Adoption Care Package to Korea

Last week, we sent a care package to Isaac and his foster family. I had been working on getting it all together for a few weeks, and I was so excited to get it mailed off. It arrived on Monday (April 5, 2010); I sent it Express so I could track it. However, I don't know when it will be received by Isaac's foster family because I think his foster mother may have to come into the adoption agency office to pick it up--so I guess it depends on schedules, commutes, etc. Many adoptive families receive photos of their children with care package goodies, so I am hoping we will receive some pictures, too.

I put a lot of thought and research into what to include in our care package. Here are the guidelines that Bethany provided regarding care packages to Korea. On one of the adoption message boards I frequent, I read that some agencies limit what you can send to what fits in a gallon-sized plastic bag. I didn't find that in our agency guidelines--though we were advised to keep the package small and not to include anything of great value, as there is never a guarantee that it will arrive (or make it to the foster family) safely. Oh, another thing I read is that it is a good idea to send items with a combined value of less than $100 (or even less)--and to make sure that your customs declaration indicates such. Apparently, this has been an issue in the past with agencies having to pay $$ on the care packages--another reason to keep the gifts small and inexpensive. And that can be a challenge when you are sending things for your child and for the people who are taking care of him.

Because I appreciated all the ideas and suggestions I read on other blogs and on the boards, I wanted to share what we included in our care package. Also, I wanted to document what we sent. For many of these items, we have duplicates. That way, if that Isaac happens to become attached to something in the care package that doesn't come home with him, then we will have another one here (in case that might be comforting to him). Maybe just seeing something familiar will help with his initial transition. We are open and willing to try ideas that may help with this process.

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Here is what we sent for Isaac:


A Gymboree one-piece romper in two sizes (3-6 months and 6-12 months) with matching socks (of course!). Isaac is 6 months old, so I wasn't sure if he would need 3-6 (because Gymboree runs big) or 6-12. I had both, so I sent both. I also have this same outfit in 12-18. Don't ask. :o)


Coordinating panda bib and hat from Gymboree. You can't tell in the photo, but the little hat has panda ears--so cute! Also included in the package was a red bib with a cute little dog on it--you can see it in the main photo at the top of this post.


Orange cat rattle toy from blabla. We are big blabla fans in our family, and I love that this is a rattle and a little stuffed animal toy, too. And it is orange--which represents Tennessee, my home state. (OK, that last one is a stretch, but I think it is kind of funny. LOL!) Meow!


Bilingual board book about The Lord's Prayer. This book is in Korean and English. We purchased it at the Korean Christian bookstore when we were on the Korean adoption outing a few weeks ago.


Baby photo album with pictures of us in it. The image I put in the front is a photo we took the day we received news of our referral. I am holding Isaac's picture. :o)


Inside are photos of our family. Our social worker advised us to include photos of our immediate family only.


With the help of my MIL, I labeled some of the photos in Korean with "Mom," "Dad," "Sister," "Family," etc. I guess Tanna could have done that, too, but I already had asked his Mom to help me with the labels.


Pictures of Kate, labeled "Nuna" in Korean. "Nuna" is what a little brother calls his big sister in Korean. (There is a different word for sister if it is a sister-sister relationship--and I suppose the word is also different depending if you are referring to an older sister or a younger sister. The same goes for brothers, etc.)


Comfort Silkie Bonding Security Blanket--I read about these online and decided to order one. It supposedly holds a parent's scent and helps comfort little ones. It is used in NICUs and the like across the country. I slept with it for several days before putting it in the care package. Tanna had a lot of jokes to share (of course), and I have my doubts (I am a trained journalist, after all)--but, as I mentioned, I am open to ideas to help with bonding and am willing to try things out. If this blanket carries my smell and helps Isaac to somehow recognize me--or if it even becomes a comfort item for him--then I am all for it!


The blanket was a bit wrinkled by the time I mailed the care package. I love the tag that you can have sewn on--at no additional charge. It reads "Under His wing, God showers me with comfort," referencing 2 Corinthians 1:5. By the way, for the record, it is really small, so calling it a "blanket" is kind of a stretch IMO--it's more of a comfort thing to hold rather than to cover up with.


