dd2 sullivan adoption: GOIN' TO KANSAS CITY..KANSAS CITY HERE I COME

Friday, September 26, 2008

GOIN' TO KANSAS CITY..KANSAS CITY HERE I COME

FAMOUS STREET IN K.C. WHERE JAZZ WAS KING.

Don and I took a short and sweet trip to see his family in Kansas City. We couldn't fly out over Thanksgiving because we would've had to pay an extra ticket for Nate. When kids turn 2, you pay an adult fare for them. Plus tickets are super expensive over the holidays, so Don's family helped us with most of the airline cost and we flew out this week before Nate turns 2 next Wed.

Nate did AWESOME on the plane rides! He slept during the entire first flight and was awake for the second, but thankfully it was only an hour left to fly. Both flights were completely packed and the guy next to me on the 1st flight immediately nodded off so it was a pretty quiet trip. As we were pulling into Dallas airport, he and Don struck up a conversation and come to find out, the guy was a professional bass player and the brother of Jim Click, who owns several car dealerships in Tucson! The connecting flight was stuck on the runway for I don't know how long...it seemed like forever and Nate was getting squirmy despite our attempts to keep him occupied. However, he didn't pitch any tantrums or get upset so the people around us just had to put up with the occasional loud squeals of delight that erupted from him. I hope the flight back home goes just as smoothly.

This is the first time for Nate to see his cousins, aunt and uncle and they were SOOO excited to see him! I can't say the same for Nate though. He was tired after the long plane ride and overstimulated so he immediately burst into tears when they all rushed up to him and clung to us for awhile. The family was very understanding though and gave him his space, letting him slowly warm up to them. Of course, a food bribe always helps! It took 2 days for him to feel rested and comfortable around them and after that, he was happy, laughing, running around and talking up a storm. He bonded almost immediately with our 16 yr old niece, Kily, which totally made her week!

We had a Sullivan family photo session yesterday and that was an interesting experience. It was Nate's first professional photo and he was not happy about it! We walked into the studio and the photographer said "Hi Nate!" and he immediately SCREAMED and threw himself on the floor in an frustration tantrum. Sometimes I wonder what goes through his mind....he's pretty sharp and picks up on things very well. After a little coaxing, he stopped crying and started playing with the toys she had. Then it was picture time. He started crying again, refusing to look at the camera and any attempt the photographer made to get his attention was not working...he just wouldn't have it. Finally though, he stopped crying and we got a few quick photos with us, the cousins and grandparents and then a few REALLY quick ones of just Nate. We had to bribe him with gummy bears at that point but it worked. However, at the end, he had enough and promptly screamed and literally tackled the photographer. So we had him say "I'm sorry" to her, give her a hug and we called it quits after that. I'm excited to see the photos because she did manage to get a few good ones.

Don's sister and niece babysat for us the other day and Don and I toured downtown Kansas City. We saw 18th and Vine, the historic street where jazz thrived and had lunch at an Irish pub, The Raglan House. The chef was from Ireland and everything was made from scratch..right down to the hand cut french fries and homemade bread. It was delicious!! Most of the furnishings and building materials were also imported from Ireland and the restaurant was beautiful. Today I had K.C. bbq. BBQ restaurants in K.C. are like Mexican restaurants in Arizona...there's nearly one on every corner. I have to say, that was the some of the best bbq brisket I've ever had.

Our trip is getting close to an end. Don flies back tomorrow and I'm staying with Nate until Monday to give the family more time with him. He's having fun running around in grandma & grandpa's yard with all the grass and huge trees with leaves (something we don't have at our house). Some of the leaves have started turning red and will be gorgeous in a few weeks. He's also sleeping in a "big boy bed" (trundle bed) for the very first time and doing amazingly well. He usually wakes up 1-2 times during the night crying but goes right back to sleep when we lay him down. I thought he would open his door in the morning when we woke up but I can hear him in there playing with his toys until one of us comes to get him. I LOVE my boy!! This morning though, I decided to get him earlier when I heard him playing and suddenly say, "I poo poo!" Words to make a parent come running. ha!

We are SOO blessed to have such a well behaved 2 yr old. He did not magically come that way (ha!). We've worked hard on having consistency in routine, behavior and discipline and balancing that with a lot of love. It really makes me feel good when total strangers come up and say they are amazed that he does not run around all over the place, sits still in his chair, is a very neat eater and rarely picky and is usually content in public. People kept telling me, "Just wait till he's 2" (and now "just wait till he's 3). We've been criticized or questioned because our parenting is firm but loving but we just let Nate's behavior speak for itself. He wouldn't behave as well as he does without certain guidance. He has a very strong will and stubborn streak that would totally be out of hand and miserable (for him and us) if we let him get away with too much. It takes a lot of work and you can never let down your guard because these kids are SMART and they will run with it! But it is so worth it when we can take him on long trips, meet new people and sleep in strange places and he adjusts pretty easily. People tell us that most 2 yr olds do not act as well as he does. Sometimes it surprises me when they say that because Nate is our first and we have nothing to compare him to, so we just parent the best we can and the best we know how.

Looking forward to a Sullivan family tradition tonight, "African beef curry" with all the family and an early birthday party for Nate. This was a much needed break after all the craziness back home. In fact, I haven't thought about home one bit until now. Just really enjoying our time here. Here's some photos for you below.