Yesterday was National Adoption Day, and we did it up big. One year ago we adopted our three Littles, then 1, 2 and 3 years. We have decided to make National Adoption Day the day we celebrate all 5 kids’ adoptions.
We are going to be away from home on Thanksgiving– a fact that is very upsetting to my teens– so I fixed turkey, dressing, and the works. We had a lovely dinner at the “special table” (as The Captain says), complete with china. Grandma lives nearby but won’t be with us on Thanksgiving, so it was extra nice to have her at the table. It was the Littles’ first time to eat on the good dishes. The Captain, now 4-1/2, even got a crystal water glass. The Blitz (age 2) kept saying, “Mom, I got the wrong fork” because he rarely gets “big people” silverware. I spent the day cooking and cleaning, asking no assistance from my teens, which was enough in itself to make it a party.
We gave thanks for our five beautiful children, who turned an infertile couple into a family. In addition, we gave thanks for the birth parents who chose to nurture these children in the womb and then placed their trust in us. We remember Pepper’s birth mom, who has passed away. We gave thanks for the bountiful feast and counted our blessings that we have plenty to eat year round.
It was simply wonderful. It was fun to think about the kids when they came to us: Pepper and Sunshine as infants and the Littles all last year. It’s amazing to see how big they are now.
In a family with a tantruming 2-year-old, two hormonal teens, a child with Attachment Disorder and a 3-year-old fighting for her share of the attention, we have some tough days. We do a lot of “work” with our kids to keep them all on an even keel. It was so wonderful just to sit down and celebrate each of us being who we are.
And “who we are” is something to celebrate. We are “older” parents (though we don’t feel it!) with 2 boys and 3 girls. We are a Caucasian-Hispanic-African American family. We are a foster family. We are a family brought together by choice, by miracles, and a little by surprise. We are grateful!
