Aaah

This is an actual un-edited vacation photo. Isn't it lovely? It could be a postcard.

We had a wonderful, relaxing, LONG Memorial Day weekend at the North Shore. So good, in fact, that Rob has declared Northern Minnesota "better than Maui". Good thing for us since it is (1) closer (2) cheaper (3) less-crowded (4) more pet-friendly (5) more kid-friendly. Sign us up for the annual trip and if we should win Powerball tonight, we might just move there.

And for the China a-parents out there... although I do not subscribe to the lucky ladybug thing, I did take a picture of the only one I saw all weekend and it came out quite nicely (after I got the stinking little camera to focus on it). All my pictures this trip were taken with the little camera. I am determined to figure this thing out. Anticipation is key because it is just not as fast as the big camera and I'm having trouble figuring out how to focus manually or focus on a micro object. If anyone knows how to do these things with a Powershot SD900, please let me know. Anyway, here's the obligatory bug shot.

Thank you Secret Pal!

Thank you very much to our Jan DTC Secret Pal! It was Mother's Day in May, so this month's gift was all about me (mostly). She sent bath beads, facial masks, candles, a bib that says "I Love My Mommy" and treats for Abby and Maddie. Thank you SP!!

Maddie will be bringing her new bone on our weekend road trip. It should keep her busy for a while in the car, so really it's a gift for all of us!

Sometimes they turn out really, really well

The women in my adoption book club at work* know how much I worry about being a good parent. It's one of those good-thing-bad-thing aspects of a long wait. Good thing: I've got lots of time to read and prepare for Nora. Bad thing: Most of the books focus on what can go wrong. It can be very discouraging. Raising kids is hard. Not just adopted kids, raising any kid is hard.

Just when I think it's impossible to get it right, something happens to change my mind. This weekend it was my niece's high school graduation. Sometime I'll need to ask my brother and his wife how they did this amazing thing. Their kids are smart, funny and kind. How does it happen? I think it must be good parenting. Maybe I should send Nora to spend some time with them...

* Yes, we have an adoption book club at work! Isn't that cool??!! It's sort of an add-on to the adoption network that J coordinates. Our first book was Are Those Kids Yours? and our second was Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew. Up next is - I think - Beyond Good Intentions. I'd better check on that. The next discussion is in about 6 weeks and I'll have some time to read over Memorial Day weekend.

Not the happiest start to my weekend

I just checked the RQ site and saw that she has some new predictive analysis of referral times. Here it is:

So, it would take a good to very good case scenario to bring Nora home for Christmas.

I guess I don't need to worry about my somewhat reckless use of four vacation days for long weekends this Spring/Summer.

Mad, mad, mad - I'm mad.

Great news - Chinese immersion schools have come to our area!! Bad news - we live across a state line from these programs, so Nora won't be eligible to attend. Not even if we pay tuition. I know. I asked. This STINKS.

I've also learned from a friend that our local school district does not offer any foreign language programming at the elementary level. This REALLY STINKS, not just for Nora, but for all the kids in our community.

Those of you who know us know that moving to the other state is not an option. Long story. Project house.

So I figure that there are two options. Right now I'm pursuing both:

(1) Convince the immersion school in the neighboring state - where we both work, by the way - to let our kids attend if we pay tuition. For the record, Chuck in my van pool suggested that I get a P.O. box in the other state and "fudge" our way in and I deemed this unethical. One karma point for me.

(2) Devote my time and energy to bringing language programming to our up-and-coming school district. I just sent an email to my unwitting victim the district learning services director, offering my assistance in the matter.

Thankfully, I have a little time. I figure that Nora will be able to attend Chinese daycare for 4-5 years until I can impose my will on the world figure things out.

For anyone facing the same problem, here are a couple of resources:

NACELL

Nanduti

and, of course, there's always my favorite book.

Spring is here!

Tonight after work I bought some of my annuals. I just decided this afternoon that I was going to get plants. You wouldn't believe how much it improved my day just thinking about it. Tomorrow evening I'm going to plant.

See Maddie "helping"? She's that way.

The falls

I love where we live. Can you believe that this wondrous site is just a few minutes from our house? We were here both Saturday and Sunday last weekend. It's a great place for walking with Maddie -- and plenty of water for a cool-off swim (for Maddie anyway, the water is still too cold for me). We're planning a picnic breakfast for this Saturday.