I nearly dropped my clubcard in astonishment!
Over-efficient foward planning? Or maximising profit potential?
Either way - less than 12 weeks to go!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Happy Easter?
The following greeted me at the till of our local convenience store.
I nearly dropped my clubcard in astonishment!
Over-efficient foward planning? Or maximising profit potential?
Either way - less than 12 weeks to go!
I nearly dropped my clubcard in astonishment!
Over-efficient foward planning? Or maximising profit potential?
Either way - less than 12 weeks to go!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
An evening with thathideousman
Mrs D and I had a lovely evening yesterday with thathideousman, his wife and children, Boris, Noris and Doris. The evening started well, with coffee and good chat - we hadn't seen thathideousman for about 7 years, so lots to catch up on. Boris, Noris and Doris were a tad shy, but understandably so, having never met us before!
As the evening went on, young Boris and Noris decided to threaten us both with decapitation, prompting Mrs D to hide in the cupboard under the stairs. This led me to tell a slight untruth to young Noris, and explained that Mrs D had escaped and gone home. Noris was having none of this explanation, and proceeded to hunt for Mrs D, so the beheading could be done.
Mrs D was eventually found by Noris, but before the execution could proceed, I was accused of telling lies. My sentence? 5 minutes on the naughty seat!
This seat is in the porch, and there was no escape from my punishment! After 3 minutes, the door was opened, and I was reminded that 2 minutes remained. It was then suggested that I ask whether the time was up yet... I later learned that had I posed this question, I would have been subjected to an additional minute on the naughty seat!
After a good 5 minutes, I decided to get up and join everyone else in the kitchen - to much horror from young Noris, who promptly sentenced me to an additonal 10 minutes for getting up without permission! I was luckily pardoned by thathideousman! It would have been interesting to have seen the expression on thathideousman's wife's face as she returned from work to see me on the naughty seat!
Later I was forced to the underworld by Boris and Noris, with all manner of cushions, blankets and coats piled on my head - there was no use in protesting - there was no escape! Thankfully bedtime called and I managed to find my way back to this world!
It was lovely to spend the evening with thathideousman's family - catching up and sharing stories of old times... here's hoping we don't leave it another 7 years before we meet again!
As the evening went on, young Boris and Noris decided to threaten us both with decapitation, prompting Mrs D to hide in the cupboard under the stairs. This led me to tell a slight untruth to young Noris, and explained that Mrs D had escaped and gone home. Noris was having none of this explanation, and proceeded to hunt for Mrs D, so the beheading could be done.
Mrs D was eventually found by Noris, but before the execution could proceed, I was accused of telling lies. My sentence? 5 minutes on the naughty seat!
This seat is in the porch, and there was no escape from my punishment! After 3 minutes, the door was opened, and I was reminded that 2 minutes remained. It was then suggested that I ask whether the time was up yet... I later learned that had I posed this question, I would have been subjected to an additional minute on the naughty seat!
After a good 5 minutes, I decided to get up and join everyone else in the kitchen - to much horror from young Noris, who promptly sentenced me to an additonal 10 minutes for getting up without permission! I was luckily pardoned by thathideousman! It would have been interesting to have seen the expression on thathideousman's wife's face as she returned from work to see me on the naughty seat!
Later I was forced to the underworld by Boris and Noris, with all manner of cushions, blankets and coats piled on my head - there was no use in protesting - there was no escape! Thankfully bedtime called and I managed to find my way back to this world!
It was lovely to spend the evening with thathideousman's family - catching up and sharing stories of old times... here's hoping we don't leave it another 7 years before we meet again!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Yea, Lord - we greet thee!
Christ is born in Bethlehem!
Hurry now to see him lying in the manger...
Merry Christmas!
Hurry now to see him lying in the manger...
Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Invitation to proceed
The letter from DFW finally arrived today...
We've been invited on to the next stage in the assessment to be adoptive parents. There's a dotted line on which each of us have to sign, and then home assessment will start in January. Sounds so easy... we know it won't be!
We have no way of knowing what 2008 will hold - I suppose none of us do... but we get the feeling there will be more joy, tears, frustrations and excitement than would normally be expected in a typical year...
It's good to know that God has it all in his hands - as one of our dear friends keeps telling us, 'the matter is settled in heaven'. And that's good enough for me!
We've been invited on to the next stage in the assessment to be adoptive parents. There's a dotted line on which each of us have to sign, and then home assessment will start in January. Sounds so easy... we know it won't be!
We have no way of knowing what 2008 will hold - I suppose none of us do... but we get the feeling there will be more joy, tears, frustrations and excitement than would normally be expected in a typical year...
It's good to know that God has it all in his hands - as one of our dear friends keeps telling us, 'the matter is settled in heaven'. And that's good enough for me!
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Mrs D has a very sore ear
Mrs D has returned home today from the consultant with rather less ear than she had when she left this morning.
The consultant decided that the only way to stop the pain in the cartilidge in her ear was to cut some of it out... so he did.... and now Mrs D has a rather fetching white dressing on her ear... and 10 or so stitches! The stitches are to come out on Monday... Till then she's not supposed to wash her hair. As Mrs D said - some chance! Hair is apparently being washed tomorrow - perhaps a plastic bag over the offending ear?!
We've now started calling her 'Vincent'!
The consultant decided that the only way to stop the pain in the cartilidge in her ear was to cut some of it out... so he did.... and now Mrs D has a rather fetching white dressing on her ear... and 10 or so stitches! The stitches are to come out on Monday... Till then she's not supposed to wash her hair. As Mrs D said - some chance! Hair is apparently being washed tomorrow - perhaps a plastic bag over the offending ear?!
We've now started calling her 'Vincent'!
Mary, did you know?
Words to make you think...
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?
Mary did you know?
The blind will see.
