Last night, while walking through Target, Benjamin and I passed the lingerie section. In the front, bellied-up to the aisle, were rows upon rows of brightly colored brassieres. They came in extra large sizes with inch-thick padding stiff enough to withstand the poke of a small finger. They swayed on their slight hangers.
Benjamin was enthralled. Poking at them as I turned around to hurry him on his way, he announced in the most amazed voice as if this were the coolest discovery ever:
"Whoa, Mama! Look at deez apples! Whoa!" (gleeful giggles followed)
December 29, 2010
December 28, 2010
Catching Up: Thanksgiving
I am sadly behind on chronicling our present adoption journey, our holiday fun, and the parenting thoughts rattling around in my head of late. A few reasons - I was sewing. Sewing presents and buying presents. I was observing advent with imperfect intentionality - something I've never done before. (The intentionality part...I do imperfect all the time.) And I got sick. Well, the whole of the P-Pod has been sick off and on, and right on Christmas Eve and Christmas, too! I might actually be almost normal tomorrow. And, probably most importantly, I have been living life. Sometimes I feel that the documenting of my life impedes the living of it. There is this awareness and focus now with a child in the picture to really LIVE it. Sometimes this requires a lot of time.
I will try to kick out a few entries this week before 2011 sets in.
THANKSGIVING FUN
In the Eastern Sierra Nevadas, in a tiny town called Aspendell but twenty miles outside of Bishop, there is a cabin. A cabin that was built when I was eight or nine - I'm not sure of the date exactly.
This cabin has born witness to many family adventures, card games too numerous to count, a dozen Thanksgiving turkeys, family friends of all shapes and sizes, and the clutter of wet winter gloves and summertime fishing poles.
This was Benjamin's third visit to this magical place.
We did not go alone. We brought family...cousins, in fact.
We brought my cousin, Sarah, and her husband, two children, and brother-in-law. It was just like old times.
Sort of.
Not really. It's kind of weird being the grown-ups. But it was like old times in that the rooms were filled with chatter and children. The scent of hot meals - pancakes, or pea soup, or roasted turkey and mashed potatoes - filled the air. We congregated.
When the snow came freshly down, we sledded.
The front "yard" is a great place for toddler-sized sled runs.
Not for big people, of course. We sink down into the bushes below the surface. Please don't ask how I know this.
And the street, when covered with 3 inches of snow, is a fabulous ride for people of all sizes. You can ask me about this. I experienced it a few times, in fact.
After getting soaked right through, munchkins returned to the wood-burning-stove warmed living area to partake in some hot cocoa.
Benjamin preferred to lick up the whipped cream. Then he asked for more. "I want more whip cweam, Mama. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease."
Notice the mug. This was from the old photo paper days when my dad was first in the photo lab business. This mug has most likely been at the cabin since the day we first moved into it.
See Benjamin's hands? The placement of his fingers? This is a very Benjamin way to hold something. All his fingers stuck together.
And at the end of the day, the small guys took a warm bubble bath.
Thanksgiving was warm and bright, even in the snow.
I will try to kick out a few entries this week before 2011 sets in.
THANKSGIVING FUN
In the Eastern Sierra Nevadas, in a tiny town called Aspendell but twenty miles outside of Bishop, there is a cabin. A cabin that was built when I was eight or nine - I'm not sure of the date exactly.
This cabin has born witness to many family adventures, card games too numerous to count, a dozen Thanksgiving turkeys, family friends of all shapes and sizes, and the clutter of wet winter gloves and summertime fishing poles.
This was Benjamin's third visit to this magical place.
We did not go alone. We brought family...cousins, in fact.
We brought my cousin, Sarah, and her husband, two children, and brother-in-law. It was just like old times.
Sort of.
Not really. It's kind of weird being the grown-ups. But it was like old times in that the rooms were filled with chatter and children. The scent of hot meals - pancakes, or pea soup, or roasted turkey and mashed potatoes - filled the air. We congregated.
When the snow came freshly down, we sledded.
The front "yard" is a great place for toddler-sized sled runs.
Not for big people, of course. We sink down into the bushes below the surface. Please don't ask how I know this.
After getting soaked right through, munchkins returned to the wood-burning-stove warmed living area to partake in some hot cocoa.
Benjamin preferred to lick up the whipped cream. Then he asked for more. "I want more whip cweam, Mama. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease."
