Bigger than a Brand Name

A few days ago I announced that Reece's Rainbow families were invited to a meet up in Kansas City in October. Sounds like fun, huh? I have met the absolute nicest, and most fun people through our adoption adventures. Something automatically clicks when you meet someone with the same soft spot in their heart for orphans. I honestly cannot wait!!

Highlight of our first Midwest Adoption Friends meet-up in 2010!

However, I made some critical mistakes...

First, not all of my adoption friends are Reece's Rainbow families. Forgive me for not making you feel included. I love you and I would be honored for you to join us!! Pretty please?

Secondly, there are former Reece's Rainbow families who no longer wish to be associated with the Reece's Rainbow brand. I understand. Perhaps you were disavowed, or maybe you pulled away on your own. Either way, this event is still for you. We prayed for your children...and for you! We helped raise the ransom to get those darlings home. We cried together over impossible mountains of paperwork. We are a community that is bigger than any brand name.

With these mistakes in mind, I'm inviting my adoption friends to the Midwest Adoption Friends Meet-Up on October 25-27 in Kansas City. This date coincides with the Kansas City DS Guild's Step Up Walk, so you can DOUBLE your FUN! I have a few options for this meet-up, one being rooms at the CoCo Key Water Resort! Please join us to celebrate our families and our community. We ARE bigger than any brand name.

Email ProjectTLC@cox.net for more information.

Summer is finally here!

Summer is in full swing here and chaos reigns, as much as it does in any other season!

Theo and Max are in ESY, which stands for extended school year. I guess I'm old because where I come from, we used to call it "summer school." Now-a-days everything is an alphabet soup arrangement: IEP, FSP, OT, PT, ASAP!! Max is SO happy to be picked up by the bus each morning at 7:55am.

Ralph and Zhen are attending YESS camp (there are those letters again!). They are kept BUSY from 8:15am - 4:30pm. They often fall asleep in the car on the way home. I have to leave the house at 7:45am to drop them off.

Last week Ruby and Leroy attended VBS (more letters!!). Jordan and Thomas worked there as helpers. We were ROCKING every single morning last week. Trying to get everyone dressed, each with a change of clothes in a bag, and out the door on time was stressful!!

Tomorrow, two of my big helpers leave for church camp. Today, my mission is to get their camp physicals completed. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, huh?! And I "wasted" the morning on a three mile hike in the country.

It wasn't really wasted because I had some special time with Jordan and Ruby. We had some great conversations! We found meadowlarks, and doves. We picked up cans, found dog tracks, deer tracks and a little robin egg! A happy morning.

Uh oh...

Pretty little egg yolk!!

Max is putting on some weight, but still has those scrawny arms and legs!

I trust he is ready...

It often seems that the really, really important events in life sneak up on me. I'm sorta sentimental, so it's probably for the best. I'd be gushing about it constantly if I had time to let it sink in that

Max starts school tomorrow!

My darling little scarecrow gets on the bus a bit before 8am. At the age of 8 years and 9 months, he will be buckled in to travel a few blocks to the local elementary school for his first taste of formal education. 

You know I'm going to have to check in on him as soon as I get the other kids dropped off at VBS, right? 

As much as I pushed for Max to start school last Spring, I don't think I'm ready to let him go! Ack! But he looks out the window with longing in his eyes when the other kids go places, so I know that HE is ready, at least. I have to trust in that. 

Shame on me...

Shame on me for updating but not including any photos!

Guess who graduated from preschool? Ralph is a sharp kid. Watching him grow is such a treat!

Max is well and happy, but he is not chubbing up as quickly as I would have liked. Maybe he's getting taller or something, but his skinny legs and arms continue to make me sad. 

Poor Zhen got too much sun and was sick the next day. His back is pretty red, but he allowed me to rub him down with goop from my aloe plant. Progress. 

Ruby...never far away from "her" Max. 

Missing this boy. I think he's a bit homesick for us crazies, too. 

He loves without fear...

Happy Birthday, dear Theodore Honor Nance. You are beautiful, and a joy to me!

Days like today, I cannot help but think of the woman who ran away from the hospital when you were born to her. She must have been very frightened...possibly on purpose by the doctors. Maybe they lied to her about your survival, or your worth. Maybe they just didn't know better.

I don't hold it against her. I have a great deal of compassion for her, in fact. That Theo was neglected is the fault of an outdated and morally bankrupt system. It hurts kids. It hurts familes. I'd like to help change it.

But through the outright rejection, the undeserved abuse and neglect, Theo has stayed emotionally open. He's damaged (if you only knew), to be sure...but he loves without reservation, without fear. He is my inspiration. I want to be like Theo when I grow up.