Our carpet is dry/fixed so now the basement is a family room again. It took longer than planned because the day we were to have the new padding installed there was another storm and MORE water in the basement. Ugh.
As I was getting things (somewhat) back in place yesterday I started thinking of all the things we could/should do to the area to make it a better hanging out room...new paint would be a good start, less junk, get rid of some of Bug's toys that he's no longer interested in, donate some of the books to a hospital or library, etc.
Today was the first day for Bug to go downstairs since it's his playroom again. We were walking downstairs to play and as he got to the step where he could see the room he exclaimed, "it's PERFECT."
So, I decided to play rather than plan.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
chocolate goes straight to my ass
And now, sadly, I don't even have to eat it. Yesterday I sat on some and there was a trail of chocolate on my khaki pants...at work. Nice.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Picnic with some whine
We recently attended our adoption agency’s picnic. The last few years we couldn’t make the picnic so this was our first time to go since we adopted Bug.
We went once before we were parents and found out (on arrival) that the picnic is really geared for those who have already adopted. While it was encouraging to see so many families who had adopted through the agency, it was just another reminder that we weren’t yet parents. This year, I was looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and meeting new people.
As soon as we arrived, we saw one of the women we worked with at the agency. I was on my way to say hello to her when another woman stopped me and told me that she and her husband appreciated the talk we gave at a waiting parents meeting more than two years ago. Shortly after we adopted Bug, were asked to speak at a monthly meeting for families on the waiting list and share our story.
While every adoption story is unique, the agency wanted us to talk about our wait (it was a bit longer than usual) and that we met the birth father and not the birth mother (we’ve since met her as well). We agreed to speak but told the agency that we wanted to be very honest about some of the frustrations along the way. One subject that we handled as delicately as possible was the lack of communication by the adoption agency. We’ve spoken with other families who felt the same way.
After a chat with the woman and playing with her baby (!!), I said hello to the woman we knew from the agency. We greeted one another and this was our conversation:
Agency woman: Oh, hi Maggie, I’ve been meaning to call you.
Me: Oh??
AW: Yeah, nothing’s wrong but wanted to tell you that Bug’s birth father contacted us and he wants to see Bug again.
Me: Oh.
AW: It’s obviously your decision and I’ve been meaning to call you but I’ve been busy. I’ll have someone at the office get in touch with you this week.
I find this interesting for a few reasons…
She’s been meaning to call, which, to me, sounds as though the BF’s request didn’t just happen. So…she’s just been sitting on the request by the birth father? For how long? Does he feel he’s being ignored by them—or possibly by us—since he hasn’t heard back? I’ve got to think the ask by the BF wasn’t an easy one to make so shouldn’t the agency move a bit faster on this?
She’s been busy? Um, maybe I’m wrong here but isn’t this part of the stuff that keeps her busy (and employed)?
I realize that it was convenient for AW to tell me this news in person but the picnic was a social event and it didn’t seem the appropriate venue to me. While everyone there had adoption as a common denominator, it’s still personal and shouldn’t have been told to me with others present.
Did I mention we feel the agency’s communications skills need work?
We went once before we were parents and found out (on arrival) that the picnic is really geared for those who have already adopted. While it was encouraging to see so many families who had adopted through the agency, it was just another reminder that we weren’t yet parents. This year, I was looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and meeting new people.
As soon as we arrived, we saw one of the women we worked with at the agency. I was on my way to say hello to her when another woman stopped me and told me that she and her husband appreciated the talk we gave at a waiting parents meeting more than two years ago. Shortly after we adopted Bug, were asked to speak at a monthly meeting for families on the waiting list and share our story.
While every adoption story is unique, the agency wanted us to talk about our wait (it was a bit longer than usual) and that we met the birth father and not the birth mother (we’ve since met her as well). We agreed to speak but told the agency that we wanted to be very honest about some of the frustrations along the way. One subject that we handled as delicately as possible was the lack of communication by the adoption agency. We’ve spoken with other families who felt the same way.
After a chat with the woman and playing with her baby (!!), I said hello to the woman we knew from the agency. We greeted one another and this was our conversation:
Agency woman: Oh, hi Maggie, I’ve been meaning to call you.
Me: Oh??
AW: Yeah, nothing’s wrong but wanted to tell you that Bug’s birth father contacted us and he wants to see Bug again.
Me: Oh.
AW: It’s obviously your decision and I’ve been meaning to call you but I’ve been busy. I’ll have someone at the office get in touch with you this week.
