Luggage?

Since I've decided to start believing that I'm actually gonna get a referral and travel to China, it's time to start making some plans. I want to do as much as I can ahead of time. One ...to keep me busy while I wait. And two... so I don't have to stress out nearly as much during those last 6 weeks or so between referral and travel.

So over the next few months I expect I'll be here often asking for advice and opinions about all kinds of different China adoption related topics.

Let's start with luggage. What do you experienced folks suggest? What worked best for you? I've seen lots of talk on RQ of rolling duffles. Thoughts? How many pieces did you take? And forget the Carry-On-Only route. There's no way I can do that. I imagine I'll have a backpack for my laptop and other important stuff. Do I also get a carry on suitcase/duffle plus a checked bag? Is it just one checked bag per person?

Okay there's the topic ...LUGGAGE. Now discuss. :)

Things Are Finally Moving

My log in date has finally made it to Rumor Queen's Projections Post!! She thinks I'll see Mia's face in January. And so do I!

For my friends and family that don't live and breathe all things China adoption related, let me try to explain the chart. The months listed in the first column are the upcoming calendar months. The next column is her projections for how far China will get with matching during that month. I don't ever look beyond that first column because ....as you can see by the column headings... the other projections are based on numbers China was doing back during those times. And we all know China has consistently slowed over the last 4 yrs...not gone any faster. It's a safe bet that won't change.

So according to the chart, my June 14th LID is expected to be matched in January! Only 5 more months from right now!!!!!!

Conversations with a 5 year old

Braeden and Teagan

As I was packing up the car to leave my sister's house after our family reunion yesterday.
Teagan: Are you leaving?
Aunt K: Yep. Just gotta go back in and get my crockpot.
Teagan: What's a crockpot?
Aunt K: Well..it's like a big bowl with a cord that you plug in. The bowl gets hot and cooks your food.
Teagan: Oh...
10 seconds later as we enter the house...
Teagan: (pointing to the crockpot) Is that the crockpot?
Aunt K: Yep.
Teagan: Oh...for FROGS?
Aunt K: Uhhhmm.... well if you wanna slow cook a frog ...then yes, I guess.

My LID Turns 50!

Remember back in the spring of 2006 when my agency said it would be 12-18 months to complete this adoption? I do. Well... it's now 50 months later. It's really hard to believe that I still sit here waiting. But the good news is..... I'm starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. I'm still on track to get a referral in January. That's only 5 months from now. And with the holidays and year's end approaching... I think it's gonna fly by!

We're having a family reunion tomorrow. I just got off the phone with my sister talking about it. I said to her "This is gonna be the last family reunion without a kid. Next year I'll be bringing Mia."

And I actually believe it this time.

Crack is Whack

As a police detective, I see a lot of weird shit. Well, today something happened that will go down in my "Weird Shit Hall Of Fame". I thought y'all might enjoy a crazy little re-cap.

So this morning I'm interviewing an older crackhead woman. She'd been arrested on a warrant I'd issued because her baby daddy (yes that's a proper police term... sort of) alleged she kicked in his door and pointed a gun at him. Maybe she did. Maybe she didn't. Who really knows? But that's not the interesting part.

As we're sitting in the interrogation room, I first notice that she's missing several front teeth. Both upper and lower. But there are a couple still hanging on. I also realize that as she's talking she keeps putting her fist in front of her mouth. Like you do when you cough politely. I thought maybe she had some skanky crack breath and was trying to shield me from it. Which I appreciated greatly. But maybe she just had the foresight to realize what was to come next...

She becomes more and more agitated as we talk. She isn't happy about the accusations her baby daddy has made and is trying to convince me he's a liar. Well, as her agitation level increases her voice becomes louder, her words start coming faster. As she's rambling on and on and on, suddenly I hear this strange noise. "Phht"... and a tooth comes shooting out of her mouth.

I'll let you collect yourselves why you visualize that.....

Without missing a beat or even a pause in her sentence, she reaches up with lightening speed, grabs the tooth in mid-air, opens her fist to take a peek and shoves it into her pocket.

Hand to God...it really happened.

I sit there in disbelief... just trying to process what I'd witnessed. I mean, her tooth didn't just fly outta her mouth, right? That just doesn't happen. No, no... I think it did. What else could it have been? She's an inmate in the jail. They don't give them gum. So it wasn't that.

These thoughts are floating through my head as she continues to talk. Which means her mouth is open. I manage to catch a glimpse inside and realize there is indeed one less tooth up top.

Maybe the tooth fairy will visit the jail tonight. That's the only reason I could fathom why in the world she would keep it. I mean, it's not like there's a dental plan for crackheads. Did she think somehow it could be reattached? Did she want to keep it as a souvenir?

I don't know what was weirder... the tooth flying out, that mid-air catch, or the fact that she stuck her own tooth in her pocket and acted like nothing even happened.

Told ya, Weird Shit Hall Of Fame fer shur.

2 Years Later...

How can a baby born with a full head of straight dark hair...

turn into a curly haired blonde two year old?It's crazy how different she looks now, isn't it?

Happy 2nd Birthday Tess!

*Her birth video is here.