Birds, Juggling and waiting.....

Today was an okay day, not a great day, just a day.

We are waiting. Waiting to see if our expedited home study update, fresh from our new house, makes it from the local CIS office to the National Visa Center (in Texas? I think?) in time for the deadline for our hopeful Embassy Appointment. As of today, it is at CIS.

Okay, that might as well be Greek to most people, or Latin at least.

Said another way, our paperwork is done, legally updated, as we are moving and the government needs to know where we live right now, and the paper trail is trying to catch up with our daughter. Ethiopia has had a court date (we passed), in which the government of Ethiopia declared her part of our family, and her birth certificate has been issued and our final forms, the I-600, DS 230 and I-864, electronically filed with the US Embassy, so that the US Embassy can see our intentions are clear, we want this child to be ours....Our updated homestudy, giving our new address is in the channels, now, we wait, hoping everything makes this deadline. So, we wait.

And wait.

Tomorrow, I check and see if there is anyone I am supposed to call.

And then we wait some more. And check email.

No rehearsal this week. But, as we are moving, I need to pack. The house that is. I also may need to pack to go to Ethiopia, but I don't know yet, as we are waiting to have an appointment.

It sucks.

We picked some paint colors today. The painters started a week early because we decided not to tent the house. We have baby birds. Yes, small birds, with 3 multicolored eggs saved our house from tenting, thus leaving the road open to the termites. I am sure the termite company will be able to come spray in a more localized way the darn pests without killing the birds, in fact, they told me so today.

Maybe we are nesting. We unilaterally called off the tenting, so...I think it is true, in more way than one. We are nesting.

Turns out, after I called Wildcare, that California has bird protection laws. I really love that. Really. Let's keep the birds safe. And what would have told Eli, oh, yes, we killed the baby birds? I think that is not how we want to start our life in our new house. Okay, termites, go wild! Birds, have babies, LULU come home.

Can you move and adopt? Yes. Is it a pain in the neck? Sometimes, like when you are waiting for an Embassy date, the final call to bring home your child. But, at least we didn't move out of state. That would really be a pain. Our home-study agency is rocking this one. Hit it out of the ballpark and is trying to help us bring Lulu home.

On the colors for our new 1970's house, beautiful bright YELLOW for Lulu, E man picked ORANGE, PEACH in the master bedroom, APPLE GREEN in the family room, OCHRE in the guest room, and a warm BROWN in the office. The living room is still up for grabs, but Paul (check out his blog http://pdopaint.blogspot.com/) and Mitchl are still working it out. I was a bit freaked out by the idea of LIVER AND PORK, but mitch meant CORK. We totally cracked up when I drew the line at painting the dinning room the colors of MEAT! I did get a bit nervous when they started discussing disco, but I do like the black and gray shag carpet that has been picked out. As long as it doesn't get too shinny. There is really no good disco, but I know I will grow to like whatever they pick or it will change before too long! That is one thing about living with someone who loves design, don't get too attached. The design will change.

The house is pretty darn cool. I like it. It has a pool, which is gated with a 6 foot fence, yeah! And a huge yard, which the dog likes, and plenty of room for everyone. I am so excited. No matter when we go, we will be moved in, as we move in next week, after the paint drys, or I hope it drys. the rain is coming tomorrow, so....let's think dry. The process was so up and down, that I didnt think I even liked it anymore, but it is really cool. A great place for a family to live for a long, long time. Even the dog is happy. I hope Lulu is happy there.

I am thinking about the people at the home-study agency who came in on their day off and pushed our papers out the door and have the numbers of people to call to ask if the papers arrived. It makes me so pleased that they know what is going on. Lets just cross our fingers.

I have band work to do, but how I will get anything done with not knowing what we are going to do and with not having one box packed and the movers coming next week.

I did clean the refrigerator and the kitchen cupboards out, but I so wanted to avoid packing I made dinner. And anyone that knows me, knows how I LOVE to cook. NOT.


Waiting sucks, especially this last round. The election in Ethiopia makes everything so un-clear.

I hope, I hope, I hope she comes home in the middle of our move. Please, let her come home in May.