A New Family!!

Our wonderful friends D&D have become a family!!

They have met their daughter Daphne and we couldn't be more thrilled for them!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

3 YEARS!!

WOW!!!

It has been three years since our file landed on a desk in China.

Three years since we thought we were going to have a daughter.

Three years of waiting and hoping.

Three years of meeting WONDERFUL people.

Three years of developing some GREAT friendships.

Three years of disappointment after disappointment.

Three years of every emotion possible.

WOW! Still can't believe it has been three years.

Still can't believe that after three years, we are not even half way there...

Happy three years to Dolores and Shawn too!! We are so lucky to be going through this with you.

EXCITEMENT!!!

Catherine finally has sweet Hannah in her arms!!

I get goosebumps just typing that!!

Hop on over to her blog where there are more pictures and congratulate her!

We are beyond thrilled for this new chapter in her life to start with Hannah!!

Pictures Have Arrived!!!

Pictures are in and there is a beautiful video on Doris and Dan's blog of their DAUGHTER!!!

Pop on over and take a look...have a tissue on hand.

I Remember...

I remember when I used to think that blogging was one of the best things ever.

I remember when I used to walk around thinking and composing blog posts in my head all day.

I remember when I used to plan things that I could blog about.

I remember when I thought that I was actually going to get a daughter from China.

I remember when I was so excited thinking about the impeding referral of our daughter.

I remember when I wanted to stay home all day and read adoption blogs.

I remember when I believed what our agency told us.

I remember when I this blog held MUCHO importance to me.

I remember when I was not so cynical about the whole process.

I remember when Dolores and I would talk about our trip to China together to bring home our daughters.

I remember when I was so naïve about adoption related things.

I remember when our agency told us we would have our daughter in summer 2007.

I remember when our agency told us we would have our daughter by the end of 2008.

I remember when our agency told us we would have our daughter by 2010.

I remember the day our agency told us not to expect a referral before 2015.

I remember the moment I lost all faith in our adoption.

34 Month LID

Today is our 34 month LID. I forgot...again...

However, as Dolores and I were driving back from K1's today after some super twin goodness, we were chatting and Dolores suddenly remembered about our LID anniversary.

We already had dinner plans together tonight so we raised our glasses to 34 months. It was GREAT to be able to 'celebrate' with them...

Brownies

This afternoon we are going to a friends house for a gathering. It is a pot luck. Among other things, we are bringing dessert. Part of that dessert is brownies. I was in the kitchen and I prepared the brownies and put them in the oven. I then puttered about and did some other things while they were baking. Gathered other things that we needed.

I don't like to venture too far away from the oven or the timer when I am baking. I have been known to go upstairs and putter and then not hear the timer and forget all about what I was making.

So I was on the main floor and the timer went. I proceeded to the kitchen and opened the oven, had on my oven mitts and pulled the brownies out of the oven.

They were jiggly. Brownies shouldn't be jiggly. That is a bad sign.

I then really looked at the brownies and not only were they jiggly, they were totally uncooked.

I forgot to turn on the oven...

Oooppss...

So now I am still here on the main floor, waiting for the brownies - in the turned ON oven - to bake. We are supposed to leave at 2:00...I am not thinking that that is going to happen!

33 Month LID

Well Sunday was our 33 month LID. I forgot...

I read about it on Dolores and Shawn's blog.

Then I forgot about it again.

Now I remembered and thought it was a good excuse to do a blog post.

On the down side, we received a notification from our agency stating that with the lengthening time lines, and if things continue as they are, we can expect a referral in the later part of 2015!!

Oh yes I did write 2015!! That would be a 9 year wait. 9 years when we signed up for 18 months.

Whatever...

On the positive side, we should BE with Dolores and Shawn for our next one!!!

Work vs. Personal

Last week at work, I received an e-mail from a business associate. This associate is NOT someone that I have ever met in person. In actuality, this was the first correspondence that I have ever had with her.

The e-mail was in response to a business question that I was asking.

Her response back to me was signed off with “Have a Blessed Day”.

What people choose to say or not say in their personal e-mails is their business. However, I don’t feel that this was an appropriate sign off for business correspondence.

