Nice Weekend, More Bad News Tuesday

Bad news first - three more of the kids we're interested in are unavailable to us. Megon (14) is off to committee with three other families. Anthony (1.5) is, likewise, off to committee without us. There was a lot of interest in both. Shawn (4.5) is just not a good match for us, according to his case worker. He has allergies (but we don't know if he's actually allergic to cats, nor, apparently, does anyone else). Also, he wants a brother. No positive news.

I'm having all sorts of conflicting thoughts on the adoption. I'm really feeling like we're just not needed. So, then I'm down to, do we want to do this for our family? Are our feelings of wanting another child important enough to continue? We're doing this for a few reasons - one is that we'd like another child. