Museum visit and holiday meltdown....hello 2014, we're ready!!

Well it was a good plan to begin with and for the most part a good Museum visit for the last day of the year (my favourite part was finding a tray full of dragonflies and Matteo's was visiting with Wilbur our adopted whale); however, an overtired little boy who wanted to do everything ended up by having a super duper tantrum in the cafeteria of the Museum of Nature, screaming stomping, rolling on the floor, and over and over again. Thank you to the parent who chuckled as he went by and the other parent who was more interested in our stroller than in what my little boy was screaming about. Sure made me feel like they had all been there before and a screaming child was nothing to worry about or bat an eye at. But it sure was stressful and I hope that 's the last time I need to force my very strong Matteo into his snowsuit....Lesson learned.  Mommy wanted to head home for Matteo's nap but Matteo wanted to stay because he was having a good time but when mommy took too much of the muffin we were sharing, that triggered it!! (My usually very generous sharer was nowhere to be seen.) ...We've been having a good holiday with lots of socializing and afternoon naps, but late nights are getting to both of us.  The next few days we'll try to return to a more routine rhythm in the hopes tha next week won't be too traumatic when we really get back to our routine.

Anyhow here's to putting this year to bed from one exhausted mommy and one very energetic little boy.  It has been a good year of highs and lows, the kind of normal life stuff I guess.  It will be a year to remember and for that I am grateful. I am looking forward to 2014 for a number of reasons and will end this blog with some photos of the better moments we spent at the museum saying goodbye to the old year in our special way.

Happy New Year to you and your families. 

May 2014 bring you first of all health, then love, joy and prosperity in abundance.

Santa's gift of play.....

Waiting for Santa.....

Chúa mừng giáng sinh, Buon Natale, and Merry Christmas one and all.....

Enjoying some new lights and decorations of the season....

....lovely decorations made and ordered at Mekong-Quilts in Ho Chi Minh....

First Santa Claus letter sent.....

....and we are thoroughly getting into the holiday spirit!....even my little Christmas cactus that has never bloomed before is getting into the Christmas spirit this year.

It has been a challenging couple of months...I have been teaching night school which has usually been very enjoyable but in addition to some wonderful adult students, I have had some difficult behaviourial issues to deal with....this is new as in night school we usually, for the most part, have dedicated students....yet I am glad that after tomorrow night, it will be over.

Additionally, I have had some adoption news, some good and some not great.  It is taking me some time to digest but am slowly coming to accept it.  I did find out that our file is in Vietnam, not at the DA in Vietnam, but translated and with our TDH office there ready to be registered with the DA when the time is right.  We are still high on the list and a referral "might" come at any time; however, I have also been told that a suggested new timeline is that we also might be looking at the Spring of 2014 as a  possible time for the referral.  I had really hoped to at least have a referral before 2013 ended and I know it's not over yet, but again, I'm trying to adjust to the unpredictability once again. This waiting, at this stage, I'm finding just as hard as when I was waiting for Matteo's referral!

Anyhow all this to say, Spring is my second favourite season and .... as the spring flowers begin to bloom again then, just like my Christmas cactus now, I am hoping and praying that our family will also bloom by one.

It's true when they say....

....a picture is worth a thousand words and a bucketful of gold....feeling blessed on this third anniversary of becoming Matteo's mommy.....