Notice the mug. This was from the old photo paper days when my dad was first in the photo lab business. This mug has most likely been at the cabin since the day we first moved into it.
See Benjamin's hands? The placement of his fingers? This is a very Benjamin way to hold something. All his fingers stuck together.
And at the end of the day, the small guys took a warm bubble bath.
Thanksgiving was warm and bright, even in the snow.
December 6, 2010
Tell me the story...
I am lying in bed, waking up slowly as I tend to do.
From down the hall, the sound of little feet pit-pat pit-pat towards my room. I keep my eyes closed. I am not ready to get up. I absorb the sound of his soles on the wood floors. It is delicious.
"Mama? I want to snuggle."
I open my eyes to his face - full and round - peering over the edge of the bed, one hand grasping for a hold on the slippery sheets. I reach my hand out and he takes it.
Now his head is on my tummy. He looks at me with his large blue eyes. I look at him and smile. My thumb runs across his cheek and through his hair. He smiles dreamily back.
This is a newer stage for him...this kind of lovely moment...this stillness.
"Tell me about the drive to the hospital."
Ah...this interest in his birth. As we have prepared our hearts and his for the arrival of a new baby, his love of hearing his own story has blossomed. He sits up, watching my face intently, as I begin.
"Well, we were at our home when we got the call that you were born. And we were so excited! We couldn't stop smiling! Papa put our things in the car and began to drive to the hospital. It was a long drive - you were born in a town that was four hours away from us. We talked about you the whole way. We talked about your name. We wondered...what special name could we give to such a special boy? We tried out many names. And the best name for you was Benjamin. You would be our baby Benjamin.
And it snowed when you were born. Did you know that? (He does - he likes that part.) You were born in winter, in a land where the snow comes down. It snowed as we drove to the hospital. Did I mention, we couldn't stop smiling?
Then we got to the hospital. We parked the car and went in the wide glass doors. It was a big hospital with many rooms and we had to find you. We walked down the halls and rode the elevators until we got to the right room. And when we went in, we saw Emma holding you, and Kevin by her side. And they said...do you want to hold your son? And we did! We held you for the first time! And we were so happy! You were our beautiful baby Benjamin!"
Sometimes we talk about adoption and how he grew in Emma's tummy and how God loves him and has a plan - a plan that meant he would grow up in our family. How Emma and Kevin are very special people to have recognized that God wanted him to have Mama and Papa as his Mama and Papa. How he has extra love in his life from Emma and Kevin and their families. We will talk about the significance of his middle name, the one meaning beloved, the one his birth parents chose for him. We will explain the beautiful ceremony that accompanied our receiving of him and our driving home to place him in his bassinet.
But this morning, the story he wants to hear is the part about how Mama and Papa discovered him. Crossed a great distance to get to him. How we picked his name. How it snowed. These are the details that matter as he contemplates meeting his baby sister one day soon. He wants assurance that he was waited for eagerly.
Just yesterday, as I organized a box of his special papers - hospital items from his birth, all the letters and cards he has received from biological and adoptive family members, keepsakes and such - he spotted a photo from the entrustment ceremony. Sometimes birth parents arrange this - to have a simple ceremony witnessed by family and close friends, where they officially hand over the child to the adoptive parents. Words are said, music is played, gifts are given, and the child enters his new family. This is how we received Benjamin.
"What is this, Mama?"
"That is you, all wrapped up in the special blanket that Emma made for you. You were so tiny! Papa called you a blue football, you were so tiny and all wrapped up."
We have spoken of this special blanket - the quilted bit of warmth where she embroidered the word LOVE in both her handwriting and Kevin's. But it is something he has only recently been able to comprehend.
Suddenly, he runs off. Gone for a moment, he then returns, dragging this blanket from one hand. He tosses it on my lap.
"Here. Hold me like a baby, Mama...in this blanket."
I wrap the blanket around his shoulders, it is no longer able to contain the whole of him. I hold his head, his shoulders, his arms close...his legs extend out on the floor. I rock him. He looks around the room with the foggy gaze of a newborn.
This is my boy, with his desire to understand how he was once a baby who was anticipated and held and rocked. This is my boy. Let us tell his precious story.
From down the hall, the sound of little feet pit-pat pit-pat towards my room. I keep my eyes closed. I am not ready to get up. I absorb the sound of his soles on the wood floors. It is delicious.
"Mama? I want to snuggle."
