A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO HELPED US BY SIGNING THE PETITION I LINKED TO AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER. We got great news today that the 15 thousand signatures got some attention at the USCIS. Here is the email I received today.....
Dear Families & Friends,
After advocating on behalf of adoptive families for the past 6 months, Joint Council is very pleased to confirm that USCIS has announced a very positive ruling concerning the I-600A process.
In summary, it is our understanding that, effective immediately, families who filed Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition, prior to April 1, 2008 and whose USCIS approval of that petition (aka the I-171H) has not expired, will be able to proceed with their adoption under the I-600A process if they take certain steps while their approval remain valid. This means that families with valid Form I-600A approvals will not be required to transition to The Hague process via Form I-800A. In order to maintain their status as ‘grandfathered’ cases, families with non-expired Form I-600A approvals must request a one-time free extension. Then, prior to the expiration of the one-time free extension, families must file a new Form I-600A and pay the appropriate fee.
IF YOU SIGNED THAT PETITION, KNOW THAT YOU REALLY HELPED OUT A LOT OF WAITING PARENTS!
Tuesday night SJ came home with the news that we needed a sitter for Wednesday night because he had a big surprise for me. Our two regulars were busy so I called a friend to see if she'd take the kids over night and thankfully she was fine with that. Around noon yesterday I was told to meet him in the North End for dinner which is our usual M.O. for concerts at the Garden. I knew something was up. I was told to dress like I was going dancing so I obliged. Getting ready myself and shuttling my kids to and fro with afternoon activities was a tricky feat. Managed to get me showered, kids packed, homework done, french and art class attended, pizza picked up and the kids transferred to my friend's house all by 5:15 pm. IMPRESSIVE work on my part. I bobbed and weaved through rush hour traffic into Boston grabbed SJ at his office and we tossed the car in a garage. When we got out of the car he handed me two tickets to the Madonna Concert!!! I have always, always wanted to see Madonna. She is like the holy grail of concerts. A Madonna concert to me was like getting to one of the 7 wonders of the world. Perhaps her shows are the 8th? She did not disappoint. It was a crazy production with amazing dancers, lights, props galore, and of course the requisite foul language and obscene gestures! It was fantastic! Do I have a great husband or what??? 
