Is this OK?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under the age of 2 do not watch TV.  I wonder, has anyone at the American Academy of Pediatrics every actually lived with a child under the age of 2 for any extended period of time?  Have they ever gone days without a shower?  Or actually wondered if they have brushed their teeth.  Cuz if they had, they would know that this recommendation is B.S.  She actually stood still for 5 minutes and watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The child who never stops moving was mesmerized by the man.  Who isn't, really.



Can we take a moment and talk about Haiti?  Not in the way that you are expecting, but in a happy ending sort of way.  Bare with me as this will probably be a stream of conscious type of post.  So much in my brain to get out. First of all, adoption.  Benjy and I also looked in adoption from Haiti as he is forever scarred by a news report he saw on the children there.  Adoption there is pretty difficult.  Not as stable, can take years, and is a little risky.  And although we didn't do it, we have never ruled it out as another possibility.  But, so much would have to change.  First of all, no social worker is going to approve for another body to live in my 1400 square foot home.  And then there's the whole money thing.  Oh right, that.  It's still in our hearts and hopes for our future.  With recent developments, it has become even more difficult for me to imagine not adopting again.  And for this reason, I have had to distance myself from all things Haiti.  I had to stop reading the news, watching the news, and our house was banned from the telethon.  Ostrich?  Maybe.  But that's how I roll. Side note:  What do I call the people I have met through this adoption.  We've never actually met.  For most, I haven't even had a phone conversation.  We've talked through e-mail and Face Book, exchanged pictures and that sort of thing.  For many of them, I was able to love on, play with, and hold their children before they were.  That's a relationship I don't know how to classify.  Do I call them friends?  I don't know.  Back to my point.  One of the girls who I fell in love with in Ethiopia just came home.  She is 7 and has the biggest, most wonderful heart.  I could not be happier to see her home.  Her parents also adopted a little boy about a year ago.  Through our conversations I learned that they were pursuing an adoption through Haiti in 2006.  They had his referral for 2.5 years before the government changed the laws and they were no longer eligible.  They had to release their referral.  I can't imagine the pain.  Last Thursday they received a call that he was eligible for adoption now through they humanitarian rules that were recently passed.  Because the agency still had his paperwork from 2006, they were asked if they still wanted to bring him home. They had 3 hours to decide.  Of course they said yes.  How could you not?  As of today, he should be boarding a plane, headed for Florida to finally come home.  I've been thinking about his family for days. I am so excited and happy for them, I get tears every time I think about it.  What a wonderful story in a time and place when it is sometimes difficult to see anything happy. Congratulations Melissa and your rapidly growing family!

 I hope that someday we are able to journey down the adoption road again.  The ethics, logistics, and basic details of adopting there are completely impossible right now.  I won't bore you with the details.  Give me a call if you want to chat about it someday.  :-)

Tomorrow is my last Monday off.  :-(

xoxo