Thoughts?

EXCITEMENT!!!

Please join me in congratulating Catherine. She has received her referral for her little Hannah!

She is a MOMMY!!!

Pop by her blog and share your excitement!!

Happy Birthday Dolores!

Happy Birthday to Dolores!!

Today is her special day for a special lady!!

We are so lucky to have you in our lives!

Can't wait to see you again soon!!!!!

Head on over to her blog and wish her a great day.

The graphics are courtesy of Doris as I pinched it from her blog...

Apparently Doris pinched it from K1 blog last year...Thanks K1

I then stored the image and brought it out again!! This is one of my favourite pictures of Dolores.

I am really going to learn to do all this stuff one of these days...

Today is the day!

The above cake is courtesy of my sister. She came over tonight with the cake and a present!

Cake was GREAT and the present was perfect!!

Thank you to everyone who sent their birthday wishes through phone calls, blogs, Facebook, e-mails and cards. They are all very appreciated.

Tonight Mark and I enjoyed a lovely dinner out. Now I am so full I have to try and keep my eyes open!

Happy Day to everyone!!

99 Things

Pinched this off K1's blog.

Here are the rules:
Bold (since I can't "bold", the ones I have done are GREEN) the things you’ve done and post this list on your blog then leave me a comment and tell me you did this I can go see. I bet this has gone around the blog world already, so if you've done it, let me know.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyworld
8. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Written something that was published
11. Bungee jumped or parachuted
12. Walked across the Golden Gate Bridge
13. Been in a fist fight
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Seen the Rings of Saturn with a telescope
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when not ill
24. Built a tree house or snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Fired a gun
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal
44. Visited Africa
45. Cried yourself to sleep
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Visited the Eiffel Tower
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Pretended you cooked something from scratch when you didn't
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie or commercial
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold something door to door
62. Gone whale or dolphin watching
64. Donated blood, marrow, etc
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Held onto a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten frog legs or caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Time Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Done something illegal
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Sang a solo
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Climbed a mountain
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had surgery
89. Directly saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Seen a loved one die
94. Given birth to a baby
95. Visited the Alamo
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Sent a text message while driving
99. Been stung by a bee


54 bolded or made GREEN - I am impressed!! I can't say that I even want to do all of them, but there are a few on there that I would be willing to do/experience.

Good or Bad?

Yesterday was our 32nd month LID Anniversary.

I forgot - TOTALLY forgot. Not until I was reading Dolores and Shawn's blog did I even realize that yesterday was the day.

I have been thinking about it. I am not sure if forgetting our LID anniversary is a good thing or a bad thing.

I will have to ponder muchly about it and well hey - I have about 60 more to go so missing one or two along the way shouldn't be a big deal.

WHOO HOO - we (after almost 3 years) are 1/3 of the way there!!

Apparently I am a bit bitter tonight!

Excitement!!!

There is some INCREDIBLE news to share!!

Go HERE and share in their joy!!

We are beyond happy for them and are most excited for K1 and K2 to welcome K3 & K4!

I have goosebumps just thinking about it!

It couldn't have happened to nicer people and we wish them all the happiness in the world!

ICK!!

So I am sitting at my computer minding my own business.

Something catches the corner of my eye.

I look down.

There is a mouse at my foot.

OH YES THERE IS!!

I jumped - it scared the crap out of me.

My jumping scared the crap out of it.

It ran.

I haven't seen it since - though I have heard it.

The pest people will be here in the morning.

Sigh...

Matching???

Oh my!!! I am getting excited!!

It has been reported that there is "matching" happening at the CC*AA.

Is someone holding Hannah's picture at this very moment?? Are they clipping Hannah's picture to Catherine file right now as you are reading this???

I am getting goose bumps! This is really happening for Catherine and I can't wait to share in her joy!!

Addiction!!

I am addicted to RQ!

I am stalking the site every hour to make sure that I haven't missed anything.

VERY, VERY soon, two good friends Catherine and Doris and Dan are going to be receiving their referrals and I am beyond excited!!!!!

I am looking for a scrap of information - tidbit or morsel that something - anything - is being rumoured!!

