Wednesday in D.C.: Ceremony & Gala

Wednesday was Day 5 of our trip to Washington D. C. and it started out slow. We had no morning plans, so we slept in and had Starbucks for our late breakfast.

Nathan enjoyed the down time by playing on his stroller.

Our first event of the day was lunch and our "Pinning Ceremony" in the Senate Caucus room of the Russell Senate Building. This building is one of the office buildings across the street from the Capitol, and this room was beautiful (and apparently historic too).


The food was not necessarily historic, but good enough.

But the main thing was receiving our "Angel in Adoption" certificate and pin. They took professional photos, but we haven't gotten them yet. We tried to take a picture with our own camera, but it didn't turn out so well.

The young lady standing with us is Sarah, our Congressman's legislative aide. She was the first one to notify us about the award, and she was our main contact with Bart's office while we were in D. C. We enjoyed getting to know her, and she told us she was adopted herself.

The elevators in the Senate & House buildings were very ornate--we were just glad to not have to take more marble steps with the stroller.
After the ceremony we had time to go to the National Gallery of Art. We decided to take a cab and got one just before a brief but heavy rain. Whew!

While Mark looked at an exhibit called "the Art of Power" with a lot of cool Spanish Imperial armor, Janet and Nathan found some souvenirs in the gift shop.

When we came back out, the sun was shining again...

...and we returned to our hotel room for some more down-time (aka goofing off in pajamas & daddy's shoes time)
That evening was the big event - the Angels in Adoption Gala and Reception.

We took a taxi since we were dressed up, but we were delayed slightly when Nancy Pelosi and her security crew showed up at the hotel for an event she was attending there.

After they got out of the way, we finally were on our way to the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center.

We felt honored to be included in this program along with all the other Angels, including the three National Angels in Adoption - Al Roker, Judge Michael Nash, and Sean & Leigh Ann Tuohy.
Al Roker is, well, Al Roker. Judge Michael Nash started National Adoption Day to help judges clear out a backlog of adoptions for foster children. The Tuohy's adopted a young man named Michael Oher who was going nowhere. But once he had a family, it turns out he was quite the football player. He was a first round draft pick for the Ravens this year. Their story has been turned into a book and a movie that comes out this Thanksgiving called The Blind Side.

The couple is played by Tim McGraw & Sandra Bullock in the movie, but here is the real deal:

Meanwhile, in the back of the room at our table, we were just having a good time in our fancy clothes. We got dressed up real nice! Look at those beautiful smiles.

Nathan's chicken & fruit cup were expensive (our tix were free, but not his) but actually very tasty.

Nathan made a new friend--Representative Bob Whittman (VA), who was sitting at our table.

It was late, so Nathan was getting silly. He had a blast giving Bob "fives" and telling about how his Mommy had just changed his poopy diaper. Oh yes, you heard it right...

Nathan had a poopy. No surprise there. He had just finished a large bowl of fruit and a few big pieces of chicken. You know the drill. But then Janet had to find a place to change him. Where did she end up? On the floor. With a makeshift changing mat. In the hallway of the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center! In her fancy dress, shoes, and pantyhose. With all the Gala attendees walking around them as they went to the restroom ... and Nathan saying "Hi!" to them all. Such a polite kid.

And then, to top it all off, when he came back and started playing with Representative Bob, he kept saying, "I went poop! Stinky!" to him. When Bob asked Janet to translate, she told him the truth. (Sometimes the truth stinks.)Our buddy Sarah from Bart Gordon's office was there too. She enjoyed playing with Nathan too. After the gala, there was a dessert reception, and she and Janet had a good time talking about life, etc.

Then we caught another taxi back to the hotel and hit the hay. Our Angels in Adoption experience was officially over. What an amazing experience it was for all of us.

Hobart the Cat (and Cousin Zac)

Tuesday night of our trip to D. C. we didn't have any activities, so we took the subway out to visit Janet's cousin who lives in the city. We also got to meet for the first time his girlfriend Monica and his cat Hobart.
Here is Nathan with our hosts.
Nathan had always been skittish around pets before our D. C. trip. But while we were at Josh's house he had warmed up to the puppies that lived there. When we met Hobart, Zac showed Nathan how to pet him softly, etc. and they became best buddies.


