As I alluded to previously, I cut my vacation a little bit short. I will return home late tonight. Beth can hardly contain herself. In my husband’s words, she will be “ecstatic!” After a week of being ill and running a fever, she finally returned to school today. Last week we learned that half her class was absent one day! Yikes!


Beth was happy to tell me on the phone last night that Amy had a “surprise” for me. Beth was more than happy to blow the surprise. Apparently I have some Valentine’s presents awaiting me. That is a nice surprise. I still have serious concerns about how Amy is spending her money, but I do appreciate making it on her “do-for” list.


I am incredibly anxious to be home. I miss my husband, my kids, and my critters. It is different than it used to be, when I had to return home to chaos and conflict. I know for many of you, the only time you get any peace and relaxation is when you get away. (Plan to “get away” to ADN’s August conference and meet new friends, relax and learn all in one fell swoop!)


There is one other incident from this vacation that I wanted to share. Mom and I of course did our duty to boost the local economy, and we found ourselves shopping at a Florida outlet mall. Suddenly I heard this distressed, mournful wail. I turned and saw a Chinese toddler in a stroller pushed by a Caucasian mom… in all probability a family built by adoption. (But yes, it was an assumption on my part.) There was something about this child’s demeanor that really disturbed me. Her mom sidled up to the stroller and hushed the child, admonishing her that everyone was looking at her. The little girl was ostensibly crying for a stuffed animal, and her mom did hand it to her. But it was such a familiar wail… I really, really had to restrain myself from butting in. I so wanted this mom to pick up this child and reassure her. I clearly remember Beth having a favorite stuffed animal that was her attachment figure. If she was stressed, she wanted "Guy"... and we had to wean her from Guy to me as her source of reassurance. Maybe I read this scene all wrong… Maybe I didn’t? What would you have done?

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