If I am like this for someones else's referrals, I can't imagine how I will function when my turn comes!! LOL!!

C'mon referrals!!!!

31 Months...

Another month passed by - nothing much else to say...

Refresh

Refresh
Refresh
Refresh

I am going to be spending a LOT of time at my computer today hitting the refresh button...

Rumours are out there that some people with a March 21st and March 23rd LID have received referrals.

My very good friend Catherine has an LID of March 23rd.

Could this be true? Could this be happening?

If so - my other very good friends Doris and Dan are right around the corner with an LID of March 28th.

It is certainly an exciting time for me - well and for them of course!!!

A Dream

The other night I had a dream. I woke up from this dream SWEATING and a little bit freaking out...

In my dream, Catherine and Doris and I all received referrals at the same time - THIS MONTH! Now Catherine and Doris have a March '06 LID and I have a December '06 LID. In this dream, the CCA*A would randomly pick someone with a later LID and 'surprise' them with an early referral.

I was the one randomly picked!!

AND

They referred us TRIPLETS!! YES TRIPLETS!!!

I started freaking out! THREE babies!! I wasn't ready, I wasn't prepared, what were we going to do...

Then I woke up.

Interesting dream!! Perhaps I should go and buy a lottery ticket...

30 Month LID

Well another month has passed. I can't even say another month closer because Pumpkin keeps getting further away.

Some months are better then others.

However, not even being 1/2 yet and with an estimated 62 MORE months...well it is hard to even try and keep up appearances anymore...

On the plus side - we have 62 more months to REALLY get to know Dolores and Shawn before we travel together!!

Finances

I was out recently with a married friend. While we were out, she mentioned that he husband ‘bought’ her an outfit for the baby. She also mentioned that a couple of weeks prior, he had paid for the groceries because she was low on cash. I have seen married couples go to a restaurant and each pay for their own. All these things are different then what Mark and I do or how we handle our money.

This lead me to thinking, how do couples handle their finances. Do couples have HIS and HERS money? Does a certain percentage – based on what is earned – go into a communal pot? Is a set amount put in a joint account each payday? Is one partner responsible for this, this and this, while the other is responsible for that, that and that?

It intrigues me to learn how and or why other couples handle things the way they do.

Mark and I have one pot. It all goes in the one pot. Yes we have savings and pay bills etc, but the money that comes in is OURS. We discuss large purchases before they are made, but otherwise, we both spend what we want to spend. That said, we are basically both on the same wavelength about what we will spend our money on. Neither of us is going to go crazy and spend a bunch on money on anything. If I want to go out for lunch or dinner with friends, then that is what I do. If he wants to pitch in for a gift for someone at work, then that is what he does. It all basically works out. We don’t keep track of who spent what.

What do other couples out there do? Please feel free to answer anonymously if you don’t want to be identified.

I would LOVE to hear how others do it.

Songs

Tonight I was transported back in time. It was quite a ride!!

Do you have some songs that the minute you hear them, they jump you back to a moment in time? Sometimes that moment is a good one with a good memory...sometimes not so much.

Other songs - the minute you hear them you think of a certain person - again good reasons and bad reasons. Some songs you would THINK you knew what kind of an association they were based on the song, but you know what happens when you ASS-U-ME...

Here are some songs that 'jump me to that moment or that person' - in no particular order:

No judgments here - Most of them were a different place and a different time...

Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody

Dire Straights - Money for Nothing

Cher - Just Like Jesse James

Phil Collins - Against All Odds

Sophie B. Hawkins - As I Lay Me Down

Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart

Frozen Ghost - Dream Come True

Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes - Time of your Life

Shania Twain - From this Moment

Any Kenny Rogers Song...

Any Neil Diamond Song...

These are just the ones that popped into my head when I started writing this. What songs bring back memories for you?

Blank

I try and get out to walk every day. I usually make it and walk for about 30 minutes or so.

While I am walking - there are many thoughts going through my head. Many times I am composing FANTASTIC blog posts in my head.

Unfortunately my memory is not very good. By the time I get home and I am ready to sit at my computer, I have not only forgotten the contents of these fantastic posts, I have also forgotten the topics!

