Wissahickon

This is my new favorite place in the Philadelphia area:

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/fall-on-the-wissahickon-photograph-by-john-couture.html

We went to Wissahickon for the first time on Sunday, topping a weekend that included a long, childfree bike ride and dinner at the home of new friends. D and I went back again today. He rode his longest bike ride to date. A friendly fisherperson invited him to reel in a fish. Loving this city.

Gratitude and successes #2

Gratitude

• For our children's first family. They so clearly cared for our boys and taught them what it means to be in a family. We never had to teach that. They knew how to be part of a family from Day 1.
• For our boys, who are resilient, strong, brave, smart, loving and kind.
• For the area we live in. There is so much diversity here that I don't feel that we stick out at all. A's school bus route picks up a little United Nations. We've met plenty of other mixed race families. We did our research to find this area, but we also got lucky in how everything came together. 

Successes

• A short but wonderful visit with a friend from Burji. 
• A great trip to upstate New York where the boys had lots of fun with their cousins.
• Eating pretty healthy. Finally getting around to ordering from the farm store.
• Getting into a homework routine with A.
• A couple of playdates a week for D.
• Going to the Ethiopian church every 2-3 weeks while avoiding any mention of religion.

Suck it, Penny.

Gratitude and successes

Gratitude

• For our next-door neighbors. They are ALWAYS happy to see the kids and ALWAYS ready to offer help, recommendations, support.
• For Mekbib. For taking us under his wing at the Ethiopian church and bringing his kids to swim with our kids every Saturday.
• For the online support of other adoptive families.
• For T. Right now more than anything he is my partner in parenting. Some days he comes home and I foist the kids on him before I've even said hello. But we have scheduled our first date since last spring, and our marriage is about to regain some of its balance.

Successes

• We've never run out of food.
• We've never run out of clean clothes.
• We've never missed a swimming class.
• The boys get exercise, books, and some form of art pretty much every day.

Penny points out that most of the relationships I'm talking about are not true friendships and I've set the bar pretty low in what constitutes a success. I decided today not to argue with her; she always wants the last word, so I'll let her have it.

Penny N. Diaz

This voice in my head, I am soooo tired of it. I've named you Penny N. Diaz because you really are one, and you are going down. This is war.