Sayonara 2009!

Last sunset of the year from our backyard (Parks no uchi). Thank you 2009. Welcome 2010!

Referrals! (and how they happen)

Time to check RQ's Babies!! post. They got to April 3rd, and we are April 6th.

Finally, it includes a few families from our April 2006 LID Yahoo group!
(If none of this makes sense, see FAQs on right.)

Here's how it happens:

1. The CCAA sends referral packages to your adoption agency.
2. The agency promptly opens them and reviews all the info.
3. The agency calls families with basic information about the child (gender, age, orphanage & province, type of care - orphanage or foster care, weight and some measurements.) We told our family coordinator to call us without worrying about the time zone difference. So if you call us while we're asleep, we'll assume you are Leah calling with our referral.
4. The agency continues to translate all the info.
5. After a while, they email you photo(s) of your child that came in the package. For some important reason, you don't get the photos right away - maybe the next day. But that's okay. Not to be a party pooper, but we may not post the referral photos on this blog. One thing I read over and over is "don't get too attached to a picture," and I'll let you imagine the reasons why.
6. The agency Fed-Exes the original referral package and translation to you.
7. You check it all over, and if you accept the referral (ha!), you sign the CCAA's "Letter of Seeking Confirmation from Adopter" and send it to your agency pronto.
8. While waiting for "TA" (Travel Approval) from China, you can have Ann at Red Thread send a care package to your child. We've heard great things about Ann. She is Chinese and we think she lives in Guangzhou. She is well-connected, and can get updated photos, measurements, and info about your child. She can include a photo album of your family to give the child before you arrive. Anything to help smooth the transition for the unsuspecting little people!

And what happens after that is for a later post. But basically, after about 2 months, you travel to China. However, there can be delays with travel, too.

Congrats to the families who are getting referrals right now!

April 3rd

It looks like the cut-off is April 3rd.

April 1-2 was a weekend, so this was a very small batch. However, it's the 2nd batch in December. We really don't know what to expect next, but congrats to the families who are in!

We are LID April 6th.

Merry Christmas!

First rumor

RQ says one agency reports matching has begun.

An interesting read is "how the matching room works."

It's a sunny & somewhat warm Christmas Eve here at Yokota Kichi.

(kichi = military base)

Hope you're having a nice Christmas Eve wherever you are. We just found a perfectly good nursery glider (rocking chair) on the side of the road! Thanks, Santa, or whoever left it out.

Tenno no Tanjobi Eve

Tomorrow, December 23rd, is Tenno no Tanjobi (Emperor's Birthday.)

On this day, the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo open to the public. Tomorrow will be crowded, as are most Japanese holidays, so I was out today for an important errand: adding pages to my passport. It was a clear and sunny day in Tokyo. First, I stopped in Shinjuku for a little window-shopping, then took the subway to the US Embassy.

Tameike-Sanno subway stop near the embassy. I've been to the embassy three times before. Security is tight, but the people are friendly and helpful.

Convenient store ("convini") snacks. By some magic (or science), these sit at room-temp. and are safe to eat.

Subway ad

Merry Christmas from Tokyo Metro!



Winter illumination at Moritown

(near our place - it's where we catch the train into Tokyo)

Can you see why we love going to Moritown Mall?

This is the view from rooftop parking over Toys R Us.

Jeff was home recovering from his cold, so I finished the day caroling and having dinner with special friends.

this and that

This week's highlights:

1. Jeff returned from Hokkaido on Monday. He'd been working night shift, so had to re-adjust while going straight back to work and having a cold. I'll be happy when he gets a break!


2. Last Friday, my culture group exchanged gifts (naughty Santa style) at our house. It's always nice to see the ladies (Japanese, American, and one British.) They'll host us in Tokyo city next month.


3. Childrens' safehouse visit was a bit strange. It seemed mingling between Yokotans and the children was not encouraged. I was glad to speak a little Nihongo with the kids. Santa gave them presents.


4. Friend Jeanette was back in town for her husband's retirement from the Air Force. 28 years of service, and she had served, too. It was a touching ceremony.


