This post is for Patricia!

Get this, I do a search for "Down in the Dumps" picture and I get this one. Put a smile on my face, let me tell you!

Why "Down in the dumps?" Well, I'm checking the usual discussion groups and I come across a post about sending packages to China. It seems that you are supposed to keep packages to a shoebox size, as the mail carriers over in China ride bikes or are on foot. If the package is too big, then the orphanage staff have to go and pick it up... and most don't go and get it. Well, wouldn't that have been nice to know about a week or so ago. That package of snowsuits will just sit there then and no one will benefit from it.

We received our package from Formons, outlining the next step we have to do for the adoption including paperwork with Immigration. Didn't have much time to look through it last night, but Greg tried to fill out the online form and gave up after a while - figure he better look at the guide first, before filling out a bunch of pages that he can't save. So I guess we have passed a hurdle, since we got a package of more paperwork to complete. Waiting to hear about DTC/LID... hopefully for Christmas.

So I did it - I went to Walmart and I bought the pinkest snowsuits I could find, along with hats and mits, and I packed them up into a box to send to Da Lian, in China. This is the place where Karen's daughter is from and its in the northern part of China where there is snow on the ground all ready. Am I nuts? Oh ya... look at the size of the box they fit in!



You can also see a tube of play doh in there, btw. The lady at the Post Office asked if it was rush or not. I said no, it wasn't a rush. Good thing, cause Rush would have cost $260! So to send it by boat, it cost... get this... $69 ($4.50 surcharge for gaz). A little more than I expected, but it was worth it. Greg was just glad I wasn't sending books too - the whole package weighed maybe 2 kg (thank heavens!).

My colleague from work helped to translate the letter too. I tried using BabelFish, which worked really well (thanks Karen!), but William so wanted to help, so we did it as a team thing. Here is the letter:



So, here I am driving away from the Post Office, thinking to myself that hopefully two little girls will be warm this winter and they will look cute. Then it dawns on me: don't the Chinese put there young into suits that don't have bums, so that the kids can do there stuff more easily (read, no diapers... you get the picture). Oh damn, did I just do something stupid, sending them North American snowsuits? Then the next thought: oh ya, the girls will look really cute but will they be made fun of by the kids that don't have a new suit, cause its so pink? What have I done?! At least the Play Doh isn't so bad... right?

I know my intentions were good - I just wanted to keep a couple of kids warm - but I am honestly wondering if I have done the right thing now? The Director is probably going to think I am some crazy Canuck now - I was initially going to write to the Director that I was a friend of Karen's, but then decided against it, just in case they might think I was bribing them (which I am not/was not.. just for the record). Well, I can only hope that the size 24 month suit will go to a child that has all ready passed onto the potty, but what about the 18 month suit?

I just don't know what to do for Karen, our resource person. I have just read the saddest post from her - she still hasn't got her TA to get her daughter from Dalian, China, after 17 weeks of waiting - and I wish I knew the words to help her get through this, but I just don't. I know some of you from Formons read my posts, maybe you have an idea or two. I was thinking maybe sending her some bright flowers - like daisies - to maybe cheer her up. Is there something else that she would like? As its the whole family that is going through this, I thought maybe flowers would work as everyone would see them.

I was on fire tonight on the ice!!!

I was landing everything and beautifully too. My coach was so impressed, that she gave me free time at the end of the lesson cause I was so close to landing that axle - I didn't do it, but I have maybe a quarter turn left and I have it. We worked on it none stop for 15 minutes, over and over and over again. Looks good for the skating show on the 10th, as long as I don't get nervous that is!

Been looking for a skating dress, for the show, but I of course can't find anything. Its all made for little girls, not for 30 something mother's of three. My coach went so far as to offer to make me a dress, which I think I will take her up on... won't give any details, as I want it to be a surprise. You'll just have to come to the show and see for yourselves!

Exhausted and sore and still glowing from a good skate.

The paperchase is done! We dropped off our file at Formons on Friday afternoon, November 17th 2006. Now its out of our hands, and in everyone else's hands.

For those that don't know, the paperwork required is quite extensive: birth certificates, letter of intent, home study signed and approved by the Centre de Jeunesse, marriage certificate and certification letter from the High Commissioner based in Ottawa saying that the marriage certificate is authentic, medicals, financial forms, letter from our employers as to our salaries and that we are in secure jobs. Finally the hardest part, which is quite comical, is choosing just the right pictures: 1 picture of the couple, 1 of the house, and 4 of the family doing things. However, there can be no pets, no alcohol in the pictures. A few of us have agonized over which photo would be best and which one would undue all of our file!