Then when I sit down at my computer, I stare at a blank screen and well, you know the rest - there isn't anything posted on my blog.

I am getting a new deck and it was just finished today - when I get it all organized I will post some pictures. I can't wait to get out and use it and hook up the BBQ again.

We had a great time in Montreal with 3D. I wish they didn't live 5 1/2 hours away.

There is something wrong with my jaw muscle. It HURTS! It comes and goes and I can't open my mouth sometimes. I had to cancel my dentist appointment on Thursday. There was no way that I could keep my mouth open for an hour.

Between now and the end of summer, we are busy all but 3 Saturdays.

I don't much listen to the radio anymore.

I am liking that summer is here/coming.

I don't have any getaway vacations planned.

I had pizza for dinner.

That is about all that I can come up with right now!

A Shitty Post

Question:

Why is it o.k. or at least accepted for cats to wonder aimlessly outside? They are not wild animals - they belong to someone. Yet they are allowed to skulk around outside and shit in other peoples gardens and on their lawns and various other places. There isn't even a 'owner' around to pick up after them. Why would you even own a cat when it spends all it's time OUTSIDE of your home? What is the point?

As for dogs - why do some owners insist on NOT picking up their dogs shit when they are out for a walk but instead leaving it on a path or in the grass when some unsuspecting person (like myself) will step in it?? What about a curious child and they wondering what that 'thing' is in the grass?

Pets are a responsibility and if you are not up to picking up their shit and taking care of them - well then don't have them in the first place. Unfortunately you don't need a licence to have a pet...

29 Months...

Like this STOP sign, I feel like our adoption has stopped. It is SO FAR away and gets further away every month. There isn't even a tunnel let alone a light at the end of it at this point in time.

If it is not one thing it is another thing. Currently it is the Swine Flu. I feel for families who are waiting for their TA. I feel for families who are waiting for their referrals. It just seems like the CC*AA can never give a straight answer about anything. Their news releases are full on contradictions. The information we receive from agencies is different from agency to agency.

The children belong to China and are theirs and until we adopt them, and until that time, they make the decisions. Unfortunately, I don't always agree with their decisions.

Either way - we are sharing this 29 Month LID with Dolores and Shawn. We miss them terribly and want them to come home!

Sigh...

Randomness

Here are some current thoughts on my mind:

• The trees are budding and spring has sprung. I survived another winter!!

• There is as much sugar in orange juice as there is in Coca*Cola

• Unfortunately - I LOVE Coca*cola
  

• Bloglines is not working properly. Feeds are VERY slow to show - sometimes DAYS!!

• Google Reader is much better
  

• I won a prize for being Rhondas 40,000 visitor (o.k. I may or may not have been her 40,000th - but I was close!!)

• I am still without a computer and still waiting for it to be repaired

• I have to prepare to switch to my summer purse

• I spent the night puking - I am still not dressed - It is 4:00pm

• I haven't puked in quite a few hours
  

• D & S are needing to post some pictures of their newest family member Jinx!!
  

• My grocery list is getting long - my fridge is getting empty. I have to get to the store

• I need to update my sidebars of my blog
  

So there you have the current thoughts on my mind. Scary isn't it...

Lost...

I am computerless.

I feel lost without my laptop.

THIS time the 'light bulb' that illuminates the screen is 'burnt out'. I have to either buy a new computer or pay to have it fixed.

I decided to have it fixed. Currently I am waiting for the part to come in. The part being an entire new 1/2 of my laptop. The entire screen has to be replaced.

I can still see the screen - it still works if I hold a flashlight up to it and illuminate it that way. Not so easy to type that way!!

Sharing a computer with Mark is not ideal. His computer is in the basement. I don't like the basement.

Hopefully by mid week I will be back on my laptop.

I was "THIS" close to buying a Mac...maybe next time the laptop goes on the fritz I will take the plunge.

Vent complete now...

28 Months...

28 months ago we officially "got in line" to adopt our daughter from China. 28 months later, I forgot that it was our LIDversary - I had to read it on Dolores and Shawn's blog. I missed month 27 all together.

