My freshly manicured hands are now full of blisters after having cotton rope pulled through them by a horse determined not to get in our trailer. This is really a neat horse—very well mannered, willing to please, very low-key. He’s simply convinced he won’t fit in our trailer and he’s afraid. We tried the “my way or the highway” approach (not dissimilar from what we tried in July for four long hours) and it simply didn’t work. I hated it, too. He wasn’t being belligerent … he was afraid.

So here’s what we did. We put my horse trailer in our round pen... more

I went to bed late and woke up early … not a good combination. I spent far too long last night dinking with my computer anti-viral software.

Dora is having another mad and sad day. After taking Beth to school, we were off to the nail salon for a little Mom-pampering. Then on to Wal-Mart for groceries and deodorant (as requested by Beth, who doesn’t want to be left out of the pre-adolescent revolution!) Lunch was a quiet affair with some passive-aggressiveness exhibited by Dora as she struggled with her mad and sad. After lunch, I scooped her up and we headed for... more

Another day under my belt, adjusting to life with two girls. My husband is on a business trip and Dora has repeatedly expressed her anticipation of his return. Beth is stressed dealing with piles of homework as her fifth grade teacher sets the bar high. Swimming starts next week … not sure when that is going to fit in?

Dora played dumb on schoolwork yesterday, and as a result spent a fair amount of time staring at a very simple math paper. It was there for her again today, and the prospect of another boring day as well as the possibility of missing a horseback ride... more

Continued from here ... Intermittently during the time we talked, Beth buried her head in my chest and absolutely wailed. She released the most guttural sounds imaginable. It was clearly a purging of deep pain. In between she would regroup and we would talk, and then she would begin again. Dora was awake for much of this time.

During our conversation I did a little venting of my own. I told Beth I had poured a great deal of energy into both girls this past... more

For the second night in a row, Beth was struggling with her emotions. I sent her to bed to deal with some of it on her own for a change. Her crying ebbed and flowed in the upstairs bedroom. I was all too acutely aware of how much it bothered my parents to have this going on yet again at their home. Finally I got up to go upstairs and address it. I was clearly not too happy. My mom felt inclined to offer some unsolicited advice/armchair parenting. I wasn’t too receptive. She said, “This is hard for her!” and I said, “Like I don’t know that??” I headed upstairs and... more

Dora had a great day today. She seemed relaxed and genuine for the majority of the day. She and Kyle and Beth walked to the top of the steps at the Alpine Visitor Center on Trail Ridge Road. Can you spot the girls in their tie-dyed sweatshirts?

After that we went to Ride-A-Kart (Amy worked here one summer!) and had two rides each on the go-karts. Beth was thrilled that she was finally tall... more

I am sitting at my parent’s home awaiting a bacon, eggs and potatoes breakfast made by my dad. That is his specialty and one of the counted on perks of visiting them in Colorado.

We traveled late into the night on Friday night and arrived in Denver, meeting Kyle and Marie at the hotel. We arrived in Estes Park by lunch time on Saturday. We had a great time at a craft fair Saturday afternoon and the girls and I all got tie-dyed sweatshirts. I also spent too much money at a bead booth, buying great things for now and for some early Christmas shopping.

The girls... more

I am exhausted today. I guess the past week has really caught up with me, both physically and emotionally. I am very ready to climb in the car tomorrow and spend the day traveling. I plan to crochet fuzzy flip flops for Dora. Beth has a zillion pairs, as do I.

My series this week has been written from my heart, as I experienced it, in an attempt to share the difficulties associated with pain, grief, loss, and adoption disruption. It is an ugly subject, but it happens. All across the country, parents of all kinds (bio, adoptive, step) make daily decisions about who... more

Many experienced teachers begin the school year by putting the fear of God into their students on the first day of school. At least, that is the impression I have received from Beth, and I think I used to hear it from the older kids. It was so long ago, I’m not sure!

Why would a teacher prefer to “come down hard” and then lighten up, as opposed to giving the kids a chance to prove that they need more structure and control? Because many teachers have learned it is much easier to lighten up than it is to backpeddle... more

School starts tomorrow for Beth. I’m kind of bummed. I really like having my fun-to-be-around kids at home. Of course, I didn’t always feel that way about all the kids! I completely get how some of you are absolutely chomping at the bits to offload!

Now that the ATN conference is over, and school is about to begin, my mind has shifted to another exciting prospect … one I was successfully able to avoid dwelling on when I was much busier.

I have mentioned several times that we are probably going to be adding... more