1. WAS YOUR FIRST ADOPTION OF ONE CHILD OR SIBLINGS/OTHER?
One child.

2. WAS YOUR FIRST ADOPTION DOMESTIC PRIVATE, FOSTER-CARE, OR INTERNATIONAL?
Domestic Private Agency

3. HOW OLD WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD WHEN YOU FIRST MET HIM/HER?
6 weeks.

4. HOW OLD WAS S/HE WHEN YOU BECAME A PERMANENT FULL-TIME FAMILY UNIT?
It was six months between our placement and finalization hearing.

5. DO YOU HAVE AN OPEN OR CLOSED ADOPTION?
Open with her birth/first mother, M and her parents, closed on her birth father S’s side for the foreseeable future.

6. WOULD YOU PREFER TO HAVE THE OPPOSITE?
Not at this time, no.

7. IS YOUR CHILD THE SAME OR DIFFERENT RACE/ETHNICITY AS YOU AND/OR YOUR PARTNER(S)?
Same-ish.

8. HOW DO YOU REFER TO THE WOMAN WHO GAVE BIRTH TO YOUR CHILD?
M. School Girl calls her her birth mother.

9. WHAT WAS THE HARDEST THING FOR YOU ABOUT THE ADOPTION PROCESS?
Our first failed placement, primarily thanks to the actions of our agency.

10. WHAT WAS THE BEST PART?
The first time my mother and father got to meet School Girl.

11. HOW LONG DID YOU WAIT FROM SIGNING UP WITH AN AGENCY TIL BEING MATCHED WITH THE CHILD YOU ENDED UP ADOPTING?
2 years exactly from the time we filed our initial application until our placement.

12. WHAT DID YOU DO TO KEEP YOURSELF SANE WHILE YOU WAITED?
That would imply that I was sane at all…

13. HOW MANY “MATCHES” DID YOU HAVE BEFORE THE ONE THAT LED TO YOUR FIRST ADOPTION?
2.

13. WHO NAMED YOUR CHILD?
Evil Dad and I did.

14. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD’S SEX?
Female.

15. DID YOU WISH (OR PLAN/SPECIFY) FOR ONE SEX CHILD OR THE OTHER?
We chose not to be sex-specific, although we were told throughout the wait to expect a boy.

16. DID YOU KNOW BEFORE MATCH WHAT RACE/ETHNIC BACKGROUND YOUR CHILD WOULD BE?
No.

17. IF YOUR CHILD HAS “SPECIAL NEEDS,” DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THEM BEFORE THE ADOPTION?
We were told about that possibility, but it’s turned out not to be the case.

18. WHEN YOUR CHILD ARRIVED, WHO DID YOU INTRODUCE HER/HIM TO FIRST?
My mother, 3 days after School Girl came home.

19. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?
Yes. Evil Dad’s boss and his wife threw us one a couple of weeks after we were placed. There’s nothing that beats seeing a bunch of warehouse guys and too-cool-for-the-room recent business school graduates getting all goofy over a baby.

20. WAS IT A SURPRISE, OR DID YOU KNOW?
We knew.

21. WHERE WAS YOUR CHILD BORN?
Colorado Springs, CO.

22. DID YOU TRAVEL AS PART OF YOUR ADOPTION?
Yes. 60 mi. from Denver to Colorado Springs.

23. HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOUR CHILD ARRIVED?
40

24. WERE YOU MARRIED/PARTNERED?
Yes.

25. DID YOU CONSIDER BREASTFEEDING YOUR ADOPTED CHILD?
At one point; however, I was told that certain health issues with me/medications I take daily would make that impossible.

26. DO YOU CELEBRATE THE ANNIVERSARY OF YOUR CHILD’S ARRIVAL IN YOUR FAMILY? WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?
Yes. It’s our Family Birthday.

27. WHAT’S THE REMARK OR QUESTION YOU HEAR ABOUT ADOPTION THAT BUGS YOU THE MOST?
When people ignore M, or when they go on and on about how “saintly” and “wonderful” we are for allowing her access to her child. Oh, if I could talk about it without swearing like a motherfu…Hey, look! Over there! Something shiny!

28. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST CHILD NOW?
At the end of this month she’ll be 7.

Rules
Link to the person who tagged you.
Mention the rules.
Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself.
Tag six other bloggers by linking to them.
Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that let’s them know they’ve been tagged.

(Well, we’ll see. I never have good luck tagging people, as they always run faster than I can get the tag gun to my shoulder. You know how it is.)

1. I learned to spin 6 months before I learned how to knit. I’ve been both a crocheter and embroiderer for roughly 25 years before that.
2. The only organized sport I’ve ever had any success playing is rugby. That, sadly, only lasted about 2 months. But I still like to watch.
3. My father and grandfather are/were incredible artists. No matter how hard I try, I can only draw stick figures and box-houses.
4. I am far, far more shy in real life than I am online.
5. Even though I work at it almost every day, logical thinking – especially mathematical logic – and I have never been what you might call friends.
6. I love the smell of cigarette smoke, even though I haven’t smoked for over 15 years.

List five books you’re embarrassed that you haven’t read. Like I said in the comments, I can think of a lot of books I’m embarrassed to have read – but let’s see if I can come up with 5.

Slaughterhouse 5 – Kurt Vonnegurt
The Origin of the Species (yes, really) – Charles Darwin
Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoevsky
Middlemarch – George Eliot
The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde (not sure if this one counts, as I’m reading it now)

There be the list, arrgh! I officially tag anyone and everyone. Have at it.

Lyric #1:

1. Ramblin’ woman makes no change in me
I’m gonna ramble back to my used to be

cho: Hear me talkin’ to ya–I don’t bite my tongue
You want to be my woman, you got to fetch it with you when you come.

Actually, in this version, “woman” is changed to “man”, which is a little bit of a clue. The song? Hear Me Talkin’ to Ya; originally written by Louis Armstrong. The artist? Ma Rainey. Ma Rainey rocks.

Next song:

Fame is but a fruit tree
So very unsound.
It can never flourish
Till its stock is in the ground.

The song: Fruit Tree. The artist: the original writer, Nick Drake. Not everybody’s thing, I know, but I kind of like his songs.

The first one is for Barb:

What can I do to make light of this dull dull day
What switch can I pull to illuminate the way
Show me one direction
I will not question again

The song: Love Resurrection
The artist: Alison Moyet

There ya go. There’ll probably be more tomorrow.