Apr 26

This is what it looked like on April 25 here. A week before we had been contemplating turning on the AC. Now we are sadly scrounging to find the winter accoutrements.

But if it’s got to look like this, at least I’ve got a cheery face to keep me from throwing myself off the nearest bridge. Spring in the prairies, is as it always was. Fickle!

We’ve been keeping ourselves entertained with a stack of new-to-us books from a big used book sale in the city. We were able to pick up several that looked brand new and one in particular that I’ve mentioned here before. M is for Mischief has been read at least a dozen times in the past few days and I expect we won’t be done with it for some time to come. In a perfect demonstration of my children’s different personalities, Avery loseWeight Exercises her mind when we insert her name into the text. “Angry Abby Avery’s apt to argue…”, somehow missing the irony of her complete meltdown at the suggestion that she is “angry”. Which only makes us laugh harder and continue to torment her. Kieran is thrilled at the “K” page about “Kicking Kenny Kieran”. Which means we spend very little time on it. Because it’s no fun if it doesn’t tick them off.

We’re awesome parents, aren’t we?

Ok, one more little thing I wanted to write down before I forget it forever. Today Avery was trying to tell me about a form from school that was “due” tomorrow but she kept saying it was “doomed” tomorrow. You know mom? Doomed? And I kept saying “Due? What is due?” and she would reply with an increasingly frustrated “NOOOO! DOOOOOMED!” until we were repeating a perfect Who’s on First routine only my daughter was in tears over her mother’s unfortunate stupidity. I think we’ve worked it out.

She’s just like me. Stupid people drive her crazy.

Apr 17

Dear Chosen Child,

This week we handed our enormous stack of paperwork off to our social worker to be sent off to one government office and then an adoption agency, and then to your country for translation and eventually to the government of your country and then to the bottom of a pile somewhere. This marks the beginning of our long wait.

We have just finished wading through the madness of homestudies, documentation, doctors’ appointments, criminal record checks, social services checks, lawyers and the seemingly endless details required to be allowed to wait for you. At times it feels overwhelming. A precarious mountain of paperwork to climb before we begin the slow descent towards bringing you home. Many have questioned the need for this much paperwork or the fact that we need to prove ourselves when there are children waiting for families. I’d be lying if I said I never felt even a little resentful. But a wise person has reminded me that while we are looking for a child, there are those who are searching, on your behalf, for a family.

If you ever question whether you were loved before you came to be with us, I can tell you already that I know this to be true. Because while I don’t like that it has to take so long and the red tape is sometimes tiring, it is good to know that there are people out there making sure that you will come to a good home. They don’t just care about getting rid of kids. They are genuinely concerned deeply for the children in their care and want them to have the best homes and lives possible. And while there may be days when you sincerely question their judgment in giving you to us (read: the teenage years), I hope you will feel the true devotion of these special people to seeing you not just live, but flourish.

We have been told to find out all we can about the culture of your birth. In doing so I have realized that I have had some major misconceptions regarding intercountry adoption. Countries do not relinquish their children easily. In North America we can be so egotistical as to believe that countries with orphans who need homes should thank us for adopting. But I have begun to realize how terribly much humility it takes for a government to allow citizens of another country to take and raise their children in a different culture. I have realized that while I have a responsibility to you to teach you about the country and culture of your birth, I also have a responsibility to your country of birth to teach you about the people you come from who loved you and cared for you and gave us the opportunity to love you too.

I have been warned not to call you “Chosen”. Something I never thought of as a bad thing, because I felt that I made the choice to become a parent, by birth and by adoption. Although it can safely be said that that is where my choice ended as I didn’t choose your brother and sister specifically, nor will I have the opportunity to choose you. It was suggested to me that adopted children who have grown up with the label “chosen” sometimes feel tremendous pressure to be…something extraordinary? I’m not sure. Let me be clear: I expect no more than for you to be happy and make the best choices you can in life and to learn from your mistakes. I use “chosen child” for you at this moment because I don’t know you and calling you “Child-who-is-probably-not-born-yet-and-who-I-plan-to-love-until-my-insides-explode” is not practical. I hope you understand.

With all my love,
Mommy

Apr 12

And speaking of being back in the saddle, I have neglected posting pictures of, well, anything lately. So to catch up…

We went to the zoo where we spent hours playing at the zoo playground…

…mostly with the leaves on the ground. Because why else would you go to the zoo?

It was a beautiful day.

Just me and my babies.

And then it was Easter. We dyed eggs and that was entertaining for about 3 minutes.

And then we did the traditional Easter egg hunt for baskets and chocolates, etc. That was entertaining for much longer.

We also spent some time working on renovating the first of our three bathrooms (all of which need a fairly significant facelift). And by we, of course, I mean the hubby. So this…

…was turned into this.

And then we went on a short trip to visit my best friend who happened to be visiting a few hours from us. It was fantastic. And isn’t her hair awesome?

Our kids got to meet each other for the first time and we had the chance to enjoy each others’ company and drink good wine and it was fantastic.

Our hubbies are comically different in stature but very similar in personality. I love it.

And so that is a little of what has been going on with me. There’s been more, of course. There always is. Stay tuned.

Apr 10

So I seem to have fallen off the blogging wagon. Oops.  I haven’t lost my desire to blog, just the ability to actually complete a post, it seems. So I decided the only way to get back on the wagon was to just hit the publish button. I’v e started half a dozen posts in the past several weeks and I hope to finish some of them before too long. In the absence of anything meaningful to write about at this exact moment, I have something really cool to show you.

Ever heard of Sseko Designs? These sandals are made by young women in Uganda who have recently completed secondary school. The money they earn is meant to help them pay university tuition and go on to complete higher education. And if you don’t think they are totally adorable, then you are crazy.

These are the ones I just ordered and if I love them even a fraction as much as I think I’m going to they will be well used. They come in different colours and patterns and I’m not sure but I suspect the selection changes from time to time. Buying a lovely product for a good cause is right up my alley and this company ships to all over the world which is pretty amazing!  Check them out!

Well now, that wasn’t so hard after all. Consider me back on the wagon. :)