Greetings!

We designed this site in order to keep in touch with friends and family who are far away and in order to communicate with other adoptive families from around the world.

When we first started researching this wonderful way to become a family we read everything we could get our hands on. Even though there are a lot of great books out there, nothing was as informative or touching as the blogs we found by adoptees, biological parents, and adoptive families. So we are writing this blog now in hopes of returning the favor. We hope that if you are dear to us you will enjoy keeping up with our adventures. If you are someone out there involved in a part of the adoption triad we hope you will find information and comfort here and provide us with some of your own!

If you would like to get in touch with us we can be reached at: becomingafamily@gmail.com
Feel free to stop by anytime. We're happy to share our family story.

Take care,
Brian and Rosemary

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Boy, Button, Mouse?

We were looking at some of Button's paperwork recently and we were noting a major cultural difference between America and Thailand. On his official paperwork it carefully notes his astrological sign. On the Thai zodiac, which is very similar to the Chinese zodiac with some small differences, Button was born in the year of the mouse. This is also sometimes called the year of the rat (like the chinese zodiac) but on his paperwork it clearly says, "xxxxxxxxxxxx year of Mouse". I don't know if the two words are simply interchangeable in the translation to English from Thai or if they are actually making a differentiation between the two, but as his Mother, I prefer to think of Button as "year of Mouse".


For those of you who don't know, the legend of the zodiac is thus, On the Buddha's last day on this Earth he invited all the animals to meet with him but only 12 came. To reward them he named a year after each of the twelve. More recently in Thailand, it is believed that everyone should make a pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime to the Temple associated with their birth year. Anyway, this is what the internet tells about the Thai Zodiac predictions for the year of the mouse 2008:
"The Mouse character is industrious, disciplined, eloquent, shrewd and meticulous. There downfall can be in a selfish, obstinate, scheming and vindictive manner. The temple associated with the year of the mouse's holy pilgrimage is the Wat Phrataht Sri Jomtong, in Chiang Mai. "
Of course, all predictions aside, we are just waiting to see what kind of an individual our little (boy, button, mouse) turns out to be but we are awfully excited to get to know him!!
--Rosemary

7 comments:

Jessica said...

I agree, the year of the mouse sounds much lovelier than the year of the rat. But I know your Button will be a sweetheart in any zodiac!

blackbelt said...

I am a mouse/rat too.

a Tonggu Momma said...

It's the same in China, too... it's the Year of the Rat, but many prefer saying the Year of the Mouse because... well... you know. I just remind them to think of Remy from Ratatouille, Templeton from Charlotte's Web, Scabbers from Harry Potter and The Rats of Nimh. Rats are the new mice. *grin*

Mireille said...

How interesting!! Where did you find the info on the temple? I would like to find out what temple the girls should go to... they are born in the year of the horse, just like me. And since we are going to Thailand next June/July we have enough time to go and visit!

Maci Miller said...

Hey, Roses! Interesting post. I knew the Thai followed the Chinese Zodiac often but didn't realize they had their own.

Yoli said...

Thank you for sharing this as my little girl who awaits us in China is also born in the year of the rat.

Kerrie (and Jason) said...

hey! I'm a rat (and proud of it). Husband is a pig and doesn't that suit him quite well (sush - don't tell him I said that!).

Mouse and boar doesn't have the same ring to it! lol