Run, Peter, run!

Here's Peter running the Cheesehead Half-Marathon last weekend. Aaron joined him for the last 50 yards to the finish.

As some of you already know, Peter has been training since spring to run in our city's marathon. For those of us (including me) who are not runners, the obvious question is why?? Why put yourself through the agony, heat, and pain of training for such a long race?

The short answer is that Peter is a wonderful, dedicated dad. He is running in the marathon to raise funds for our next daughter. He already loves her, even though he's never even seen a picture of her and doesn't know her name. He tells me she's the inspiration each time he increases his miles, and she's the thought that pushes him through the pain.

The longer answer is that we knew we would have to be creative to fund this adoption, our second adoption from India in 5 years. He dreamed up the idea of fundraising by running a marathon, and then he got to work.

Along with Peter, we also have a dedicated relay team running for our daughter. My sister Alicia will be doing 2 legs of the relay, and Peter's sisters Mary and Anne will be taking a leg. Our friend Lisa and her son Colin will each be running one leg of the race as well. We are so moved by their desire to help bring our daughter home.

Now the marathon is a few weeks away, and we are inviting friends and family to consider supporting Peter and the relay team by pledging any amount. You can use the "donate" button on our sidebar if you feel led to do so. All funds will go toward upcoming adoption fees and travel expenses. We have been so moved and overwhelmed by those of you who have already responded -- thank you so much!

What makes your support even sweeter is how encouraging it is at this stage in the adoption process. We began this journey 2 1/2 years ago, and it's easy to have your spirits flag when you're waiting on invisible officials on the other side of the world. Our next "deadline" is September 30, when we must submit another batch of paperwork in hopes of being matched with a child later this year.

Rest assured, we will post her photo as soon as we find out who she is! In the meantime, thank you for praying with us and supporting us as we wait -- and thanks for cheering Peter on!

Last weeks of summer

I will post soon about our upcoming Marathon Fundraiser for our next daughter. Given the extended wait, "marathon" seems all too appropriate!!




Saying goodbye as my "practice baby" (my dear friend Trina's son Tyler) heads off to college . . .

. . . camping on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan . . .

. . . celebrating the bonds between brothers and sister on Rakhi Day . . .

. . . having a first friend sleepover with Eliza . . .

. . . rejoicing as our sons chose to be baptized . . .

. . . cheering as Daddy ran a 5K and the boys did a fun run to benefit one of our city's homeless shelters . . .

. . . these precious last weeks of summer are too fleeting!

A not-so-profound metaphor

The ol' blog has been quiet for a few weeks, in part because the Appleton family has been busy with summer things, and in part because I haven't been able to decide what to write about the latest adoption news out of India.

In July, we heard from our case worker that CARA (the Indian adoption governing body) has released the long-awaited new adoption guidelines. There are many facets to the new guidelines, but the short version is that there will be no referrals in the near future. There is a September 30 deadline for people in all 23 countries that work with India to re-submit our dossiers . . . and then? Who knows . . .

This is very disheartening to us. I have visions of huges stacks of paperwork sitting on desks at CARA, then the entire office shutting down for weeks for Diwali. Not good for the mama morale.

Here's where the not-so-profound metaphor comes in: bowling with a 4-year-old is a lot like this adoption.

We took my parents bowling a few weeks ago to celebrate my Dad's birthday. Anya Rashi hefted her ball, first with help from her brothers, then by herself after a little practice. She carefully placed it on the line, then gave it a push. Ever so slowly, the ball rolled down the alley, inch by agonizing inch. It was so comically slow that Anya Rashi herself would forget that it was still her turn, and go sit down -- completely forgetting to watch and see how many pins fell down!

Meanwhile, the people in the alley next to ours kept bowling. Sometimes Anya Rashi's ball rolled so slowly that the person next to us would throw both of their balls, complete their frame, and move on to the next player all in the time it took for Anya Rashi's ball to meander its way down to the pins!

