Dear China, It's me S.....

Just a quick thank you note for getting referrals out before you close for the Holiday week. I am tickled that we got to have two sets of referrals in the month of September. I know we probably won't see October referrals but hey, a girl can dream. Keep 'em coming!

More thoughts on Palin...

If she can't hold her own with Katie Couric how can she hold her own in the event she is thrust into the role of President and is asked to have hard conversations with world leaders???


Matt Damon has some concerns too.


And to see a better visualization of Matt's fears....check this out.

PLEASE HELP!

Those of you who are tangled up in international adoption and specifically adoption from China are well aware of the implications of the Hague and our I-600a approvals. For those of you not involved, the I-600a is the the clearance you get from the US Government that allows you to return to this country with your new child. Without this approval, you can't get on your plane home with your baby. The US just became Hague compliant which means they now participate with many countries around the world to prevent child trafficking. Yes, good. Very good. However now the thousands of families like us who are in the MIDDLE of this adoption process are being asked to spend more money, more time, and perhaps delay their process by having to get re-approved by the US Government. Mind you that all of us spent close to $1000 to be I-600a approved at the onset of this process, then most of us have already had to spend money to get re-approved when the I-600a expired 18 months later, and now we may have to become I-800a approved which requires much more hoop jumping. We were initially told that people with a valid I-600a would be considered "transition" families and would be grandfathered in. Now it seems that may not be the case. There is a petition being signed to keep us "transition" families grandfathered in and I am asking ALL of you to click this link and sign it. You can also read more about this in greater detail on that blog. Whether you are in the process of an adoption or not, please help us by signing this petition.

Educating the whole being....

I know I bitch a lot here about the things I don't like. This morning I stumbled across something that really moves me so I thought I would post something I do like. I am bit of a nut when it comes to education and specifically the educating of my little people. I am forever analyzing whether they are in the right environment. I want them to get all the fundamentals but I also want them to have access to the other stuff should they find themselves interested in it. What is the other stuff? You know, the stuff most schools deem not all that important to education like the arts, foreign language, sports - you know the stuff they cut funding for. Well the stuff they cut funding for is really my kind of stuff and should it also be the stuff my kids are into, well then by golly they will have it. I want them to have access to whatever floats their boat b/c in reality what floats your boat is going to be what you are good at. If you focus on what you are good at you WILL succeed. That is what I want for my kids. So here is a great video from a guy named Sir Ken Robinson speaking at a TED conference. It is funny, informative, and moving. Grab a cup of coffee and take a peek. The bit about the ballet dancer gets me every time!

It won't embed so try this link!

ooohhh Big Day for Palin

She gets to meet her first Foreign Dignitary! Wonder if she'll bring her fresh and ill-used passport to show them she actually left the country once or maybe twice. Oh but don't forget she can see Russia from her house! Remember guys, if McCain kicks the bucket, she's our president. She's the one on Air Force One talking to leaders of all the OTHER countries in this big world. Will she need a foreign policy tutor to travel with her? I am sure she must have ordered world maps as part of her PTO experience so I am sure she'll be just fine. I am tired of hearing McCain's numbers are jumping because of MY demographic. GRRRRRR.

Female Issues

I am going to come right out and say it. I DON'T LIKE PALIN. There. I said it. I think she's all talk, not that she's the first politician to be all talk, but her talk bugs me. I don't mean to be catty but her accent drives me up a wall. Did you see her interview with Charlie Gibson? If not, sit down for 7 minutes and play the video above. I think she comes off as nervous, insubstantial, a good talker, & inexperienced. Don't get me wrong, I didn't know what the Bush Doctrine was either but I am not running for Vice President. In my mind anyone running for VP is also running for President - especially when you are running with someone like McCain.

For those of you who know me in real life, you know that I rarely speak of politics. I rarely entertain a conversation about politics. It is a very personal thing that I tend not to spout about. HOWEVER, I am so insulted by McCain's pick for VP that I feel the need to say something. I was a Hillary supporter. I am a woman under 50. I am part of the demographic they sought to win over with the republican VP pick of Palin. Instead I am insanely insulted that just because he picked someone with a vajayjay that I should be won over. If Palin was a man, McCain would be thought of as insane. He would not have been allowed to pick someone with so little political experience and so little life experience as his running mate. Just would not have happened. I was one of those people who wanted to see a woman in the White House but I wanted a capable, experienced, and confident woman. Not a hockey mom - I can get that at my local PTO. Oh, speaking of PTO, now that I am one of the VPs of our PTO do you think someday I could be a Presidental running mate?

