Looking good - on paper

No shoes to show today. I currently LIVE in my biker boots*, as they can fit two pairs of woolen socks. Instead I give you this happy little family. Directly from our bookshelf. Looks a bit like us. In the future. I hope.

Huge milestone today. We have now prepared the very first part of our adoption application. Finally. During this first round we need to gather a long list of official documents from the Norwegian authorities to get approved. Only to present these very same documents to what I guess can somehow be seen as.... THE VERY SAME authorities. To me, this whole process of gathering all those pieces of paper feels a bit useless. In my mind, they should really have all these facts about us on file - somewhere. That way they should be able to simply look us up on some computer, like when doing a credit check, and get all the facts on the table. Obvious facts like:

• We are - indeed - Norwegian citizens. How on earth else could you grant us our Norwegian passports? Duh.
• We do have an income, and we do pay taxes. This is not always done with a lot of pleasure, I must admit, but I do not think that matters. We do pay. Sometimes a lot.
• We even do have a registered address. This should be PRETTY OBVIOUS to the authorities, as this is where they send the letters regarding the above taxes. Double-duh.
• Yeah, we´re married. Which should be well-known to the authorities, as it actually affects the taxes we pay. If necessary, we may even provide 80 witnesses to testify to the whole thing. Would have been a great opportunity for a new party, though! Anyway, who said that marriage is a guarantee that you will stay together for life, anyway? Of course, WE will. But - still.
• We are both law-abiding citizens. At least as far as the police knows. Haha. After the tax free quota for wine was increased to 3 liters I stopped my habit of always bringing that extra "above-the-quota" bottle of wine home when traveling. I have always been one to push boundaries (right!), but I just cannot carry more than four bottles. And - with the speed limit on some highways being increased to 100 km/h, I mostly keep within the speed limit as well. Observant people will see that I have not really become a better person. I am just less of a criminal as the rules have provided some more slack. Awesome. Don't I make you proud?
• We do not have any major health issues. I am so relieved to hear that I may actually be considered to be great parent material - EVEN THOUGH I DO WEAR GLASSES! Can you imagine? These people really do have low standards. Fortunately, the doctor did not mention that I could benefit from loosing some (more) weight. I mean, that surely would make me a better mum, wouldn't it? By the way, I am glad we both have all of our limbs intact. Imagine what could have happened if not. It would be the worst ever version of the not-so-politically-correct "no arms, no cake" joke, wouldn't it?

The documentation above should prove that we are both acceptable parent material, even though nature has concluded that our joined genes are not worthy of being brought forward to future generations. I fully understand that this process is there to protect the children given up for adoption. And to make the adoption as successful as possible, by matching the "right" parents to the "right" child. I so totally get that, I really do. Still, I must admit that sometimes I can not help thinking that having to go through all of this is SO bl***y unfair. We have to prove that we are "perfect" parents. While any totally irresponsible teenager can go out, get drunk, have sex with some idiot, end up pregnant and have a child. "By accident". Smashing. Just smashing.

Anyway. The next phase is what I consider a more important part of the process. This is the part that goes beyond the plain "socio-economic" facts. We will go through several interviews with a social worker, ending up with a social report evaluating our capabilities as parents and care-takers. I am actually looking forward to that part of the process, as I think it will raise some important questions that we need to think through anyway. We went through an adoption preparation course last winter, so - of course - we have been through a lot of the important discussions. But - we must be prepared that things will surely not be just a walk in the park. Then again, life will never be just easy with your "biological" offspring either, I'm sure.

The last part of our application was choosing which country to apply from. This has been really difficult. Because, frankly, I do not really care that strongly about where the child comes from. I would happily take on a Martian, green and with antennas and all, if I just knew that it would happen. And - preferably - soon. I would not say that I am a very patient person. I am more of an "instant gratification" kind of girl. If I want something - I get it. NOW. Or - preferably - YESTERDAY. Needless to say, all this waiting is killing me. I have had three years waiting for my pregnancy tests to come out positive. It did. On the very first try. Then never to happen again. So my patience is wearing thin here.

The countries that we are allowed to choose from, given our age and (lack of) religious beliefs are: China, Colombia and - possibly - Madagascar. Since we both have university degrees, we might also be allowed to apply from Peru. I think it is weird to be considered to be more eligible parent material in a particular country simply because we both have degrees in finance, but the world has never really been fair, has it? Still, I do find it strange, though. As I had the most amazing childhood growing up with my two incredible non-academic parents.

Well. Today we had a session with the councellor of our adoption organisation. Who wisely told us to choose with our hearts. And not look at the estimated waiting times, as these do change over time. It really does not matter either, if you need to wait three months longer to get the perfect one that was meant just for you. So - we put all the "rational" aspects aside and searched deep within our hearts.

And the descision is.... China! Ta-dah! (Drum whirls!)

China is the country we have talked about "forever". I do not know what it is, but it just FEELS right. Even though the four-year wait really scares me. I know this will all be worth it the day I can hold our child in my arms. I apologize for being sappy. But I cry very easily just thinking about that moment.

In the mean time - I will drink lots of champagne, buy mountains of shoes (and handbags!) and continue to see as much of the world as I can. Not that I will by any means completely stop doing any of this when our loveable little violin-playing, algebra-loving, chess-playing, athletic, and in any way talented little genious arrives.

If we get approved by the Norwegian and Chinese authorities - that is. For now - we will just have to wait and see.

* http://dayinshoes.blogspot.com/2010/09/post-kick-off-stress-syndrome.html