I open my eyes to his face - full and round - peering over the edge of the bed, one hand grasping for a hold on the slippery sheets. I reach my hand out and he takes it.
Now his head is on my tummy. He looks at me with his large blue eyes. I look at him and smile. My thumb runs across his cheek and through his hair. He smiles dreamily back.
This is a newer stage for him...this kind of lovely moment...this stillness.
"Tell me about the drive to the hospital."
Ah...this interest in his birth. As we have prepared our hearts and his for the arrival of a new baby, his love of hearing his own story has blossomed. He sits up, watching my face intently, as I begin.
"Well, we were at our home when we got the call that you were born. And we were so excited! We couldn't stop smiling! Papa put our things in the car and began to drive to the hospital. It was a long drive - you were born in a town that was four hours away from us. We talked about you the whole way. We talked about your name. We wondered...what special name could we give to such a special boy? We tried out many names. And the best name for you was Benjamin. You would be our baby Benjamin.
And it snowed when you were born. Did you know that? (He does - he likes that part.) You were born in winter, in a land where the snow comes down. It snowed as we drove to the hospital. Did I mention, we couldn't stop smiling?
Then we got to the hospital. We parked the car and went in the wide glass doors. It was a big hospital with many rooms and we had to find you. We walked down the halls and rode the elevators until we got to the right room. And when we went in, we saw Emma holding you, and Kevin by her side. And they said...do you want to hold your son? And we did! We held you for the first time! And we were so happy! You were our beautiful baby Benjamin!"
Sometimes we talk about adoption and how he grew in Emma's tummy and how God loves him and has a plan - a plan that meant he would grow up in our family. How Emma and Kevin are very special people to have recognized that God wanted him to have Mama and Papa as his Mama and Papa. How he has extra love in his life from Emma and Kevin and their families. We will talk about the significance of his middle name, the one meaning beloved, the one his birth parents chose for him. We will explain the beautiful ceremony that accompanied our receiving of him and our driving home to place him in his bassinet.
But this morning, the story he wants to hear is the part about how Mama and Papa discovered him. Crossed a great distance to get to him. How we picked his name. How it snowed. These are the details that matter as he contemplates meeting his baby sister one day soon. He wants assurance that he was waited for eagerly.
Just yesterday, as I organized a box of his special papers - hospital items from his birth, all the letters and cards he has received from biological and adoptive family members, keepsakes and such - he spotted a photo from the entrustment ceremony. Sometimes birth parents arrange this - to have a simple ceremony witnessed by family and close friends, where they officially hand over the child to the adoptive parents. Words are said, music is played, gifts are given, and the child enters his new family. This is how we received Benjamin.
"What is this, Mama?"
"That is you, all wrapped up in the special blanket that Emma made for you. You were so tiny! Papa called you a blue football, you were so tiny and all wrapped up."
We have spoken of this special blanket - the quilted bit of warmth where she embroidered the word LOVE in both her handwriting and Kevin's. But it is something he has only recently been able to comprehend.
Suddenly, he runs off. Gone for a moment, he then returns, dragging this blanket from one hand. He tosses it on my lap.
"Here. Hold me like a baby, Mama...in this blanket."
I wrap the blanket around his shoulders, it is no longer able to contain the whole of him. I hold his head, his shoulders, his arms close...his legs extend out on the floor. I rock him. He looks around the room with the foggy gaze of a newborn.
This is my boy, with his desire to understand how he was once a baby who was anticipated and held and rocked. This is my boy. Let us tell his precious story.
December 3, 2010
Christmas and Gifts
I am not brave enough to go giftless on Christmas - mostly because I really love giving gifts. I also love receiving gifts when someone has been so thoughtful as to make or find something that I will cherish (that's actually pretty easy to do...). This is part of my tradition. It's a warm and comforting element of the holidays.
But if Christmas is about celebrating Jesus' birthday, then I am quite challenged by the Voskamp family's approach - they give each other no gifts...instead they give gifts to Jesus in the form of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, educating the uneducated, giving the poor an opportunity to start a business. We will be including this in our tradition - choosing gifts for Jesus by caring for his people - but I don't know that I'm ready to give up gifts to one another here.
For now we will focus our gift-giving on finding abundance in less, offering time and handmade things, and reminding ourselves that all of it has been made possible by the One whose provision has brought us here. I think that's a start.
