Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, Chevrolet, and Abby

All American. As American as baseball and apple pie. She is in good company there :) It took almost a year and turned out to be more challenging then many of the parts of the adoption process, but Abby became an American citizen via a swearing in ceremony on 4/15/09. Tax Day. More fitting than you know because I was truly excited to get Abby's U.S. Citizenship declared, celebrated and documented so that I could rush over to the Social Security office, get her a SS #, file my taxes, and collect a sizable tax refund. Task complete. SS # and refund in hand within two months. Massive overspending on items we probably don't need has been underway since!

The citizenship ceremony was nice for anyone other than a parent of a toddler. Seriously, 5 hours in a government office (albeit a nice, new, well lit airy one) is no fun with a toddler. There is nothing to do and for some reason, the security guards had a problem with Abby playing with the metal detector and conveyor belt. Imagine that! The ceremony is held on a semi-regular basis for children of U.S. citizens. The majority of the several hundred kids there were teenagers who had their cell phones to keep them busy while they waited. My mom, Michele, Abby and I arrived early, checked in with Homeland Security official, and then waited and waited until all the people who were scheduled to show up did in fact show up - hence the 5 hour process. The paperwork said she became a citizen almost a year prior when she was officially readopted in Texas, but without the official certificate and ceremony, we really had no proof. You just can't ask why with some of these procedures. They are simply to be endured so you can cross the finish line and get the US Citizenship.

Abby after finishing initial check in paperwork

Getting Abby her US Citizenship was a relief. It was truly the final piece ensuring Abby has all the same rights and privileges under the law that I do as an American. I have read too many horror stories of children adopted from other countries whose citizenship status was pending for years and years. Some of these children were not able to get driver's licenses or get financial aid to go to college plus the current political climate at the time made me a bit uneasy anyway. I have seen first hand through this process how non American citizens can be treated, even little babies, and it struck me as wrong on so many levels. I have a new found sympathy on a human level for those trying to better their lives who seek employment in the U.S.

Once we checked in, we went into the "ceremony room" where there were two areas - one for those getting citizenship and one for the friends and family there for support. I left my mom and Michele and went and sat on the chairs with the small plastic American flags and copies of the U.S. Constitution. Abby didn't show a lot of interest in what the Founding Fathers had to say or write, but the plastic flags sure seemed mighty tasty to her. I tried bribing her with every snack I packed in my bag, but she wanted to take all the flags off the chair. The "take the flag, hide the flag, retrieve the flag, put the flag back on the chair" game grew tiresome quickly. I was ready to get on with the show.

Finally, an authority type figure explained how we were to take an oath, recite some non objectionable statements and then wait for our name to be called when our certificate was ready. I raised my right hand, took the oath on behalf of Abby and waited patiently. A short time later, the certificate was delivered, and we were free to leave. Michele took a few pictures of us from the cheap seats where she and my mom were sitting, and my mom spent the time getting to know the life stories of the other families who were also waiting that morning. Abby behaved well but was not overly interested in the proceedings. A cute older boy (about 5) kept staring at Abby playing flirty flirty with her. It was cute. Abby played hard to get (good move, Abs). If she was older, this would have been much more meaningful ceremony. But, honestly, it was only because her paperwork in Guatemala was approved so quickly (prior to my first visit to Guatemala) that dictated the type of immigrant visa she traveled home with. Given all the troubles we could have had, waiting for the US Citizenship was really nothing in the scheme of things.

Abby and I taking the Oath

Photo Ops with Flag and Statute of Liberty

Abby at the Park - Her American moments. Well not distinctly American, but because I mentioned baseball earlier, and she has a baseball cap on in these pics, I am putting them here. Deal.