My meeting today with DPC Sector 2

I turned in my paperwork today. Everything was good. They seemed pleasantly surprised that I had completed all of it so quickly and that everything was in order.
Next week I will begin meeting with the one of the social workers from DPC at my apartment. We will meet for an hour every Monday, for the next 6 weeks. Please pray that I will be able to find an "official translator". I have to have one for these meetings because my Romanian isn't good enough...yet.
Oh well ...what hoop? how high? After the six weeks they will set a court date for being an adoptive parent and then ...maybe , finally, I will get to visit the boys and have them in my house. I am guessing sometime in January.

Yes, It is still hard, harder and really hard, but at least

I am moving forward and my paperwork "passed"

Still riding roller coasters ....aaaahhhhh!

Well, I didn't get to turn in my papers on Friday. Mr. Moncau and I went to the DPC, but we found out that they close at 2 on Fridays. There was nothing we could have done though. We couldn't pick up the report from the police department until 2:30. So, I will go back to the DPC on Monday. Please pray that everything is complete and that they will process it quickly. At least I have the papers all ready! Hopefully.

Yesterday afternoon, I called to see about visting with Nicole this weekend, but the answer was "no". Carmen was to busy. She had to cook for her dad and well Marius was going to the mountains with his class. Last I remember, I was going to see Nicolae. grrr. So goes yet another week without seeing my boys.

God give me strength to get through this roller coaster ride.

Love,

Debbie

Tomorrow is a big day!

Tomorrow is a big day. I am turning in all my paperwork for my atestat. Which means I am turning in the paperwork I need to be declared a foster mom. My prayer is that I have everything they asked for and that it is correct. I know I have done everything that was on the list they gave me, but I am finding out that they doesn't really matter. However, I am the only one that I know of, that actually got a list of what is required. So I am hopeful.

I got the list on Monday afternoon and I am thrilled that I will have everything done by tomorrow. Yesterday was my longest day. I started at 8:30 am and didn't stop until 8pm. Walking, walking, walking, metro, more walking, yipes I am lost. Still walking now, but faster. "Lord help me find the hospital". Yipes! I had to get there before 10 am. More walking. Hey thanks for giving me the wrong directions "helpful lady" ....followed by more fast walking, sweating and praying. Yay, I finally make it to the hospital. I think sweat pouring down my face with my hair plastered to my forehead screams suitable adoptive parent!Don't you? That is what a simple 15 minute walk from the metro, 40 minutes later, will do to you.

When I got there they took a chest x-ray, some blood tests and my blood pressure. The doctor seemed impressed. She told me that my blood pressure was excellent. I was thinking...I guess hiking Bucharest everyday will do that for you! Thankfully they didn't take my pulse rate.") She filled out a medical background form as well. It was all in Romanian. It was cute. She answered all the questions for me. I mean...like without my help. "Diabetic? no. Smoker?no".... every once in a while she actually stopped to ask me. It made me smile. She told me that I would have to come back again at 6:30 pm to get the results and to have my psychiatric evaluation. But not without paying first.

Afterwards, Back to walking some more, two metros and more walking to meet up with Sara at the translation office to get my Declaratie. It is a paper that states I am single and no I don't have any children. Of couse I needed to have an official translator and the document legalized.

I thanked Sara for helping me and then I was off to the Victor Gomoiu hospital to pick up a character reference from Julie, which required of course more walking, another metro and yet more walking.

Then I met up with Mr. Moncanu to get my apt contract legalized at the notary office. Yes ...you guessed it... walking, followed by the tram and shocker...a ride from Mr. Moncanu. I forked over more $$$ at the notary office and then headed back to the hospital to have my psychiatric evaluation test done and to pick up my lab results.

