we are still waiting for our uscis office to decide on our noid. apparently our case is very complex that they need extra time. the only way we found this out is by bugging our senator's office after we hadn't heard anything after the 90 days had passed. now we are being told that we need to check after the 23rd of this month. waiting is sure getting harder to do. this has dragged on way too long. i had thought when we didn't get any responses, and our senator's office didn't get any response, that they had lost/missplaced our file. they tell me no, that is is just too complex for them to make whim decsions on. why couldn't they let us know? we continue to pray that we get the word and we can get her home for christmas. will you please pray with us?
thank you and happy holiday's to you all.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Update
Excitement is in the air, as the lions have started their 1st semester of preschool. The kids love the new school and are adjusting well to the routine of a preschool classroom. At first, things were a bit chaotic, but as with most things here, the kids have done a wonderful job of adapting to something new. The students are already showing improvements in certain areas. After one week, most of the students could answer the question, what is your name? They have also learned the Bible verse Matthew 19:14 Jesus said “Let the little children come to me.”
Teacher comment: Chrislande loves coming to school. She asks me every day if she can come to school and play with the babies (dolls). She is a nurturer at heart and loves to take care of the dolls, feed them, dress them, and change their diapers. If she decides to do another activity, she always brings her babies with her. Chrislande is very intelligent and a great problem solver. She sees patterns and does well with puzzles. Chrislande enjoys learning new things and does well paying attention and participating during circle time. She prefers to things on her own and rarely asks for help. One of Chrislande’s favorite phrases at school is, “Ka fe” (I can do it). Chrislande follows directions well at school and is a huge help when it is time to clean up.
The lions really enjoyed the performance that Clowns Without Borders gave to us on August 13. In their first experience with clowns, they were fascinated and often overjoyed. They especially enjoyed getting to talk to the clowns after the performance. The lions have also started having PE once a week on Fridays. They love the opportunity to get some of their extra energy out, and they have plenty of extra energy. One of their favorite activities during PE is to do the duck walk. They especially like it whenever an adult demonstrates it for them, quacks included.
Chrislande definitely radiates joy. When you are around her, it is hard not to smile. She has an energetic and boisterous attitude that is contagious. You can often find her giggling at things that others hadn’t thought about, but the giggles usually spread. She loves to get her photo taken and often asks if we can take her photo if she got her hair done or is wearing pretty clothes. During the photo session, she will put on her best smile, but through her teeth ask when she will get to have a treat, demonstrating her ability to multitask and think ahead:)
One of the things that we love about Chrislande is that she is very independent. She knows what she likes and she enjoys doing things herself. She often enjoys figuring things out rather than simply being shown how to do them. At times, this can lead to her resisting help when she needs it. However, she is not prone to complaining if things don’t go her way. She seems to be able to roll with whatever comes her way. You rarely see her dwell on something if she doesn’t get her way. Rather, she is off finding out what is next.
The Lions love the fact that they get to take the most walks. Although we discourage it, the lions love to march past the other rooms on the way to their walk and let them know that they are going on a walk. At times, they will even sing “Zandolits pa mache, Zandolits pa mache,” which means alligator don’t get to walk. They will sing this as they do a little dance past the other kids. It drives the other kids crazy, which is why we discourage it. However, it is extremely cute. When they are on their walk, the kids love to yell “moto” when they see one is approaching. They also like to say hello to the people in the village and animals in the field. Chrislande takes a leadership role on walks. She is fearless to be the first to do most things, as long as dogs are not involved. She especially loves to try to talk to people from a distance. It doesn’t hurt that she has a fairly strong vocal capacity.
Play Therapy Update
This may be your first time hearing about child centered play therapy, if so I do encourage all the parents to do a little research to get a better grasp. Child Centered play therapy is scheduled each week for a child to play in the playroom for 35 to 40 minutes. During this time the child plays with what they want the way they want too. Play therapy is set up to facilitate expression of emotion, decision making skills, increased confidence, self esteem, and healthy relationships. Many of the children have been through traumatic situations that have in some way effected their development. Play therapy can help improve development for these children. I am including a brief summary of your child’s progress so far in therapy.
