Plan B is Finally Shaping Up!

Today we spent the day on the Hill..Also known as Capitol Hill..The picture below is from the drive I took for 9 or so years on my way home. I lived a couple of blocks behind the Capitol. And today we went to the city and I took the girlz to my old English Basement apartment.

Here we are in front of the spot where I spent lots of great years.

As you all know, I am barely tolerating my drive to work.
You also know that the chances of getting a job in Russia is less than zero percent..So I have been thinking, the only way to eliminate my commute is to move North of my job. I have looked in Alexandria and Arlington, but I am just not that girl. So the girlz and I went to the Hill to check out all the changes in the neighborhood. And I wasn't let down. Because I need time and thought to wade through this, I decided to start by just looking around and getting a feel of what areas are most to my liking. So far, I still love Lincoln Park the best. So many happy memories there..SOOOooo,
we started our house hunt. The average townhouse similar to what we have is around 8hundred thousand, so we will be looking for a while.I need one about half that price so it will have to be the perfect situation. I went to visit a gal-pal that I used to teach with, and who helped me move my furniture into the apartment up there in the picture..
We stuck my full size sofa across her jeep and hit the road. It teeter-tottered the whole ride!
My girlfriend and I put the girlz in her hot-tub today and she and I did some calling around..And thankfully we have the time and patience to hold out and hope that after the election, there will be some movement on smaller places..Nonetheless, we are tickled about the decision.
I can't wait to actually go and look at some places in person. Online is just not the same.

I cannot wait to get out of this house. It never really flowed right and 3 levels are just too much for me to keep up with.

Who knew that Plan B was actually PlanDC?

I walked out the door a bit ago to walk the dog. I didn't put my  regular clothes on, stayed in my pj's..Sanz bra ...and headed out to give the little guy a walk. As I took the corner to the bushes, I wiped out and hit the ground..Then the idiot dog took off..And when I say took off I mean at a sprint! So I dusted myself off and ran after him..The only reason I could him was he ran into the crazy man on the next road. I got him and we went home.. As he ran in, he jumped against the door and closed it. AND yes, it was locked!! So there I was, standing in my pj's and no bra., starring at the locked front door.

I remembered that my window was open. So I took the ladder down from the back of the house. It is my dad's extension ladder. And I hiked around the to the side of the house and extended it 3 floors and crawled up the side of the house. I am pretty afraid of open heights, so I didn't look down! I got in and made myself a giant cup of coffee. As I sat it down beside my bed. Then I turned and knocked it over onto my side table and all over the space on the floor and my "just cleaned" cause of the whole head-lice thing".....So now, I am redoing the linens in my room, and now near tears!!! Little shit dog. It's all his fault!

DEAD RECKONING
DEFINITION AND PURPOSE
700. Definition and Use
Dead reckoning is the process of determining one’s
present position by projecting course(s) and speed(s) from
a known past position, and predicting a future position by
projecting course(s) and speed(s) from a known present
position. The DR position is only an approximate position
because it does not allow for the effect of leeway, current,
helmsman error, or compass error.

I Watched A Show

about adoption tonight. It was really well done..It was told from the POV of the birth mother. Two gals were on it, one hippy momma was on it and giving birth to twins. She had such a beautiful view of "community" and how we are all in this together. Her parting words to the wee twins and the adoptive family was, "Wow, you all look beautiful there."

The other girl, who lives just a few towns away sort of broke my heart.
She is actually a girl I know. A gal who spent Christmas in my home 2 years ago.. She ended up changing her mind at the last moments and I couldn't help but tear up for the adoptive parents to be...God, why don't people just go to Russia? Or China? or anywhere in the world where the birth mom is already out of the picture...I spoke to this gal a few months/weeks before the baby was born and kept telling her it would be harder than she thought..She seemed so sure.  And I guess that is the point. We can never be sure of what a child will do to change us..
   
And on a much lighter note, guess what little girl in my house has begun the year with a mighty fine case of///////////H E A D L I C E????????????

My little Auggie came home with an Itchy head and a rash on her ears and neck..The school didn't inform us, and I know some of those little hooligans had to be itchy! She didn't get if from the dog! We washed and combed, and combed, and combed, and combed...The nurse at school told us to comb it with the fancy little   bug catchin' comb every night until we retreat it on Saturday..Uggg. I spent my whole holiday weekend doing linens and washing clothes...Twice.
I did get a chance to do some online shopping and yes I got the Rose an Ipod Touch..JUDGE me. I don't care. She loves her music, and loves her little games. So yeah, I dropped a couple hunge on her gift..So What???
Anna is getting an I-phone. I have wanted to get her a phone for a while now, and this year it is time. She won't have many numbers on the phone and will only have it for games and photos and emergencies!
It's okay if you think I am spoiling my girlz. I love it! Those are their big gifts and the others will be little treat-treats..

My dad is still in Lebanon. I actually asked him if I would like it there. He is looking into international schools..No, I am not saying I would go, but I gotta think no one else would want to go, so maybe my chances would be better!

Life is tootling along, and I am on the Thanksgiving countdown to NYC. We got the coolest little hotel in Little Italy and will eat at Cha-Chas where we have had our Thanksgiving meal every year! I am planning a tour of either the Top of the Rock or the Empire State Building..Don't know which one yet. Any thoughts?
We have done the Statue of Liberty, 9-11 Memorial, Rockefeller Tree, American Girl, and most of the neighborhoods. I considered a Broadway Show, but they are crazy expensive. I don't want to go unless we can all see the stage well, and those tix are over 2 hundred each..Just cannot spend 1K on a show..No.
We are thinking about leaving and driving out to Brighton Beach before we go home. I love to see the Russian neighborhood out there. We'll see.

Ugg. Work day tomorrow. I had a great time pretending to be a SAHM..I had a holiday and the girlz had school so I got to get up and help the girlz get ready. And walk them to the bus stop. Ahhh, the little things!

Saying Goodbye

So how does one say Goodbye to something like a beach house? I knew it would happen one day, but I guess I still find it hard to believe that there are people out there with that kind of disposable income. My dad never intended to keep the house forever. It has always been his little nest egg for his retirement. Thankfully he was able to finally sell it after 3 or 4 years on the market. And what this means for our little family is that we will no longer be traveling to Florida for the entire summer. My dad still has a home on the river in Ft. Myers, but you can't swim in the river, and we don't have a boat for sailing. We could always drive to Ft. Myers beach, but it's not the same. There are so many memories in my dad's beach house.

My lil' Anni at the beach for sunset..

 It's the one place where I felt like a super mom. It's where I am in relaxed mode and can be the mother I wish I could be all year..Because we stay outside most of the time, there are no giant messes to clean, and because we don't take many toys, there aren't heaps of things to do each night, so we just visit. Sometimes we sit and read together. Sometimes we all get on our phones and /or computers and just surf and play games together. But mostly we are just together. Physically close. We started calling it "3 Time"..That time when we do something just the 3 of us..Walking on the beach at night, swimming in the dark, going to WallyMart, and this year, visiting the pound every few days.
Part of me is devastated. Part of me is joyous. This summer I prayed constantly about 2 things, me getting a transfer and my dad selling the beach house. By the end of the summer I had sort of made a deal with God,
"Help Dad sell his house, and I will give up on a job transfer!"  Well thank you to the man upstairs for hearing me and making it happen..

Allie, J, and Anna washing their feet at the beach...

I am not sure I can put into words the love that is in that house. It's the first place that Anna and I went to after coming home from Russia. It's also the first place that August flew to as well..It's where Aunt Lee met my girlz for the first time. It's where so many happy things have happened. I have NEVER liked any of the homes that I have lived in since becoming a mom, but the beach house..I have always loved it.

But there will be other summer memories. That I am sure of. It's just one tradition that I am sad to let go of..Our Thanksgiving tradition of going to NYC with my mom is living on..This will be my 10th year of going. We landed a great hotel on Mulberry Street, down-town of course with a garage on the same street. So we are all set for that week..

Dad and Anna at the beach..

Anna swimming with her wings!

And my dad left for Beirut, Lebanon yesterday. I am thrilled for him to be living his dream of work and travel. He deserves it. I can't wait to hear the details of the apple farmers in the mountains! We drove him to the airport at Dulles and I got the sickest envious feeling. It seems to be worse than ever when I travel to Dulles. I guess because that is the airport that houses Aeroflot and it's signage can be seen from the road..I feel the strangest pit in my stomach. A feeling of jealousy and of irritation. Funny I am still irritated at the really large private international school in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Knowing that they hire people with much less experience simply because they happened to be married to someone with less experience... And each time I leave Dulles, I immediately come home looking for jobs in Russia. Knowing that it pretty much a closed door..And then I am irritated again..When Dad comes home, I am making my sister go get him..I don't want to look at that sign any time soon..

AugustRose's little toes in the sand for the 1st time..

AugustRose and Anni and I when Auggie had just turned 2!

Beautiful Baby turned 2 at the beach..

School is just meh...I am having a lot of issues with a coworker. And it really colors the way I feel as I go to work each day. I have to imagine that each day will be better, even if it hasn't gotten better. And the drive into work still SUX..But what am I to do? So I just go with it, and bust my ass everyday to teach the children..And give my own children the part of me that is left over..But this year, I secretly save a little of me..My girlz deserve it.



So Paka to the beach house..You have been good to us, and we will miss you! Thank you for giving us a beautiful set of summer memories!

Sprinkles

Today the weather turned. It happens every year. And I can always pinpoint when it happens. It's a day at the end of the summer when there is a crisp edge to the morning. I can usually smell someone cooking something and although it is not cold, it's enough of a change to make me take notice.. And when it happens, I usually wax sentimental about my life..You see, there is no fall in Florida where I grew up. The leaves don't change color. And there is no chance of snow..

I adore the fall..So many happy memories. Both adoptions were finalized during this time of year, so naturally those memories come flooding back when I notice the weather changes. I can't quite explain the feeling of joy that comes along with knowing that you about to travel around the world to have a baby. I am sure anyone who adopts understands..

And that comes to what I wanted to share. How long have you felt grateful to Russia about an international adoption?

 

I have said this before, but I chose to adopt internationally so that I wouldn't have to deal with any chance of a birth mother changing her mind.  I also didn't want everyone to know that I adopted. But I end up talking and sharing every detail of my adoptions anyway. Of coarse I realize gratitude for our children is forever, but how long does adoption stay the focus of who our children are?

Through my attempts to work in Russia, I realized that my girlz don't really care much about Russia. They aren't really one way or the other about it.. The girlz don't really identify with being Russian..As much as I have tried to sprinkle our lives with Russian  touches, it ends up that sprinkles are all that the girlz really require..Because they just want to be little girlz who go to ballet and dance, play in the yard, act silly, and never clean their messes..

 

I have always wanted to "give back" and pay my respect to good ole Mother Russia but at close to 9 years on, I feel like there is not a lot left to give. So I ask any adoptive families, do you still sprinkle your lives with Russian Appreciation or are you over it?



Gypsy Comes Naturally To Me

My dad is going to Lebanon next week. He went last year to work on a short term assignment with some government department..It is the same as before. He will go to work with farmers on implementing food safety standards so that they can move forward with trade. Right now, Lebanon is stuck with apples it cannot sell because larger countries in the area cannot legally trade with them due to their lack of standards. My dad is sort of an expert on food farm safety. Kind of funny that farming is international!

I know it's not the best time for him to travel to the middle east, but he is not going near large city centers so I am okay with it. Remember this is the man who traveled for 7 straight days without a bed when I was adopting Anna from the Russian Far East.

Ahhh, that week was a good one. Let's review for those who missed it..
Day 1: Fly to Moscow, sit in the airport for 8 hours.
Day 2 Fly 9 hours to Khabarovsk.
Day 3: Take a train to Komsomolsk to visit Anna prior to court.
Day 4 Take the train Back to Khabarovks and go STRAIGHT to court.
Day 5 Take the train to pick up Anna in Komsomolsk.
Day 6 Take the train back to Khabarovsk to spend the month...

*Because of the time differences, it was 7 days of continuous travel!!

It didn't really matter that we never stopped moving. It was pure bliss. I cut out the world while in Khabarovsk and lived in my little adoption bubble. And my dad was in the hotel room right beside Anna and I giving us space when we needed it, getting us pizza when we were sick, and spoiling Anna with scrambled eggs when I wasn't looking.

So a flight to the country side of Lebanon isn't so scary for me. My dad is living his dream and I won't burden him or myself with worry. Neither of us deserve that.

That brings me to my gypsy story. I have settled into school and my situation with the commute is no better, but I can't change it, so I have decided to just go with it..I have 22 years of teaching, but only 19 in my county/state. So the plan is to finish this year, and next year. If I left then my retirement would be terribly low, so obviously I would only leave it the PERFECT situation came along. Private/International schools are out of the question, and with the budget cuts of the DODea, it's out too. So I am back into graduate school as my big option. There are two areas I consider, history..which won't help me career wise, and ESOL which may help..
Right now, I am too busy with everything to focus on "what's out there" so I am just focusing on school and my girlz.