Hello, Kitty

This past weekend my mom and I took a road trip to see my sister's new house. She bought a ginormous place on a ginormous lake in northern NJ. We went with all intents of helping her unpack some stuff, clean out some stuff and get her settled. Then we eyed the backyard, which hosts a dock, paddleboat, jetski and speedboat. Plus a flock of wildlife. Suffice to say, we did not accomplish much beyond watersports, feeding the geese and sitting on the swing counting out the weekends this summer we'd be spending at Esther's new resort.

Next up, we visited my new friend Marleen and her family who happen to live near my sister. Marleen found me on a Yahoo group for adoptive parents logged in on China's waiting list in May '06. Turns out we have the same agency and the same LID! So we will be travelling together. This is her second adoption. Her first daughter is Kitty, who was kind enough to hang out on my lap for a while and show me pictures of her adoption and her family. She was an absolute joy and totally rejuvenated me as we wait for the day we meet our daughter. She even agreed to show June and her little sister the ropes.

We had a blast hanging out with Marleen and her family and I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other in the coming months (and years)!

What Moms Do

Moms give pep talks.

Moms join you for a cheery breakfast at your favorite diner on your birthday.

Moms know to give just the gift that will put a smile on your face and put the kibosh on your pity party, and know that indeed, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Thanks Mom, for all you do!!!

It's My Party...

Saturday is a mildly milestone-ish birthday for me, clocking in at age 35. I mean, there's no getting around it anymore. I'm squarely in my mid-thirties. But hey, it's good to get this far, right? Right.

But I'm sad today over the referral announcements today that state the CCAA got through two stinking days worth of waiting list (Oct 26,2005). I don't understand it at all and every month the glue holding my smile together when people ask where we are on the list dries a little more, cracks a little more, and the cheery attitude I'm trying desperately to hold together is hanging by a thread. I had dinner with a friend a couple weeks ago who asked me how much longer we had to go. I gave her the "14 months or so" stock answer to which she replied that I'd told her that six months ago, nine months ago, and a year ago. I told her I thought we were probably over the hump now and we could probably count on getting in and out of China before the Beijing Olympics. Today I have absolutely no idea anymore.

At the risk of sounding a like a total whiner (should be my 3rd instead of my 35th birthday), I have to say that I'm completely and totally frustrated. I know we chose the adoption route and that it's fraught with unpredictability. I know one day it will all be worth it. I know that as parents, we have to learn about patience. And there's no point in getting mad at the CCAA. But for today, I'm at a loss. It's hard to believe that one day we will ever have the daughter we have been waiting for.

I'll stop short of posting a photo of the world's smallest violin (which I did actually find online). Thanks for letting me vent. Tomorrow I'll eat way too much birthday cake, Sunday I'll eat way too much Easter candy, and on Monday it'll be a brand new day.