How to Remove and Replace a Toilet

The Process:
Step 1: Buy new environmentally friendly Kohler toilet (Cimarron 1.28 GPF)
Step 2: Buy proper hoses and do-hickies (things only Robert knows the proper names of)
Step 3: Remove old toilet and plug up hole with something so fumes don't knock you out!
Step 4: Realize that there is wall paper behind old toilet that can now be seen when putting in new toilet
Step 5: Remove said painted over wallpaper with wallpaper stripper (see below)

Step 6: Add sand texture where wallpaper used to be to match the rest of the wall
Step 7: Prime the wall with tinted primer
Step 8: Paint the wall with leftover paint and hope it matches the color on the wall as it has been sitting in the paint can for 6 years (thankfully we had a match!! Yeah! Way worth the effort!)
Step 9: At 6:58 pm on a Sunday, realize you bought the wrong size hoses - as the ones we bought were for faucets, not toilets. Call Home Depot only to find out they close at 7 pm so can't finish installing toilets.
Step 10: Go back to Home Depot to buy proper size hoses (hope next set fits! Robert will pick up on his way home from work today)
Step 11: Finally after 3 days, install new toilet! (took place on Tuesday evening)

Our Brand New Toilet's Grand Debut... Isn't it beautiful?! Works well, too!

Referrals and Notices

There are so many things to get me incensed these days when discussing this adoption. I don't even know where to begin some days. Around every corner there seem to be one more hurdle that we need to cross, one more thing to test our patience. It just all doesn't seem fair.

We have been waiting for 3.5 years now and if the trend continues, it doesn't look like this adoption will be completed until 2012 (a 6 year wait!). I don't know anyone who has learned more about patience than those of us in line to adopt a little girl or boy from China.

They did get through the next set of referrals - but it was only 3 days (2 of which were weekend days). NOT happy about that! 102 more log-in dates to go... Here's the official notice:

12/28/2009 CCAA

The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application  documents registered with our office before February 29, 2008.  The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before April 3, 2006.

Then there's this not-so-lovely announcement from the CCAA regarding an incident involving parents who raped their adopted little girl from China. While this incident is reprehensible, how can they blame one bad apple on the whole adoption system and the rest of us who are going to be amazing parents and give these children a loving home. Here's the announcement:

Announcement

Date of Release: December 22, 2009 　　Souce: CCAA

To relevant government departments and adoption agencies in receiving countries, Since China began working with relevant countries in inter-country adoption, the cooperation has been smooth and tens of thousands of Chinese children have been adopted by foreign families. The majority of them are growing healthily under the care and love of their adoptive parents. However, some media reported on December 14 about an American adoptive father who sexually abused his Chinese adoptive daughter, which have attracted broad attention and caused great shocks. Although this is a very rare case, it has caused negative effects on inter-country in China and is against the healthy development of inter-country adoption. As the agency entrusted by Chinese government in charge of inter-country adoption, China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) has always attached great importance to the protection of Chinese adoptive children’s rights and great attention to the children who have been adopted into foreign families. On December 16, CCAA met with the Consul-General of the American Embassy in China Ms. Linda Donahue and notified her about our position on this incident. President of relevant adoption agency also telephoned CCAA and expressed his apology. In order to guarantee the rights and interests of Chinese adoptive children and ensure the healthy and sustainable development in cooperation of inter-country adoption, CCAA plans to take the following measures: 1. CCAA will suspend the cooperation with relevant American agency and decide whether to continue cooperation with this agency depending on its treatment of this incident. 2. It is suggested that all the government departments and adoption agencies conduct a following-up research of all the children adopted from China. If problems turn up, relevant parties shall assist in the re-placement of the child affected and notify CCAA accordingly. It is also advised that government departments and adoption agencies do a good job in the post-placement following-up of adopted children in the future. 3. To learn a lesson from this incident, it is suggested that social workers of government departments and adoption agencies evaluate the eligibility of applicants factually and in details. Social workers shall not only evaluate quantifiable factors such as age, profession, education background, income etc., but also evaluate whether the applicants are loving parents and with good personalities, as reflected in feedbacks from schools, communities, churches, social groups, etc. so that the reports provided can serve as dependable reference for CCAA during the reviewing process. 4. CCAA will adjust the present post-placement reporting policies and improve this reporting system, after seeking opinions and comments from different parties, based on the new situation in inter-country adoption. 5. Depending on individual cases, CCAA will suspend or terminate cooperation with agencies that are involved in cases where adopted children’s interests and rights are harmed. Home study reports prepared by social workers who are involved in such cases as well as the social workers themselves will not be recognized by CCAA. Government departments and adoption agencies shall follow the principle of “everything for the children” and assist in relevant work to guarantee the protection of rights and interests of adopted children and maintain the cooperation in inter-country adoption. China Center of Adoption Affairs December 22, 2009

