Today's been BUSY!

I don't feel like I accomplished much (though sometimes making it through the day with 4 little ones is a HUGE accomplishment in and of itself...) but so much went on just in small doses...

K went back to school and we had a DECENT day after school. Nothing to write home about, but not the problems we were seeing before. PRAISE GOD and we continue to pray he has now adjusted and this next semester will be a positive experience both at school and at home for him.

I got an e-mail this afternoon which rocked my world a bit as an adoptive family learned of some 'overlooked fees' and spent some time trying to figure that situation out... a few e-mails, IM's and ultimately a "big" letter sent to a "big" guy and I hope it all is worked out quickly! I realize that's all a bit random... but there you go :)

I had the pleasure of talking to one of the adoptive moms from RR on the phone (it's always neat to hear who they are rather than just type back and forth!). Their situation was a bit different from most adoptive families and we just needed to talk through it with the help of IM so I could shoot off questions to a few other people while we chatted and answer the questions I didn't know. I enjoyed our chat and a few very good things came out of it. That conversation will change the way some things are done with what I do in RR.

I realized after that phone call that the human voice is a good thing. See, I'd LOVE to just e-mail with people and have everything work out just fine after shooting off answers that way... but I realized today that sometimes 30 minutes on the phone can answer a week's worth of questions-- and can bring up things that you wouldn't otherwise know to even ask about. As a result, I'm now offering to have a quick phone 'meeting' with the current folks I'm working with to help them feel more secure in their current part of the process as well as to give them a good understanding of where to go from there.

Over the past few weeks I've developed a handbook of "all things Ukraine" which is over 30 pages long and in detail outlines the process from start to finish including different variables along the way, costs, travel tips, packing lists, and so much more than that which has all been compiled from this blog as well as other adoptive parents' experiences. My hope is that this, too, will help smooth out the adoption process for people.

I'm doing a lot of work up front, but hopefully in the end the answers will be more available to people and I will be able to make a phone call to initially connect with families in the beginning, guide them through the handbook in the middle, and answer questions as we go (which will be less because of the handbook...) and then help them make their final preparations in the end before they travel. Can you tell I'm really enjoying doing this?? :) :)

Tomorrow I'll have a QUIET house for 2 hours in the morning and no, I'm not making phone calls during that time! :) Emma will be the only one home and we're going to lay on the floor and read books. Maybe I shouldn't say that... I've said it before and it's really yet to happen... :)