Darn Groundhog

Never trust a furry animal wearing a top hat. That's the lesson I learned when I asked Elaine to consult the famous Fill on my behalf. Fill is becoming well-known in the blog world for his prognosticating skills, so I asked if he had any insight into a future adoption. However, it seems the little rodent is more interested in his social life and was unable to (or unwilling) to take the request seriously. Elaine tried to instill a sense of duty but there's evidently only so much you can do with a sassy groundhog.

So, even though my husband isn't budging on his 'three kids is enough' stance, I'm choosing to believe that at some point in the future I'll get him to sign on the dotted line for one last adoption. Jynger and I are working on an elaborate scheme involving margaritas and asking him to sign the bar tab...

But here's where I need a little help. The husband refuses to discuss baby names because... well... he doesn't think there will be another baby. But since he's obviously mistaken, I need my blog buddies to give me a few ideas for future contemplation.

Weekend Wrap Up

Despite the camera treachery from my sister (love you sis!) and a loss by my beloved Huskers, it was a good weekend. The news of Baby Amelia kicked the weekend off on a high note - Whoo! Friday was declared an even greater success after I attended a hockey game with my husband and neither of us were killed by a flying puck. Another Whoo!

The hockey game was a test run for a longer absence at the end of the October when the husband and I head to Lincoln for a football game. P has been home for 10 months now but she's never had a babysitter, other than her grandparents on two... that's twice in 10 months... occasions. Since the husband and I are determined to have a few 'date nights', introducing a babysitter was a must. The test run was a complete success - P was taken in by a small bribe from the sitter and couldn't have cared less that her parents were skipping out the door! Even better, she went right to sleep and STAYED THAT WAY! No middle of the night 'safety checks'!

Feeling somewhat cocky as a result of our success, we spent the weekend completing small projects around the house, watching football, and attempting to conquer a mountain of laundry. Sometime on Sunday, I decided that I couldn't stand my living room walls a moment longer and I called my friend, Lisa. We now have a date to paint at the end of October. The living room, hallway, entryway, and stairwell are going to change from a light chocolate brownish-tan to an even lighter beige/khaki color. I also made significant process in getting our family photo albums updated. I'm all the way to 2005 now, with 2 1/2 more years of pictures to be printed and put into albums.

I'm on an organizational kick. I'm tired of the clutter in my house. I'm tired of having six million projects that I'll get to 'someday'. This attitude won't last long so I'm trying to take advantage of it by making the most of my weekends and evenings. Fall is in the air and once the leaves turn, I start my hibernation period. Football, quilting, and reading... I can hardly wait!

Betrayed

Excuse me, would you mind pulling the knife from my back?

My sister... my SISTER... has done the unthinkable. She has hit me right where it would hurt the worst, deliberately acting in a way sure to sever the ties between us forever.

The witch bought my camera.

My DSLR. The one I've been drooling over for weeks. The one *I* called to tell her about. Heck, I even found the web site with the really good deal and emailed her the link!

If she thinks she's getting a birthday present this year, she has another thing coming. Hmph.

Got Rocks?

Or pigtails?

Or a weekend to dedicate to cleaning and staining my deck????

Readoption Again

Readoption redux? Readoption once more? Readoption Part 2? Part 3? My head is full of PTO crap (yes, crap. let's call it what it is.) and I can't remember how much I've told you about this.

Anywho, we promised our adoption agency that we would officially 'readopt' P. Although the Vietnamese govt recognizes her adoption as final and the U.S. govt acknowledges that we're her parents, any future document-gathering that she wishes to do will be greatly simplified by a U.S. adoption decree and U.S. birth certificate. Plus, ya' know... we promised.

So I did some digging and was jogging along in the process and ran straight into a judicial wall. Namely, no readoption without a lawyer. Which was somewhat irritating to me, since I've managed to do scads of paperwork all by my little self that convinced a respected adoption agency and a foreign government to hand a child into my care. But I digress. As usual.

I whined to a friend about this legal roadblock and she set me up with a friend who was willing to be paid in brownies. That's my kind of lawyer! We had our first meeting today and I LOVE HER! We'll definitely be hanging out. Which reminds me... I need to set up a night on the town with my doctor too...

Damn. Digressing again.

The essence is that I need to provide our final adoption decree, the lawyer needs to type some legalese, we'll request a court date and Ta Da! P will be both recognized by our state and will have her Vietnamese name changed to reflect her American name. It may take a bit, but - as I mentioned to my new bestest friend in the legal community - I can't complain about the timeline when the currency is chocolate. Our goal is to have the readoption through the court system in November, which is both National Adoption Month and the one year anniversary of P becoming a part of our family.

