Brae and Sienna-isms

1.  A few weeks ago, I took Brae and Sienna for an impromptu getaway to the beach with my sisters-in-law and mother-in-law.  Brae was so excited to go to the beach and play with his little cousins.  As we were packing up the night before, I asked him what he was most excited about.   He looked at me, wide-eyed, and in a very solemn voice said:

                  "Mommy, I need to go and find Nemo and bring him back home."

    And then he walked away. 

***

2. This last weekend, I was driving to the grocery store with the kids.  Sienna is just starting to talk more and more, but sometimes only I know what she is saying.  As we were pulling up to the store, she points out the window and yells, "Mama!  Da da brrrr!" 

      I smiled and said, "Why, yes, honey, it is a bird!  Good girl!  Brae, did you hear that? Sienna said 'It's a bird!'"

      Brae piped up and said, "No, Mommy, she' didn't.  She said 'Da da brrrr.'"


***

3.  The kids had a day off from school one day, and Tygh and I had to work.  So my dad and stepmom drove up to watch the kids for the day.  My parents divorced when I was relatively young, and my dad re-married when I was about 8.  My stepmom, Cindy, did not have biological children.  It was just me and my younger sister.  Neither of them have much practice in little kids, let alone diapers. 

      As I was giving Cindy a tutorial on how to change Sienna's diaper - and Sienna was being quite a good prop - I told Cindy that, unfortunately, Sienna likes to poop about mid-morning.  I would be at work, so Cindy would have to change her poopy diaper.

      Cindy looked at me, puzzled, and whispered, "So .... what do I do with her after she poops? Do I just stick her in the bathtub or something?"

***

4.   This next story is perhaps one of my proudest moment as Brae's Mommy.  Especially after our whole episode earlier this year with the owners of his play gym calling me about complaints received from other parents about Brae's behavior.

      I took Brae grocery shopping, and we passed by an elderly man (probably in his 90s) in a wheelchair, kind of hunched over, not looking or talking to anyone.  Brae left my side and marched right up to the old man and said (in a rather loud voice): "I like you.  You're my friend.  You can borrow my legs."  And Brae walked away.

      There were tears in my eyes, and in those of bystanders watching. 

They told.

Last week, I got perhaps one of the best text messages ever.

It was from our donors.  They finally told their twins, Sienna's full-blooded siblings, about Sienna. 

Sienna's full-blooded siblings are from the same group of embryos that she is.  They are now 12 years old. 

The twins have known who Sienna is since she was born.  They have sent her gifts on Christmas and on her birthday. But, it wasn't until last week that they finally knew who she is. 

Some have asked why it took our donors so long to tell their kids about Sienna.  Sienna is now nearly 2 years old.  We have an open adoption.

I have never questioned, or passed any judgment, on our donors' decision to wait.  I've always trusted that they would know when the right time was to tell this very important, and somewhat complicated, story about Sienna's origin and what it means to them. 

So, now they know.  And, apparently they are over the moon.  Our donor said that they would hop on a plane now if she let them.

That gave me (and still gives me) the biggest smile.  This is why we did open adoption.  For moments like this.  Obviously, Sienna is too young to know about any of this.  But it's always nice to know (and one day meet) more family and more people who love you.

So, I told our donors that Oregon is beautiful in the summertime.

This is Me.

My boss has started a teambuilding exercise in our department.  She brought in a psychologist who gave us a couple of personality tests and then discussed the results with us.

In a nutshell, this is what the personality tests said I am:

"Warm, sympathetic, and helpful.  Personable, cooperative, and tactful.  Conscientious and loyal; value security, stability, tradition.  Focused on the present; makes decisions based on experience and facts.  Uncomfortable with conflict; work hard to make sure it doesn't occur.  Focused on the needs of others; often uncomfortable with personal analysis.  Usually seen by others as sociable, enthusiastic, energetic, organized and traditional."

So,  yup, that's Me.

That's Me as Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Friend, Co-worker, you name it.

That's Me.

And that is Me (granted, in my high school senior photo - just for fun - gotta love the 90s).