Can a squirrel be an omen?

This morning started well. One of the members of the family of squirrels living in my garage finally managed to trip the trap door of the live trap I set out a few days ago. After the first day, I had noticed the peanut butter had been touched but the door had not been tripped. The second day, the cup of peanut butter was outside of the trap but again the door had not been tripped. Then yesterday, the cup of peanut butter was nowhere near the trap (instead, it was up on a table near the front window of my garage) and I was convinced that the squirrels were messing with me and had figured out the trap and that the whole contraption had been a waste of time and money. Well, all that changed this morning.

Today, not only was the cup of peanut butter still in the trap (I had attached it to the back of the cage), there was also a freaked out black squirrel in there too! My dad helped me release it in a park not too far, but also not too close, to our house. This squirrel turned out to be a lucky squirrel as this morning, all but 2 of my documents are finally translated.

As some of you already know, a few weeks ago, I received some devastating news about my current adoption process. After making a simple inquiry as to the status of my file, I learned that back in May, evaluation of my file had begun, but then was promptly returned as it had not been translated. After a month passed, and no response to the deadline imposed by MIMDES, they considered my file abandoned then they archived it. Well, had I known, I certainly would not have let that happen.

So, after a lot of begging and pleading on my part, on August 5th, the lawyer looking after my file at MIMDES gave me another 10 day deadline to get all my documentation translated. When I contacted the agency, I was informed that there was a backlog at the translation office in Lima. The director of my agency drafted a letter asking for an extension to the deadline. I organized to have translations made of all the copies I kept in case the appeal was denied. Thank goodness I have some experience with backlogs and that I kept copies and that I managed to find a brilliant certified translator available to take on my file on such short notice!

This morning, the fabulous A-M came through and got most of my translations done. Only two documents remain and they will be done by Monday. A-M rocks! I have already forwarded the translations that I have and attached a read receipt to the email. I never do that, by the way, but this time, I just had to know that this particular email would be received. And it was!

Happy, happy day. That little black squirrel was one lucky harbinger. :)