Nine, eight, seven.......

Nine days and counting. Did that sound desperate? It’s time for school to start, soon! I remember how much can be accomplished in 2 hrs. 45 min, a few times a week.  Not that I’m keeping track. Eli is in school all day, and this is the period of time I have with Sidney in preschool!

Finishing the summer off with swimming lessons for Eli.

I have been thinking a lot, as I always do. Analyzing and reanalyzing. My mother and I are known for our analyzing conversations, to which my dad says to my mom “Jean, stop analyzing.” I thought about our role as adoptive parents and our tendency to focus solely on the adjustment of our children. We push our own needs aside. Down time, time to accomplish without kids whining, and a chance to take a breath are vital. This isn’t a selfish statement, it’s the truth. Two years ago, diapers and a one year old was a huge change. I had a self-sufficient seven year old. Adoptive parents are hesitant about admitting any of this. We wait years to travel, and tell ourselves it’s selfish to behave in any manner other than sheer elation. We sometimes talk about our struggles coming home, but we don’t readily admit anything past discussion of attachment and bonding. 

Dad succumbing to social media and his first FaceBook account.

Thankfully, after a couple of weeks, getting back into the routine of having a small child in the house, things balanced out. I didn’t have long to contemplate the change, because we started a new phase in the adoption, medical care. And I started writing again which is something I will probably take on in another month or so. For me, it feels good to contribute financially. But before I can get back to mining in Australia or information on the supermarket industry in post-Soviet countries, I am going to paint our walls a different color. 

Speaking of contributions, I took one for the team and started cleaning the garage. It’s a beast of a project, but it is one of those projects that have been put off too long. So today, I might do something exciting like go and buy a push broom! Take a look at the photo below. I had my back to Sidney, thinking she was playing out in the driveway, only to hear “look at me mommy.” The picture doesn’t look as high as she was actually sitting. Nor does it show her climbing up with the bike leaning on only it’s kickstand. Look at her legs between the seat and the bar, and you have some idea. I obviously didn’t have a camera with me at the time, so I quickly used my cell. I can’t believe how much balance it took to get up on the seat without falling over. She has no fear, and her mother is going to give her mother a heart attack!