As Dolores said, I am beginning to wonder if this adoption will ever really happen. Dolores also mentioned that we are further behind today then we were when we started this...all true statements.

I know people around say YES it will happen...but I really am not depending on it. "They" have been talking about a speed up for 2 YEARS now...still haven't seen it...the line just gets longer and longer and longer.

I want to say that I will wait for as long as it takes for my baby girl to come home, however, I think that a 7 year wait might be a little too long - even for me.

Time will tell...

Dolores - you asked if we were in a better space...I don't think so. We miss you and hope you come home soon!!

Hair Update...

As a follow up to the HAIR post - I have more thoughts and answers to questions...

I was reminded (thanks Kerri) by a reader on the HAIR post about nose hair - that is icky too. While I thought and contemplated nose hair (I know, I know) - EAR hair popped into my mind also - ICK!! I am not a fan of either one of those.

A reader asked what else goes on in my brain if I am blogging about hair - Michele - I think it would scare you to know what goes in inside my brain - TRULY!!

I would also like to clarify that Mark does not WAX his chest.

I do think that hair grooming is something that guys just don't talk about. Not being a guy I wouldn't really know - but that is my guess.

Now rogue eyebrows just popped into my head...

O.k. time for another topic!!

End Date...

First off - what is wrong with me doing two posts in two days...

Anyway - there are so many of us waiting for our children from China. None of us has expected the HUGE wait that we have/had before us.

I am just wondering if people out there have wavered. Have you had a date in your head that if you don't receive a referral by a certain date that you are pulling out.

What about a certain age of yourselves? If you don't receive a referral when you reach a certain age will you withdraw?

What about your current family situation? Do you already have children? Does that make the wait easier or harder? Does it make you want to pull out or stay in?

We are looking at an additional 5 year wait from NOW - unless something drastically changes - for our daughter from China. This is certainly NOT what we signed up for.

Would you - if able - pursue a concurrent adoption and have your child from China be the second child instead of the first child?

I just have so much rambling on in my head right now.

Hair...

I am definitely partial to short hair on guys.

I was just looking through some old pictures and seeing some guys with longer hair who have recently cut it short and I can say that the short hair looks WAY better - no exceptions.

I have pictures of my brother, nephews and friends and can say that they ALL look better with the shorter hair look.

I don't even know what the current 'trend' is - but I can hope that short hair stays 'in' and 'cool'.

Then there is the chest hair thing...if you have it - keep it under control! Better yet - wax it off!! Now I realize that most men, at the thought of waxing their chest hair, would quickly jump in their heads to the 40 Year Old Vir*gin movie and that infamous waxing scene. So I understand the hesitancy to wax, but trimming works too.

Just as men are partial to NO underarm or leg hair and either none or 'controlled' bikini hair - women like men to have their hair 'controlled' too!!

Those are my thoughts of the day.

.

Bad Blogger...

I have been a bad blogger lately. I really do MEAN to write more often, but somehow I just don't have anything to say.

This blog started out to chronicle our journey to our daughter and I suppose it still is, we just thought it would take months and not years.

It is really hard to keep the momentum going for so long and knowing that there is possibly another 5 years of waiting ahead of us...sigh

So I am just wondering - who reads this? Who is out there?

Leave a comment and let me know. If you use anonymous - leave your name too!!

Ontarians please read...

I copied this post from Beth with her permission. Please read if you are adopting a child in Ontario. I was mortified when I read this.

Saturday, March 7, 2009
My Fellow Ontarians
Prepare your dialing fingers ladies. The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care has decided that our children don't get OHIP coverage right away!!!!!!!!!! They have decided that a 3 month waiting period is mandatory. Please read this and spread it around. I got it from here. I know many of you don't read RQ so you might not have seen it.



Re: New Directive from OHIP Head Office that denies OHIP coverage for 3 months for all internationally adopted children

We are Donna and Brad, a couple who adopted a baby girl, Thao, from Viet Nam. We went to Viet Nam and adopted our daughter on Dec. 29th, 2008. She was granted Canadian citizenship on January 7, 2009. On February 12th, Brad went to the Kitchener OHIP office to apply for Thao's OHIP number. We were shocked when she was refused a number and told that there was now a 3 month waiting period for internationally adopted children. We thought that there had been a mistake.

