We’re at the top of the hill and about ready to swoop down the track. Which is better/worse, the anticipation or the actual “tummy tickler” feeling?
We are moving. Soon. My husband started a new job within his same company (he’s worked for them for 12 years) with their technology division in Denver. We will be heading out there next week to look for housing and explore the area a bit. Ryan will work in the office as well that week and the girls and I will do a bit of school in the hotel and explore our new city.
We have lived in St. Louis for almost 11 years. I told Hannah that this season is called, “Bittersweet”. St. Louis has been our home for a long time. There will be some hard good-byes to invaluable friends who have meant so much to us. God placed people in our lives who have helped form our ideals and convictions, whom we have shared life’s ups and downs – people we have “done life” with. There will be some landmarks that we have taken for granted as ours that we won’t visit or frequent anymore (I was near tears this week when I drove by our doctor’s office/hospital where we have such great physicians and where Hannah was born). I won’t be seeing my plants green up and turn beautiful once again this spring.
As for the Sweet – the mountains, the over-300-sunny-days-a-year that Denver boasts, a career opportunity for Ryan (which is important in this day and age). We are all adventuresome and are looking forward to living near the mountains and getting to know our new area. Ryan said, offhandedly, a couple of years ago, that if he were going to move anywhere, it would be Denver.
So, off we go, on this next adventure. I am praying for my girls to see this and walk through it positively and courageously. Hannah has already had a few tears over not seeing her drama production through. I was sorry for her. She had won a great part in it and was giving up something very important to her. I’m not sure what her director said, but Hannah is at peace with it now. I pray for more great opportunities – and great people in my children’s life in our next leg of our journey through this crazy thing called life.
My three year-old’s newest favorite adjective: disgusting.
Actually, it comes out more like, “It’s is-gussss-tig!”
She used it twice today in context, but since it was disgusting I will spare you the details.
Loves to play in the snow!
Today is prefect for enjoying the 6 -7 inches we got in the last day and night. The stuff is powder with no ice and the sky is clear and blue with no wind. Perfect!
There are snow angels, big boot tracks and little boot tracks, and sled marks up and down every hill. More fun will come when Daddy heads out to the hill for sledding. He is the biggest kid of all!
There is a down-side for a homschooled kid, though. Hannah hasn’t realized what a “snow day” is. We do schoolwork with long breaks for playing outside, then back to the work at hand. Our productivity on a day like today usually allays my guilt over missing school for doctors appointments and other things.
Today, though, it was hard to make her come in, but, alas the lure of “sweet cocoa” did the trick. That and the realization that she couldn’t feel her toes.
(I have some great pictures, but am still learning about our new editing software for posting to the blog.)
Every article of clothing Ellie put on this morning was backwards upon further inspection. Doesn’t bother her one bit! She’s pretty cute with the satin bow that should be in the front of her pants actually on her rear.
when I saw Ellie licking the condensation off the window this morning.
I started to say, “Ellie, please don’t lick the windows. That is yucky!” But, I thought, gee, what a strange thing to have to say - it would be my luck that the receptionist would click back over to me!
Well, she has slept 4 nights without it. She is quite nonchalant about it, but I am pleased as punch at how easily she has come through this as she so was very attached to it.
Ryan and I were resolved after that first night that it should be gone, so there has been total commitment that it is time for it to go.
There was frantic crying the second night at bedtime, one wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night crying jag that was resolved very quickly and a couple of unhappy nap/rest times.
All in all she is doing great! – Chewing on her Extra Bubble Gum (she calls it “my loooong, flat gum”) whenever she remembers that it is her privilege now.
It has been a great opportunity for us to tell her how strong she is and that she can do it and we, as her parents, will help her through this…
“Yesterday is history, Tomorrow’s a mystery. Only today is present, I think that is why they call it a gift.”
Well, she made it through the night with nary a peep! Her mouth was wide open – like there was a pseudo-paci in her mouth when I went in to check on her late last night.
She didn’t have too much to say about it when she got up just now. I was ready to close the deal and asked if we can put them away for Treasure. She nodded and then broke into a smile.
I quickly saw to it that she got her piece of gum…Now, she is “MMMM”ing and enjoying that Sweet Berry taste.
Ellie has been in bed now for almost an hour WITHOUT her pacifier – at her request. I took out her monitor for our trip to Florida over Christmas and didn’t see the need to return it, but now I would love to know if she is in there tossing and turning or sleeping contentedly.
We gave her a pacifier in China on our first day with her. Her paperwork said she chewed on the edge of a blanket so my mom suggested I take a few pacifiers. I have always been so happy with how much comfort she gets from her “paci and taggie”. A mother wants her child to have comfort, especially when she hasn’t always been able to be sure it was always there. I haven’t felt the conviction to force her to give it up, nor have I made a big deal about it to her, but I have begun to pray that God will make it an easy transition for her when the time is right.
Ellie’s real motivation here is GUM. She loves the smell of Hannah’s Stride Sweet Berry gum (sugarless, of course) and wants to be big enough to have it. A couple of months ago she decided that when she gave up the paci, she could begin to have gum. Sounded reasonable to me.
Anyway, it could still go either way because I know she sometimes wakes in the middle of the night to get her paci…
I think I have said here before that I think my heart is guarding itself against how difficult the waiting is while seeking to adopt a child. It was such an arduous process in waiting for Ellie’s referral. The waiting time frames doubled during our wait (unfortunately, China is way beyond that at this point). I remember going outside almost every night and looking up at the stars and praying, wondering, dreaming, lamenting…
I told Ryan the other day that, gee, I like the baby-stage, but I LOVE the more independent, verbal pre-school stage. I said I am enjoying her so much right now that it might be a bit difficult to adjust again to the baby stage.
Well, we were in church today and in walked a family who has a couple of birth children as well as a little girl from China that they adopted at about 15 months. I think she is 5 or so now. The mom had a Chinese baby boy in her Ergo as they came in and sat in front of us!
My eyes were glued. While it is not unusual to see a family with a Chinese child, it is unusual to see a Chinese child so young in these parts. I was flooded with the memories of having my sweet Ellie in her carrier in church. I remember the feeling of holding her close to me in the carrier, worshiping with her finally in my arms. I thought back to the bonding process with hindsight now and couldn’t wait to feel Treasure in the carrier – in my arms.
I believe this is going to be a peaceful child. I feel so much peace when I think of Treasure. Anyone who knows – and loves – Ellie knows she has been “arduous” at times, just like her wait (that has been so much better since she turned 3!). Even though I had such an emotional reaction today when I saw this new little guy, I don’t feel impatient. I just feel confident…Treasure is meant to be part of our family and Treasure will come to us in God’s perfect time.
