The Lazy Days of summer---NOT

So, we're now settled into our summer routine. Swimming lessons, reading clinic, guitar, Chinese, horse-back riding, Tae Kwon Do etc. Connor's friend's mom called to see when the kids can get together, and I had to honestly tell her we are not free any day before 2:30p. Yikes! Of course, our schedule will settle down in Aug., but right now it's go, go, go. I'm very happy I postponed the start of Connor's Web Design class until the fall. On another note, Austin has been sending us emails from China (in Chinese). He is in China right now visiting Xiao, our former exchange student. By the time Austin arrives home, he should be conversant in Chinese!

July 6th

Our dossier was logged in at CCAA on June 5th. We are officially on the waiting list. Sigh. In the meantime, the four foster children have been filling up our days (and nights too!) so the time goes fast. The once a week "babysitting" turned into the four children living with us full-time, for at least the next three months or so. Recently, I've been asked (a number of times) if we are going to adopt these four. They are not legally free and available for adoption, so it's not even a possibility. In fact, they won't be legally free probably for many many years. There are a number of relatives and parents involved, and IF (or by the time) the family is found unsuitable the children will be teenagers. This is why we are not adopting from the US. We subscribed to the CAP book (Children Awaiting Parents) and all the children available are quite a bit older. I called on 15-20 children listed, and they were not really available for adoption for one reason or another. So we turned to China. In China, parents rights are terminated in six months and the children are legally free for adoption. Yes, it does take time to go through the adoption process, and lots of money, but at least at the end we know for certain that we will have our new son. And, of course, we were not looking to adopt a group of four siblings.