One year. C.R.A.Z.Y. Man, I love that little peanut.

The Other Side of the Coin

I've had this one percolating for a bit. I was really irritated a week or so ago by criticism about McCain as an adoptive parent. Now I'm seeing all sorts of Obama stuff that is driving me nuts. For example:

** Obama attended elementary school in a country where the majority of people identify themselves as Muslims. That does NOT mean that he hates America. That does NOT mean he agrees with radical Muslim beliefs. That does NOT mean he's running for president in order to 'turn everyone Muslim'. (and what in the HECK does that mean anyway?????) **

** Obama is a black man. He is not an 'almost white' man (Again, WHAT?????). You can't have it both ways. He's either black or he's white. You're either racist or you're not. Period. **

Good Lord, people. Can we please have intelligent, respectful discourse? I think the man's health care plans are a tad idealistic, but I doubt if his elementary school teachers in Jakarta sat around plotting a terrorist infiltration that involved a 9 year old child someday getting elected to the highest office in our country.

In fact, according to snopes.com, Obama attended both Muslim and Catholic schools during the 5-6 years he was living in Indonesia. I've heard stories about those Catholic nuns... Muslim radicals ain't got nuttin' on them. So play nice. Vote. But get smart first.

(Go on, hit me with the criticism. I'm Lutheran. I can take it.)

Playing Around

I'm loving my new toy! The only problem is that the film-to-cd conversion by my local one-hour photo developer has been less than stellar. For some reason, they're really grainy when I try to post them to Blogger or put them into a slideshow. Suggestions?

Baaaaaaaaaaa.

If you have been involved in the long, drawn out conversations about my future camera purchase... thank you.

If you haven't, be very very grateful.

For those of you not following along, I was contemplating the purchase of a Canon PowerShot. It's a lovely camera and I was pretty excited about it, until I heard from many sources that I might not be happy if I didn't buy a SLR camera. I'd like to get into photography a bit, and from what I've heard, the SLR is the only way to go. It's also very expensive. And, since I'm not independently wealthy, it's also not in my budget at the moment.

That is, a DIGITAL SLR is not in my budget at the moment. But, in what my husband now refers to as 'the evil camera plan', I've found a solution. I'm going to buy a used film SLR camera and then, in a few months, upgrade to the digital version. I can still get my 'photography kick' started ASAP, but I don't have to shell out a ton of money. In fact, the SLR camera my sister owns can be found on eBay for around $75-$100. Whoo! Even better, the lenses for the SLR film cameras will work with the digital cameras, so I can start playing NOW (which is incredibly important, since I have a thing about immediate gratification) and then buy a DSLR body-only kit later, using the other camera's lens until I suddenly find I need a ton of new camera accessories. Which may possibly take less than 15 minutes.

You may be able to see why my husband is calling this the 'evil camera plan'. Ha!

In conclusion... baaaaaaaaaa. I'm such a sheep. But without all of you, I'd still be in the dark ages with *gasp* a point-and-shoot camera. Thank goodness I have friends like you :)

Holy Crap, I Lied.

In a recent post, I mentioned that I no longer courted the popular crowd and I really didn't need outside accolades to feel good about myself. Wow, I totally lied. Like a rug. And Christina evidently knew that because...

I got an award!

And then tonight, I'm popping around the internet, checking on Dillon families, and I see that Melissa has given me the same award! How in the heck does that happen? I mean, I knew the Vietnam adoption community was an incestuous little group... but still! Whoo! Talk about making my week :)

And trust me people, it's only Wednesday and my week needed a serious upswing.

Truly, thanks Christina. You are someone I respect in the adoption world. I know that you are devoted to ethical adoptions from every country. I love how you share so much of yourself. Although I'm a tad irritated that you also gave an award to Elaine because now what do I do? And Melissa? You are so strong. You've hung in there, hoping that Vietnam was the place your third child resided. I can't wait to see you find that little person! Although you are also on my hit list for nominating Meredith AND Erin. See also: incestuous blog community.

Now, I get to return the favor and nominate some people who make me smile.

These are the rules:

1. The recipient must link back to the award’s creator. (a high schooler! high school-ee? hmm.)
2. You must post these rules if you recieve the award.
3. You must choose 5 people to recieve the award after recieving it yourself
4. You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award, as posted by Mere.
5. You must post the characteristics of a recipient.
6. You must create a post sharing your win with others.
7. You must thank your giver.