Brad returned home and called the information line to obtain clarification about what exactly the policy was about granting coverage to internationally adopted children. The woman who he spoke with told him that a memo had been sent out from the Minister's office to all OHIP offices on January 27th, 2009 directing them to refuse coverage to children who were not Canadian citizens when they were adopted. Of course, Brad explained that that is impossible, that the process is that a child is adopted and then becomes a Canadian citizen. The woman checked with OHIP's head office and confirmed that the correct procedure is to deny OHIP coverage in our case. Brad asked why it was that the 2 other couples, who we met in Saigon and who had adopted children at the same time as we had, had gone to their OHIP offices in Toronto and Ottawa and had been immediately given OHIP numbers. She told him that their situations must be different from ours since they were granted OHIP numbers. When he assured her that they had adopted their children after us and had obtained their children's Canadian citizenship after Thao had obtained hers, she asked him if he could send her their information. He asked her if their coverage could be revoked if it was determined that their situations were the same as ours. She replied that, yes, their coverage could be revoked. Brad told her that he obviously
wasn't going to provide her with any information that could jeopardize their children's OHIP coverage.

After many phone calls, emails, and meetings with OHIP officials, our local MPP, our social worker, other parents, lawyers, and adoption agency directors, we now know the following: we were not a clerical error. We were not a special case. We were not a mistake. Denial of coverage to internationally adopted children for 3 months is policy. This policy was not publicized so it is taking everyone involved in adoption, from agency directors, to social workers, to parents, by surprise. This policy is so new that it is being inconsistently applied from OHIP office to OHIP office so that on the same day in Ontario, one child might be granted OHIP coverage while somewhere else in the province another child in exactly the same circumstances is denied it. However, one thing is clear: while, as far as we know, our child was the first to be denied coverage, the numbers of children who are being denied is increasing every day throughout the entire province.

The first thing that everyone who has adopted a child, or is going to adopt in the future, needs to know is that the Ministry of Health considers the granting of OHIP coverage to all internationally adopted children in the past to be a mistake. The Ministry has been contacted by many agency directors and social workers who have heard about our case, and, we surmise that as a result of the number of queries about the denial of coverage for our daughter, Sue Graham, a representative from the head office of the Ministry of Health contacted us to obtain more information about our case. What she told us exactly was that the Ministry considers that all adopted children, who did not have citizenship or valid immigration status on the date they were adopted, were given OHIP coverage by mistake. She clearly stated that the refusal to grant our daughter coverage until after a 3 month waiting period was the correct procedure. She told us that our file was being sent to her manager and would most likely be sent to her manager's manager.

On Wednesday, March 4th, we received the official denial of the three month waiting period exemption for our daughter. The core of their argument is that "an adopted child must hold a citizenship or immigration status recognized under Regulation 552 of the Health Insurance Act on the date of adoption". Of course, as you know, this is impossible since you can't get citizenship until after you have actually adopted your child. This is definitely a change in policy and from what we understand is the result of the memo/directive (we haven't been able to get a copy) from Minister Caplan's office on Jan. 27, 2009, although, as we wrote, not all health offices have been enforcing it. As has been mentioned, two other couples who were in Saigon with us and returned after us, one to Ottawa and one to Toronto, got immediate coverage.

So, where do things stand right now? Needless to say, we are incensed for Thao and for all internationally adopted children. We have retained a lawyer and have filed a formal appeal to the Ministry of Health. Our lawyer and other interested lawyers have studied the Health Insurance Act line by line to determine if the provincial government's position has any validity. In their view, there is not a requirement for citizenship on the date of adoption.

We are also in touch with members of the media to make this public. We are sending this email to as many adoption agencies, social workers, and parents, as we can, as we become aware of them.

