I couldn’t sleep well last night
because there was no air in my room, and I have arthritis in my knee. I
couldn’t get comfortable. Today my brain is on autopilot. It’s working, but
very slowly.
Michael didn’t want to go to school today. He said his throat hurt. I checked his temperature and it was normal. Mother and I both looked at his throat, and it wasn’t red. He has huge tonsils, though. I wish the doctor would take out the tonsils, because they bother him a lot. When I was a kid perhaps tonsils were removed too casually, but I think today the trend has swung too far the other way. I have no tonsils or adenoids and I don’t miss them.
I fixed Michael a bowl of oatmeal, because that’s easy on the throat. He only ate some of it, perhaps because I wouldn’t let him overwhelm the bowl with sugar. So I wrapped it up and put it in the fridge. When he called me after school, I said “Hey, I’ve got the perfect snack for you – you can eat the rest of your oatmeal! Yummy!” His response? “I am not hungry.” What a surprise..
I have been asked several times recently for advice about adopting older children. When one starts any international adoption it’s a daunting process, but when you are seeking an older child, and/or a special needs child, the anxiety factor increases exponentially. I’ve written several articles for the Rainbowkids website, here. As I've mentioned, the thought has crossed my mind that maybe I ought to write a book. Then again, I don't have ANY spare time, so thinking of that is pretty foolish.
The one thing I have tried to emphasize lately about older child adoption is this: get therapy for your child as soon as they come home!! Do not wait. Line up a good therapist who is experienced with adopted children and attachment issues before you ever bring the child home.
A lady who is in my MAPREC group just brought home 2 girls from Russia, less than a year ago. She was/is a busy real estate agent, her husband a commercial pilot. I talked to them a good bit before they brought home their girls, who were 14 and 5. The mom said recently that when the girls came home, she AND her husband took off 3 months from work and just spent the time bonding with the girls, learning to be a family, helping them learn English. The girls are doing great. That's the sort of thing everyone should do, if possible. I was able to take only a couple of weeks off with Alesia, and I've always regretted it.
For dinner last night, Michael
didn’t want re-heated pork roast and green peas. I told him I wouldn’t fix
something separate, but he could make a “sandwich.”
He and Alesia decided last summer that they preferred tortillas to bread, so
now they make sort of bizarre burrito-like concoctions. Michael likes to
include ham or bologna, mayo, sliced
pickles, raw cabbage, and tomato. The “burritos”
are actually pretty healthy [well, except for the bologna].
I can't say much, though. Tonight for dinner, Mother made a spicy taco casserole, with a lot of onion. I tried to eat some, but ended up making myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I had a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. Seemed to be a day for "comfort" food..
Alesia lost her purse over the weekend. We have turned the house upside down looking for it. She left it in a changing room at Macy’s a few weeks ago. I even called the movie theatre where we saw the movie on Saturday and it wasn’t there. I told her what I do when I lose something is try to just be calm and say a prayer, and whatever I’ve lost always turns up.
I was going thru some old photos today and turned up this one, which was made when Coco was about 8 weeks old.. Wasn't she adorable?! Her eyes aren't really blue, fyi...
