Friends

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

I met Stacie almost 5 years ago, after we had adopted our son Noah.  Stacie was in the process of adopting a baby from Ethiopia and was one of the first in St. Louis.  Stacie brought her son home about 8 months after our son came home (approximately–really I can’t remember last week let alone 4 years ago). Noah and Micah have known each other pretty much their entire life. It’s really great and they like the same things–Star Wars, Super Heroes–you know being boys.

We brought Zoë home 3 years ago and then Stacie brought home Lia.  Lia is Zoë’s first real friend.  Even though there is an age gap of over a year–Zoë could care less.  She love to play with  Li-Li.  And OMG–Lia calls out her name and it is adorable.  I look forward to these four being friends for a long time.  If not for them, for me–because Stacie’s pretty awesome and so are her kiddos.

Yesterday we went to City Garden and the kids played together instantly–like they get to play together everyday.  That’s what is so awesome about kids.  They had a blast and Noah and Zoë can’t wait to do it again.

Quick Summer Read

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

Hey all, I wrote a book review for the Blogher Book Club.  Won’t say much here, but you can find the book review over at Blogher or just click here.

Summer is in full swing here at Casa Finley.  I have been crazy busy with the kids and we just bought a membership to the local outdoor pool.  We spent 3 hours there yesterday and the kids want to go back every day.  It’s super nice pool and I see many more afternoons at the pool in my future.  Yesterday the recreational pool did have to close for a few minutes for a “clean-up”  Pretty sure that was code for some little one crapped in the pool, but we were on our way out already so I can’t be sure and to be honest I am happy not to know.

 

36-Months Later

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

When I write 36-months it doesn’t seem very long.  But it has been nearly your entire life time Zoë.  I can barely remember what our life was before you.  You have completed our family–I can say that now with complete confidence.  You are an incredible personality and I could never imagine how much I enjoy having a little girl.  I could never could have imagined what a girly girl you would blossom into–and I will write it here–your girlieness (making up my own words) scares the living crap out of me.  I am not a girlie girl.  I don’t wear make-up.  I didn’t own a dress or skirt until I was 21.  You love sparkles and make-up and earrings and make-up and diamonds and jewelry.

The love and the joy you have inside you is amazing and it affects everyone you come into contact with.  Your spirit is bright and your determination is strong.  You love so intensely and OMG–you give the absolute best hugs and kisses.  You stand up for yourself and don’t let the big kids push you around.  You are inquisitive and curious and eager to learn new things.  You recently learned how to button/snap your own pants and you couldn’t have been more excited.

When you get excited you jump up and down while you talk and it is the cutest thing. You did this yesterday in the kitchen and had me laughing hysterically and you just kept jumping.

You are a delight to parent–except you really have to stop telling me NO and NEVER.  Even though you say those things with a smile and a twinkle in your eye–it will get you into trouble one day.  SOON.

You are the apple of your daddy’s eye and you know it.  You are learning quickly to wrap him around your little finger.  But Zoë you have rocked our world and I couldn’t have asked for a better daughter.

Happy Zoëversary.  We love you so much.

Here is year 1 and here
Here is year 2

New Camp

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

Today, I dropped my kiddos off at a new summer camp. A camp where they don’t know anyone, except each other. Last summer, my son when to summer camp all summer at his school–which is amazing, but with two kids it would have cost us about $4000 for 8 weeks of camp….sorry, I choked a little just writing down that figure.

We need somewhere for them to go during the summer. I work. My husband works. Our kids (5 and 3) aren’t old enough to entertain themselves at home while letting daddy work (he works at home). While we love the summer camp at their school–and all of it’s comfort. We just can’t afford the price tag (or aren’t willing to afford the price tag). So we are mixing it up this summer. They get to do 4 weeks at their school’s summer camp, two weeks at a new summer camp (at the Y) and then 3 weeks at the sitters.

This is the first new camp week. The kids were excited, but Noah was a little skeptical. He wanted to know if any of his friends would be there. I said no. Maybe someone from your basketball team, but probably not anyone from your school. He was okay with that–for the most part. And Zoë, well she just likes to be around people and she hasn’t made a lot of friends yet. Whereas, Noah has spent two years with the same group of kids and has formed amazing bonds. I am think that this will be good for him, to know that he can make friends. To remember that he can make friends. I have noticed that he has become more self-conscious about making friends. I think part of this is because that he is in a school that is so much a family that he forgets what is was like 2 years ago when he started and didn’t know everyone.

So, I will make a concerted effort to put him in situations where he has to make new friends, so that he remembers that he can do it and how easy it is.

I hope it went good today. There were no tears or “mom, don’t go” when I dropped them off today in a sea of unfamiliar faces. Let’s hope that keeps it up.