Needless to say, Nathan had a blast and still talks about "Hobart Cat" regularly.
Aside from having a delicious home-cooked meal with Zac & Monica, the other highlight of the evening for Nathan was riding the Metro subway--or as he called it, "Choo-choo-fast!" Imagine his eyes as big as saucers and his arms pumping in front of his chest as if he's running (which is his sign for "fast") while he says that: "choo-choo-fast"!

I hear my train a-comin'...

So after our visit and the subway ride home we had finished another long but exciting day.
We were glad to see our hotel again. Check out the view!

State Department Visit and Capitol Hill Day

Tuesday (Day 4) was a big day! Soon after 8am we were in the lobby of the hotel waiting for a bus to take us to the Department of State! Here we are all dressed up, waiting in the lobby. In the background, the man sitting in front of the Winston Churchill poster is Judge Nash, the man who started National Adoption Day. He was one of the National Angels in Adoption recipients.

After we arrived at the State Dept. and went through security we arrived in an exhibit hall where they host receptions. Everyone was crowded around a square area where a podium had been set up. We wedged our way to the front of the crowd and sat on the floor so Nathan would be able to see. And we waited. And waited. And waited.
Nathan got a little squirmy...

...but eventually our extra-special host arrived, Madame Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton. In this photo, Sen. Mary Landrieu (chair of CCAI advisory board) is presenting a picture to Sec. Clinton. It is a beautiful shot of a little girl looking over the reflecting pool toward the Capitol.
Sen. Landrieu and Congressman Jim McDermott each spoke briefly, and then Hillary talked to us. We were literally sitting at her feet! You can hear & watch video of the speeches here and here.

Whatever your political views may be, pray for this woman. In her position she has ENORMOUS diplomatic influence over issues related to international adoption. Pray that she will use her position to pave the way home for orphans.

After the reception, we waited outside for a long time because there weren't enough spots on the bus for everyone. It was a beautiful morning, so we talked to other angels and just hung out.

What a handsome young man! And what a shiny, bald-headed daddy!

When the bus finally came we headed back to Capitol Hill for an afternoon of advocacy. CCAI had set up meetings with our legislators to let the angels tell their stories. Doing so would hopefully make a significant impression in the busy halls of Congress.

First we joined a seminar hosted by several congressional staffers to learn about adoption legislation being considered. Janet and Nathan didn't stay long because we were overdue for lunch, and he was restless. What came next was more significant for us.

After the seminar the angels were grouped into teams for the rest of the afternoon. With these teams we were to go eat lunch and proceed to appointments with our respective congressmen and senators. Our team was a very friendly group--two families who had adopted and served foster kids for decades, a mother with her two daughters adopted from Vietnam, an attorney who was also an adoptive dad, and a lobbyist for foster kids. Getting to know them was one of the highlights of the trip--they certainly were "angels". The two girls also kept Nathan entertained as we trekked around, under, and through the Capitol, the Congressional office building, and the Senate office building. There are innumerable stairs in these buildings, not to mention the ever-present security checkpoints, and we had a cranky two-year-old in a stroller with a tight schedule. It was a little stressful at times, but our team members helped us out, and Nathan really handled it well considering. Of course, he was being carried like a prince in his stroller up and down these marble staircases.

We started with lunch in the Longworth building cafeteria—it was pretty impressive—but there wasn't much time to enjoy it. Plus we had to wake Nathan up to get him to eat, and he was very cranky and uncooperative. Then we were off to our first appointment with Rep. Dale Kildee of Michigan.

Our leader had advised us on the most effective way to do our visits. The constituent angel would do most of the talking, followed by brief stories from a few of the other angels. In Rep. Kildee's office I gave this brief synopsis of our story:

My name is Mark Carlton, and this is my wife Janet, and our son Nathan. Nathan came home to us from Guatemala last August, but it was a long journey of about two years to get to that point. In addition to the never-ending paperwork we had to deal with several personal difficulties, including Janet's unexpected brain surgery and the death of her sister during childbirth. But despite all those obstacles, we were finally able to bring Nathan home. It has been about 14 months since then, and Nathan is thriving. The thing that consistently humbles me is that the only thing he needed to flourish was a home. So we feel privileged to be his parents. But that also saddens me because I know there are so many other orphans like him that just need a home. So, anything you can do to pave the way home for those children would be well worth the effort.

