"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break." -Chinese Proverb



29.5.11

Wanna know a secret?

Hubby and I will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary in October. That in itself is not a secret. We have planned a family vacation.....at first we were going to do a Disney Cruise....in the Caribbean. Then I got nervous about being on a boat for so long....so we decided that we would go to Turks and Caicos to a resort for families.....well, totally my style, I waited to long to book and the price doubled.......so.......we are going on a Disney Cruise! And we have a balcony room!!!!!! OMG....for someone who was so nervous....I am beside myself with excitement. Our port of calls include St. Maartin, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay which is in the Bahamas! I have 5 months and 3 days to wait but I know the wait will be well worth it.......It'll be our first destination vacation of three and our second since we married....Adrien and I have spent the day looking at cruise videos, Mickey and all his friends and the different destinations.......EXCiTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E.....Mickey Mouse....Mickey Mouse!!!!!

27.5.11

Pop Rocks


I remember as a kid loving the fizzy candies that popped and fizzed loudly in my mouth, it was delicious and fun....just what candy should be. Then I remember hearing a whole bunch of urban legends about mixing this beloved candy with pop.... and things about it being harmful... like people exploding because the force of the combination was so strong. I remember being able to buy the packages of the crackling candy for about a quarter at the corner store. Then...poof....they were gone....I don't actually know if they were gone for real or gone because I was growing up and my candy eating was becoming more sophisticated and I didn't really want the Pop Rocks anymore. Years passed....and I had run across them on occasion, remembering them fondly and how much fun I had running up to people wide opened mouthed so they could enjoy the crackling too, watching the next generation enjoy them and explore with them. Well, I now have my own next generation who was introduced to this candy goodness......and I have proof of the first encounter!

23.5.11

May 2-4, 2011

Most Canadians celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday weekend by going camping or to the cottage. The weather has normally been less than perfect, with rain and coldness. This year, the week before the long weekend, we had 9 hours of sunlight when we normally get 55 hours... Needless to say, when the sun peeked out Friday night it was party time on the street! My friend and her daughter came up to visit on Friday night and we played outside until the street lights came on....all the neighbourhood kids were out, playing basketball, rollerblading, scooting, bike riding and paying. The boy was wiped out!
Saturday was another gorgeous day, where we got the turtle pool out for water play.....had bbq's and just hung out outside.....I got a burn!
Sunday started out rainy but quickly cleared up and out came the BBQ for lunch.....then rain soothed us into a nice nap....and when we a woke, it was sunny again! We invited friends for dinner and had a great night....now today, we are going to visit Nonno, to celebrate Zio's graduation from his apprenticeship.....and it's looking nice out already....until reality sets in and I have to go to work tomorrow!




19.5.11

It's hard being 3

Yesterday our mild mannered, chilled out, outgoing, sweet boy turned 3.... and something happened...On Monday, the day after his birthday party, he invited a little friend over to play. The child who would give you the shirt off his back told his friend he didn't like her and to go home.... I was crushed...she was crushed...so we had a little talk about empathy and he seemed to be ok for the rest of the evening. Then, the day before his birthday, he gave daddy a run for his money on their morning together. First off, we have a no jumping of furnature policy because you can get hurt. So he was jumping on the bed and his dad reminded him that we sit or lay on beds..... the boy looked at dad and asked "why?" Dad explained, the boy replied "I don't want to" and continued to jump. you must realize that my husband has patience...from where, i don't know, but he has them! He again told the boy that furniture was for sitting or laying on and to come over to him....The boy laughed "NO!, you can't catch me" and proceeded to run into his room, slam the door and hid in his closest! When my husband was telling me, I was laughing so hard I couldn't stand it, but hubby was quite upset by it as it continued all morning.....throwing food on the floor, jumping on the couch, squeezing him juice box and finally peeing all over dad.....on purpose..... That night, we went to see the cousins and he behaved well, I thought it was a one shot deal....well, I was wrong...I don't know if it was him over tired, too much attention around his birthday or what, but we went to a resturant with two little friends for dinner and he started crying.....wailing.....not knowing what he wanted, not wanting me to do things, screaming....just not himself....my two mom friends where shocked as they had never seen this before (nor had I) and I think we were all at a loss.....finally, we got some food into him and he seemed to taper off a bit and started enjoying himself...playing and laughing with his two best friends.....When we got home, he started again with the whining and crying. I took him straight to be, where he didn't want me to put his pjs on, where he didn't want to go pee, where he didn't want to do his bedtime routine....so I just cuddled him and rocked him until he fell a sleep.....within 5 minutes, at 7:45....he had a restless sleep around 10, where he couldn't get comfortable....after about a half hour, he found rest and slept until 7:45 this morning.
I don't mind that he has challenging behaviours as he tries to exert his independence....it's cute actually, I just hope he doesn't lose his sweet demeanor through it.....Happy 3rd Birthday my love....may you grow to be loving, forgiving and happy!
















