EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

anyone who knows me online knows that EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! means something good happened! Our I171H is here. in record time. and I dont have everything else! that means I cant submit my dossier yet. but I will get going quickly now! I just thought I had lots of time since the I171H usually takes weeks or months. so I need to hurry and gather my documents. hurry and save money. hurry and have a garage sale to try and make a few more sheckles. If anyone would like to donate they can click on the button of our girls to the right. or click the chipin on the right. If 20 people sent 2 dollars that is one nights hotel or apartment stay. I hope we have enough cash flow to get this done. I know we will get it back later but since we just finished an adoption x two 6 months ago we pretty much drained our savings. and are using our entire tax refund this year towards the girls. We have to buy beds still too. and airfare. We have plenty for facilitator. its travel where we might come up short. I guess there is always the credit card. ugh.

anyways I ALWAYS second guess myself in everything. the girls names are no different. Molly is still Molly. I ALWAYS wanted a Molly. so that works out great. but Halle and Hope are now on my questionable list. will halle always end up being hayley? or Hal? what if we named them Natasha Madeline and Diana Margaret? then we would have Maia Maddy Molly and Maggie. maia and molly will already be virtually twins. along with ben. ah well I guess I will come up with something. Eric's eyes just glaze over and he says we have months to come up with a name....

GRR! this one NAGGING piece of the puzzle!

first my letter requesting public record was returned because I forgot to add the check. so I returned it WITH check and they now returned it saying they need Erics signature too. So it is all packed up to return. and it has now been two weeks and they take two weeks to process it so my "two weeks" will be more like a month. and why do they need his signature if its public record and I could walk in off the street and get it but I cant get it by mail without his signature? next they will write me and tell me some other reason I cant do it. and why didnt they ask for the signature the first time they returned it? I could have driven down there, waited an hour, driven home, stopped for lunch on the way and had it all done in one day but I dont have any days coming up when I can do that. so back it goes in the mail. hopefully this time it comes through. I ordered our marriage certs and those wont take long as I know st louis county works fast and I made SURE to include check! lol. then its just a bunch of miscellanious signing and our dossier will be good to go(when our I171h gets here, remember they said this week)

I am having my OHMYGOD I am about to give birth! panic attack!

what am I doing? what am I thinking? what if Molly doesnt respond to us? what if they dont want to be adopted? what if they dont want to be adopted and we bring home someone else and they are sociopaths in the making? what if the plane falls out of the sky? what if I get lost in country? (really Ptown isnt THAT big)what if I run out of money? what if I get mugged? what if the girls dont like me or listen to me? what if they run away at the airport? what if I have to cry all the way across the ocean again thinking what have I done? and when will I sleep? I NEED sleep. and if I have to keep track of three nonsleeping girls all the way home when will I sleep? what if Molly turns out to be really too much and we feel we cant bring her home? What will happen then? and what will I do all by myself for couple weeks in Ptown? I dont Speaka Da Language. what if my family falls apart? what if the kids are sick when Im gone? what if Sophie and Ben are mad at me for leaving them? Will Ethan ever forgive me for leaving him again? it isnt too late to turn back! Think how easy life was with 4 kids! now there are 6! what in the world am I to do with NINE??or TEN if the boy is able to join us?

ok freak out over. my girls are waiting and I am going to go whip up the paperwork I need so when the gov approval comes we can send it all off!

they came through

well they finally got it together and said I dont have to pay. and prints are still good. and should have my application done next week. that means in a weeks time I have to get my act together and get the rest of my documents together!

GRR

the only way to resolve the issue is to pay for prints we dont need and get a freebie later. (presuming we adopt again and with 9 kids at home there is a very real possibility we wont!)so I have to send them 160 dollars. why cant the agencies communicate with each other? why when I do exactly as they tell me to do I still have to pay for something I dont need? I will send it for the girls. Not for me, I would gladly feud this out on principles. but for the girls, I will do it. they cant wait for me to fight it out and take months and months. they need to come home now. So off to the post I will go with my 160 bucks and copy of letter and hope that when it gets where its going things will move along quickly.

doesnt anybody READ

From: k m
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 4:50 PM
To: SPMAdoption
Subject: I797C notice

My name is Tammy E, and my husband Eric E and myself filed an I600A recently. We have fingerprints on file with you from previous adoption, that I171H said they were good until September 2010. I included a copy of that with my application. I have now received a letter (I797C) that says we must pay for biometrics and until we do our application is suspended. Please advise me on this matter. We are planning to adopt special needs children and this hold up means the children are at risk of being sent to an institution which may make them unadoptable. I look forward to hearing from you on this matter. My receipt number for th I797C is _______



here is their reply...

