Thank you Matt!! I love it when he does this for me!! We will send this picture on a pillow(s) to the girls! Who knows when they will actually get it but it still feels good to send them something! Sarah remembers getting her pillow early on but she did not get the other things we sent her until right before we came. Actually what they did is they took pictures of her in the clothes we sent with the camera we sent but did not explain to her what and why they were doing it. She had no idea anything came from us until the night before we saw her. Sarah also told me that it made her nervous when people at the orphanage wanted to talk about her new family. It is very scary for the children, kind of exciting but mostly very scary.
Another post on a friend's blog has got me thinking today. My question to you is what do you do to have a little time with your Hubby? A chance to have a conversation, a moment to regroup and reenergize? Well the couple they spoke of had their children watching a movie at a restaurant on their personal computer. We have tried many things BUT not this AND we won't be trying it either. It just doesn't seem right to me. Maybe this couple was desperate for the time together and then stooped to desperate measures. (We have gone to restaurants with TV but never brought our own.)
Hubby and I rarely leave the kids. The other day Katie mentioned coming over on a Saturday night and watching the girls for us- before she finished her sentence I had said YES! We only stay out for about 2.5 hours BUT we love every minute of it! We get to do this about once every 3 weeks. I also have a wonderful woman come over on Wednesdays and get time to myself and to get a few things done. She has been with us for over a year and we love her! The kids always look forward to Karen day!
A couple evenings a week Hubby and I will sit down in the porch and visit. We tell the kids we are "on a date" but we are here if they need us. The rule is- they cannot come into the porch. They wave to us and ask us important questions only but they have learned to respect our grown up time. It may sound odd to others but it works. Every one is happy, kind of together, and safe! They have had plenty of my time throughout the day and they visit with Dad when he comes home. Just so you know the rule is breakable- we often have someone come in for a huge hug or a short sit on a Daddy or Mommy lap but then we remind them of our DATE!
Sometimes a big kid comes in and all rules go out the window because when a teenager wants to talk you have to seize the moment! We will resume our DATE time later as best we can. I guess flexibility is a key to sanity!
For me it is important is have this time. I LOVE being with the kids. I couldn't imagine not spending lots and lots of time with them- we have already missed out on too much time with them but a moment here and there sure feels good!
What do you do?
PS- take another look at the family pic! Don't you think we need some more front row"ers"!!
