Hmm, let's see if I still remember how to do this, after not posting a TC since ::checks, then gasps:: June 23.
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Well that worked! I guess vacation isn't going to kill off all my brain cells :-). Follow me below the fold!
It's good to be back, after a few weeks away on vacation. Vacation pics have to wait for another diary, though, because I have news I want to share...
Back in May, my TC diary topic one night was our adoption dossier. We handed it in and officially became a Waiting Family for a child from Ethiopia. Because we wanted an older (ie, not under 3yo) child, we perused lists of so-called "waiting children" and looked for the one that called out to us as "ours." We had a shortlist of 6 kids two days before we were leaving for our two week vacation in Tulsa, and were out to dinner when we got a call from our caseworker at the adoption agency:
"Can you call me tomorrow, first thing? I need to talk to you."
Uh oh. That's not good. So first thing Tuesday morning, in between loads of pre-vacation laundry, I called and casually said "What's up?" What she said knocked me outta my chair:
"Have you found a child you're interested in hearing more about? Because if you're willing to let us make the match for you, we have children waiting that fit your family perfectly. If so, I'll call you before the end of today after our placement team meets."
ZOMG!!!!!!! Of course I said yes!
The phone rang at 4pm. "We have matched you with a little boy named (redacted because Ethiopia does not permit sharing of names, identifiable personal info or photos before the adoption is final)." His paperwork says he turns 3 tomorrow, but we believe he is 4 or possibly 5. You'll have 10 business days to accept."
We left for vacation floating on air. Over the two weeks we got an email/phone consult with a doctor specializing in pre-adoption counseling based on the limited info you get in a referral packet, and her read of the file suggests our son-to-be is just fine. We found a branch of our bank to get the required Bank Check for the next fees due. We got a notary at the same branch to witness us signing our acceptance documents (on my birthday, no less!). We flew home and at 11:30am the next day, Kid Brillig herself handed in the acceptance forms for her little brother.
So what does this all mean? Well, we have a stack of paperwork and homework and to-do's that make the dossier look like a walk in the park. We get the guest room turned into a bedroom asap. We get to make a photo album to send him, so that the nannies at the orphanage can start showing him who his forever family will be.
And sometime between late September and the end of the year most likely, we'll get a phone call: "Your case passed court. Your son is legally yours. We'll be expecting you here at the orphanage on (insert date about two weeks from now)."
That's the next vacation away from TC I will take. It will be the most life-altering one ever. But I know you'll all understand when a substitute Tuesday diarist steps in for a couple of weeks :).
Indemin ameshachihu!! (That would be - I hope - Good Evening in Amharic, the majority language of Ethiopia). It's Top Comments time!! What's in the mailbox tonite?
From sberel:
From yellowdog, another take on the birther controversy.
From darthstar:
D in Northern Virginia had a zinger on the Vitter/LA Sen race diary this morning that deserves a bit more attention...
From MinistryOfTruth:
turnover totally OWNS Michael Steele on Tort Reform!
From alizard:
this comment by Jagger speaks out in favor of sanity.
From dakinishir:
This commentby Onomastic in response to this question of mine is my favorite description of Genesis, ever. Made me lol. Would lol again! (Diarist's note: be warned, this is a response to the last Mojo Friday. 3205 comments and counting...)
From Light Emitting Pickle:
Nick Zouroudis has a hilarious comment in Peacerunner's diary.
From sardonyx:
In wbrahmh's excellent diary My Life as Richard Burton's Voice Coach, there were a number of good comments, though the diary itself is the star attraction. I'll highlight one that wbrahmh liked by Ignacio Magaloni, but why not start with the diary itself and work your way through? (And when you're done, think about following the link to the Dick Cavett essay on Burton in today's New York Times.) I'm definitely hoping this diary is rescued tonight; it deserves to be read more widely.
From Your Humble Diarist:
This comment by funluvn1 sparked a wonderful thread on what to call Blue Dog Democrats.
Now on to Top Mojo!!
Top 30 (plus ties) Comments excluding tip jars, first comments and stuff:
1) She got outshouted by DanK Is Back — 236
2) video of Rachel earlier tonight by SuperBowlXX — 212
3) Cable TV Networks Need by JekyllnHyde — 184
4) Same impression here, DanK. by sherlyle — 172
5) Now that this has been posted on DKos.... by Scruffy Looking Nerf Herder — 156
6) Nearly impossible to correct SO MANY by second gen — 153
7) recced by andycon — 147
8) can you say, 'oligarchy?' by p gorden lippy — 138
9) At least we know by Kristina40 — 138
10) The ability of the oligarchs to maintain position by Edgewater — 129
11) Sarah implicated in an ethics probe? by deepsouthdoug — 116
12) I loved the way her eyes 'danced' though on... by jdmorg — 113
13) Some of the best snark I've ever read. n/t by ccyd — 104
14) More than anything... by turnover — 104
15) The Work Rachel Maddow by CityLightsLover — 103
16) I remember when California was a wonderful place by ljb — 100
17) Excellent point by Dallasdoc — 96
18) You know that Glenn Beck is reading this right by KroneckerD — 94
19) "I like to know what I'm talking about by Amayi — 91
20) Well. Pat bit the wrong dog this time. by smileycreek — 91
21) The Blue Dogs by MadRuth — 91
22) It's not often that one uses the word by blueyescryinintherain — 88
23) Got extra time to prepare after Cronkite passing by sam3am — 86
24) Anyone who believes that Obama was born in the US by fladem — 86
25) Morning Joe will probably by christine20 — 85
26) No. Seriously. by theone718 — 85
27) oh my god this is great by Cedwyn — 79
28) Silver bullets by luvsathoroughbred — 79
29) Yup, that was the knockout punch by DrFitz — 77
30) It makes me think of that little quote by Edgewater — 77
31) I've thought Lewis Black by Angie in WA State — 77
32) This birth crap by GlowNZ — 77
Top 30 Comments with no exclusions, aka the Tip Jar list :-):
1) Tip Jar by DanK Is Back — 813
2) If you're a half-wit and you are half-right by henry porter — 599
3) Tip Jar by Jerome a Paris — 563
4) . by buhdydharma — 510
5) Tip Jar by BruinKid — 346
6) Tip Jar by turneresq — 338
7) Tip Jar by slinkerwink — 332
8) Tip Jar by Sarahkatheryn — 316
9) Tip Jar by kyeo — 305
10) Tip Jar by thereisnospoon — 252
11) Tip Jar by trifecta — 237
12) She got outshouted by DanK Is Back — 236
13) Tip Jar by Jill Richardson — 233
14) video of Rachel earlier tonight by SuperBowlXX — 212
15) Tip Jar by Maimonides — 191
16) Cable TV Networks Need by JekyllnHyde — 184
17) Tip Jar by calchala — 178
18) Same impression here, DanK. by sherlyle — 172
19) Now that this has been posted on DKos.... by Scruffy Looking Nerf Herder — 156
20) Tip Jar by jimstaro — 155
21) Nearly impossible to correct SO MANY by second gen — 153
22) Tip Jar by FrankCornish — 147
23) recced by andycon — 147
24) can you say, 'oligarchy?' by p gorden lippy — 138
25) At least we know by Kristina40 — 138
26) The ability of the oligarchs to maintain position by Edgewater — 129
27) Sarah implicated in an ethics probe? by deepsouthdoug — 118
28) I loved the way her eyes 'danced' though on... by jdmorg — 113
29) More than anything... by turnover — 105
30) Some of the best snark I've ever read. n/t by ccyd — 104