Good morning. I’m unable to tell from your email what it is you’re trying to do. Did you file a new I-600A with the Texas Service Center ? A I-800A?

We have your previous I-600A at our office. You are approved to adopt from the Ukraine until February 03, 2001. Your prints are valid until September 17, 2010. It’s not time to renew or extend either of these.

What did you file at the Texas Service Center ?

_____________________________

did I CLEARLY state that I filed an i600a? did I CLEARLY state what my problem is? you have suspended my application because you want print money when we dont need prints. why cant they just process the dang application and not give me the runaround?

GRRRRR I DID WHAT THEY ASKED

and STILL they rejected my application and want their fee for biometrics. and until they get them my application is suspended. it SAYS if you send a letter stating that they have your prints on file along with a copy of the I171H saying your prints re good when you send your application then they will waive the fee. did they even READ the stinkin letter? did they even LOOK at it? did they SEE those beautiful faces and read that they have special needs and are older wiating children and PLEASE hurry because we already HAVE PRINTS ON FILE? apparently not. call the customer service number and all they can say is email the I600 people, they can not help me on the phone. and oh by the way it can take up to ten days for them to respond. TEN DAYS! thats a lifetime when you are a child in an orphanage waiting for a Mama and Papa to love you. I sent a letter to SPMADOPTION@DHS.gov explaining the problem and now I wait. while it has been mostly smooth sailing thus far I am now upset. yes these things happen. yes its difficult to get the documents and get everything in order. but I thought it was going along swimmingly. If I just sent them the 160 dollars then they would have to schedule us for biometrics which WE DONT NEED. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!! why cant they pay attention? seriously you wonder who they hire. Do they even CARE about their job and the lives at stake? or is it just protocol and paperwork and status quo and who cares who its for? I am feeling very discouraged. ten days is not the end of the world. I know that. but it is very frustrating when you do everything JUST RIGHT and STILL it is rejected.

update on update !

papers finally arrived, YAY! I was going to have a nice quiet afternoon while the kids are at preschool but now I will run to the post instead. Mailing them off to Yulia right away. also received the BCA letter that I didnt include payment. WIll send that off too, WITH PAYMENT this time. Mama is working as fast as she can on this end girls! hang in there! Maia has me singing your song every night!

Somewhere out there beneath the pale moonlight
Someone's thinking of me and loving me tonight

Somewhere out there someone's saying a prayer
That we'll find one another in that big somewhere out there

And even though I know how very far apart we are
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star

And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby
It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky

Somewhere out there if love can see us through
Then we'll be together somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true

And even though I know how very far apart we are
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star

And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby
It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky

Somewhere out there if love can see us through
Then we'll be together somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true

still no papers

I called SOS office and they said well they probably left the office on the 18th. umm yeah I dont think so, because on FRIDAY last week you were working on TUESDAYS papers and it came in on Tuesday. so if it doesnt come today I will have to go to the post and see if I can do anything or if I have to just start over. GRR. I wanted to put delivery confirmation on return envelope but they wouldnt let me. so I have no way to track it. GRR. I have yet to receive receipt or any news at all about our I600A. I did however hear that there is some trouble in our country of choice having to do with interpol. hopefully that gets worked out so others there now can bring home their babies and it wont hold up our babies. I can stay there for the ten days but can I stay and stay and stay never knowing when it will end? I have other kids at home who need me too. so I hope it all gets worked out. although I am told this is a region specific problem and NOT the region we are headed to. so hopefully thats correct. I periodically change the pictures on my laptop background and if its one of the girls Maia ALWAYS notices and points out "thats our girls!" or "thats one of our girls!" there is no doubt she is on board to bring home these girls. Ben is looking forward to seeing Molly. Oddly enough he was not thrilled at first about her but now he talks about her. Husband is working on letter of employment today. Sent letter for BCA background and havent heard back. I wasnt sure if I enclosed payment but I called there and they said if I hadnt they would have returned it immediately and they havent so maybe I did include payment? or some kind soul paid it for me if I forgot.

