OURS!!

It's been a crazy month! Vacation (which is supposed to be relaxing, but rarely is), catching up once home (which is never relaxing, no matter how it's done), getting ready for back to school (which is crazy even if you don't do your shopping on tax-free weekend, which I did), and various other activities made for a month of fun insanity.

We got back from vacation to the news that the paperwork had not all been completed for our adoption, much to our dismay. This news sent Chrissy into a tailspin of emotional turmoil - evident at the slightest provocation (and sometimes evident at no provocation whatsoever). New family dynamics, adoption, security (or lack thereof), the system, a general feeling of powerlessness... all these things add up to "extreme discomfort."

BUT... yes, a big but. But she's ours now. Word came today - the documents were official as of yesterday. August 9th is our big day to celebrate, the day that our family legally became a family of five. I got the phone call from our attorney while driving home with Chrissy in the seat next to me. After I got off the phone, I told her the news... and normally it's not a happy thing when your child screams in the car, but I made an exception in this particular case. It was a happy scream... on a happy occasion... hard to be annoyed. :) Then, we pulled into the driveway and I must say - I have never - no NEVER - seen a child run so fast in my life. She couldn't wait to get inside and tell Barak and Riana.

So here we are. The Pizzuto clan. All five of us.

Look out, world.

Three Goobers

Chrissy and Barak on the carousel at LARK Toys

A family photo op at Gooseberry Falls, MN

Time Flies

How did it get to be July already?? Well, here we are -- summer is moving fast!

We're all enjoying our time off school. Lots of lake time, playing in the rain, library visits, movie watching, sleep overs, sculpey, rip-sticking, bike riding, out-to-eating, grilling, boating, tree climbing, and fort making. Whew! I think I might need a nap...

Another bee-sting experience provided extra bonding time for the whole family last weekend. When Jan gets stung, our world stops and everybody shows him how much we need him around. Christian was able to join in on the action this time, making it a full-family bonding experience. While Jan was laid up, he enjoyed the extra attention and service so much he commented that he might have to get stung more often. I almost hit him.

All the kids are horseback riding still, and loving every minute of it. They are all going to horse camp in August.

We're looking forward to our trip to Minnesota and Wisconsin this month. It's coming fast and I have lots to do in order to be ready to go! But it's high time to introduce Christian to her extended family. Cousins, look out... here she comes!

Today is a relatively big day for us. Jan and I are signing our "Petition for Adoption of a Minor Child." This is the official document that will be filed with the court. It seems like such a silly thing to get excited about... signing a paper. But it's one step closer to things being official and I'm completely stoked. Truth be told, our methods are slightly anticlimactic... we're corresponding with our lawyer via mail because she's a good distance away. So we get the documents in the mail, take them to the bank and sign them before a notary public. Getting our daughter from a bank seems just weird, but hey. Whatever works.

I've learned a few things...

1. Patience IS a virtue. I'm still trying to achieve it.

2. Growing one's family via adoption has it's unique challenges.

3. I did not fully understand what I was getting into.

4. I would not take our decision to adopt back for all the tea in China.

5. It does not take very long to feel like a child is mine.

6. I have the three most wonderful kids on the planet. (Don't even bother to argue with me on this one. I'm like a brick wall here.)

To our northern family and friends, we can't wait to see all of you!

Sisters

Sisters on the tube!

Playin' in the rain...

Just back from evening fishing.

The three best kids in the world.

Lots of good times at the Pizzuto house... and out of the Pizzuto house! Barak had a birthday, so we went to Carowinds (at his request). It was Christian's first time at an amusement park, and she had a blast. The little stinker wore some high shoes to make herself taller so she would be able to go on all the rides. And they let her!! There were a few rides that gave her pause, but she tackled them anyway.

We've road-tripped to Savannah, GA. We spent time at the beach on Tybee Island (beautiful beaches there), toured a little bit of historic Savannah, went out to eat (of course), and relaxed at the hotel pool. The seafood was awesome... (flounder, anyone??? MMMMMM... or how about some crab?), and although we crammed all five of us into one hotel room, we managed to survive. Isn't that the true test of family, after all?

Of course, the car ride is made more pleasant by the DVD player in the van. Three kids, engrossed in a movie, riding for two hours without arguing or playing super loud in a small, confined space... How great is that?!?

Lest anyone think that our children are in any way lacking personality, I offer up the next picture as evidence to the contrary. All I wanted was a picture of the three of them... a NICE picture. But NO!! They have to be all... childish. Having fun. Being crazy. As if a dose of childish insanity is what makes a Pizzuto a Pizzuto... or - wait. I guess that kind of IS what makes a Pizzuto a Pizzuto. I stand corrected...

But here we are - three months into our journey as a family of five. And we're not only well suited to each other... it goes beyond that. We're tightly woven, connected, and our family is further strengthened by the addition of one more. Add that to the fact that Jan is absolutely giddy about getting me to pose more frequently for family pictures and we have a winning combination!

*Sigh...* So, now... I have two months to wait before our next vacation. How will I have fun between now and then?? How about filing in court for adoption? Sounds like a PLAN!! :)

Family of Five

Just another crazy week at the Pizzuto house. We had family come in from Minnesota, Jan came down with Bronchitis, we had Easter, and we're on spring break! And who doesn't love spring break??

We are feeling like a five person family now. We are no longer the four of us... with a guest. But, frankly, we haven't been that for some time. Now we're looking ahead to court processes being started, a change from a foster worker to an adoption worker with DSS (although, Wendy, we will miss you if you don't keep coming over!), and - finally - an end to the waiting for things to be final. Christian needs the stability of finalization, and we're excited about that feeling, too.