I find this interesting for a few reasons…
She’s been meaning to call, which, to me, sounds as though the BF’s request didn’t just happen. So…she’s just been sitting on the request by the birth father? For how long? Does he feel he’s being ignored by them—or possibly by us—since he hasn’t heard back? I’ve got to think the ask by the BF wasn’t an easy one to make so shouldn’t the agency move a bit faster on this?
She’s been busy? Um, maybe I’m wrong here but isn’t this part of the stuff that keeps her busy (and employed)?
I realize that it was convenient for AW to tell me this news in person but the picnic was a social event and it didn’t seem the appropriate venue to me. While everyone there had adoption as a common denominator, it’s still personal and shouldn’t have been told to me with others present.
Did I mention we feel the agency’s communications skills need work?
Monday, June 8, 2009
cheers
My in-laws visited this weekend, which is always fun. (Really.) They arrived on Friday afternoon after an 8-hour rain-filled drive so we kicked off the weekend with happy hour. Bug loves happy hour particularly because he gets to do ‘cheers’ with his sippy cup. He quickly picked it up last year while on vacation and some things just stick with a guy…we’re convinced he was the only kid raising his cup at snack time!
My theory when having company over for dinner is/always will be to get some liquor in them before they sit down and eat my cooking. Works every time—twice this weekend, in fact.
The weekend was low-key and relaxed but Saturday we opted to go out for breakfast. Dining out with Bug is always a bit of a nervous adventure and we don’t do it on a frequent basis for a couple of reasons:
1. He’s 2 ½ and often acts his age.
2. With his allergies I can’t safely order off the menu and don’t feel I can trust a server when I ask whether there are eggs or nuts in __________ (insert any menu item here). Plus, there’s a chance that if I were to order something, Bug’s food would be prepared on the same spot where the guy-sitting-at-booth-in-the-corner's eggs were just being scrambled. We're trying to avoid that happening again.
We take Bug's food with us when we go to a restaurant so I packed his (already made) bacon, (previously toasted) English muffin, yogurt and grapes and put them on plates at the restaurant. He loved it because his plate looked similar to what everyone else was eating...and, yes, we did cheers at breakfast, too.
After we left the restaurant, I took the opportunity to add another item to my list of reasons why we should move to the Boston area: the law that was passed this year to make restaurants safer for people with food allergies. Even though my list keeps growing, I think we're staying put but I'll keep trying. And if we do ever decide to move I'll raise my glass--maybe even at that bar where everybody knows your name.
My theory when having company over for dinner is/always will be to get some liquor in them before they sit down and eat my cooking. Works every time—twice this weekend, in fact.
The weekend was low-key and relaxed but Saturday we opted to go out for breakfast. Dining out with Bug is always a bit of a nervous adventure and we don’t do it on a frequent basis for a couple of reasons:
1. He’s 2 ½ and often acts his age.
2. With his allergies I can’t safely order off the menu and don’t feel I can trust a server when I ask whether there are eggs or nuts in __________ (insert any menu item here). Plus, there’s a chance that if I were to order something, Bug’s food would be prepared on the same spot where the guy-sitting-at-booth-in-the-corner's eggs were just being scrambled. We're trying to avoid that happening again.
We take Bug's food with us when we go to a restaurant so I packed his (already made) bacon, (previously toasted) English muffin, yogurt and grapes and put them on plates at the restaurant. He loved it because his plate looked similar to what everyone else was eating...and, yes, we did cheers at breakfast, too.
After we left the restaurant, I took the opportunity to add another item to my list of reasons why we should move to the Boston area: the law that was passed this year to make restaurants safer for people with food allergies. Even though my list keeps growing, I think we're staying put but I'll keep trying. And if we do ever decide to move I'll raise my glass--maybe even at that bar where everybody knows your name.
Friday, June 5, 2009
It's Summer
Bug attends a little neighborhood school for a few hours each day that's free--I know, FREE, crazy, huh? It's a one-room building near the elementary school in our neighborhood and it's affectionately and appropriately called the Little School. Today is the last day and they're celebrating with a picnic (fingers crossed that the rain stops).
It's been so great to watch his progress this year. He now knows his numbers and the alphabet. He sings the ABCs and loves to "spell" by pointing out letters on signs, books, TV or pretty much anywhere he can see a letter. (As I'm typing this he's reminding me he doesn't get the idea of colors at all by handing me a brown crayon and confidently stating it's purple or holding up a blue one and saying orange.)
