McDonalds is my kind of place....

On Veterans' Day, Adam and I journeyed to Connecticut to meet some friends at the Norwalk Aquarium. Through the wonders of the blogging and online adoption world, I reconnected with an old friend from high school who I hadn't seen in 30 years. She adopted three beautiful girls from China as a single mom. We had a reunion lunch early in the summer with a 3rd married high school friend who also adopted internationally (Chile and Mexico).

This trip was just the single moms . The time at the Aquarium was....well....filled with Adam's oh so very terrible two-ness. Lots of flinging himself dramatically on the floor and ripping his shoes off and throwing them. After waving the white flag of surrender on the Aquarium, we headed to McDonalds for lunch. It was one of those suburban McDonalds with the huge playgrounds. which was a first for us.

After we ate, Marie's lovely daughters, Olivia and Sophia (12 and 6) took Adam outside to the playground. And he went! And played with them BY HIMSELF for about an hour and a half. Do you realize how big this is? I didn't have to get up and go with him -- for the very first time! Which meant I got to sit and have an adult conversation uninterrupted for the first time in a long time. (Of course, I eventually had to crawl around in that claustrophobic maze of tunnels and ride down the slide with Adam....)

I'm lucky to have a lot of friends who have been very supportive of me and my adoption of Adam. Some adoptive parents as well, married friends with children, single friends without -- and I appreciate all of them more than I can say. But I didn't know how badly I needed to talk to another SINGLE adoptive mother. It was such a relief and such a help.

And if we have any doubt what I am most grateful for this thanksgiving, here he is:

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just another manic Monday....

...thank you to everyone who has been so supportive in my "anonymous" travails. Its nice to know I'm not alone!

Adam is busy practicing his song for the daycare holiday play -- "Jingle Bells". When he gets to the "laughing all the way" part he throws back his head, lifts his hands to frame his face and goes "Ah ha ha!" He is just too cute to bear. And he knows it!

He really loves clothes and shoes. I bought him a new hat during our cold snap last week and the first thing he said when I put it on him was 'Mirror! Mirror!' Shoes are very important to him -- he has a clear idea every morning what shoes he wants to wear. And woe to me if I can't find them!

We're going to see the Radio City Christmas show on Black Friday and trekking out to Pennsylvania the first weekend in December to ride the"real" Thomas the Tank Engine. I'm sure there will be many cute pictures to come!

Monday quote

"If you don't like a situation change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain."--Maya Angelou

Types of Intelligence

A fun quiz.... and I've got to admit its pretty accurate...

Your result for Howard Gardner's Eight Types of Intelligence Test...

Intrapersonal

16% Logical, 10% Spatial, 45% Linguistic, 49% Intrapersonal, 37% Interpersonal, 14% Musical, 4% Bodily-Kinesthetic and 45% Naturalistic!

"This area has to do with introspective and self-reflective capacities. Those who are strongest in this intelligence are typically introverts and prefer towork alone. They are usually highly self-aware and capable of understanding their own emotions, goals and motivations. They often have an affinity for thought-based pursuits such as philosophy. They learn best when allowed to concentrate on the subject by themselves. There is often a high level of perfectionism associated with this intelligence.

Careers which suit those with this intelligence include philosophers, psychologists, theologians, writers and scientists." (Wikipedia)

Take Howard Gardner's Eight Types of Intelligence Test at

A very happy boy....

....sitting in his carseat outside our building waiting for Enterprise Rent a Car to pick us up. Could he be any happier? A car to go with his carseat! LOL!

A question for Anonymous

If you are so convinced you are asking me "the hard questions" why are you hiding behind "anonymous"? Why not identify yourself? Any chance your initials are JV?

Two Open Letters

1. Dear Daycare teachers, doctors, nurses, etc:

Please do not call me "mommy". I have a name. I am a person, not a role. You are regular fixtures in our lives and you KNOW my name. Please use it. Thank you very much.

2. Dear Anonymous: Please, I am BEGGING you - stop reading my blog. Please stop telling me that the blog is a catalog for child abusers, that I am invading Adam's privacy, asking me to explain to you why he is still taking a bottle (exactly who is it that you think you are?) -- please, please GO AWAY! Thank you very much.

Monday quote

Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.– Virginia Satir

A particularly good quote for these times

Few will have the greatness to bend history; but each of us can work to change a small portion of the events, and in the total of all these acts will be written the history of this generation ... It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is thus shaped.


Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.


- Robert F. Kennedy, Day of Affirmation Address, University of Capetown, South Africa, June 6, 1966

Monday quote

If you believe that feeling bad or worrying long enough will change a past or future event, then you are residing on another planet with a different reality system. --William James

Elmo!