We spent some time out on the boat -- can you believe that the weather has been so amiable in the beginning of April?? But it HAS!! And the kids have had a wonderful spring break, filled with swimming in an icy cold lake, boating, playing in the MUD... yes, mud... jumping on the trampoline, hiking in the woods, and all those other wonderful things that children should be doing for fun. :)

The kids have all started their horseback riding lessons -- and they're doing excellently. They are looking forward to a week of horse camp this summer.

So lots of positive experiences... we all enjoyed very much our visit with Kathy, Miranda and Wynnie... and it was fun to see more of the local family as well over the Easter holiday. I've welcomed the break from school, and now - after this week - I'm looking forward to summer vacation! This relaxed atmosphere is where it's at! I'm going to have to start lobbying for shorter school days with a later start, I'm thinkin'.

All in all, things are wonderful. Our family of five is lovin' life. Thanks to all of you for following along on our adventure, for your support and encouragement, and for your interest in our lives.

As Normal As We Get

I think it's safe to say it's official. We've settled in. Things have started to feel "normal." And yes, for those of you who know me well, I can already hear the jokes about my lack of normalcy.

Adoption is a strange thing... because who, other than an adoptive parent, can start to relax once the kids begin to bicker? But in reality, the little bickering shows me that they are beginning to really feel like siblings. That is, after all, the goal. And when Christian comes to me and says, "What's the matter with him?? He's makin' me so mad!" I must say, I rejoice. She not only feels comfortable enough to get mad, she's cool with telling me about it as well! (Not that Christian telling me about something is unique or new... she certainly does know how to speak her mind.)

Life in the Pizzuto house has settled down to a dull roar. (Okay, sometimes the roar isn't all that dull and I'm still tempted by the idea of earplugs.) But we're all more used to one another now, knowing more what to expect in different situations. The uncomfortable feeling of just not knowing each other at all is gone -- and now it's that usual life-long process of continuing to learn and grow together.

To put it short, we're not only a family, we also feel like a family. It's a good thing.

And now, for the pictures....

The girls decided to play dress-up for a bit last weekend. They had a blast:

And what a hoot to take them to the store with me... they spent a good fifteen minutes trying on all different kinds of glasses. I even got the information from Christian that she thinks it's rotten luck that she has good eyesight. She wants some glasses.

Two incredibly active kids have a grand time getting their energy out on the trampoline. They're crazy, but they're fun!

Settlin' In

The bunk beds are here and put together, the dressers arrived, things have been moved, stuff has been stored, school has begun, sicknesses cured... so it seems we're settling in. It's hard to believe that it's been over two weeks since I've found time to write -- but then again, not so hard to believe.

Christian had a birthday... we celebrated with some family, then took her to her first trip ever to Chuck E Cheese. Fun was had by all! On top of the celebrations, family members from far away sent gifts as well! She had great fun getting all the gifts and mail.

We've taken a trip to the Science Center, to the movie theater, twice to the bowling alley... we've had snowfalls, the puke flu, and strep throat. We've gone to doctor appointments, to school, to homeschool co-op sign up... and still we've found time to get Christian organized into her new shared room with Riana. It's a crazy life, I tell ya! My house is a mess, but we're happy.

The kids are beginning to settle in like siblings. They all get along marvelously (which, I guess, is not so much like siblings)... Barak spends time with Christian helping her with her homework, playing outside, sharing his legos, playing with her horses, and basically getting his social fix every single day. He feels like he died and went to heaven.

Riana is enjoying some alone time, but is going and playing with the other kids when she wants. It's a newfound freedom for her... there isn't anybody constantly harassing her to do things she doesn't want to do, but she's frequently invited to play and always welcome.

Barak and Christian share an energy level that is unequalled by anybody else living in this particular house. I'm sure there are children out there with a higher level of insane play, but this is a new experience for me. They feed off each other and sometimes the noise level in the house gets quite high. I have spent a small (very small) amount of time wondering if earplugs would make me a bad mother.

The reality of it is, there's plenty of work left to do in adjusting to our new family. There are more of us now... more personalities, more quirks, more rambunctiousness... but there is more love, more creativity, more hilarity (yes, you should hear some of the things she will say), and more meaning. I wouldn't take this back for anything in the world -- we love her already and can't imagine not having her.

Now if I could just get the elementary school to start one hour later... I really do love my sleep - and this super-early rising is just... not for me.

Ahhh... yawn... ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

What's a Move-In Date??

As you can see from the pictures, Christian has quite a personality on her! Every time I tried to get a shot, she would smile sweetly and then - at the very last minute - make a goofy face. It wasn't until Riana started to get super goofy with her that she couldn't control the laughter. But here is a picture of the girls:

And here is a picture of all three kids:

Christian had her "weekend visit" which has simply been changed to she's "here to stay." Who needs a move in date when she's already moved in, right? So, she doesn't have to go back to her previous placement, not even for one night.

What a weekend we have had, too!! We got a serious load of snow dumped on us both Friday and Saturday. I spent most of my weekend washing and drying play-clothes for outside. I had three kids coming in and out, in and out... out long enough to get cold, in long enough to drink hot chocolate. I'm sure you can see where I got tired of laundry. But snow is a pretty rare occurrence here in NC, so you can hardly blame them.

There were many questions from Christian over the weekend about timing. How long did she get to stay? When would she come back? Did she have to wait to come back until she was adopted? And the list goes on... For some questions, I had answers. For some - I had nothing to offer but a hug with an assurance that I would do what I could to find an answer for her. Telling her she was here to stay was priceless. Have you ever had a hug from a child that was so tight you weren't sure if your insides were being squeezed out? Yes, THAT hug. I got one.

I have three children. I know she's not legally ours - not yet. But she's ours all the same.

Friends and family, meet our Christian!