Finally, here is what I am perhaps most irritated about. I will admit to this being an assumption and I could certainly be completely wrong. When a family chooses so strongly that abstinence is what should be taught and then a teenage member of their family become pregnant I get angry. This is the equivalent of saying "because I said so" which I will admit to having said from time to time but really don't agree with. I believe we need to teach our children why running with scissors is dangerous instead of just simply saying "because I said so." When it comes to something as dangerous as sex, because as wonderful as it is, it IS dangerous in the wrong hands, we need to teach our children what the implications are for having it. We need to tell them what can happen and how it can happen, instead of just saying "don't do it." I also believe that we cannot be so naive as to think that our bright, curious, and independent teenagers aren't going to try it. And if they do, don't they deserve to know how to protect themselves??? Don't they deserve to make the most educated decisions for themselves? Well in my mind they do! In my mind, there is a good chance Palin's daughter is pregnant as a result of not having the right information because she grew up in a house that said "just don't do it." I am sure she'll make it through just fine. She has a lot of family support, however, is this really the life she envisioned for herself? Did she dream about going to college one day and asking about daycare? Is that what you dream for your daughter? Not that arming them with all the information in the world will guarantee you a teenage-pregnancy free life but I think it helps your chances. Talk to your daughters. You brought them into this world and you owe it to them.

For more musings from women against Palin go here. You'll find more eloquent writing than you have found here from women all over this country. The blog was started by a few women on September 3rd and they have received over 100,000 letters from just women against Palin. Things that make you go HUM.

Finally a quiet moment today.

This was the first year I was unable to sit and watch the reading of the names. My kids and my PTO life are keeping me busy. I was running all day and Thursdays happen to be particularly busy for me. It is 6:00 pm and I just sat down for the first time and put on the news. On the one hand I felt some relief not have spent the day sobbing as I usually do but I also feel I have not given this day the kind of tender embrace I normally do. If they lined up all the families who lost someone that day I would gladly take the time to give each person a hug. I am lucky that I did not lose a loved one but didn't we all lose something that day? If you are reading this, I am sorry for your loss - whatever it may have been. I will never forget.


more random thoughts after dinner...
I was 7 months pregnant with my first baby. 5 days earlier a nurse slipped at my doctor's appointment and told me I was having a girl. I remember that day so vividly because I was so mad someone told me. Now I think back and realize that day was one of the last few days before the world changed. The morning of 9/11 I was awakened by my best friend calling to say a plane had hit one of the towers. I then saw the second one hit live. I clutched at my huge belly wondering what kind of world I was bringing my baby girl into. I marveled at how much evil could come out of such a beautiful sky. Today I looked up and saw that same sky. Many people commented on it. We all felt the irony in our guts. But today, 7 years later I have the most beautiful daughter. She has sprouted long legs, beautiful thick hair, round deep brown eyes, a sweet sweet smile and a genuine love for life. Just as I hugged my belly 7 years ago, today I am hugging my big baby girl and her younger brother. Rules are out the window tonight. Pizza picnic dinner on the living room floor and a later bed time so we can snuggle in bed reading stories. Keep the most important things in life close and just when you think they are close, scooch them in even closer. Unfortunately, daddy is on a plane tonight which makes me uneasy but we'll get through. Thank goodness for my children and the fact that they don't have the weight of this day on their shoulders.

Happy 11th

Yesterday we celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. I am happy to say we were so busy it left no time for blogging. We spent some time at the Peabody Essex Museum where we had our reception and then had a nice quiet dinner out close to home. Just as we were finishing up dinner 8 of our favorite people walked in to have dinner so we joined them for a cocktail before we headed home. It was a nice nice evening.

Comcast DSS

So if you have comcast and live in my small town you would no doubt not be surprised to wake up one morning with little or no internet service. It is not uncommon to hear someone say "oh my internet service is down again". Well that is just what happened to me on Thursday morning. The problem was exacerbated by the fact that I didn't realize it until after I had downloaded the entire school calendar, input my husband's work calendar, updated my PTO commitments, and entered a growing number of social engagements into my iCal and then sent each calendar item to both my husband's and my blackberries. I immediately got 50 pop-up messages from mac mail saying that it could not send the message because the server timed out. UGH. Well I waited a day thinking that it was just another one of Comcast's down days but by noon today I decided I needed to call Comcast.

The problem: I have several email accounts being used over 3 different computers and Comcast's system started to suspect I was up to no good. After hours and hours of time on the phone this afternoon with comcast we eventually had to get clearance with their "abuse" department to clear me to use their servers again. "Abuse" Department!?! Good gawd. I should just send them my CORI clearance from my adoption paperwork!

Dual for a Dual UPDATE!

I have so much to post about... our vacation in Maine....First day of School.... but before I get to all that, I must update you about my previous post on my seemingly never ending Dual with the UK passport office (which you can read about here) for SJ's British Passport.

Well today the UPS man arrived with an unexpected package. We got home from Maine on Saturday to find our front door littered with UPS post it notes saying they had attempted delivery of something needing a signature. SJ immediately turned to me and asked what kind of expensive thing had I ordered off the internet. I was as puzzled as he was (much to his relief). Well today while drinking my first Starbucks in a week and watching my favorite soap, the UPS man returned. I jokingly said, "gosh, we've been waiting with baited breath to see what kind of important package warrented all those sticky notes on our front door." He replied, "dunno, something from a passport office." Well I started leaping around on my front deck and ripped the envelope open to find a shiny new maroon passport in SJ's name. Under the nationalities header it says "British Citizen"!

Now I am going get to work to get L and B their UK passports. I'll be doing all the heavy lifting here and don't even get one of my own. Oh well! Can I come back in my next life as one of my children?