A lesson well learned

Do you know what I learned today? I learned that I should listen to my husband!! Scott's pet pieve with me is that I never read instructions and just jump into whatever I do and learn thru trial and error. Well, today was an error! One that I hope I will not regret and cost me valuable time.

Amanda was off from school, so I figured I would drag her to help me with the boys as we went to the crazy passport office downtown and applied for Kai's passport, something we should have done weeks ago. Anyways, I gathered up every document imaginable and when we got there I was told all I needed was Kai's Certificate of Citizenship. Yes! That was easy! I had it right there, on top of the 40 other documents that I thought I would need. So, I proudly pull out my piece of paper and the lady behind the counter says, "It's not signed Ma'am. Do you need to sign it?" Ummm.....duh! You're the professional. How do I know? She said she would check with her supervisor, came back a few minutes later, with the same blank look. She had no clue. Supervisor had no clue. So, there I stood, already upset because I was told it was going to take 10 weeks and if I wanted it in 4 weeks I would have to pay double to expedite it (yes, I know....my fault for procrastinating but I am just in the mood to bi*ch), and not knowing whether I should sign this darn piece of paper for Kai or not. You see, I have a Naturalization Certificate also, when I became a US citizen at the age of 22. But, I was an adult and I signed mine. I was told to always be VERY careful with this document, because not only would it take $250. to replace, it would also take approximately 18 months to get a new one. Since it never expires, shouldn't it have HIS signature on it? That was my reasoning. Although it has a baby picture, it would be the same picture he'd use it for in 40 years. Mine has a picture of me when I was 22. heh.

I then thought, let me call my old agency and ask, for sure they would know. The agency director told me that she wasn't sure what to do now, but when she adopted her daughters, she wrote their name on the certificate then signed her name and wrote BY MOTHER next to it. Hmmm.....ok. That was an option. But something still nagged at me that this document was different, it never expired, like a passport would. So, in 40 years, he'd present it somewhere and it would say BY MOTHER?

The passport agency did not want to take any liability in making that decision for me. They handed me a piece of paper with the National Passport Office's 800 number on it. I head to a quiet corner and call. I go thru the typical governmental requirements of dial 1 for....dial 2 for ....., etc. After about 5 minutes, it asks if I want to speak to a human! YES!!!!!!!!!!!! So, I dial 9 for a real person. I wait....and wait.....and wait. The passport woman behind the counter is now getting a bit impatient as are all the other people waiting behind me, not to mention Amanda who is trying to appease Kai and AJ who are getting very restless. Finally, a new recording comes out that says "We are experiencing a large volume of calls. Please call back at another time. GOOD-BYE!" Click. That was it. In a second, I was disconnected after having been on the phone with their inept system for almost 15 minutes. And NO ANSWER to my question.

I walk back to the counter and apologize profusely to the woman who had seemed to age while I was gone. I told her that I didn't know the answer. She says "So, what do you want to do Ma'am?" I told her, "just send it not signed. Hopefully they will accept it." Signed, sealed and delivered. I left with my receipt and with a hope and a prayer that I will receive a passport in 4 weeks so that I can then send them all in to get our visas to go to China.

I get home and decide that I would go to the place that has all the answers. The APC Yahoo Board. I post my dilemma and lay down for a nap with the boys while my head is filled with thoughts of receiving TA and can't leave because of Kai's passport not being here! I wake up an hour later, head to the computer and have about 10 emails waiting with answers to my question. And what were those answers? READ THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT CAME WITH THE CERTIFICATE OF CITIZENSHIP!!!!!!!!!!!! DUH!!!!

I pull out my instruction sheet which did not even have a crinkle in it because it has never been taken out of the darn envelope and clear as day it states:

"How Should This Certificate Be Signed? If your child is a minor and unable to sign, the certificate should be signed by you for your child. For example, if your child's names is Allison Jones and your name is John Jones, Sr., you would sign the certificate: Allison Jones by John Jones, Jr. The photo on the certificate should be signed in the same manner."

I won't even tell Scott about my day because it will promptly lead to an "I told you so!" that I really don't want to hear. A lesson well learned.