What happens next? Well, its off to the notaries then off to Foreigh Affairs, then to the Chinese Embassy. Somewhere in there in gets translated too. Then its off to China (DTC - Date To China) - we are hoping that this will happen at Christmas time. Then our LID (Log In Date) in China, which means its official in China's system. This should be around January if everything goes smoothly. So let's just hope that all the T's are crossed and all the I's dotted, and that its smooth sailing.

As far as we are concerned though, we are officially "pregnant" now. As Julie said to me over the phone, this step is the equivalent of passing the 12 week mark in a pregnancy and the next step is the ultrasound - the actual referral, with a picture of our daughter! How exciting!!

Clare Leeuwin-Clark, Figures, Home Study

available at http://www.leeuwin-clark.dragnet.com.au/index.htm

Our homestudy has been approved!!!!

We got the call yesterday, by our Social Worker. It seems that our family is a little complicated (really? us, complicated??) and he had to explain things a bit more. He explained everything, and the director signed it off and sent it to us in the mail. So I'm running to the mail box today, and if it doesn't come today, I'm running home tomorrow to get it. Then its 4 copies of our entire file that has to be done, and then run it over to Formons so that they can send it to the Chinese embassy for authentication, translation, and being notarized, etc. Then its off to China! Rather fitting that this should happen during the month of November, as it is Adoption Month. We are just beside ourselves - Greg has this wonderful grin and says "Hi Mama!" over and over. I'm going to be a mom again!

Not 100% sure, but we think that Tristan has chicken pox, and not gastro... so no visit to the hospital tomorrow, as we don't want to carry in such an easily transmitted virus to the kids that can least handle it. I say that we aren't sure, cause he was vaccinated against it, but there is a case of it in his class at school. He has the lesions on his trunk, but he also has some on his legs which according to what I've read on-line isn't suppose to happen. Can't very well go to the clinic to check this out either, as its airborne and I don't want anyone to catch this. I am getting better, thanks to my wonderful husband taking up the slack all weekend. I got two full nights of sleep while he tended to the boys, crying out in the night or needing medication. I hate it when everyone gets sick - it really tests your patience, to have three boys screaming (because they aren't feeling well) all at the same time... hardest job in the world. Someone tell me when it gets easier please?

Hey Julie... thanks for checking out my new blog and leaving a comment!

Quiet weekend all around, even on the different sites.

Tristan has gastro, Jacob has a bad cold and is on his pumps, and I have just started a cold/flu thing... joy. Going to be a great long weekend, let me tell you. Greg will have to get up every 4 hours now to give Jacob his ventalin, as I am going to take a decongestant (night time) which knocks me out. Poor Greg...

No news yet about our homestudy. Our SW gets back from Cuba this weekend, and he will be "defending" us on the 14th or 15th. Hopefully, its nothing major.

Karen, our resource person, is still waiting for her TA (travel authority). I can't believe how long it is taking for her to get it! I think she sent her letter of intent back in June. Poor Presley - she really needs to get here, in her families arms. Saying a little prayer to the TA Gods that it will come soon.

Hmong New Year / Little girls -- Chinese Hmong traditional dress, Photos by Mee Vang, 12/6/2005

Trying to find a Name for our daughter is harder than I thought it would be. I thought the boys were difficult, and I would complain and vent on how there weren't any good boy names. Well, let me tell you it ain't easy trying to find a girl name that meets our criteria: can be said easily in both french and english, must be a strong name, of preference with a biblical background or a historical one, has to be one that cannot lead to teasing by other kids, a name that she will be proud to wear as an adult, and one that complements her Chinese name (what ever that may be, but which will be her second name).... phew.

