Saturday, March 31, 2007

Getting Closer????



All rumours now point to early November being in .... SWEET!!! Even our Agency is saying it's looking like Group 248 (Nov. 3rd LID) could be matched in this batch ... they've never really made any such predictions yet so I'm hoping they actually have some first hand knowledge. We should know for sure by Monday (or Tuesday) and then my dear friends the real countdown can begin because we SHOULD be next!!! Cadence's picture could be posted here in 5 weeks ... mere WEEKS!!! Can you stand it?!

Thursday, March 29, 2007

And so it begins .....



Rumours have begun ... finally! It has actually been a very quiet week up to this point. The current and fairly RELIABLE rumour is that referrals are in the air at this very moment. As to what the cutoff date is ... it's still anyone's guess really! There are some
crazy rumours of November 11 (which would mean US!), less optimistic ones of November 2nd or 3rd and conservative and most likely ones of October 31st. As much as I know in my heart we aren't ''IN", I can still feel my heart skip a beat to even see
it as a possibilty. If the referrals make it into early November, we can feel pretty confident that we are NEXT, if not, well .... that
could mean we will be on the edge of our seats next month wondering which side of the fence the ball will drop on! More news to come as it is divulged ... hopefully tomorrow or Monday...........

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Nothing to Report!


But I DID manage to FINALLY find a window treatment I liked for the kitchen! Yeah, that only took about 4 years and 9 months ..... heck, this referral wait is nothing in comparison! Who am I kidding .........

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

We Got Mail ....

Last night as I was stalking, I mean, perusing blogs, one of the members of our travel group shared that they received a "Preparing for Referral" Kit from our agency. I immediately sent Sean out to the mailbox and VOILA!!! ... there it was! This
is a definite sign that we are getting close .... now don't get too excited .... it's not like it's happening tomorrow .... or next week .... or anything, but .... all evidence does point towards a good possibility of receiving our referral in, oh, about 6 weeks. In the big picture, that is just around the corner! The excitement is starting to build and my nerves are getting the best of me! I can't imagine what I might be feeling this time next month. It has been a VERY long road. There have been many days I didn't believe in my heart it would even happen. Mail. Who would have thought the profound affect it could have. We have just turned another corner my friends.......................

Monday, March 26, 2007

Have Luggage ... Will Travel!

Of course, we are missing one thing .... the referral! (SHH! ... Slight rumour that it could arrive by the end of April!).




The Bay had a GREAT sale on luggage this week ... 50% off ... plus I had enough 'points' to get a $100 gift card towards my purchase ... see how good I'm getting! I tried to buy the lightest cases they had as I am NOT known for packing light! In fact, I had to purchase new cases because the one I have is well over the accepted size. Yup, this will be one heck of a challenge alright! Hmmmm, my list is already 3 pages long .... HELP!!!! And NO comments about shoes ... I know ... I have already decided ... 2 is the max! Well, that doesn't include a pair of flip flops for the hotel room and pool!

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Surprize!??



Last night my friend Lisa invited me to go out for drinks and dinner to celebrate my birthday .... yeah .... right!!! I give her (and my husband) credit for trying ... they came close to getting away with it but there were a few 'strange' events that made me suspicious! To be honest, I thought the 'party' was going to be last week and when it didn't happen, I was feeling pretty good that the day WAS going to pass quietly afterall! Once I realized 'something' was up for last night, I was kind of thinking it was going to be 'the girls' getting together for a dinner in my honour. I really didn't expect a crowd ... OR my BF Jody to come up from London... I was over the moon to see her! As much as I hated turning .... I will not use the F word on this blog ... I did enjoy having my friends and family together for a party!!! I am very lucky to have such amazing people in my life. Thank you to everyone that was able to come AND to those who where there in spirit ... a special thank you to Sean and Lisa for ALL their efforts!

Friday, March 23, 2007

No News is NOT Good News!


It has been an exceptionally quiet week ... not one peep or rumour! I sure hope next week brings some substantial, GOOD rumours ... referrals would be EVEN better! Here are the predictions from the Queen .... as I said, not really what I would have hoped. I'd like to say, with confidence, our referral will come in early May ... but I just can't be sure about that!
FYI ... our LID is November 10th.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

The Quest for a Car Seat



Spent all of 15 minutes looking at car seats at the Toys 'R Us today .... way too many choices and options! Sean and I know we want 'the best' in terms of safety and comfort but ........ it has to match the car interior too! I am also waiting for the one I want to go on sale! Now, I did find this adorable one that had a denim look with pretty flowers .... I'll be checking the catalogue and finding out the stats and ratings .... oh, but it was sooooo cute! Any thoughts on the subject .... brands, options you like, dislike? Should I be waiting for the referral in terms of having a better indication of possible age/weight? I'm figuring there just might be enough of a 'return window' to go ahead with the 'scheduled' purchase soon. Anyone???????

