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| Mulching the playground with Parker |
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| Then I put on a rock show |
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| I visited the confirmation retreat at Asbury Hills |
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| Saw a roadside ostrich at a gas station! It was weird! |
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| Then crashed and burned on the way home! |
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Weekend Fun!
Monday, April 11, 2011
The fun continues!
I remember the weeks following our wedding eleven years ago(!). After planning "the big day" for over a year, I was really sad there was no more cake tasting, favor making, seat charting.... I wondered "what will I do to pass the time now?"
Well, with adoption, the so-called "honeymoon" appears to be never over.
In the last few weeks I have been working feverishly on the "next steps" in paperwork. Yup. More paperwork.
USCIS Citizenship certificates, Social Security card applications, US Passports, and GULP....Re-adoption.
I don't even want to think about post-adoption reporting. Our first PAR is due in June! It'll be here next time I blink for sure.
We received Charlie's citizenship certificate in the mail from USCIS in a very timely manner. (Maybe I'm not on the "black list") So that was the proverbial "tip of the iceberg" to get the rest of our tasks completed.
Social Security application. I filled out the forms, copied our documents and drug the boy to the SSI office right after lunch on Thursday last week. I was greeted at the door by a not so friendly security guard and 100 other people waiting for whatever you wait for if you don't have a baby at the Social Security Office. I grabbed and number and a seat. I figured if Charlie can make it through a 20 hour plane flight, he can sit in the SS Office for an hour. Luckily, I had some random things in my purse to keep him busy. Like safety scissors I use for couponing. So I taught him how to cut paper (government issued paper to be exact) Finally it was our turn!
After the officer called over her supervisor, and then her supervisor's supervisor to figure out how to key in our adoption information, we were on our way. 45 minutes in a sterile waiting room=no problem for my boy. He is such a people watcher, and TRUST me, there was a lot of people watching to be done there! Next week he should get his SSN!
Now it's on to the next steps in our planner.....
Call me crazy, but I think I can file the post-adoption legal papers on my own without an attorney. Working at a law firm for the last 5 years does have it's perks I suppose, Summons/Petitions/and Civil Action Cover Sheets don't scare me! I think I can do it without paying an attorney to do it, acting as my own attorney.....we'll see after I really start digging into. If it's too much for me to handle, maybe I can call in a favor at the firm....
So, it seems like the fun never ends in adoption land! At least until 2014 when our last PAR is sent in! Ah....but then we will move on to renouncing citizenship when he turns 18....Charlie is a duel citizen of the US and Russia and if he ever travels back to his motherland after his 18th birthday he could be drafted into the Russian military upon his entry into the country!
So, no. I don't think it will ever end. Ah....the things they don't tell you....
Well, with adoption, the so-called "honeymoon" appears to be never over.
In the last few weeks I have been working feverishly on the "next steps" in paperwork. Yup. More paperwork.
USCIS Citizenship certificates, Social Security card applications, US Passports, and GULP....Re-adoption.
I don't even want to think about post-adoption reporting. Our first PAR is due in June! It'll be here next time I blink for sure.
We received Charlie's citizenship certificate in the mail from USCIS in a very timely manner. (Maybe I'm not on the "black list") So that was the proverbial "tip of the iceberg" to get the rest of our tasks completed.
Social Security application. I filled out the forms, copied our documents and drug the boy to the SSI office right after lunch on Thursday last week. I was greeted at the door by a not so friendly security guard and 100 other people waiting for whatever you wait for if you don't have a baby at the Social Security Office. I grabbed and number and a seat. I figured if Charlie can make it through a 20 hour plane flight, he can sit in the SS Office for an hour. Luckily, I had some random things in my purse to keep him busy. Like safety scissors I use for couponing. So I taught him how to cut paper (government issued paper to be exact) Finally it was our turn!
After the officer called over her supervisor, and then her supervisor's supervisor to figure out how to key in our adoption information, we were on our way. 45 minutes in a sterile waiting room=no problem for my boy. He is such a people watcher, and TRUST me, there was a lot of people watching to be done there! Next week he should get his SSN!
Now it's on to the next steps in our planner.....
Call me crazy, but I think I can file the post-adoption legal papers on my own without an attorney. Working at a law firm for the last 5 years does have it's perks I suppose, Summons/Petitions/and Civil Action Cover Sheets don't scare me! I think I can do it without paying an attorney to do it, acting as my own attorney.....we'll see after I really start digging into. If it's too much for me to handle, maybe I can call in a favor at the firm....
So, it seems like the fun never ends in adoption land! At least until 2014 when our last PAR is sent in! Ah....but then we will move on to renouncing citizenship when he turns 18....Charlie is a duel citizen of the US and Russia and if he ever travels back to his motherland after his 18th birthday he could be drafted into the Russian military upon his entry into the country!
So, no. I don't think it will ever end. Ah....the things they don't tell you....
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
The name game....
Charlie is starting to say a lot more folk's names lately and it is so cute to me! He gets so excited to see his friends and shouts their names over and over again....
Downfall- if he sees someone who looks remotely like them or has a similar characteristic from a distance he launches into a in depth conversation about that person until the look-alike acknowledges their uncanny resemblance. (Ex: Anytime he sees a Suburban he insists its "Jana" He also talks about Jana at bedtime because "Jammies" and "Jana" sound alike!) He also screamed "Joe-Joe" at a tall man in Target until the guy stopped what he was doing waved to him. I just smile and shrug and say "you look like someone he knows....hehe" It's so great to see him responding socially to people that we love too!
