What They Don't Tell You....

when you decide to adopt.

1. Karate class must be built into your new monthly budget.

2. Karate teacher will begin to salivate with anticipation as he watches his new pupils warming up on the side. They got skillz.

3. Aforementioned karate teacher will be slighly disappointed when he finds out they are Chinese.....not Korean. Karate teacher is fluent in Korean karate speak and was looking forward to having someone to converse with.

4. You briefly consider adopting a child from Korea to appease said karate teacher.
5. You decide that is definitly not a reason to adopt.
6. Jet lag is evil.

7. We have already covered how evil jet lag really is.
8. If you want to know more about how aforementioned evil jet lag is consult any and all blog posts of mine around the end of January/beginning of February.

9. Caution: I was beyond coherency at that point.
10. When you are preparing to send your husband and son on a plane to pick up your new son you will be slightly jealous as you browse through old photographs of your time there a few months ago.
11. It makes you want to get on a plane and go with him.
12. But then you remember the jet lag.
13. And the jealously runs screaming in the other direction. And you remember how important it is that one of you be coherent for the journey that lies ahead of you when he comes home.
14. Your new 7 year olds have many toddler behaviors.
15. This will intrigue you.
16. But the speed at which they surpass these behaviors and settle in will positively astound you.
17. Jet lag is evil.
18. You will love your new kiddos more than you ever thought possible and you will be forever grateful that He called you across an ocean to find the perfect children for your family amongst the vast sea of orphans that wait.
18. Putting two #18's on a list whilst making a list will throw your readers off a bit.
18. Putting three #18's on a list while making a list will make them wonder if you have any list making abilities at all.
18. And then after using 3 #18's for no apparent reason, using 4 #18's just seems fun.
19. When you are standing at the playground in Guangzhou behind Lucy's talking to Sally and she asks you who you are going to be coming back for and you assure her that the answer is no one, that you are done growing your family.....be aware......you know not of which you speak because 6 months later you may be there again adopting your 7th son.
20. Your heart will forever be broken for those left behind.

Things they don't tell you.
It's quite a list.