Did you know that when you go get passports for your kids that both parents have to go? They do this so one parent can’t leave the country without the other one knowing it. So if you are planning on doing that, make sure you get the passports done before it becomes obvious.

Anyway, we went with all our kids down to the unairconditioned post office and waited in line 3 hours to get their passports. Huge deal. Hubby even took off work to go do this. Our passport experience is a little difficult because Noah and Dinara were born in Kazakhstan. So I brought all the adoption paperwork, all the official translations, the US readoption paperwork, their American birthcertificates, their Kazakh birth certificates (both orginal and the second issue when they changed them to show us as the parents), green cards, social security cards, kazakh passports etc.

Now before I continue, I need to just educate you that there is something called the Child’s Citizen Act. It was passed into law in Feb. 2001. It basically states that child adopted abroad become automatic citizens when they enter the country. Great law eh? Yeah because it saves us several steps of paperwork. We no longer have to go through the nauturaliztaion process.

Problem is, the bureaucracy is really just catching up. The INS and the Social Security department do not share information so sometimes, depending on what remedial crew is at the window, you might catch slack trying to get your kids social security cards. And since not everyone knows this law, there is really no way to show that your children have citizenship. Do the border agents know this law? Some do, some don’t. So we decided we better get proof of citizenship before Mexico. You can pay money and order the Certificate of Citizenship or you can get a passport. And since I’m a lazy mother and was sick of paperwork out the ying yang…what did I do? Oh… I just decided to wait.

So we are standing in line and get up to the guy and he goes over Emma’s. No brainer. Then he goes over Dinara and Noah’s. Uh… do we use the readoption certificate where the US courts confirmed the adoption was legal and issued the kids American birth certificates or do we use the forgien adoption decree. The one with in Cyrillic and sewn together with thread and stamped with what looks like a kiddie ink stamper? He opted for the US court document. Of course.

He goes through everything. We have to send all original documents. I am secretly relieved I don’t have to send the Kazakh documents because they are irreplaceable.

Fast forward. They tell us that we will have their passports by July 7th. John leaves July 8th to join me in Florida. Our cruise leaves July 14th. We get Emma’s before we leave. I go to Florida and assume that John will bring the other two.

Well you know where this is going right? We get a notice from our lovely federal government that they wont issue the passports without the foreign adoption decree. That US adoption decree? Meaningless to them. And all this is happening a week before we are supposed to be leaving. They will not let us on the cruise without proof of citizenship.

So I call the Mexican Consulate. They were no help. I call INS. They have this lovely complicated phone tree where you finally get all excited that you are going to talk to someone who can help you and then you get a recording telling you that the wait time is more then 30 minutes and then disconnects you. And it was at least a 20 minute phone tree too. Finally I get a hold of someone in the passport office in South Carolina.

I plead with them to use the US decree. They listen but of course, they can’t change procedure. And what was really irritating was that they couldn’t use the US decree because it state the date the kids entered the country. But the foreign one didn’t either!!! Gah. Anyway… so then I got on the phone with hubby and we had to figure out what documents exactly they wanted. Because ya know, it’s not like it just says “Foreign Adoption Decree”.

Let me just state here that all these phone calls took a whole day. Cause you know, nothing is fast when you are dealing with the government.

Then I tell hubby what he needs to do. The expedite fee we now must pay. The letter that must be included. The fedex envelope where it goes to and the one to come back. And I give him the number of the woman to confirm all this with. Hubby feels overwhelmed cause I am the one who usually handles all this stuff. But I’m not there to do it. And he’s trying to pack and get work finished up and now has to do all this stupid paperwork. Oh and remember…. Call and confirm with the special agent working on our case.

But does he do that? No friends. He does not. He simply seals up the envelope drives out to Issaquah and hands over the FedEx envelope. Living on a prayer that he has sent the RIGHT priceless documents. Cause you know…that was the path of least resistance.

Ok… so I won’t make this a story about how this just sent me over the edge and how it’s a perfect example of why letting my husband handle any paperwork for the family stresses me out to no end. I realize that this is about me and my control issues…. And you know, he is capable when he wants to be.

Ok but wait.. it gets better.

So it’s the night before hubby is going to fly out to Fort Myers and I’m going over with him on the phone all the things he’s packed. You have your belt and dress shoes for the wedding right? You have at least 6 pairs of shorts right? You have the labeler for the house right? The contract CD I asked for right? You found your passport and packed it right?

*crickets chirping*
*nervous laughter*

Him: You know honey, I have a funny story about my passport
Me: Oh God no. Please don’t tell me you lost it.
Him: No. No. I have it. But you aren’t going to believe this. (more nervous laughter)
Me: Oh… I dunno… I think I will.
Him: It’s expired.
Me: GAH! You mean to tell me while we were standing in line for 3 freaking hours getting your children passports it didn’t occur to you that you needed to renew yours?!!!
Him: *chuckling* Amazing isn’t it? Never occurred to me.
Me: This is exactly what I mean when I say I feel like I have four kids. That I have to not only manage everything for our three children, but also think about all your stuff too. It sends me over the edge John. Really. Do you really expect that I should have to manage YOUR passport renewal as well as our kids?
Him: No. I screwed up.

*sigh* So… we got the kids passports. That all worked out. He did send the right documents. And after some research, we discovered his expired passport would work for Mexico. But that’s not the point of the story now is it?

My husband and I really don’t fight but if I had to put out there the one thing that drives me absolutely crazy it’s the fact that I feel like I have to manage and motivate everything in the family. That he just expects me to cover all the bases. Then when the bases aren’t covered…it feels like my fault.

Oh and by the way? The dress shoes? Yeah he forgot those too.

Related posts:

  1. Hot Hot Hot
    2.   Noah had us all up at 6:30 this morning. ...
  2. Lifebook Angst
    3.    I need to start on Dinara and Noah’s...
  3. Busy Busy Busy
    4.    I know my blog is sort of short on content...