Hotel Stay

We had to stay in a hotel on Saturday night after we had driven for around 5 hours through the course of the day and attended a wedding and reception.

Arriving in our room exhausted at 10:30 p.m., I set out to prepare Diego for bed. He was excited to have the chance to sleep on a hide-a-bed in a hotel (he had no idea what a hotel was before Saturday) and had his stuffed animals lined up for snuggling. After putting Diego into bed, Joe and I readied ourselves for a good night's sleep in a King-sized bed.

Lights out. Ahhhh, drifting off to what I hoped would be mindless slumber... and then it started... armpit noises from the hide-a-bed!

My initial reaction was to yell and go into a lengthy explanation about Dad and Mom being tired and needing a good night's sleep before we could travel more the next morning. However when my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I saw Diego lying in just his underpants on top of the blanket I could do nothing but laugh. Laugh until tears streamed down my face. Joe began to laugh which only fed my giggles. Diego asked, "What's funny?" He honestly didn't know that he had become our comedic relief.

Yet another FAS moment brought to you by Diego, my wonder-boy.

A Wedding Worth Waiting For

My family and I went to a wedding last Saturday in Grand Rapids, MI. It was the wedding of a very special young man in my life. His name is Brad, his bride's name is Bethany.
Brad is someone I met as a pre-teen, trouble child. He appeared one morning in my Sunday school class. Brad always had a toy of some sort to occupy his hands, he wanted to be a magician. Brad eventually grew into a great teenager. He took a lead part in the youth group's "Human Video" drama group, named the group "Take A Stand Ministry" and traveled to various locations presenting the gospel through dramatic reenactments.
I am incredibly proud of the fact that Brad went to college to become a youth pastor. He has recently been promoted to a department manager's position in a new office supply store in Traverse City, MI. I am praying that he will pursue his passion of working with teenagers there.
Brad gave me a nickname that he still calls me to this day - Tree. He seemed to think because of my height and hairstyle (at the time) that I resembled a tree. I didn't like the name at first but it grew (HA!) on me and I learned to accept it and even answer to it. When I met his bride after the ceremony on Saturday, she exclaimed, "So, you're Tree! I'm so glad to meet you, I've heard so much about you!" I bet she has.
There were rough times with Brad, it wasn't all grins and giggles. He grew closer to the Lord and learned some incredible life lessons while I worked with him. I'm not bragging on myself, but I am bragging on Brad. He was one of my success stories... some time I'll write about some of the others.
At the age of 16 or 17, Brad became attached to a baby named Diego who had come into our lives quite unexpectedly. When it came time for us to make the decision about adopting Diego or giving him up to someone else, Brad came forward and told us that if we didn't adopt Diego, he would. He said he loved him more than he ever thought he could love another human being and was willing to give up his dream of going to college to raise this little boy on his own.
Brad regularly appeared on our doorstep to spend time with us and Diego. He came over on all of his important dates like prom or sub-deb to have his photo taken with Diego.
I couldn't be happier for Brad or more pleased that he found his life's partner in Bethany. At the risk of sounding cliche', I must say that they complete each other. I can't wait for the children to come along, he's in for a run for his money if the kids are anything like him :)
Best wishes, Brad and Bethany and may God bless you with all the good things He has in store for your life together.

