Citizen

Little Jack Felix was approved for his US citizenship - I had to explain all my schooling, exact dates of where I studied and when. And they try to trip you up with trick questions - what neighborhood did I live in Cincinnati? Did I leave Chicago at any point during my studies? When did I start working at Cinergy? etc etc It wasn't bad and I answered all satisfactorily. They asked the usual green card type questions about how Damian and I met, where we lived in DC, if we had ever lived apart. They were satisfied that all was good and approved Jack for his passport.

The appointment wasn't bad, but the process is SO slow. The appointment was for 8:00, we got upstairs to US citizens services around 8:20 (there is a whole security process to get up there), then about an hour later they took my documents and we paid for his Consular Report of a Birth Abroad. Then we waited AGES and AGES - while admiring/mocking the crazy outfits of everyone who was visiting the Embassy and commenting on CNN, changed a diaper, did a fairly long nursing session for a hungry boy - and then at 11:30 they called us for the interview which was over in 15 minutes. We paid for the passport and left. 4 hours! At one point they made an Embassy-wide announcement about a security training taking place at noon "in the area formerly known as XX." We tried to stifle our laughs but it was so funny. Like the area formerly known as Prince...

Jack didn't complain at all, we did have to lull him back to sleep but he was very well behaved, no major crying at all and was fine to nurse under the cover on my lap surrounded by lots of new strange noises.

2 passports down, 2 to go! Though now we need a little break. The French are currently processing his French birth certificate, so I am patiently waiting for that since I am in no rush to do another passport process. Need a break.