International adoption brings with it a host of peculiarities: having your personal and financial doings exposed to strangers, the seemingly endless hours of paperwork, waiting, more paperwork, more waiting, travel, inevitable but awkward questions from (usually) well-meaning folks.
Today I want to highlight just one oddity–the way family plans can change dramatically and unexpectedly in just a few days.
Here’s the scene: on Monday, a husband and wife are seated at the breakfast table conversing about activities later in the week. Same conversation on Wednesday, the husband simply making sure the Friday plans are still valid.
What it looks like for “normal” families
Monday
Husband (munching on toast): What are we doing Friday?
Wife (looking at calendar): Kids are out of school at 2:00, the boys have haircuts. Then the usual–pizza and family movie night.
Husband (munching): OK.
Wednesday
Husband (munching on toast): So what are we doing Friday again?
Wife (distractedly): Kids are out of school at 2:00, Liam and Aidan have haircuts. Family movie night.
Husband (munching): OK.
And here’s what it looks like for families involved in international adoption
Monday
Husband (munching on toast): What are we doing Friday?
Wife (looking at calendar): Kids are out of school at 2:00, the boys have haircuts. Then the usual–pizza and family movie night.
Husband (munching): OK.
Wednesday
Husband (munching on toast): So what are we doing Friday again?
Wife (distractedly): The agency called. We need to leave for Ethiopia on Friday for a court appointment Tuesday. My mom’s driving up from Oklahoma tomorrow to stay with the kids.
Husband (munching): OK.
Annnnnd that’s our week, friends. For real.
Our adoption agency has said that our paperwork was moving faster than expected but you’re never really sure what that means. So we’ve been in a holding pattern for a few weeks.
And then they called on Monday and said we needed to schedule a court appointment in Ethiopia, could we check our calendar? We suggested some dates. They called yesterday (Wednesday) to confirm that we have a court appointment next Tuesday.
So Suzanne and I will hop on a plane (three planes, really) tomorrow for Ethiopia, spend a couple days with the kids, go to court on Tuesday morning, then hop on a plane to come back home Tuesday night.
No biggie.
That’s how we roll when it’s normal vs. us.
Congratulations and thank goodness for credit cards for these type of “last minute” expenses.
Wow! That was fast!! 🙂 So happy for you guys!!
Seriously. That conversation (the second one) has happened twice in our house.