Monday, September 8, 2008

Followers

I have added a "follower" element to the bottom of the page. If you'd like to follow publicly or anonymously, please click on follow this blog. Thanks!

Bring our children home

This website has been recently updated. It is a good source for information on blocked provinces and ways to help. Maybe some of you will also find it helpful. Check it out!
http://www.bringourchildrenhometoo.com/index.shtml

Friday, September 5, 2008

Baking

Our church is having its annual fish fry tomorrow. J- will help fry fish. They fry it in huge cast iron kettles. The fish is fresh and tasty! He made 10 pounds of German potato salad today. The church makes over 200 pounds of German potato salad.

I have made 2 huge cobblers. They are half blueberries and have blackberries. The blackberries are from our own field. I also made 2 different cookies and 4 pies (1 chess and 3 toll house/pecan pies) I also made lemon apricot cake, but when I took it out of the bunt pan it stuck in 3 places. I took it to school to share. If I have time in the morning, I will make another.

Tatertot was totally exhausted tonight. School was busy. She was just a heap rolled up on the chair. Even too tired to eat. She was in bed by 7:45. I hope she sleeps in until 8:00 tomorrow. It will be a long day with the fish fry. She starts Suzuki violin in two weeks. She is so excited. They have the tiniest little violin for her. Too cute.

PS Today is day 221 days waiting for I-600. Isn't that just crazy!!

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Dear USCIS and Thanh Hoa officials

Dear USCIS and Thanh Hoa Officials,

Hi! My name is Cuong. I am 14 months old and live in a child care center in Thanh Hoa. I have a few things I want to share with you.
On Dec. 14, 2007 I was told that I had a family waiting for me in the United States. I was told that I have a Papa, Mama, and a big sister. You can not believe how excited I was! I was filled with an inner peace.

The nannies here are great. I do worry about them, they have to work so hard. They take good care of me. They take good care of my friends, and do the best they can. However, they have so much to do besides taking care of me.

In March, I got a wonderful surprise from my family. They sent me a blanket and their picture. I just couldn't believe how wonderful they seemed! My sister is smiling at me, and even kind of looks like me. I was thinking that it shouldn't be much longer before we are all together (Papa, Mama, Sister and Me). How wonderful!

Then, things seemed to have gone wrong. I waited and waited... I just don't understand... It was suppose to be 4-6 months, but it was July and they still weren't here. I was sad. At night, when my nannies and friends were sleeping, I would cry for my family. I wanted them to come and comfort me. I wanted them to take me to my new home.

Well, my first birthday came and I thought, "They will be here anytime now." Whenever someone would come to the center, I would wonder... "Is this my family?" "Are they coming to take me home?" Sadly, it wasn't my family, I wasn't going home.

It is now September, and I continue to wait. I continue to cry. I tried to smile when the people came to take my picture for my family. I really wanted to smile, but I was sad. I wanted to go home. I want to be with my family. I just couldn't smile.

When, when will you get over this power struggle? No one is winning! No one! When will you do what is best for me? What is best for all my friends? How can you let this continue? When will you let me be with my family? This has gone on for too long!!

USCIS and Thanh Hoa officials, there is no need to respond, just give me I-600 approval!

Thank you,

Cuong

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Quiet NO MORE!

Pre-approval for I600 is proving to be a nightmare for families with children in Thanh Hoa!!! We are no further along in determining if our prospective children are adoptable than we were in February. DoS stated they have no information on fraudulent acts in Thanh Hoa- it is a "communication problem with Thanh Hoa". What a power struggle to determine if the I-600s will be approved! We, along with families from three agencies, appear to be stuck in the process. You would think alternative methods of completing field reviews would be considered by US officials! What is it going to take for them to do what is best for the children!?!

We are well past 200 days waiting for our I-600 approval. Cuong is now 14 months old. Our picture update showed a healthy, but sad little boy. He is ready to come home~!~

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Been a while...

It just gets monotonous reporting that we are still waiting for our I-600 approval. On Cuong's birthday, I had decided to not post anything until we heard something. However, we still haven't heard anything and it's been over a month since my last post. Tomorrow will be 190 days we have been waiting for approval! I am hearing that others are getting approval fairly prompt now, so that is good for them. (stinks for us, but good for them)

Other news...
I start work this week. Friday is my first offical day, but I have to set my classroom up tomorrow and then parent orientation on Thursday. That means summer is basically over for me. Tatertot starts the following Tuesday. She is very excited. She meets her teacher this Tuesday.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

June 30, 2008

Yesterday was Cuong's birthday. He is now one year old! Where has the time gone? When we got our referral, J- and I commented on him being so young.

Now, 6.5 months later, we still wait to bring him home. Still waiting for the I-600. We are now past five months of waiting for it. Yes, FIVE months!

I did buy him the cutest book yesterday. It is a "Scanimation" picture book. The title is Gallop! and it is by Rufus Butler Seder. The illustrations look like they are in motion. It is a cool book! The text is simple and pages are pretty durable.