Saturday, May 17, 2008

Say cheese, and keep your eyes open!

So here goes.. last week we got notified that the chinese government says its ok for us to travel. We got thrilled and happy excited paranoid all at the same time. After a few days of getting everything together. prepping visa stuff etc.. getting psychotic photos of DD taken.. I shall digress because its so stinking funny.

Why is it that when you need a demure photo of your child, so you can look that chinese official in the eye and confirm that yes she is mine and so good.. that is when your child chooses to look crazy, tilts her head and laughs out loud. And when the photographer who can't be older than 17 keeps saying
"are you ready?" (child looks great eyes open, nice smile)
"three" (child's head starts to tilt starts burping giggles)
"two" (child face starts to puff out as they withhold laughter)
"one" (child closes eyes while braying like a donkey)
17 year old then snaps photo...
rinse and repeat 10 more times.. till child is so worked up the only photo with her eyes open.... is the one where she looks ready for a rubber room. *sigh*
Exit mom with unacceptable photo in hand but really what can I do? At this point its not going to get any better, only worse.
Ok digression over with ..

So were planning on travel and we get an advisory *don't travel* the embassy in Guangzhou doesn't have your updated paperwork.
ok practice *deep breathing* DH calls the guy at Adoption agency.. DH is still in never never land ( wee were gonna travel) and really doesn't hear what the travel guy is saying. DH pursues tickets with a single mindedness akin to a pit bull.

Then DH gives me the job of calling the national visa center. Now you can talk to a real person from 8 am-12 am weekdays. but be forwarned they don't let you camp on hold... no if you don't get anyone your call gets dropped. And my stinking redial won't work because I have to punch in all these numbers .. hit 1 for english hit 2 for spanish etc..
so after about 2 hours of dialing and beginning to comprehend the spanish message that says "I'm sorry all our operators are busy now."

Finally I get a nice sweet lady who tells me my paper work is missing and I have to have the USICS ( who has not been very helpful) email the paperwork again.. Our hopes for traveling in May dwindle. So I accept the facts and move on with my life. "Gotcha Day" may have to wait. It's ok... later that day I see a forwarded email from DH saying the USICS has responded very quickly and has already emailed the paperwork.. I also have received a email from the national visa center saying my paperwork was sent to Guangzhou!!! November 2 years ago, wait it was sent when... November 2 years ago a whole second of heart racing. ahh well that is expired like the can of whipped cream in my fridge. .. but then I think what can it hurt to reply to this email and ask... they can only say no right???
So I sent a nice "I know you work so hard" email back asking them "if they could do anything... it would be greatly appreciated". Thus the saying goes, you really do catch more flies with honey..

Bingo in my email today my paper work has been sent on to Guangzhou. weird thing was God was talking to me in the car on the way home.. hey check your email no really... go check it.. I got a surprize for you.. My heart didn't even race cause I was expecting it. =))
so I called the travel guy at adoption agency "hey does this mean we can buy tickets?? can we keep our travel dates?? huh?? huh?? well maybe.. ROFL gotta love it ---->>>MAYBE<-----We will call tomorrow and see how this journey ends..

P.S. I went to another place to get DD's photos retaken (Would you have returned to the 17 year old???) and amazingly the 30 year old mom didn't say 3.2.1 go.. but snapped the picture the minute she opened her eyes. and insisted on taking the psychotic photos (would have been great for blackmailing purposes) from the day before as an exchange even tho I didn't buy them from that store..

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