To the Ends of the Earth

I can't stop staring at this photo. This mother and daughter have found each other, and if this story doesn't make one consider "older child adoption," then I don't think anything will.

Have a look yourself. Stare if you will.

Update from Colorado

This is where I am:


This is what we're eating:


This is what we're drinking:


This is what we're doing:

We packed one full bag today for the trip to meet little Solomon, more tomorrow. On the flight out here, I sat across the aisle from an author I have written about and whose book is currently on my living room mantle. More on that little story later. It was incredible, incredible, maybe one of the high points of my life.

For now, I'm going to try to let the chorus of "hey hey hey!"s accompanying the trumpet-heavy mariachi band across the street lull me to sleep.

Milestone for mom

What will I do without these two boys? I leave in a couple of hours for my first solo trip since being Abe's mom. It started out as a four-day trip but I took a day away when I started to really imagine four long days with no cuddle, no last peep at the sleeping boy before I fall asleep, no...oh boy, I'm getting sentimental.

Wish me luck.

Brit-brit-style ESL

I have a masters degree in Teaching Foreign Language, something I have done for over six years of my life, though not in the last couple of years. I have been missing it a lot, especially now that we're all settled into life with a child and not traveling as much anymore.

I picked up at the library this week a copy of Travelers' Guides Tales: Prague and have been reminiscing about my years in this part of the world. I spent those years teaching the most gifted, intelligent, and original students one could ever hope for, and I thank the creators of facebook every day for allowing me to stay in touch easily with them as they scatter their brilliance throughout the world. I have former students who are now doctors, European financial movers-and-shakers, computer whizzes, parents (oh, how that makes me feel old), professionals in the travel industry, and even a couple of graduates of Cambridge University.

I am dipping my toe back in the classroom these days by taking on a class of senior immigrant-refugees from various countries in Africa. It's like no other class I've ever taught. These students are all my parents or grandparents' age, some of whom are still learning to write the English alphabet. I think we're a long way off from explanations of when to use the past perfect as opposed to the past perfect continuous. Right now, we're doing a lot of, "Now try spelling your name for everyone to write down." It's a fascinating process. Truly fascinating. These people are so incredibly brave, and I look forward to learning from them.

I found this clip today advertising a language school in Russia, apparently one that teaches seniors as well. I'm wondering how quickly I can get my class to the point that they can sing along to pop songs...


This clip makes me incredibly happy. The "and I" lady is the best. I'd take her on as my assistant in a heartbeat.

Snuggle-bunny

I wash Abe every night because as a two-year-old, he gets very dirty, and also, his feet stink like all get-out in this one pair of leather sandals that he wears most days. Tonight after he got out of the bath and wrapped up in his towel, he sat on my lap and snuggled. He snuggled, with his head nestled into the crook of my neck, thumb in mouth, for twenty minutes. He hummed the entire time.

I'd ask him if he wanted to do something else, and he'd always say 'no'.

"You want to snuggle?"

"I snuggle," said in that slurred way of the thumb still in mouth.

So we snuggled. He'd close his eyes to hide from me. I'd ask where Abe went every time he closed his eyes. He'd open them and giggle.

Finally, I said, "I love Abey."

"I like you too, Mom."

You want to watch this

Go HERE.

You want to read this.

It's here. You won't be sorry I sent you here.

This is why I'm happy that my friends are here visiting: