Spreading the word about adoption and greatest fears!

Yesterday, at work, we hosted a program on DVT, deep vein thrombosis, and our special guest was Melanie Bloom, widow of David Bloom. David Bloom, you might remember, was a reporter for NBC, and shortly after landing in Iraq to cover the war, he died unexpectedly from complications of a pulmonary embolism after long flights and then long nights sleeping in a tank.

Regardless of who I meet, lately, stories about my daughters seem to jump right into the conversation!

I was actually explaining why I was late, but it also provides a great introduction to the older children who are available for adoption.

Melanie Bloom was very interested in our story as she had a good friend who is interested in adoption, but did not want to adopt a baby. You bet I can provide you with some resources! I hope her friend will follow up as having my daughters is by far the best thing I have ever done in my life.

Now it still is not easy but it is so worth it.

Last night Annabel started telling me about being afraid of ghosts.

If I had been blogging while Grace was in 2nd, 3rd, and probably even 4th grade, we would have been talking about the same thing.

I'm not sure why the little girls in their classes are so fixated on ghosts. But there are lots of stories going around at school about ghosts and how you can call up one ghost by turning out the lights, and on, and on.

Annabel says that the scariest part is when they talk about "bloody ghosts". This is one of those stories that make me wonder how I did not laugh as she told me.

I've always tried to address their fears by being rational and helping them decide IF the stories they have heard could actually happen.

I asked why would a ghost need blood.

She didn't have an answer for that. She told me she tries to remind herself that God is with her and she does not need to be scared, but then her head keeps talking about ghost until it feels like it could bust open.

Nothing I said could allay their fears, so we added it to our prayers, and then slept with the bathroom light on.

Grace told me this morning how some of the kids were being mean to Annabel again yesterday. Asking a few more questions even uncovered that one of the teachers has been making fun of some of the kids. Yes, the same one I have had problems with. Grace said he made fun of one little girl because she is Irish. I asked if she thought he had made fun of them. She said she thought IF he did, he probably would have pulled his eyes sideways like the kids did to her in 2nd grade. Insert the noise of my heart breaking for her here.

I cannot wait to get to the new school. North Hills has 52 countries represented. Hopefully there will be no room for singling out one nationality as different.

I know there were other things I meant to write about this week, but I have been fighting the bug that Grace shared with me and feel my head is pretty foggy.

Tomorrow is Grace's 11th birthday. I cannot believe she is already that old, but of course acting SO much older.