A few other favorite names to shout, say, converse about:
Nene (Aunt Brittany)
Anna (our dog Annie)
Anna too (our dog Alex, since he can't say "Alex" he just says "too")
We read a book about the Nativity and he says "Ba-bee Jesus". So cute!!!
Tonight he finally said his own "non-Russian" name in the smallest sweetest voice...."Shar...lie" So precious. I want to shout with joy with every new word that comes from his lips!
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| My friend Emma! Another favorite person to talk about.... |
Downfall- if he sees someone who looks remotely like them or has a similar characteristic from a distance he launches into a in depth conversation about that person until the look-alike acknowledges their uncanny resemblance. (Ex: Anytime he sees a Suburban he insists its "Jana" He also talks about Jana at bedtime because "Jammies" and "Jana" sound alike!) He also screamed "Joe-Joe" at a tall man in Target until the guy stopped what he was doing waved to him. I just smile and shrug and say "you look like someone he knows....hehe" It's so great to see him responding socially to people that we love too!
A few other favorite names to shout, say, converse about:
Nene (Aunt Brittany)
Anna (our dog Annie)
Anna too (our dog Alex, since he can't say "Alex" he just says "too")
We read a book about the Nativity and he says "Ba-bee Jesus". So cute!!!
Tonight he finally said his own "non-Russian" name in the smallest sweetest voice...."Shar...lie" So precious. I want to shout with joy with every new word that comes from his lips!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Police Car Needed.....
Dear Mr./Mrs. Police Officer:
I need to borrow your squad car for a few minutes for photo op purposes only.
You must not mind if we stand on your hood since you don't have handy running boards in which to stand on.
You can come to my house (please turn sirens off so that our neighbors don't say bad things about my mom and dad....)
Or I can meet you at a public parking lot as I did for the Fire truck, Electric Company's truck, or the Ambulance. You just park it, go in for a bite to eat and I'll hop on and shout "cheese" until my mom takes my picture.
Thanks!
I need to borrow your squad car for a few minutes for photo op purposes only.
You must not mind if we stand on your hood since you don't have handy running boards in which to stand on.
You can come to my house (please turn sirens off so that our neighbors don't say bad things about my mom and dad....)
Or I can meet you at a public parking lot as I did for the Fire truck, Electric Company's truck, or the Ambulance. You just park it, go in for a bite to eat and I'll hop on and shout "cheese" until my mom takes my picture.
Thanks!
Love, Charlie
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| P.S.- You can call me on my cell phone |
Friday, April 1, 2011
Praise report!
The Judge said "DA!!!" to the Hooks! Evan has a forever family! She will be the FIRST child with down syndrome to be adopted in Pskov. What a BIG deal! I pray that this opens the floodgates for more children with special needs, especially for Kirill and Baby J.
This is the power of prayer people!
That a Judge that just two weeks ago couldn't comprehend why anyone would want a child with special needs and rejected a case based solely on that backwards thought is now processing adoptions, not only for "Americans" but special needs children too. I know that the Davis' ruling will be overturned. I love it when God not only breaks down barriers, but smashes them and rights a wrong in the same swift motion. Go God! This is the same Judge that refused our case for close to a year without an official agreement being signed and then one day out of the blue scheduled our case. Could there be any other explanation? I really don't think so. God moves everywhere- in Russia and in the hearts of men (and Judges).
Cool news too- the Davis/Hook/Moreno's family agency, Reece's Rainbow is now partnering with our agency, CWA. Reece's Rainbow is a special agency that finds families for special needs children. They have hundreds of children waiting on their website and a lot of the children that need homes have matching grants to help with the cost of adoption! Also, if you follow Reece's Rainbow on Twitter, aka @ReecesRainbow, Patricia Heaton (Raymond, The Middle) will donate $1 to the agency for every person that follows along!
Yeah Reece's Rainbow and Yeah Patricia Heaton!
Also- My friend Steph is officially a Mommy today! Her Judge said "Da!" as well. Today is a day for celebrating in the adoption community. Whooo-Hoo!!!
This is the power of prayer people!
That a Judge that just two weeks ago couldn't comprehend why anyone would want a child with special needs and rejected a case based solely on that backwards thought is now processing adoptions, not only for "Americans" but special needs children too. I know that the Davis' ruling will be overturned. I love it when God not only breaks down barriers, but smashes them and rights a wrong in the same swift motion. Go God! This is the same Judge that refused our case for close to a year without an official agreement being signed and then one day out of the blue scheduled our case. Could there be any other explanation? I really don't think so. God moves everywhere- in Russia and in the hearts of men (and Judges).
Cool news too- the Davis/Hook/Moreno's family agency, Reece's Rainbow is now partnering with our agency, CWA. Reece's Rainbow is a special agency that finds families for special needs children. They have hundreds of children waiting on their website and a lot of the children that need homes have matching grants to help with the cost of adoption! Also, if you follow Reece's Rainbow on Twitter, aka @ReecesRainbow, Patricia Heaton (Raymond, The Middle) will donate $1 to the agency for every person that follows along!
Yeah Reece's Rainbow and Yeah Patricia Heaton!
Also- My friend Steph is officially a Mommy today! Her Judge said "Da!" as well. Today is a day for celebrating in the adoption community. Whooo-Hoo!!!
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