it's been a while

For those who check in on our blog regularly, I am so sorry we've been lax in making posts. Life has been a bit busy (shocker, I know!).

Life here is challenging some days, as it is monsoon season, here in the Land of Not Quite Right. I grab the moments where the heavens are NOT opening up, and flooding us, and head outdoors with the children.

J is really adjusting well to his new life here, with us. He's made friends, and is in fact playing out front right now with two of them.

He's actually learning how to swim. The first time I saw J splish splashing over to his instructor, making his way, on his own, staying afloat, my eyes instantly filled with tears. He swam. It wasn't graceful. It wasn't pretty. But. Technically? It was swimming.

He swam.

Amazing.

I guess this is the part of motherhood that's hard to describe to people. The emotion. The amazement. The pride. The awe.

When I saw J swim, my breath was taken away. My eyes still get teary thinking about it.

M and K are revealing their individual personalities more and more.

M is, well, a bit strong willed shall I say. My hope is this will soon develop into a strong desire for what is good and right and loving. :) That her strong will will be channeled into strong character. That is what we're working towards and praying for.

K2 is the one that calls me "Mommy." J calls me "Mom" M calls me "Mama." There is something about a toddler, calling out for Momm --- eeeee ---- yyyyy that can melt a heart. My heart.

K2 is the snuggle bug of the pack. He nuzzles in until he is good and comfy. Then he stays. Snuggled in. Holding on tight.

Bed time, when Ted is home, is very cool.

T will read all three a story (on J's bed), then they will pray, then, T tells a story, that's "in his head" that continues night to night. I join them for that portion.

We all sit together. In the dark. Telling stories. As a family.

None of this has really been easy. Some of you know the bare truth of it all, some of you only know what is blogged. Some of you are somewhere in the middle. That being said, things are starting to click with us. There has been a shift.

The other day, when J was talking to one of my friends about his birth mother and me, intermingling us, he referred to me as his "regular Mom."

Yeah.

Earlier this week K2 was fully crying when I left to do some errands (it was during the day, and we had a sitter here). Shortly after I left, his crying stopped. Like any other normal toddler that cries when Mommy leaves, and shortly is distracted, and plays happily.

T pointed out to me that when we were back and forth in CA, visiting our birth mom and going back to the hotel the children never cried. Even on that last day, when we drove away for the last time.

Interesting.

But.

They cry when I leave.

Why is that?

Because I'm their Mommy. I am home.

It's happening.
xo
K.