Trick or Treat?

I've been going absolutely batty today just because of one particular form required by the state of Michigan. When we file our I-600 at the US Embassy in New Delhi, one of the documents we will be required to present is the FIA-3005. This form proves that the adoptive parents have met the state's pre-adoption requirements. We have had the required signature from the state (and only one individual in Lansing can sign it) since August 2. Now all that remains is Section 3 on our form, which needs the signature of our local probate court.

Our local home study agency indicated that we could just go to the court on our own and file a Petition for Adoption in order to have our FIA-3005 form signed before we travel. Well, we went to the court today and were told our form could not be signed. Typically, a family's adoption agency or attorney files this paperwork with the court to ensure that all supporting documents have been submitted. Why our local agency did not explain this to us is beyond me. TRICK!

Luckily, we have found another adoption agency in Michigan who is willing to file our paperwork for us. TREAT! They are located near Detroit, and are the same agency another India adoptive family is using. (This is the same family whose son is 9 days older than Samedh.) I overnighted copies of all supporting documents to them this afternoon, and the packet should arrive at their office by noon tomorrow. It sounds like the process will be fairly quick. Once the agency completes all the required paperwork, they will overnight everything we need so we can add our signatures. Then we can take the documents to our local court and obtain our required signature. This may sound like an easy task, but believe me...the whole process has caused a couple stressful weeks in our household!

Wedding Bells

Well, he finally did it! Our good friend Clive, finally got married. He and his new wife Amy, also an AQ grad, now join with me & Pankaj and Jay & Judy in our little "couples club" of Indian-born men who married Grand Rapids area Polish Catholic girls. The only difference? Pankaj & I, as well as Jay & Judy, met at Aquinas. Clive & Amy met after college.

Best Wishes to you both as you start your new lives together! And just so you know, I'm planning on a November 2007 baby...

The Best Diwali Gift Ever!

Pankaj and I were blessed with the biggest Diwali gift ever this afternoon! After a day of shopping for last minute items for Samedh, we were surprised to find our original court documents had delivered while we were out. This is one of the last steps in our process, and we are getting very close to traveling now. We should have more details in the coming week.

It's been hard to celebrate Diwali without Samedh here, and we hope he is enjoying the fatakas (firecrackers) around Mumbai this week! Two years ago, Pankaj and I celebrated Diwali in India and it was quite an experience. Firecrackers (the loud "M-80" kind) were bursting 24/7, and I've never seen anything like it before. The pictures posted above are from November 2004, and I wish you could just hear the noise that was going on in the background!

I have some fireworks and fountains left over from July 4, and hope to light some with Pankaj later tonight. He would prefer that Samedh be here to enjoy them with us, but I'm sure I can twist his arm. The World Series starts tonight too, and if the Tigers win Game One, that would be another great reason to light some fireworks. (By the way, my parents, two sisters, and three nieces are visiting my uncle in St. Louis this weekend. I can guarantee that they are all going to be watching that game closely this evening!)

Wishing all of you a very Happy Diwali!

Love,

Deb, Pankaj, Samedh, & Cosmo

Diwali Fun Facts

Diwali, pronounced “Divali,” is also known as “the festival of lights.” Light symbolizes hope and positive things and also represents the victory of good over evil.

Diwali is a Hindu festival, but it is celebrated by most people in India, regardless of their religion. Diwali is celebrated in October or November. The dates are different every year, depending on the cycle of the new moon. This year, Diwali begins on Saturday, October 21.

Diwali is festival that lasts for 5 days. During the festival, special lights called diyas and lanterns are lit in and around the home, similar to what we do during the Christmas season. People also decorate the entrance of their homes with colorful rangoli, and light fatakas, the Hindi word for firecrackers. Family and friends celebrate together with food and sweets, and brothers and sisters exchange gifts with each other on the last day of Diwali.

What is Rangoli?

Rangoli, pronounced “rung-GOAL-ee,” is the art of drawing pictures and patterns on the floor or main entrance of one's home. In India, these designs are made with colored rice powder. They are typically drawn by hand, but sometimes stencils are used. The designs are bright and colorful, and can include pictures of birds, flowers, elephants, geometric patterns, as shown here.

Adoption Walk Photos

Here are the photos from Saturday's Adoption Walk.
Special thanks to Uncle Eric & Aunt Dena, Julia, Olivia, Kaleia, and Aunt Liz for joining us!

New Photos of Samedh!

