A picture to tell a story...

Lately I've been pretty long-winded.  Today I will let the photos do the talking!

(This just had "BAD IDEA" written all over it!)

Mama's Chinese cowboy!

We've been playing games, exploring the barn and playing with the animals (though Mommy hasn't had a chance to ride yet), raking leaves, watching family movies, carving pumpkins, creating Halloween costumes, doing puzzles, and spending lots of time just following the lead of the kids and what they want to do.  It has been very very good not to be rushed into our 'normal' lives just yet. 

I am happy to report that we are all getting more sleep.  In a desperate attempt to try ANYTHING, we rearranged the furniture in our room so that Elliott has a toddler bed cozied up to our bed, so that he has his own sleeping space but could still see us and climb into our bed if he needed to.  That was the magic bean.  He slept for nine straight hours that night.  I woke up at 5:30am in a panic that morning and made Matt roll over and peek at him to make sure he was OKay.  It was heavenly!  And it works great to get him down for naps, too, as long as he or I are sitting in bed next to him.  I can't tell you how much better I feel now that I'm getting a full night of sleep!

We went to the store two days ago to run a couple of errands, and had to take Elliott with us because we also had to run to the laboratory for a blood draw for some routine post-adoption labs.  While I was at the Secretary of State renewing our license plates for the vehicles, I was standing next to a woman speaking Mandarin on her cell phone.  Just hearing the language again (without my horrid American accent!) made me miss China.  I am so happy to be home.  I love my country, and I love my home, but part of me wants to go back.  I don't know if it's that red thread that will always connect me to my child's birth country, or if it is just a curiosity thing, but I'm a little sad thinking that it will be years before we go back.  There were a few things I won't miss, but a ton of things that I will. 

Bonding and attachment continue to progress.  It's so good that both of us are off so that we can co-parent equally.  I am so thankful for that, not only from a workload standpoint, but because we don't want our family to grow unilateraly.  I work three 12-hour shifts per week instead of a five-day work week, which means I am home more days than Matt to spend time with the kids.  We want Elliott to know both of us and love both of us.  We are definitely giving our family a great start by spending this time together.  We still have a long way to grow, but we are on the right track.

I got an email this week inviting me back to Kenya for another two week mission trip this winter (see posts in this blog: January & February 2011).  It's so tempting.  There's also another IMA trip going to Valladolid, Mexico next summer.  My passion in nursing is to participate in these mission trips.  Using my skills and my own hands to help those who would otherwise go without healthcare is one of the most empowering things I have done in my adult life.  I love it.  I embrace the cultural enrichment of going on these trips.  But I have to wait until the time is right.  Too much going on this year.

Tomorrow is Halloween.....  Have a happy Trick-or-Treat!