Yipee!!!!!!!!! We are out of the Review Room

You could have knocked me over with a feather when I logged onto the CCAA site at lunch time today (something of a ritual since we 'went into' the Review Room 3 weeks ago - a check before going to lunch and another before leaving work or later if I forgot).

I didn't actually look at the 'Documents Processing' box first off - I looked to see if there were any announcements in the central panel - quick browse there, nothing new. Then it hit me - the document processing box said:

"The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before June 30, 2006."

I thought I had started hallucinating, so I shut my eyes and opened them and read them again. It really did say June 30, 2006. My heart and head were pounding fit to burst. I had to tell someone - who'd understand.

So I grabbed my mobile phone (that is Aussie for cell phone) and tried to find fellow June LIDer 'K's number but I managed to fumble around for a while. When I finally managed to dial it, it went through to voicemail and I think I left the most gibberish message imaginable. Undaunted I emailed her and then sent a text message. And yes when she got them she was excited.

Then I phoned my DH - who I knew would be pleased but not quite as excited as K would be - and yes he was pleased but then came the boy response 'so when do you think we will get our R...' (can't bring myself to mention the 'r' word here) - which just goes to show that his Y- chromosome linked deafness has been working all these months and he hasn't taken in any of my 'bulletins' about the 'wait' increasing.

We had our 'official' adoption milestone celebration dinner - Chinese take-away (that Aussie for take-out).

And 7 hours after I first read the news on the CCAA site, I'm still EXCITED!!! (or maybe that is the effect of the MSG).

13 months down...

Well we have hit the 13 month post DTC mark.

And trying not to focus on the fact that we waited only 14 months for DD1 - notice how I said only, during that wait I would have ripped someone's head off for daring to saying you are only going to wait 14 months. A 14 month wait, that would be luxury this time!

I realised the other day, when someone at work asked how much longer, that for these entire 13 months my stock answer has been 18 months to 2 years more - time marches on but I sound like a broken record.

Oh for the time when I can say less than 18 months - problem is will I recognise that time when it comes!

Party Animal!

My daughter turned 5 this week. How time flies!

She went through my Australian Women's Weekly Kids' Party Cake book and selected this one - Timothy Tiger. Actually I adapted him - he is supposed to be cut out from cake and then iced all over but I decided to just adapt the design and put it on top of a cake with plain royal icing.

I think he turned out really well (his stripes are licorice cut with pinking shears).

I actually made 2 Timothy Tigers - one for her actual birthday and one for her party today. OK I am that type of perfectionist that always likes to make sure I can pull off the cake before the big day (better to realise I am being too ambitious early than when the party is only a couple of hours away) - I had a back up in case of disaster - a premade Spiderman icing (she loves Spiderman - she is such a tomboy).

The party this morning went really well - we held it at Questacon (hands on science museum here in Canberra) - you have to have somewhere inside out of the cold in a Canberra winter. The kids had a science show in the party room and then had access to the exhibits. They really enjoyed it.

But back to cakes - for those ladybird obsessed adoptive parents the Australian Women's Weekly Kids' Party Cake book has 3 great ladybird cake options - there is a big ladybird cake on the cover, there is a cute little ladybird cupcake and another cake decorated with ladybird chocolates. Despite steering my daughter towards these - she really wanted the tiger.

There are actually over 120 cakes in this book - and some of them are works of art

The secret to eternal youth revealed...

My daughter and I were looking in her mirror this evening and I asked her if she thought I looked old.

Her response - 'No Mummy, I think you look a bit new'

I then asked 'why do you think I look a bit new?'

Her answer and the secret to eternal youth 'I think it is because you wash every day - you wash off the oldness!'

Excuse me while I dash off to have another shower - LOL

Just love the pandas.....

So apt that this panda photo is titled 'Love'. I just love these pandas.

FCC-Australia Greeting Cards

These are the gorgeous new FCC-Australia Greeting Cards - each features a photograph of China and Chinese Calligraphy that defines the theme of each card (the pinyin and translation is also listed on the card). The cards are professional quality but the photographers are all FCC-Australia members (either home with their precious children or 'expectant parents') and talented amateur photographers. If you want to see close ups of the cards there is a link at the right to another site which has the enlargements.