JCICS News and WOW a referral at Dillon!!!

FIRST OFF - Today was a nice surprise.  A 1 month old baby girl was referred to Melanie at Dillon today!  Congratulations to her and can’t wait to see a picture of the little one!  I’m so happy about the positive news.  GREAT for her but also wonderful, positive vibes.  Everyone is very guarded but to have any glimmer of hope of a referral before September 1 is more than welcome!!!  I also heard today from our rep that provinces are still taking in more children.  Also comforting and tells me that referrals may actually continue!  Again, we are very guarded but this is good news, for sure.  It puts as at #4 on the girl list.  We are also the only ones open to a child as old as 3.  So literally, anything can happen.   NO ONE get their hopes up… but maybe a teeny happy dance would be appropriate. ha!

In addition, JCICS is working on something major.  Read all about it at http://www.jcics.org/Vietnam.htm. In a nutshell, JCICS is urging the U.S. and Vietnam to sign a new MOA before September 1, 2008 allowing ethical adoptions to continue while in the meantime working to resolve suspected abuse.  

FAMILY AND FRIENDS- HOW YOU CAN HELP!!!!!

1.Read this -  A Child’s Right Campaign for Vietnam

2. Send an email no later than May 30th to advocate@jcics.org saying you are in support of this campaign!  Your email will be included in a petition to Congress!

3. On June 2nd, 3rd, or 4th please contact your Congressional Representatives and Senators and ask them to support A Child’s Right Campaign for Vietnam.

• Call both of your U.S. Senators and your representative in the U.S. House of Representatives.
• You can find your Senators’ phone numbers and email address at www.senate.gov
• You can find your Representatives’ phone numbers and email address at www.house.gov
• Include the following in your calls and emails:  ”I/we urge the Senator/Congressperson to join the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Co-Chairs and sign their letter to Secretary Condoleezza Rice in support of the recommendations found in Joint Council’s A Child’s Right Campaign for Vietnam.”  If they have not heard about the Campaign, ask them to contact the Congressional Coalition for Adoption Institute at 202-544-8500 or Joint Council on International Children’s Services at 703-535-8045.

4. Send an email to everyone you called.  The e-mail is important, but the phone call should be placed first!

 

 

Our Future and Good Diversions

So let’s start off with something uplifting.  This is my honey, Paul.  We just celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary.  Isn’t he a hotty?

First things first: adoption news.  If you’ve read the newspaper lately, you’ll know things went from bad to worse last week.  I have talked, talked, and talked some more about my feelings on this and I have some bit of closure on what is happening.  I would like to say that in my opinion (in a nutshell), the limited number of bad (horrible) incidences uncovered in Vietnam does not even compare to the hundreds and hundreds of other wonderful blessings made possible through Vietnam adoptions.  My heart along with many others are breaking right now because of two governments unwilling to cooperate and respect one another to save so many children. I only pray that something can be worked out in the future.  

Our plans include sticking it out with the Vietnam program for now.  I haven’t heard of a single referral on the horizon from any agency, let alone ours.  So the likelihood of us getting a referral right now, in my opinion, is slim to none.  On September 1, 2008 Vietnam will be closed to U.S. adoptions.  At that point, our dossier will be sent back to our agency and we move on to plan B.  We have yet to decide what that will be.

We’re trying to remain positive.  Paul’s work is very busy with new projects in the works.  My brother is getting married in June and we’ll be in touch with so many family and friends we haven’t seen for so long!  Then the boys go on their annual canoe trip for a week and I get a bit of R&R alone time.  I’m flying to Baltimore in June to an exclusive workshop given by the famous photographer Jodie Otte!  I’m such a fan and I’ll be just 1 of 12 at her studio.  The kids brought home great report cards and are excited for summer to start.  Everyone will be going to new schools in the fall and everyone will be wearing school uniforms for the first time!  My baby will be in kindergarten as well! Ack!  My photography business is gearing up and I’m very busy with that.  My business website is www.epcaptures.com and you’re welcome to forward it on to anyone in the DFW area! hehe So anyway -blessings bountiful in our family. Giving us a wonderful diversion to the adoption heartache.  

Thanks everyone for all of the support.  From my mom who probably ranted more than I did over all of this to my Paul who always sees the light to drag me out of my dark hole.  And to my Dillon adoption friends who truly understand all that we’re going through and who have somehow found the right words to say.

U.S. Embassy Statement

In a nutshell - http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/24/ap/world/main4042363.shtml?source=search_story

And then the Embassy’s statement:

http://vietnam.usembassy.gov/adoption_warning0408.html  Of particular importance to our family and others: “On April 25, the Government of Vietnam announced that it will allow adoption to be completed in cases where prospective adoptive parents have been matched with a child and received an official referral prior to September 1, 2008. It further stated that in accordance with Vietnamese law, the DIA will suspend the acceptance of new dossiers on July 1, 2008. On September 1, 2008 any dossier that has not received a referral will be closed and returned to the Adoption Service Provider. In view of the processing time required in Vietnam from placement to ! the Giving and Receiving Ceremony, an adoption process begun now cannot be completed before the current Agreement expires.” Unless there is some miracle, it’s very likely that we will not be adopting in Vietnam - if anywhere.  All money spent thus far is non-refundable and honestly, we’re not even sure another country through our agency is a viable option.  To my knowledge, no international program we are eligible for allows the family to choose gender at this time. Please pray for the children in Vietnam.

