oh yeah, we are adopting

Sadly, it's been awhile since we did anything adoption related. Today was a good reminder that we really are doing this and it's not (prayers prayed daily) going to fall apart.

Today was the much anticipated fingerprint appointment for the Department of Homeland Security. We submitted our I-600A back in February and have been waiting since then. I read the letter they sent me numerous times checking to make sure I had the date and time correct and checking to see that I handed in all the necessary papers. We get there and I hand the paper I received to the lady as well as our IDs. She says "where is your appointment slip?" Ummm What? My heart dropped because I had no idea what she was asking me. I brought her all I received, which turns out to be our receipt. Ugh.

Crisis averted. We were on the list and the ladies let us get our prints taken. Where did our appointment slip end up...

Good news! It seems like travel for trip one in our region is going again. Us and a family from Massachusetts are next in line and were asked to travel on July 19. Well, we actually asked her if we could travel later. Sounds crazy, I know, but we want to get everything set with our new referral before going. Plus how many things can one family do in the span of a week? We are also moving and closing on our house. We have been a bit jaded by these trip one travel dates. As you know we already got excited and let down twice. Part of us just wants someone else to "go first" so we can see that it really is actually working. Is that selfish? I'm sorry.

at least we don't need to turn on the sprinklers

After finishing work on Friday I drove, to Lincoln, for a long weekend. Jim didn't want me to go, but I insisted on mowing the lawn and doing some stuff around the house.
When you buy a house you have a home inspection done. Good for the buyer. Bad for the seller. The buyers had their inspection done in the middle of the monsoon, and of course they found some dampness in the basement (they said moistness, but that work freaks me out) I feel like we are doing pretty good if there are only two small damp areas during the monsoon, but it needs to be repaired.
Speed ahead to today. I have the washer going. I'm getting ready to leave the house and cash in $30 worth of coins from my piggy bank. All the sudden I hear this spraying noise. Kind of like when the washer is adding more water to start the rinse cycle, but the wash is done. Not good.
I run down to the basement to see what is going on with the sump pump. Oh boy! It's like a water park in my basement. This connector thing is no longer connecting the pipe leaving the pump to the pipe carrying the water outside and water is spraying out all over the place. It's actually quite hilarious. I have unplugged the pump because as funny as it was I would prefer not to experience it again.
The good news is that, aside from all the mushrooms, our lawn is lush and green and we have not once had to use our underground sprinklers.

fashion nanny

This morning I woke up to an interesting email. A woman from some fashion blog site asked if I would like posting my blog on her site. Have you read the title of our blog? Adventures. Life, Adoption, and Food. Not fashion. She said she loved the layout and content of our blog. The layout? I had nothing to do with that just copied and pasted. The content? Well, it has nothing to do with fashion unless you count the last post where I wrote about my dream of wearing size four ex boyfriend pants. Whatever, I looked at the site. I'll admit it was neat, but not for me. People posting pictures of outfits and asking questions like "is it okay to wear lace in the daytime." Other people responding "yes, you look amazing." Then it hit me. This site neeeeeds me. It is not okay to wear belly showing, white, lace shirts...it's just not! But I don't have time to save the fashion disasters of the world. I'm busy looking for a job.

Looking for a job and having my 'situation' is hilarious. I mean really really funny. So, I have decided that next year I am not going to teach in my own classroom. I couldn't commit the whole school year and I felt it too shabby to start then leave.

Here is what I need
-A job that will let me take a week off whenever Russia decides I can go visit my kid
-A job that will let me take 3 weeks off whenever Russia decides I should go back and get said kid
-A job that will then allow me to bring my small Russian child along with me.

Being a nanny/babysitter would be the best, but try explaining this to someone. I've mostly communicated to parents via email. They think I'm great because I have been a kindergarten teacher. Then I have to break them the news and, I don't blame them, they run the other way. I decided to try a different approach the other day. A lovely family set up and interview with me. Oh man the kids were too cute. She asked her questions and I answered with intelligent logical responses. She was smitten. I could tell. Then I told her I had to go to Russia for a week at some unknown time. Man, you should have see the look on her face. Priceless. I didn't even get to the I need 3 weeks at some other time part. She still asked for references, so their might be hope.

Maybe I'll sub till Sergi (new made up Russian child's name) comes home and then try to find a nanny job.

