Well, yesterday's post was a departure, for sure. I wasn't talking about the kids or the house. Every once in a while I am going to probably do that here, just ramble on for a bit about non-domestic things, maybe even tell a story or two. I need the mental break.
In case you're wondering, the kids and Mother are fine.
Mother had a hard day yesterday because she had to buy groceries in the morning and then get Michael to the dentist by noon. Getting in and out of the car with severe arthritis is tough.
Michael had a hard day because he was rudely awakened just after 8 yesterday and told to get crackin' and get ready to go Krogering. He wasn't allowed to nap. He has been staying up until midnight, reading. Now, I put him to bed well before that but in the summer I'm not going to fuss at him for reading in his room. It's been so hard just to get him to ready ANYTHING. Remember, English is still a foreign language and he's forgotten his Russian. So he's between languages, which is a scary place to be.
Of course, he isn't reading War and Peace. He's reading Garfield. Like W&P, it's a big book, with a lot of words. Garfield, however, has a lot of cartoons. Last night, a breakthrough. Mike asked me to pronounce the word "lasagna." I pronounced it and reminded him we eat it sometimes. It's a funny looking word, though, so I totally understand his bewilderment. Usually he just skips words he doesn't know.
Our movie last night was Hitch, the Will Smith film from a few years ago where he plays a dating consultant. It's really a smart, touching film. I know some of the language and situations are not entirely understandable to Michael, but I think Alesia gets them. She loves the movie, too. We own it.
Michael is absolutely dying to see this year's Will Smith summer movie, Hancock, [http://www.hancock-movie.com/] about a superhero who looks like a homeless person. I wonder why Mike is so intrigued. Now, he LOVES Will Smith. Will is ultra ultra cool. He's smart. He's attractive but not a pretty boy. He usually plays the good guy. We have seen a lot of Will Smith movies this summer.
I think perhaps there's another reason why Michael is dying to see Hancock. In all the previews Will's character looks like a homeless man - unshaven, dirty clothes. Michael lived on the streets with his birthmother, until he was 8 years old. He slept on concrete floors, without even a blanket. He ate things like uncooked pasta and maybe a piece of bruised fruit - when there was any food available. He never wore anything but ragged clothes. He had no place that was home. Now here is Will, Mr. Ultra Cool, looking homeless and yet having superpowers. [Yeah, I know you're saying Dee's getting too analytical, but I really think there's something to it, maybe on a subconscious level.]
Alesia had her second therapy session this morning. I am learning a lot about what makes her tick. It's fascinating and scary. I wish this therapist would write a book, and it could be shared with all parents who adopt an older child who has spent some time living with a dysfunctional birthmother. Without revealing anything confidential, I will just say that what happens to us in early childhood shapes us forever, for good or ill. It echoes through the years in all our actions.
In moments when I'm on the elevator or in the car, and my mind is free to ruminate, I often think about how we are influenced by our childhoods. Some of us are molded positively, and some of us have to overcome terrible situations. Alesia's early childhood was bad, but Michael's was worse. How on earth they can be sane, smart, loving people is just amazing to me. It's proof to me that there is a God - because I love two of his miracles.
