Perspectives

All four went to the same nature center.
All four walked on the same trails.
All four were given the same art assignment afterward.

Further proof that each person views the world from a little different perspective and 'flair'.

This is Clara's--you can't see from the picture but she used the sparkle paints to make her tree as fancy as possible. Yep, that's Clara.

This is Isaac's--who is a little bit obsessed with golf courses.  He spent 80% of his time drawing the golf course and the remaining 20% on the trees.

This is Josiah's.  What you should notice about his painting is the 3 small creatures to the right of the tree--an Oriole, a mosquito, and a dragonfly.  Jo loves his bugs and birds.

And that leaves Anne.  I am sure she is the girl sitting under the tree daydreaming about life.

On Brothers and Sisters

 I was alerted to an upcoming show on PBS by way of Facebook.  I made a mental note to tune in at 10pm on Monday night. My mental notes are not as reliable as they used to be so I arrived a little late for the start (which I will catch up on later) but I saw enough.  Enough to make me cry, and ponder, and wish.
The full episode is not available yet but here is a very short teaser:
http://video.pbs.org/video/2365317413/
**UPDATE*** Here is the link to the full length video
http://video.pbs.org/video/2365338330/
Twin Sisters is a short documentary about two little girls adopted from China at the same time.  Their parents were told that they were not sisters but as the families kept in contact over the years through exchanging pictures it was evident that they were, in fact, identical twins.
Now, I am pretty sure that Pearl does not have an identical twin sister, so why were tears streaming down my face for the final 20 minutes of the show?  Because chances are Pearl does have a brother or sister, or maybe both, somewhere in Hunan Province. There are cute little people who share her genetic make-up, her mannerisms, her language and culture who she was meant to grow up with.  If she had been given a choice four years ago, if magically she could have had a voice the day she was abandoned,  she would have stayed right where she was born--where God created her to be.
Learning the Chinese language.
Fighting over cheap Chinese toys with her siblings.
Eating spicy Hunan dishes.
Sharing a bed with family members.
 

Her love for them would have been pure and natural. I truly believe Pearl would have been a completely different child emotionally had she not been abandoned. 
I ache to see that child.
To hear those giggles--the natural ones---of siblings giggling over silly games.  With no fear or thoughts as to whether an emotion is safe to express.

Abandonment is robbery.  
Pearl's siblings were stolen from her.
I can't replace those relationships.
And so I cry for her, and her siblings.

Adoption is so unnatural to me when I see shows like Twin Sisters.

But then I wake up to a new day
And I see this child starting to let down her walls and learn what brothers and sisters really are.
They are the ones who twirl you on swings....

Teach you to rake up leaves and throw them......

Teach you how to ham it up for the camera,

Teach you to give and receive kisses,

 give you bunny ears in pictures,

 and pull you around the house in a laundry basket.








And I realize that adoption may be unnatural but

redemption is beautiful.

Five Things I Want You to Know

Dear Pearl,
The month of October is Down Syndrome Awareness month--which really means nothing to you and honestly, doesn't really mean too much to me either.  Why does it not mean much to me?  Well, because most of the time you can't fix ignorance and I won't spend my life trying to prove to people that EACH person has value and the same chance at life as I have been given. But I did want to take a few lines to share with you 5 things I want you to know.

1. When we opened our hearts to Down Syndrome we opened our life to you.  It was the best decision we ever made. 
2. We go to therapy to improve who you are--not to change who you are.  We have no desire to change who God created you to be. 
3. If you never learned to do another new thing, you would still be amazing and have the same infinite worth.
4. God created Down Syndrome.  It is not a mistake.  I suspect that God causes the presence of  a third copy of 21st chromosome in 1 in 800 births because we need people with Down Syndrome in our lives.  Here is small and funny example of this: Yesterday, we decided to go to McDonalds for lunch.  As we drove in the parking lot, you threw your arms into the air and yelled at the top of your lungs, "OH YEAH!".  I said to daddy, 'THAT is why people love folks with DS--they express the feelings and joy that we have been taught to control to a socially acceptable level.'
5. A life worth living is not about achievements in academics, sports, music, relationships, jobs or social standings.  Those things may or may not be possible for you but either way it doesn't matter.  Pearl, we want to help you love others the way that God created you to--that leads to an AMAZING life which is what you deserve!

Love, love, love you!!!
Mommy

Mid Fall in the Garden

Dreams

I have a few reoccurring dreams.  Do you?
One of my reoccurring dreams happens every time I get the flu (since I was a small child).  That's how I know I have the flu. 
One of my reoccurring dreams will never come true--at least I hope it doesn't because if it did it would mean my life had really taken a nose-dive.

And one of my reoccurring dreams happened in real life today.
So do I still call it a dream or is it reality?

Happy Birthday Pearl!

Dear Pearl,
You are FOUR years young today!  Happy Birthday sweet peanut! 
And yes, you are a peanut--holding steady at 28 pounds and stretching to 34 inches {Keep in mind that an average 4 year old weighs 40 pounds and is 40 inches tall}.
Speaking of peanuts--you LOVE peanuts!  If you had your way you would eat them for breakfast, snack, lunch, another snack and dinner.  But I do require that you have a little more than just peanuts.  You begin the day with a bowl of Cheerios for breakfast, some sort of soup or egg for lunch, and whatever I serve for dinner is fine with you as long as you get your scoop of ice cream around 7pm.  Actually, your favorite dinner food is spaghetti--you like heaps and heaps of spaghetti.

 Remember last year when we were teaching you how to blow for your 3rd birthday?  Well, this year we are teaching you how to say FOUR and sing 'Happy Birthday'.  I just know that you are going to give it your best try on Saturday at your party.

Whoops!

 Pearl, you love to read books before bed at night--Go Dog Go and Goodnight Moon being two of your favorites.  You are an amazing imitator--as a result you can now do all of my parenting 'looks' back at me including the eye roll, the 'look down my nose at you' look, and the 'hands on the hips, head to the side' look. It's hard not to giggle when you give the looks to me.

 You are learned so much over the past year--some things may seem small to others looking from the outside in, but as your mommy--I know that you are working so hard for each word and each good choice, for each hug and kiss.

 I hope as you grow bigger and bigger you will be thankful that God placed you in our family.  You have taught us be slow down, to not take hugs and kisses for granted, to trust God's plans, and to not worry about what someone can't do.
So, my beautiful girl, blessings on your fourth year of life on this earth--may this year bring more giggles and smiles, new adventures, and deeper trust and love. 
Love you always,
Mommy

Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Mount Vernon