January 29, 2008
Birthday, braces, baseball, kindergarten?
Indeed, it's been a busy week in our house.
Tara's birthday party on Sunday at the gymnastics center was awesome. We had the place all to ourselves. A teacher led the kids through obstacle courses that included a balance beam, stuff to crawl through, jump over, hop on, bounce on and roll down. One of the biggest hits was a big sponge pit with a giant rope ladder that went to the ceiling. The kids climbed, crawled, jumped, rolled. And the finale was a big rope swing like the kind they use on stage to make Peter Pan fly. One by one, each of Tara's friends took a turn flying around while the teacher pulled and dropped the rope. We parents hoped to get a turn, but I guess they ran out of time. Or strength. Hah.
I can't believe my baby Tara is 5.
And my other baby who is bigger, Austin, got braces on his teeth this morning. I sat and watched this rite of passage, the dentist's careful hand dabbing glue on each tooth while Austin held so still under the bright light. I squeezed his ankle a few times to let him know I was still there. Afterward, I walked into his school with him to sign him in late. The receptionist told me I didn't need to come in. I told her that yes, I really did.
Tonight he has indoor conditioning for his baseball team. He goes twice a week already. I don't know how some boys play on football teams and go five or six days a week.
And finally, tonight is Kindergarten Round-Up at the elementary school that Tara will start attending in the fall (!) It's for parents only. We'll register our little ones and meet the teachers and hear the shpiel about how they teach, what your kids should already know. We wonder if she will end up with the same awesome, nurturing teacher that Austin had 7 years ago.
And to think that today is only Tuesday...
January 26, 2008
Tara turns 5
Happy Birthday to our sweet little girl, Tara Vika. We can't believe our Ukrainian princess turns 5 on Sunday. This video was taken the night before her birthday.
January 21, 2008
Their three sons
A Knoxville couple brought home their three new sons from Ukraine this week and a TV crew greeted them at the airport. This is a must-see.
Check it out: Melissa and Steve.
Winter blahs?
We smile and joke about how we don't have enough time in the day to get everything done. Sometimes people ask us how we manage. We don't always take the time to think about it, probably for fear that things would fall apart. Just because we stop, it doesn't mean the clock stops, too.
If you are nodding your head, you might be a working mom.
I know all moms work because there is so much to do at home and with the kids. But then there are the moms with jobs outside the home too. There are a lot of us out there. We have an unofficial support group, though no one really has the time to meet.
But find comfort in this: We all know what you are going through. We all know that your house doesn't have to be perfect all the time, your kids don't always have to look like they stepped out of a magazine (especially when you gave up the battle over what they will wear that day.) We know that meals in the car and frantic stops for last-minute cupcakes for the class party are the norm. But it's ok: we're all sisters in this life and we support you.
I rarely do this and please don't call me Oprah but I'm recommending a book. It's called Take Time for your Life. I bought it a few years ago and it sits by my bedside so I can read a few chapters every once in a while. It tells you to slow down, pick your priorities, cut off people and things that suck your energy, take some time to do nothing but sit and think. It's not touch-feely, it's matter of fact. You will find some clarity in your life choices, your family will appreciate your calmer demeanor.
And sisters, this is what we need sometimes. Someone to tell you to take time for your life. Everyone wins.
January 18, 2008
The easy decision
I'm throwing money at the situation. That's right. I waited too long to really plan a birthday party for Tara, and I didn't want to do something at our house because I'm worn out from the holidays, so I scrambled around and found somewhere to host it. A gymnastics place. It feels like a brilliant idea: About 10 of Tara's adorable little energetic pals will get to do all of those fun rolling and jumping and climbing activities with a teacher for more than an hour in a kids gym. Afterward, the hungry and sweaty children will be served pizza then cake. If there's time, Tara will open gifts.
And all the while, I will stand by and enjoy the festivities. Right after I cut them a check.
January 14, 2008
The countdown
A handmade calendar is taped to Tara's closet door. It is only the month of January. Because in the mind of a 4-year-old, it's the only month that matters right now. In less than two weeks, little Tara Vika turns 5. Every night before she climbs into bed, she puts a pink heart sticker on the day. She can see that we are moving closer to Jan. 27. She is ready to burst with excitement.
Meanwhile, I don't have a thing planned. I don't want to host another adult/kids party at my house, and I'm not real keen on some of the popular kids party places like Chuck E. Cheese. Screaming kids, loud music, scary mascot. No thanks. There isn't enough Excedrin to handle that. So what's a mom to do. And what's a last-minute mom to do. I'm checking out a few places like our local athletic club. They host kids parties, but they probably cost a lot. Sigh.
When I was a kid, we had our siblings and maybe one friend come over and sing Happy Birthday with a cake. That was about it. I had just one party, in sixth grade, a sleepover and it was awesome, except when my sister dropped me on my head when my friends were all lifting me horizontally with their fingers in some kind of voo-doo seance thing.
But kids today...well, now I sound like my Mom and others in her generation. It just seems like we all created this crazy birthday buzz and now our kids are bursting with anticipation for their next party. OK Tara, this year's party is the last one. Riiiiight.
January 11, 2008
TGI Friday for whom?
We have rainy/snowy and overall gloomy weather here today and it's so hard to get excited about anything. So I browsed through some of the blogs of families who are in Ukraine right now and it reminded me that no matter how dreary our days might look, at least we're here in the good ol' USA where there's hot water, American TV and a language that we can recognize (most of the time.) And say what you want about the U.S. government, but you don't know the hassles and delays of bureaucracy until you've tried an international adoption.
And I hope my sister doesn't mind, but I'm quoting her comment from a previous blog when I wrote about waking Tara Vika up every morning, because it really says it all:
I pray for all the mothers and fathers out there: Stay with their adoption process, no matter how difficult and frustrating. Don't give up on a child who is waiting for you to gently wake them up. Don't give up on a child who is waiting to find their dream is real.
January 07, 2008
If you know Tara
...you have seen her dimple when she laughs.
...you know that she doesn't give up until she gets what she wants.
...you might have noticed that she talks. A lot.
...you may have noticed that sometimes she is very quiet, like when she is riding in the back seat on a rainy day, listening to the music and gazing out the window. You would always wonder what she is thinking. Or what she remembers.
...you know that she knows she is adopted, but she probably doesn't like when people talk about it extensively, in front of her, as though she doesn't know what they are saying.
...you have figured out that she wants to be like everyone else. And no one else.
January 02, 2008
Back in the groove
In the darkness this morning, I pushed open the bedroom door covered in Dora stickers and slinked over to the small bed to get a closer look at the little lump under the butterfly blanket. She was so snug. I leaned in to kiss her warm head, her messy morning hair in a swirl around her face. "Time to wake up sweetie pie," I whispered in Tara's ear.
She pulled the covers over her head and flipped over, her knees tucked in and her bottom straight up. I knew how she felt. Austin felt the same way. He was in the next room trying to slick his hair into place with water. Can it really be the day to go back to school and work after 11 glorious days off for the holidays?
It seemed like we had so much time to do a lot, or nothing at all. To visit family and friends, or stay home and get cozy on the couch. We didn't even always answer the phone (sorry). What a luxury.
Now I sit in my office, actually missing those little buggers. Co-workers come by with post-holiday cheers and the courteous questions about how vacations were spent. But we are all carrying the dark clouds over our heads: the holidays are over. Now it's time to get crackin' on 2008. But can't we pull the covers over our heads just one more time?