And for more ideas on what to do on Christmas morning, I will refer to this post from Ann Voskamp.
But if Christmas is about celebrating Jesus' birthday, then I am quite challenged by the Voskamp family's approach - they give each other no gifts...instead they give gifts to Jesus in the form of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, educating the uneducated, giving the poor an opportunity to start a business. We will be including this in our tradition - choosing gifts for Jesus by caring for his people - but I don't know that I'm ready to give up gifts to one another here.
For now we will focus our gift-giving on finding abundance in less, offering time and handmade things, and reminding ourselves that all of it has been made possible by the One whose provision has brought us here. I think that's a start.
And for more ideas on what to do on Christmas morning, I will refer to this post from Ann Voskamp.
December 2, 2010
My Take on It
Dear Parents:
You must be stronger than your children - so that when they are grown, they will equal or exceed your strength. If you are weaker than your children, they will become even weaker than you.
Love, Mama
*I keep this in mind whenever I am tempted to give in to the tantrum, to parent from the chair, to lose my temper, to succumb to worry, to make idle threats. The emotional, physical, and spiritual demands of parenting are great, and we must keep showing up - this is the loudest lesson children learn, for it is the one they test daily.
You must be stronger than your children - so that when they are grown, they will equal or exceed your strength. If you are weaker than your children, they will become even weaker than you.
Love, Mama
*I keep this in mind whenever I am tempted to give in to the tantrum, to parent from the chair, to lose my temper, to succumb to worry, to make idle threats. The emotional, physical, and spiritual demands of parenting are great, and we must keep showing up - this is the loudest lesson children learn, for it is the one they test daily.
Overheard
THIS MORNING
LP: Papa's like a snail.
Mama: Why?
LP: Because I don't like snails.
Mama: ???
--------------------------------
THANKFULNESS
Teacher: What are you thankful for?
LP: I thankful for the sun!
Teacher: Are you thankful for Mommy and Daddy?
LP: Yeah. And RACE CARS!
Teacher: What else are you thankful for?
LP: I thankful for rice. And clouds.
--------------------------------
VISITING THE PHOTO LAB WHERE PAPA WORKS
LP: Oh, wow! We're in the factory! This is a cool factory. Look at it!
LP: Papa's like a snail.
Mama: Why?
LP: Because I don't like snails.
Mama: ???
--------------------------------
THANKFULNESS
Teacher: What are you thankful for?
LP: I thankful for the sun!
Teacher: Are you thankful for Mommy and Daddy?
LP: Yeah. And RACE CARS!
Teacher: What else are you thankful for?
LP: I thankful for rice. And clouds.
--------------------------------
VISITING THE PHOTO LAB WHERE PAPA WORKS
LP: Oh, wow! We're in the factory! This is a cool factory. Look at it!
Just Like Papa
When Papa does his morning routine, he has a very avid audience.
On one occasion recently, Little P was allowed to join in the fun.
It started with a bit of shaving cream...
...which needed to be tasted, of course...
...and ended with a quick shave.
*Note: No toddlers were harmed in these photos. Expressions of pain are, in fact, expressions of delight.
November 30, 2010
How we're approaching Christmas
I know that in the history of holy days, a number of those claimed by Christianity were once owned by pagans. It's a human irony...that something once belonged to the goddess of fertility, or to the witches, or to the worship of some lunar mystery, only to be co-opted by religious zealots. We do this all the time, we humans...conquer somebody else's something: land, name, resources, language, culture, infrastructure, banking system, business. We buy out and change. Or wage war on and change.
It's all a bit sad and funny at the same time. But whatever. In the current era, some of us use the occasion of Christmas to celebrate the birth of Christ. It's symbolic all the way, but that's OK. This is the time that we do it.
In honor of that, I will be starting an advent tradition in our home. We have not done this before, though I have always wished for more peace, more focus on the One who should matter most, the One who gets shoved behind the tree or lodged under piles of wrapping paper only to be rediscovered as I am vacuuming up pine needles and wondering how I missed Him this year, yet again, despite my best intentions.
We will not be forgetting Him this December. He is too precious. I want my son to know how precious the Christ is, and he'll never know if I do not first lay aside my holiday idols and bring my gifts to His feet. For my son, as all children do, learns most powerfully from my example.
So we will start with a daily observance of Advent - the time of waiting, of expecting, of hoping for the God of the universe to meet us humans where we're at...wrapped in limited, meager bodies, wracked with ailments and fears and the annoying ability to mess everything up even when we're trying our darndest to do everything right.
