You know, I kid my brain - but I'm actually quite fond of it. And so are my kids - that is why they mess with it all the time. Raimi is Raimi and Kiri is Kiri and together they equal unharnessed energy that could light up all of greater Los Angeles. Kiri wants to know the name of everything and Raimi wants to know the 'why' of everything and I am constantly humbled and amazed by how little I actually know.

I am eternally grateful that our children are alright. And not just in the "our kids are alright" kind of way - they are doing great, kenahorah pooh pooh pooh. I'm also almost ready to tackle Kiri's Gotcha Day story. Almost - but not quite.

But I still can't put a happy face on our trip. Unlike our trip to get Raimi - when we had those newbie stars*in*our*eyes blinders on - the trip was very rough. It hasn't yet taken on that rosier glow that events from the past sometimes do. However the important facts - we are here, we're alive, we're together and pooh pooh pooh - are the important facts. And we're so very grateful for whatever forces in the universes (so what if they were a lot less gentle than the forces 3 years ago ) brought us this wonderful, funny, sweet and loud baby. She'll get her "Gotcha Day" story - maybe when some of my brain cells grow back. The brain spontaneously generates, doesn't it?

Here is a summary of our trip:

We left March 20th, 2003; the morning after the bombing of Iraq began, and the week that SARS was really starting to alarm health officials. Our travel timing turned out to be good timing - in the relative scheme of things. We were actually allowed to go into China (March 20th, 2003)(and get out of China - April 3rd, 2003) without the awful starting and stopping we saw in the latter part of April and May; which was followed by a total suspension of all foreign adoptions from China in June. Then the suspension was suspended (as of 6/24/03) and the referrals and travel letters began to pour in. But, oh the anxiety and sadness that preceded the lifting of the ban!

So despite my eternal gratitude and maybe because of my "survivors guilt", I'm still not ready with a bright and cheery Gotcha story for Kiri. Kiri deserves one as bright and cheery as Raimi's. I expect some of my feelings will settle down soon and coalesce into something that can be shared. I hope so. I love this little girl very much and she is a wonderful gift to our family. And I hope and wish for everyone the same outcome as ours - quickly and with little or no angst.