My psychiatric evaluation almost made me laugh outloud. No kidding. I may have spent 5 minutes with the doctor. I walked in and sat down. He said, "So you are adjusting well to Romania". He said it like a statement, but I answered yes anyway. "You want to adopt". Again, he said it like a statement. I threw in that yes I want to adopt two boys. He then asked me if I had any experience with children and I told him that I have been a teacher for 22 years. He repeated."22 years". Then...the big tricky see if someone is really psychotic part ...drum roll please....He said,"Stick out you hands in front of you like this". Which I did. Then he responded with "Perfect" Followed by "I have finished my evaluation. You can pick up your document at the counter".
Glad I didn't hold my hands out to the side or something.:) I was happy to find out that I wasn't psychotic and that my medical papers were done.

Finally, I began my hour long trek home. It reminds me of living in Modesto, where we seem to be 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. away from the city, the mountains and the ocean. I am about an hour away from everything here. I was so happy to finally get home. I was exhausted. zzzzz That was just yesterday. My whole week went like this.

I had a total of 10 things to get completed. Tomorrow I will pick up my police background check clearance and then turn everything in at the DPC in the afternoon.
Please pray that it will all go well and that I will get my court date soon and be declared Nicolae and Cristian's foster mom.
Love,
Debbie

Family Weekend at Wofford College

Here is a recent picture of Tomas and Bev. Bev went to see Tomas at Wofford College in South Carolina during "Family Weekend". Bev stayed with Troy and Lisa.Troy is our brother. Teri,our sister,drove from Mississippi to be there for"Family Weekend" as well. Bev and Tomas both said it was a wonderful weekend. Their smiling faces say it all.

Nicolae Putting Disney Puzzle Together

When Nicolae says "Stai un pic...vez...eu fac"
He is saying "Wait a minute...see... I am doing it.

My visit with Nicolae

I saw Nicolae yesterday,Saturday, for 3 hrs. It was so wonderful. I learned that he is behaving very well at school. He has a new teacher this year. He is also doing much better at home too. It was one of the very first things he said to me. "Mama Debbie, eu fi cuminte" Mama Debbie I am being well behaved". I am so proud of him.
At first they(Marius, Carmen and Nicolae) met me outside and we walked to a nearby park. It was a bit chilly. So, we ended up going back to their apt. I was surprised that Carmen allowed this because it is a tricky situation to actually allow me to visit inside their apt. Romanian rules....etc. So I was thrilled. Carmen even let me take some pictures and video tape Nicolae putting together a puzzle. He has progressed so much.
Nicolae can now do a 4 sided cube puzzle completely on his own. It has 4 differerent Snow White Disney scences. Impressive. I just sat back in awe as he did the cube puzzle. He did 3 out of the 4 puzzles for me. I video taped him doing part of one of them. I hope to be able to share the video with you once my computer gets up and running again.

He is learning English at school now. It is so adorable to hear him speak English and to see how proud of himself he is. Of course I am very proud of him too.
He knows how to say..What is your name? My name is Nicusor. How are you doing? Goodbye and Good Morning. He isn't perfect yet, but he definetly understands what he is saying. It is the pronounciation that still is a bit tricky and he sometimes confuses Good Morning with Goodbye. He of course had to throw in Hondahondahondalin...just for laughs. He is so adorable. I love him so much.
He asked about mom and if she liked his singing of "La Multi Ani". He talked about Auntie Bev of course and also asked yet again when we were going to the states. He told me he wants to go right now. I so wish!
I had a wonderful time and I am so thankful for his foster family being willing to let me see him. Legally, as of right now, they could not let me see him at all. So Praise God for this little blessing.

Oh and the Scooby Doo coloring magnets I got him were a big hit. He colored them "creatively", but I was so happy with how well he held the coloring pens and the care and time he spent trying to do his best. Such a difference from the little boy who not so long ago couldn't even hold a crayon corrrectly. His attention span is so much better now too.
Carmen, his foster mom has been working with him on his writing...drawing lines. They have workbooks in school that they practice in. All Romanian children spend lots of time drawing lines and circles etc before actually writing letters. She has also been working with him on learning the alphabet and his numbers. All of which gets reinforced and taught at Gradanita(Kindergarten/Preschool) as well. He has grown so much in a months time...academically.

