Wednesday, December 12, 2007

"I (I)...Your name...(Your name)..."

Somebody is fighting off sleep with all her might. She had quite a busy day today: a trip to the Guangzhou zoo; dinner out with most of the other CHI families, and... getting her entry visa into the U.S. at the American consulate. We were given all of the packets and papers we need to hand-carry in order to bring children our into the promised land. Just before we all took the oath, the administering officer from Immigration said,

"Now, about that sealed brown packet we handed you: Do you open it?"

"NOooooooo!" we chorused, over dozens of crying babies, along with hundreds of other adoptive parents.
"Do you give it to the baby?"

"NOooooooo!"

"Do you check it with your luggage?"

"NOooooooo!"

I don't think this is how God and Moses got us out of Egypt but it works. When we actually took the oath, I had to read Mark's lips to get some of it because the babies drowned out part of it. But after all, without the children this wouldn't be happening, so their music gave the occasion a certain Gilbert & Sullivan cadence to the occasion: "We certify that everything... written and verbal is true (waaaaa waaaa)....to the best of our knowledge and certainty (waaaaaa waaaaaaa)."

Best highlight of the day: Xiao-Ling's newest English word is...."YES!"

Good night - we leave for Beijing bright and early in the morning.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Well mazel tov to you all!!!!! I am looking forward to meeting the newest member of the Shukat-Marx clan. I bet Harry is counting the minutes until you all get off the plane. Actually so am I......I can't wait to hear your voices!! Love to you all from the Biennial (I'll write more about it later)