Happy 28 month birthday Matteo and celebrating Têt Trung Thu

It was Matteo's 28 month birthday today so it was great to be able to celebrate Tet Trung Thu on this day.  I try to decorate and Matteo really loves these little lanterns. They used to light up but now they don't so am always looking for new decorations.  This year we planned  a little better and were able to invite a few more friends to share the day. Matteo had a great time and that is all that matters.

Lots of moon cake and other treats.

This was a very large moon cake, the first time I've seen one cake size.

So far these nut filled ones are our favourites though we keep trying different ones.
Definitely a different taste to enjoy, and very rich.

These are actually Italian amaretti biscotti, my mother's recipe. I made them because this is the time of year that my mother passed away so she is always on my mind. Additionally they are round like the moon and I wanted to blend traditions.

 

 

 

The dragons were purchased during Tet last year and the lanterns were actually made in Vietnam and were gifted to us by a friend of mine who found them at a garage sale.
They are intricate and beautiful and small and hang in this doorway for most of the year.

 

A sign - A dragonfly with a broken wing...

I love dragonflies and definitely have used them to symbolize my adoption journey. Matteo's baptism bomboniere were made with dragonflies from the TDH dragonfly campaign etc.  You can see some of the links to dragonflies here and here....anyhow back to the dragonfly that my cat chased into my office with the broken wing.  Not sure if my cat took a bite or not but I managed to get the dragonfly back outside and it seemed to fly away. Definitely hope it was okay.  However symbolicly I thought it was interesting as the TDH English listserv has been busy with posts with families arriving back with children adopted through the special needs (a little 3 year old girl) and families who may be travelling in about a month. One of the families is going to adopt the twin girls who are from the special needs program and I'm not sure about the other one. However great to see the list active and great to know that there is and continues to be movement in both directions.

For me I am hoping that the dragonfly with the broken wing is a lovely sign that I just might get some news myself as my second adoption will, if it works out, be from the special needs program!!  For now, it was a wonderful moment of awe.

Getting ready for Têt Trung Thu Mid Autumn Moon Children's Festival

Well today Matteo and I spent part of our day in Chinatown with my sister buying mooncakes as well as a few other treats.  Next Sunday Matteo and I are having our second Autumn Moon Tea with family and a few friends.  This week I hope to do a bit of decorating as well as buying some lanterns for the few children that will be at our party.  I am looking forward to it and hope that Matteo and our guests enjoy it too.

It has been a tough couple of weeks with a few things going on beyond my control.  Sometimes life throws us a few curves and there is nothing to do but try to work with them.  The next few weeks will be critical  and I am praying that it all falls into place so that I can continue with the plans that I've made.  For now I'm taking things as they say, one day at a time, and trying to stay positive and at peace.  Not always easy.

In other news, heard from another friend in Quebec who also received a referral for an almost 4 year old boy with some special needs.  The family is in the process of making  a decision. So referrals seem to be continuing with both the special needs and regular stream.

I'll end today's blog with, of course, the apple of my eye and the joy of my heart. Tonight for the first time when I asked Matteo if he wanted a brother or sister, he said "sitter".  I continue to pray that another child will be part of our lives at some point in the not too distant future. 

Another regular stream referral in Ontario

Another family from Ontario posted on the TDH English listserv that they receive a referral for a little girl about to turn 2 from the regular stream program. So it seems the regular stream has definitely started up again! 

News from Italy and Spain re: Vietnam Adoptions

Click here  to access news from Italy and here to access news from Spain.

To translate simply, both countries are reporting the first regular stream referrals using the new process.  YEAH!!!!

The many sides of Matteo Bao....

...just wanting to share some photos of Matteo mostly to remind myself that my little boy who can still scream so loud has so many sides to him.  Thank God his tantrums don't last for long.  A photo essay to remember and celebrate some of those other beautiful moments that took place in September.

My little climber....



loving his bare feet in the sand



Matteo and Luca, secret brothers

loving his sandbox

 

my musician making music wherever he is

continuing to stack and stack and stack

 

spending lots of quiet time building his castles

 

with little blocks...

...and big blocks...

 

...a more serious side of Matteo




...the more playful side of him...

 

...and finally Matteo looking at life from all sides now.

More twins....

After posting my previous blog about the new referral of twins, I was contacted by another family in Ontario who shared their wonderful news that another pair of twins will be coming to Ontario.  They are twin girls and their referral is from the special needs stream.  So adoptions from Vietnam are progressing, maybe slowly, but they are moving forward especially the special needs stream. 

For those who are finding the regular stream wait too long, our agency is asking them to consider special needs children and possibly switch their files.  As everyone knows just because a child is medically healthy when they are young won't mean that this will be the case forever. After all there are no "perfect" children, just children that need loving homes. 

For now I am praying for this family to travel as soon as possible to also bring home their baby girls as they are in need of the loving arms of a family as well as medical attention.