I had such an incredible time with Nicolae yesterday. I love him so much and I know that he loves me as well. As he said right when I was leaving in English..."Mama Debbie, I love YOU very much". And with prompting he added "sleep tight". It was so cute.
Happy heart.
Love,
Debbie

Walking, walking and more walking!

Walking, walking, walking, walking, walking, walking, ride the metro, more walking, upstairs, downstairs, more walking. Then walking and some more walking. I have done more walking in the last couple days I have been back here Romania then I did the whole month I was in the states. So, if you are ever wondering what I am doing in Romania, chances are it involves me doing some walking.

I am here!

I got here last night. It was a loooonnnnngggggg flight. I had two 4 hour layovers. zzzzzzz.

Sara picked me up and I got to eat dinner at her house. Afterwards she drove me to my apt. where I eagerly began setting up my computer.

Zap!@##&**!!

I needed to switch the power supply...USA vs. European. However, I couldn't see it very well. So I went to switch the lamp on. However, the lamp is plugged into the same power strip as the computer. No problem, turn on the power strip, right? NOT! Duh my computer, the very same computer I just carried back to Romania, the very same computer that was still set to U.S. settings...yeah well...no longer working. I had it plugged in to the power strip. I had no idea it would matter. I mean I hadn't turned on the computer yet. well it mattered. I blew out the power supply immediately. It was all I could do not to cry. Waaaahaaa. Nas pa....It sucks.

So I went over to Luminita's house and emailed home. Hopefully Alison, who is coming in less than a week, will be able to bring a new power supply to me.

Oh and I called Radu, my lawyer. Well of course he can't meet with me until sometime on Friday. I asked him about my Romanian Residency card, but yet again...of course...he hadn't even checked to see if it was in. It gets old real quick...This followed by crashing computer...bleck!

Today, Thursday, I went to the Office of Foreigners to pick up my Romanian Residency card by myself. Yay it was in. The picture is not attractive, but oh well. It is good for 5 years. I also went to the DPC. They gave me a list of need to completes for my atestat...adoptive mother. At least I have a list! I hope to get it done this next week. God willing. Hopefully, Radu will meet tomorrow and we can start getting things done.

Oh...and I STILL can't see the boys...officially. Which means, I can only see Nicolae when his foster mom wants to let me and I can't see Cristian at all ....YET. Now they say I have to wait until I get my atestat completed. "Just a bit longer. Two months" It never seems to end. grrr.

Anway, I am using Karen's computer right now and hopefully, my computer will be up and running again soon.


I am here, I am safe and doing my best to get things accomplished in this country called Romania.

Love,
Debbie

Heading Back to Romania

I wanted to let you all know that I am heading back to Romania tomorrow.
Please pray for me and my family. It has been so great being home and leaving yet again, is hard.
My prayers are that everything with the adoption will now move quickly and that I can be home before the end of this school year. Sooner is good too.
Please pray for my mom and dad too. God keep them healthy and safe.
Pray too for Bev. She picks up all the loose ends when I am gone and I know it makes life hard on her for me to be so far away. It makes it hard for me as well.
I leave tomorrow morning. Tues. Oct. 16th. Ironically enough, it is the exact date, four years ago, when I got the call letting me know that I could legally begin adopting Nicolae and Cristian.
God give me strength and incredible blessings.
Love,
Debbie

A Fun Photo From Home

I love this picture. Every time I see this photo it reminds me of how wonderful it is to spend time with the people I love so much. It is hard to believe Daniel is a freshman at Beyer now and Tomas is at Wofford College in S. Carolina. And Bev... she is still the best sister ever. I have about another week or so at home before I head back to Romania.I am so thankful though for the time I got to spend at home.

Daniel - Beyer High School Band

This Friday I got to watch my nephew Daniel march with the Beyer High School Band during half time at the football game. He is so talented.

I love you Daniel! Auntie Debo


Here is a slide show I put together for all of you to enjoy...

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