Musings of a Whimsical Realist

Before anyone jumps ahead, let me clarify that we are still waiting for a final word on our pre-approval.  BUT something significant happened yesterday! A week ago Wednesday (the 8th), the CCCWA (China Center for Children’s Welfare and Adoption) returned from holiday, and our paperwork was waiting for them.  [Reminder: we are requesting 2 waivers to be able to move forward with adopting our little girl.]  We knew that we were looking at a typically two-week wait to hear back from them.  Imagine my surprise when Monday of this week (a mere 5 days later) I received a late-night email asking me to call our agency the next morning (no, I did NOT fall asleep easily that night!). The next morning’s conversation was rather neutral in that our agency had heard back from the CCCWA requesting more detailed information regarding our finances.  Obviously not the immediate “Yes” that we were hoping for but not a “No” either.  We were sent the financial form that is usually a part of the dossie

Most of the attention up until this point has been on the adoption process . . . the requirements, the loopholes, the stacks of paperwork (which we’ve scarcely begun), the trepidation, the hope.  As we are at the moment in the eye of the storm of the pre-approval process, I want to reflect on the emotions of adopting a child with special needs. For those of you who have been parenting children with special needs for years, please have grace, I am new to this!  I acknowledge that I am seeing the iceberg from above the surface.  To get a fuller picture of what’s under the water, I will probably have to feel like I am drowning.  And that moment hasn’t come for me yet.  Nevertheless, I do not take this lightly. I was reflecting this morning on some friends who are currently in the “trenches.”  They are fighting for what’s best for their children, fighting to give them a present and a future, fighting at times against overwhelming odds.  Some of them were drafted.  Others have gotten th

“They’s organized.” ~Chicken Run I have a confession – I am addicted to organization.  I drool over the storage tub aisle at Wal-Mart.  I browse Staples for fun.  I clean out a closet and then open the doors a dozen times after just to soak in the organizational afterglow.  This addiction can affect my life – when I am faced with a stack of dirty dishes and a cluttered cupboard, the cupboard wins!  But time management is also part of the allure.  Functioning out of a home where everything has a place is just easier.  I rarely have to waste time digging through the house looking for something – I know where things are.  So OCD tendencies aside, I am going to share a few of my favorite organization principles. 1. Don’t marry yourself to a method.  What works for someone else may not work for you.  Good organization is ultimately about practicality.  Don’t be afraid to change an organizational method when it isn’t working! 2. Life has seasons and stages – and so does organizatio