5. Friend Casie & I taught 6th-graders English at Fujimi Elementary School in Hamura. Mostly we played games like Uno and Jenga, and sang "Stand by Me" with them and 5 other volunteers from Yokota. The kids were ga-ga over volunteer Michael Jackson (his real name.)


6. Casie & I had kaiten zushi (conveyer belt style of sushi restaurant.) Casie is a fun adventure partner.


7. Today I have my first Japanese lesson at Starbuck's in Moritown Mall with teacher Yukari.

We've been too busy this month to even think about the next round of referrals. (ha ha)

reflections

Tonight, I get to go to Kunitachi Safehouse with Jeff's office (see map, it's just down the road.) Jeff is working in Hokkaido this week, so he can't go this time. The Safehouse is a place for kids whose parents can't take care of them. From what I understand, the children cannot be adopted. It's complicated to explain - and I'm using euphemisms. But we hope to have a nice time visiting them. I'm curious to see this place and meet its residents.



I'm feeling a little sad today that some people view adoption as a last resort. Once again, I was told there is still hope for me to get pregnant. I appreciate the good will, but getting pregnant is not our intent (see FAQs.) Providing a loving home for our child is our intent. I think Doraemon & Ralph agree that genetics don't define a family. We can't wait to have Jeff home next week!

Projections

Rumor Queen crunched the numbers and posted her newest projections.

You can click the link above to read a little more about how she does it (quite the mathematical feat.) Or I can just summarize for you:

Dec/Jan: through April 5th
Jan/Feb: through April 11th (we are April 6th!)

Since CCAA has mysteriously skipped months this past year, and had other unexpected delays, she wasn't sure what to put for headings (the months when referrals will arrive.) Thanks, Rumor Queen, whoever you are, for your never-ending volunteer work to keep us informed.

Our friend, Fliss, is LID April 5th, so YOU GO GIRL! This is Fliss. I wonder how long it'll take her to know she's on our blog!

Babies!

See Rumor Queen's Babies! post.

Congrats to all the families LID March 29, 30, and 31st, 2006!

March is OVER!!!

Just got an email from our agency, saying CCAA announced they finished March 2006. Whoo-hoo!!!!!! They've been working on March 2006 for ALL OF 2009. Our family coordinator must've been up in the middle of her night (in USA) to report this info to us. ARIGATO to her!

If you look at the calendar above, you can see April 1-2 is a weekend (so not many people logged-in on those days.) Now, we just have to get through April 3, 4, 5, and 6. We are LID April 6, 2006. It still could be a long while, so just rerax. If none of this makes sense, read the FAQs and Terms & Acronymns.

Good thing I got some training from Linda and little AUBREY HEE-SOO this morning (all caps to emphasize her cuteness.) Thanks for the full diaper and big smiles!

Jeff is TDY, so we'll celebrate "March is Over" with drinks at Chili's another day. I drove to Tsurutsuru Onsen in the mountains today for a very relaxing soak in an outdoor hot spring.

I knew only good could come from that!

Seoul

An-nyong ha seyo! (hello)

We had a nice, relaxing visit to Seoul. The Dragon Hill Inn military resort was right downtown at Yongsan Army Garrison. We had a pretty view of Namsam Park and Seoul Tower from our room, and were able to walk to nearby subway stations. The city was clean, and the people friendly. We took a DMZ tour one day, then walked around the city the other days (to palaces, markets, war museum, restaurants.) We enjoyed taking the subway with our T-Money cards. Here are a few photos:

Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) tour, where we peeked at North Korea. Fascinating.

Jeff at Deoksugung Palace. Very peaceful on this cold afternoon.




Food court meal at COEX Mall: noodles, veggies, kimchi

Min Jee, our tour guide at Gyeongbokgung Palace.

She's studying English in elementary school and wanted to give us a tour. She took us around the large palace grounds, explaining the history and architecture. Her dad was with her, who didn't speak English, but was very nice. She taught us that turtles, fish, and pine trees hold the life force. Meeting Min Jee was a real highlight of the trip!

Korea

We're off to Seoul tomorrow for Thanksgiving vacation. We're staying at the Dragon Hill Inn military lodge (see lobby photo.) Good neighbor Sam will be caring for the boys. We have a lot to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fun post

Okay, that last post was boring, but necessary. Here are some fun pictures from today:

Our house (pumpkin) and nice neighbors (scarecrow)

Ralph & Doraemon

Ralph & me



Doraemon & me

Sleepy Boys

home study validity

A friend pointed this out to me (link is to the USCIS website.) I just wanted to put it in a safe place for future reference.

