Adoption Day and We are in Weihai!

Much to catch up on!  I was just too tired to blog yesterday.

 

Our official adoption day in Jinan, the provincial capital of Shandong province, went very smoothly.  We were the only family there so we had the entire Civil Affairs office to ourselves.  The official was very pleasant and very sweet with the kids.  Two of the orphanage staff members were there and I think one lady would like to make a clean trade with me.  She adores Hayden and wants to keep her.  I thought about it but decided "no" better keep her too!  There was no celebrating at Starbuck's though, our little tradition.  There is not a Starbuck's in the entire Shandong Province.  It has been a long few days so far.

 

Shortly after we finished we left for the airport to go to Weihai, were Samuel is actually from.  It is pretty here.  I guess it was controlled by Germany for some time so has a lot of influence from there.  A lot of things are much newer, being so close to Korea and Japan also brings a lot trade to the  area.  It is right on the ocean, today we walked down to the port where all of the big ships and ferries were coming in.  We are hoping to go to the beach tomorrow.

 

Today was a bit scary.  Typically adoptions are completed in the provincial capital but Weihai city makes families come to Weihai as well to register for the passport and do all of the notorial documents.  So we went off to the police office today to apply for the passport and they wanted our original Power of Attorney that we had to have since Tom did not travel.  Well that was given to the provincial officer to complete the adoption in Jinan.  We had copies but not the original.  This man was insistant that we had to have the original.  A lot happened that I wasn't let in on, that is always scary.  So for three hours we sat with all of the kids in the police station trying to figure this all out.  Actually I just stressed out and the orphanage adoption director and our facilitator were on the phone constantly.  Finally they agreed to accept a fax from the provincial officer and they would compare the fax directly from them to our copies.  Well they matched and then we were able to finish applying for Sam's passport.  Thank goodness, I was really starting to wonder if I would leave Weihai with him.

 

We also had to go to the notorial office this afternoon.  We were supposed to go in th morning but we were tied up at the police station so long, we missed our appointment.  I left the girls here and just took Sam to the appointment.  OK, so I will tell you a little about Sam.  He has been so spoiled!!  We have some work to do.  In China it is so hard because you are always on stage.  I feel like they are just waiting for you to mess up.  Anyway, right now we are on their turf and it is just a little bit longer.  Sam loves to snack constantly.  I think they were always giving him a candy or a cookies or a cake to make him happy.  When he doesn't get what he wants he just throws himself on the floor.  He also bites, hits, kicks and throws stuff but I don't want to scare you about him.  He really is sweet, he just has his moments.  Anyway, in the course of 75 minutes at this appoinment he was given a 16 ounce grape soda, a cake, candy, a peach, was let fill up cup after cup of water from the water dispenser, was given a white out pen and let to take about 50 or so business cards.  They also got a mop out to play with.  This was the dirtiest, smelliest thing I have ever seen.  I was rusty and it was wet.  They thought  nothing of him flinging it around.  I was mortified.

 

Tomorrow we get to go visit the orphanage.  We were so looking forward to the trip and playing with the kids like we did in Nanjing.  Today, however, when everything was going on at the police station, we were told that they thought that the police were exerting their power over this adoption because it has gained a lot of media attention. Huh?  Oh and yes the media will be at the orphange when we visit.  TV and radio.  Great!  Apparently this is only the 3rd or 4th adoption from Weihai ever and we are the first American family to adopt from Weihai.  Not sure what to think about all of that but I'm sure it will be interesting.

 

Sam...sweet, charming, a handful, bull in a china shop!

 

Addisyn...sweet, expressive, a little pouty when things don't go her way!

 

Once again, we are blessed by two very beautiful children.

 

Sam and Addisyn....we hope we can be your hope, your future, your world!