|
News@www.adoption-net.co.uk Story published on October 07, 2003 Diary of an adopter Page two of two He had a bit of a dip in the middle of the game, mostly fuelled by the acute disappointment that he couldn't have the balloon which had blown on to the pitch below. However, credit to him, he bounced right back. We had said to Jamie that we might take him into London to see it all lit up, but we thought we'd play it by ear and see how tired he was. That night, however, he was full of beans, so we took the tube and went to Tower Bridge and saw David Blaine. It absolutely fascinated Jamie. We went into the inside compound and were looking up at him, trying to explain to Jamie what he was doing suspended in a perspex box up in the air! David Blaine was asleep at the time, but suddenly woke up, much to the delight of the onlookers. Well, everyone was shouting and yelling and Jamie was calling "David... David..." and waving like mad. David Blaine was waving and Jamie was convinced that he waved to him too!! Mind you, the highlight of the evening was seeing Tower Bridge raised and a huge yacht type boat sail through it - it was really quite incredible to watch. We've now come back and have another week of holiday together before Tim goes back to work. Mind you, the week he returns to work he's got another day off as it's the Court date. We are getting really excited about it now. We're talking to Jamie about it and what it will be like, but I don't think that he's quite of the age where it really means anything significant to him now at this moment. We've decided that we won't discuss it in the couple of days directly before the day itself - a bit like a marathon runner who trains for months, then rests the day before! We've been out and bought him a new outfit and some brand new Clarks boots - Tim clutched his wallet in horror when he heard how much the boots were!! Whilst in Next trying on clothes, Jamie insisted on dancing to the piped music which made doing up buttons even more difficult than ever. He then raced out of the changing rooms to Daddy outside to show him each outfit. He's such a show-off sometimes! Of course, despite all the funny stories and anecdotes, on a daily basis there are always ups and downs. As Tim is out at work during the day, then it's Jamie and I who are still adjusting at being together with one another. It does get easier day by day, but sometimes it is incredibly hard and its very difficult when you're on your own, trying not to get wound up and keep to boundaries. I must admit that at times I sit back and think, well, I don't think I'm doing too badly at this mummy lark. I do feel that Jamie has truly become my son and I feel so incredibly protective of him and so proud of the slightest achievement he makes. I often sit at the soft-play clubs and wonder to myself how many other mums could cope with just taking on a three year old right from the word go. That's just reminded me of something - telling other people. Its really odd, but I never know whether to tell people Jamie is adopted or not. I remember when I went on the nursery trip in the Summer and got chatting to another mum and she asked me if I was going to have any more children. I said that we might well do in the future (the truth), and then she started chatting about the pain of childbirth and so on and I thought, aaaarrrggghh - what do I say?! I opted for saying nothing and just nodded, smiled and changed the subject - it did the trick! I tend to tell people on a need to know basis, and sometimes just if they've got a friendly face! I don't broadcast it, but tend to tell people if I get a feeling I can trust them. I find it very difficult to lie! Of course, I don't tell them Jamie's life story. Only Tim and I, and Jamie to some extent, know that within our family and that's how its going to stay, but I don't want Jamie to feel that I'm hiding the fact he's adopted, because I don't want him to grown up thinking that it's something that we don't want to talk about to other people. Most people are absolutely fascinated about adoption and normally know other people who are adopted or who are adopting themselves. We got a little plaque made for Jamie's adoption day, and the lady on the craft stall that knew someone who was adopting a boy from Mexico. Adoption really does touch a lot of people. Tantrum-wise, Jamie is doing really well at the moment. The threat of him having to sit on the step is usually enough to offset a tantrum before it really gets going. Mind you, one morning he had a right humdinger, and part of his tantrum included him screaming "Silly Mummy, Silly Daddy" at the top of his voice. Tim and I were in the kitchen silently laughing our heads off because it did sound quite funny. Better to laugh than get wound up by it that's our theory! He still talks of his foster carers, but often now says their names closely followed by ",,, my foster carers" which is great because we're keen to get him to understand his story. My "apple" family tree is becoming a fantastic tool to talking about his story and I often ask him to tell me his story which he's getting quite used to recounting now. The story always ends with him telling me about the day Mummy and Daddy knocked on the door of his foster carers, and is usually accompanied by me cuddling him lots and telling him how excited we were that he was going to be our special adopted son and how much we love him. I think we're hitting the right level of explanation at the moment - he's not asked anything more about it yet, but I think he will in time. We had a major trauma recently over the strangest of things! We've been letting Jamie stay up on a Saturday night to watch Fame Academy. Only the main show mind you, not the results programme late at night!
Well, the morning after he'd been voted off the show, Tim and I were getting ready and laughing about how we'd break the news to Jamie that Peter had gone. So, he came wandering into our room, and I said "Bad news I'm afraid Jamie, Peter got voted off Fame Academy last night and he's had to go home". Well, the flood gates opened and he started bawling his head off crying "I like Peter, I don't want him to go home". How bad did we feel? We managed to placate him by saying that Peter wanted to go anyway to see his Mummy and Daddy and all his friends, but that he'd probably be on the last show anyway, so he'd see him again then. Luckily that seemed to calm him down but we've made a mental note to be more careful in future! Anyway, apart from Jamie and our cat Jasper, we now have another addition to the family. A few months ago, we had set Jamie a reward that if he got a week's worth of reward stars, then we would buy him a fish, and would you believe it he went and did it! So that means that we now have Jackson (named after a character in Storymakers, and not Michael!). Of course, like Jasper, Jackson talks to Jamie in a very high pitched voice. Jamie has to say goodnight to both Tiggi and Jackson every night, and after he says goodnight to them, he then says "Goodnight Jamie" in a very squeaky voice. It's very funny! Well, next time I'll let you know how the court day went. Wish me luck in my search for Adoption Day cards. I know you can get them from Adoption UK, but why don't they sell them in shops? Honestly - when you can buy "Happy Divorce" cards, then surely someone could do some Adoption Day ones - there's a gap in the market there!!
|
|