Validity of the Home Study


"The home study must be submitted within one year of the filing date of the I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition.


The home study, or most recent update to the home study, must not be more than 6 months old at the time it is submitted to USCIS.


If an update is submitted, a full copy of the original home study must accompany the update.
Once a home study is submitted, it will not have to be updated unless there is a significant change (including but not limited to) residence, marital status, criminal history, financial resources, and/or the addition of one or more children or other dependents to the family prior to the orphan’s immigration into the United States."

-USCIS Orphan Home Study Guidelines

end of social week

This week was full of fun events: daytrip to Usabaro Kokeshi doll factory with friends, 2 spouse nights, lab, visit to Japanese school with friends to teach English, Thanksgiving feast with Jeff's office, Jeff's birthday & Ralph's adoption day, baby meal to friend (nice way to end the week.) And that's just my stuff! We're all ready for the weekend.

Our conference call with our agency is at 5 AM (I re-checked the time zone conversion - yippee, not 4 AM!)

It's pandemonium on Rumor Queen (we're used to it) regarding rumors about no referrals this month. As you can see, we're too busy to get a referral this month anyway.

Birthday Boy and Adoption Day Boy

Yesterday was Jeff's birthday! We celebrated with dinner at Chili's. He was born just down the road in Tachikawa.

Today is Ralph's adoption day. This day 6 years ago we brought him home in Cheyenne, Wyoming to meet his new brother Ted.

Happy days to both boys!! We love you.

Once again, mysterious delays

Where are the referrals? There's lots of discussion on Rumor Queen about the delay. Possible reasons are tossed about:

• New CCAA director wanting to delay and look at how things are done
• President Obama's visit to China
• Concerns about H1N1
• Trying to delay so March 2006 referrals are dragged out over all of 2009

We don't know, and there's nothing we can do. I was surprised by the lack of H1N1 concern during my China trip, but maybe other China regions are more concerned.

So now we just wait, play with the cats, enjoy the holidays, and wonder each day if Rumor Queen (or anyone on China Adopt Talk or Todo Adopcion - the "Spanish Rumor Queen") will throw us a bone.

On Saturday at 4 AM, we'll be in a conference call with our agency about what happens at referral time. At least that's something, or just more preparation to wait, wait, and wait, enjoy Japan, etc. By the way, the Japanese have amazing "winter illuminations" all around for nighttime sightseeing. Christmas music and decorations, too!

We don't have to update our home study after all. In networking all over the globe to find that answer, we've made some new friends, including other adoptive families here in Japan and Asia. All we can do at this point is help each other!

Packages in the air

First, a few sweet moments with Ralph and Doraemon:

Rumor is that packages are in the air. No one knows what the packages are, and probably nothing for us. But some families will no doubt be celebrating!


No matter who joins our family, Ralph will always be our tiny baby.

First rumor

There's a vague rumor that all of March is assigned.

I uploaded all my China photos on Flickr, but haven't finished the descriptions yet. Now I have to email the friends I met there. That's Hai Ou (her name means seagull) by the camel in Nanjing. She spoke English well, and was very smart. She taught me all about the Ming Tomb and helped me ride the bus and find my hostel.



We've been busy figuring out our next home study update. This will be our fourth and hopefully final one!

Notes on Nanchang

This is for past, present, and future Jiangxi Province adoptive families. I recently traveled to Nanchang as a pre-adoption tourist (our agency gets lots of NSN Jiangxi referrals lately.) Thought I would check it out. Meeting adoptive families there made it all worthwhile!

My Nanchang photos are now up on Flickr (click link to see them.)

Airport
It was clean, but bathrooms were dirty. Be assertive to get into a stall.

