Good Enough

I think this may be the rudest comment I have gotten to date:

Today I went to my dentist office. The lady cleaning my teeth asked if we had any exciting travels coming up. I told her we would be flying to ET to adopt our first child Her response, 'That's exciting' followed by::: "well if it's GOOD ENOUGH for celebrities it should be good enough for regular people to'.

Good Enough! What???? Really? That was a first for me.

So frustrated!

This is not about the adoption (well maybe a little).  Do you ever have a decade where everything seems to go wrong?  I am having one now.  OK maybe not a whole decade but in the last three years the amount of "little" things that have added up are enough to make anyone go insane.  The biggest issue at hand is a computer that destroyed ever fun free time kinda plan we had for over a year.  We paid hundreds to get it fixed.  Well we sold it for $20 in our garage sale (that tells you how well it got fixed) to someone who fixes piece of crap computers.  We purchased a new computer 2.5 months ago.  Well its the same story.  It is a complete piece of crap.  I am still paying on it and still owe $700!  It would't be so awful if it was just pics and stuff for fun.  BUT I rely on my computer for everything wedding and photography related.  I just can't take it!  15 months of computer BS and I am done.  Sorry-had to vent. 

What no one told me about adoption

I have read quite a few books on adoption, on things I need to know, on things that my child will need to know. But I find some of the most helpful info I get is from other adoptive families. Sometimes it's through the forums or blogs that they write. Today I found this link: http://www.growninmyheart.com/what-no-one-told-me-about-adoption-carnival-one

When we started adoption proceedings no one ever told me:
1) I would wonder about their birth mother this much
2) I would want to jump on a plane to see our baby come into the world (if only that were possible)
3) how much I would question what we are doing.
4) How many incredible people we would meet
5) that my life and nearly every thought in my head would revolve around a child we have not met and a country we have never seen
6) that I would start drinking coffee
7) that family would be so supportive
8)how hard this would be
9) how long the wait would be and how much I would learn/change while we wait
10) that we lived in the Ethiopian hub of Ohio

What did you wish you knew ahead of time?

Free Family Portraits in honor of Adoption Awareness Month

I really wanted to do this last year but never got the chance. So on November 1 & 14th we will be doing FREE family portraits. Ideally they will be done outside at the Franklin Park Cons in Columbus. If weather is bad I'll have you come to my home and we'll use a studio background. I can take as many as 6-7 families a day. Let me know asap if you would like photos and what day/time works best for you.

Plan ahead for what you will where. It looks best if outfits coordinate (ex: white shirts and khaki pants OR jeans and black shirts etc...)

Need your input on Enkutatash Fest.

While we are thrilled with the overall event and turnout we know it needs a little tweeking. Seems like the biggest thing is the sound and more volunteers. What else could we improve on for next year? Don't be cruel but let us know what you think. We meet again tomorrow to discuss next years event and improvements.

I think in November or December we will start planning the details of next years event (date, location, etc..). If you are interested in being on the committee let me know. We meet about once a month on Tuesday's. At least that's what we have been doing.

If you have suggestions on getting volunteers also let me know.

Worn Out today!

Yesterday was crazy.  We arrived at Enkutatash to set up at 9:15.  I had to eat and leave about 12:30p.m. I photographed a wedding and then came back to help clean up.  Almost all of the tear down was done.  The stage just needed loaded into the van.  It was so heavy I could not have lifted it.  Joel got a few people to help and I headed to the soccer game to take pictures.  

Then Seleshi mentioned that he wanted a picture of the soccer team receiving a check from ETSS.  We thought the game ended at 6:30 but in fact it was close to 8pm.  We got the picture and went home.  We had planned to see friends around 6:30 then 7:30, but that did not happen.  

It was a crazy day but well worth it.  

Saturday is the big event: Enkutatash

For any of you who have someone missed my blog posts, emails, facebook updates, and forum announcements:

Enkutatash: Ethiopian New Year Celebration is this Saturday. 

Whitehall Yearling High School

675 S. Yearling Rd.

Whitehall, OH 43213

Noon-4p.m. 

There will be lots of food, coffee, music, dancing, face painting, traditional and ethiopian auctions.  And of course family photos.  Harcar Photography is offering family photos on a c.d. for a $25 donation to ETSS.

Ethics in Adoption?

Are adoptions in ET still ethical?  Every few months some new info comes out about an unethical agency.  Last time it was BFAS now it is CWA.  It leads me to wonder if we are doing the right thing?  

http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2009/s2682149.htm

Making the money

We had another garage sale today.  It made us $200 towards our travel expenses.  We had one a few weeks ago that made tons more but overall we are very pleased. Every little bit helps. 