Happy Easter!

We’ve been oh so busy with spring break.  The boys are on a vacay with their daddy and Aidan and I have been hanging out doing all sorts of fun things.  Saw the movie, Horton Hears a Who!  OH MY is that the funniest, cutest movie I’ve seen in awhile!  I highly recommend it!  The only downside is that Aidan only seems to remember the part where asmall fluffy character says something about pooping butterflies.  Ah… boys. 

Which leads me to our next outing - seeing the butterflies at our botanic gardens.  The last time we went was about two years ago and I was too busy chasing a much younger Aidan around and making sure he didn’t fall into the surrounding water or plant life.  Yesterday he enjoyed comparing the butterflies we saw flying freely to the pictures in our brochure they handed out.  They grow up so fast.

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We had our own mini photo session and I got a few Easter pics.  I’m trying like mad to get my photos up to par and then I’ll be in business hopefully by the end of the summer!  

Happy Easter everyone!  And may all of us hear of GOOD adoption news soon! 

Mom of the Year

 

Heh. I made it snow.

You can’t make it snow? What kind of mom are you?

Parenting three boys is no easy task.  There are so many ups and downs, frustrating moments, fun times, excitement and sadness.  I have to say, I do a pretty good job at handling all of that… most of the time.  The one thing that always gets me though is that whole disappointment thing.  Now don’t get me wrong, I have no problems with saying no.  I’m pretty desensitized to tantrums and back talking and the like when the boys don’t get their way.  Doesn’t phase me.   This morning’s crisis with 5 year old Aidan though, broke my heart!

Last night, I debated on whether to tell him.  I knew it wouldn’t end pretty but I went for it anyway.  ”It’s snowing!” I said.  Aidan jumped out of his bed to look out the window and yelled, “YES!!!” and proceeded to dance and hop around the room shaking his fists in triumph.  Every time he sees the weather man talk about snow elsewhere or if we see the Today Show, he says “Let’s go there.”  He’s even argued with me about the seasons.  ”If it’s winter, then it would be snowing… duh. ”  Last week, it was even included in his prayers.  ”God PLEASE make it snow in Texas!”  So in his little eyes, this was an answer to prayer.

This morning wasn’t pretty for us.  Aidan again jumped up out of bed in preparation for sledding, snow men, snowball fights, school cancellation, etc.  Obviously, the snow was all but gone.  The few patches that were left were iced over and hurt our hands.  Then came the guilt trips.  Mom didn’t let us play in it last night.  Mom didn’t buy us gloves this year so we could make ice balls.  Mom didn’t save any snow for us in the freezer like we did last year.  

We’re almost over it now after I pulled out my secret weapon - hot chocolate!  And thank goodness it’s Dr. Seuss day at school!  Silly socks make everything better!

Great Wolf Lodge

OH what fun we have had in the last few days!

Our crew escaped to Great Wolf Lodge for some downtime. This place was a-m-a-z-i-n-g and just what the doctor ordered! There was something for everyone. Let’s see if I can list it all! A huge indoor water park, arcade, teen room w/ all the fun tech stuff, arts & crafts room, build a bear (moose), cool shopping, great restaurants (STARBUCKS), and lots lots more.

The rooms were spotless and the people were so friendly and accommodating.Despite the forced smiles in this pic, the boys had a blast. They were irritated that I stopped them from all the fun. lolThe coolest part about the visit was this game - Magi Quest. The boys each had a magic wand and would complete quests and adventures mapped out with clues on where to go next. The game was literally all over hotel so everywhere you turned there were children running from location to location with their wands. Chaotic, addicting, and active as opposed to similar games in front of TV screens.

I was having so much fun, I didn’t concentrate much on pictures but there are a few in this set if you want to check them out!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/erinptx/sets/72157604033540783/

Can’t wait to go back!

Tips of the Day

Tip #1: In the midst of spring cleaning your pantry, no matter how tempting, never ever ever dump 1/2 a bag of self-rising flour down your disposal.   I will spare you the pictures of this one.

Tip #2: If you happen to have a massive glob of dough clogging up your kitchen sink, DO NOT (I repeat DO NOT) run the dishwasher!!

And time goes by…

Just got official word that the wait for a little girl has increased to 12-15 months. We’re at the 6 1/2 month mark. I knew it was coming but the reality still stings. Not much more to say about that.

On the upside, the tone of the update was positive in regards to signing the MOU.  Talks are already in progress which is definitely reassuring.

I promise my next blogs will be a bit more light-hearted.

Signs of life?

Not really! No updates to report on the adoption front. No referrals either. So we continue to wait…

Still trying to get out of this rut of sitting and waiting and refreshing my email over and over (and over). In the meantime, my life is passing me by and I know for a fact that doesn’t help the cause. Time to turn this boat around and get out of this hole I’ve been in. I ran/walked about 2 miles this morning. It’s a start to my goal of running 3 miles at a time. It was hard but it’s amazing what a little exercise can do for one’s mind.