I'm going to miss Bug showing me his daily art projects with a proud, "I made at school that!"
I'm going to miss hearing new songs the teacher taught him.
I'm going to miss Bug's responses when we ask who was at school. "Hi Noah, Hi Michael, etc."
I'm going to miss his school stories (even if we seldom understand them).
I'm going to miss his excitement of carrying a lunch box each day (he doesn't have lunch at school but it's the perfect size for his EPI-pen and snacks).
I'm going to miss the honesty of his answer to "How was school?" "I did time out...no listen."
I'm going to miss the anticipation in his voice when he would ask, "is school today?"
At the same time I'm looking forward to summer and all the fun things to do together. I'm sure before I know it he'll be back at the Little School in the fall...and sooner than I want it will be January and he'll start preschool and then, among many other things, we're going to miss the tuition at the Little School.
It's been so great to watch his progress this year. He now knows his numbers and the alphabet. He sings the ABCs and loves to "spell" by pointing out letters on signs, books, TV or pretty much anywhere he can see a letter. (As I'm typing this he's reminding me he doesn't get the idea of colors at all by handing me a brown crayon and confidently stating it's purple or holding up a blue one and saying orange.)
I'm going to miss Bug showing me his daily art projects with a proud, "I made at school that!"
I'm going to miss hearing new songs the teacher taught him.
I'm going to miss Bug's responses when we ask who was at school. "Hi Noah, Hi Michael, etc."
I'm going to miss his school stories (even if we seldom understand them).
I'm going to miss his excitement of carrying a lunch box each day (he doesn't have lunch at school but it's the perfect size for his EPI-pen and snacks).
I'm going to miss the honesty of his answer to "How was school?" "I did time out...no listen."
I'm going to miss the anticipation in his voice when he would ask, "is school today?"
At the same time I'm looking forward to summer and all the fun things to do together. I'm sure before I know it he'll be back at the Little School in the fall...and sooner than I want it will be January and he'll start preschool and then, among many other things, we're going to miss the tuition at the Little School.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Snug with my Bug
It's been a handful of nights since Bug started sleeping in a big boy bed. We put a mat and pillows next to his bed for those inevitable falls. The first night was more eventful than I had hoped for and I ended up sleeping on the mat, which meant I was a good landing when Bug fell out of bed. (Have I mentioned my little guy is 2 1/2 and people often ask if he's 4? Um, ouch!)
Bug slept through the next few nights and managed to stay in his bed, thankyouverymuch. A couple of mornings he was bleary-eyed as he made his way to our room to snuggle with me for those few minutes before I had to get ready for work. This morning he woke up with energy and pushed open our bedroom door like a Broadway star making an entrance.
So, I guess my worries of him jumping out of the crib will now be replaced with worries of him figuring out the 'push/slide/lift' combination of the baby gate at the top of the stairs. Fun stuff...
Bug slept through the next few nights and managed to stay in his bed, thankyouverymuch. A couple of mornings he was bleary-eyed as he made his way to our room to snuggle with me for those few minutes before I had to get ready for work. This morning he woke up with energy and pushed open our bedroom door like a Broadway star making an entrance.
So, I guess my worries of him jumping out of the crib will now be replaced with worries of him figuring out the 'push/slide/lift' combination of the baby gate at the top of the stairs. Fun stuff...
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Magic 8-ball answers toddler style
I think Bug is channeling his inner 8-ball...
Me: Should we go outside?
Bug: I say yes.
Me: Are you ready to go inside?
Bug: I say no.
Me: Can you share a cookie with Mommy?
Bug: Maybe tomorrow.
Me: It's time to get ready for bed.
Bug: No yet...later.
(I realize that's not a question but in our house we quickly learned THAT topic can't be addressed as a question.)
Me: Should we read a book?
Bug: Yeah, sure, okay.
Me: Did you go poops?
Bug: I no think so.
Me: Do you want to sit on the potty?
Bug: In two minutes.
Me: Should we go outside?
Bug: I say yes.
Me: Are you ready to go inside?
Bug: I say no.
Me: Can you share a cookie with Mommy?
Bug: Maybe tomorrow.
Me: It's time to get ready for bed.
Bug: No yet...later.
(I realize that's not a question but in our house we quickly learned THAT topic can't be addressed as a question.)
Me: Should we read a book?
Bug: Yeah, sure, okay.
Me: Did you go poops?
Bug: I no think so.
Me: Do you want to sit on the potty?
Bug: In two minutes.
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