I dont know after this if I can send stuff for apostille. I will wait and do it all at once IN PERSON. I cant wait WEEKS for my apostilled documents that may or may not be in the mail when it comes to my ENTIRE DOSSIER!! yikes! thats scary! definitely going to go in person.

uscis took their money so I can only assume that means they are processing my I600 request.

now WHERE are the documents I sent to secretary of state for apostille? They cashed my check on the 15. I NEEED those docs. someone else could stop in at the office of adoption in the girls country and say I would like some little girls and they could adopt OUR GIRLS if we dont get these forms in! ultimately I would have to rejoice that they had a home but it would really hurt that it wasnt OUR home, where we have all been hoping and planning and wishing for 7 months. so I need to get those docs in my hot little hand and get them off to the country of choice!

who wnats a Moby??

MOBY WRAP! gently used hunter green moby wrap. nonsmoking home. directions, bag, and wrap. 30$ includes shipping. tell your friends!

a big fundraising sale

cleaned out my dresser and top of my dresser and the boys toys. need to go through the boys clothes. Most of the girls clothes are being held to hand down. Maia's clothes will either fit Molly or eventually Sophie and Chrystas clothes will fit Natasha Halle and Diana Hope either soon or eventually. I brought home some clothes from Moms so I am parting with a bunch of mine to make room for the new ones. I have tons of stuff still in the garage from the last sale and now this stuff and more to come for sure. Need the SUN to come out and STAY OUTand find some tables and have a big ole sale to raise money. I considered renting a community room but then I would have to haul it all over there and up the stairs and down the looooong hall to the community room.... Maybe the community center in Onamia. I could ask the church but Eric really doesnt want me to do that. so as soon as I find a place I can do a fundraiser sale. I hate pricing anyways so I can just offer it as freewill donation. Maybe once I get a date and a time and place I can bake some stuff to sell too.

disappointed

my child specific form and POAs were sent monday to be apostille. they arrived Tuesday(delivery confirmation) I had hoped they would be returned by now. I even enclosed postage paid priority mail envelope, and a letter begging for expediency. I just called the office and they are working on Tuesdays orders today. which means I wont get it until some time next week. My guess is it wont go out yet today so probably not until Tuesday. I could have driven there and had it done in an hour but if I mail it I have to wait a week? crazy.

USCIS still hasnt taken their money or sent receipt. I have no idea if they even received it. I didnt send it the agency did. I should have sent it myself so I could track it. Still hoping to travel this summer or late this spring. of course all of this depends on when these documents come back and USCIS does their thing.

I find myself shopping for the girls clothes a lot. mostly online. I have to restraing myself! I find tons of cute things and fill my virtual basket, and usually end up feeling guilty for spending money and then dont buy anything. I have always been that way so at least if I am doing it online no one has to actually physically put back my rejected purchases!

update

got the all important document from the county assessor. YAY! one more down. Wrote a letter to BCA(beureau criminal apprehensions) for background checks. will send that one out tonight yet. the POA and CSF I was waiting for didnt arrive today. darn. and the USCIS hasnt yet taken my money so chances are they havent even looked at my homestudy and documents and I600 yet. still hoping for a fast turnaround like last time. hey a girl can hope cant she? never even got into the system for checking status. it was done too fast. hoping praying begging for quick turnaround on that. was sent in last week. of course I dont know HOW it was sent because the homestudy agency did it. I would have sent it priority mail. ahh well some of these things are out of our hands. just hoping it comes back quick so we wont end up having to redo prints.

another thing that occurred to me today is we are going to need about a thousand dollars for beds! two sets of bunks and 4 mattresses. the bunks are only 169 at milaca unclaimed freight, but the mattresses are not cheap. maybe they are cheaper somewhere else. I guess I dont HAVE to get mattresses same place as the bunk beds. We decided not to do a triple bunk and do two sets of bunk beds instead so they can split up into different rooms at some point if that becomes an option.

HELP!

The adoption tax credit helps every day people adopt children. The tax credit is due to expire the end of the year. Every single one of us needs to write our government representatives and tell them to extend or make permanenet the adoption tax credit. This credit often means the difference between life and death for a child. Tell everyone you know! This has made the difference for us to be able to adopt again. I know it has made adoption an option for many others too.


http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

POA and CSF is off to apostille. hope they turn it around QUICKLY! I included self posted priority mail envelope for their return. Waiting for I600A. My passport arrived so I can print the remaining documents. Need to write a letter requesting our criminal record. We usually run down there but we have no reason to be in that area any time soon. so will mail for it. no word on I600A yet but has only been a few days since it went in. Cant expect much yet on that. so thats where we are. in the middle. lol. planning garage sale when weather warms up. of course every weekend of warm weather we like to spend at the campground but will have to forfeit one at least. Still have some bracelets left I could try to sell. but hit most everyone up last time. maybe chrysta will want to sell them to her friends and teachers.

tax returns showed up!

