dos responds to jcics ccoa letter and i rant a little

You can read the response letter here.

It states, in part, that:

In the interim, we want to work with the government of Vietnam to address problems in Vietnam's adoption system through intermediate steps, which would enable us to pursue a new, interim adoption agreement allowing adoptions under a system that is more transparent and protects the children and parents involved.

..... ..... .....

The US Embassy in Vietnam has communicated to senior Vietnamese officials our willingness to negotiate a new agreement within these parameters, so long as Vietnam is making progress towards bringing its laws and procedures to meet Hague Convention standards. Regrettably, there has been no reciprocal GVN commitment to pursue a new bilateral agreement. We are still awaiting the appointment by the GVN of a senior interlocutor to move this process forward.

It certainly sounds as if the US is willing to try to work something out, however I am not hopeful for a prompt resolution. Seems to me that a moratorium will be imposed and will take awhile to resolve. Even if a new agreement is put in place, such agreements would likely take months or years to be proposed, approved, and put into effect. I don't mean to be a downer. I certainly don't know how things will play out in the end, and I admit that the tenor of this letter is somewhat positive, but the reality of the situation is that the bureaucratic process takes time. I want to see resolution now. I want to know that more kiddos have found their forever families and I want to know that the process was ethical. I want that for my own family, my own child, and (hopefully) a second wee person in our household. I want the same things that everyone embroiled in this mess wants. Unfortunately, like many in this mess, I am biased.

Without the honor of expanding my family through a miracle from Vietnam, I would likely not be as interested in how this situation is unfolding. If I was not focused on, and hopeful for, a second future child from Vietnam, I would not be so keenly interested in new agreement. I hope above all hopes for a quick resolution, but I am too much of a realist to let my mind dwell there for long.

As much as I hope, and dream, and pray that resolution will come so that I can again expand my family, I acknowledge that child number two will likely have a different country of birth. He or she will probably not share a cultural heritage with their big brother. Things will likely not work out in reality as they do in my twisted little brain. This in no way makes future second kiddo "less than". It simply means that when we are ready to begin the process for number two, we will get to experience th joy of embracing yet another cultural heritage and fall madly in love with yet another country. That may not have been the original plan, but little in life is. At some point I just need to realize that I can't plan everything, and that is a bitter pill.

All of that being said, I AM confident that that the steps being taken now will benefit countless children and families in the future. I am certain that many more families will be forever enhanced by the presence of a child from Vietnam, and I know that countless children will take an ethical journey to their forever families, just as the parent that relinquished them intended.

I have faith for the future of Vietnamese adoption.

Even if that future isn't about my family.

Even if I am incredibly whiny.

I do.

olympic fever

Did you SEE the Mens 4x100 relay last night? Did you?? What? You were doing something more productive with your time than watching TV all night? Well, prepare to be enlightened. It. Was. Awesome! Watch the video here.

Also, Hoang Anh Tuan won a silver for weightlifting and became the second Vietnamese athlete ever to win an Olympic medal. Pretty darn cool, I must say. (To clarify, this pic is from another weightlifting competition. He did not win three Olympic medals. At least, not yet.)

Anyway, I am all about the Olympics. You may have noticed my snazzy new medal count widget on the upper left. Don't worry, it won't hang around after the games are over. Anyway, you can hook yourself up with a number of cool Olympic widgets here. Also, I'm sort of in love with this commercial.

As for tonight, I suggest that you park it on the sofa and watch some of the drama unfold. Phelps and crew will swim some more, girls in bikinis will play lots of beach volleyball (i mention that just in case a few random dudes might read the blog), and the Mens gymnastics finals will wrap up (Go Raj!). It would be a terrible shame if you missed out on the excitement two nights in a row.

Go world!!