You know that moment...

... when you're up against an end-of-day deadline at work, but you get the call that your 6-year-old is home tantruming, and in talking you discover that he has deliberately locked the bathroom door closed (and the adults there can't get it opened) (your one bathroom that has a shower in it), so you de-escalate the tantrum and hurry back to your deadline, which is quickly approaching because you're leaving early to get to a 4:30 appointment, which lasts a bit long - which was great, but also not good, because you have to feed your child before you go to 7:00 Book Club, so you rush home and start some rice (and receive cheers for rice & beans) (thank you, God, for rice and beans!) and then you work to appropriately discuss the locked-door situation while still POURING into a 6-year-old love tank, and grabbing the Book Club book, when you decide to try fixing the door really quickly - and you get it OPENED!

And then you discover that it was locked to hide the fact that your 6-year-old broke the faucet.

You know that moment?

Celebration

I’m planning to do G’s full card-opening love-lavishing celebration this weekend. 

We were also going to recognize the actual “half-your-life” turning point during the week. 

 

Instead, the babysitter greeted me after work with news that G had been in a scuffle with another boy at the park.  The boy ripped off G’s goggles, grabbed & wrenched his eye (leaving scratches on his cheek) and then punched G in the eye.  His damaged eye. 

 

What are the odds?

 

Really.  Is that even possible?  Some kid assaults G… by zeroing in on his injured eye?

 

It was back to the ER for us.  As we neared it, G said “this is my favorite hospital.”  Should a kid have a preference between hospitals?

 

I whine about our hospital familiarity even while I know that we are very fortunate to have had access to multiple excellent hospitals.  And fortunate that an eye injury is our biggest problem.

 

So.  With that attitude adjustment, I am very grateful to report that G’s retina appears to still be attached.  We’ll go next week for a re-examination.  Your prayers are always appreciated!

 

And G’s “half-your-life” was celebrated in a fitting way – popsicles at his favorite hospital. 

 

On the bright side - I lost some weight

I've been sick. 

Sick as in spending time hugging porcelain.  While G hovered nearby, jockeying for a good view, offering helpful hints such as "You gonna flush dat, Mama?"  For the love.

G kept coming to my bedside, insisting "I hungy Mama; I hungy."  To which I kept brushing him away "Pretzels; get pretzels."  Little guy polished off a whole bag full.  Breakfast, snack, and lunch.  Poor dude.

This morning I'm feeling better.  I made him giant pancakes.  He ate FOUR: "I glad you feeling better Mama." 

Me too, G.  Me too.

Home

I wake early.

With G asleep, I remember the coffee cake my friend sent to us.

Home-made deliciousness.

A little too much sugar to be a wise breakfast choice for G.

This is my perfect opportunity.

I head to the kitchen

and remember that Joseph is home.

Direction

Sorry I've been absent.  I've been a little too harried to blog.  I'm guessing you've been a little too harried to read.  Tis the season.

End of school year activities... IEP planning... graduation... doctor visits... lRS audit... birthdays....   Oh?  Did I mention an audit?  Why, yes.  My government friends thought that I'd like to pull up canceled checks from the past FOUR years of this adoption.  Apparently there's something about paying out large refunds that they don't like.

Thankfully, in spite of our busyness, we've managed to cement G's future career path.

"I gonna be a pilot Mama."

"Are you sure?"

"Mm hm.  I gonna fly."

"What else are you going to do when you're a pilot?"

"I go slow inna airpoht.  I jus park - everybody get off inna airpoht."

"Anything else you're going to do?"

"And I say: get onna airpane Jisis (Joseph)."

"Anything else?"

"No.  Das all."

So there you have it.  Watch for G at an airpoht near you soon.

Running Late

This morning I'm hurrying around like a maniac, when....

"You cuddle me Mom?"

I turn to look at my shadow.

"I jus like to cuddle me."

Me too, G. 

Always time for a cuddle.

Wired

January 12th 2010 was a regular day.  I went to work.  I consumed large volumes of coffee.  I had an event to attend after work.

And then Haiti shook.

January 13th was not a regular day.  Searching, praying, networking, waiting.  Life took on a desperation.  And there was no time for coffee.  Tension increased.  Sleeping ceased.  The praying turned to praying & fasting.  And I could not indulge in coffee.

Somewhere along the line, I figured out how much money I spend on coffee each year.  Knowing what people in Haiti were enduring, I could not continue to spend that money.  I decided to fast from coffee for a year... and save that money for Haiti... and be reminded to pray for Haiti whenever a coffee craving hit me.

For a Coffee Lover, this has made for an interesting year.

In these last weeks, I've debated what to do when my year was up.  It has felt right to make this tiny sacrifice.  I have prayed more than I would have otherwise.  I have more money to give.  I'm so glad to know the money will change lives rather than enrich Starbuck$.

But what to do now?

I love coffee.  I love being awake.  I love cradling a warm cup on an Arctic morning.

And then the decision came to me.

JUBILEE.  I will have a COFFEE JUBILEE.  40 seems to be a spiritual number.  I will have a 40 day all-out coffee-bonanza Jubilee!

Starting January 13th.

Which was today.

Oh, how I love coffee.

Only 39 more days to go.  If you live near me, this would be a great time to suggest going for a coffee date.  If you live elsewhere, please fly in.  I'd love to do coffee with you too.  Coffee Coffee, nothing but coffee.  Jubilee, y'all!


p.s. If you live near me, you might want to mark your calendars now.  "February 22: Avoid Heidi!"

I Rock You

Putting G to bed,

finished reading books,

time to lie him down,

but he looks at me and says, "I rock you, Mama.  I rock you."


So we rocked.