Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Pestering

I have completely lost touch with child care. Since Marina was about 2 years old, she has attended "school." Obviously it was preschool first, and now first grade, but really there was no issues with child care, because any educational establishment that wishes to remain competitive will offer very reasonable hours that blend well with a working family. I also think that we are much more demanding now. These days I'm griping about maternity leave (or lack there of), cost of nannies, not having room for an au pair, etc. I'm very stressed! I make a weekly call to our local community college (I'm now enrolled in a gym class) that boasts of a terrific child care center-students get priority of enrollment. Every Wednesday, when I call, the same woman answers. She has a beautiful accent; I think she might be from Lebanon. Anyway, she know my voice as much as I know hers and she tries so diligently to be patient with me, but I can tell it is quite a strain for her. She says: "I know, you're calling to check on the status of your application. As I told you before, only two or three babies get in per term, it is very difficult to get in. Wait for our call, we should be calling in about 2 weeks." It is worth noting that it is always in 2 weeks. I keep calling, I can't wait for their call. I'm waiting on a much more important call to bother with not calling them.
Fernando and I have been watching the video training sessions offered through Gladney. Some are good, others not so much. I finally got to see what Mary T. looks like (she's on the first Ethiopia session). She is not what I pictured...in a good way!
So I took the opportunity to call Mary about a few little questions and I'm sure she knows it was also a "hey, we're still here, remember us, the ones who have been waiting for 14 weeks as of today." She is so wonderfully patient. I know she gets these calls so often, we must be quite the topics of conversation in her home: "sweetie, guess who called again today? That's right Samantha, you know the one married to Fernando, the ones who already have a little girl. Her excuse to call me was so pathetic this time. Poor them, but they'll get their baby soon. They don't know it yet, but the little girl that they are matched up with is a real little gem." At any rate, she was great. She answered all my questions. I never understood why people had to wait so long from the time they had a favorable court date to the time they traveled. Mary said that it takes time to process the baby's passport and immigration paperwork. One can travel before, but then you would be in-country for about a month!
Well, I'm off to finish some work , life goes on, even in these desperate times. I almost forgot, we've been taking out Marina's baby clothes and can't wait to see Celeste wearing them.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

What have we been up to since September

Marina began first grade. She attends a Waldorf School in Southern California. This particular school has a required parent involvement of at least 50 hours a year. Needless to say, the hours that each parent ends up putting is much greater than that. The school year begins with setting up the classroom to help the new teacher. The first big event is the Hoe Down. I know, I know, it sounds so dreadfully hokey, but it relay is fun. It helps build community with new parents and and find your way to old friends. There is a cake walk and a good old fashion dance. I like making cakes, but not getting them. The first grade along with another grade are in charge of the September "look-in." This is when parents of 4 year-olds come to observe and decide if they like what they see before thy commit to completing an application for entrance. (I make about 50 sambosas in honor of Celeste.) Then we have back to school night. Every grade has a class meeting and the curriculum is discussed (along with a myriad of mind numbing minutia that makes me want to pull the skin right off of my bones).

October seemed like it had promise of being an easy month of rest when suddenly BAM! Marina and I drove to Tucson to my cousin's wedding (Marina was one of three flower girls). I got 2 tickets on my way home; one for speeding-totally legitimate, and the other because Marina turn around to look at a police car and he said she was not properly strapped into her booster...she weighs more than some current media icons at her healthy 50lb! The seat belt just slipped off her shoulder when she turned!!! hasn't that happened to us all? don't some of us put the shoulder strap under our arm because it cuts into our neck?!?! Anyway, that is also the day I was supposed to go to Carrie's baby shower...I missed the festivities. The following weekend I had to go to Utah for work. I was in a town with a population of 178, alone and very far from cell phone reception. Then we had Halloween and all its magic and mystery (which takes a lot of grown up preparation and work.)

Now we are in November. Let's see, this month I have worked on making dolls and their clothes. Lots and lots of dolls! The Elve's Fair (the biggest fund raiser for Marina's school was on the 17th. I also made little trinkets, items for a special children's shopping room and baked a cake for the Fair's bake sale. I helped set up and clean up. After all that work and all that stress I came down ill on the 18th. I am sounding sicker today, but I am feeling better. Thankfully we don't work tomorrow and I can make the stuffing for Thursday. We're going to my mother's house for Thanksgiving.

As far as Celeste is concerned, all I can tell you is that we have been waiting. I spoke with Mary T. and she gave me the impression that we will not be traveling to get our babe until the new year. So we have to put in the extra training ours required by the Hague. We just went ahead and ordered all the on demand streaming, and started our training last night. We hope to have it all completed by the end of this weekend. That way, the only thing left to do will be to buy our tickets and fly to Addis Ababa.

One last note; I work for a public school district. Needless to say that the majority of people employed by this industry are women. According to our HR department I have no right to get maternity leave...NONE! I have to take my sick days which I have been accruing since I started working there. I will only be able to have those sick days to be with Celeste before I have to rejoin the work force. As it was explained to me (in so many words); maternity leave is driven by the health of the mother and her need to recuperate from child birth, not the need for the baby to bond.

On that note I leave you to be with Marina who has been waiting patiently to hear me read Anne of Avonlea before bed time.

Long absence

For those who check in here and have been frustrated with my absence, I will say this: there's nothing to report except still waiting. Waiting is hard, and I figured that if I was going to wait so was everyone else. This evening however, I will be posting all of the things that have occupied my time since last I posted.