Chrislande varies in her excitement for play therapy. She seems unsure of the process and this therapist. Chrislande is very organized in her play. She seems independent and confident in her decisions. Chrislande has trouble expressing emotions freely. She has little interaction with this therapist unless she needs help with something. Chrislande rarely forgets to put a toy away and is helpful. Chrislande’s goals are: 1) build healthy relationships 2) express emotions freely 3) improve self esteem
As of September 1, 2009:
Weigh: 29 lbs
Height: 39 1/2 inches
Teacher comment: Chrislande loves coming to school. She asks me every day if she can come to school and play with the babies (dolls). She is a nurturer at heart and loves to take care of the dolls, feed them, dress them, and change their diapers. If she decides to do another activity, she always brings her babies with her. Chrislande is very intelligent and a great problem solver. She sees patterns and does well with puzzles. Chrislande enjoys learning new things and does well paying attention and participating during circle time. She prefers to things on her own and rarely asks for help. One of Chrislande’s favorite phrases at school is, “Ka fe” (I can do it). Chrislande follows directions well at school and is a huge help when it is time to clean up.
The lions really enjoyed the performance that Clowns Without Borders gave to us on August 13. In their first experience with clowns, they were fascinated and often overjoyed. They especially enjoyed getting to talk to the clowns after the performance. The lions have also started having PE once a week on Fridays. They love the opportunity to get some of their extra energy out, and they have plenty of extra energy. One of their favorite activities during PE is to do the duck walk. They especially like it whenever an adult demonstrates it for them, quacks included.
Chrislande definitely radiates joy. When you are around her, it is hard not to smile. She has an energetic and boisterous attitude that is contagious. You can often find her giggling at things that others hadn’t thought about, but the giggles usually spread. She loves to get her photo taken and often asks if we can take her photo if she got her hair done or is wearing pretty clothes. During the photo session, she will put on her best smile, but through her teeth ask when she will get to have a treat, demonstrating her ability to multitask and think ahead:)
One of the things that we love about Chrislande is that she is very independent. She knows what she likes and she enjoys doing things herself. She often enjoys figuring things out rather than simply being shown how to do them. At times, this can lead to her resisting help when she needs it. However, she is not prone to complaining if things don’t go her way. She seems to be able to roll with whatever comes her way. You rarely see her dwell on something if she doesn’t get her way. Rather, she is off finding out what is next.
The Lions love the fact that they get to take the most walks. Although we discourage it, the lions love to march past the other rooms on the way to their walk and let them know that they are going on a walk. At times, they will even sing “Zandolits pa mache, Zandolits pa mache,” which means alligator don’t get to walk. They will sing this as they do a little dance past the other kids. It drives the other kids crazy, which is why we discourage it. However, it is extremely cute. When they are on their walk, the kids love to yell “moto” when they see one is approaching. They also like to say hello to the people in the village and animals in the field. Chrislande takes a leadership role on walks. She is fearless to be the first to do most things, as long as dogs are not involved. She especially loves to try to talk to people from a distance. It doesn’t hurt that she has a fairly strong vocal capacity.
Play Therapy Update
This may be your first time hearing about child centered play therapy, if so I do encourage all the parents to do a little research to get a better grasp. Child Centered play therapy is scheduled each week for a child to play in the playroom for 35 to 40 minutes. During this time the child plays with what they want the way they want too. Play therapy is set up to facilitate expression of emotion, decision making skills, increased confidence, self esteem, and healthy relationships. Many of the children have been through traumatic situations that have in some way effected their development. Play therapy can help improve development for these children. I am including a brief summary of your child’s progress so far in therapy.
Chrislande varies in her excitement for play therapy. She seems unsure of the process and this therapist. Chrislande is very organized in her play. She seems independent and confident in her decisions. Chrislande has trouble expressing emotions freely. She has little interaction with this therapist unless she needs help with something. Chrislande rarely forgets to put a toy away and is helpful. Chrislande’s goals are: 1) build healthy relationships 2) express emotions freely 3) improve self esteem
As of September 1, 2009:
Weigh: 29 lbs
Height: 39 1/2 inches
Monday, October 5, 2009
Still Waiting
We are still waiting for USCIS to decide if they are going to approve our adoption. We have been waiting since August and have been told that if we don't hear anything from them by 10/31, we should contact our Senator's office. Why is it taking so long for them to respond? Why can't they see that all the evidence shows that it should be approved. Why does it seem like all my prayers are going unanswered? Why can't things be done and I am on my way to pick Chrislande up? It is 1 year since she received her passport and when the start of everything was. Please, pray that we hear on her file being approved and that she will be home by christmas. We love our little girl and want her home yesterday.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Will she come home?
This is what my children at home and all our relatives keep asking. I just keep saying yes, but I am really beginning to wonder if she will. We were told that since the DNA test that was done in the beginning of the year was not a match to the man we thought as her father, her file,in the eye's of our government, has been closed and sent back to our local office. Oh, great. I have contacted our senator's office again for help and they stated that our file was sent back in May and that it will take them 30-90 days to decide about her file. About whether or not she can come home. What is there to think about? She is an orphan--has no family that can care for her--has a family here that loves her and wants her home yesterday. There is another office that wants to help our local office, but they don't seem to want to cooperate with them nicely. Frustrating. Our worst case scenerio? We have to start over again--2 1/2 years down the drain. Everything is complete on the other end--and we need to possibly start again. Why?