Taxis
Overall, cheap and drivers nice. My ride from the airport to Galactic Peace (GP) Hotel, however, was long and terrifying. In the front seat, I only had a metal headrest behind my head. My driver was fast, reckless, and the ride was long. Traffic can be chaotic: lanes are a "loose guideline"; pedestrians, bikes, motorbikes, cars everywhere. Have your destination written down in Chinese, or show the driver a photo/map of the place. Fare is about $1 between GP hotel and Wal-Mart Supercenter. Some taxis have seatbelts, some don't. The hotel bellman always gives you a little card with your taxi # written on it, in case you leave anything in it or need to report the driver. The card also has a list of "Take me to...." (places written in Chinese to show the driver.)

Hotel
I chose the Galactic Peace International Hotel (I'll abbreviate it "GP.") I know lots of adoptive families are staying there now. Indeed, I met a group from my agency the first morning at the breakfast buffet! They were so welcoming to me, despite being in shock from receiving their children in the lobby the previous day, before checking in. There were some other agencies' groups there, too. It was a nice hotel. A bit smoky in places. Staff were very young and polite. But be prepared with your phrase book and a few Mandarin words. Don't expect fluent English from them (I don't think they get much practice, but they try!) Bed slightly hard, but I got used to it. No Wi-fi in room, but a place to hookup to internet by cable. 2 small bottles of drinking water free everyday, and a little fruit basket each afternoon. TV had some American movie channels, Discovery, National Geographic channels. A hot water kettle was provided - I boiled tapwater in it for coffee and tea. I also brushed my teeth with the tapwater, and was fine. Laundry service cheap and good. Nice pool, gym, and business center. The "kiosk" (hotel gift shop) didn't have a lot, and no English reading material. China Daily (in English) delivered to room each day - nice. My room was non-smoking, but I could still smell cigarette smoke. Guess I got used to it after the first night. Adoptive families got cribs + bedding, baby bathtubs & potties. They said the hotel was very baby-friendly.

Hotel buffet
The Western Restaurant was open 24 hours. Breakfast buffet was 50 RMB (about $7.) Dinner 98 RMB (about $14.) Delicious, healthy, good mix of western and Chinese food. Cute high chairs, wait staff good with babies. Good idea to bring your own bottled water, as drinking water refills are scarce. There's a little shop across the street with bottled water, drinks, beer, and dried noodles. It's right by the sex toy shop.

Wal-Mart Supercenter
Had plenty of wipes & diapers in familiar brands (also Chinese brands.) I went twice, and couldn't find Cheerios, Gerber Puffs, or simliar baby snacks (so pack them!) Plenty of other baby supplies: bottles, nipples, clothes, toys, even front carriers. Cheap prices. Plenty of formula in grocery area (I saw Enfamil.) Get other good snacks & drinks there for your room - I couldn't find much near the hotel. "Pumpkin seed crunch" and yogurt drinks were my favorite snacks there. Pay for medicines and makeup in their respective departments on 3rd floor; otherwise take everything else to the main checkout on floor 2 (grocery floor.) Have produce weighed & labeled in produce section before taking it to checkout. Be assertive in line, or someone may cut in front of you. Now I see why RQ parents say bring what you need for first 48 hours w/ baby. You can get lots at Wal-Mart, but it might be a rushed, overwhelming trip there. It can be hot & crowded inside. The families I met were still in shock from having babies the day before. Later, some families went to "RT Mart", which they said was good.

ATMs
I had success with ATMs in China. There was one below Wal-Mart (outside on street level) that worked fine - I forgot the name. ICBC always worked for me. Maybe some of the more local bank ATMs rejected my card, but it was easy to find another ATM. If one doesn't work, try again. If "default account" is an option, select that over "chequing." 1000 RMB = ~$150, 2000RMB = ~$300. All my ATM transactions turned out fine.

Tengwang Pavilion
Nice, relaxing trip. The cab ride there was a little scary with traffic. You can take stairs or an elevator to the different levels for views of the city and river. Top level has a show throughout the day. Ground level has tranquil ponds and bonsai gardens.

People's Park
Another nice trip, not far from the GP hotel and Wal-Mart. Enjoy gardens, playgrounds, pedal boats, and a small amusement park. Try the running bubbles on the lake. Watch people playing Mah Jongg and drinking tea. I think there are a few food stands if you're hungry, but I didn't see drink machines. I didn't see any squirrels. Be prepared for "Hello!" from friendly people wanting to try their English.

