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We got word yesterday that our dossier was on its way to Ethiopia as of Monday. We also got news that was pretty encouraging regarding the rest of the process. We had been assuming that we would have a very long wait for a court date since the courts in Ethiopia are just reopening after being closed for two months for the rainy season, but our agency assured us that they do not have a backlog and things will move right along.
Once our paperwork arrives in Ethiopia, the dossier will be translated and then it will be prepared for court. We have been told that our paperwork will likely be submitted to court in November, and by my estimates, I am guessing we will have a court date in early December and then travel sometime in January, maybe February. Of course these are all just estimated guesses at this point (and things certainly could take longer), but it was really good to hear that our process will move right along, and we aren’t at the end of a long line for a court date.
So, I am gearing myself up for a good three to four months of waiting now. Not a horribly long period of time in the land of adoption, but still a long time for a mom to be separated from her child.
Have I mentioned that I am NOT the best waiter?
I know that the holidays will keep me busy. Heck, I know that 10 kids at home keep me busy. But I am hoping to come up with a “waiting plan” other than “check my email 1200 times a day and obsess over packing way too early”.
So, here is my contest. Leave a comment below with your best suggestion for me on how to handle the wait for travel for Solomon. The person who leaves me my favorite suggestion will get to chose from a selection of new books from Adoptionshop.com.
Remember, I have been there done that quite a few times, and I have written lots of suggestions for others, so you’re going to have to be creative. 
Get in shape, if you’re not. It will give you a goal that you can actually do something about rather than wait and feel out of control of your life and once you get going with the adoption you will need the energy and focus that being fit will give you. From a Waiting for Our Adoption Mom who happens to be a Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer.
Like you said, the holidays are coming . . . that should keep you plenty busy! The other thing that comes to mind is pretty simple: spend your time and energy on the family you have. Plan some really fun stuff for the next few weeks – maybe even an overnight stay somewhere. Plan some crafts, activities, hikes, picnics (even if they just have to be on the living room floor), family nights that are a little more complicated than you normally might do. Plan to read a book as a family and figure out activities to go along with it. (For example, you could read one of the Laura Ingals Wilder books and then make biscuits from scratch and teach a couple kids to sew something simple.) Do one of those things that you always think, “That would be really fun, if we just had the time in our schedule!”
As well as anyone, you know that having another child in the house will upset your current balance at least a bit; perhaps you can fill up each child’s “love tank” to overflowing in preparation for their new brother.
Liberal amounts of chocolate!
Learn a completely useless language like Swahili (okay, no offense ot anyone that speaks it or wants to learn, I just happen to enjoy how the word sounds).
A practical suggestion would be to learn Amarhic. But that just has you thinking about Ethiopia every day. So you need something to distract you. How’s that for logic?
Editted – I think it would be less offensive and more accurate to say a complete RANDOM language like Swahili…maybe?
=)
Memorize a passage of scripture. A few verses or an entire chapter. Maybe something from Psalms that reflects how you’re feeling about your new addition. You’ll remember it for life!
Right now you can start working on Halloween, help your kids decorate trick’o'treat bags (a good use for paper grocery bags)then help them make costumes (your old clothes can be made into pirate, robinhood, princess, maybe even dinosaur costumes). Next it’s time for Thanksgiving decorations, we always loved making turkeys by tracing our hands then adding feet, a beak, and lots of color. Don’t forget to put your X-mas lights up while it is still “relatively” warm outside. While you are doing that clean the gutters and prepare the garden for winter. I am sure that December is exciting around your house between shopping and baking batches and batches of cookies. Start thinking of your packing list early though, you never know how quickly things will progress. I traveled to Ethiopia to pick up my children(in July) only 8 weeks from the day my dossier left my agency for Washington DC! That included waiting for a court date. If you are as lucky you could be home with Solomon before X-mas! Make sure you buy him x-mas presents too.
Maybe have the family learn a completely new hobby, like geocaching? It gets kids outside, running and treasure-hunting, and satisfies the gadget-loving older ones as well. Solomon can join right in when he arrives.
I am waiting now too. I trained for and ran a marathon. This was not sufficient, so I am doing a half marathon. Training for a marathon (or half if you’re not already a runner, or even a 10-K) is very do-able in 3-4 months. It takes time, dedication, and is good for you too.
Plus, while I was training I had a lot of mileage time to think of baby names, make travel plans and basically daydream about baby stuff.
I have to laugh at all of the variety in your suggestions… everything from eat lots of chocolate to run a marathon!
Keep them coming… I will leave it open for one more week, and will pick a winner on next Saturday.
E
Make a quilt for each child (or a Christmas stocking…). With as little free time as you have, and as many children as you have, I GUARENTEE that you will run out of time before you finish!
OR, you can walk a mile for each mile away he is (or maybe a block, that is a lot of miles….)
How about a block for each mile, or a minute.
Wait, it is 8532… from SLC to Addis. That means you only have to walk 71 miles a day!!
Ok, I take it back. That is a terrible idea…