So far on the very short list are the following names:

1. Evangeline
2. Maya
3. Chloe
4. Angelique (Angel in english)
5. Veronique (Veronica in english)

Angelique, from a historical background, would probably be perfect:

Ce prénom, qui rappelle une plante aux tiges vertes utilisées en confiserie, existe de longue date comme féminin du prénom Ange. Il fait partie de la littérature médiévale et des chansons de geste des troubadours. Dans le Roland furieux de l’Arioste, Angélique est une superbe Orientale égarée en royaume franc, qui subjugue les chevaliers de passage, chrétiens ou sarrasins. Angélique est aussi le prénom de la jeune fille rebelle décrite par Marivaux dans L’École des mères. Côté cinéma, Michèle Mercier a tenu le rôle de la sulfureuse Angélique dans la série télévisée du même nom. Assez répandu au XIXe siècle, il a failli disparaître de 1920 à 1960. Puis, il a connu un essor extraordinaire de 1970 à 1990, sans doute grâce au succès de la série télévisée, nommant jusqu’à 5 000 bébés par an. Il est encore donné à près de 500 fillettes tous les ans. On le fête le jour de la sainte Angèle (27 janvier).

Véronique is very interesting too from a biblical perspective:

Ce prénom existait il y a déjà deux mille ans : sur le chemin du Christ vers le Golgotha, Véronique (qui se fête le 4 février) essuyait avec un linge la sueur et le sang du Christ. Véronique serait une variante de Bérénice (du grec pherein, «apporter», et nikè, «victoire»), mais c’est aussi le nom d’une petite plante aux fleurs bleues. Jamais oublié, le prénom a connu l’essor à partir de 1950, avec un pic de popularité en 1963 (plus de 16 000 Véronique dans l’année !) et une décroissance ininterrompue depuis lors.

(My apologies to my english readers, but these quotes came from a french only website).

Chloe is nice and strong too.

Any thoughts or advice, or any other names we should consider, please don't hesitate to post!

I HAVE A SOLO!!!!

Happiness and glee....

My coach picked "Tea with Mussolini" for my music, and we worked on the program a few times (like 5 or 6) last night. I start out with a "TA-DAH" move, and go immediately into a sit-change-sit, then into a bit of stroking to get the head to stop spinning, into a three-jump - cherry-flip combination. Then onto a Spiral, straight into a loop. Then immediately into a camel spin... then the wonderful foot work (don't remember it all, but it involves lots of mohawks!) to end in a flip-cherry-flip-loop combination. Then a bit of stroking, into a lutz, skate to the center of the ice and do an axle, then into a lay-back spin! How exciting! How exhausting... I got off the ice last night and felt as if I had been through the ringer. An older gentleman was there, waiting for the hockey practice to start, and he congratulated me on getting the heart pumping... not sure if he meant my heart or his!

So now onto more practicing, and finding an adult competition. A friend on the ice suggested I try for Adult Canadians this spring... then my coach piped in and said, "Why not the Olympics?". I really hope she is joking.

The battle ranges on...The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.

Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.

General Kenobi: Years ago, you served my father in the Clone Wars; now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person; but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to Alderaan has failed. I've placed information vital to the survival of the rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi; you're my only hope.

K... I feel better now.

Blushing bride? Who me?... Not quite.

We've been married now for 3 months, we have 3 boys and our beloved dog, Moka Java, and we are both working full time. To add to this equation, we are on the road to adopt our daughter in China.

We are done the paperchase, as it were, and we are waiting for the homestudy report to be approved from the Centre de jeunesse. We started this official phase of our journey to our daughter on April 14th, 2006, Good Friday, when I dropped of our application to Formons une Famille inc, in Montreal. Its taken this long to get all our paperwork together, including getting married and getting the marriage certificate certified by the High Commissioner of the Eastern Caribbean nations, and ending with our dreaded Homestudy... which in the end wasn't so bad, as our resource person told us it would be. Now once we get the homestudy in our hands, and we get it off to our agency, we wait about 3 weeks for it to be authenticated and then translated, and then its off to China. A month later or so, its our LID (log in date) and then the official wait starts. As of today, its 14 months before we get our referral for our little girl but predictions are that it will get longer.

I am about to start a new job, as Senior Manager of Satellite Communications in the Strategic Planning Group. YUPPIE!!!! I will have worked in every CSA thrusts then - Earth Observation, Space Science and Exploration, and finally Satellite Communications. Hang on for the ride!

The boys are growing up too fast, and we can barely keep up with everything they are going through. Tristan is at school and loving it, Zach is turning into the big man on campus at daycare, and Jacob has learned how to say "NO!".

Greg and I have been able to clean out the garage this weekend, and surprise, surprise, the truck fits inside. Should have gotten a before and after picture... shoot, next time. This should be good for this winter then - no scrapping the ice of that windshield early in the morning!