Dee-lightful Day!

This weather is just the bomb, I'm sayin'. It's got to be eighty degrees out there right now. Phew! And the sunshine is absolutely brilliant. Why am I in my kitchen blogging?

Good question. One that I can't answer because I don't know.

I could desperately use some sun on these arms and legs. They're so white, anyone standing near me would get a tan, even if we were inside.

I am very excited about something coming up next week. Next Monday is "Meet A Reader" Day at our high school. Teachers are supposed to arrange for different people from the community to come in for thirty minutes and read something to a class. I managed to snag one of the folks from the KidSake organization; it's a group who seeks to place kids from the foster care system into permanent adoptive homes. Being a pretty strong advocate for adoption -- particularly for kids with disabilities and special needs -- I was hoping to get somebody to come read something adoption-related and talk about the subject of adoption. A nice lady named Megan Struve has agreed to come to my class. I'm really looking forward to meeting her. I have always been impressed with KidSake because they really care about seeing kids find permanency and stability in their lives, and they actually do something about it by recruiting good families who are willing to take on the responsibility. The newsletter they publish a couple of times a year is nothing short of outstanding; the kids featured in its pages are professionally-photographed and have a detailed write-up of who they are, what their strengths are, and what type of family placement would best suit them.

Adoption has truly shaped my life for the better, I have to confess. My understanding of the world and of individual differences has been enriched greatly. Yes, you CAN love a child who isn't biologically "yours"... and you CAN love a child who's not physically "perfect". No, you don't have to be super-wonderful, awesome, heroic, or supremely altruistic to adopt a child with special needs. In fact, that person probably need not apply! I'm certainly not anywhere close to those things. The only thing separating me from anyone else is that I've said "Yes." Maybe that makes me somewhat headlong and impulsive... completely true descriptions... but I dare anyone to say that my family hasn't been enriched immeasurably by adopting a special-needs toddler. This little girl has made me a better person. I hear people all the time say things like "Oh, she's so lucky you adopted her!" Well, no she isn't. I'm nothing special. If anyone's lucky, it's US because we get to have her in our lives. Anyone want to tell me that she's useless or meaningless? I dare you to, especially after you meet her.

As for her morning fever today, the doctor didn't think it was a serious issue. We have to watch her a little more closely because fevers and other illnesses can often trigger seizures. She seems to be okay this afternoon and has trotted up the street to the neighbor's backyard with the rest of the crew. I'm glad; they all need fresh air and sunshine. Wintertime -- even a mild one like the one we just had -- always sucks the life out of us up here. Everybody just seems to look like the little creatures in the movie The Dark Crystal after they were drained of their "essence".

Well, that's enough blogging. The sunshine is calling my name, peeps.