Halloween 2013

Thursday had high winds and lots of rain in our neck of the woods, so our township postponed trick or treating until tonight.  We only stopped by a few houses, but then spent some time with our neighborhood friends, handing out candy together.  We easily had over 100 kids come through which is always lots of fun. 

I didn't snap many pictures, so here are the best ones.

Our precious pumpkin

A fairy princess with her daddy

Funny fairy with a hat she conned off a teenage boy

Loopy pumpkin listening to music
and constantly falling over while dancing

The kids still didn't understand the concept of Halloween, but that's perfectly fine.  They both had fun doing their thing.  Emilia was able to say hi and thank you while collecting her candy, so who knows, maybe next year she will actually blurt out trick or treat.  

Happy belated Halloween!

Halloween Florentines Recipe

Here's the recipe from Martha Stewart Living Magazine.  They called them Spiderweb Florentines, but I liked the rhyming name better, too.

1/2 cup pecans, toasted
2 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats (I used GF oats)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light-brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (I used GF all-purpose flour)
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used DF chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pulse pecans and oats in a food processor until finely ground.  Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add sugars and honey and cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar are melted and mixture is simmering, about three minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in pecan mixture, flour, salt, and cinnamon.  Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Mound two teaspoonfuls of dough, one on top of the other, to form each cookie; place 2-3 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.  Flatten stacked mounds to 1 3/4 inches in diameter.  Bake until cookies are spread and golden throughout, about 10 minutes.  Let cool completely.  Repeat with remaining dough.

Melt chocolate and use to decorate the cookies as you like.  Let set or refrigerate before serving.

Halloween Florentines

Rex's school is always very good about celebrating holidays and birthdays.  Typically, they will set aside the afternoon to commemorate special occasions.  Tomorrow is no exception, so I decided to send in a treat: Halloween Florentines.  They are gluten-free, dairy-free, and yummy.  They were supposed to look more like spider webs... oh well, I am no Martha Stewart.

Of course, Craig was kind enough to offer himself as a taste-tester and approved of the sweet and salty and nutty combination.

Liebster Blog Award

There's a little thing going around where bloggers select their own favorite blogs and honor them with the Liebster Blog Award.  One of my readers and fellow adoptive mom, Sabrina, chose our blog which means I win an all expense paid trip to Hawaii.  No, not really.  It just means that I get to answer the following questions for all of you:

1. What led to your decision to adopt a child with special needs?

I guess it was chance or kismet in our case.  We did not set out to adopt children with special needs.  In our initial home study we were open only to mild and correctable special needs.  Then we saw Rex with cleft lip/palate and severe hearing loss and fell in love.  When we adopted him, we had no idea that there would be many more significant and permanent diagnoses added to his life.  I have always admitted that if we had known all of these needs from his profile, we would never have inquired about him through Rainbow Kids.  As things turned out though, he was meant for us because Rex's adoption unfolded in such a way that in hindsight I believe everything was orchestrated by a higher power who must know better for us than we know for ourselves.  Which brings me to the answer for the next question...

2. In what ways did God let you know He was with you during your adoption process?

The adoption process to bring home Rex was very frustrating and painful for Craig and me.  We experienced many, many delays and obstacles.  A higher power was not on the forefront of our minds as we went through these trying months.  On the contrary, it felt like powerful human authorities held all the cards and were putting up road blocks for us at every bend.  When I look back on the journey to Rex though and see how all the pieces fell into place, how some things were revealed to us and others remained hidden until he was home, how we waited for eight endless months between trips until our hearts were bursting with love and longing for our son... I believe that it was all meant to be.  We were chosen for each other so we could be stretched to so much more than we ever thought possible.  We couldn't have imagined that our spiritual master teacher would come to us in the form of a developmentally disabled child, but here he is, growing our minds and hearts bigger and stronger and wiser every single day.

As for Emilia, we believe that no better daughter or sister could have been matched with our family.  Her spirit and personality are so exactly suited to balancing the challenges with joy, laughter, light, and love for all of us that we must have been brought together by a divinely provident force.

3. What is your favorite children's book?

Okay, you are asking an avid reader and former literature major here.  It's like opening a Pandora's box and you'll never just get one title as your answer.  Let's just say that I love the Little House series, Harry Potter, Eric Carle, the Ottokar Domma books (from the GDR), Die Goldenen Schneeschuhe (from the GDR - I have read this book many times in my life, probably time to read it again soon).