Venting--it does the body good. Not everyone understands the frustration of it. It would've been nice to have celebrated our nations birthday with our new daughter and her new citizenship. Next year? I seem to be saying that alot concerning milestones that involve her. Next year.
Venting--it does the body good. Not everyone understands the frustration of it. It would've been nice to have celebrated our nations birthday with our new daughter and her new citizenship. Next year? I seem to be saying that alot concerning milestones that involve her. Next year.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Disappointment
Well, we have been told that because the DNA test that was done back in February that wasn't a match, it has caused the USCIS to close our case. We are now trying to find out where our file is going to be sent so that we can try and figure out what to do next. I really don't know what this all means either. I have been trying to get ahold of our senator's office by email as they helped us before, but haven't gotten any replies from them about anything. I am very disappointed with our government as they are the ones that are giving us the grief over this. Why can't they see that she is an orphan and just let us bring her home? I had bought airline tickets for her last summer (as we thought that she would be home) to go on vacation with us in June, never imaging that she would still be in Haiti and that we would encounter these delay's. I bet that if I hadn't bought a ticket for her, she wouldv'e come home. I know that she will be home, but all of the timeframes that I have set up have come and gone. I don't feel like setting timeframes, but my hope now is that we can resolve all this and have her home by the end of summer. More to come as we get more details.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!
Yesterday was our little girl's 4th birthday. Wow. We really had thought that she wouldv'e been home by now. I am praying that she will be coming home for mother's day, highly unlikely, but could be possible. At any rate, she will come home, the time to be determined yet.
At least when she comes home the weather should be warmer as spring is about to hit this week, we think.
My spring flowers are sprouting up nicely--should see the daffodils next week. Tyler has made the golf team--he just isn't sure if he is varsity or jv. Not bad for his freshman year. Yeah Tyler!
Kaylee struggles in learning the correct way to study for test. She thinks everything needs to be a game for her to learn.
The constant change in weather has caused me to have some serious sinus problems going on. Will see how things go tomorrow on whether I will need to go and get an antibiotic.
Work is getting busier again this week before Easter. Due to a mix up with the warehouse, we didn't get the hershey candies that we usually sell, thus, sell-thru is doing great.
Next weekend is the girl scout mom and me weekend for Kaylee and I. Should be interesting, us old ladies with our 3rd graders.
At least when she comes home the weather should be warmer as spring is about to hit this week, we think.
My spring flowers are sprouting up nicely--should see the daffodils next week. Tyler has made the golf team--he just isn't sure if he is varsity or jv. Not bad for his freshman year. Yeah Tyler!
Kaylee struggles in learning the correct way to study for test. She thinks everything needs to be a game for her to learn.
The constant change in weather has caused me to have some serious sinus problems going on. Will see how things go tomorrow on whether I will need to go and get an antibiotic.
Work is getting busier again this week before Easter. Due to a mix up with the warehouse, we didn't get the hershey candies that we usually sell, thus, sell-thru is doing great.
Next weekend is the girl scout mom and me weekend for Kaylee and I. Should be interesting, us old ladies with our 3rd graders.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Delays
Well, we thought back in Sept. that it would only be a matter of time before Chrislande was home. It seemed like everything was finally going smoothly. Then it started again, the birthparent interview was delayed from October, to the end of November. That seemed to go well, then they needed some corrections on some of her paperwork. That was corrected and received back the end of December. Then the unforseen happened, they asked for a DNA test of Chrislande and her dad. This was done in February, and the results were not good. They say that the man that has been visiting her often these last almost 4 years was apparently not her dad. She looks like him, so it is very hard to think that this is not her dad. Now we are needing to get statements from her family members and from us also to present to the embassy. That is where we are at now. We are shooting now, instead of having her home for her 4th birthday on April 5, to Mother's Day. Kaylee just doesn't understand why her sister isn't home yet. It gets very hard to have to tell her that we haven't had any email's at all. She doesn't understand what is going on, I guess we don't either. Everyday, I tell her that at school, that she needs to say extra prayers during church, for his help in finding a way to have her finally come home.
Please help us pray so that she can finally come home to her family that has been praying and working so hard to get her home.
Please help us pray so that she can finally come home to her family that has been praying and working so hard to get her home.
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