I made a natty little spreadsheet today. You enter in the most recent date allocated, and the date allocated prior to that, and it works out how long it is until our LID, then calculates - based on that rate of allocations and the days between referrals - what date we will receive our allocation.

So apparently we will see our next child on 31 July 2026.

Referrals are up to 12 January 2006. Currently the rate of referrals is 3 days every month. :(

I'm feeling a little more heartened after reading the IAFQ (International Adoptive Families of QLD) magazine this month. There are plenty of families where the older children are 16 & 13 or whatever, and the parents are close to 50. We would hardly be unusual in that regard. And at least we won't be paying 3 sets of school fees at once... plus Gemma will be old enough to babysit the Baby Panda and drive her to swimming or whatever, while I rest my weary bones.