Week 5, not that I'm counting

As I sit to finally write an update, I am sipping my Coca Cola Light and being pelted by hail as it bounces off the terrace and into our open sliding door into the living room.  Until this week, Bogota was in its dry season which was a little drier and hotter than usual.  We were in heaven!  But now, it seems like the rainy season is in full swing with a daily downpour in the afternoons.  This is the Bogota weather we remembered from 4 years ago.    Still, compared to snow measured in feet and temperatures so low that school is routinely called off, we count ourselves very fortunate.

Domicilios Addiction
Health here remains iffy.  I have a hacking cough that has required two visits with the doctor.  Just a few days ago, Andy seems to be getting the same thing.  Thanks to a referral from our friend Carmen who runs El Refugio (we stayed with her our first week) we got the number to a doctor who makes house calls, or "domicilios".   After our first visit, she also called a pharmacy for my prescriptions, who also delivered to our door.  Oh, and dinner that night was also by domicilios.  While an absolute luxury, it usually only costs an extra dollar or two.

Sanity, thy name is Alecia
This week I called the woman known by many as "The Baby Whisperer."  Alecia worked for families who stayed at Betty's Place.  Now that Betty is enjoying her retirement, Alecia is working odd jobs when she can get them.  So when offered a regular gig for the rest of our time here, she jumped at the offer.  She is now coming by from 8 - 1:00 Monday through Friday feeding, dressing, and entertaining the girls.  We are now both able to work unless we have adoption business to attend to.  Already our stress levels have decreased and I feel like I can do work as I had planned.

Attention all families coming to Bogota for adoptions, call her!  She is spectacular and the kids love her.  We should have done it weeks earlier.  If you want her contact info, let me know.  

Social History & FANA Visit
With the girls settled in with Alecia, we headed out to FANA to meet with Flor, one of the social workers at FANA.  Josie, being older, had a different path to adoption and much of it was documented in the papers that we had received with her referral.  Our social history was really a chance to see some pictures of Josie as a baby that were taking from her time in foster care and then at FANA.  This was worth it all!

I have no skill at approximating baby's ages, but here she looks like maybe 9 months???

This one kills me.  So sheik!

We then had the pleasure of walking through FANA with Juanita, Josie's therapist and now friend.  She herself was adopted from FANA as a baby, so I can tell how much the good work that they do means to her.  It means so much to us as adoptive families, I can't imagine. 

This handsome lad is waiting for our friends to finish up their paperwork and scoop him up with kisses! 

This is a therapy/exercise room for the toddlers.  Josie would have spent time in here.  Little Angelica is waiting for a family (sitting on the caregivers' lap).  If you are interested in her information, I am happy to connect you with someone who can!

FANA now has more older children that they are caring for.  Everyone is working hard to try and make these great kids available for adoption so they can have the love and care of a family.

Paper Process

We are now in the final waiting stage with our paperwork.  After being stalled for a while, our file was accepted by the judge and then approved/accepted by the Defender of Minors.  Since Wednesday our file is waiting for final approval, known as Sentencia.  Legally, the judge has 10 business days to complete this, but often it happens sooner.  Laser beam prayers on this one, please!

Almost, but not Quite

Onto a more frivolous topic, food.  We have enjoyed two restaurants that are eerily similar to ones in the states.  Let's see if you can figure out which restaurant concepts may have inspired these Colombian equivalents!

Sipote, a place where you stand in a line to have your perfect burrito, taco, or salad built. Cilantro rice?  What kind of beans?  Meat?  Salsas?  Cheese and/or sour cream?

You enter Parque Safari through a giant hippo's mouth.  For those of you familiar with the area, this opened 7 months ago and is close to Crepes & Waffles and Bogota Beer Company on a side street!

Hmmm, giant aquariums?  Animatronic elephants and tigers?  Fake trees and flowers everywhere?  Any ideas?

Sorry this one is sideways, but I was wondering why the name 'Rachel' was everywhere...  it's because their elephant mascot shares my name.  Great.