Keep in mind that, as I was talking, I was also moving Nathan's stroller back and forth in between the coffee table and the big congressional desk in an effort to appease our cranky little man. As soon as we had come into the office he got very whiny and uncomfortable—maybe it's a natural survival skill—politician aversion. But the only way he would stay calm was to keep moving. (We eventually went out into the hall for a while) It was a little nerve-wracking for his parents, and it was the same scenario in each of the office visits we had, although he got a little better each time.

Next we went to Bart Gordon's office. Since he was already more familiar with our story, we didn't share as much, but talked more about the kinds of problems Bart's office helped us with--immigration beauracracy, etc. Then we took pictures! Notice the nice view of the Capitol from his window! (Slightly less interesting is the marker in Mark's hand--it had been keeping Nathan occupied during the boring visit.)

This photo was taken in front of a recent picture from the refurbished Hubble telescope of a newly discovered galaxy.
Before our next appointment we went to a gift shop, then headed across the capitol complex to the far side where the Senatorial offices are. More steps, more security, more walking. We finally ended up at Idaho Sen. Jim Risch's office. He and his wife were gracious hosts, but we let others do the talking. And then, more pictures!

At this point the day was over, at least as far as our Angelic duties were concerned. What an experience! We had been told not to be disappointed if we didn't get to see our congressman because they often have to attend to other things (for example the healthcare debate!) and seeing their staff is almost as effective. But we were able to see all three leaders in person. The best part, however, was getting to know the other angels. They really were nice folks with remarkable stories like ours. Here is a shot of our little band of angels walking behind the Capitol.

Angels in Adoption: Monday, Tour Day

On Monday morning--Day 3 of our Washington DC trip--our Angels in Adoption adventure began.

Josh gave us a ride on his way to work, which was just a few blocks from the hotel where the events began. So we had the first of many, many walks through the streets of D. C.


Fortunately, the weather was beautiful all week.

We put a lot of miles on Nathan's stroller!

Our first stop was at the Liason Hotel, where we would stay for the rest of the trip.

We had some breakfast, started meeting other angels, and talked to several adoption-related agencies who were exhibitors at the reception. The most significant one to us was the Joint Council on International Children's Services (JCICS). Mark got to thank their president Tom DiFilipo and program director Rebecca Harris for being a valuable source of information during the Guatemalan adoption turmoil that began in September/October 2007--the exact time we were starting Nathan's adoption. Sadly, they said there are still a few hundred families whose adoptions have not been finalized and there are no plans to start any new adoption system by the new government.

For lunch we went to the Union Station, which was several blocks from the hotel.

Inside there were a lot of shops, restaurants, and of course a subway station. We had lunch in their huge food court, then walked to the Capitol Building for a guided tour.

Most of our activities during the week were at or near the Capitol, so we saw it a lot. But it never ceased to be impressive, whether from the outside ...

...or the inside.

Our guide told us--if I remember right--that the Statue of Liberty would fit inside the Capitol dome with room to spare. Wow! Some of the figures painted inside the top are 15 feet tall!
There were statues everywhere, including this famous actor/politician.

They told us that there is a layer of the pedestal for Reagan's statue that is made of crushed pieces of the Berlin Wall. I thought that was pretty cool.
There were many beautiful views from the Capitol. This is on the side of the building looking over some flower beds toward the Washington monument.

After our guided tour came the highlight of Nathan's day--the bus tour! Yes, we got to ride on a real BUS! (He loves all big motorized vehicles.) Look how excited he is :)

Inside the bus! We're riding on a bus!!!

The bus took us all over D. C. to see the main monuments. Mark took many pictures through the window, but the one that was hardest to get was the Washington Monument. At first when we were driving beside it, the trees kept blocking the shot. Or the bus would start moving and make the picture blurry. Finally, he stalked his prey long enough to get the perfect shot.

Eventually, the long day overcame the little one's excitement. His face is so sweet when he's asleep, so Mommy didn't mind.

