Baby Steps

One of those pictures that speaks volumes about the stress levels 

around here lately!!

A usual complaint around the holiday season. Magnified when three birthdays are thrown into the mix. Exponentially magnified when hormones and psychological pain are involved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For the adoptive Moms waiting on Mari's posts...all I can say is for every three steps forward you should expect to see them take two right back again!! We get brief moments [emphasis on brief!!!] when she is exceptionally philosophical and thinks that doing up a blog post would not only help her in her aspirations to be a writer [remember the constant book in her hand???] but would also help her to "name and claim" her emotions. Then the philosopher gives way to the windmill jouster who quickly morphs into a Mayan Thundercloud. One minute she wants to sit and talk it out...and just as you settle on the couch that mood is GONE! 

Right now it is a peculiar mix of adoption induced pain coupled with hormonal Middle School induced peer relation conflicts and body image....um trying to think of a polite word....um.......um...loathing?? We've done some of the Dove workshops....she would still like to look like Taylor Swift. She categorically denies having any positive Latina influences....she categorically denies a lot of things! It's the full on age of emoting passionately...and you'd think I'd be ready given that I was the Queen of emoting passionately when I was a teen...sigh....and she has never been one to end an emotional outburst before exploring and savoring every last drop of drama...even as a toddler!

Now, ladies, do not take this to mean we are in a 24/7 psychological hurricane from which there is no relief. Most of each day is spent in the mundane acts of school and homework...and texting. The Mayan Thundercloud child does have some warning signs and we are beginning to learn how to act on those clues. It's just a veeeery complex storm system and I'm thinking I have a couple more years until I get my degree in Mayan Meteorology 101...then I get the joy of sitting through Mayan Meteorology 201...no sarcasm there! They are joys. It's just that some days are a lot more joyful than others! 

Meanwhile, we race through our busy season of Christmas concerts...

Family nights with RE and homework...

The 'family' parties for the last of the birthday girls...

[Happy almost to the 'big' birthday Auntie Peggy!!!]

Throw in an occasional sporting event here or there....

Mix it with a bit of make-over magic.....

Add a nearly full work calendar, holiday preparations, family Christmas parties [more on these later...maybe], multiple attempts at Christmas card photo shoots, and a list the length of my arm yet to accomplish!! I'm taking little tiny baby steps forward these days. Happy to say just that...moving forward again after a lot of stuck in place feels good even if it's by tiny amounts!!