…and for those of you not “down with the lingo,” that’s “Prospective Adoptive Parent.”  And this part of my story is one of the reasons I went blog-silent for a solid quarter of this year.

I’ve written before about how involved we’ve gotten with our church’s Hispanic ministry.  I’ve mentioned my now-very-close friend Reina a number of times, and that she escaped February’s house fire out a second story window while 6 1/2 months pregnant.  Well, for months before the fire I was driving Reina to her pre-natal appointments and helping with paperwork and with understanding the insurance system here in our state.  ‘Cause it’s daunting even when you’re used to living here.  Completely overwhelming when you speak another language, haven’t been here long, weren’t planning on a pregnancy, and reside squarely in the working-to-survive class.

Then add a house fire and the loss of every dollar and every identifying document you own, two and a half months before your due date.

“Vulnerable” doesn’t begin to describe it.  For nearly a month after the fire, she was so stressed out that the only thing she could keep down was bananas and a little bit of water. Read the rest of this entry

Tiny Talk Tuesday is a blog carnival started a few years ago by my friend Mary over at NotBefore7 in order to capture the sweet and funny things our kids say as they’re figuring out life (and language!).  Here are just a couple things heard around OUR house recently:

Where’s this Heading?

[My sister Amy and I were leveling out our picnic area in the backyard for our other sister's wedding a few weeks ago.]

Heriberto: Mama, can we help?

Me: Sure!  Here are some rakes; just try to make the dirt smooth and flat, like we are.

[Minutes later]

H: Mama, how ’bout we just use our feet and stomp it flat.

Me: Ok, whatever.  That’s fine.

[Minutes later]

H: Mama, can we take our shoes off and stomp in our bare feet?

Me: Umm, sure, why not?

[Much dancing and whooping and digging of toes in the dirt ensues, and then...]

H: Mama, what happens if we just get down in the dirt and snuggle it?

[???!!] Read the rest of this entry

Tiny Talk Tuesday is a blog carnival started a few years ago by my friend Mary over at NotBefore7 in order to capture the sweet and funny things our kids say as they’re figuring out life (and language!).  Here are just a couple things heard around OUR house recently:

Should’a Sprung for the Chest X-ray:

The boys and I were out trimming back some plants in our front gardens, when José asked me, “Mama, what was it again that our bushes had and then you had to dig them out and throw them away?”

[Correct answer: Gall.]

Heriberto (with full authority of tone): José, you know the answer to that question. It was tubarkulosis.

[Or that.]

The Purpose-Driven Side-Effect:

José (humming to himself, then starts singing): Chemotherapy, chemotherapy, chemotherapy… Read the rest of this entry

Since I just reentered the blogosphere yesterday, this is going to be a mighty short list.  But let me say, I am really enjoying reading everyone’s thoughts once again!  Here are a few of the posts I recommend today.  As always, I don’t necessarily agree with all the opinions expressed, but I value that they were expressed.

“My Salvadoran Crocodile Dundee” at Latina-ish – is a funny account of the valience of Tracy’s marido (husband) in saving their family from a very persistent snake.

“Love and Regret” over at Adoption Choices – A hopeful and inspiring post about the reality of living in an open adoption (while honest that it’s not always easy).

“We are here!” at Our Little Tongginator – After 5 years of waiting, my friend Tonggu Mama is on her adoption trip (with husband, mom and daughter) to bring home their second Chinese-American daughter.

“First-world problems that are ruining the lives of my children“ at Rage Against the Minivan Read the rest of this entry

After months of “no time to blog,” I’m  finally making it back online.  More on what kept me away later, but this afternoon I’ve been blessed by a good friend hosting a movie date with the twins.  So I have a whole 2 hours to myself!  (Thanks, Jocie!)

And this afternoon’s break just happens to coincide with our completing the last step of our 2nd annual Home Study Update.  That’s right, we’re now rounding out our 3rd year of this adoption process with El Salvador.  Still no decision one way or another from our most-top-of-mind Central American country, but that doesn’t mean we get to let our paperwork lapse here in the States.

I wrote last year about the process and paperwork involved in completing a Home Study Update here in Maryland.  This year, though, we had the added pleasure of needing to re-do our home Sanitation and Fire Safety Inspection in addition to the rest of the updates.

I requested ours 7 weeks ago tomorrow.  Today was the first available date.

So this morning, promptly at 9 a.m., a very nice man named Merle – who bore an uncanny resemblance to Ron Howard, so I have the theme tune whistle from The Andy Griffith Show stuck in my head, thanks Merle – scrutinized our house from top to bottom.  Just in case we’d decided to let it go to pot in the last two years. Read the rest of this entry