Discipline Slip

Diego has been "off" for a couple of weeks now... until Tuesday this week. I really thought he'd be worse due to a field trip to the police department, fire department and public library in downtown Adrian. Well, he has been really good since then. He's been getting up and ready for school without being told to do so... that's HUGE for him.
He did have some difficulty at the fire station, he wanted to talk during the presentation but he assured me that he knew the firefighter and wanted to ask him a question. His teacher said he pointed out where his mom :) works as his class walked by the building that houses the office I work in (Diego said his friends thought it was cool).
With the end of the school year and change in routine I fully expect Diego to have some struggles. The thing that bothers me is that his teachers act surprised by problems. Their expectations are higher since the school year is almost over. I mean after all, he's been taught all these wonderful things for over 9 months now and he should have them committed to memory.
Wow! Sometimes I wonder whose brain is more like swiss cheese... the teacher's or Diego's.
For instance, the art teacher wrote a discipline slip on Diego yesterday. He put his things away at the end of class and took out some clay to play with. She told him to put it away and he didn't want to. Eventually he put it away (without incident) but she wrote a note that went something like this: "At the end of class today Diego took clay out of a tub when the rest of the class was cleaning up to leave. He had put his things away already but shouldn't have taken the clay out. Please talk to Diego about the rules and following directions."
Are you kidding me? It's not like taking clay from a tub is the worst thing he could have done. He could have thrown it, eaten it, ground it into the carpet (yes, the art room is carpeted), put it into someone's hair... get my drift? I can think of 100 different things he could have done in a classroom full of items hanging from the ceiling, protruding from the walls, written on the windows, flashing on a computer screen, etc... I'm surprised this is the first time he's had problems in that classroom! The stimulation is enough to make a 'normal' child bounce off the walls. I think I would have problems focusing in that room.
Maybe the teacher is just ready for summer vacation? I know I am.

Mother's Day & Staples

I had a GREAT Mother's Day! Diego is the sweetest little boy (most of the time) and my husband is very thoughtful and considerate about "my day"... he didn't even mow the lawn (some day I'll post something about that).
The day started pretty early for me with responsibilities at church, ending around 1:00. I went home to find my boys napping in the living room. Diego was waiting anxiously for me to get home so he could present me his hand made cards, all 4 of them (the best kind, by the way). Joe gave me a beautiful card, inside was a gift card from Staples.
Now, to some, a gift card from Staples isn't terribly Mother's Day-ish but to me it is the perfect gift! Call me strange but I love to shop at office supply stores.
We went out for lunch at Pizza Hut, drove to the cemetery to visit the graves of my dad and mom, went back home and drove to my sister's house in Temperance, MI for a late afternoon rest on the deck in the warm sunshine. We even had some really good ice cream for supper. Yes, supper. Ice cream is part of a basic food group, you know, dairy?
My Mother's Day ended with a relaxing evening watching my favorite Sunday night TV dramas; it is almost the end of the season so it's crucial that I not miss those shows!!!
My only regret about the day was that I didn't get to spend my gift card! Alas, a shopping venture I can take alone, spend as much time as I desire (right Joe?) and as much money as the gift card holds.

Before I Was A Mom

I became a mom through the wonderous miracle of adoption; this poem pertains to those of us who share the bond of motherhood through birth or adoption. Celebrate and love the moms in your life this weekend!

Before I was a Mom -
I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom -
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on. Spit on.
Chewed on.
Pottied on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests. Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.

Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much love or so much pain before I was a Mom.

I never knew I would love being a Mom. — Author unknown.

Pet Peeve

Okay, I just have to vent about the way people drive. I mean, how do some people pass the tests at the DMV? Seriously, lately I have to drive more defensively than ever before. The words of my driving instructor keep ringing in my head, "Watch out for the other guy because they usually aren't watching out for you."
School is no exception, in fact, I wonder if it's the reason he used that expression all the time. People double park on both sides of the street in front of Diego's school leaving only close to a car's width to pass between them. What's that about?
Then they actually get out of their vehicles to put a child onto the street in front of a passing vehicle without regard for moving cars. "I don't think they went to Safety City school, mom!" exclaims my child from the back seat.
Turning into the parking lot is a bit like trying to avoid bugs on my windshield; adults and kids darting from between cars without even looking for moving vehicles.
And don't get me started on school buses. Do they think they own the parking lot? I know the law about stopping for a stopped school bus, waiting for the lights to stop flashing and the driver to pull in the little stop sign on the side of the bus. But really, once a bus is empty of children, are the driver's that relieved to be rid of their cargo of screaming darlings? Maybe they're just in a hurry to be the first to arrive at the coffee shop? Either way, the bus drivers appear to believe because they are larger than most vehicles in the lot, they actually do own the road.
Of course there is the mom with the big, old, honkin' pick-up who takes up 4 precious, limited parking spots. Or the dude with spinners on his wheels who refuses to share the drop off area. And the grandmother who regularly stops in the middle of the drive forcing anyone stuck behind her car to wait through a lengthy conversation with the child in the back seat.
I could go on and on but won't.
End of vent, thanks for reading :)