Characteristics for the Smile Award:

1. Must display a cheerful attitude. (not necessarily at all times–we are all human)
2. Must love one another
3. Must make mistakes
4. Must learn from others
5. Must be a positive contributor to blog world
6. Must love life
7. Must love kids

So... Here you go. My Top 5. I'm feeling a tad like David Letterman right now...

1) Rachel. I have no idea how I would have survived the adoption process without Rach. At the moment, she's experiencing giddyness as a result of the election season, qualifying her nicely according to characteristic #1. She posts pictures of herself in less than flattering lights on purpose, which I think embodies characteristic #3! And look at any pictures of her girls and you'll see how #s 6 and 7 are met. Go Rach!

2) Jess. Jess has been a huge advocate for the continuation of ETHICAL adoptions from Vietnam. Bex is quite the whirlwind, yet Jess is always gloating (in a motherly-pride type of way) about his successes and accomplishments. Heck, the kid is shaving and he's not even 2 1/2! Advanced, I tell ya'! On the 'must make mistakes' list... well, she counts me as a friend and you know that's not going to end well. Heh.

3) Shannon. I love Shannon! One of her munchkins has Downs Syndrome. I would love to meet that little guy! He's obviously the light of his mama's life and I think Shannon is terrific at keeping D.S. in the spotlight. If you're not the mother (or sister) of a disabled child, you can't understand what it's like to love and live with that child until someone like Shannon shows you. Plus, she has two gorgeous girls to brag about too!

4) Nadra. Two beautiful little boys from two different countries, and a heart that goes on and on. (okay, admit it... who flashed back to the Leo DiCaprio movie???) Nadra, you embody #2 on the Smile Award requirements list. Your faith and your patience are amazing. For those of you who don't know Nadra, this woman threw herself into planning Dillon's Vietnam Heritage Weekend and then attended the entire shebang, not knowing when her own precious Drew would be home. That is someone who loves others.

5) Leigh. Although Leigh is not my husband's favorite person right now (primarily because of the DAYS of conversations he's been subjected to about new camera purchases), Leigh is definitely one of MY favorite people. Forget the fact that my oldest daughter and her son have a mother-arranged prom date. Forget the fact that Little Sister has the cutest hair and craziest smile ever seen on the internet. Leigh is unfailing in her support of Dillon families. She's been a cheerleader for all of us, whether still in the adoption process or dealing with issues once we've come home.

There are so many more I could mention, but the orchestra is starting to play and the camera guy is telling me it's time to go to commercial. Plus, there are a few camera auctions I'm watching on eBay...

And The Old Is New Again

What is up with music these days?

Kid Rock (who I love in general... I went to one of his concerts when I lived in Detroit and it was amazing! but that could have been the secondary marajuana inhalation...) has a song based on Sweet Home Alabama. I love the song - nostalgia, anyone? - but dude, let's write something original.

Journey has new songs. SAD new songs. Can we please have a little less angst? Oh wait, I forgot... it's Journey. Evidently not.

Def Leppard has a thing with Tim McGraw. I like the song. And yes, I like McGraw in the country world but... hangin' with Def Leppard? Not getting it.

And AC/DC has a new album. Which will be a Wal*mart exclusive. Featured on the shelf next to the Geritol. Evidently the oxygen tanks and wheelchairs haven't slowed them down at all.

My high school years are coming back to haunt me.

I'm Like a Sheep

You people are bad influences. I was perfectly happy with my cheap point-and-shoot camera until I started noticing Erin's shots. Granted, she's a professional photographer, but still! And then Julie and Meredith both mentioned new cameras or camera accessories. And then Leigh went out and bought a new camera. And now I'm feeling that somehow my photography skills need to be enhanced! That point-and-shoot is no longer good enough for me! That I. Must. Upgrade.

So I spent most of the weekend checking out various sites offering recommendations, while shouting out price points to my husband. Anything over $500 received instant are-you-completely-crazy? looks, so I kept looking. My requirements are fairly simple: I still want point-and-shoot capability, but I'm ready to upgrade to manual function options that I can use as I figure out what I'm doing. I want the ability to buy additional lenses and accessories as needed. I want image stabilization and a decent shutter speed and the ability to capture action shots since my kids never stop moving. And that's pretty much it.

I think I'm going with the Canon PowerShot S5. The price point is acceptable to my sweet husband (who will probably be buying it as my Christmas gift), it has all the features I wanted plus some, and the online reviews are pretty much all good.