16.5.11

2 years

What a difference years makes in people's lives....and when that someone is your new 1 year old son, two years passes in a blink of an eye....though two years ago, this day felt like forever away... A will be three on Wednesday.....and I get looks from people who don't know he's adopted, looks when they ask me if he's an only child....looks when they ask if we want more.... people are weird... so full of judgement and without realization of people's realities....if that even make sense....and just like when we were going through our assisted technology, I feel compelled to assure them that "we're working on it!".....I don't know why I feel obligated to inform mere strangers of our parenthood plans....but I do....and I do....so here is a look of the little man over the last two years.... WOW... all I can say is WOW..... where did my baby go....man, I love that kid.....

15.5.11

Celebration

Today is the 2 year anniversary of meeting our beautiful baby.....we celebrated Mommy style! With a bunch of cousin, three little friends and LOTS of music, dancing and food! I think he was so excited cause he woke up at 4 in the morning and couldn't contain himself....the kids dressed up, sang kareoke and ate! What a blast.....we threw in his 3rd year celebration while we were at it!



13.5.11

Our Mother's Day...and other stuff

WOW..it's taken me a while to write about our Mother's Day this year...it was F A B U L O U S..... we spent the day together, outside, cleaning, eating and with neighbours. It appears that my son has some very fantastic photography skills...I was awoken with a picture of him and hubby framed....gorgeous! We then let daddy go back to sleep as we headed outside.....we played with the neighbour kids, cut the grass, cleaned up....ran to Wal-Mart..cause what Mother's Day is complete without a trip to Wal-Mart...then out to lunch with a neighbour....then in for a quick nap before heading out again...we didn't come in until 8:30! It was fabulous....

On the second adoption front...I seem to be dragging my heels....the social worker has contacted me to meet and I keep putting her off....it almost pointless to do all the work now when we won't be doing our training until the fall....and I don't know how I feel about another child.....of course I want another one...our family feels like someone is missing....when I'm driving, I always expect to see two kids in the rear view mirror....I think it's the anticipation of doing it all over again.....I'm referring to the wait.....the wait kills me....OMG....though it could be quicker this time....we'll see.

As for the boy turning 3 next week, I wrote his first mom another letter. Though it's a closed adoption and our identities are protected in the letters, I'm torn as I write them. I am so proud of how well he is doing, that of course I brag about his gains and strengths...and I pray that she reads the letters, not because I want to rub it in but because I can't imagine what she must feel not knowing....not knowing that he is safe, healthy, learning, developing and loved.....I try not to put too many pictures in because I don't want her to be sad but have you seen the kid.....he's stunning...how could I just pick one or two. As his birthday approached I find her creeping into my thoughts more and more....and I pray for him, that one day, he will be able to meet her, have questions answered and know that she did not reject him or abandon him....but that she had her own issues and wasn't able to care for him. It's funny because people joke and the social workers have shared, that if she is to have another child, we would get that child because of the biological link. I don't think she will ever have anymore....I don't know why I feel that way but it's my gut instinct and I'm pretty good with it. My wish for her, on Adrien's 3rd birthday is that she opens the letter that I sent and finds the courage the read it and look at the pictures....and maybe, just maybe write us back.


Meat on a stick ROCKS! if he could get it off the stick!

9.5.11

You know

Spring is here when you have spent every last waking free moment outside with your kid...and have TOTALLY neglected your house work and chores......ah, man!

7.5.11

Mother's Day....take 1



So tomorrow North America will celebrate mothers.....today.....the world of adoption will celebrate Birth Mothers.....I don't know Adrien's birth mom though I think of her often, almost daily.... she is the woman I wonder most about....she is a mystery to me, besides what I have on paper about her, I don't know what she looks like, I don't know what she sounds like or what colour her eyes are, though I know when I look in my son's face, I must see glimpses of her....regularly, without knowing it.....Today, I wonder how she is doing....if she gets the letters I send, if she wonders about the wonderful little man she carried for 9 months....does she look at ever 3 years face and wonder....."is that him?".....I want her to be happy and know that he's doing well....he's thriving....he's happy....he's loved ...he is so loved by so many and has impacted so many lives with that smile.... so to her and all first moms....I want to wish you the Happiest Birth Mother day ever....and may you be happy...today and every day.....


Today is also very significant for me.....it's the day I offically became a mom...... Two years ago today I got the call..... that we were chosen as Adrien's parents... read about it here http://adriensworld.blogspot.com/2009/10/call.html

6.5.11

Little Did I know.....

....that two years ago today would be my last day as just a wife, daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin and friend....it would be the last time that I ,came first for me..... May 5, 2009, Rob and I had an interview about this profile that was about a one year old named Adrien. He had had a rocky start in life and was thriving in this foster environment. Out interview was 90 minutes, 30 minutes longer than expected and went very well.....not only do I remember that events of the few days, I remember every Adrien related moment starting two day before the interview when I had my entire family up at the house for a BBQ....we were joking around and talking and it was the first time my dad had heard of the upcoming interview and possibility of becoming a grandparent again, it was when I told my sister in law that she and my brother would be the child's God parents.....it was a great day....then Tuesday and the dreaded interview came.....and went....very well....then can May 6.....my dad's birthday....We all went to the Mandarin for dinner....All I could think about was the interview and how I was so sure I would be hearing the next day about how the interview went, even though the social workers said a decision would be made early the following week.......and here we are....two years later, celebrating my dad's 61st birthday.....with a child and getting ready for our second.....little did I know....