Meeting up

I am averaging meeting one blog friend a week, pretty good. Sounds like I get out all the time, doesn't it. Doesn't feel like it!!

I got to meet my blog friend, Megan, last night. It was wonderful. We met at Rosedale at 6:00, went to a Pizza restaurant there and sat outdoors. We shared a pizza, but more importantly, we shared our struggles and triumphs. Before we knew it, we were the only ones left and they were closing. It was after 10:30 and we were just getting going.

Megan and her husband have adopted older children, and have been facing many struggles on this wonderful journey. I myself have not experienced the same journey, but our journeys intersect in many different areas. So many behaviors are similar between RAD and FASD, but are being exhibited for different yet similar reasons. What is very similar, is our own struggles with how to respond to these behaviors. How to deal with the emotions of feeling like a complete failure some days (most days), the anger that can sometimes arise toward a child exhibiting out of control behavior, and so on and so on.

It was great to meet with you Megan, it was very refreshing.

Speaking of refreshing, have I mentioned that I get a weekend away from everything in two weeks? My friend Wendy, is taking Akila for the weekend of July 23-35 (God bless you Wendy!), and I am heading to Willmar by myself to spend the weekend with friends on the lake. I can't tell you how excited I am for this weekend. I grew up on a lake in Willmar, and it is one of my most favorite and relaxing things in the world to do, especially without kids.

I was there on the 4th with the kids, and it was not relaxing. It was fun, and went well, but it was not relaxing. I am looking forward to relaxing. Three summers ago, my friend Juli came with me for this weekend get away (one night, it has always just been one night, this year it is 2 thanks to Wendy- can you hear how giddy I am?), and it I have a memory from that trip that is something I will never forget.

My girlfriends and I golf on the Saturday morning, and I am not a golfer. We did 9 holes, and I thought I was going to die. It was a 90 degree day, and golfing 9 holes takes forever, in my ADHD kind of brain. They wanted to do 18. I said no way, and Juli and I hightailed it out of there and went to the lake home where we were staying. We got into the "Posse", a 4 person inner tube, put a cooler with some pop and water in one hole, snacks in another, and ourselves in the two remaining holes. We asked Peter and Snooky if they would come out in a few hours and find us, as we just planned on drifting across the lake.

We floated for hours, got off the tube, swam, laid, talked, napped probably, and right when we were about to hit the docks on the other side of the lake, Peter and Snooky came and tied us up to the pontoon and hauled us back. I remember laughing the whole way back, as we were getting sprayed with water and our remaining snacks were getting drenched. We didn't care. It was just a carefree day, and so peaceful.

Juli can't come with me this year, and that is a bummer. I will be staying at Matt and Joanna's house, and they have a boat that we will put in one of the area lakes. I am really looking forward to it. I am just giddy with excitement. Are you jealous?