Sad State of Affairs...

It's a sad state of affairs for international adoption in general. China is no exception. As you will see in these charts below, the numbers of children being adopted internationally has dropped drastically, while the desire for these children has increased dramatically. So, here we are waiting not so patiently for our children to come home one day.  Since the Hague Convention took effect, many of the countries listed below are no longer open to International Adoption any more. It's just too sad for words. We're just trying to stay positive which is an increasingly more difficult thing to do every day...

Happy Hanukkah!

Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah. Just want to wish our Jewish friends a Happy Hanukkah! Tomorrow night is the big family gathering. I think we're having 13 people. It's going to be a bit crazy! (but fun!)

First Blizzard of 2009

Well, it's December here in the Midwest, so that means cold and snow. It's beautiful to look at, unless of course you're the one who's shoveling (or snowblowing) it. On Wednesday, we go about 18 inches of snow overnight. The whole city of Madison was completely closed down - schools, workplaces, doctors offices, malls, everything... The only things going on were kids playing outside and the parents shoveling themselves out. It took Robert and I about 3 hours in the morning to clear our driveway and then another hour or two of Robert clearing away the snow around our mailbox and fire hydrant. Here are a few photos of the event.

This morning we awoke to a sundog - It was really cool. Lesson I learned today (Robert taught me this): A sundog is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates bright spots of light in the sky, often on a luminous ring or halo on either side of the sun.

Well, they finally did it!

Well, they finally finished off the March 2006 LIDs! Cause to celebrate!! I mean, it only took a year to get through the whole month of March 2006 Log-in dates. And this 3-day batch took them 2 months!

Here's the official notice. Only 105 more referral days to go until we're matched with our daughter. I just wish it would be sooner than later...

The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before March 31, 2006.

Chinese Jews of Keifang

Check out this really cool Youtube video of the Chinese Jews from Kaifeng arriving in Israel in 2009. It's very moving.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edhtdoPukk0

It's Never Easy...

The holiday season is never easy for me. After almost 3.5 years of waiting and still no sign of our adoption being completed any time soon - it's just more difficult than I can even put into words. The latest delay is that it doesn't look like there will be any matches this month coming from the CCAA. Yes, I know that there is a new director that just took over, but he was promoted from within the CCAA. You would think that this wouldn't affect anything and that he would know the procedures. Or is there some other reason like the H1N1 virus the culprit? Who knows? This is China we're talking about! But then I have to think about the story of the turtle and the hare - and we are definitely the turtle in this story! But, as we all know the ending to the story - the slow, but sure, wins the race!

As usual, I delve into our now 3rd "Last Vacation before our Child" trip - I think this next one will be an Alaskan cruise. We shall see. It's still open for discussion (and our bank account). I wonder how many more "last trips" I'm going to have to plan? Hopefully, not too many more, but it's not looking too good. At this rate, it's looking like 2011 or 2012. UGH!!

Please send happy thoughts and wishes this way...

Happy Halloween!

Just wishing everyone a Happy Halloween!

Leaf Viewing

On Saturday afternoon, Robert took me up for a little leaf viewing to see the beautiful fall colors. We flew up to Devils Lake, WI to see the bluffs. It was quite beautiful. Here are a few photos from the flight.

The bluffs at Devil's Lake

The Wisconsin River