Week 13.

November is here, and the cold weather is also upon us. We went to a fireworks display on the 5th. Ashleigh had to be built up to it, as she was scared about things like that.

David had never seen fireworks before, so this was a new thing for him. We went to the display with some friends of ours. Ashleigh is in the same class as her friend Bethany, so we went with her Mam and Dad, and her brothers.

We walked to the display, and when we got there, we bought sparkly necklaces. We waited for the fireworks to start, and when they did, Ashleigh screamed.
But she screamed with excitement. She was jumping up and down, and every time a bang was heard, she screamed in delight. She jumped that much, she fell over.

David sat on the ground. He just stared in awe. He was amazed at it. His eyes were wide open, staring at the fireworks lighting up the sky. The higher they got, David leaned back further. He was mesmerised by them.

Brian and I watched our children having the time of their young lives. I had a tear in my eye as I watched them. Ashleigh was screaming in delight, David jumped and laughed at every bang, and watched in anticipation.

We went for fish and chips afterwards and walked home. After supper, we went into our back garden with some sparklers. They enjoyed them, swirling them round in the air, writing their names. They had a bath, and went to bed two extremely happy children. The memories of the night will go in my mind with all the other happy memories I have.

Brian and I went Christmas shopping. We had fun. The kids were at school, and, boy, did we have fun. We went to Toys r Us. Where did we start? First, it was games.

Brian said, "I had buckaroo when I was a kid, can we have that one please?" Then it was Kerplunk, then Twister. All the games we had when we were kids, we bought for our kids. We went round the store filling two trolleys full of gifts for our children.

Brian tried on a fairy tiara and waved the wand. I tried on a cowboy hat and shot Brian with the toy gun. We ran round hiding behind shelves, shooting each other, and jumping out at each other. Other shoppers just stood and stared at us, like we were two 10yr old kids. We didn't care. We were enjoying ourselves, getting excited for Christmas.

We bought bikes, Barbie dolls, matchbox cars, garages, Lego, a pram, skateboards, roller skates, the list is endless. We had been in there for 2 ½ hours. We were exhausted when we got home. That night, after the children had gone to bed, we wrapped up our gifts with lots of love. We both knew that the other was getting more and more excited. This was to be our first Christmas as a family.

Every other year, Brian and I would go visiting other family. We never stayed in our own house on Christmas day. No one came to visit us.
This year, it was going to be different. Our Children would wake us early and go see what Santa Claus had left them. They both still believe in Santa Claus. It was nice that they did, it gave them something to look forward to on Christmas morning.

Although I will be enjoying my children on Christmas day, their birth mother won't be. She isn't even allowed to send them a gift, only a card. What will it mean? One card between them. I suppose it will be hard for her, not to see her children on Christmas day. I will think of her that day, as I do every day.

I go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve, and I will say a prayer for her. I will thank her for the two most wonderful children. And I will also tell her, how they are, what they look like, what they're doing. It will be hard for me, but it will be harder for the birth mother.

I have to write a letter to the birth mother. It's in the contact agreement that I write a letter to her every year, telling her how they are and what they've been doing. I haven't started it yet, and I know its going to be a hard letter to write. My friend has just done one for her son's birth mother and she found it the hardest thing she has ever had to do. I also have to enclose a photo. I had some done by the photographer last week, so ill send one of those.

She screwed up the last ones I gave her and threw them in the bin. If that's what she wants to do with these ones, it's her choice. I don't even know if she'll read the letter. It's her choice.

David has improved at school the last 3 weeks. His reading is improving no end. He joined the reading club at school, and its one to one reading. He gets extra help with it, and he's getting ahead of some others in the class. His attitude toward his teacher is also getting better. He started swimming lessons every Friday at school, so he is learning to swim.

Brian and I take him every week anyway, but now, he shows off, showing us what he's learned that week. His bedwetting is also improving. We have had only 4 wet night's in the last 16 nights. This is really good, as he was wet up to 4 times a night.

We reward him when he's dry, so we think we've cracked it with him. I hope it carries on like this. He is also learning to play football. He has no co-ordination at all, but will get better. That's why we enrolled him in some extra football training.

Altogether, he's becoming a typical little boy. He's cheeky, naughty, and very, very loving. He has been booked in for more therapy sessions at the hospital. He goes now every Thursday morning for 1 hour. His therapist is a woman, and he likes her. He told me that she is his girlfriend and he's going to marry her.

Ashleigh has had only one tantrum in the last 3 weeks. She is getting better with them. I can tell now when one is about to start, so I know how to stop it before she has a chance to throw herself on the floor.

Her tooth came out this week, so the tooth fairy made a visit. I have kept their teeth, which have fallen out, in a little box called my 'adoption box'.

She bought fairy shoes with her money, and that's what the tantrum was about, as she wanted to wear them for school. Her tantrum lasted for ½ hour, until we got to school. She was crippled by then, but I had her school shoes in my pocket. <>She learned that she should only wear her school shoes for school, and her other shoes were for playing and dressing up.

Her writing is also improving. She got an award from school last week for neat writing. It went on the wall with all the other ones. She is becoming a typical bossy, stroppy, loving 6yr old girl. She is endless with the kisses and cuddles.

I'm taking her to have her ears pierced next week. I know she won't do it that's why I'm taking her. I said yes, but I know she won't let the woman touch her ears. She goes crazy when I dry them after the bath.

Our two children are growing taller and more confident by the day. Every day we see a new child emerging from the old one. They're happy. I'm happy.

They're in the bath at the moment. I can hear them splashing the water all over the place. I can hear Ashleigh shouting at David to stop splashing water at her. I can hear David laughing his head off. They're happy children. I better go and investigate; or else I will have water coming through the ceiling.

E-mail Lynne and Brian

See also:

Previous diary entries