Thanksgiving Dinner

Pistachio salad, turkey, and sweet potatoes...nothing in common except for the fact that they happen to share the same plate at Thanksgiving dinner.  That's what this post is gonna be like...yum.

I've had lots of things I've been wanting to write about lately, but haven't been able to sit down to do it.  Hmm...why you ask?  Because when I'm not playing with a certain small person, said small person is hanging on my leg whining because I'm not playing with him.  And, oh, is there ever whining.  About everything.  He's always sordof gone through phases.  I can look back and remember, "oh that was a really good six months" or "we went through a rough patch between the ages of blank and blank."  And I'm hoping this is just one of our rough phases.  One of those times where we're a little bit clumsy dancing our mother/son dance.  And that if we just keep at it, keep practicing, keep finding what works...one day soon we'll have the steps down again.

I've been alternating lately between gritting my teeth and taking deep breaths, watching the clock until hubby gets home so I can slip away into the bedroom for a few moments of quiet.....to waking up at two in the morning to find that C has once again found his way into our bed and snuggled his warm little body against my side, his head on my pillow, his mouth open, his face literally angelic.  And then I have to breath deeply again.  Because I'm afraid I won't remember him this way.  Afraid that I wasted precious time during the day because I got frustrated too easily or put on a movie just so I could have a break.  So, at two in the morning, I breathe it all in...his sweetness, and his innocence...his childhood.  That, as we approach his fourth birthday, I am so intensely aware of the fact that it is fleeting.  And then I slip back into sleep because I want the morning to come and have the chance to love this child more than I did the day before.

I mailed our completed application paperwork to our adoption agency on Monday.  One month and a day after we started working on it.  The receptionist called me today and told me they had received it.  Because I asked her to.  Because I was paranoid.  Because that was a lot of work. And because I was dumb enough to whole heartedly trust the United States Postal Service and send the whole thing off without making a copy!  Our program coordinator is out of the office this week, but once she's back she'll get our packet.  Assuming they have everything (which they do unless one of my references, who happens to read my blog, hasn't finished their letter yet!) ;)  Then we will be assigned our social worker and start our home study.

We enrolled C in swimming lessons at a year-round swim school.  We are starting off in the mommy and me class and hoping that he'll only need to do one or two sessions of that before he can move up.  He goes once a week.  His first class went better than I expected...but there was a healthy amount of screaming, particularly in response to the whole 'dunking him under' thing.  But, they call it breath control, so let's go with that.  Today, however, I saw a vast improvement.  Surely it was the pep talk I gave him at breakfast.  All about the things we could expect at class and how it's ok that he likes certain activites and doesn't like others.  But we're gonna do everything Mr. Tim asks us to so that we can learn to be safe in the water.  That was it...or it was the new race car I promised him if he got through the whole class without screaming. 

He also starts soccer tomorrow!  It's a program on base for 3-4 year olds.  It's called clinic soccer (because honestly, these kids can't actually play a game!)  Each child has a parent go through the drills with them and hubby is going to do it with C!  I think it will be fun for them to have something to do together (other than video games!) and if it goes really well we might come out of it with another playmate for C.  He is no longer friendless, which is great.  But, it would definitely benefit both of us if he had a few more friends to get together and play with.

Speaking of friends, I am making a few too.  Although, I don't think it's official until you get together without your children.  Girl's night at the movies this Friday is on the agenda.  So, I too am on my way to no longer being friendless. 

This weekend we are going to Williamsburg, VA.  Because we wanted to do something really fun to celebrate C's birthday.  Oh yeah, and also because hubby got talked into one of those vacation deals they try to sell us every time we go into the Bass Pro Shop.  You know, the one where you pay a fraction of the price for a two night stay in a fabulous resort in return for attending a 2 hour time share presentation that you have no intention of buying into.  Yep, one of those.  I will just be impressed if we show up and the hotel actually exists. ;)  But, C did tell us that he wanted to go on a rollercoaster for his birthday.  So, Busch Gardens here we come!