A New Thing

Okay, so much for creative titles... but I'm starting a new thing.  Eventually it will migrate to a blog that is currently private and will be made public once I sort some things out, but for now it's here. 

I'm going to continue this blog and my adoption blog as normal.  This one is a bit of a hodgepodge, just life, etc.  I'm going to continue to tell A's and my story here.  But the 'new' (or rather, newly public) blog will ultimately be for A, somewhere down the line when she's a grown-up.  Since things went bad with her biological family last summer, I've been writing her letters to read 'someday' every now and then.  But they're as hard to write as the story itself, especially since I don't know where we'll be in our lives when she gets to read them, I don't know what to say.  So I'm changing the tune a little and making 'Letters To My Princess' public.  Every day (hopefully), I'm going to write a post and share a memory of something we did together over the past few years.  Just little glimpses into our happy moments that I want her to remember.  I feel like these will be easier to write and less emotionally draining because they will allow me to focus on the happy times... and they'll be entertaining for her at any age. 

The reason I'm making it a public blog is because I've found that by and large, people don't understand our situation and our relationship, because this sort of 'almost-not-quite-unofficial-foster-care' thing is not exactly common.  I'm hoping that in sharing the little things that brought us joy you will catch a glimpse into our lives, what made us who we are, and maybe even remind you to spend a little extra time with your little ones today (yes, there must be a FOURTH game of Candy Land)... because what I wouldn't give to be able to go back and spend a little more time with mine.  To live out those days... even the embarassing moments that turned me red in the face... one more time.

As I said, after I figure out how to do it, these will be on a seperate blog.  I'll post a link when that happens.  Until then, they're here.  Starting now:

Dear Princess,

Remember this day?  This is you on your 7th birthday, adopting your baby doll at the 'doll house' that we had to drive nearly an hour to get to.  You quite aptly named her 'Princess'.  You were wearing matching dresses, which you were just over the moon about.  That day, we got up in the morning, got dressed, I let you buckle Princess into your baby brother's car seat since my mom was keeping him for us that day, and we drove to the big doll house.  I had to take you there because it was the only place that both sold the dolls and let kids go through the 'adoption process'. 

When we got there, the lady helped you weigh and measure your baby, asked you her name and your name, and wrote it all down on a 'Birth Certificate'.  She complimented your matching dresses and wished you a happy birthday.  Then she had you sit down on this chair to take pictures of 'Mom' and baby.  We took like four shots, plus me in the background with my cell phone - you just looked so cute.  You were so shy at first.  Looking at the picture, maybe you can't tell, but I know you... and I can see how shy you were feeling in your posture.  That didn't last long though.  After pictures were taken, they brought out the official doll house stroller, which had a sign on it that said "Newly adopted" or something like that, and you put your baby in it and we trekked around the corner to the bakery where you were supposed to get a congratulatory cookie.  When you told the woman at the bakery that it was your birthday, and she saw you and Princess in your matching dresses, just looking too cute to be real, she instead gave you three cookies!  You ate one right then and we saved the other two.  On the way home, you let me have one and you ate the other 'for Princess'. 

We marched back through the windy day to the doll house and they gave you Princess's 'Diaper Bag', which contained some goodies for you and for baby - hair clips, pencils, candies, a sticker that said "It's A Girl!"... and a little cardboard frame with a picture of you and your baby in it.  Then we had to hurry home to set up for your 7th birthday party.  You buckled Princess back into her car seat (you told me that you wanted to hold her but you 'just really wanted her to be safe') and you were asleep (probably a sugar buzz) by the time we got home. 

And who'd have thought you'd complete your first adoption at the ripe old age of seven?  ;)

Love you forever,
Katie