Of course, since my mind is never far from our adoption, I couldn't help but make a parallel between our very slow bowler and our progress toward our second daughter. My thoughts wandered to a dear couple whom we love who have had TWO babies in the time that's passed since we started this adoption. I'm not kidding! We began the adoption in March 2009, they had one son in October 2009, and now they have another son born in April 2011. (Luckily, little Q and baby L are so beautiful that I cannot feel even a shred of resentment.)

But even while we are frustrated and sad, we are still very aware of how blessed we are to have our Aaron, Nathan and Anya Rashi. We are holding them a little tighter as we long for our beloved fourth child. In the wake of this news, my heart hurts for adoptive friends who are waiting for their first child, often after years of infertility, and I can only imagine how devastating this new uncertainty is for them.

Thanks for continuing to follow and pray for our journey, even though it's taking as long as a certain 4-year-old's bright orange bowling ball.

Two good children's books about adoption

Our public library is one of our favorite places to spend a hot summer afternoon. On a recent trip, we checked out two children's books that I thought other adoptive friends might be interested in.

Bringing Asha Home is an excellent book we've checked out before -- but Anya Rashi was only two at the time, and it didn't resonate as much for her then. Now, two years into our second adoption, it has definitely "clicked" for her.

In the book, a family waits to adopt a daughter from India. The book is told from the point of view of the older brother, and includes good descriptions of the excitement and frustration he experiences. The book also explains the holiday Raksha Bandan, or Rakhi Day, an Indian celebration of the bonds between brothers and sisters (which falls on August 13 this year). It's an especially helpful book for adoptive families with older siblings, because it gives a voice to the feelings a child might have througout the process.

The title of the second book caught my eye right away! You're Not My REAL Mother! is the big cahuna that many of us adoptive parents dread hearing someday. Full discolosure: I didn't actually read this book to Anya Rashi.

It's actually a good children's book -- it voices real feelings that adopted children sometimes have. In the book, the daughter is upset, and lashes out at her mother. The mother gives a good explanation of a birth mother and her own role, and calmly asks the daughter about what a "real" mother does. They go on to share a heartwarming list of the daily tasks we do for our kids. By the end of the book, the daughter is folded in her mother's arms, agreeing that she is in fact, her "real" mother.

So why not read this book to my daughter? I know she will have more questions someday about her birth parents, and she may resent us or wonder about how her life might have been different with them . . . but I don't want to plant those things in her mind before she's thinking them. And it may never occur to her to think of that particular line about "real" parents on her own. Every child is different, and at this point, I didn't want to suggest something to her that she's not already thinking.

I am, however, very glad that I discovered this book. From other parents, I've heard stories of tearful kids coming home from school after their classmates tell them "Those aren't your real parents." This book will be a great reassurance that we are, in fact, her real parents -- and sometimes seeing something in print helps kids by providing an outside affirmation of what their parents say. With Anya Rashi starting pre-school this year, it's good to be prepared in case any of her classmates bring up the topic of "real" parents.

What do you think about reading this book to a 4-year-old? Have you found any other good children's books dealing with adoption?

Our "last hurrah" . . . but not really

Last year, we planned a "last hurrah" -- a little time away before we became parents to our newest child. Fast forward a little bit . . . and we are not even close to traveling to India. But we decided to make the best of it and stick with our plans anyway.

The boys went off for their first-ever sleep away camp. (The photo kind of makes it look like they joined the army . . . but it's just their ride over to the camp's other lake and cabins!) It's a place we've gone to as a family in past years, and last year they asked if they could go on their own for a week. They had a wonderful week -- not a trace of homesickness, according to them. They came back happy, exhausted, full of mosquito bites, and very proud of themselves.

Meanwhile, Aunt Alicia came to stay with Anya Rashi for a few nights and have a special girls' time together. In the three years she's been home with us, Peter and I have never gone away together, so we wondered how she would do. We needn't have worried . . . every text and photo they sent showed a smiley Anya Rashi, along with questions like, "How many more days can Aunt Alicia stay?"

