Lucky?

Ever since we started the process to bring Pipo here, people have been telling us what a lucky little boy he is. He is so "lucky" we saved him. At first, it threw me a bit, then it was a bit annoying, finally I started to get angry when people said this. Finally, one poor unsuspecting woman caught me at a bad moment, and I came back at her with "Yes, he is very lucky. So lucky to have lost both his parents to Aids by the time he was 6, so lucky to have a life threatening disease. So lucky to be pulled out of everything he has ever known, and dropped in a foreign land with people he has never met. He sure is lucky!" The poor woman sat with her jaw hanging open, and then stuttered a bit before remaining silent. I did end up having a nice conversation with her afterwards, explaining why I had been so frustrated. I may have embarassed her a bit, but I hope that in the end I educated her a bit too.

I do know that most people mean well, but they don't always think about what comes out of their mouths. Last night, at the Inn, I got talking with a couple at the bar. When the woman found out we had an adopted son from Haiti, she said "Oh how wonderful!" I braced myself for the inevitable 'lucky' comment, or even the dreaded 'you are a saint' comment. But I was totally shocked when she said to me "I would say what a lucky little boy he is, but I know that you guys are the lucky ones, aren't you?" I almost fell off my chair, I was so grateful. I realize that with Pipo here, I am much more sensitive to comments from others. But this was a good reminder that I shouldn't walk around with my back up. There are people out there who already 'get it'. And she is right...we are incredibly lucky, and I realize this every single day.

Schemin' and Dreamin'

The kids are all home today, as we have a family dentist apointment in an hour. I love our dentist...he just blocks off an entire morning for the crew, and has the hygienists double them up to get us all in and out. Though the last time we were in, a young guy came in and saw all the kids in the waiting room and said "How cool...is this like a town program or something?" Uhmmm, no.. this is my family.

But since we are all home, the kids have been taking advantage of the slow start and having a lazy breakfast. The boys decided they would plan their lives out, starting today. After a discussion about what they planned to be when they grew up, it was decided that EJ would be an engineer, Pipo a chef and restaurant owner, and Charlie a marine biologist. Immediately, the ideas started to flow. When all was said and done, the final product was this... EJ will design a waterside seafood restaurant for Pipo to own and manage. All the walls will be built in aquariums, with feeding stations on the outside decks, for local sealife. Charlie will be the onsite 'sealife manager' tending to the aquariums. They were all pretty happy with this plan, sitting back with big grins, dreaming about their future together. Until Tommy piped up with "What about me?" All three brothers decided instantly that Tommy would be a waiter. "Or maybe a feed boy" said Charlie.

Poor Tommy... it's tough being the youngest.

Roosters?

With Easter approaching, the CCD classes are having some in depth discussions. This past week, they were discussing Peter betraying Jesus 3 times before the rooster crowed. These are the questions that came rapid fire from the backseat the other day on the way home from class...

Margaret: How did Jesus know Peter was going to betray him?

E.J. : What does 'betray' mean?

Charlie: They had roosters back then???

Spoke too soon...

Spring is not here.

Spring was just a tease, with a quick taste of 70 degrees, ice cream cones, and backyard soccer.

Winter is back in all it's fury with a good 8+ inches on the ground.

I curse the snow and the mess it leaves, wanting the 70 degrees back.

But the kids are oblivious, snuggled in sleeping bags, watching Scooby Doo and thinking this is paradise.

Maybe they're right, maybe they're right.

Stupid Nice cop...

So Fitz is on vacation this week. Monday, we were each running all around getting errands done. Tuesday, he had a lot of work to do to get ready for making his new CDs, so I took Tommy off for the day to give him some peace and quiet. Wedenesday, he left to go do some recording, and I was going out with a friend. For some reason or other we were both in grouchy moods, snapping at eachother for no real reason.He left early, and as I was getting ready to go, he called to tell me he had just been pulled over somewhere South on 95. He said it was a cranky female cop who had run his plates and saw that his registration was not valid. She ended up having his car towed, so I needed to come pick him up and sort it all out. When I got out there, he was in an even worse mood, and down about everything. We started our paper trail for getting the car back, going to Concord to pay an old parking ticket. He ended up getting a haircut while we were there, and hanging out with the boys in Strop and Blade helped his mood a bit. Then off to Maynard, checking our excise taxes, and getting proof of insurance. By now, it was almost 70, and not a bad day to be hanging out downtown Maynard. Then off to the registry in Framingham and back to Wellseley to where the car had been towed. By that time, we had just spent most of the day hanging out together, something that has been very rare lately unfortunately. I have always wanted to believe that things happen for a reason. Sometimes it takes a while to work out what those reasons may be. But sometimes it slaps you right in the face, and you find yourself driving down a beautiful back road, on a rare 70 degree March day, holding hands with your best friend. I want to find that cop and thank her.

Spring in New England

Spring has finally arrived here. No matter that there is still snow on the ground.. it is time to break out the shorts and the soccer balls! With daylight savings time early this year, there is even more time for the kids to get outside. It's amazing how that first true Spring day hits you... it's like being reborn. Even with all the running around we do with Tae-Kwon-Do, Little Warriors, CCD etc. , I still feel like we hibernate a bit in the winter. No one stands outside to socialize when picking kids up. We don't spend much outdoor time at all unless we are sledding, and even then, you are bundled and trying to keep warm, so it's not that social. But the days are suddenly warmer, and longer, and we are seeing neighbors and friends out and about. A wait all winter for this. I live for the days I can sit out on the front porch swing and watch the kids riding bikes out front, yelling "Hi" to the neighbors getting home from work.




A new thing in Fitzville this Spring is tapping our Maple trees. I don't know how much syrup we will end up with, but the kids are loving the process. They rush home every afternoon to check the buckets and carry them in to pour them into the boiling pot.

Beautiful Boy

Pipo was home sick from school today, but not really feeling too sick, so we had some nice mom/son time. I spent an hour re-doing his hair, and then took some pics. This shot was an accident, but I absolutely love it. Most pictures of Pipo are funny, silly, happy... his usual personality. He is a ham and loves to be the 'clown' in any situation. But it's amazing how deep he can be, what a little old man. He is so small and cute, it's easy to mistake him for a younger child, especially when he is clowning around. But one on one, get into a conversation with him, and he seems so, so much older than his years. And judging from his life before he came here, I would imagine in some ways he is much older. I am so glad I finally captured this side of him in a picture. He is just an amazing kid, and I can't imagine my life without him in it.