Musical Photo Buddies key chain-type toy--I love that this plays songs (including "London Bridge") and holds pictures. So cute. The only thing is, I don't think it has an off switch, and I could hear it playing through the package if it got bumped inside. There is no telling if it even played at all by the time it reached Korea--but perhaps it cheered up some postal workers. (At least, I hope it wasn't too annoying--LOL!)


Recordable Storybook from Hallmark--these are awesome! And hard to find! I actually had looked for the Christmas one back during the holidays, but it was sold out all over the place. I then read on one of the adoption message boards that people were recommending these for adoption care packages, and I loved the idea. If you aren't familiar with these books, you can record your voice as you read each page, and the recording automatically plays as the pages are turned. You can "lock" the recording once you are happy with it. I was so excited to call and find out that a nearby Hallmark had just received some of these books. I bought this one over the phone right then--and then went to the mall that night to pick it up. That's how hard-to-find these things can be. By the way, if you are at a Hallmark store and don't see any out, be sure to ask a store employee--the Hallmark where I bought this one hadn't even put them out yet. So there is always a chance that the store may have some of these books in the back. And it never hurts to ask. ("My" store also had a waiting list for people who wanted to be called when they received new titles or a new shipment.)


Tanna filled in the title page in Korean (and a little English). We took turns reading the pages. I was very pleased with how easy it was to do and how well it turned out.


The last page of the book--the words are very fitting for an international adoption, don't you think?

OK. I think that's it for things that we sent for Isaac. We wanted to include things to help him get to know us and to reach as many of the senses as possible. I have no idea if any of these things will actually be received or used, but it is a nice feeling to be able to put together personal gifts and send them to our son.

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And now ... what we sent for Isaac's foster family:

How on earth do you choose small gifts to send as a thank-you for taking care of your son? I wanted everything to be just perfect--but at the very least, I hope our eternal appreciation is conveyed on some level.


In researching ideas for foster-family gifts, I read that a lot of people send edible gifts as well as things that are made in the USA. I chose Jelly Belly jelly beans because of the season, because they are so popular, and because they are American-made. Plus, my friend Marsha and I toured the Jelly Belly company in California several years ago, so there is a special memory for me. The funny thing is, I don't really eat jelly beans--but Tanna loves Jelly Bellies. In fact, he was hoping this bag was for him. No such luck--but the Easter Bunny did bring another bag just for him. LOL!


Box of teas--made in the USA. I bought these at the Dahlonega General Store.


Angel/heart photo ornament with Isaac's picture in it.


Plaque (for lack of a better word) with Scripture in Korean and English. I bought this at the Korean Christian bookstore. My SIL Darlene and I went back there a couple of weeks ago. There were several kinds of these with different Scriptures, but I chose this one because the verse is from John. (Isaac's given Korean name--and what will be his middle name--is Yo-han (John in Korean), after the Gospel of John.) I also liked the blue flowers. This is made of plastic--and technically (like the above photo ornament) it is breakable, but not necessarily fragile. I took extra care in packaging these items, and I really hope they made it to their destination without any damage. I understand the risk, of course, but I really liked this and wanted to send it.


Thank-you card and note translated (by my MIL) to Korean. I also included a postcard from Georgia and a few extra family photos.


I was so grateful for my MIL's help in translating the note. I struggled with what to write, and I hope the depth of our gratitude was somehow expressed.

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Once everything was gathered and prepared and photographed, etc., it was time to pack it all up. It really looks like a lot, but it was mostly pretty small stuff and packed up rather well. I found an appropriately sized box to fit everything and got to packing. I labeled everything individually with Isaac's ID number and also indicated if items were foster-family gifts (although I think it's pretty obvious :o)). I grouped things into a few large plastic baggies for extra protection and organization. I also was sure to wrap the few breakable items and to pack them extra carefully. And before I taped and taped (and taped) up the box--I tend to go a little overboard with tape--I included the address on the inside of the package, just in case.


And finally we were off to the post office!

After completing all the Express Mail and Customs paperwork (those things confuse me, by the way), the care package was on its way to Korea!


YAY!