For now I shall continue working 3 hours a week and going swimming and doing yoga to fill the other hours.

garage sale!!!

I read all these adoption blogs filled with great ideas about everything adoption related included raising money to help pay for the costs. The idea I see most, which seems like a win-win, is having a garage sale. You get your house cleaned out and you make some cash...excellent. Plus we are moving soon and I'm sure the movers would enjoy carrying a few less things.
What to sell?
I just read a blog recently about someone purging her kitchen and getting rid of random gadgets that have not been used in 20 years. I've only really had kitchen stuff for maybe five years and I neeeeeed it all. I love to cook and I really do use most all my kitchen things. Well I don't use the coffee maker, but it seems to keep Jim happy so I guess I can't sell kitchen stuff.
How about some furniture. Yeah, no. We moved from a Boston condo that was 718 sq. feet and have only purchased one new chair since moving to our 1,344 sq. foot home. We finished our basement to be an awesome family room, but it has no furniture unless you count extremely plush carpet.
I've seen garage sales filled with tons and tons of clothes. I'm not sure that will work for me either. See I love to purge. In general I don't really save anything ever, including clothes. If it does not fit or seems outdated I just donate it to the goodwill and use it as a tax write off. And yes I do wear all 35 of my skirts. To be truthful I do have that "dream" pair of pants. Not jeans because I don't really wear jeans. No these are fabulous black pants size four. Size four, just saying it makes me think "yeah right." I haven't wore those pants since freshman year of college when my high school boyfriend broke up with me and I was too sad to eat for a few days. I was unhappy but I looked awesome! Anyway, I guess I could sell them, but what's a garage sale with just one pair of pants?
I'll tell you what I do save what I can't part with. Notes. Letters from students about how I'm the best teacher in the world. Sweet words from friends. Letters from co workers saying thanks for treats I've made them. Letters Jim wrote me when we were dating. All the wedding cards we got. Those are my specials and I can't part with them, but hey they are fit in one small box so it's not that bad.

In other news....
We have an offer on our house. We counter offered. They counter counter offered and I think something might just work out. Holy bananas our house was only on the market for a week. However, I've heard some crazy stories of things falling apart before the closing let's just hope those things don't happen to us.

I say screw it to the garage sale. I'll just sell the whole house.

when are you going to give up?

I'm constantly surprised at how heartless people can be. Give up? Giving up is not an option. It's not like I am trying to a master a new recipe or figure out how to get somewhere. This is a child's life you are talking about. There is no giving up involved. Would I like the process to be faster and smoother...um yes.
Well how about switching to another country or doing a domestic adoption? Okay, you try seeing a child's photo in your inbox and saying "I'm sorry dear your country is too difficult and for that you have to suffer, best wishes I'm going somewhere easier" Not so much.

So, instead of asking me when I'm giving up just say you will say a prayer for the whole process.

I can be productive and do other things now that school is over -a teacher's #1 BIST goal for life

Thursday was the last day of school for students and Friday was the last day for teachers. I spend much of Friday packing boxes, piling everything up, and pitching all the trash. I really love throwing stuff away.

A few of my teacher friends came to wish me well. Most of the folks that came to say good bye also mentioned they would miss my humor at staff meetings. Honestly, besides paper work, my next biggest hate is probably staff meetings. I was happy I could do my part.

So school is finished. This fall could be the first time since I was five that I'm not going to be in a classroom. Hopefully, this "blip" on my resume won't hurt too much when seeking jobs in the future, but really that's the least of my concerns at this point.

In adoption news we finally have a fingerprint appointment for June 29th at 11:00am. I love the government. They tell you when to be there and you just drop everything and go. What else could I possibly be doing on a Tuesday at 11? :-) Actually the timing is pretty perfect. I'm done with school and Jim has a long weekend at that time, so I complain a little but really it's perfect.

I could be a circus star!!

Things are crazy right now. School is almost done, which is great but means lots and lots of paperwork. Our house is going on the market, maybe next week, so it needs to be cleaned and scrubbed and lots of papers need to be signed. We have a new potential referral, and are waiting for a bit more info before officially saying yes. However, still no idea when we will travel to Russia. I got a summer job in Kansas as a tutor for two girls, that starts next Wednesday. I have an interview for another job on Saturday.

I'm either going to be an amazing juggling circus star who people will pay hundreds to see, or all my balls are going to come crashing down around me.