28 April 2007

YAHOO!!!!!!!!

This is it...
How much fun does this look like? This is what we did today...bought the play set I never had. It's a tree house and play set for Budda Bean and Curly Q. It is going to be in our backyard in 2 weeks!
Am I more excited than they are??? This is one of those times that I've lived vicariously through my children...OK, I ADMIT IT!

25 April 2007

PASSPORT NIGHTMARE

Case: Getting Passport to travel to Bahamas
Person: Our 4 year old
**CQ got Citizenship Papers...Budda Bean didn't**
Frusterated: Mommy
Crazy: Our Government Regulations
We are (were) so excited. Jason got an ALL EXPENSE PAID vacation to the BAHAMAS for being on the top of his salesgoal for the year. Why would I bring my kids do you ask....because I want to.:) Anyway, 2 months ago when Curley Q got her Citizenship Papers I realized that this was not the same thing that Budda Bean got. Instead, he got a Permanent Resident Card. So, after checking w/INS we realized that when he came home in '03, the rules/laws were alittle different. You had to "apply" to get Citizenship Papers. So, a couple of weeks ago, I made an appointment with INS and filled out all of the necessary paperwork for him to get his Citizenship Papers. (After we get his Citizenship Papers in, he must be re-coded by Social Security even though he IS a Citizen!!!)
This is where the tricky part comes in...we want to get a passport for Budda Bean, but his Citizenship Papers have to be sent in for Citizenship Varification with his passport info.
No: his Permanent Resident Card doesn't work, AND no the I-551 stamp in his Russian passport that verifies his Immediate Citizenship doesn't work either.
No: he can't travel w/his Russian Passport and PR card because when you are a Citizen of the USA, you can't travel w/any other passport b/c in the US they do not recognize dual Citizenship...so I was told by INS.
Yes: I've called everyone stemming from the Bahamian Embassy to INS to Passport Officers to Government Supervisors of Homeland Security...NOP we are out of luck until that Citizenship Certificate comes in...in about 60 days(they say). Can we expedite that? We tried and were denied b/c needing the papers for "Passport Purposes" isn't a valid enough reason.
Yes: I am sooooo sad and frusterated!!!!
Any advice?