Peter and I, after dropping the boys off at camp, continued north to the tip-top of Wisconsin. We stayed on the shores of Lake Superior, and spent a day sea kayaking. While it was in the 90s in our hometown, we had to wear thermal gear and wet suits because the lake acts like a big refrigerator. There are a series of sea caves, along with the beautiful Apostle Islands, along the southern shore of Lake Superior . . . it was absolutely breathtaking. The water was emerald green, and little waterfalls trickled down the sandstone cliffs as we paddled by. We also went out to a great restaurant one night, and had a terrific time.

So, even though we aren't headed to India in the near future, we did have a grand time!

Adoption anniversary and Father's Day

Anya Rashi wore one of her Indian outfits to a wedding last weekend -- when we got it for her in Kolkata, it seemed so huge I couldn't picture her fitting into it!

Yesterday we celebrated two important days: June 19 is the anniversary of our court date to finalize Anya Rashi's adoption, and for the rest of the US, it was also Father's Day. It was definitely a day of gratitude for us -- Peter and I have the huge blessing of still having our own fathers close by, and I have the joy of watching Peter parent our kids.

A long time ago, before we even dated, Peter and I saw the movie Parenthood together. (That tells you how long we've known each other!). We were both back on campus a little early because we were on the residence life staff at our university, and decided on a whim to watch the movie together on a free afternoon. During the movie, I remember thinking, "Whoever marries Peter will be such a lucky woman -- he's going to be a great father!" I was dating someone else at the time, and had no idea that I would get to be that woman!

I also had no idea at that time that adoption would be part of my future. We don't do anything too elaborate to celebrate the court date that officially made Anya Rashi part of our family. Usually, we look at photos from that day, and talk about what the kids got to do in the courtroom. I think the day itself doesn't hold as much of an emotional resonance for us because we already felt like she was completely ours, forever . . . and we'd felt that way from the day we first saw her picture.

I am stunned that it's been three years already! Our sons look so little in those photos, and there's barely a trace of baby Rashi left when I look at our long-legged, articulate little girl. Time goes by surprisingly, achingly quickly.

First days of summer

Before and after hair shots!

Our summer is off to a flying start, with a trip to Indianapolis for a graduation and mini-reunion with one of Anya Rashi's cribmates. The graduate was my "practice baby" -- my dear friend Trina's son Tyler. Trina was one of those instant friends -- we worked together at the museum that hired me after I graduated from college, and hit it off right away. Trina, Ty and I lived together from the time Tyler was 8 months old until he was 4 1/2, when Peter and I got married. Tyler is now taller than me, and headed off to college in the fall . . . which means I am officially old. :o)

Trina's family is also one of my adoption inspirations. She is one of four siblings, two of whom are biological children, and two of whom are adopted. When she first told me that, I remember thinking how wonderful that sounded, and a seed of an idea for my future was planted. Then, with Tyler, I realized that I could indeed love someone else's child as though he belonged to me. They are one of the reasons Anya Rashi is here today, and her sister is on the way.

We had a great time together celebrating Tyler. I just reveled in visiting with Trina's parents, and friends who feel like family, though we rarely get to be together in person.

Another terrific part of our weekend was visiting David and his family! David and Anya Rashi were cribmates in India during their first year of life. His mom Christin and I stay in touch through a chat room, and agreed to meet while we were in their city. The kids all enjoyed ice cream, and played together while the grownups talked. It was fun to see David and Anya Rashi picking wild strawberries together, with their two little raven heads bent over the green grass.

Summer would not be complete without the start of baseball season -- because they are only 19 months apart in age, Aaron and Nathan get to be on the same team every other year. I love having them play together! And we can't forget Nathan's annual "shearing." :o) He planned it carefully -- we gave him a buzz the night before the last day of school to surprise his friends.

It's strange to have been a parent long enough to have things that truly feel like traditions. I often wonder what our kids will remember about these days . . . I hope they will think of them with fondness.