aidan is still recovering from strep throat.
Sometimes it seems like days and days have gone by since this or that happened, and it has only been a few. That's what it has been like since my last post.  On Father's Day we walked some on the Rails to Trails but Aidan was recovering from strep throat, so the highlight for him was going to the train station museum, climbing up into the "lookout" seats in the engine, and buying a t-shirt at the store.  The school year ended and the sun showed up for more than one day in a row.  This meant that the boys discovered some of the weeds on the lawn were actually strawberries.  They probably picked 1/2 a cup after eating. These are very tiny strawberries, so that's a lot of picking. They taste so much better than the ones you buy or pay to pick, though! Tomorrow is the solstice and I plan to enjoy every single minute of it!
Today I'm sending the DS-230 to our agency and have to put our daughter's Chinese name and American name down. I wrote a long post about the choice here revealing all of the thoughts behind the name, then realized I was "babbling" and so it is reduced to this:
Her first name will be Eva after my grandmother that I did not know Her middle name will be Yuqiang which is her second and third Chinese names together. Her names mean life, happy, and strength (Yu actually has multiple possible characters, but her character means happy, pleased). Check. I-800 went out in overnight mail to USCIS. Now on to the DS-230. How does anyone do this without going crazy from anxiety? I sent three questions to the agency today, including one that they had already answered on the very first page of instructions-highlighted in yellow, no less. It brought back memories of checking, double checking, triple checking....the contents of my backpack over and over again when I was in Beijing. But then one thing is checked off the list, and for a brief (and fleeting) moment, you feel accomplished and in control!  I sent an email to our agency today and asked if, by any chance, they had heard anything from China, and this is what they told me:    And just in case you don't read sign language, or signs :-)
This means that they have received our L period O period A period!!!!! As soon as G picked Aidan up at school, he was met with a seven year old's determination not to go back that night for the spring concert. Aidan said, "I'm shy". That can actually be true, for the first five minutes, but this kid loves music. So I insisted that he go and here is the result. Then there are some kids who can't stay awake when it's past their bedtime, even for a "green" concert. This little guy was sitting in front during the finale sucking his thumb. (Kindergarten student)  And for those of you checking in to see what's new with Eva's adoption, I asked the agency yesterday if they had got the newly translated letter off on Friday, as expected, and they had. So it is with the CCWA now and I'm hoping for two things: 1. That they approve it right away, and 2. That they let us know when they have approved it.
 A friend in the adoption world needs help raising funds to adopt her son from China. If you have already adopted and can help or can use some home sewn products, please click on the link in the right hand margin and check out the journey to sweet little Will.
Summer means longer days, nights off, and time with the grandchildren. No, we're not out of school yet and there are so many activities that I could spend every night there if I attended them all, but we're close...really close!  They are all growing like weeds. How cute is the little one, just eight months old and trying to get around the house on her own? She rocks a little and gradually slides backwards right now.  I've decided that every weekend this year I will have an outdoor project. Last week I moved a lot of plants to what I hope will be a wall of blooms-I have hosta, daylily, monarda, phlox, and liatris planted (among the grass). This week I put the steps on one of our silver maples so that Aidan can climb the tree. All three boys pictured gave me a hand with this project.  | Want to Follow This Blog?
To subscribe to this blog, simply click on the RSS Feeder at the bottom of this column, then enter your Google, Wordpress, or other ID.
Timeline-Adoption #2
Travel Authorization-08/19/2011
NVC Letter-07/14/2011 Provisional Approval-07/05/2011 Letter of Seeking Confirmation (LOA)-06/13/2011 Log-In Date-03/18/2011 Dossier to China (DTC)-02/2011 I-800A Approval-01/2011 I-800A Application-11/2010 Homestudy Done-10/2010 Letter of Intent-02/2010 Pre-Approval-01/2010  Timeline-Adoption #1
Travel Dates:  Favorite Blogs:
|
RSS Feed