The 2 Mouseketeers

We're off to the wonderful world of Disney. Mac and Alina found some old souvenirs today. If you look closely you will see that Mac lost his first tooth last night. He was so nervous about the thought of the tooth fairy visiting his room in the night that he had us put his tooth & tooth fairy pillow in the living room for the night. He ran in this morning to see what the tooth fairy left. Have a good weekend!

Reassurance

I broke down and called our adoption coordinator this week looking for reassurance that our quoted "timeline" had not changed. She was very reassuring that nothing has changed and that the 6 months to referral timeline should be right on. What that means is 6 months from the time we submitted our application to World Partners. We submitted our application in January so hopefully by the end of July we will have great news to share. I think it "could" happen anytime between now and then. She said our dossier should be translated and sent to the Kazakhstan consulate in NYC by the end of this month or the beginning of May. She will let us know when that happens. After that the dossier goes back to Kazakhstan to their Ministry of Education.

Of course this call made us feel better. July will be here before we know it.

Slightly Frustrated!

After reading the latest posts on our adoption agency's list server I'm slightly frustrated. Seems there are QUITE a few families waiting for referrals. Most of them a good bit ahead of us in the process. You can feel the frustration coming out in all of them. As frustrated as I feel this morning I'm also so thankful that I can look over in my kitchen and see my two healthy, happy wonderful children enjoying their breakfast! Most of the families that have posted are still waiting for their first child. Some even joke that they have pulled their empty highchair up to the table and talk to their "phantom" baby. Deep down I know the waiting is harder for families that don't have the distraction of the endless laughter, countless hugs, tears to console, swim lessons, school pick-up and bedtime stories.

OK, I started this post frustrated but have once again realized how totally lucky we are so I'll shut up now :-)

Will keep you posted.

Daddy's Adventure Story

(Posted 04/16/06 by McP)

Last Saturday morning I took Alina and Mac on a hike, up on top of the big ridge behind my parent's home in Graysville, Georgia. There the Georgia-Tennessee state line spanned a beautiful series of hilltop cattle grazing fields when I was growing up, and due to announced development of the property, I wanted to take the kids there before it all became just another suburban Chattanooga extention into Georgia.

The problem was, the field just before the old panoramic vista point had largely become a vast multi-acre briar patch. I led the children into it, but it soon became more than a six year old and a five year old (and a 46 year old) could handle. I ended up picking them both up - no small task - to try to walk the rest of the way. They each weigh about fifty pounds! Then the briars started getting higher. When Alina got snagged on the hand, I put everything and everyone down to rest in the only two by two foot area I could hold the briars down with my feet.

Mac started crying and I felt like a terrible parent.

I decided to pick them up again (mind you I was also by then carrying Alina's pink "Barbie" backpack, as well as three bags from Subway for our "outback" adventure). The Subway bags were being ripped to shreds by the briars, and I had to occasionally stop to collect the dropped sandwiches, chips and drinks.

When we got to the middle of the briar field I knew we had to keep going. Finally, I had no other choice but to make sure the kid's legs were hanging at my front and not my sides, and to protect them I walked backwards the rest of the way through the briar field. I could feel the denim and cotton, and occasionally skin, ripping from my legs and back. Alina was talking extremely loudly (apparently the only volume she can) in one ear, attempting to give me directions, while Mac quietly sobbed in my other ear.

We finally made it to the clearing and then on to the crest of the hill. Later on, as things settled down and we enjoyed what was left of the Subway lunch, I was trying to make a point about how hard it would be to live in the wild. We talked about the pioneers that settled this region, and the Native American presence by the Cherokee and Creek Nations.

I asked both of the kids what item they think they would need most to live in the woods, expecting them to want a television or one of their favorite toys.

Alina's answer: "An axe." I thought that was pretty smart and resourceful for a six year old.

Then Mac looked me over as he offered his opinion for the one item he felt most important: "Tweezers."

That's my boy.

McP

Mac and Alina April 2006

4/9/2006 - Beginning Post

Ken, Alina, Mac and I are anxiously awaiting the addition of a new member to our family. Many of you have asked for updates on our progress. I have decided to create this blog to send out so that you may check in with us whenever you want.

We are officially paper ready and are now in the waiting period. We don't know exactly how long it will take for us to receive a referral but remain hopeful that it could be in the next few months. We still don't know if our referral will be a boy or girl. We also don't know what region we will be visiting.

We are using the same agency that we used to bring home Alina and Mac back in 2000. Check them out World Partners Adoption

We will look forward to your comments and will update with ANY news we get from our agency.

Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers as we once again set out on this incredible journey!

Alison