Next on the list is a good introductory photography book. Any recommendations?

They Like Me... They Really Like Me!

You know, I've always wanted to be popular. It didn't happen in high school. In fact, in my graduating class of 12 - 6 guys and 6 girls - I was the only girl NOT nominated as either homecoming or prom candidate. Sure, a lot of people felt bad afterwards... me included... but I didn't notice them stressing out over it whilst the voting was going on. Of course, the argument I got into with almost everyone over our graduation colors mere minutes before the voting may have had something to do with the lack of crown come prom night.

Um. Hmmm. Bitter much?

Things improved somewhat in college. I got in with a good crowd (read: people with low expectations) and managed to attain a mild popularity that served me well through those first awkward encounters on campus. I partied at a frat and became an unofficial 'little sister' - code name for 'girl who can't hold her alcohol and must be watched like a hawk'. I met my best friend and we presided over the dorm lounge with intense games of pitch and mandatory Friday night viewings of The Little Mermaid (Hey Mel - what kind of fish is Flounder?). I met my husband. Who dumped me. And then decided to ask me out again. And then dumped me. And finally decided we should date again after I threatened him, setting an excellent precedent for the past 13 years of marriage.

Now, as an adult, I don't court the popular crowd the way I used to. I've achieved a level of self-confidence and a sarcastic attitude and I generally don't need accolades to show me that life is pretty darn good. But, once in a while, I still get a little jealous. I look around me and wonder...

How in the heck do some blogs get so popular?

I mean, look at Rumor Queen. The chick starts her blog as a gathering place for rumors about Chinese adoption trends, soon has a following of thousands, and ends up with a forum larger than that of the Michael Phelps fan club. Today she posted about how watching an episode of Hannah Montana with her oldest daughter makes a great starting point for conversations about friendship and life lessons. In response, I'm guessing there are a ton of adoptive mothers watching HM with their children tonight, realizing for the first time that Billy Ray Cyrus isn't the reason for the show's popularity.

Then there's Vietnam adoption blogs, like Mrs. Broccoli Guy. I can understand that one. Anytime you start a blog roll with a few hundred adoptive families listed, people are gonna flock to your site. Then she helps to start VVAI, becomes an acknowledged expert on the issues surrounding Vietnamese adoptions, and whammo - TWO reasons for people to be reading her posts. Add in the stories about her family and the way that you feel you really know her after reading her blog and that's THREE reasons I don't like... I mean THREE reasons for people flock to her blog. (Heh. Sorry Christina!)

Then there's Laurie, over at Pho for Five. She held a giveaway and received 237 comments on that post from eager readers wanting to win an Ergo baby carrier. 2.3.7. Seriously. Just think - if she had 237 commenters, how many people visited, but didn't comment? What in the heck does Laurie have that I don't? I mean, sure she has been very outspoken about ethical adoptions and she does have those two incredibly cute little boys and, of course, she was in Vietnam waiting for Shane's G&R date while insanely pregnant with Finley, which gets her featured in a parenting magazine in a story about adoptions...... Oh. Okay, so I get why Laurie's blog is so popular... :)

And there are tons more! Julia at Here There Be Hippogriffs... Confessions of a CF Husband... Salsa in China... People who started out keeping their family and friends informed and ended up massively popular in the blogging world. I guess at this point, I'm probably not going to achieve the level of blog popularity that Laurie, Christina, and the Rumor Queen have. But I'm happy to call them my friends. Well, my adoption friends. Well, not Rumor Queen - we don't really communicate. I visit her site a lot, which I guess makes me more of a stalker....

This post is not turning out the way I'd planned. Maybe I should go rummage through my old high school year books. Those years on the speech team - good times, I say, good times.

18 Month Well Baby Appointment

P finally had her 18 month well baby appointment yesterday. I know she's 19 1/2 months old... I'm doing the best I can. Well, I'm probably not. But I'm doing the best I can while dealing with the ridiculous scheduling people at the pediatrician's office.

Anywho... Drumroll Please???

22 POUNDS! P is actually between the 15th and 20th percentiles on the American charts, which hugely impressed our favorite nurse practitioner. It also impressed me, considering she's now refusing to eat pretty much anything except goldfish and sliced turkey. And the occasional oatmeal raisin cookie.

What? It's got fruit!

