Language Doll Ling

So I was bored on Saturday and decided to go to some garage sales with a friend. I came across this one home that had literally a million close-out items, NIB. I glanced over to the right and saw the "Ling" Language doll. I had looked at these a month or so and knew that they retail for $34.99! Guess how much I got it for???? $5.00 - Brand Spankin' New! Now that's a deal. Are all garage sales like this?

Ling is very happy to meet and talk with you! "Hello! Ni hao! How are you? Ni hao ma?" she says when you press her hand. Press her other hand, and she says, "I like to run. Wo xi huan pao," and counts to ten. Press her red heart on her knee, and she says, "I love you! Wo ai nee!" But that's not all! Her trendy clothes and accessories are removable, and she comes packaged with a translation booklet and membership card. Soft-bodied, 16-in. tall.

Gifts to SWI's

This is part of a post from an APCer. I thought it was interesting info on gift giving.

"...I wanted to share something I learned from our guide that I'd never read here before. She said that every time she goes to an orphanage the nanny’s pull her aside and show her a large pile of gifts that they don't know what to do with. She said usually these are lotions and they want her to translate the bottles for them.

Because they can't read the English on the bottle, they don't know what to do with them. Makes sense! If someone handed us a bottle of something white or pink and creamy andit was all written in Chinese we wouldn't know if it was body lotion or face lotion or soap for the shower. She had us all give her our gifts and she separated them into bags and labeled them so the nanny’s would know what they were.

She said the three most-appreciated gifts are: chocolate, cigarettes and perfume..."

Another APC poster said...

"We put a note on each gift bag, with our name, our child's Chinese name and referral picture and "Thank You" in Mandarin on each bag so that they knew who it was from. We found that they (orphanage workers) seemed to like cosmetics and nice body lotions (enough small samples for 10-12 people)-they did not seem to like cigarettes as a gift and chocolate melted (we travel in the summer and it was hot and humid). All our gifts went to the orphanage workers, we gave no gifts to "officials" and were told not to."

Culture and Adoptive Children

"But a lopsided majority, including those who profess little interest in their genealogies, will say they feel more grounded and secure when heir adoptive parents infuse their upbringings with the cultures from which them came, routinely give them information about their backgrounds and, when physical differences are apparent, expose them to other people who look like them."

-Adam Peterson ‘International Adoptions Should Be Celebrated’

Phase #1: The Paperchase (First 4-6 Months)

Collect all documents for Dossier

Birth certificate
Certificate of Property (Financial Statement)
Physicals (with about 10 different blood tests)
State Police Checks
Application letter to Chinese Officials
Letters from Employers
Homestudy from Social Worker
I-171H form from USCIS
Copies of Passports
6 Pictures of family
2 Passport size photo's

After all these documents are all collected and Notorized then I will take them down to Dover and they all have to be state certified by the Secretary of State. They will then be fed-ex'd to the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC and be authenticated. (First local(notorized), then state level (certified) then country level (authenticated) the documents all need a stamp saying they are legitimate.) Then the documents are sent to our adoption agency. They double check them and then translate them into Chinese. Then the documents are sent to China. That is my DTC date. Then about 1-2 weeks after that is our LID (Log in Date). Now I just have to wait! The matching wait is about 6 - 7 months. My agency will be the one that give me a call to let me know that China has a referral for me. They will give me info over the phone and then overnight the medical info and 3 photos of my child. The next step will be to wait for TA(Travel Approval). This normally takes 4-6 weeks to get with about a 2 week warning that you are leaving. I will then travel to China and spend 10-12 days in China. You will find a "In China" travel timeline on our referral page.

One Child Policy

Painted by Zhou Yuwei

Painted by Ahang Zhenhua

"How the One Child Policy came about: In the 1950s, Mao Tse-Tung urged his people to have lots of children to strengthen the country. The population growth from this edict led the government in the 1970s to be worried that China would be unable to feed her citizens. So, the Chinese government implemented the One Child Policy in 1979.The goal of this policy was to keep China’s population below 1.3 billion by the year 2000. Today, China is home to over 1.2 billion people. Couples who violate the One Child Policy are subject to fines (equal to three years’ salary!), community ostracism, and even jail time.
Baby boys are more valued in Chinese society than are baby girls because boys carry on the ancestral name, inheritance laws pass property on to sons, and sons are responsible for taking care of aged parents. Because of this many couples will abandon a baby girls. A heartbreakingly cruel choice, yes, and an event that happens all too often – hundreds of thousands of baby girls are abandoned every year in China. The babies are abandoned in public places (such as busy streets, railway stations, and in front of public buildings) so they will be found quickly. The babies are abandoned as infants – usually when they are only a few days old. In addition to little girls, handicapped babies and sick babies (both boys and girls) are also abandoned because most parents in China don’t have the money to provide for their special needs. Once found, the abandoned babies are given a medical exam and then taken to orphanages."

Why China?

Health - Chinese orphans have a reputation of being among the healthiest in the world. There are fewer problems with alcohol and other drugs in China than in many other parts of the world.

Gender - China with it's One Child Policy, has many infant girls that need homes.

Certainty vs. Risk - Adoptions in the US are much harder for a single person trying to adopt and open adoptions are becoming more common. In Chinese Adoptions, Once approved for adoption, they almost always go through. It may take longer, it may cost more money, but it will happen. I choose a closed adoption.

The need is so great -Thousands of perfectly healthy children will live their lives in orphanages which are only able to provide the minimal needs for these kids. If I am going to adopt, I would really rather help out a child that will not otherwise get help. I feel I am the lucky one in this process. I get to have the family I want.

Respect - China has a unique and remarkable history. China was a civilized country long before European countries could be called civilized. The China of today is rich in interesting and varied cultures. I feel this is a background which I can easily help my daughter be proud of.

Support - There are many thousands of Chinese children who have been adopted into US families. The parents of these children are organized and offer newsletters, playgroups, camps, classes, and all kinds of special events. I feel it will be very helpful to my daughter’s self-esteem to know others with a similar background and to have opportunities to learn something about Chinese culture. This kind of support was a VERY big factor in my decision.

Crib Bedding

If I could pick any crib bedding in the world, this would be it! It's called "Wish" by CoCaLo. I first saw it when strolling through Burlington Coat!

Wish by Cocalo Wrap your baby in luxury! A beautiful combination of luxurious satin, soft crinkled velvet and embossed burnout velvet creates an opulent and enchanting setting for your baby’s dreams. The lightweight blanket features a classic diamond quilting pattern with a tasteful cording trim and is paired with a 100% Cotton Sateen sheet. This collection offers a combination of exquisite elegance, luxury and value. Coordinated nursery pieces include: 4-Piece Crib Set with a Complementary Embroidered Door Pillow, Window Valance, Lamp Shade, Diaper Stacker, Decorative Pillow and Musical Mobile.

Enchanted Tree

Chandelier

I am in love with my new little Chandelier!

Butterfly

This is just too cute!

Crazy Cakes

"Once upon a time in China there was a baby girl who lived in a big room with lots of other babies. The girls shared cribs with one another and became great friends. The girls had nannies to take care of them, but each was missing something - a mother."

Fingerprinting Appointment

Fingerprinting Appointment for Police & Child Abuse Clearance!