We’ve a number of soon-to-be adoptive parents reading our blog (we’re praying for you all!) so I wanted to make a brief post on “the stuff” as in, stuff I’m glad we brought, stuff I wish we hadn’t taken with us, and stuff I really wish we had packed. We received a number of emails and packages from folks who’d gone before us and their advice was extremely helpful.
Stuff I’m Glad We Brought. Number one on the list is a laptop. It’s a lifesaver. Not only do you get to stay in touch with everyone (assuming you find decent internet), but your kids will love it. Monica and Kelly are enchanted by all the videos of home, the pictures and videos we take during the day, Skyping with their cousins and Abuelos, and the occasional Dora Dora (who knew this series was so cool!) flick. We also brought a flip video but its battery died on us on the second day (and it wouldn’t charge in the heat). So our trusty camera with its built in video does the job.
Among the items we brought for the girls that have been a big success: backpack, sunglasses, Bubbles (the BEST thing in the world), Jump Rope, tattoos, hair do-dads, crayons and coloring books. Oh, and Teddy Bears. Note that most of these are available in Colombia and if you’re hurting for space you can just buy them in the market.
Kristen gifted us two industrial strength toddler sippy cups (and awesomely practical gift). Get these. They’ve also been a lifesaver.
Stuff I wish we hadn’t brought. Actually, we did pretty good with this. We did seem to pack a lot of food items (even after I convinced Renee to jetty most of it). You don’t need to pack food. The supermarket has everything. Other areas you can loose weight is sunscreen (can buy it here for the same price).
Stuff I wish we brought. Hands down – a reading light! The girls don’t fall asleep well if a normal light is on. We’ve looked for one with no success. We also forgot to pack a small clothes line (we ended up using the shower bar).
I also highly encourage any adoptive family to bring a printed photo album. The girls have the one from our Dossier (they love it) and even though we watch videos and pictures on the computer they sometimes want a tangential object.
The biggest point I would make is that you can find most of what you need at any supermarket. No need to cram those suitcases (you can even find clothes pretty easily…although they seem to be the most expensive items you can buy).
