Lunch, Arriving Orphans, Stick Ball, & Rambling.....

Ahh...lunch!
Cheap therapy!

Thanks ladies for lunching with me today. ( A big thank you Christy-you really didn't have to!)  It's so nice to hear how your children are doing, how every one's adjusting and realizing that we all have similar issues and concerns. It's always nice to talk with the new mom's and realize just how far you've come with your child. Or just how far your child has come regardless of how much you might have messed up!

The new group of children arrive in October and this year I'll be a captain over an orphanage.  When we met for our first meeting they passed around pictures of some of the children that have not yet been placed in homes and I got a little worried. I didn't want to look. Having such a witness when I saw Alex's picture just over two years ago-knowing he was suppose to be our son-I got a little nervous. I'm not ready for round two! (And thinking I will never be! ) I did manage to make it through the stack of pictures without any tingles and/or heart palpitations.

Whew.

However, if YOU are feeling a bit sweaty palmed knowing that FORTY FIVE Ukraine orphans are arriving next month and need hosting families, perhaps you should let me know and I'll get you hooked up with  the chance to glance through the stack of beautiful, parent-less children.

Even if you're not in the position to adopt but would like to give your home grown children a little empathy, appreciation, and bigger picture of the world, you might want to think about it. (But be careful. You might just fall in love, jump through crazy international adoption hoops and travel 1/2 a world away to make them your own!)

I'm excited to be a "captain" with my BFF-Ukraine adventure friend-Amy. We're co-captaining the bigger of the three orphanages. Good thing because her girls are still fluent-unlike Alex-and when families call with "Can your child talk to this child and tell us what they're asking?" and Alex gets on the phone and tells me he can't understand-they talk too fast-I'll send them to Lena and Sara for translation!

I am currently watching Alex out my window inventing a game with the neighbor boy involving a ball and some sticks. Sort of like hockey? I'm a little worried about my windows but I think the ball is actually a wad of paper and not a real ball? Not sure. How funny. All the toys and gadgets and he's back to playing with sticks and garbage.

Alex told me this morning-when I warned Rylee not to get burned on the hot french toast pan-that I am a "safe mom". It's funny what he appreciates. Things like being safe, or making a new job chart. Really. What child thanks their mom for a new job chart or for reminding them to be safe?

 Kambree is coming home this weekend! 

When I announced it to the other children they all cheered! It will be eleven days since we've seen her last. That sounds much shorter than it feels. I'm glad she's only two hours away instead of twenty!
James is off to work. Boo. THREE long weeks. He's covering for another guy so he can attend his daughters wedding. Pretty important and the extra money will be nice but only having him home for six days.....not so nice.

Homecoming is quickly approaching and I can't convince Austin to go. It would help if his friends had plans to go but it's come up so quickly-September 11th-I think most boys are bagging it. Grrr.....

Well, I should be making dinner or something more domestic like that and I really sat down with nothing particular to say and have managed to ramble about nothing in particular all this time.

Wow. Such talent!