Just a little adoption process update. We are ALMOST finished with the dossier. I got a call a few days ago that our homestudy is officially finished and is being mailed to AAI and USCIS. I had been waiting for our referral letters and now have both of those. The only thing left to do is get one more document notarized and write a check. I am hoping to be able to put the whole thing in the mail on Friday. It seems like it might work out well, as the homestudy will be arriving around the same time. We got our fingerprints done for USCIS so hopefully it won’t be long before we are approved. I also sent out the forms which had to be sent to Washington and the Embassy a while ago so maybe they will also be arriving at the same time and everything will be ready to send to Ethiopia soon. Then….more waiting 
Dossier Countdown July 31, 2006
Hi July 23, 2006
I’m back! After living over 2 days with no electricity it is back on! I was beginning to feel very left out, but now have to get a serious tv fix.
And, my parents and little brother are in town. YAY! I have not seen them since March and am very excited to have them here. They were very excited to get here and sit in the dark, but are better now.
ABC’s July 19, 2006
I ripped this off from Danielle, who apparently ripped it off from someone else
ABCs…
Accent: Oklahoma? a lot of yup and ya’ll, fixin’ to and Daddy-O’s personal favorite ‘peench’
Bed I Sleep In: A wonderful soft king-sized mattress & frame (no bed), that is NEVER made!
Chore I Don’t Care For: Probably laundry, because that’s what I seem to do the most of
Dog or Cat: Dogs, Oprah (a big white lovable fluff ball) and Jackson (the gross ‘mentally challenged’ one who loves to eat his own poo) (Winfrey has gone to the great blue yonder). No cats, cats have never ever liked me.
Essential Electronics: Computer, and IPOD when I am cleaning
Favorite Perfume: Never been a big perfume fan, don’t think I own any
Gold or Silver: Silver
Handbag I Carry Most Often: A sad looking Dickie’s bag that has seen better days, I keep talking about getting a new one, but it’s obviously not too high on my priority list
Insomnia: Never, I fall asleep at the drop of a hat and can sleep through anything…including my dad shooting at coyotes off our front porch (just ask him)…and Daddy-O’s fire pager…and Daddy-O getting out of bed, getting dressed, telling me goodbye, and leaving to go to a fire…and even Daddy-O’s return to bed after heroically extinguishing the fire
Job Title: Social worker, though right now I am officially a ‘classroom assistant’ in my extremely part-time job
Kids: Yes, one ‘two-in-September’ beautiful, beautiful little girl at home and one more on the way (in a paper-work sort of way)
Living Arrangement: The three of us and our doggies in lovely Illinois. Where right now it is VERY hot and our grass is crunchy.
Most Admirable Trait: Loving everyone
Naughtiest Childhood Behavior: Lying
Overnight Hospital Stays: Cat Scratch Fever when I was 3 or 4 (I told you cats didn’t like me), and Childbirth with Supergirl
Phobias: Spiders (lame, I know) and lightning (only when I am outside)
Quote: In this world we cannot do great things, we can only do small things with great love (Mother Teresa)
Religion: Christian, I go to a Methodist Church.
Siblings: One older brother, Sam, and a younger (7 year old) brother, Nathaniel
Time I Wake Up: Whenever Supergirl gets up, lately 8:30 or 9:00
Unusual Talent or Skill: wow, I am really lame, I’ve got nothing here…
Veggie I Refuse to Eat: There’s a lot, I’m a meat and potatoes kind of girl, probably peppers and raw onions, I’m not a big fan of the crunch.
Worst Habits: Always being stressed out over nothing, I’m always worried about the stupid little things.
Yummy Stuff I Cook: HA! I’d have to let Daddy-O answer this one, although I have a feeling I already know the answer
Zoo Animals I Like Most: Definitely the Great Apes, particularly the Gorillas. Remember the Dianne Fossey dream.
I…
I Am: wondering if that was the tornado siren I just heard (yes it is) and if that should be concerning me…
I Want: my family to be happy
I Have: The bestest ever husband and baby girl.
I Wish: I had a magic wand…
I Hate: cigarette smoke
I Miss: My family, it is very hard for me to live so far away from them!
I Hear: sirens…
I wonder: What my children will be like as adults
I Regret: not driving more carefully
I Am Not: a picture of fashion
I Dance: a lot, by myself, although I am getting Supergirl in on the action
I Sing: embarrasingly bad, but often in the car
I Cry: at commercials
I Am Not Always: in a good mood
I Make With My Hands: not much right now, although I can crochet a little
I Journal: here and sometimes in a book
I Confuse: my ideal version of reality with what we’ve really got
I Need: some friends
I Should: be watching the weather, or heading for a lower interior room, preferably the basement
I Start: Lots of stuff!