SAMEDH AND HIS CAREGIVER, October 11, 2006


BAL VIKAS, MUMBAI (Samedh's home for 13 months)


SAMEDH UP CLOSE , October 11, 2006

After working on my blog for the past hour, I'm happy to finally get these photos posted! I don't think Pankaj has even seen the photos yet because he is in a training session. Hopefully, he'll get to see them when he breaks for lunch. These photos were taken by Beth, our agency's India program coordinator. We are still waiting to hear when we can leave for Mumbai, but hopefully we'll know sometime this week. Samedh just turned 13 months this past Sunday, and you can see in his eyes that he is waiting to meet his mamma and daddy.

A Walk in the Park

Today was quite an eventful day. We started off at 10:00 a.m. at Cascade Township Park for the first annual Walk for Adoptive Families sponsored by Adoptive Family Support Network (AFSN). It was cold and windy, but we had a great time meeting the families who braved the cold. My sister Dena and her family joined us, and so did my sister Liz. We all wore Samedh's photos around our necks in support of him today, and Pankaj and I wore the special t-shirts that we ordered specifically for the event. After the walk, we had hotdogs and hot chocolate, and the kids made crafts and played musical instruments.

Later in the afternoon, we invited everyone over to our house for pizza and to watch the Tiger's game. Even my parents came after my mom got out of work. The Tigers won the game (and swept the series) with a homerun in the bottom of the 9th inning, which was very exciting. Now I think it's time to go out and buy Samedh his first Tiger's cap!

A Note From Me & Cosmo

SAY NO TO SHOOTING DOVES
Vote NO on Proposal 3

Scrapbooking Projects for Samedh

I went to Michael's yesterday and bought some scrapbooking supplies for a new project I'm working on. My plan is to create a photo story book for Samedh called:

Our Family Story

How We Became a Forever Family

I'm using an 8x8 album, and the "story" begins in 1989 when Pankaj and I first met at Aquinas College. Most of the story will be about our adoption process and how the adoption workers brought us all together. I'll include photos from Pankaj's visit with Samedh in July, and photos from the baby shower and Samedh's first birthday party. Most of the book can be finished before we travel. Then after we come back home, I will include photos of our first meeting as a family in Mumbai, photos from our Delhi trip for immigration & visa paperwork, and the long flights back to Michigan, etc.

We'll also be taking two other little photo albums on our trip. One is a Sassy brand plastic baby photo album that is very baby friendly. I believe it holds 6 photos, and I'm going to include all of Samedh's family members in this book (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins) so he can become familiar with their faces before he meets them in person. The second album holds 24 4x6 photos and these will include pictures of our home, cars, Samedh's room, dining area & his high chair, living room, Cosmo, and much more. I think these little albums will be great for our family to look at while in India and during the long flight home.

Today is cold and rainy, and snow is expected later this week. All of my fall yardwork was completed on time, and now I can sit inside with a hot cup of chai and work on my scrapbook projects. The only thing missing is Samedh, and we really, really miss him!

How Many Adults Does it Take to Install a Carseat?

Actually, it took just the two of us....

One person to read the instructions, and the other to re-read them before we were comfortable installing the seat in the Impala. Later this week, we hope to receive a height/weight update on Samedh. Until then, his carseat is rear-facing in my backseat.

Installing the seat was not as bad as I thought it would be. Probably because I had Pankaj to assist. We've had lots of practice buckling in my nieces' booster seats before, but this was our first attempt at an infant/toddler seat. To make sure we were working on a level surface, we parked in the street as opposed to in our driveway. Then we both sat in the backseat and worked on attaching Samedh's carseat. We still haven't decided if one carseat is going to be enough, or if we should buy one for the Vue too. At this time, we don't even know when we'll be bringing Samdeh home yet, so there's still plenty of time to make up our minds.

Photo Shoot, Food, & Fun

I've always heard it's not easy being a model, and last night we got a chance to experience that first hand!

Pankaj called me late Friday afternoon and asked if I'd like to join him & another bank couple at a photo shoot for a local restaurant...there would be a free dinner afterwards. The catch? We had to dress in "summer attire", and they preferred we not wear any black or white clothing. Most of my summer stuff has already been packed away, except for a few things I'll be taking to India. Last night was beautiful, and the sunset was wonderful - - a perfect backdrop for a photo shoot. It was just a little cold, but the restaurant provided a bottle of wine which helped warm things up.

