Counting Down

Mom will you please stop taking my picture for your blog!

I am writing this as I watch Sidney happily munching on her cereal, thinking that watching her eat gives me a sense of peace. Eating has been a trial since day one. There have been many times we worried about her caloric intake. It is difficult to get food down a child who simply does not want to eat. We have turned a corner, and she is eating more. We experienced this before however not for this length of time. A lack of sufficient nutrition in the orphanage, and giardia, contributed to her decreased appetite. Nutrition has made all the difference in her size. She has gained 5 lbs since we came home, her hair is thicker, and she has the rounded legs and arms of a toddler.

I am on a countdown to the beginning of school. I love my children dearly; however we need structure and consistency in our schedule. Eli is like a caged animal the last couple of days. Mosquitoes in our yard and entire town make it miserable to be outside unless doused in a thick layer of Off. Eli will receive a replacement for his speedometer on his bike today, so hopefully, the combination of speed and repellent will be enough to get him out of my hair.

In a few days, Sidney and I will be left by ourselves. I am going to get Eli back into the school year before I make any decisions, however we are considering putting her into daycare one or two mornings a week. This is something I don’t want to do, but I sense that she would rather be around kids a couple of hours a day. This is understandable, considering she spent much of her life in an environment filled with children. I fear the additional illness in our house, so we might opt not to send her. This would be extra time for me to write. I contract, and I could pick up more if I had a solid block of time. Tom also has billing and other things I need to get done. I am trying to get a grip on what I will do when both kids are in school. I also see our families needs are different than when Eli was the same age with the addition of our business. Tom works all day and many times works into the evening. There has to be some balance, and I keep reading blogs saying many moms have at least an afternoon a week.

OK, off to accomplish something. Sidney is quietly sitting in front of Mickey Mouse watching the hibiscus hoola and proudly advising, “I love Mickey Mouse.”