McCain's Adopted Children

This is NOT a political post. This is an adoption mama post. Just so that's clear :)

There has been a lot of criticism of John and Cindy McCain in regards to some of their statements at the Republican National Convention. Many adoptive parents, me included, were at least mildly (and in some cases, majorly) offended by the way their daughter and her adoption were portrayed. I'm sure most of you have probably seen this already, but I wanted to put it out here because this interview shows that McCain has a heck of a lot more adoption sensitivity than was portrayed last week. He sounds like a proud papa. And I find it interesting that his youngest daughter is not his only adopted child. She is his only internationally adopted child. He also adopted Cindy's children from her previous marriage. No one seems to be talking about that.

Full text of an interview from 2000: http://www.dadmag.com/archive/060400jmccain.php

The parts I find very interesting:

Dadmag: Your youngest daughter Bridget is adopted. Why did you decide to adopt Bridget?

McCain: Well it was primarily my wife's Cindy's idea. She was in Bangladesh and she and some of the medical personnel visited Mother Theresa's orphanage to try and help the children there. There were two little baby girls there. One had a heart problem the other a severe cleft palate. Cindy was very concerned about their ability to survive and their need for medical treatment, so she decided to bring them here for medical treatment. She fell in love with both of them. We decided to adopt Bridget. Two close friends of ours adopted Mickey, the other child.

Dadmag: You knew about your wife's decision before hand?

McCain: (laughs) No. She arrived and said "Say hello to your new little daughter."

Dadmag: A bit of a shock?

McCain: Yes indeed.

Dadmag: And how has it worked out? Are you happy with the decision to adopt Bridget?

McCain: Oh yes! She has enriched our lives. She's a wonderful child, a complete part of our family and we love her.

Dadmag: Your other children accepted her well?

McCain: Oh yeah sure. She's the toughest of the four. The youngest always has to be the toughest.

Dadmag: During your campaign for the Republican Presidential nomination Bridget became something of an issue in South Carolina didn't she?

McCain: Yeah. There were some pretty vile and hurtful things said during the South Carolina primary. It's a really nasty side of politics. We tried to ignore it and I think we shielded her from it. It's just unfortunate that that sort of thing still exists As you know she's Bengali, and very dark skinned. A lot of phone calls were made by people who said we should be very ashamed about her, about the color of her skin. Thousands and thousands of calls from people to voters saying "You know the McCains have a black baby" I believe that there is a special place in hell for people like those.

One more comment from me on the adoption of Bridget. I've seen some comments that liken Cindy McCain bringing Bridget home to someone bringing home a puppy and asking if they can keep it. I know a wonderful lady who, 30 years ago, lived in Korea with her husband as missionaries. One day, he was touring a local hospital and when they reached the baby ward, there was only one child laying there in a crib. And the hospital staff was waiting for her to die, because all the other babies had caught pneumonia and died. The hospital staff assumed it would only be a matter of time before the little one succumbed as well. Instead, my friend's husband came home that night with a baby girl cradled in his arms and said, "Here." To say my friend was surprised would be an understatement.

My point is this. All these regulations for international adoption are fairly recent. Medical care is not always available in under-developed countries. And frankly, there weren't long lines of families waiting for babies with special needs from foreign countries 10, 15, or 30 years ago. Cindy McCain fell in love with two little girls who needed medical care. She brought them to the U.S. to make sure they received that care, and now both of those little girls have families. Do I wish the McCains would pay more attention to the ins and outs of adoption langugage? Heck, yes. Do I think they love their daughter? That, too, is a yes.

Am I going to vote for McCain? The Magic 8-ball says the future is uncertain :)

Opinions

Tonight was my first full-length, official PTO Exec Board meeting as president. I haven't been looking forward to this. I was sorta guilted into the president position - one of those 'no one else will do it' situations. I have absolutely no problem volunteering for our school. I was the PTO treasurer during Nat's 1st grade year. I'm on our school's site council. I'm the district site council rep for our school. I've been the room mother. I help with the classroom parties. You get the picture. And last year I did just fine as president-elect. But I'm not sure my personality is really suited for the president slot.

You see, I have... opinions.

When a discussion topic comes up, I typically know exactly how I want it decided. And I have a devil of a time not making that clear when bringing up the various positives and negatives to any situation. And when the discussion goes on and on and ON, my instinct is to bang my gavel (okay, I don't have a gavel. but I really want one.) and close discussion. It's hard to balance that instinct with the need to guide the discussion to a decision that makes everyone feel satisfied.

I think tonight went well. Our new principal has a lot of opinions, too, and luckily we were on the same page most of the time. No one cried. No one yelled. No one threw things. And I only banged my hands on the table once. (I really need a gavel)

Only 8 1/2 months of school to go.