We are using an advent resource from Ann Voskamp, writer and blogger. If you would like to get this free booklet for yourself, you can go to this page. You will need to subscribe to her blog and wait one day for the next feed (the link is included at the end of the feeds).
We will include in our readings The Jesus Storybook Bible, which is one of the best tellings of the story of God that I know. It also has some beautiful art in it; I'm a sucker for pretty illustrations. If you wish to teach your young ones about God, and not just a bunch of apparently disconnected stories in a musty old book, get this. Now. It has helped me see the Bible in a whole new light; it's that good.
Finally, I can't help but share with you a bit of writing by Ann Voskamp. She has written out what we believe in the most beautiful language. For the original context, or to read more of her, visit her web site: A Holy Experience.
I believe in Jehovah God who created the whirling galaxies, the birds soaring in the sky overhead, the endless crashing waves and all that dances within them. I believe in Father of all who knits together life, made in His very own image, in the secret quiet of our beings.
I believe in Jesus Christ, the One with no earthly Father, with the dust of this earth between His toes, and with our names etched onto the palm of His hands, right beneath the nail scars…Who now sits at the Father’s right hand making endless intercession on our behalf. I believe in the stone rolled away, in the Body being raised, in the first fruits of the dead…and us all following soon, very soon.
I believe in the Cross as our only Hope, our only Claim, and our only Foundation. I believe that in the pounding surf of life we have only one thing to cling to: the feet of our Lord, hanging on that tree, His lifeblood flowing down, washing us whiter than snow.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, moving, whispering, indwelling our very skin. I believe in living by the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, and producing fruit in the Spirit…in the Spirit who helps us in our weakness with groanings that can’t be expressed in words.
I believe in the infallibility of the Bible, God’s Word – a sure Word, a pure Word, the only secure Word. I believe the words on those pages are breathed from the very throne room of heaven, are the love letter penned from the heart of the Lover of our souls; a beacon of light for stumbling feet to find sure footing on a dark path.
I believe there is more than believing. There is living what I believe.
It's all a bit sad and funny at the same time. But whatever. In the current era, some of us use the occasion of Christmas to celebrate the birth of Christ. It's symbolic all the way, but that's OK. This is the time that we do it.
In honor of that, I will be starting an advent tradition in our home. We have not done this before, though I have always wished for more peace, more focus on the One who should matter most, the One who gets shoved behind the tree or lodged under piles of wrapping paper only to be rediscovered as I am vacuuming up pine needles and wondering how I missed Him this year, yet again, despite my best intentions.
We will not be forgetting Him this December. He is too precious. I want my son to know how precious the Christ is, and he'll never know if I do not first lay aside my holiday idols and bring my gifts to His feet. For my son, as all children do, learns most powerfully from my example.
So we will start with a daily observance of Advent - the time of waiting, of expecting, of hoping for the God of the universe to meet us humans where we're at...wrapped in limited, meager bodies, wracked with ailments and fears and the annoying ability to mess everything up even when we're trying our darndest to do everything right.
We will include in our readings The Jesus Storybook Bible, which is one of the best tellings of the story of God that I know. It also has some beautiful art in it; I'm a sucker for pretty illustrations. If you wish to teach your young ones about God, and not just a bunch of apparently disconnected stories in a musty old book, get this. Now. It has helped me see the Bible in a whole new light; it's that good.
Finally, I can't help but share with you a bit of writing by Ann Voskamp. She has written out what we believe in the most beautiful language. For the original context, or to read more of her, visit her web site: A Holy Experience.
I believe in Jehovah God who created the whirling galaxies, the birds soaring in the sky overhead, the endless crashing waves and all that dances within them. I believe in Father of all who knits together life, made in His very own image, in the secret quiet of our beings.
I believe in Jesus Christ, the One with no earthly Father, with the dust of this earth between His toes, and with our names etched onto the palm of His hands, right beneath the nail scars…Who now sits at the Father’s right hand making endless intercession on our behalf. I believe in the stone rolled away, in the Body being raised, in the first fruits of the dead…and us all following soon, very soon.
I believe in the Cross as our only Hope, our only Claim, and our only Foundation. I believe that in the pounding surf of life we have only one thing to cling to: the feet of our Lord, hanging on that tree, His lifeblood flowing down, washing us whiter than snow.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, moving, whispering, indwelling our very skin. I believe in living by the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, and producing fruit in the Spirit…in the Spirit who helps us in our weakness with groanings that can’t be expressed in words.