Monday, March 19, 2007

No Rumours, Updates or Personal Anecdotes

It is that time of the month when there is nothing happening in the adoption world for waiting parents. I don't even have any witty stories to share. I will say, I survived yesterday ... and it's over ... and I'm REAL happy about that!
And so, to keep you entertained, I will share one of the beautiful poems I have kept while embarking on this journey ..... baba to be ... you should probably have tissue handy .....

As a girl I had a common dream, to be a mom someday.
My baby would have eyes of blue and hair the hue of hay.
But now my dreams have been transformed, new visions fill my head.
Now the tresses that I long to stroke are raven black instead.
And in my dreams those eyes are not so big or blue or round.
Now in my dreams they're almond shaped and colored cocoa brown.
And in my dreams my arms can stretch across enormous seas.
They reach half way around the world and hold you close to me. 
As you grow in your mother's womb, carefully knit together,
You're also growing in my heart, where you will stay forever.
And in my dreams the moment that your mother says good-bye,
I'll be right there to comfort you and hold you as you cry.
Our features may not look alike: we're different as can be.
But still I know the Father has created you for me.
And though I've not yet seen your face, or held your tiny hands,
And though we're half a world apart in very different lands,
I'll be right there to get you just as soon as God allows.
But 'til He says the time is right I give to you this vow:
I'll pray for your protection every day on bended knee.
For God to hold you in His arms, until you're here with me.
                                         -Gayle Leubecker

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Finally!!!!



Chicks With Sticks finally pulled off a win!!! Must have been those fans ... thanks G family for coming out to support us! Final score ... 4 - 0. Hate to admit it but ... it IS more fun when you win!

Friday, March 16, 2007

I Sooo Hate to Disappoint!

Alright ... I heard you! Keep in mind, we are not yet done, but getting close! Still need to do a border, a few more pieces of furniture (the Pottery Barn knock off doll house bookshelf is under construction as I type!), an area rug, window treatment and of course pictures, etc.. My artistic friend, Alicia is working on a plan for a little embellishment on a part of the wall as well!~
All in good time my friends!


Thursday, March 15, 2007

Blogger Help Needed!

I am going into the third day without the ability to upload pictures .... that's no fun! Without pictures I am NOTHING!
Anyone have any suggestions? I continue to get the message "You must choose at least one image." Well, I've been
doing that and nothing happens .... help!

In other news, RQ has made a brief appearance and the news was not what I'd hoped for. The early May cut off has a
bad case scenario of Nov. 9th ... I told you ... I'm going to miss it by 1 friggin day! Of course, there are the mid case and
best case scenarios which put us 'in'. Over the past couple of months the cutoffs have fallen in between RQ's bad case
and mid case dates soooooooo, at this point ANYTHING can happen! As always, we'll have to see what happens next
month .... what else is new!?

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Pity Party!

It was a pity we weren't in the carribbean ...........

You'll have to wait on the photos, Blogger is not uploading for me today!


Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Clarification on 'Updates'

When I said no more updates ... I meant ... no more updated photos of the room until it is totally finished! Sorry to inform you,
but I will still have plenty more to say in the coming months! Do stay tuned in .............

3 Countries in one day .....

Girls are getting together for a Tropical Tuesday! We will be 'visiting' Cuba, Mexico and The Dominican Republic ...... well .....
sort of:



And .... I am making progress in 'the room'! I am thinking I will no longer update you until it's full completion so, enjoy this last image:

Monday, March 12, 2007

Quiet Times

These next few weeks will be quiet on the adoption journey ... no action or rumours to follow. Life here is pretty quiet too. Instead of lounging by the pool with a pina colada in hand, I seem to have found myself behind the fridge and stove armed with a scouring pad ... NOT my idea of a holiday ... although it does feel good to get that done!

In the mean time I MUST share one of my favourite shots of Winston ... truly he is a one of a kind dog ... although, he really doesn't view himself as a canine at all! In this picture he is posing with 'seal'. Seal is like a blankie ... Winston takes it everywhere! It really is adorable to watch. At night, when we tell him it's bed time ... he goes to get seal and carries him up the flight of stairs to bed. Being that seal is white, has presented problems ... it gets filthy! When we throw it in the machine, Winston faithfully sits in the laundry room and waits for it to be done. It sometimes amazes me how much I love this little guy!
Any dog owners out there know what I mean? Here is another of many shots of Winston you will be viewing ... at least until we have ones of ..... you know who ..... soon, my friends .... soon!