YES! its a HUGE chunk we were counting on for the adoption. and we were worried when it didnt show right away. but it was deposited and YAY! I put it into my adoption account. good thing too because I have a check out there for 670 dollars to the uscis! would hate for that to bounce!! so far all documents are approved. Today I HAVE to send off the commitment papers for apostille. then off to ukraine they go. and if things go like OTHER people have been experiencing we could have approved I171H in a couple weeks or less! Still gathering the other all important documents.

where we are

I received the homestudy copy for the dossier and the agency and the social worker license. the I600 is on its way to Texas(along with a plea for mercy and quickness). signed and notarized the intent paper and the POAs. need to get those approved by someone and then send them off. Hang on girls! Natasha Halle, Diana Hope, and Molly Victoria. I bought some clothes for them for when I go there. cute cute outfits and I cant wait to see their shining faces all dressed up. of course I have other worries like what if they dont want to be adopted? what if someone else adopts them? and just how severe are Molly's developmental problems? She seemed quite delayed when we went last year. but her pictures show her smiling and laughing which is a side of her we didnt see. I hope she will thrive at home. The big girls I am not so much worried about adapting. but Molly worries us on many levels. Oddly enough, behind all those worries, I am VERY excited to bring her home. Maybe more so than the older two. Maybe thats because she was a bonus surprise. We always knew we would try to bring home Natasha and Diana. We didnt know about Molly. I still have this small glimmering hope that we will be able to bring home vasy too but my doubts are getting great on that subject. so just focusing on what we know. the girls are sisters, we dont want them split. and that means we get Molly. = ) I want to sing like that scene in Annie. We got Molly! weeeeee got Molly!

Chrysta really doesnt want us to call her Molly but Eric and I love it and I always thought we would have a Molly someday. I just thought she would be Ethiopian. so Molly is a surprise on another level too lol.

I am so anxious to get everything done and yet at the same time I cant do ANYTHING because I have the littles and the snow and rain and cant "run in" anywhere without unloading and reloading everyone and having to carry Sophie. My fundraiser was a flop. I thought people who had adopted from Ukraine would like the magnets and donate but no one has. Maybe I will keep them myself. although I have a set like them already that says Pryluky. Maybe I just need to market them differently. I dont know.

Fundraiser for our adoption

This is a set of four magnets with various map pictures of Ukraine on them. They come in a decorative tin which also has a map of Ukraine on it. If you donate 5 dollars via paypal(katieostar@yahoo.com) and include your name I will pick one name out of a hat and one lucky person gets to have this magnet set. I have a set just like it and I love them!

i600A ready!

ready to send it to the agency so they can attach hs and pass it on! just waiting to hear how much I owe agency so I can send check so they will release hs.

!waiting!

waiting for dossier paperwork to print and sign. waiting for passport to arrive. waiting waiting waiting!

I600A

GRRRRRR government paperwork!! I want this out of my hands but I cant get rid of it until I get my questions answered. dangit. and I dont know where to GET them answered. USCIS web site didnt tell me. The USCIS customer service line is really just a recording line and no way to talk to a PERSON! so who do I ask? I could do it wrong and then have it returned with new directions what they need but I hate to waste that time, and would rather just do it right the first time.

NEWS!

homestudy CHECK!
commitment CHECK!

Dossier HERE WE COME!

things are really moving now!

update

corrected homestudy update in the email back to sw. so all she has to do is print it and sign it. I600A is filled in mostly. need answers to a couple more questions that I didnt know. Got that FIRST piece of dossier and I think it probably isnt going to fly. darnit. but still feels good to have started things moving. Want to gather dossier in RECORD TIME! now if someone would just donate to our fundraiser. I guess if no one wants the great magnets I will put them up on my fridge. Still the name debate goes on. Eric wants to keep, I want to change or give the girls the option to choose. Halle and Hope are the top of my list but what about the little sibling girl? what do we call her ? I was thinking victoria sage but like Eric said, if she has FAS or something similar sage is a big misplaced. I hadnt thought of that. any ideas? her name is victoria I believe. I hate vicki and am not all that fond of Tori.