Shengli Shopping Street
(Near Tengwang Pavilion & Gloria Hotel.) I don't think adoption groups generally go here, but I enjoyed it. It's a big pedestrian area with clothing stores, and fast food restaurants. Good place to get away from the scary traffic. I especially liked the Sanfu store, with its teeny-bopper goods (at this point, I needed acne medicine and a good facial!)

Toilets

Carry your own tissue for the toilets. Otherwise, sometimes there's a TP dispenser outside the stalls, but rarely inside. Put used TP in the trash can, not the toilet - it will clog the pipes, except in the nice hotels. Travel packs of tissues and wet wipes are easy to find in drugstores like Watson's and Mannings, as well as convenient stores.

H1N1

I didn't think they seemed too concerned about H1N1. Only a few people wore masks. A few locals I met weren't personally concerned and didn't care about getting the vaccine. A friend in China recommended bringing our own facemasks on the adoption trip (in case flu is a problem.) She said last spring when they adopted, facemasks were sold out.

Happy travels!

Any day now

We expect to see rumors on the next batch and cut-off date any day now. We'll be checking Rumor Queen a lot! It'd be nice if CCAA at least gets through March 31, 2006 (our LID is 4/6/06.) I'm still catching my breath from my China trip, and will definitely get my photos up on Flickr soon. For now, here are a few pics from Nanchang, Jiangxi Province.

Cereal selection at Wal-Mart Supercenter in Nanchang: mostly hot grain cereal, and 4 varieties of cold cereal (see top row)! No Cheerios, Gerber Puffs, or similar baby snacks to be found. And I spent a lot of time studying that Wal-Mart. Plenty of wipes and other non-food baby supplies, though.

Me at TengWeng Pavilion. I climbed to the top for a view of a somewhat ugly river & skyline (sorry, Nanchang.) There was a jovial group of businessmen who wanted pictures with the foreigner. The gardens and fish-turtle ponds were nice. It had an elaborate bonsai (miniature tree) garden. As I arrived, the America World group was leaving, so I got to see the families & babies briefly before they headed "home" for their naps. Afterwards, I explored the Gloria Hotel, and Shengli shopping street for teeny-bopper fashions and a shrimp sandwich at KFC.

I'm back!

I just got back from China. I think Jeff did a good job with his blog post, don't you?
My trip was eye-opening. I especially enjoyed meeting Shirley, Bridget, and the gang in Shanghai; meeting some wonderful adoptive families at the Galactic Peace Hotel in Nanchang; meeting Hai Ou, my friend & impromptu tour guide in Nanjing; and my super-fun roommates at Hangzhou Youth Hostel. This is Hangzhou's West Lake at sunset.

My roomies in Hangzhou: Nancy, Winnie, Nadia, Echo, and me. We were all solo travelers bunking in the same room. Had lots of fun talking and laughing and doing some touring together.

It'll take a while, but I'll load many photos on Flickr (our photo link is on right.) I'm so glad to be home to Jeff, Ralph, and Doraemon (who's on my lap now!)

Hanging in Nanjing with the Xie Zhi

Jeff reporting in. Just wanted everyone know that Heather is safe and having an good trip in China. After spending a few days in Shanghai where she visited her new friends (Shirley, Bridget, and the Chairman), she took the train to Nanjing where she is getting to know all the animals that hang around the Ming Xiaoling Tomb (see Xie Zhi below). Today she will fly to Nanchang where she will scout out the Galactic Peace Hotel (see post below).

On the home front, the new Mini-P fence is complete. Ralph and Doremon checked it out some yesterday. Doremon quickly demonstrating that even though the fence is over six feet tall, he will have no problem getting over it. Pretty sure that Mini-P will enjoy her time in the safety of the new yard. Hope she doesn't learn to escape from her brother.

China trip

In two days, I (Heather) leave for China. I'll be there about 10 days, touring the Yangtze River region. This is for education and exploring only, not to adopt - that will be later, hopefully! On the map below, can you find Shanghai? I'll start there. Then I'll take the train west to Suzhou, then northwest to Nanjing. Then I'll fly southwest to Nanchang (can you see it south near the big lake?) We think Nanchang might be where we meet our child later, so I really want to check it out. After Nanchang, I might explore Jiangxi province some more before heading toward Hangzhou (slightly southwest of Shanghai.) You can find more details of my trip under this post: Galactic Peace Hotel.