4. What is your favorite dessert?

Hot fudge sundae with peanut butter, hold the cherry.

5. If you had a whole day to yourself, what would you do?

Stay in bed to read, sleep, and watch reruns of my favorite TV shows.

6. Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Totally a morning person.  Always have been and love it.  In fact, I got up at 5 today just to get some work done on the computer.  In college while others pulled all-nighters to prepare for exams, I was known to go to bed at 9, then get up at 4 or so to do my studying.  Don't ask me for anything important after about 7:00 pm though because my brain starts to shut down.

7. Do you have one piece of advice or encouragement for other adopting families?

It's gonna be okay.  

8. What is your favorite holiday?

Actually, I am not a big holiday person.  I typically find them to be a bit stressful.  So, my favorite holidays are lazy, relaxing Saturday nights and Sunday mornings cuddled up on the couch with those I love, maybe with Chinese or Thai take-out or cinnamon rolls baking in the oven, a good movie or just the news, in comfy pajamas, with no rush or obligation in the world.

9. What is your favorite post on your blog?

I like anything that I post about my kids.  Not sure if I have one exact favorite, but the Together Forever Day entries come to mind with before and after photos and video from Rex's leaving the orphanage.

10. How many months were each of your adoptions from start to finish?

We sent our application to adopt from Bulgaria to our placing agency on 2/14/09 and had Emilia's Together Forever Day on 11/14/11.  We saw Rex's profile on Rainbow Kids on 3/27/10 and his Together Forever Day was 7/14/11.

Now for my Liebster blog: http://pitterpatterart.com - sometimes I wish I could be like this mom.  I want to be creative like her, I want to eat everything she bakes, I want to be able to let my kids be as free as hers, I want to exercise like she does... well, just hop over there and check it out for yourself.

IAC 259 & 260

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 259 which was held on September 18, 2013:

1) Italian dossier from October 2010 referred a female child aged 7 years and 5 months

2) Italian dossier from November 2010 referred a brother and sister aged 5 years and 7 months & 6 years and 7 months

3) Italian dossier from November 2010 referred a waiting child (#1914) with a profile on the MOJ site

4) US dossier from February 2011 referred a male child aged 2 years with features in health status and a family history

5) French dossier from April 2011 referred a male child aged 7 years and 11 months

6) Italian dossier from May 2011 referred a female child aged 2 years and 8 months with a family history

7) French dossier from June 2011 referred a male child aged 2 years and 11 months with a family history

8) Swedish dossier from September 2011 referred a female child aged 2 years and 6 months with features in health status and a family history

9) Italian dossier from March 2012 referred a female child aged 8 years and 2 months

10) US dossier from October 2012 referred a male child aged 2 years and 1 month with features in health status

11) US dossier from June 2013 referred a waiting child (#1892) with a profile on the MOJ site

12) US dossier from July 2013 referred a waiting child (#1761) with a profile on the MOJ site

13) US dossier from August 2013 referred two waiting children (#1849 & #2146) with profiles on the MOJ site

14) US dossier from August 2013 referred a waiting child (#1987) with a profile on the MOJ site

15) US dossier from August 2013 referred a waiting child (#1820) with a profile on the MOJ site

16) US dossier from September 2013 referred a waiting child (#2054) with a profile on the MOJ site

17) US dossier from September 2013 referred two waiting children (#1477 & #1938) with profiles on the MOJ site

18) US dossier from September 2013 referred two waiting children (#1258 & #1880) with profiles on the MOJ site

19) Swedish dossier from September 2013 referred a waiting child (#1371) with a profile on the MOJ site
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The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 260 held on October 2, 2013:

1) Dutch dossier from January 2010 referred brothers aged 5 years and 1 month & 3 years and 5 months

2) Greek dossier from February 2010 referred a male child aged 1 year and 5 months

3) Italian dossier from May 2010 referred a male child aged 6 years and 5 months

4) Italian dossier from August 2010 referred a male child aged 6 years and 8 months

5) German dossier from December 2011 referred a female child aged 7 years and 11 months

