Tragic events at VA Tech

I think the recent events at VA Tech has touched so many lives. As the horror unfolded and we heard about individual stories, it all brought back another place and time not so long ago to me.

There is a small church school right down the street from where I live now. Back in 1988, I worked across the street from this school and remember the events of one December day. There was a young man, not quite 16 years old, that brought a Mac-11 into that school and opened fired. He took the life of one teacher, shot a few more and then went after a class filled with children huddled in the corner of the room. Luckily he was taken down by another teacher. As this sad story unfolded, there were reports of this young man being bullied and tormented in this school. I will never forget the sights and sounds of that day. It lingers with me as the VA Tech story will.

My heart goes out to the victims and their families at VA Tech. I know several students there, one that was actually on the floor where the shooting had taken place. It is hard to understand the motive or reasoning when such a tragic event happens. Of course there just is no reasoning to such a tormented person who has lost touch with reality.

On another note here, I received a phone call from an old friend that I haven't heard from but once since my return from China. Her only comment was that she hoped the insane Asian kid that had killed all those people wasn't adopted. Uggh, my only comment was well you know all adopted people are insane and on the edge of snapping at any minute. I should say my tone was rather, well sarcastic as hell. This friend knows that all three of my children are adopted and most importantly of all, that I, myself, am adopted. I am sorry, but you know most adopted kids don't grow up feeling inferior or turn into some evil mass murderer.

I know I am a bit defensive and hypersensitive to this topic, but you can bet, if this young man at VA Tech had been adopted, the media would has chimed in on that fact and never let go. I guess my point is they would never say he is a bio kid with problems, but yet if he was an adopted child, that would have been the main focus and reason for his insane act.

Our adjustment

I am going to attempt to update this blog during spring break. I can't wait until I have an entire week off to just stay home with the kids and have fun. I went back to work and the adjustment has been a little rocky for baby S. She loves the kids at the school, especially two of the kids in my class. They adore her and she just lights up when she sees them. The director that is taking care of S when I am teaching is trying so hard to win her over. Sometimes I think if a person doesn't try too hard, Baby S warms up more quickly. Lately the director has been bringing her into my class during breaks and free time for the kids and letting her have fun with my class. S enjoys that a lot.

On the weekends I enjoy the slower pace and enjoy just staring at S. She has a quick smile and is so adventurous. She is crawling and taking up to 12 steps now. She loves her brothers and they do whatever they can to make her laugh. She definitely has a temper and can get quite vocal when she dislikes something. We are still not doing great on the food issues yet, but we are working on it. Once we find something she likes, we stick with it and try to add something new every week.

She has definitely bonded with us but seems to be a daddy's girl. Mom is good for some things but dad is definitely her favorite toy.

We had some jealousy issues in the beginning, but for now it seems to have settled down a bit. My baby boy was having some jealous moments, but when he realized his sister adores him more than anyone else, he has gotten over that for the most part. Maybe Baby S knows who to play up to? C is definitely the protective one. We are working on that because he can be quite rude when others hold her. He even checks behind me to make sure I am doing things correctly. It is cute in one way, but so sad to me in another. I remember the tiny little boy from Ukraine that I first met. If I would feed him before his brother, he would take the food and hand it across the high chair to his brother first. He would even try to change his brother's diaper while he was still in diapers.

Okay, enough about that for now. Everyone is getting into a routine now and it feels like S has been here forever. She brings this incredible energy and light into our lives. I have seen her change my sons and my husband. I cannot accurately describe it, but this bright little one has brought a joy into our house that is overwhelming.

Of course I realize we are still in the honeymoon period, but for now, it has been smooth sailing. Hopefully the sea will not get rough and choppy anytime soon.

Some recent pics of my three babies

I have to admit the dress was a bit much but heck, I only have one little girl and if I want to dress her like a giant pink cupcake....well I waited a long time for this moment. So say hello to my little stock brokers and my little Debby cupcake. I know I am not going to keep this girl in a hair bow and dress for long because she seems more interested in playing in the dirt with her brothers. I am going to have a tomboy on my hands, but hey, that's okay. I think she is perfect! What a difference a month makes!