I believe in the infallibility of the Bible, God’s Word – a sure Word, a pure Word, the only secure Word. I believe the words on those pages are breathed from the very throne room of heaven, are the love letter penned from the heart of the Lover of our souls; a beacon of light for stumbling feet to find sure footing on a dark path.
I believe there is more than believing. There is living what I believe.
November 28, 2010
Here's how we spent Thanksgiving
Sledding down the hill outside the cabin
boy with chapped cheeks
cold
happy.
November 23, 2010
Thanksgiving
We wish for you unlimited puddles for splashing in,
the brightest flowers for sharing with the ones you love,
and the best big sticks to aid you on your adventures.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
the brightest flowers for sharing with the ones you love,
and the best big sticks to aid you on your adventures.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
November 19, 2010
Safety First
Little P is riding his bike around the house. (The benefits of having too much space and lame wood laminate floors.) Suddenly...
LP: Reeaaahhhhh! Schreeeeeaaahhh! Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!
Mama: You sound very upset. What's wrong?
LP: I have a problem!
Mama: You do? What's your problem?
LP: It's a problem of keeping me safe.
Mama: What's making you not safe?
LP: I goed into the baffroom!
Mama: Why is the bathroom not safe?
LP: It's not safe for me!
Mama: Oh. What happened in the bathroom?
LP: It's just not safe!
Mama: I'm sorry. Are you OK?
LP: Yeah. I'll be all right in a minute.
Mama: Do you need some help?
LP: I got it.
Rides his bike over by Mama.
LP: There. I parked it.
.
LP: Reeaaahhhhh! Schreeeeeaaahhh! Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!
Mama: You sound very upset. What's wrong?
LP: I have a problem!
Mama: You do? What's your problem?
LP: It's a problem of keeping me safe.
Mama: What's making you not safe?
LP: I goed into the baffroom!
Mama: Why is the bathroom not safe?
LP: It's not safe for me!
Mama: Oh. What happened in the bathroom?
LP: It's just not safe!
Mama: I'm sorry. Are you OK?
LP: Yeah. I'll be all right in a minute.
Mama: Do you need some help?
LP: I got it.
Rides his bike over by Mama.
LP: There. I parked it.
.
November 12, 2010
We're Expecting
Baby girl, due March 4th!
Yesterday we met the birthparents of our next child. For now I will call them A and R. They are young, sweet, strong, talented, and down-to-earth. We appreciated their "realness" which is funny because that is something that drew them to us while reading our letter. They feel very certain of their choice to go the adoption route. We feel lucky to be adding them to our lives ('cause we know open adoption brings more relationships into our lives than just the baby).
Let the celebrating begin! There will certainly be several points along the way to celebrate.
So what happens next? Well, we begin by getting to know each other better...we'll have them over for dinner soon so they can meet Benjamin and then go from there. We've got a few months to hang out and grow a friendship.
Getting to know each other is up to us. Sarah will only facilitate meetings where we talk about stuff like A and R's desires for the time in the hospital, or as we dive more into what we all expect regarding openness, that sort of thing.
I have started on the baby room - picking out paint colors and figuring out how to arrange the furniture. I need to refinish a dresser. I bought a cool old hanging lamp from an estate sale, but it needs some serious cleaning and maybe replacing the chain. Because I waited too long to return some curtains from IKEA, I am planning to use them and just dye them to match the color scheme. We have these really plain, ugly closet doors for which I have an idea that involves modpodge and scrapbook paper...fun, fun!
More to come, of course!
Yesterday we met the birthparents of our next child. For now I will call them A and R. They are young, sweet, strong, talented, and down-to-earth. We appreciated their "realness" which is funny because that is something that drew them to us while reading our letter. They feel very certain of their choice to go the adoption route. We feel lucky to be adding them to our lives ('cause we know open adoption brings more relationships into our lives than just the baby).
Let the celebrating begin! There will certainly be several points along the way to celebrate.
So what happens next? Well, we begin by getting to know each other better...we'll have them over for dinner soon so they can meet Benjamin and then go from there. We've got a few months to hang out and grow a friendship.
