I think that this blog has come to its natural conclusion. Five months without posting is a good indicator that I'm done.
When I began writing in 2009 it was for the purpose of making connections with other potential adoptive families and chronicling our path to becoming parents. During the past year I have felt the responsibility of sharing some of what we have learned through our adoptions. That hasn't been easy. It has been humbling. But I hope that some of what we have learned has been helpful to potential adoptive parents.
I have changed so much from the person who first wrote here. I find that the complexity of what I would want to write is no longer appropriate for a family blog. And my kids are growing and changing. We've shared what we can, I have left out a tremendous amount in their personal stories and our adoption stories for the sake of their privacy. And so with one last update I'm going to sign off!
The little man has been home for over 6 months.
He and I have spent a lot of time together in those six months.
The other day I calculated that we rocked in his chair together for approximately one hour every day. That is 180 hours of rocking and connecting.
We celebrated his 3rd birthday recently. And he just started preschool which is both thrilling and a little bit scary every day. Today he bounded into his classroom with such enthusiasm that I think some of the initial adjustment of the first week of school is coming to an end.
This little guy is so funny. He is definitely the family comedian. He loves to dance and sing and laugh. He loves water and animals and his balance bike. He is a joy to be around.
Ariam turned 5 this summer. She is still the nurturing older sibling who takes a lot of pride in being seen as a helper. She loves to play with her brother, until he crosses the line with one of her baby dolls of course.
She is always hoping that we will record her singing and send clips to family members on the internet. She still plays mostly with dolls and has a wonderful imaginary world where she is the teacher and her dolls are her students.
Ariam is not as adventurous as AJ and this summer tried to accompany him on a mini rollercoaster only to end up with him comforting her at the end. They are a great fit for each other.
Ariam graduated from preschool and started kindergarten at a new school in our new neighborhood.
We are in the process of moving to a very different part of our city for more diversity.
She is making friends with other black students - kids from many parts of the world. It's a really exciting time for her finally being in the majority.
Thank you so much to everyone who took the time over the years to comment, ask thought provoking questions, and to those who turned online friendships into "real" friendships. I never expected just how much this little blog would bring in both education and relationships.
Much love and best wishes to all of you,
A
PS. Email me at atthewatershed@gmail.com if you want to stay connected to find one another on Fac.ebook!
When I began writing in 2009 it was for the purpose of making connections with other potential adoptive families and chronicling our path to becoming parents. During the past year I have felt the responsibility of sharing some of what we have learned through our adoptions. That hasn't been easy. It has been humbling. But I hope that some of what we have learned has been helpful to potential adoptive parents.
I have changed so much from the person who first wrote here. I find that the complexity of what I would want to write is no longer appropriate for a family blog. And my kids are growing and changing. We've shared what we can, I have left out a tremendous amount in their personal stories and our adoption stories for the sake of their privacy. And so with one last update I'm going to sign off!
The little man has been home for over 6 months.
He and I have spent a lot of time together in those six months.
The other day I calculated that we rocked in his chair together for approximately one hour every day. That is 180 hours of rocking and connecting.
We celebrated his 3rd birthday recently. And he just started preschool which is both thrilling and a little bit scary every day. Today he bounded into his classroom with such enthusiasm that I think some of the initial adjustment of the first week of school is coming to an end.
This little guy is so funny. He is definitely the family comedian. He loves to dance and sing and laugh. He loves water and animals and his balance bike. He is a joy to be around.
Ariam turned 5 this summer. She is still the nurturing older sibling who takes a lot of pride in being seen as a helper. She loves to play with her brother, until he crosses the line with one of her baby dolls of course.
She is always hoping that we will record her singing and send clips to family members on the internet. She still plays mostly with dolls and has a wonderful imaginary world where she is the teacher and her dolls are her students.
Ariam is not as adventurous as AJ and this summer tried to accompany him on a mini rollercoaster only to end up with him comforting her at the end. They are a great fit for each other.
Ariam graduated from preschool and started kindergarten at a new school in our new neighborhood.
We are in the process of moving to a very different part of our city for more diversity.
She is making friends with other black students - kids from many parts of the world. It's a really exciting time for her finally being in the majority.
Thank you so much to everyone who took the time over the years to comment, ask thought provoking questions, and to those who turned online friendships into "real" friendships. I never expected just how much this little blog would bring in both education and relationships.
Much love and best wishes to all of you,
A
PS. Email me at atthewatershed@gmail.com if you want to stay connected to find one another on Fac.ebook!
The end of an era and beginning of a new one! I read this with great emotion and cried a lot as I read it. What a roller coaster this has been, but the highs and the end (for now) are definitely worth the lows. We couldn't love you and the kids any more than we do. You all are the lights of our lives. Thanks for doing this blog and for this wonderful conclusion! Dad
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