After the tour, we had to meet Josh again to ride back to his house and have supper. On the way, we saw the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial - for those who have died in the line of duty. We stopped to sit for a while and let Nathan play with some of the statues.

Raawr!

(That was Nathan and the tiger saying "Rawr!" together.)

This is the memorial.

After we met up with Josh we drove back to his house and picked up some burritos & tacos from a place called Chipotle's, which made an awesome supper.

Then we got our things together and drove back into the city. (This is when we shot the video of Nathan saying "Wash! DC!" that we posted a few days ago.)
We made it to the hotel, got unpacked, did a little bed-time reading...

... and called it a day.

Day 3 - check!

We had to get some rest because the next day would be even more exciting and busy: reception at the State Department w/Hillary Clinton, followed by legislative seminar, followed by appointments with 3 different Congressmen. Yikes!

Road Trip (in the Rain)

Our trip to D. C. started the way every trip does--with a week's worth of making piles of clothes, toiletries, and supplies, followed by a night-long marathon of packing, resulting in this humble collection of bags.
Too bad it took until ...

... to get it done.

Early the next morning we got up and hit the road around 6:30am Saturday morning. It was cloudy, but we didn't have any rain until we got to Smithville. Then the bottom dropped out, and kept dropping out. In fact, IT RAINED ALL DAY LONG FOR ALMOST 500 MILES!!!

But it didn't keep this little guy's spirits down. He had a great time and . . .

sang a lot of the "rain, rain, go away" song.

Daddy, on the other hand, was worn out.

But don't worry, he wasn't asleep at the wheel--well, OK, he was--but not while the car was in motion. The car was parked at a gas station with an awesome overhang at the time.

We even ate lunch in the car at the welcome rest-stop in Bristol, VA. We had brought supplies for PBJ sandwiches, which saved on our budget too.

Finally, finally, finally we arrived in Lexington, VA. We got take-out from the restaurant next to the hotel, kicked our shoes off...

and had a picnic on the floor of our room.

Nathan was thrilled to be free of his car seat.

And since there was a pool in the hotel, we decided to go swimming!

It was Nathan's first time in a pool, but he had a wonderful time being carried around in the water and kicking his feet. There was also a large hot tub, which felt great to our tired bones and muscles. So after a long, full day, we were ready for bed. Whew! Day One - Check!

Day 2 (Sunday) started off with something missing ... the rain was finally gone!

We had a nice, dry morning driving up the Shenandoah Valley, and pulled off the road for lunch at one of the gateway towns to the Shenandoah National Park, Front Royal.

We drove around until we found a good place to picnic at the town center & visitor's center. Nathan was, of course, glad to be out of the car and glad to be eating.

It really was a pretty afternoon sitting under the trees... (that's Nathan & Janet on the park bench in the background)

...and watching a bee.

This buzzy little bee shared a couple sips of Mark's Dr. Pepper and kept us company during most of our lunch. Thankfully, he was not an angry little bee.

So long, Front Royal...

... Hello, Springfield!

Our next stop was at the house of an old friend from MTSU and his family who live very close to the city.

Josh, a fairly fuzzy fella, and Nathan became instant friends!

Nathan knows how to treat his host. He jumped repeatedly on him and pulled his beard a lot, all the while squealing in his ears with delight. (Thanks again, Josh, for entertaining our little man.) But I think Josh enjoyed the diversion.

The Young Family entertained us and let us stay in their house for the night. Thanks, Miranda, Josh, and Maya!

Day 2 - Check!

Wash! D.C.!

Washington D. C. sounds like such a fun place when pronounced by a two-year-old, and in reality it is. We had an exciting trip to our nation's capital a few weeks ago, and we have a lot to share about it. We hope you enjoy the pictures and stories that follow. To get you started, here is audio of Nathan saying his version of "Washington DC" as we about to get onto the interstate to drive into the city.

This video was taken at night so it is very dark, but listen very carefully to hear Nathan say "Dee Cee. Wash Dee Cee. Wash Dee Cee." at the beginning of the clip. He then mentions that his animals, Barker & Kitty, are happy--"hap-pa"--that we're going there. Mark then attempts to translate, but Nathan drops the animals and says, "Oh No!"