What's next, pubic hair conditioner?

OK...I know this has nothing to do with IA, but I think SOMEONE needs to comment on this...its been irking me since I first saw the commerical a few days ago....

There is a new commercial for an underarm deodorant/antiperspirant. In the ad, a group of women is given some antiperspirant, a t-shirt and a tank top. They are given 5 days in which to use this new 'pit juice', after which they must report back, wearing which ever of the two clothing items they feel most comfortable in. All but one woman return wearing the tank tops b/c, somehow, a miracle has occurred and they now have amazingly smooth underarms that deserve to be shown off. And of course, they are all bubbling with excitement over this newfound freedom to don a tank top!

Did I miss something when it comes to armpit hygiene? Is there suddenly an epidemic of women with rough, tough armpits that must never be shown? Is this a silent, previously taboo subject that thankfully can now be discussed in mixed company? Just how long has this been going on? And why have I been so out of the loop? Am I just one of the 'lucky ones' that has yet to suffer the heartbreak of ugly underarms? Am I doomed to come down with 'uglyarmpitosis' once I reach a certain age? What is a woman to do?

Seriously though, am I the only one that is tired of companies creating new ailments that women must be convinced that they DO suffer from, in order to increase sales? I really don't think I am alone when I say, "My armpits are doing fine and have been doing fine thanks!" Sheesh....its not like I need any convincing to use antiperspirant/deodorant....not like its a new product, or even 'new and improved'....I'm human, therefore capable of sweating and smelling. That's the bottom line. 'Nuff said.

Some stuff going down in IA land...

I started this blog so that I could do something a bit different than what I've already been doing throughout our current adoption. I have another 'adoption journal' on a cutsie, 'everything is perfect here in international adoption-land site'. But, truth be told, not everything is so rosy all the time. Things can and do go wrong. Disruptions, unexpected illnesses after adopting a child, corruption, baby trafficking, unethical agencies, and my personal pet peeve - the internet groups that claim to be 'Christian', yet so easily slam anyone who speaks outside of what has become the norm in adopt-speak.

It seems that lately, I've been reading more and more about the 'dark underbelly' of IA...are more and more people running into trouble or are more people just now willing to speak up?
Case in point - one potential adoptive parent (PAP - kinda a yucky acronym) was recently denied an adoption of a child in an Asian country b/c of the colour of her skin (turned down by the Asian country, not her own) . Her agency is trying to bring about a favourable resolution to this situation, but in the meantime, plenty of people seem to be running scared that any mention of this case could put all potential adoptions in this country in jeopardy. Is this really possible? Is all this 'walking on eggshells' really necessary? If so, what does this say about the state of IA in general? Or about the relationship between the sending and receiving countries?

Personally, I'm becoming more and more disillusioned about the whole process the more I research and read. My immediate solution is to see where this leads me in term of continuing to find out more. I'm far from an expert parent or IA expert, but what I am is one of many, many parents who are ALREADY parenting a child who joined their family through IA....so that obligates me to keep searching for answers.

Welcome

Hello! Welcome to House Mouse Has a Family!

After years of reading and living viacariously through the blogs of others as they navigate through the journey that is International Adoption (specifically, China), I have decided to add my own version of 'bloggy goodness' to the mix.

You may be wondering why I have chosen the name "House Mouse". Here's the short version -
It is a nickname I was given as a child. Since what my daily life and the majority of what my posts will be about, I thought the name just fit.

Feel free to leave comments...I will try my best to reply, if necessary.

See you again soon,
HM.