What are you doing tonight? We're just hanging out over here complete our visa application for the Colombian Embassy...YIKES!!!! This is all truly happening! When we started the process of course we knew we would get our daughter....but seriously....WE ARE GOING TO MEET OUR DAUGHTER! Those words are amazing, magical, beautiful!
Today at school my student's (Debi) took me on a bird walk of sorts when we were learning about the Statue of Liberty. I was mentioning to them that on the tablet it says July 4, 1776. So we started making connections about fireworks, 4th of July, Freedom (what that means) and then one of my amazingly smart first graders said "yeah, like in China you can only have one child. If you have another one you have to kill it." WHAT? I gasped in my head!
So of course I had to clear this up and I proceeded to talk about how some of these children end up being adopted. Then some kids asked "what's adoption?" So I put on my best first grade explanation of "adoption" and boy let me tell you there were a lot of great questions from my little students! Then at the end of the explanation I drove the point home by saying "Well you all know Alejandra right? Guess what? She is adopted." I let this sink in for a bit and they were in shock at first. By then end of that lesson I had 32 enlightened and empowered first graders who understood just a little bit more about the special blessing of adoption. Now, to my fellow teachers, I did not teach to one objective ;). But, I think this lesson left my students with a bit more knowledge than any standard could ever ask for. The word adoption initially brought on little nervous laughs and horrified looks from my students, but by the end they thought "adoption was AWESOME!" One little girl said "when I'm a mommy I am going to adopt too." BIG HEART SMILE!
As if that high wasn't enough...I came home to a big hug from my little A and a UPS package with all of the original referral documents on tiny A. We got to look at the official (one and only) picture of our sweet doll. She has on a sassy little dress with hearts all over it, pink Bubble Gummer high tops, striped knee socks pushed down, a little pink hoody, short brown hair (like buzz cut short) with a white headband, and YES...earrings! We received clarification from CHI and I will be able to post her picture once we get a travel date. We should hear something within the month.
Wow Debi! This post brought tears to my eyes. No worries, I'm not judging your ability to teach to one objective. I think that was the most, (wait for it...) "powerful" lesson your students could have learned. What a sweet teachable moment. Love you Mrs. Adelman!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the pic. She already sounds ADORABLE! Angelica had pierced ears but they took them out right before they gave her to us and now she won't wear them. All of the girls who came home from Guatemala (most were 5-6 months old) had their ears pierced already. They were too cute.
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