Adoption, identity and differences...

FRECKLES!



After getting home from the beach a couple of weeks ago, my son R developed a fascination with my freckles. He kept asking me why I had all of those brown spots and he didn't. Now...I have to say that I have never liked my freckles and have always longed for a brown deep tan ...it was quite amusing to me to have him be jealous of my freckles - which, after 7 days in the sun, were out in full force despite sunscreen with SPF of 50!

This is the first time I had to address the identity issues in adoption. Clearly he and I are from different backgrounds (and he was noticing the differences). I told him that I had "Irish" skin. Then he (smart boy) asked me if I was from Irish like he was from Russia. So then I said, no but my mom's mother and father were from Ireland and people from Ireland had freckles. I told him that he had skin like people from Russia (just like M & L)...

That seemed to appease him and he hasn't asked me about it since.

It has given me a much different impression of my freckles?

VACATION 1 (Part 3)

As promised, here are some more pictures from our vacation at the Outer Banks.



Riley was the most adventurous...He thought he could be a surfer dude...and actually made it out past the breakers with my friend Wendy...


Matthew decided on our last day that it looked fun, but chickened out right at the crest area and then got knocked over so....he was content to play in the sand the rest of the time...


Logan was adventurous but was content to sit in the water or the sand. She was knocked over by the waves several times but just came up laughing...



Isn't she just the cutest thing?!

I count myself among the luckiest people - to have this wonderful family...Definitely not Gillis genes...look at the tans...(with 50 sunblock on!)

Vacation #1 (Part 2)

As promised, this entry has several pictures of our vacation to the Outer Banks. I (silly mom) forgot to bring my camera so only have a few from my cell phone. My friend Wendy's dad (who stayed with us recouperating from a recent MI) took some which he is supposed to email me...who knows when that will happen.

So, here is Matthew in the 3 foot area of the swimming pool (no floats). Once he decided that he wasn't going to drown, he did pretty well. Even putting his face in and his head under a couple of times!
Here is Riley in the same pool - showing off his swimming technique. By the end of the week, he was swimming 2-3 strokes underwater and doing a mean "doggie paddle".
Here are Logan and Matthew on the front deck of our condo. All of us enjoyed the sun...
Of course, we did get on each others nerves a little but everyone survived...

...to make it home alive, a little sunburnt, a little tired, a little cranky but happy!

VACATION NUMBER 1 (Part 1)

Well, we are home from the first vacation of the summer. This will be an unusual year for me since I have scheduled myself for 2 vacations over the summer with the kids.

My friend Wendy had rented 2 condo's with her time-share points for the week of July 4th and asked us to come with her to the Outer Banks in N.C. We left on Saturday and with the exception of some slow traffic which made the 3 hour ride into a 5 hour ride, made it without a hitch.

The weather was beautiful! Sunny, hot but not excessively humid. The condo was great...connected to Wendy's but she (and we) were able to get some private time too.

All 3 kids found their "water" balance with Matt and Riley starting to do some doggie paddle in the shallow (3 feet or less) part of the pool without a life preserver and Logan learned to keep her head out of the water and actually swim with a life preserver on. Matthew got over his phobia of drowning (thank god!!!) and was doing a great job both with and without the L.P.

Yesterday we came home a day early to spend some time with Jean and her brood. It was great. I love her family. we went to Busch Gardens for about 3 hours and then went across town to Water Country. the kids had a great day and were so tired (no naps for everyone) that they fell asleep by 8 pm and stayed asleep for the rest of the night.

Now the hard part starts...unpacking. We've emptied the care but the kids are too excited to do anything much else. It is now lunch time and I'm hoping we can do quiet time and then go to the local neighborhood pool.

Will post pictures from the vacation later in the week when I can get them from Wendy's dad's camera - He was the only one who thought to bring one...though I have a few pictures in my cell phone!