"Me want a baby sister mommy"

Well holiday time is over and Matteo is now back at preschool. As the final few days of August unfold and as we approach the last long week of summer, I continue to be grateful for where we're at in our lives.

We loved being on holidays and not being pressured to do much. We had sleep ins and snuggles in bed watching tv and reading lots of books.  We had long walks and museum visits and playing tourist. We had playdates and visits with family and friends and shopping.  And we both had afternoon naps...how I loved those.

One of my favourite memories is of the first time Matteo said "me want a baby sister mommy."  Now of course a few of the television shows he likes have little sisters and no little brothers as in Caliou and Arthur...he does like D.W.; however, while I have spoken to him about a sibling over the last few months, this comment was unsolicited......I have asked him in the past if he wanted a baby sister or a baby brother and at first he said neither, then it was a brother etc.  So that was very sweet (and I was hoping it was another sign).

Nonetheless I really tried to enjoy this time especially because it "might" be the last summer holiday we have with just the two of us.

So on the adoption front, all paperwork and documents have been resubmitted to the Ministry and we are awaiting their response.  There shouldn't be a problem as everything is good; however, worry is par for the course through every piece of paperwork and every step in the adoption journey.  Other than that, no news and no new dragonfly spottings.

For now here are lots of photos to remember this summer.

Still loving his books.....

Waiting........ooooouuufffaaaaa!!!

Well second time around I thought it would be easier waiting but it isn't...it is and it isn't ......this time around while I know the process, though the process is always changing, and I know that dreams can come true, I have Matteo, it is still hard to wait with the unknowns, and the timing is just so out of your hands and out of your control. So you try to hang on to the little things and continue to make your plans though that is what is hard with all of this...as in you can't make too many plans though you still have to get on with your life!

I think my recent wait for my medical procedure was helped by the waiting experience I had with Matteo.....waiting for something good is definitely better than waiting for something bad, but I'm trying to make sure that I make the waiting useful and relaxing. Some days, and some moments, are easier than others.

This weekend we had a visit from a Montreal family who is in the process of a third adoption.  Matteo got along so well with the two little girls and we've been hoping to be able to travel together for their third, my second, so are praying.  Was great to see them in person and finally connect, though again hard too because you want to be able to plan together!  I guess even if we don't adopt together there is nothing stopping us from making our own plans...

....anyhow I'm almost finished updating all the documents they need. Hoping by the end of August those will be done and sent off and then if I have not heard anything by then, I wait some more.

......It has been great being on holidays with Matteo. The last time we were on an extended holiday break together was in summer of 2011 at the tail end of my parental leave.  It is such an important time to just not have to be anywhere or do anything.  So much of life is about schedules and time management and with children, that is hard to do and at times makes me feel so stressed. Mornings are usually very hard. It helps to be organized but sometimes being organized doesn't work and I need to be flexible.  I think being flexible is necessary for the adoption process too....going with the flow of things is a skill and an art, both useful for parenting and for the adoption process too.  I am sometimes good at going with the flow but at other times, it is so hard and I'm not as successful....so any messages about how to raise children and how to proceed often need to be tossed aside.  Like teaching, I see how my confidence is growing as a mother.  I have taken to mothering like a hand in a glove but I also continue to make lots of mistakes.  Flexibility and forgiveness a good mantra to hold on to.  Forgive myself and move on and try again. And of course I need to try to accept Matteo as he is and continue to try to understand what he needs from me.  He is a loveable, smart, sensitive, and [stubborn] little boy who has a great sense of humour, already has ideas on his life and what he wants.  At times he is so easy going but at other times a real challenge.  So in addition to the forgiveness, there's also the other F word, Faith....Flexibility, Forgiveness and Faith....I like that!.....Faith is so important for absolutely everything in my life, to believe that there is a God watching over us who has guided my life and Matteo's life untill now and will continue to and to have faith that He will bring another child into our lives if that is what He wants for  us, despite all the uncertainty around us....so yes, will try to remember those F words for sure!!

....In my next post I'll update with lots of vacation photos of Matteo and me from our first week off playing tourists and visiting local museums.  We're not making too many plans just taking each day as it comes with a few thoughts on things to do, but if we don't feel like it, we don't.  Matteo is so good about exploring and going out.  He loves being out and about and never turns down my suggestions to go out. It is the only thing that can compete with his television watching and if he is given the choice of one or the other, he will always choose to go out.

 {I sure hope that continues}

Ottawa is such a beautiful city and we live in a great community so close to so much.  It is fun to be tourists and focus on relaxation while keeping the second adoption close to my heart, while loving and enjoying the gift of my first adoption, my son, Matteo Bao.

View of the Parliament buildings from the fountain at the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau

Matteo and Micio a special bond....

Micio is one of our 3 cats who has been dealing with kidney problems.  I'm not going to begin to tell you how much getting him stabilized has cost in dollar amounts as vet bills are to say the least expensive. However the vet assures us that once he is stabilized it should not cost more than $20.00 a month to keep him healthy.  We're not there yet.  However, he is doing really well and I am so grateful because he and Matteo share a special bond and how can you put a cost on that?

Micio was the cat who hissed at Matteo when we first got home from Vietnam, but now he is the one who never runs away when Matteo is crying or screaming and having a tantrum etc. and they as the pictures below will show, even play together too.

Michino, who is Micio's biological sibling, is only in the last year or so, warming up to Matteo such that Matteo can put a blanket on him and he won't run away.  Or as seen in a photo I posted in the past few weeks, will let Matteo lie with him and won't run away. Our other cat Bice, our orange tabby, is now allowing Matteo to pet him, but still is the first to run if Matteo's play is too loud or a tantrum sets in...but we have made great progress on both sides with Matteo learning how to help Bice feel safe and with Bice, being more comfortable with Matteo.

All cats share birthdays in early August, we don't know their exact dates but we celebrate it as August10.  Micio and Michino will be 10, and Bice will be 9.   Here's hoping that all of them will have long and healthy lives so that a little boy can continue to play with them and learn how to be gentle from them.

Matteo the builder.....

A few weeks ago I saw this workbench on a facebook friend's wall and thought it would also be the perfect gift for Matteo. He likes banging and building so while I hunted it down, coincidentally Matteo started asking to watch the Bob the Builder cartoon series.  His two television favourites up until then were Thomas the Train and Caillou...he is branching out, to Max and Ruby, Toopy and Binou, Franklin, Everything's Rosie and now Bob the Builder.

We are still having issues around television still, as in, he wants to watch it all the time, and I am trying to monitor it and also make sure he plays with other toys....etc.  So my interest in getting him the workbench and his interest in the show have meshed nicely and he is playing more with his tool toys than he is wanting to watch the program. Not sure how long it will last; however, was grateful for that switch.  Here are a few photos taken the day he came home and saw it.