The Pitfalls of Redecorating

My poor, dear husband came home quite ill yesterday, most likely as a result of food poisoning on his trip to Atlanta. He had a truly awful night, necessitating my departure from our bedroom. With six people in this house, we are operating at capacity. We no longer have a guest room. Previously, my refuge on the rare night when I have to escape has been the good old sofa. 

Here's where the redecorating comes into play. I no longer HAVE a sofa! Well, I may have parts of one, but it's somewhere in North Carolina. Therefore, I attempted to bed down for the night in an armchair. I do not recommend that anyone try this at home. Today, everything hurts: shoulders, back, etc. I think the floor would have been preferable. Let's all cross our fingers that my spacious new sofa will arrive in the not-too-distant future.

Of more important note today, it's Claire's Gotcha Day - the sixth anniversary of the day she joined our family. Coincidentally, it's also her "sharing" day at school, so she trotted off to school with photos from that long-ago day that took place in Fuzhou, China.

On one hand, it seems SO long ago - yet it also feels like yesterday. I'll never forget being both sleep-deprived (two days, many airplanes, no sleep) and petrified. But the minute I saw that little baby, I knew she was mine and our bond formed instantaneously. Here's a photo of Claire and me, shortly after our first "meeting." She has her index finger through the ring around my neck and she liked it that way for a long time. She held on tight. 

Since I don't get to have memories of the girls' birthdays, these Gotcha Day observances are very meaningful for me. While I regale Joe and Sam with stories of the days they were born, for Claire and Sydney, this translates to boring them with every detail of what happened on the days they were first put into our arms. 

Since today is our normal "full-speed" Thursday - pick up at school and straight to gymnastics and ballet until after 6 - then dinner, piano, bath, and bed - Claire has opted to hold her celebration tomorrow - she is a smart girl and wants the full celebratory experience. She'll get to choose a dinner venue, enjoy Sam's homemade pumpkin cheesecake, watch the video of her original "Gotcha Day," and open a few small gifts - all related to China.

HAPPY GOTCHA DAY CLAIRIE!