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Another Anniversary ... and Why



Yesterday marked our 16 month LID anniversary ... a far cry from the 6-8 month wait expected. Although our time is coming soon, it is difficult to let this time pass without feeling a whole lot of emotions ... I will not divulge myself openly here ... after ten years of struggle to almost get there, well ... you can only imagine. Why IS it taking so long? Aside from feeling like I am
'cursed', a member of our agency had some thoughts on the subject while spending some time in China just recently....

I have been coming to China for eleven years and I cannot help but be stunned by the changes wrought. Interestingly the changes I see in a decade here are many of those I have lived through in my nearly six decades of life in Canada. The social fabric of China is slowly ripping and will be, I can see, replaced by other material, all the best and worst of so called developed countries like Canada. While I am not certain that the foundation of family, the essence of China itself will collapse, it will assuredly shift.

The limiting of family size, either by decree or desire, the changing view of the need for a son, the support of seniors in old age, the programs that encourage having one daughter not just one son, the alarming imbalance of men to women, all are the first cracks in what was once deemed an impermeable foundation. The outward manifestations are the skylines filled with cranes as China rips down the old and reconstructs the new, high in the sky. The buildings, the acquisition of riches, are a reification of the changing values of the population within.

Adoption is now and will always be one manifestation of a society's changing mores. For instance in Canada through the 1970’s and 80’s, adoption placements, both in the public and private spheres, declined radically. Adoption seemingly became anathema for many who might once have considered it as a first choice for an unplanned pregnancy.

History repeats itself endlessly and what happened to adoption in Canada and the other industrialized countries of the world is now happening in China. As you all know the waits in China have more than doubled in the last fifteen months. I am repeatedly asked why and, moreover, what the future might hold. While I am not a seer, my trip, and my many conversations with all manner of officials connected to adoption makes it clear what has transpired, and what the future indeed might hold. I have already in essence explained it by highlighting the changing social mores and economic circumstances here. There is less and less reason for the abandonment of babies. Families are less pressured to abandon their girls in an effort to have a boy. There is not only growing awareness and acceptance that girls can look after their parents in old age as well as boys, but the government is offering incentives to families to retain their daughters and also to assist seniors as! in more developed countries through minimal monthly support payments much like our OAS. The improving economic situation of many families means some can pay a fine to keep a second child regardless of gender; many more Chinese families are adopting girls as their second or even first child as they can now afford to do so. In short, all the reasons that lead families here to abandon their girls, who then were placed abroad, are evaporating. There is less and less need for girls to leave their birth family and/or their birth country. Unless there is a complete economic collapse here, or a quantum shift in thinking, I can only see children in need of families will also continue to decline.

By most estimates there were 30% fewer children requiring international adoption in 2006 than 2005. That 30% is predicted to continue although to what degree over what time no one can say, only that the situation will persist. What was made clear to us is that longer waits can be expected.

For those of you in the queue I know this is the most unwelcome of news. While there is no indication that China will close or adoption disappear, it will continue to shrink, as did Ontario, as did South Korea, as will all countries that start down the road to prosperity. Once a country can afford to support all its parents to some degree, adoptions will decline.

Although for the moment, this did little to lift my spirits, I have to be happy for the many little girls who will grow up in their birth mothers arms, as well as the very special little one out there who will find her place in mine!

Saturday, March 10, 2007

My Reflection

Allow me to take a few moments to reflect on what I have learned about painting thus far ...

1) I still detest painting ... unequivocally!!!!
2) Taping is worth the time and effort.
3) Have a damp cloth ready at all times. The need for this will be significantly reduced if you pay attention to #2.
4) Move ALL the furniture out of the room if possible.
5) If you can not manage #4, remove all other persons from the house who may be offended by your ranting and explicit language.
6) Do not assume you are an expert by the second coat ... realize you are being cocky.
7) Take as much time and effort with the second coat as you did with the first (this can be combined with #6).
8) IF you are going to get any paint on the carpet (the light beige carpet), it will happen in the last five minutes of the job and at the entry way to the room.
9) Closets don't need a second coat (especially if #8 occurred).
10) Accept imperfections ... you are not Picasso and this is a kid's room after all.
11) If you have difficulty with #10, put stuff up to cover it.
12) Hire someone to do the job you absolutely hate to do!

Two days of drying and then ... 2 coats of blue on the bottom .... HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, March 9, 2007

Makeover Madness

Winston went for his 6 week makeover today. I don't have any 'before' pictures as he wouldn't look at the camera ... getting a dog to pose ... bit of a problem! I do however have the 'after' shots. For some reason, I have yet to inquire, his regular groomer
was not available and so his cut is not exactly as we hoped .... but he's still THE MOST ADORABLE DOG .... EVER! The 'room' has also begun its makeover (I survived the first coat!). Even Sean got a haircut today ... his photo ... missing! As for me ..... my makeover is in a box ... to be applied later next week ... followed by a GOOD cut ... and absolutely NO photos!!!