The deaf will hear.
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap.
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb.
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Difficult to get your head around
I've been reading a book this morning on adoption, written by an adoptive dad, for adoptive and propsective adoptive dads.
Some quotes...
"You're being assessed for a role you have no experience in, to take over from someone who demonstrably can't perform that role - and that's difficult to get your head around."
"Reconciling yourself to the fact that no-one is entitled to have a child is a tough process. But the even harder proposition to get your head around is that you are entitled to make a commitment to someone else's child."
Some quotes...
"You're being assessed for a role you have no experience in, to take over from someone who demonstrably can't perform that role - and that's difficult to get your head around."
"Reconciling yourself to the fact that no-one is entitled to have a child is a tough process. But the even harder proposition to get your head around is that you are entitled to make a commitment to someone else's child."
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Preparation Day 4
The fourth and final preparation day...
What really stood out today was listening to three adoptive parents talking about their experiences adopting. It was a privilige to hear their stories - the good and the not so good - the waiting, the frustrations, the tears and the laughter. They had very different stories, but some common threads... the intrusion of the home assessment; the frustrations in waiting for a match; the heartache of being truned down by a child's social worker in favour of another couple; the range of emotions when you visit your new child, and eventually take them home...
So, what now?
We now wait for a letter from the adoption agency inviting us to make a formal application - hopefully in the next few weeks. We then formally apply.
We're then assigned a social worker, who will come and visit us over a 4 or 5 month period - to get under our skin, find out what makes us tick, and measure us against the national competencies - and hopefully come to the conclusion that we are suitable to be adoptive parents...
So come late spring / early summer, we should be going to the adoption panel for approval as adoptive parents. Then the matching process starts - which could take weeks, months, or longer...
So, I think it feels like we've taken another small step on the journey towards parenthood. But there is a long way to go yet... one small step at a time!
What really stood out today was listening to three adoptive parents talking about their experiences adopting. It was a privilige to hear their stories - the good and the not so good - the waiting, the frustrations, the tears and the laughter. They had very different stories, but some common threads... the intrusion of the home assessment; the frustrations in waiting for a match; the heartache of being truned down by a child's social worker in favour of another couple; the range of emotions when you visit your new child, and eventually take them home...
So, what now?
We now wait for a letter from the adoption agency inviting us to make a formal application - hopefully in the next few weeks. We then formally apply.
We're then assigned a social worker, who will come and visit us over a 4 or 5 month period - to get under our skin, find out what makes us tick, and measure us against the national competencies - and hopefully come to the conclusion that we are suitable to be adoptive parents...
So come late spring / early summer, we should be going to the adoption panel for approval as adoptive parents. Then the matching process starts - which could take weeks, months, or longer...
So, I think it feels like we've taken another small step on the journey towards parenthood. But there is a long way to go yet... one small step at a time!
Monday, December 03, 2007
Preparation Day 3
Another preparation day, and lots more to think about.
We had an encouraging morning discussing issues of attachment - what kind of problems children may have attaching to adults and forming trusting relationships, and what kinds of things we as adopters can do to help children form good attachments...
One of the adoption social workers then talked to us about child development, with the help of a giant Bob the Builder...! We discussed the different stages of children's development, and likened this to building a wall, with foundations formed at an early stage. We discussed what would happen if some of the foundation bricks were missing, as can be the case in children who are looking for adoptive parents. And we thought about our role in rebuilding these missing bits of foundations, to give the child the best possible chance in life. A bit of a scary prospect!
In the afternoon we discussed issues surrounding an adopted child's identity - and the struggles many of the children have - 'where do I come from', 'why was I not wanted', 'do my birth parents think about me'... and the struggles many adopted children have with birthdays - and the memories these bring...
Then we had the privilige of listening to an adopted person talk about their experience of being adopted - though adopted in the 60's when the process was very different, his thoughts and feelings were really useful to hear... and gave us loads to think about in terms of parenting style and the need to be really open with our future children about their adoption.
On reflection, a positive day, but lots to think about!
Day 4 tomorrow.
We had an encouraging morning discussing issues of attachment - what kind of problems children may have attaching to adults and forming trusting relationships, and what kinds of things we as adopters can do to help children form good attachments...
One of the adoption social workers then talked to us about child development, with the help of a giant Bob the Builder...! We discussed the different stages of children's development, and likened this to building a wall, with foundations formed at an early stage. We discussed what would happen if some of the foundation bricks were missing, as can be the case in children who are looking for adoptive parents. And we thought about our role in rebuilding these missing bits of foundations, to give the child the best possible chance in life. A bit of a scary prospect!
In the afternoon we discussed issues surrounding an adopted child's identity - and the struggles many of the children have - 'where do I come from', 'why was I not wanted', 'do my birth parents think about me'... and the struggles many adopted children have with birthdays - and the memories these bring...
Then we had the privilige of listening to an adopted person talk about their experience of being adopted - though adopted in the 60's when the process was very different, his thoughts and feelings were really useful to hear... and gave us loads to think about in terms of parenting style and the need to be really open with our future children about their adoption.
On reflection, a positive day, but lots to think about!
Day 4 tomorrow.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Dreamy Spires
Some photos from our visit to our friends Rose & Andy in Oxford last weekend...
It was so cold... but we found a lovely coffee shop on the corner of Queen's Lane!
Andy, Mrs D and Rose outside Christ Church
Christ Church
Bicycles...
Spires...
Bridge of Sighs... not the original though!
Martyr's Cross
Burnt for their faith...
It was so cold... but we found a lovely coffee shop on the corner of Queen's Lane!
Andy, Mrs D and Rose outside Christ Church
Christ Church
Bicycles...
Spires...
Bridge of Sighs... not the original though!
Martyr's Cross
Burnt for their faith...
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