We are sending this to you to ask you for your help in our fight against what is obviously an unjust and discriminatory policy. If you know of anyone who has been refused health care coverage for their child, please ask them to email us immediately (donna.brad@sympatico.ca). As well, please email, Premier McGuinty, Minister of Health Caplan, your local MPP, and Sue Graham at OHIP (sue.graham@ontario.ca). The person who sent us the letter informing us of Thao's denial of OHIP coverage did not provide an email address. However, her name is Susan Pinnery, A/Director, Registration and Claims Branch.

Finally, we believe that the provincial government thinks that the number of people affected by this policy is small and that we don't carry much weight. Therefore, please forward this on to your friends, relatives, and anyone else who is opposed to this policy.

Cheers,
Brad and Donna

Time to call your MPP.

Out of Curiosity...

Just out of curiosity, when you leave a comment on someones blog, do you click the "E-mail follow-up comments" button?

Just wondering...

Freaked out!!

We received a bag of 'stuff' from some friends for Pumpkin. We are so lucky to receive hand me downs for her eventual arrival.

The other day we were going through the bag while in our bedroom. We sorted the clothes into sizes, sorted out the toys and repackaged everything to put in storage. We somehow left a toy on the dresser. The packages were all packed and put away so the toy just sat there. It sat there for a couple of days. Not doing anything - just sitting there.

A few nights ago, I was quietly sleeping away and I was awoken to the sound of a child laughing. Like CHUCKY laughing. It wasn't the least bit funny. You know when you wake up in the middle of the night and you know that something woke you up but you need a minute to figure out WHAT it was that woke you? Well I lay there thinking that. Then I heard a noise - a laughing child - creepy laughing. I happen to be looking in the mirror on my dresser when the noise happens and I see flashing lights.

I quickly realize that it is this toy on the other dresser that is making this noise. I figure it is just going to stop. It doesn't stop. About once a minute it makes this creepy laughing noise and a 'boing' noise. The lights are going and I am freaked out.

I wake up Mark (he can sleep through anything). I ask him to 'take care' of freaky outy toy as I am slightly spooked. He sleepily gets up and takes the 'toy' down to the basement so that we can't hear it anymore.

He comes back upstairs and figures that since he is up he will use the bathroom. Well he turns on the light and it goes POP! You know the sound it makes when it suddenly burns out.

I am FREAKED! For those who know me in real life, know that that is not me. I don't get freaked by this kind of stuff. Now I have it in my head that there is an 'energy' in the house and there is a ghost watching us.

But I go back to bed, finally fall asleep again and wake up in the morning and brush it off in the light of day.

Skip ahead a couple of days to this morning. I get up this morning and come downstairs. Mark has already left for work. I notice that the 'tree' in our living room has the lights on. You know those little white twinkle lights? So I call Mark at work. I ask why he put the lights on on the tree. He says that he didn't put the lights on and he figured I did and didn't know why I would but didn't give it another thought.

I didn't put the lights on...

So I started this post because I just sat down at my computer and I was checking my e-mail and POOF - the twinkle lights on the tree just turned off. While I was sitting here looking at the tree. They just went poof...

Not quite sure what to think of these happenings. We have lived here for 5 1/2 years and NOTHING like this has ever happened and now we are talking a few incidents in a week???

HMMM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUSBAND!!

*since my computer went poof - I don't have any pictures of husband on here to post...This is his incognito look - hard to do in a sombrero!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!!!

Enjoy your day - you deserve every single minute of it!!

As I said last year - CUPCAKES for you this weekend!!!

A Conversation

Here is a conversation that Mark and I had tonight...

Me: There is absolutely nothing happening in the blog world tonight.

Mark: We should have cake then.


O.k. I am still laughing at that line.

I wonder...

I wonder a lot these days...

Will I still have this blog in another 4 years when our referral is expected?

Will anyone still be reading it?

Will everyone that was behind me in line have switched to the Special Needs program?

Will blogging be so...passe in 4 years.

Will blogger be able to handle 4 more years of blogging space.

Will everyone ahead of me in line be too busy with their kids to even notice that we have our kids.

Will we EVER get our child from China?? Really? I don't believe it anymore...

26 months...sigh...

Well folks, it is that time of the month again. I can't believe that we have been "in line" for 26 months already. I WISH we could say that we are at the 1/2 mark in the wait, but that simply isn't the case.

