Crash course in Christmas

When you have been an adult for a while you forget about ALL the tiny details about Christmastime.

Add that to the fact that that in the 20 years since I was in the Santa Claus prime market set they have added and updated a few things.

Stir in a little I-didn’t-start-out-in-the-baby-years and WHAMO. Hello childhood Christmas memory making.

In all fairness I did know about Jude last Christmas so I have had some prep time. It started with my introduction to Elf on the Shelf. I had never heard of this phenomenon before. Then friends told me about the stuffed Elf that is trained in yuletide espionage. What. The. Hell. I drew the line there. Just no. Apparently I either 1.) don’t run my own life and am the subject of one of the best practical jokes in the history of Christmas or 2.) that elf truly is alive because when I brought the Christmas decorations out of storage in the attic over the weekend one of those elves was in there AND I DIDN’T PUT IT THERE! Of course Jude saw it and instantly fell in love with the thing. Now I am moving an elf around the house at night warning it that if it so much as moves one millimeter from where I put it I will burn it and tell Jude that it got homesick and had to go back to the North Pole.

Pinterest. You suck. I will never be that crafty even if I quit my job and attempt this crap full time. Please stop filling my sister’s inbox with these cute ideas that she can pull off and that I then have to “pinterest fail” for my child just so the cousins can feel equal and fair. Although I will give you props for the Christmas Eve box. That idea was good, and I could just buy things (not make them).

Jude doesn’t understand why I want to erect a tree in the living room. She pointed out that we have a perfectly fine faux ficus collecting dust in the dining room. I can’t deny the logic.

I can’t quite gauge Jude’s take on Santa Claus. She tells me that her foster brother told her about Santa (though she lacks the language skills to really get into too much detail). She thinks that he will bring food and put it in her shoes. I think that this is indeed the custom in Bulgaria however when I ask if she wants to go see Santa she invariably says no and really seems uninterested in him.

I decorated the house over the weekend. I know Jude has seen Christmas decorations before because we saw them together on our few outings in her village this time last year. She got about as excited as she does when I clean every week. Hmmm.

She does enjoy the holiday music. Especially when we are driving. She will hear any song and try to sing along.

Thanksgiving

I have a lot to be thankful for.

This time last year I was 48 hours away from boarding a plane to go meet Jude. At present, she is experiencing her first Turkey coma on the pull-out at my parents’ house.

When she wakes up we will have some pie.

Or as she has been saying since I made them yesterday: PPPIIIIEEEE!!!!

I am so grateful to so many people for everything over the past year. So many friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances and total strangers were instrumental in the odyssey that has been the last year of our lives. Many of you are freely lining up to take the journey with us once again over the course of the next year and again we couldn’t be more blessed to be surrounded by such amazing souls.

While this day last year I was full of anxiety, today there is nothing but peace.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours.

In the “little wait”

Our little family is waiting for the news any day now that little sister’s file is officially on hold for us. Nothing like the big wait for Jude’s referral but still a wait nonetheless.

5 months home

This post is long overdue and I certainly don’t intend to become a once monthly blogger. Needed to take a break to set real life in order (specifically nighttimes/bedtimes) but since that seems to be getting better here is what we have been up to:

Halloween

Jude was the cutest little witch in the neighborhood. Trick or treating took a little getting used to. At first I had to trick her into thinking we were just going for a walk. The shock on her face when I rang the first few doorbells was PRICELESS.

The next day was unquestionably the start of Maine winter. And I had been waiting a bit to see where Jude would be when it did start to buy the final few essentials (mainly boots). So quick trip to Kmart the next morning and I had one styling girl.

Who continued to insist wearing her new boots and hat well into the afternoon…

And into the evening…

Thankfully I was able to remove them both by bedtime. But Wow!

Readoption

Jude’s readoption was Monday November 3rd. Return of the nervous stomach (although I had absolutely nothing to be nervous about). It actually turned out to be a fun time for my whole family. The children were given free reign over the courtroom and the entire hearing was about 15 minutes. Afterwards we were able to take this photo with Judge Mitchell which will absolutely be going in Jude’s memory book. And Jude has a new adoption decree (although her Bulgarian adoption decreee is still very much vaild) and will be receiving a Maine-issued birth certificate shortly.

5 months home

On November 16th it has been 5 months since we picked up Jude. The progress she has made is nothing short of extraoridinary. She has gained 5.5 pounds, 4.75 inches, has gone from size 9-12 months to 2T, has gone from shoe size 6 to shoe size 8 and is every bit a blossoming toddler.

3rd Birthday!!!

Jude turned 3 on Wednesday November 19th. It was a joyous day in sharp contrast to the lonely cupcake I ate in pseudo celebration for her last year. Although attempts were made to celebrate her 1st and 2nd birthdays in Bulgaria I know that she was upset at the celebration last year and I am not sure she can recall the doll and cake that were given to her at the Plovdiv orphanage

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It is really amazing to reflect back and see that a year ago we were in full-on screech mode to leave to meet “Baby Jude” and now I really cannot remember what life was like here without her.

What is Next?

Well we have Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Maine winter (I failed to mention that Jude cried when she woke up to a blanket of snow for the first time, I could empathize).

Thursday, without warning, we saw the file of another precious little girl (who turns 2 years old today). It took less that 10 minutes to know that it was time to make the big leap again. We sent the commitment paperwork onto the ministry of justice in Bulgaria yesterday and we will wait for the next two weeks or so (very anxiously I might add) to see if we will be chosen to be her family. Stayed tuned to see where our adventure will continue…