"Born Outside a Medical Facility"

So, I was a good mom and we took care of Matthew's passport in a timely manner, online so it was typed nicely.......and we mailed it the next morning, in January, on our way to go to the Bay Area for his Rotary Youth Exchange interview. The website said it would be about three weeks.

Three weeks rolled around, and there was an envelope from the State Department. "It's here!" I thought.

WRONG.

It was from the State Dept.....but it was a letter. Not a passport.

And, paraphrasing, here is what the letter said:

Due to the fact that you born outside of a medical facility, we require further information to prove you are indeed a citizen of the US.


Sheesh.

So, if you are born at home, in a county in a state of the US......and have a birth certificate to prove it.......it is not enough? The birth certificate is the same as everyone else's in this county. And, even though the said birth certificate and the passport paperwork state that your parents were born in Kentucky and California, they still cannot be sure you are a US citizen???

Come on......

So, in the same letter, they asked for a combination of original documents to further prove our case.

Here were the choices:

Vaccination record......shoot, we don't vaccinate. So, no proof here.

Early school records.......aw, man.......we homeschool.....this will not work.

Medical records from the first year of life.........well, we do not "do" doctors unless we truly need them.....so, while I did take him in at two weeks for a breathing issue........it was the only visit that year.......and, wouldn't you know, after 18 years.........they shredded it a very.long.time.ago.

Alien registration cards of the parents........we obviously cannot provide these.

Border crossing cards for parents........see one above.

That left only one piece of paper we could provide......

Church record with date & place of birth..........


PHEW!!!

Matthew was baptized at two weeks of age......so, we had ONE piece of proof.

But, of course, they wanted a combination of proof.

Since we belonged to a local charter school.......I was able to find the earliest form I could find.........and we sent that also, though it was by no means, an early school record.

I also sent a letter requesting information about why the original application and birth certificate were not enough......but they have not responded to my letter, though they have returned all of our original documents.....and......finally......sent the ...........

PASSPORT!!!

YES!

And, later I realized something funny.......and this is SO a generalization, so don't be offended, but, the majority of...

homebirthing, non-vaccinating, homeschooling, doctor-avoiding folks I know...usually do not go to church...and therefore would not even have a church record. Golly!

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So, now....I am guessing it is time to update on Matthew's plans for the near future......but, that will have to take another blog post. And, you know how slow I am about that. :)

Have a lovely day!

I am going to do the best I can to have a lovely day.......what with back-to-back chauffeuring all.the.day.long!

First I am sitting here waiting for Maddelyn to get out of her music fundamentals class......and then I rush home, have lunch, and take Matthew & Sarah for dentist appts in the town two towns north of us.....and then I rush Matthew back to German class..........go home........go back and get him....and then rush off to teach childbirth classes.......followed by at least one more hour of work on the computer for work. Can I just say: I just want to stay home???

BYE!

Love, Chari