6) Greek dossier from January 2012 referred a waiting child (#2137) with a profile on the MOJ site

7) US dossier from March 2012 referred brothers aged 4 years and 10 months & 6 years and 1 month with features in health status

8) US dossier from June 2012 referred a female child aged 1 year and 10 months with features in health status

9) Italian dossier from July 2012 referred a waiting child (#2172) with a profile on the MOJ site

10) Italian dossier from December 2012 referred two waiting children (#2218 & #2219) with profiles on the MOJ site

11) US dossier from December 2012 referred a male child aged 2 years and 9 months with features in health status

12) German dossier from February 2013 referred a female child aged 8 years and 10 months

13) Canadian dossier from February 2013 referred a female child aged 1 year and 10 months with features in health status

14) Italian dossier from May 2013 referred a male child aged 8 years and 8 months

15) Italian dossier from June 2013 referred a waiting child (#2261) with a profile on the MOJ site

16) US dossier from August 2013 referred a waiting child (#2231) with a profile on the MOJ site

17) US dossier from September 2013 referred a waiting child (#1675) with a profile on the MOJ site

18) US dossier from September 2013 referred a waiting child (#2078) with a profile on the MOJ site

19) US dossier from September 2013 referred a waiting child (#1966) with a profile on the MOJ site

20) US dossier from September 2013 referred a waiting child (#14) with a profile on the MOJ site

The Brotherhood Of The Traveling Coat

I don't know about you, but I always have a really hard time going through my kids' clothes and getting rid of stuff that simply does not fit anymore.  It feels like so many of their items of clothing carry special memories: I recall when they wore something to one place or another or that they wore it when they first did such and such or that they always looked so cute in it... you get the idea.  That said, being the daughter and grand-daughter of some pack rat people, I fully realize that I have to part with these things.  They are just objects and the memories are in my heart rather than in the piece of clothing.  So, at least twice a year I force myself to sort and purge.  I always like it best when I can pass some of the clothes on to other little ones I know.

Last June, I handed down some of Rex's clothes to friends in process of adopting their son from Bulgaria.  It was not easy for me to let go of these things, but I had made up my mind and truly wanted them to have the clothing.  Still, there was a sad pang in my heart when I gave them the bag.  This evening my friend sent me a photo that made my heart go pitter-patter with the opposite emotion.  As soon as I opened the picture of their son's Gotcha Day outfit, I recognized Rex's jacket, one of the things that I had struggled to give up.  This time last year, he used to wear it a lot and yes, he always looked so adorable in it.

Rex in the jacket in October 2012

"We're taking a part of Rex with us for the big day," the email read.  Such nice words by my friend and what a sweet gesture to let me know that they remembered our gift.  Now there is only one thing better than receiving this message which will be to see a photo of their beautiful boy walking out of the orphanage into a bright, happy future with his family, wearing this cute outfit.  I can't imagine Rex's old coat being at a more special occasion than another child beginning his new life.

Pay It Forward September/October

As always, just staying accountable with our Pay It Forward funds...

Every other month, I look forward to the Hidden Treasures Auction which always supports the adoption of a child from Emilia's birth country.  This time around, the money raised in this event went to the Caiazza Family.  I bid on a custom-knitted Christmas stocking and won it for $15.  I am really excited for Rex to get his one-of-a-kind stocking for this coming holiday season.  I think it will look great hanging from the mantle with the knit-stocking I bought for Emilia in Sofia.

The remainder of our September/October funds ($45 and then some) are being used to start a fundraising project very close to my heart.  I am committed to raising $10,000 for a little boy named "Neal" who lives in an orphanage in Eastern Europe.  I am very familiar with this orphanage and know this little guy is receiving good care, but he needs a family.  His medical needs would improve greatly if he received proper therapy as well.  It will take me a long time and much help from others to raise this money, but if I succeed, Neal's international fee will be covered.  The money would be available to a family that has registered with him for adoption in his birth city.  If Neal is not adopted, the money will wait for him to provide care and education as an adult.  As you can see, I have added a fundraising thermometer on the right hand side of our blog, so you can track my progress.  Keep checking back here for more information about Neal and for mini fundraising events. If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to Neal's grant fund or are interested in adopting him, please email me at viviane 8 at yahoo dot com and I will point you in the right direction.