Thinking….

There is talk at the moment on the ability to get ‘Australian’ birth certificates for our Chinese born daughters.

I am just wondering whether this is a good thing or not. I am uneasy about it but can’t quite think it through.

Of course if Lily had a birth certificate it would make things easier for her in regards to being enrolled in school, getting a drivers licence. But is it right just because it’s easier?

There were comments being bandied around about how our childrens adoption certificate is no better than a dog’s registration certificate and that it screams that our children are different. Well they are different. No better or worse just different. Why as adoptive parents whould we ‘attempt’ to hide this fact. And I say attempt because with an internationally adopted child there is no pulling it off. Obviously the two red heads at the supermarket checkout did not give birth to the little dark haired Asian child. Most people accept at a glance that this family is made by adoption. (this has been my experience)

I feel like instead of efforts being made to ‘normalise’ our children and assist them to fit the mold, we should be trying to change the attitudes of the people and society around us to accept that yes adoptions is one other brilliant way to form a family just as having biological children is.

I want Lily to be proud that she was adopted. Not ashamed of it. Is giving her a aussie birth cert that doesn’t draw attention to her adoption just as bad as pretending she is not adopted?

Is this not instilling in our kids early that being adopted is a shameful thing? To avoid discussing it?

Instead of petitioning government offices to issue Aussie birth certificates maybe we should be petitioning them to make starting school and getting drivers licences etc easier for those people without birth certificates.

This would not just assist children of adoption but refugees and displaced peoples who cannot reference a birth certificate.

Just thinking out loud……

Marchie Marchie Marchie Wheeeee!

I love the way Lily’s language is evolving. She amazes me every single day.

It’s so hard to imagine that less then 11 months ago she had never heard English before.

How incredibly adaptable children are.

A lot of my memories of childhood are tied up in word games and songs my mum sang with me as a child.

Even now after all these years, I feel safe and loved when I hear the song ‘Catch a Falling Star’ by Perry Como or when I hear ‘Sing’ by the Carpenters.

I am determined to continue this tradition with Lily. Music is so much a part of our psyche. It triggers the memory part of our brain, and even stimulates our body to release good endorphins.

The words games and sing song rhymes you learn as a child help with counting and to introduce new words to your vocabulary.

One of Lily’s favourite word games at the most is ‘This Little Piggy goes to Market’ she loves having it done to her and loves doing it to others. It’s the cutest thing as she still does not know all the words so she just makes it up.

Most of the time it just comes out as Marchie Marchie Marchie Wheeeee!’

She grabs one of your fingers and says ‘markie’ then grabs another finger and says ‘markie’ then the last and third finger ‘Marchie’ then she wriggles her hand up your arm yelling ‘wheeee! So cute!

Verbalising a need

We all take it for granted that we can say what we mean and that we mean what we say. But when you break it down how many of us actually say what we mean?

How many of us really ask for what we want?

 

Just over a fortnight ago, we the Rogue Royal Clan went away to the seaside for 3 days. It was a brilliant weekend. Even with the ‘feral’ element that came out at night.

It actually had that real ‘holiday’ feel about it and we all got to relax and unwind.

Our hotel which was located right on the promenade had brilliant views of the ocean, sand bars and pelicans that make their home there. Also from our balcony you could see 2 large horse carousels below.

We had arrived on a Thursday and so these carousels were closed up with tarpaulins. Lily took no interest in them whatsoever as she had previously never seen a carousel. Then on the Saturday morning the carousel operator arrived and began setting up for the first rides of the day. Lily sat with interest on the balcony watching him. She still did not know what was going on.

Later when we saw that the carousel was operating Albert and I took Lily down for a look.

I wanted to take her on the carousel but was unsure how she would react.

 

The only ride she had been on was the tiger buggy outside our local chemist. I put my $2 in the buggy and Lily screamed ever so loudly “OFF!”

I was like oh no ….I have just put $2 in this thing and you will ride it until the things stops moving. I lie…..I gave in and took her off, desperately looking for another child walking past to grab and throw on the ride. Like seeing someone else on the ride would make me forget I just poured $2 down the drain!

 

Anyway I took Lily on the carousel and positioned her on a horse and yelled to Albert “take the picture now; it’s the last one you’re going to get of her smiling!”

