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Friday, May 09, 2008

Adoption Antics

I wanted to post something about my sweet son's *Gotcha Day*. Yes, 18 years ago today our handsome and beloved son arrived from Korea. Dan is not always keen on having his picture or too many details about him posted for all to see...a little shy and retiring like his Dad...so he suggested I let you all see a little something I wrote awhile back. It was re-printed in the St. Louis Dispatch 2 years ago in celebration of adoption awareness month. Each one of these questions really and truly came out of the mouths of real and true human beings. I have then added the answers I SHOULD have given to these lovely, thoughtful folks. Oh! I am also enjoying seeing the questions you are sending me via yesterday's post! THANK YOU! I love it and will answer them all the first of next week! You are all the very best. We now present, "Adoption Antics" in celebration of adoptive families everywhere! 1.Did he ever eat a dog? (I don't know but he did take a bite out of our cat. Said she tasted stringy.) 2.Koreans are very intelligent. I bet he is one of those. (Ooh. I hope so! I would hate to have gotten one of those dumb ones!) 3.Did they run out of babies? (Yeah, dang it. They gave us a used kid instead but the warranty really is great.) 4.How much did he cost? (Oh! There was a sale at K Mart! Only $19.95!) 5.If he doesn't make you happy, can you ask for another child? (Oh sure! We bought replacement insurance!) 6.If he gets sick or anything, will the adoption agency pay all the costs? (Sure! They also put braces on his teeth, send him through Harvard Medical School and buy his first house.) 7.What's it like being with a Korean? (Well, he whips up a great kimchi dish and gosh but those Koreans can sure be funny! Keeps us in stitches all the time!) 8.It is a good thing he is so cute or it would have been hard to love him. (Yeah, I hate those ugly ones too. They give me the creeps. *shudder*) And then we braved the onslaught of silly questions and adopted again........... 1.Did they charge you the same amount of money because she has scars? (Oh no. They were having a scratch and dent sale!) 2.Those Chinese are so smart. They can also be tricky and sneaky you know! (Uh...well...she did beat me at poker. Took me for $5.27 the other night. ) 3.Do you know if she is a Communist? (Well, we DID find her Communist Party membership card in her wallet but she swears, she will only practice Communism on every other Friday.) 4.Can you return her? (Oh yes. The return department is open 24/7. We can ask for our money back or an agency credit) 5.Why did you get another one? (We were just so bored and thought this was what we need to add that special spark to our marriage!) 6.Did they give you a bigger girl because you are old? (Ehhhhh??? Speak up a little louder sonny. ) 7.When you got to China, could you have chosen a different kid if yours wasn't pretty? (I had planned to do just that. Seeing our daughter crowned Miss Ohio is exactly why we did all this!) 8.Since she was so shy, you should have asked for another. (We did but that stubborn facilitator forced us take THIS one. Phooey. ) 9.I could never raise someone else's kid. I guess it is nice that somebody does it. (Yeah, we are just so nice....angels...no, wait, saints actually.) 10.Does she know how to eat real food? (Nope, she is still eating that plastic Fisher Price stuff and it is costing us a fortune!)
Happy Gotcha Day Daniel. We love you!

21 comments:

Simply Heart And Home said...

Too cute! :)

Have a lovely Friday!

Gina

Sue Seibert said...

Love it! As we have several Asian (Koren and Chinese) little cousins, we approve of all your answers. Gee, our grandson is in China studying now, do you suppose he'll return with a child or two? Oh, man, people...I forget what Art Linkletter used to say about people, but I think it's true here. Happy Gottya Day!!!

Justabeachkat said...

Oh Sue! It's amazing how rude and insensitive people can be!

My son and his wife are in the process of adopting from China...it's a s-l-o-w process right now...and we can't wait. They have 3 of their own children so I can only imagine the questions they will have to endure.

Happy Mother's Day to wonderful YOU

Hugs!
Kat

Janet said...

Wow, as an adopted child myself i can only imagine the questions my parents were asked ( or were people more respectful and less ignorant back in the 50s?), but I am glad they endured the inquisition and didn't send me back. Not sure there was a 24/7 return policy back then either.

Happy Gotcha Day
Janet

Cheryl Wray said...

I cannot imagine why some people ask the questions they do. Sheesh....

Happy Gotcha Day to Dan!!!

You have such a wonderful family and such a wonderful heart!

Sue Seibert said...

