Wednesday, December 31, 2008

By Next Week

Hi All,

I just got great news. I am either going to send off my completed dossier tomorrow or Tuesday. I can't wait to become "officially waiting". It has been so difficult to watch my tiny little agency grow and see my spot being taken over.

Unfortunately, there haven't seemed to be any little girl referrals on the group for like three weeks. I was hoping we would have had one a week. I'm not really sure why things have come to a standstill.

I have decided to go with the Lexus SUV. It was voted best overall value for a crossover vehicle. I haven't had a new car in like 10 years, so this is a very nice treat for myself.

Hoping to send out a dossier complete email within the next week!!!!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Home Study Update

It has finally made its way to Department of Children and Family Services in Springfield!!! So happy about that little development. I just want to be officially waiting. I can't stand the paper chase. I'm too impatient for this sort of thing.

On another note, I wish I knew for sure what was going on with singles in ET. My agency tells me not to worry but it's hard not to. I just can't understand how a rule applies to one agency but not another.

Oh well, I have decided to continue down this path until someone tells me no directly. Lets keep our fingers crossed for dossier submission during the first week of January 09!!

I also am going to get a new car. I tell myself it is for baby, but I'm just lying. I have have the same car for the last 8 years and it's time for a change. I'm going to be an ugly american and get an SUV. But I don't drive to work, so don't think I have no concern for our planet. I put about 5000 miles a year on a car, so my carbon output won't be that bad with an SUV. I'm trying to decide between the lexus or bmw. BMW has an awesome service plan, so I'm leaning that way as of now.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Well Meaning AAWomen and Hair

Okay,

I am pissed. I was bored today and looking at every blog I could find. I should have been working but I was blog watching instead. So, to what pissed me off. WELL MEANING BLACK WOMEN!!!! I have come to hate that term. I find it used often on blogs where there is a white family who has adopted a black child and it's usually in reference to hair discussions.

At first, I didn't think it was that big of a deal. I'm not one to allow ppl in my business so I could understand the sentiment. But then it was repeated on so many blogs that it started to sound to me more like the women were saying "this black B had the nerve to walk up to me and talk to me about my kid's hair". Some of these ppl have no problem with white folks coming up to them and asking them about their adoption but hair discussions are oh so offensive!!!!

Then I started to calm down and think maybe they don't know. They have read hair books, learned to corn roll, and combed a five year old black girls hair so they think they know. THEY HAVE NO IDEA!!! They have no clue what it means to walk thru this country and have your attributes continually and not always subtlely put down. They have no idea what it means to have black hair. I mean it's oh so cute to braid and all that, but what about when that girl is 13 and her haird doesn't do what the white girls in class can do? They don't know that braids that are cute at 4 are just some baby mess at 12. They have no idea what it takes to figure out what to do with the hair once it's out of braids and everything you try doesn't look right.

They have no idea that it took hundreds of years for us to learn what works for our hair and how to find value in our own beauty when society at large tells you that you and your hair are ugly. They don't know about the sistas in the test kitchens mastering the conk and sacrificing plugs of hair. They don't know that as a teenager there will be kids who think it's the nastiest thing they have ever heard when you tell them you wash your hair once a week. They have never seen products that you have relied on and loved fail you, and then you can't find replacements. They don't know that the hair that has been on top of your head your whole like can change and you have to fight to get it back. They don't know that this happens for natural and relaxed sistas.

Or maye this is my own ignorance? Do white women have such extensive hair issues? Do they struggle like me and I don't know it? They talk about washing their own hair (which is something I haven't done in years) and I think wow I wish my hair was that easy to manage. But maybe they have a different set of hair stuff going on that I don't know about. Are htey like me and have to wear a scarf every night? Do they talk with their friends about when you let a new man see you in your scarf?

But more than all of that,they don't know that hair is something that black women discuss. They are being offered an entry into that world becuase a sista sees a baby sista and talks to her mom about her hair. They don't know that we do that all the time with each other. I have approached and been approached about who does my hair. I have seen a sista at the mall with a style and shine that I want to rock and I've asked what she uses. I have had others offer suggestions when they saw my hair line receding or my ends all split off. We have walked this path and discuss it freely. Of course everyone has an opinion that you may not agree with, but that's life. You can take it or leave it. My own hair dresser lectures me about going natural and I ignore her once a week as she talks and blow drys my relaxed hair.

My goddaughter and her mom were in the store and a black woman came up to them and suggested a shining product to her for baby. My friend, who is black, just chatted for a minute and went on about her business. No one thought anything of it. Our hair has ups and downs and we look to each other for assistance. Some we take and some we ignore.

Like the majority of women I know, i have had a standing appt at the hair dresser every week since i got my first job. Yes, it's that serious. I know sistas who won't pay a bill before they cancel that hair appt. India Arie had ot make a song saying she released being defined by her hair. She didn't do so because it was a catchy tune, she did it because hair is a big deal for black women.

So the next time you dismiss that "well meaning AA" when she talks to you about your child's hair you may want to reconsider. Doing a few braids ain't nothing like wearing the mane day in and day out. Don't get it twisted.

Okay that's my rant. I'm such an even tempered person, but that mess was a little too much for me today.

Maybe I'll have more perspective tomorrow. Maybe I'm just being hyper sensitive tonight.

What do you think blog world? Am I upset for nothing? Is "well meaning AA" woman respectful or wack?

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Back from Hiatus

Hi All,

Well, we had quite a little scare last month, but I think I feel confident enough to hope that Eden/Aden will be coming home in 2009. I don't have the energy to discuss, but there seem to be changes in the future for ET and single adoptions. At this point, it's not confirmed what they will be, but last month I thought they meant that I would not have ET as an option. My agency has assured me that is not the case and I have decided to have a little faith. The head of the agency has been in ET for this past week and has only sent back good news thus far.

I still have no homestudy. Trying to hurry that process along. A fellow blogger, Robbin, has passed on a contact that may help me move my homestudy out of DCFS faster than I had originally thought. Thanks Girl!!

I have slowed down big time on shopping for Aden. The idea of never using her nursery was heart wrenching.

Not much going on with me outside of that. Will be sure to update as soon as I get more info about the homestudy. I would love to be officially waiting by the end of the year.