The junior cook

Charlotte has done OODLES of cooking courses over the past few months... and her confidence is coming along. She has done a weekly course at a community centre but also more specialist type sessions with cooks from various food businesses providing guidance. The most memorable food was Greek with hamburgers that had fetta in them with beautiful soft bread rolls that were obviously just made from the chef's kitchen. There was also the recipe for the sauce but it was delicious and light!

Grandpa has been a wonderful backstop taking Lotus to music class or Chinese class.

Becoming a parent/wants/needs/desires

We all hope for a perfectly healthy child that is natural. Even when adopting we hope for a perfect cute little bundle no matter what their size.

I have now learnt that it is not until you have become a parent and see the strengths/weaknesses and medical issues of these children that you realise how wonderful it is to parent ANY child. Your whole life changes to focus on the child and their wellbeing and future.

It is saddening to think that children need to be abandoned from their birth family because of some deformity which can be managed with medical intervention. Lotus requires on going doctor appointments but that is such a minor blip in who she is and the amazing progress she has undertaken since having her own family. And no matter what issues they face or come across it is so wonderful to parent these youngsters and to see and hope for such a bright future for them.

I have now met another family hoping to adopt that turn out to be in the same batch sent to China when we applied for Lotus - needless to say we went the green stream and had a CCAA match SNs. They have no children and yearn for that perfect little baby girl that China had been so famous for supplying. Meanwhile if you follow the shared list you know of so many often slightly older boys that are available.

Being in a position to look back how my mind has changed over the years in what sorts of needs I would consider I ache. In particular there is a boy at Charlotte's SWI we met last June who has been on so many lists for so many years. Our department here would never allow out of birth order but I know no one will come forth for him given his slight abnormal face and age. He is such a shy boy and sweet - when I sit watching the girls do their swimming class I think of him and how it would be great to bring him along to learn to swim despite his needs. And I imagine the smiles he would make with each little step of progress. And what would he think of the sea and the ocean? Would he even be aware of it given it seems he may not have hardly ever been out of the SWI?

Need to find an American hubby where the rules are no where near as strict!!