Thursday, March 8, 2007

This Time Last Year ....

As of 3:30 today, my holidays officially began! Usually I am running around, picking up last minute items ... sunscreen, books to read, trinkets for the maids ... but ... not this year! I thought I would be really down (guess that will come when I am faced with all the returning tans!) but I'm actually doing okay! I think I am more focused than ever about the big trip this summer ... the 'journey of a lifetime'! I have a lot of things to keep me busy this week and am managing to add a few leisure activities to the mix ... all work and no play is NOT for me! So ... here are a couple of shots from last year to remind me of ... the good old times!




Hmmm ... good thing we stayed put this year ... NO WAY I'dve been able to pull off a bathing suit this year!!!

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Ready, Set ..... Set ..... Go!



The room is prepped and I am ready! Okay, ALMOST ready. I would have been able to start painting tomorrow after school, if I hadn't realized that my 'filler' was all dried up (and I wasn't so lazy to go and pick up some more!). But on a positive note, I put the first coat application on my TO DO list for Friday so ....... I'm okay with that! Now, a question .... the closet is going to be as much of a bugger to paint as it was to prep (check out all that taping!...AND don't even mention that I could've taken the shelving down 'cause THAT WASN'T GONNA HAPPEN!) so ... do I paint the closet first and get it over with OR do I do my walls first and leave it til the bitter end? Not much of a poll, but your input would be helpful ... especially if you've BTDT (which I've learned is 'Been There, Done That'). Bet you can't wait til it's done ... my blogs are about as exciting as .... watching paint dry!!!Teeeheee!

Monday, March 5, 2007

UPDATE!!!

Well, the next set of referrals have FINALLY arrived and unfortunately they only take us up to the 24th of October. CCAA only referred 11 days worth of files this time around ... there are still 16 days to do BEFORE they refer ours. The good news is another 2 groups from our agency will be getting their referrals, hopefully today, and we ARE another step closer! Of course the down side is we will not make the cut off for the next set of referrals (expected around the end of March but most likely beginning of April). BUT we SHOULD be in the referral group after that (end of April/beginning of May)! That is exciting!!!! It will also mean a very high likelihood that I will finally get to meet my friend Penny in person early this summer! I can hardly wait! I can almost see the Great Wall from here ..............

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Fashion Part 2

This guy does NOT enjoy 'getting dressed' one bit!






Now you know why we need a kid!

Saturday, March 3, 2007

Fashion Show ....

I had been diliberating lately as to whether I should do the denim faux finish ... I was thinking, too busy ... denim, distress, flowers! I headed back to the paint store today with my bedding, paint chips and photos in hand to 'consult' with the experts.
They agreed ... no denim! So I came home with the green and blue AND, now I'm thinking ... maybe even that is toooo much!
Any aspiring decorators out there that can share an educated opinion??? I guess, I can give it a go and if I'm not happy I can always change it ... lord knows I will have the time!
Anyway, according to schedule, I took everything off the walls and emptied the closet in preparation for next week. In doing so, I came in contact with some of the adorable little 'outfits' I have been putting away and couldn't resist showing you some of them.

This, by far, is one of my favourites (do you think I could get it in my size?)!


Check out the patches on these jeans ...


How about the purse...have you seen anything cuter?

Isn't this sweet?

And of course, no wardrobe is complete without Calvins!


Hmmm ... looks like there will be PLENTY of denim in that room after all!

Thursday, March 1, 2007

What's a girl to do?


Well, this is the highlight night of my week .... typically .... HOWEVER, Grey's is a repeat AND there is no ER for tonight!!!! So, what's a girl to do .... add some useless information to the blog I guess (since there is nothing happening currently on our 'quest'). So let me divulge my humiliating moment of the week .....
This is one of my favourite times of the year - Roll up the Rim! I love it! I never win more than a cookie and only if I'm really lucky, but I am suckered into the drama and head to the drive thru EVERY day now. Let me point out that I CAN walk the 400 metres to work, but choose to drive as it allows for a Tim's run. Anyway, after placing my order I inched up to the recycle bin to dispose of an empty water bottle. Welllll, I am having a little trouble with my arm/shoulder at the moment and as I went to make the drop, I missed and the bottled rolled down into the drive, I assumed under my truck. I was frozen for a second, wondering what to do. I may have made the wrong decision to drive forward 'cause the lady behind me drove up, got out of her car and took care of my bottle .... I was humiliated!!!! (I know what you're saying...may have?) I would have paid for her coffee as a gesture, BUT I hadn't brought any extra money with me! So there you have it ... hanging my head pretty low!