Fence

Good news today! Workers are here removing one tree and some bushes to prepare for our fence (photos show cat pen, not soon-to-be fence.) Although we didn't want to disrupt our beautiful backyard, we think the fence will help corral our kid! Not to mention our bebos:
Right now, Doraemon and Ralph have this pen. It's enclosed by wire mesh on top, so they can't climb out. We'll keep it, but with the fence, we'll probably let them roam around the backyard (supervised, of course!)

As you can see, they've become close buddies during my time away. Jeff let them fight it out in the beginning. Now they just play-wrestle.

Projections and Latest Referrals

If none of this makes sense, please see FAQs on the right side of the blog.

Referrals are finally arriving for families logged in through March 28, 2006! See "Babies!" post below.

Rumor Queen just posted her latest projections.

For our LID of April 6, 2006, she predicts Nov/Dec for our referral. However, it might be later than that, but we're getting close (maybe!)

Our agency announced they received "12 referrals today-- 11 healthy girl referrals and 1 healthy boy referral! (family receiving a boy requested either gender) All referrals were from the Jiangxi province and the children ranged in age from 7 to 21 months old."

Aside from all that, I am glad to be home! Jeff just left for Hawaii for work, but will be back Sunday. Then I leave Tuesday again for my sightseeing trip to China (Oct 22-Nov 1.) Ralph and Doraemon are getting along well, often grooming each other, playing, and wrestling. We'll show you new photos of them soon!

Babies!

Referrals are arriving, and the cut-off is March 28th.

See Rumor Queen's Babies! post.

Congratulations to these families!

Victoria, British Columbia

I'm in Victoria, BC, today. Just sightseeing until I can hopefully catch the Space-A flight back home Saturday. Victoria is lovely - clean air and bright sunshine, fancy old buildings on the waterfront, and mountains in the distance. Yesterday I took a public bus to Butchart Gardens. My favorite parts were the Sunken Gardens and Japanese Gardens. There were lots of Chinese tourists there, and I was surprised to understand a few of their words! Today I head back to Washington state. Can't wait to get home to Jeff, Ralph, and Doraemon.


On the rumor front, they say CCAA came back to work Friday the 9th, so maybe we'll see referrals (not ours yet) trickle in.

Nothing until after Oct. 13th

Chinese National Day holiday week started October 1st, so the CCAA will be off until October 8th. They will probably return to work October 13th (after the weekend.)


So, as was rumored, it looks like "September" referrals won't be mailed until after the holiday.


Also, there's talk that CCAA might be delaying these referrals to wait & see what happens with H1N1 flu as flu season starts.


All we can do is enjoy the here and now! I hope they have a good holiday. Yesterday I saw some news photos of the holiday celebrations in China. I understand this and Chinese New Year are their biggest holidays.

Rumor Roundup

A friend tonight had a very intelligent question: what have we heard this month? Well, it's a slightly topsy-turvy month for rumors. Here's what we've heard:

• March 29th may be in (remember, we're April 6th.)


• Referrals may not be mailed until after Oct. 8th due to Chinese National Day holiday.


• Packages are in the air


• But we don't know what these packages are (from CCAA)


• Somebody says they're matching all of March in this batch. We've heard these silly things before, and they are never true.

So we're just holding tight and enjoying the ride. I found some nifty things at Batesville Wal-Mart: travel changing pad (pink!), scented diaper bags with dispenser, Triple Cream exczema cream.

If none of this makes sense, see FAQs and Terms & Acronymns on the right side of this blog.

Batesville

I (Heather) am in Batesville enjoying some relaxation time with Mom and her four cats. We plan to watch some movies (Totoro, The Changeling, Sunshine Cleaning.) I've been in the mood for something scary!

Jeff is home working and taking care of the cats. I miss them all!

Nothing new on the rumor front. We thought referrals might arrive this week, but it looks like CCAA might hold off until just before or just after their upcoming holiday week (Oct. 1-8, China National Day.) I heard this holiday week and Chinese New Year are really their only holidays from work. So I say, enjoy!