But my little girl surprised me. She not only enjoyed the ride but began waving and blowing kisses to her Dada each time we went past.

 

By the time the holiday was over our Lily was a carousel addict!

On the last morning she was standing on the balcony pointing at the carousel saying “horsie, horsie,”.

I said “I know Darling but Daddy is packing the car. We are going home now. No more horsie rides”.

Well Lily looked at me like I was mad! I could see she was trying to formulate a sentence in her head. (Up until now we have only had 2 word sentences)

She looked at me, grabbed her bottom and very emphatically said……

 

“Horsie on my bottom!”

 

I laughed so hard!

She had tried so hard to get her point across and she had! She had said exactly what she wanted. She wanted a horsie on her bottom. Plus she had just formulated her first 4 word sentence. I was so proud of her. What a wonderfully clever 2 year old I have.

This would totally FREAK ME OUT!

 

I am a claustrophobic and I can tell you I would not be acting as calmly as this guys appears to be.

And tell me this..in 41 hours would you not have taken your pants or shirt off? If it was you what would you have done?

And the big question. Where did he do his pee pee and poo poo?

Little Connie

11 Year Old Bianca

Hey Jude

12 months ago

This time one year ago Albert and I were not sitting here watching tv. We were not sitting here watching Lily, better known as Conan the Destroyer make chaos in the lounge.

Nope. We were sitting here looking at this.

We both had a laminated copy made ealier in the day of 13th Apri l 2007 and we could not take out eyes of that tiny picture. That morning we had been given the first glimpse of our treasured little girl.

Here she was, the child I had been dreaming of for so many years. She was real. She was a real person with a real history who needed me as much as I needed her.

One year on the feeling is still just as magical.

Adoption is truly a gift from God.  I look at Lily today and ask myself “How could a stranger a world away match Albert and I with a child who is with no doubts our daughter?”

She is such a beautiful, clever child who makes each day so very special.

I am thankful to God that He allowed us the priveledge to parent this very special child of His.

I’ve been tagged!

 

 

I have to link the person who sent this to me (done Jen!) and leave a comment on their blog so their readers can visit mine.

Post the rules on your blog. Share 7 strange/weird facts about yourself.

Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, linking their blog.

Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So here’s my seven strange/weird facts:

 

1. I always thought I would marry a huge handsome African man. I would tell my mum as a kid that I did not like white boys and that they were yucky and that I would marry a black man and have beautiful coffee coloured children. Who did I marry? A tall and handsome redhead white man from Queensland.  How our ideals change.

 

2. Albert and I lived in Kisii Kenya for 7 months where we ran a medical clinic, Bible Collegeand assisted with teaching in the primary school. We were living in a mud hut on the side of a mountain with no shops, electricity, plumbing or even an indoor bathroom. I have never been so content with myself or the world before. I was completely at peace and content. It was like a pause in time that will last in my memory forever.

 

3. I am one of eleven kids…sort of. My Mum and Dad had me and my younger sister. Divorced. Mum married my Step Dad who had 5 kids. My Dad married my Step Mum who had 2 kids. They had 2 more together. There you go 11!

 

4. My Dad died in 2001 of Cancer and even though I can say that he was not the best of dads, he was never there for me and always disappointed me, I still miss and think of him every day. It makes me really sad that we did not have a relationship and that there is now no way we can. On the other hand my Step-Dad is amazing! He is loving and thoughtful and is always there when you need him.

 

5. I was terrified that China would close down it’s adoption program before Albert and I got to Lily. I still can’t believe China has entrusted her little soul to our care.

 

6. I am a really social person but sometimes life gets so full on that unless I can have time to ‘retreat’ and recharge I can get really stressed and am not able to cope with daily stuff.

 

7. The first 10 years of my life was pretty stable. We only moved 5 times before I was 10. I went to the same primary school from kindy through to grade 6 (Vic). Then my parents divorced when I was 12 and from then on we moved quite a bit. I went to 7 high schools in 6 years. I became very adept at walking into a new classroom with strangers and ‘blending’ in quickly. When I was 12 I moved to Bangladesh with my parents and lived there for 2 years. This gave me the travel bug big time!! I love it. All up I have moved houses/locations/countries 26 times.

 

Now for 7 people to tag!

 

Alyson

Erin

Rhonda

Kelley

Kimberley

Baba and Autumn

Tracey