Monday, May 25, 2009

Friends and Family For AB's Birthday

Yesterday we had friends and family over to observe AB's birthday as well as my brother's birthday...

DW's sister got AB his first skateboard...



And a guitar....




Best use for a sandbox, set up a mechanical engineering project...



It was warm enough for watermelon....



And bicycle sword dueling with AB's uncle....










Greeting a new cousin...



And haning your the deorative bird cage from your mother's garden in your playhouse.....







Sunday, May 17, 2009

AB's Shot of DW


photo.jpg, originally uploaded by jgphoto12.

AB took DW's iPhone and shot this photo of her....

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Advice to Refresh and Reinvigorate You While Adopting From Russia

It's been almost four years since we were last in Russia and almost as long since I offered any practical advice about Russian adoption. Well, those of you who've been there too know how much time you spend waiting for something to happen and how much uncertainty there is in all of it. It's easy for a sense of despair to creep in; the longer you're there, the more you think you'll succumb. This post is about fortifying you against that feeling.

Well right now I'm up in my attic. AB is is playing with Thomas the Tank Engine toys and I'm working on my computer. While he plays and I work, Jimmy Buffet's Songs You Know By Heart plays in the background. Listening to Margaritaville my mind meanders back to some of the worst times on our first trip to Russia. And my mind comes back to how listening to Buffet made me feel better regardless of how bad the situation looked.

After singing along to Cheeseburger In Paradise, Pencil Thin Mustache, Why Don't We Get Drunk And Screw, and the like, I couldn't help but feel refreshed and reinvigorated. Just listening is OK, but it works a lot better if you sing too.

I'm no Parrot Head, but odds are that when you're waiting in a Cold War vintage provincial airport or in the hallways of a government office building waiting to meet with another official on a cold overcast day, the time will pass easier singing along to Boat Drinks. Your mind might even wander to Key West forgetting where you are, if only for a fleeting moment. You'll feel better when it returns.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

AB's 5th Birthday


IMG_0703, originally uploaded by jgphoto12.

AB prepares to eat cake and open gifts on his 5th birthday.

Saturday, May 09, 2009

Victory Day


IMG_0640, originally uploaded by jgphoto12.

AB observes Victory Day...