Crazy pigeon lady

OK, I realize that pigeons have little to do with adoption but I am going to need to spend a moment focusing on these birds of mass destruction. I always knew that I didn't care much for pigeons aka "rats with wings" but I didn't know how much anger I could have towards them .... until now.  I really hate pigeons, I really really do.  I am becoming the crazy pigeon lady ... stepping out into my front yard, shaking my fist and screaming "damn you pigeons, damn you to hell!"  I really hate them.  It's to the point where installing anti-pigeon wire (which i haven't done yet) sounds too peaceful ... I really want to shoot them ...  Yup, I hate pigeons, I hate their poop and I hate the warbly sound they make up on my roof, in my chimney, and just about town.  They must go.

stacy

Easter Sunday

For some reason I've been feeling anxious lately.  I think it's because I am in the first "wait for it" portion of my adoption process. Nothing for me to do now but wait for the background checks etc. to clear and find out when my next step will start.  It's kind of annoying.   There is an unsettled feeling to my life right now. People keep wondering why I am going for an Ethiopian adoption when I am so into the Latino culture/language etc.  I think hmmmm .... well, my first thought was Guatemala but circumstances seem to be leading me toward Ethiopia and I am all about going down that path right now.  Besides, I am a white girl who enjoys traveling in Latin America, speaking Spanish, and eating Asian food.  I am hoping and praying that my Ethiopian baby will learn to love and lift up his/her cultural heritage, but will also love Asian food and Latino music.  My life will not be confined to Ethiopian culture just because I adopt an Ethiopian baby ... just as my life right now as a white girl with a Scandinavian ethnic background is not limited to lefse and lutefisk.  I do look forward to the process of learning about the baby's culture but even more so I look forward to sharing my life with a baby/child and building a family.    

Let the learning begin .....

hasta la vista

middle of the night

Here I am ... it's the middle of the night and I have been suffering from fever/aches/pains since Saturday night. I am a little whiney right now, but there is noone to whine to except maybe the dog ... and apparently to all the blog readers. I got an e-mail from Mary C. recently with an offer to be an auntie ... Mary, I couldn't think of a better aunt!  Lucky me that I have such supportive and good friends.  As an only child, and without a husband .... my baby could have been aunt and uncle deprived.  No fears! This will be one huge family. Thanks Mary, this was good middle of the night news.

Quiet Sunday

It's Sunday and spring is supposed to be here soon.  It feels like it will never come!  I have had my first experience at how long the adoption process might take and how impatient I am going to become.  I received a letter from Children's home acknowledging the receipt of my application, and listing possible dates of the preadoptive classes.  If all goes well (which I don't anticipate) I may be able to take these classes in May.  If there is a delay in getting my background checks, I will probably have to wait until July to take the classes (as the June class falls on my friends wedding weekend).  JULY seems so far away.  It's not until after I take the classes that I am assigned a social worker who does the home study and leads me through the process of completing the dossier.  YIKES.  Well, today I was thinking about how to deal with the possibility that a lot of the children in the Ethiopia program are orphaned by the death of their mothers.  In an ideal world, the child I adopt would someday be able to find his/her birth mother and make that important connection. This is all speculation right now.  I was just thinking about it.  Thanks to all of you who are taking the time to read my updates. 

Birthday

Well, I turned in my paperwork a day early!  Felt good to have that step accomplished and out of my hands. Yesterday was an adoption themed day. First I turned in my paper work and then I visited with Nathan Dong Ho, who just arrived from Korea on Wednesday. Nathan is 7 months old and seems torn between wanting to be a cuddly boy and an active boy.  Cute baby ... tired family!  His brother Isaac (who's two year arrival day is Saturday), seems to be taking this new intruder fairly well.

Now my job is to wait to hear from the application coordinator at Children's home. She will enroll me in a weekend long pre-adoptive class (i think that is what P.A.C. stands for).  After my class I get assigned a social worker (of my very own) who will come out to do a home study.

My other job is to learn about Ethiopia.  The history book I bought is slightly over my head.  A friend suggested I get a more consise overview and get that in my head before I read the more intricate version. 

Crime Lab

Well today was fingerprinting day ...  I learned a couple of things:  1. The city hall building downtown Mpls is beautiful (i had never made it out of the basement before).  2. Brian Coyle was the first openly gay Mpls City Council member, and he died of aids ...  (I just thought he was the builder of a community center).  Funny what you learn when you read plaques. 3.being surrounded by marble and stained glass makes me speak in hushed tonesand 4. the crime lab doesn't seem that exciting.

When asked for hair color, Jen and I decided that the best answer is to put the color the hair looks like on that day (rathar then the color it may be naturally). 

Oh, it's so much more fun to write about this then to start thinking about the group I am about to lead. 

more later .... Stacy

 

blogging newby

Here we go, my first "blog".  I am new and a feeling obligated to try to be witty.  Witty I am not (not when forced anyways).  I started this blog as a journal of my journey to motherhood.  This IS in fact a real journey, that God willing will soon bring me to Ethiopia to pick up the love of my life.  This Friday is my birthday and to celebrate I plan on dropping off my completed application packette, in person, at Children's Home Society in St. Paul.