According to 'the site', our latest prediction is FEBRUARY 2013!!! YUP - you read that right!

However, every cloud has a silver lining and our lining is Dolores and Shawn. They will be our travel mates and our waiting friends throughout this LONG journey!! I hope we don't get sick of each by 2013!! LOL!!

HUH??

We interrupt this vacation to ask the questions...

HOW THE HECK CAN YOU GO FROM A RUMOUR OF 23 DAYS DOWN TO A REALITY OF 2 DAYS????

HOW COULD IT HAVE GOTTEN SO, SO, SO WRONG??? HOW???

Now back to the beach - that will make me feel better!

Our Anniversary

Five years ago today I said I DO to the most fantastic man in the world from there I became the luckiest woman in the world!!

We were married on a beach in Cuba and it was perfect. Today we celebrate our 5th anniversary on a beach in Mexico...I see a trend happening here...(this post has been pre-written and post dated)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY H!! You have made me one LUCKY and HAPPY woman!!

I LOVE YOU!!

Coinectomy...

A while ago, Mark and I purchased a "PIGGY BANK". This was the kind of piggy bank that DOESN'T have a hole in the bottom to sneak the money out!

We both put our change in there. Well the change that doesn't get spent anyway. We decided that we would use the money for a vacation! Well the time has come as has the vacation!!!! WHOO HOOO!!

Since the piggy bank doesn't have a hole, we had to perform a coinectomy in order to extract the coins!

You saw the BEFORE pig at the top of the page...here is the after pig... I know it is sad for the pig, but he was the PROUD holder of $168!!! How great is that!!



We will have some nice spending money for our trip!!!

Sigh...

In a very short time, Mark and I will be heading to the Mayan Riveria!! I CAN"T WAIT!!!! With the horribly cold weather we have been having, the snow and the everything, I can't wait to get my toes in some warm sand and have a drink with an umbrella in it.

Well yesterday, I decided that I should try on my bathing suits and see what fit, what didn't, what I would pack and what I wouldn't...While doing this, I was apparently torturing myself as I was eating a package of these:



WHY would I eat chocolate while trying on bathing suits, well I don't really have an answer to that one. I am not even a big chocolate lover. I am the person who can have a BITE of a bar and put it down and put away. HOWEVER, when it comes to Cadbury Fingers, I HAVE NO WILLPOWER - NONE - NADA.

They were REALLY good...AND I went out shopping today and bought a NEW bathing suit!!

HELP!!

I am back!! I have my computer and I am happy to have it home!! I am getting things organized again and putting back the stuff that I need on it.

However - have a question...

I seems that now when I am typing - my cursor just jumps to another place on the page and my typing goes there.

Does that make any sense??

Here is an example:

If I were typing this s and the rest of ntence and then I continue on and my cursor will jump** my sentence is in the previous line...

Does anyone know WHY this happens of HOW to fix it...

25 Month LID

Here we are again...THAT time of the month.

We have done this so many times and this one is number 25. The sad part is, we are not even half way through...there could possibly be 2 MORE 25's from here...that is right - we are looking at another about 48 months from NOW!! You can now pick your jaws up...sigh.

HOWEVER - to every bad part, there is a good part!! We have a wonderful couple to wait with and today, Dolores and Shawn, we wait with you!!!

I have learned my lesson...

I am currently TRYING to back up my files on my computer. I have been trying for 9 hours now. I think I have finally gotten it.

Tomorrow morning my computer goes in to get wiped out. It is FULL of virus'.

By backing up myself and burning to disc, I have saved myself $99.99! Since I have all the program discs, I will save there too. However, it is still going to cost a bundle to correct. I am a smart woman...or so I thought...

I know better then to NOT have any anti-virus on my computer. However I did put some on - a little late, but still...AND I can't run it. The virus that is on my computer has blocked it.

Since I don't want to be without my computer, I will be paying extra for EXPRESS service. I should have it back in two days.

Soooo - I will not be around as much - I will have to share a computer with Mark. That will probably not go over so well...LOL!!

After this expensive lesson, I do realize that buying anti virus in the first place would have been cheaper...I will know for next time.