Well we made it

An entire year has gone by since we were added to CHSFS' waitlist.  Somehow we turned out ok-at least for now.  I expect it will be 4 more months before we have a referral.  We celebrated at Schmidt's with some new friends who just joined the wait (with Gladney). 

Tomorrow is a big day!

It will be our one year waitaversary. Part of me is excited about it. We are one year closer to our child. We are one year closer to boarding a plane and flying to Africa. We are one year closer to (hopefully) meeting our child's birth family. It is so hard, almost impossible, to believe that this will really happen.

One year ago I ran around the house like a mad woman screaming and crying tears of joy. This year I'll probably do the same for a variety of reasons. Part of me is sad. It's hard to believe it is taking this long. BUT it's hard to think of what is going on on the other side of the fence.

We are having dinner and drinks with friends tomorrow to commemorate the day.

Its hard to believe how different things will be one year from today.

UPDATE: We made the first page of the unofficial list. It's a small step but I'll take it!

ENKUATATASH

Well the big event is less then two weeks away.  It should be lots of fun.  There will be music, dancers, food, coffee, vendors and more.  Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.  

Whitehall Yearling High School

675 S. Yearling Rd

Whitehall

September 19 from noon-4p.m. 

17 children to 9 families

This is what the CHSFS hotline said Friday.  One family posted that they received a referral for a 3 year old girl, 2 year old boy, and 2 month old twin boys!  WOW!  It is very exciting to see some referrals coming in-especially for sibs. 

Annoyed, Saddened, & Worried

WARNING: may be highly upsetting.

I just read another blog and she posted about seeing some racist bumper stickers plastered all over a truck while she was with her son.  It seems that I see or hear something almost everyday that raises my awareness of how hard it will be for my son/daughter.  

I was driving home a while back and saw a bumper sticker that absolutely outraged me.  It read, " Welcome to America, now learn to speak english".  I was so furious.  

Then last week my beloved sister-in-law asked me about making a quilt for the baby.  My brother thought she should ask me if  the design was ok.  I saw it.  I loved it.  BUT After much debate I had to ask her to change it up a bit.  So instead of having 9 totally cute adorable monkey's on it it will have 3 hippos, 3 elephants, and 3 monkeys.  It will be adorable.  It was the cutest quilt out of a 100+ patterns I saw.  Joel thought I was overreacting a bit. 

 THEN the very next day without me saying a word...  A girl was telling me and another girl about a racist friend.  The short version of it is that he had taught his 4 year daughter to refer to African's and African-American's as porch monkeys.  And this little girl, without knowing how wrong it was, did what she was told when out in public.   The girl telling the story  kinda laughed while telling it as if to say it is so ridiculous and awful that it is almost funny.  I told her it made me sick and I wanted to cry then walked away.  

How can anyone teach their child such awful hateful things?  

The next time someone tells me what a wonderful thing I am doing for a child I will think of this story. 

Classes at Children's Hospital

Just received the booklet of classes offered at Nationwide Children's Hospital.   Some of the highlights: CPR,  First Aid,  Adoption Academy, Infant Care, etc...

Looking for a pediatrician

I called 5 or 6 places today.  Most of the had multiple doctors incase your dr. was out sick or in Tahiti or something.  The first place I spoke with sounded very nice.  The receptionist said they had several families with children adopted internationally.  One of the dr.'s had a son that was adopted domestically.  The only bad thing is that the dr.'s are all white.  

The rest of the places seemed surprised when I asked about IA experience.  As though it wouldn't matter.  

Any recommendations?  

We must be "having" a baby

cause I can't stop eating ice cream.  Or it's the stress of waiting 358 days and counting. 

Need to stop

watching youtube video's of referral calls and families bringing home their little ones.  

Most of the people in the videos seem so calm.  I am certain I will go into the ugly cry and not be able to get control.  

Children's Hospital Adoption Panel

I spoke with Carla yesterday who puts together the adoption classes at Children's Hospital.  They were very helpful with our decision to adopt (ok we knew we were adopting but it still helped).  I am going to be on their panel in December.  Even though we don't have our little one yet I think it will be helpful for PAP's to hear what it is like to wait (and wait and wait and wait some more). 

Hope I don't sound like an idiot or start blubbering when I talk to them. At that point we will be jumping every time the phone rings.