The great volunteer gourd (and miscellaneous doggies) (and miscellaneous miscellaneous)

I picked the volunteer gourd today and put it out front by a pot of mums. There were two on the vine that grew from the remnants of one of last fall's gazillion decorations that got tossed behind the backyard storage shed. The other one that was on the vine got eaten by creatures unknown - bug or bunny variety, we suspect.

While I'm happy to have gotten a nice surprise with our cute little pumpkin-thing, I'm kind of embarrassed to put it on the front porch. The nextdoor neighbor has a GINORMOUS pumpkin on theirs - and I mean GINORMOUS. I might try to sneak over for a picture to show you to prove what I mean. Here's our cutie, as well as our cuties.

Brian had a feeling that we'd get The Call in September but we only have two more days. I'd love it, but I'm not feeling it. I bought Where the Wild Things Are the other day to read to my poor, poor husband who claimed to have not known it. Tonight I was going through some of my old childhood books that are tucked in Baby Kiddo's room but had to stop because I was getting teary eyed. Not sure if it was because of my memories or because I was trying not to think about the fact that they're now in a loney, empty room. :(

A bittersweet decision

I've struggled with a decision over the last month of so, and finally made it. While I know it's right for me, for us, right now, it still makes me a bit sad.

I've asked to be phased off the schedule at the second job, the part-time gig at the wonderful locally owned children's toy store. When I decided to pick up a part-time job in addition to my full-time job, I knew I'd be lucky if I could go back to the store; I'd managed one of their locations for a couple of years when I worked there full-time. I always said it would be the perfect part-time job.

And, it is. Playing games, wrapping presents, playing with kids.

But I found myself trying to balance my full-time job, my part-time job, my life responsibilities, the adoption, marriage and more. There were so many balls in the air that I wasn't doing a good job with any of them, I feared.

The wonderful locally owned toy store has responded wonderfully. They are hugely supportive and both the manager and the owner have gone out of their way to make me feel better about our decision for me to concentrate on home and family right now. It makes me feel even luckier but just a little more sad. Going back felt like going back to family and leaving (again) now feels like leaving family.

3 vs. 4

Our consultant called Monday saying that the Department of Education in Russia wanted to know if we wanted to "up" our home study paperwork to say that we'd be open to children under 4. Currently our paperwork says under 3.

After talking about it and listening to our guts, we decided that we'd stay with our 3 and under decision, at least for now. Apparently there is a possibility that some children older than 3 (but younger than 4) might be coming "available" in Smolensk soon.

One of the things I've learned over the last couple of years is that gut feelings are important - and ours, for now, are telling us to stay with 3 and under.

So it's September

Another month behind, another month begins. Maybe this one will be it.