Family Unity

If you've spent very much time talking about adoption with me, you know that one of the things that I love to see is family preservation. I love adoption and seeing families created, but I love seeing families kept together (in an abuse-free situation, of course) even more.

One of my favorite non-profits is an organization doing work with orphans in China called Love Without Boundaries. They provide medical care, nutrition (formula, cereals, etc.), training for care givers, and many, many other services for orphanages all over the country. Recently I came across their Unity Fund. Basically, there are lots of families in China who want to find a way to get healthcare for their children (duh, right?), but they can't afford it. LWB's Unity Fund steps up and pays for surgery and other care, so that families don't have to do the unthinkable and abandon their child. And there ya go. My new favorite charity.

Today, LWB posted about a father who needed to get care for his newborn son. The baby was born prematurely, and the mother died in childbirth. The baby has developed pneumonia. This father needed help. LWB has stepped up to help this family, but they need help to give help. Go check out the work they are doing and see if it would be something you would be willing to support too.

Seriously. Go on now.

A Musical Debut

And now for Ben's first public performance... "Amazing Grace"

Ben: Second Grade

How on earth am I the mother of a second grader? Next month he turns 9. I'm not even sure what to do with that.

This year got off to a rough start. He missed his first grade buddies, most of which were not in his new class. He missed his first grade teacher. Thankfully things have gotten better since Christmas, and he has gotten a chance to do some creative writing. Have I mentioned that Ben wants to be an author someday? He and his brother are currently writing a book together. I love my boys.

Ben's writing is still funny and creative, just like last year, so I thought I would share...

A Poem

A Short Story (I wouldn't read it if you have a weak stomach...)

(Btw, while he does tend to get air sick, he combined parts of a bunch of different flights into one story - except his dad never called him strange. Ben just thought that would be funny. The story is at the bottom if you can't make it out here.)

And quite possibly the best fractions assignment evah.

(For those of you who can't read it: "2/3 of the darth vaders have light sabers." Love it.)

And I love this boy.

The Crazy Airplane Ride

It was a strange day on an airplane. I was with my dad when he told me we were going on a plane. He took me to the air port. Unforchunatly we got to the air port early. I was bored. So I read a little. Then I got really bored. Then we talked a little. Then I got even more bored. Then I Played with my toys for a little bit, and I got SUPER BORED! Then I wached tv until we got on the plane. When I got on the plane I bored again so I played with my toys again. Then they put on a movie. the movie was called Kung Fu Panda. Then Then the gave me a sticker book to intertain me until lunch. When lunch was served, I ate everything exept the rice. I ate the bread, chicken, tomatos and corn. My dad argued me to eat my rice. Finally I decided to eat my rice. When I did I threw up all over the plane. It was a big mess! It was icky! I hated throwing up. It wasn't fun. My dad went to tell the workers on the plane. I got a big drink of water. I felt like I was going to pass out. My dad took me to the rest room while the workers on the plane cleaned up my throw up. I stayed in the rest room for a long time finally I went back to my seat then we arived at China my dad called me "Strange." now I will never eat rice again.

Processing

The other day I was looking at a picture of a little boy with unrepaired cleft lip/palate on the LWB Facebook page. I try to expose Kate to this often, because the first dozen or so times she saw an unrepaired lip, she was really squeamish about the whole thing. She is now getting to the point of being able to see it as a part of herself and not feeling yucky about it.

Kate (in a happy voice) - Ooh, he has cleft palate!
Me - Yes, you had that when you were born, didn't you?
Kate - Mommy, did I come out of your belly?
Me - No, sweetie, you came out of your first mama's belly. She is Chinese like you.
Kate - What is her name?
Me - I don't know. I wish I knew, but I don't. If I knew her I would tell her how wonderful you are and thank her for giving birth to you.
Kate - When can we go back to China and find her name?
Me - I don't know. I don't know if we could ever find her. Maybe no one knows who your first mama is except for God.
Kate - Is He that boy who died on the cross?
Me - Yes, Jesus died on the cross.
Kate - Can we watch that movie again (referring to the Miracle Maker)? I liked that.
Me - Yes, dear, we can watch the movie about Jesus again.

Sigh.

In seconds, I went from pride because she was happy to see a face with cleft lip, to sadness for her that we don't know who her first mama is, to giggling silently because she referred to Jesus as "that boy who died on the cross."

One thing I am sure of, is that with Kate life will always be an adventure.