The funniest part of the photo shoot was the photographer kept asking Pankaj to hold up a shrimp appetizer from the huge platter in front of him. He could't eat the shrimp (thank goodness because he's extremely allergic), but just had to hold it casually. Then we all just had to laugh and talk and carry on like we were having a great time (and we were), and the photographer kept shooting away. Most of our "pretend conversation" revolved around how Pankaj is allergic to shrimp, lobster, and other shellfish. At the end, the photographer showed us the photos. They turned out really nice and the sky and background were just beautiful! One of these photos will be featured in a local magazine (called City Scapes?) and may also be used by Boatwerks Restaurant in upcoming ads or promotions. So if you see me & Pankaj (and his shrimp) popping up in ads around Holland in the near future, you'll know the story behind the photo!

The restaurant treated us to a wonderful meal afterwards. I had the special which was fillet mignon wrapped in pancetta (bacon) and garlic mushroom risotto. It was delicious! Pankaj and I also had raspberry truffle martinis with Godiva white chocolate - - it was just like drinking dessert. Pankaj had been to Boatwerks twice in the past for lunch, but this was his first time for dinner. This was my first visit there ever, and I can't wait to go back again. Jay and Judy, if you are reading this, I think Boatwerks is where we'll be taking you guys when you visit us at Christmas time!

I'm Totally LOST Without It

I always look forward to getting LOST on Wednesday nights, and tonight was going to be no exception. I had been waiting for the season premier for months! But then something better came up. Better than LOST? You know it isn't My Name is Earl or The Office, because those are Thursday night shows on a different network. (Also my favorites.) This is something entirely different.

Tonight Pankaj and I are going to a concert at the Knickerbocker Theater in downtown Holland. A young man named Shafaatullah Khan will be performing classical Indian music on three different instruments: Sitar, Surbahar, and Tabla. It's not too often that this type of performance comes to Holland, and we are really looking forward to a relaxing evening.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. I'm sure I'll enjoy every minute of it, and maybe...just maybe, there is a chance that we will still make it home to catch the end of my favorite TV show. If not, it's ok. I'm hoping ABC will run an encore presentation sometime this weekend.

A New Toy for Samedh

Today my sister Liz and I put together a new riding toy for Samedh. This special truck was a gift from my cousin Chris and his wife Deya and their two little boys, Kenneth and Kevin. Liz and I are not the best at building things, but we managed to follow the picture instructions and completed the task in about 30 minutes. Not too bad for two AQ Communication Arts majors! Maybe we do have a little G.M. assembly line blood in us afterall. (Thanks, Dad!)

Remembering Gandhi on his Birthday

Timeline of Gandhi's Life

1869 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi born in Porbandar in Gujarat.

1893 Gandhi leaves for Johannesburg for practicing law and is thrown out of a first class bogie because he is colored.

1906 Mohandas K. Gandhi, 37, speaks at a mass meeting in the Empire Theater, Johannesburg on September 11 and launches a campaign of nonviolent resistance (satyagraha) to protest discrimination against Indians. The British Government had just invalidated the Indian Marriage.

1913 Mohandas Gandhi in Transvaal, South Africa leads 2,500 Indians into the in defiance of a law, they are violently arrested, Gandhi refuses to pay a fine, he is jailed, his supporters demonstrate November 25, and Natal police fire into the crowd, killing two, injuring 20.

1914 Mohandas Gandhi returns to India at age 45 after 21 years of practicing law in South Africa where he organized a campaign of “passive resistance” to protest his mistreatment by whites for his defense of Asian immigrants. He attracts wide attention in India by conducting a fast—the first of 14 that he will stage as political demonstrations and that will inaugurate the idea of the political fast

1930 A civil disobedience campaign against the British in India begins March 12. The All-India Trade Congress has empowered Gandhi to begin the demonstrations (see 1914). Called Mahatma for the past decade, Gandhi leads a 165-mile march to the Gujarat coast of the Arabian Sea and produces salt by evaporation of sea water in violation of the law as a gesture of defiance against the British monopoly in salt production

1932 Gandhi begins a “fast unto death” to protest the British government's treatment of India's lowest caste “untouchables” whom Gandhi calls Harijans—”God's children.” Gandhi's campaign of civil disobedience has brought rioting and has landed him in prison, but he persists in his demands for social reform, he urges a new boycott of British goods, and after 6 days of fasting obtains a pact that improves the status of the “untouchables”

1947 India becomes free from 200 years of British Rule. A major victory for Gandhian principles and non-violence in general.

1948 Gandhi is assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu fanatic at a prayer meeting

An Afternoon at the Lake

Today Pankaj and I spent the afternoon with my parents at their cottage. We took lots of great photos and had lunch at the Clifford Lake Inn nearby. Best of all, we came home with a few plants for the yard. Decorative grasses, a spirea bush, and oak leaf hydrangea. Can't wait to get them in the ground tomorrow!