Getting to know each other is up to us. Sarah will only facilitate meetings where we talk about stuff like A and R's desires for the time in the hospital, or as we dive more into what we all expect regarding openness, that sort of thing.
I have started on the baby room - picking out paint colors and figuring out how to arrange the furniture. I need to refinish a dresser. I bought a cool old hanging lamp from an estate sale, but it needs some serious cleaning and maybe replacing the chain. Because I waited too long to return some curtains from IKEA, I am planning to use them and just dye them to match the color scheme. We have these really plain, ugly closet doors for which I have an idea that involves modpodge and scrapbook paper...fun, fun!
More to come, of course!
November 3, 2010
Goals are Good
This morning, over his bowl of cottage cheese, Benjamin told me a few things he'd like to do in the near future:
LP: I want to go to school. I want to ride a bus and go to school.
Mama: That sounds great. You will get to do that when you're a little older.
LP: I'm big.
Mama: Yes, you are.
LP: I want to play football. I'm big. I can play football.
(pause)
LP: I want to write some letters for Mom.
Mama: Cool!
(pause)
Mama: What else do you want to do?
LP: (picks up toy stringed instrument from Africa and begins strumming it) I'm playing my guitar!
LP: I want to go to school. I want to ride a bus and go to school.
Mama: That sounds great. You will get to do that when you're a little older.
LP: I'm big.
Mama: Yes, you are.
LP: I want to play football. I'm big. I can play football.
(pause)
LP: I want to write some letters for Mom.
Mama: Cool!
(pause)
Mama: What else do you want to do?
LP: (picks up toy stringed instrument from Africa and begins strumming it) I'm playing my guitar!
October 31, 2010
Trick or Treat
Are you confused? Yes, so am I.
After his nap, Benjamin was feeling a bit contrary. He did not want to be King of the Sun or a knight or any such medieval malarkey for trick or treating. Nope. He wanted to be a pirate.
But as we dug through the dress-up box looking for pirate-ish attire, we stumbled across a Buzz Lightyear costume left behind by Amal.
"I want to be Buzz Lightyear," he declared. "Uh-hum," nodding his little chin up and down with authority.
"Buzz Lightyear? Do you even know who he is?" I asked, perplexed. To my knowledge, the only full-length movie he has ever seen has been Cars. And maybe Monsters, Inc.
Papa confirmed that there was some occasion somewhere at some time where Benjamin encountered Toy Story.
"OK," I said. "Buzz it is."
Benjamin couldn't have been more pleased. This was better than King of the Sun. This was a character sanctioned by cartoon conglomerates everywhere.
Of course, Buzz is more recognizable to the mainstream public than the King of the Sun. Hilda figured it out right away when she opened her door.
"Buzz Lightyear!" she exclaimed, and whipped out her camera. Then she proceeded to unload half a dozen pieces of candy into Benjamin's open hands.
Getting the treats into his bag (thanks Grandma Vinch!) took him a while at first, but after a lap around the block he was a pro.
The treats were a wide-eyed surprise when we first started out. After a few houses, however, he was tearing into the candy and forgetting to say thank you.
How is it that candy does that to kids? It's like, one moment they're normal human beings and then...TWANG...suddenly they're scarfing all their mouths will hold, drooling and panicking that they won't be able to consume enough.
Was I like that, Mom?
Oh yeah...we didn't do Halloween. I just snarfed candy from the kids who I baby sat. That's what happens when your parents don't let you trick or treat.
I blame my mother. I figure that's OK because one day Benjamin will get to blame me for all the things that are wrong with him.
So wraps up our adventure around the block, greeting the neighbors and letting them oooh and ahhh over how big Benjamin has become. Twas much fun!
After his nap, Benjamin was feeling a bit contrary. He did not want to be King of the Sun or a knight or any such medieval malarkey for trick or treating. Nope. He wanted to be a pirate.
But as we dug through the dress-up box looking for pirate-ish attire, we stumbled across a Buzz Lightyear costume left behind by Amal.
"I want to be Buzz Lightyear," he declared. "Uh-hum," nodding his little chin up and down with authority.
"Buzz Lightyear? Do you even know who he is?" I asked, perplexed. To my knowledge, the only full-length movie he has ever seen has been Cars. And maybe Monsters, Inc.
Papa confirmed that there was some occasion somewhere at some time where Benjamin encountered Toy Story.
"OK," I said. "Buzz it is."