I Finish: Some stuff…
Potty beware! July 19, 2006
I need some serious potty-training assistance. We bought Supergirl a potty a while back and it’s been in the bathroom for a few months. She would occasionally sit on it, but mostly for entertainment’s sake, it sings songs (I’m so big, look at me, I just used my own pot-ty). So ANYWAYS, starting 3-4 days ago she suddenly began wanting to go to the potty. Every single time she pees or poos she immediately starts saying go potty, go potty and we run in there as fast as we can. We still have not made it in time. While I am very excited she is getting close to being able to go potty, I am wondering how long this phase will last. How long until she finally starts to make it in time. Is this normal? Will I be running to the bathroom for weeks with nothing actually making it into the potty?
I am really trying to be as encouraging as possible. I am proud that she initiated this herself and is doing this all herself, but I am beginning to need a little reinforcement!
Birthday boy July 16, 2006
Happy Birthday Daddy-O. Once again, you are 5 years older than me. I love you!!!!!!!
And no, you didn’t take away my cool factor, and that’s not what I was implying. You simply let me be me. Which is why I love you so dang much! (anyways, you’re a dork too so I don’t know what you’re getting so worked up about)
People, please let Daddy-O know that my last post was complimentary towards him, not an insult.
Exam Time July 15, 2006
I’ve started studying for my licensing exam (to be a clinical social worker). Studying has caused me to do a lot of thinking (I guess that’s kind of the point, isn’t it). Thinking about things other than, but related to what I’m actually studying.
First of all, I’m a total dork!! I’ve always been aware of this, though I tried to hide it alot in high school and college. I first realized my extraordinarily high dorkiness level when I was in 6th grade and began (secretly in my room) outlining an encyclopedia. I was trying to learn everything I possibly could about gorillas so I could grow up to be the next Dianne Fossey. I was always torn between her and Jane Goodall. This dorkiness grew into a junior high nerd: picture tall, skinny, permed hair, glasses, braces, too short jeans, “Save the Rainforest” shirt wearing awesomeness. Then I moved. And lost the braces and got contacts. I realized I had the opportunity to be ‘cool’ at least a little bit. Although I still loved the books I also developed an interest in the world of dating. For this reason coolness won out through both high school and college.
Then I met Daddy-O. He saw through the coolness facade straight to my encyclopedia-outlining heart. He made lots of fun of me (and still does), but he also taught me to just be the wonderful dork that I am. I still love school, if I could go to school forever I definitely would. I love getting the syllabus on the first day of class. I love checking off assignments as the semester goes on. I love when the professors ask me if they can use my papers as a sample in future classes (yes, a little shameless self-promotion).
So, I am now very excited to be studying. I am a little nervous about the test, as I really didn’t learn much of the stuff covered while in college, plus that was a few years ago anyways. Even if I did learn it I am absolutely sure I would have forgotten it by now. So, there is mostly new material. Which in a way is great. I, SuperDork, am learning new things. Some of these new things are leading my thoughts in other various directions (which I will discuss in more detail later) which are not always positive or reassuring. But new, nonetheless.
So…the point of this post. I have absolutely no idea. I guess to come out of the nerd closet. That’s right people, this is me. (at this point everyone who knows me in ‘real-life’ is laughing at the thought that anyone could have ever mistaken me for cool)
Staying home day 1 July 14, 2006
So far today we have accomplished the following:
Birth certificates copied and notarized
Marriage license copied and notarized
Tax form copied and notarized
Went to doctor’s office, got medical statement, had it notarized
Power’s of Attorney notarized
One stamped and ready to mail to Sec. of State to be certified (mailed)
All other forms signed and notarized
Watched Monsters, Inc.
Daddy-0 is currently getting a haircut
Also, cleaned out around a/c (outside) and put rocks around it so maybe that will slow down the 3-foot weeds that are used to being there
And, watched some news for the first time in a long time (still no Suri sighting)
Still planning to:
Go to police statement for background check (done-to be picked up on Monday), and Maybe even get more passport photos…
(notice no laundry done yet…)
yay July 14, 2006
I’m finished with work for a few weeks. Now, maybe I can get some stuff done. (I’m thinking of starting with my laundry)
The Packet July 11, 2006
The Dossier packet is basically all of the instructions and forms necessary for completing our dossier. Unfortunately, since we had to use a separate agency for our homestudy, there is some overlap between this paperwork and what we needed for our homestudy. So far, all I have completed are the following:
Mailed the cover page to the Sec. of State of Washington to be certified
Notarized letter from Daddy-O’s work
Notarized letter from bank
Left to do: lots of copies to make and get notarized, medical form, two more reference letters, power of attorney, etc, etc.
Oh, I also applied for my passport today. Huge step for me, as I have never had a passport before.