What I forgot to say was that one of my closest friends has a Chinese grandson...got a boy 'cause he was defective...had a hair lip...got it fix...he is now perfect. Anyway, their son already had a son of their own, and the new little boy, a very fair haired child, is the same age, so they got one of those twin baby carriages, and as the mother would be wheeling them through a shopping mall people would ask, "Oh, are they twins?" People do say the darndest things!

Rue said...

I know you were funny, but those questions made me so mad! People have no couth at all anymore. Shame on them! I would've said something back to them so rude I would have to be censored. YOU are very sweet my friend :)

Happy Gotcha Day Dan and Happy Mother's Day to you sweet sue :)

hugs and love,
rue

Cherdecor said...

I LOVE your sense of humor!!! I think it shows what a great home your son has been brought up in! People take themselves too seriously these days and end up being mad at every body all the time.

Sure people say dumb things but how we handle it teaches our children how to respond.

I absolutely LOVE your blog. (Your style, and that changes from time to time which keeps it interesting, your humor and your photography) You absolutely have more words and ideas than any one person ought to be allowed to have! Hee! Hee!

Melissa @ The Inspired Room said...

Those are some antics alright! I can't imagine!

Have a lovely Mother's Day!

Andi said...

Happy "Gotcha Day" Dan! You have a way cool Mom!!!

People really asked those things...yikes!!!

Latharia said...

Oh, that is priceless! We are in the first stages of adoption (pre-home study, still looking at agencies & attending seminars), and I can just imagine us getting some similar questions!!!

Anonymous said...

To funny girl! You are a mess.=)
Gotta love ya

Julia @ Hooked on Houses said...

Oh, my gosh, I'm gasping from horror, disbelief, and laughter all at the same time!

Have you read the "50 Acres and a Poodle" series from Jeanne Marie Laskas by any chance? (Memoirs) The first book is about her following a life-long dream to leave city life and buy a run-down farm. Hilarious. The second book ("The Exact Same Moon") is about adopting her first of two daughters from China. It's beautiful, moving, and funny at the same time, and your post reminded me of it. She, too, encountered a lot of ignorance and insensitivity, but I think your stories have hers topped!

Happy Mother's Day! -Julia :-)

BittersweetPunkin said...

YOU ARE A HOOT!! I needed a good laugh...thanks for that!!

Happy Gotcha Day and Happy Mother's Day!
HUGS,
Robin

Pamela said...

I'm catching flies here with my mouth open.
Did people really say that stuff?

Melissa said...

Oh, my, please tell me it was kids who asked those questions! Although, I have known some adults that would've thought nothing of it!

Third Mom said...

Hi, I stumbled over from Google - coincidence, our son (also Korean) just turned 19 and our daughter is 17. You may be the only other adoptive mom of Korean teens online! If you know of any others, please let me know!

I can say right off the bat that you're a better person than I am. I would have been levitating I would have been so mad at some of those questions. Really. What is floating around in some peoples heads - dust bunnies???

Michelle said...

oh my gosh! It's amazing those are real questions people asked! I'm stunned at the ignorance of some people!

Happy Gotcha Day to your son!

Gretchen said...

Happy Gotcha Day to Dan.

And...people should go back to talking about the weather. At least then, everyone is wrong, so the silly comments don't stick out.

Have a great week. xxxooogretchen

Valerie said...

gah - people can be sooooo dumb sometimes.

happy Gotcha Day for you and both your little angels...even if they aren't so dang little anymore!

LivingTheLife said...

Suzi...
Your "gotcha day" story reminds me of a lovely, lovely book I read as a young girl...I think it was written in the early 60's by a beautiful woman named Helen Ross...it was entitled "The Family Nobody Wanted"...that book and how I came about reading it is still a mystery to me...I can't remember how I came to read it...but I can tell you it changed my life...I was pretty young...maybe 12 or so...not sure...but I remember it touched me so deeply! I am sure you have either read it or heard about it...she was married to a Methodist minister and it is her telling the story of how she and her husband adopted all these children from different ethnic backgrounds. It was amazing...it is a book I still refer to and think of often...and it made me want to have or adopt a dozen children. I didn't of course...but I think some days...I should have adopted many children...along with the 2 precious gifts God gave me...I loved that book...and it reminds me of you...such a giving, loving, compassionate and funny lady...who knows just how to love the way God intended for us to. Helen handled many a situation with grace and humor...it is amazing the things she heard and was asked...and remember this was in the 50's and 60's when nobody thought you could LOVE outside the norm...she was a pioneer...and her story touched me...just like you!

You are an inspiration...and I know your children LOVE, LOVE, LOVE you...

Blessings...
Teresa