Benjamin couldn't have been more pleased. This was better than King of the Sun. This was a character sanctioned by cartoon conglomerates everywhere.
Of course, Buzz is more recognizable to the mainstream public than the King of the Sun. Hilda figured it out right away when she opened her door.
"Buzz Lightyear!" she exclaimed, and whipped out her camera. Then she proceeded to unload half a dozen pieces of candy into Benjamin's open hands.
Getting the treats into his bag (thanks Grandma Vinch!) took him a while at first, but after a lap around the block he was a pro.
The treats were a wide-eyed surprise when we first started out. After a few houses, however, he was tearing into the candy and forgetting to say thank you.
How is it that candy does that to kids? It's like, one moment they're normal human beings and then...TWANG...suddenly they're scarfing all their mouths will hold, drooling and panicking that they won't be able to consume enough.
Was I like that, Mom?
Oh yeah...we didn't do Halloween. I just snarfed candy from the kids who I baby sat. That's what happens when your parents don't let you trick or treat.
I blame my mother. I figure that's OK because one day Benjamin will get to blame me for all the things that are wrong with him.
So wraps up our adventure around the block, greeting the neighbors and letting them oooh and ahhh over how big Benjamin has become. Twas much fun!
His First Pumpkin Carving
OK...he didn't actually carve it himself. But he picked out the design ("I want to carve a kitty cat.") and chose to include marble embellishments. He also "helped." Then he showed off his spooky side!
October 30, 2010
BenTV 017: Dancin' with the Cousins
Judah and Ryah came to visit one afternoon last month. No visit at The P-Pod is complete without some form of dance party. Beware: this video is not for the faint of heart. 3.5 minutes of CRA-ZEE. (Edited down from 45 minutes of raw footage.)
BenTV 016: The Plasma Car
The Plasma Car is supposed to be propelled using the arms, but Benjamin prefers to scoot. As you can see, he's gotten quite fast. As you can also see, there are certain advantages to having an unfinished, minimally-furnished house and wood-laminate floors.
Footage taken in Sept. 2010.
Footage taken in Sept. 2010.
Harvest-Halloween-Dress Up Time!
Dressed, somewhat, as a knight in tin foil and plastic, sequins and foam, he is ready for battle against dragons and other insidious foe. His nom de guerre..."King of the Sun." He can wield his sword in both right hand and left.
He tells his story thus:
"I fight the dragons, yeah. I fight the dragons and I kill them. The dragon will try to stomp me. It will STOMP me and I will be dead. Yeah. I will kill the dragon. I am King of the Sun!"
And who in this fair land could dispute such a noble claim?
His trusty steed...a 1995 Toyota Camry. His squire - The Papa. He marches upon the community church harvest festival, unsure of what awaits, but ready to nimbly respond.
He encounters for the first time in his young life an unlikely ally, delightful spun sugar, the most cottony of candy.
But lo, there was much more to be discovered.
For this match he began by surveying the grounds. He listened to the instructions.
And on his second attempt, his bolas snared the target.
And the boy was happy.
I mean, his chest swelled with pride.
He then used the power of his breath to move a ship across a sea.
The King of the Sun is both gracious and kind. He waited his turn, mentally preparing for his next event.
Notice his strong left hand. Two of his rings were tossed from the left.
But he is more than a lefty. The King of the Sun can also throw with his right arm. He leaves his kingdom yet confused. Shall he be right-handed or left? The people still do not know.
He, himself, does not know.
The knight and his squire.
There was but more to explore - the interior of this castle was unlike anything he had seen before. Games, games, and people everywhere!
He bowled; he fished for treats; he received a balloon sword.
He even posed for a photo with his mama.
But then...oh, my. He found the ponies. Oh, how he loved the ponies!
He trembled with excitement! He broke out with clapping and little shouts of glee! The ponies!
Even the 30-minute wait in line was thrilling. All that time to watch the ponies go round and round!
Then it was his turn. Mama was quite sure our young knight would falter at the last second. Large beasts are always fascinating from afar and a bit intimidating for our young hero up close. But Mama had been deceived. This young knight battles dragons! He was not afeared of a gentle pony!
(Silly Mama.)
Clip-clop, riding on a pony...(any Barney fans out there?)
And now, for his moment of glee...
Our young knight, our delightful King of the Sun, finished his pony ride, bade farewell to the pony named Tink, and journeyed home for a fine banquet of macaroni and cheese - his current favorite cuisine.
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