Public Service Announcement. And French Toast.

Tis the season for fresh tomatos! I do not garden and never will garden. However, my parents have a very large garden and they brought down two boxes of tomatos, some green peppers, a few onions, and some HUGE potatos. We don't eat a lot of fresh tomatos, but we do love them in soups. I make a lot of chili during football season. Since I don't own a canner, we use an alternate method of preserving the tomatos for future use and I thought I'd share in case anyone else wants a freezer full of tomatos.

Scald them in hot water, dump them in ice water, skin them, chop them into large chunks, and put them in freezer bags.

That's it.

Also, I made baked french toast this weekend. I was looking for a quick and easy breakfast, and I love french toast. Most baked french toast recipes I have tried end up mushy. But this was not mushy, so I thought I'd pass it on.

1 stick margarine
1 c. brown sugar
2 T cinnamon
4 eggs
1 c milk
Texas Toast

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt margarine in 9x13" pan, add brown sugar and cinnamon, stir. Place 6 slices of Texas Toast in pan. Mix eggs and milk. Pour on top of bread. Bake for 20 minutes, flip the bread carefully, and bake for 15 minutes more. Cut in half and serve. No syrup needed!

Are You Jealous?

I just ordered three tickets to Disney's High School Musical: The Ice Show.

Green with envy, aren't ya?

They're Baaaaack!

Politics

I'm a registered Republican. I respect McCain. I've been intrigued by Obama. I'm actually enthused about Biden. But I think McCain is sinking his own battleship with Sarah Palin.

I refuse to vote for a president or vice president based on gender alone. Hillary didn't do it for me, and I really don't get the women who say they will vote for McCain now strictly because his running mate shares their anatomical parts. Obama is an artist when he speaks, but I've been waiting to hear more policy. "Yes, we can"... do what exactly? I've heard more in the last few weeks and it's helping to flesh out a picture of his presidency. Health care is obviously going to be an issue I'm very interested in. I'm still absorbing. I'm not necessarily buying the 'not enough experience' argument, any more than I'm agreeing with the 'McCain is too old' argument.

McCain? Well, yes. More of the same. In all respects? No. In respect to the war? Probably. But I'm having a hard time seeing how any candidate of either party is going to get us out of Iraq as quickly as the American public wants us out. And that seems to be the primary issue for McCain opponents. But MY primary issue? Why on earth would he choose a running mate with all of the baggage that Sarah Palin brings? Her teenage daughter is pregnant. Not actually an issue for me, but it will be in one in the media and, let's face it, Palin was going to be the answer for conservatives. Then there's the whole Troopergate thing (what is the deal with throwing 'gate' at the end of any scandal to make it sounds huge???). Right or wrong, blown out of proportion or not, you know it's not going to play well in the media and a lot of people vote based on sound bites. (don't get me started)

Yes, she has the correct pieces and parts to woo Hillary supporters. But I'd have to think that the upswing gained by her gender is going to be countered by the baggage she's hauling. Contrast that with the Biden sound bites - lost a child and wife, sponsored domestic violence legislation, has a son who is leaving mid-campaign to serve his country... - and McCain may be looking at a disappointing result in November.

For me, it's going to come down to the debates and a lot of internet research on voting history. But for too many other people, it will come down to sound bites and media spin. If this is indicative of McCain's decision-making abilities, I have to say I'm not impressed.

Say What You Will About The Writing...

I'm wondering if I have time to re-read the entire series before I lend the books to my sister?

Another Ending

September 1st. Today is the day the Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and Vietnam expires, ending adoptions for who knows how long. My head is spinning in so many directions on this.

I'm incredibly grateful to have our daughter home. I ache for the questions I'm sure she'll have someday. I hurt for the families who have invested so much in Vietnam, only to have their dossiers scheduled for return. I'm angry at the agencies and adoption representatives on both sides of the ocean who took advantage of the reopening to line their own pockets at the expense of innocent children. I'm ashamed of my own government, not for taking actions to ensure ethical adoptions, but for being so incredibly insensitive and unyeilding in carrying out its new policies. I'm proud of my adoption agency for its commitment to stay in Vietnam, as it did through the last shutdown, to make sure children at its orphanages have access to food, medical care, and education. I'm hopeful that there will be a new agreement, but I don't think it will come quickly.

VVAI has a post from Nicki that I think is excellent, and I'm looking forward to reading more in the next few days, as they attempt to answer some of the questions left hanging as we reach the end of the MOU.