"True"

Whoever thought one little word could cause so much angst? True - it's a nice word. Short, easy to spell - a noble word.

Keep in mind that I have a book full of instructions for the mountains of paperwork that has to be collected and everything has to be done just so. One little omission in any one of the many pieces that make up the official "dossier" can cause a delay in an already too long wait for our child. We received the last piece, the I171H, which had to be copied on legal size paper notorized, certified, apostiled and then stamped by the Chinese consulate. Since it is a copy, " This is a true and authentic copy of an original document" must be written on it, before it is signed in front of a notary.

So, early Monday morning I walk to the courthouse, stopping on the way to make my "copy on legal size paper". I walk up to the counter, to the same woman, Michelle, who helped me on Friday and hand her the paper, telling her I need it notorized and certified. She looks at it and says "you have to take off the true". I say "what?". She says " I can't notorize it with the true". "what?".... evil look (from her, not me. Not that I didn't want to give her a dirty look, but she held my notorization in the palm of her hand, so I had to be very, very pleasant)....."But, my agency says that's what has to be on it" She rolls her eyes. As I pull out the extra copy and write " This is an authentic copy of an original document" I am picturing a chinese official somewhere in China rejecting us as parents because "true" isn't there.

Now this may sounds really obsessive, I know because I am reading this thinking, Jennifer, this is really obsessive. But, trust me it's not. After 3 sets of fingerprints, mounds of forms filled out just so, well. It. Is. Not. Obsessive.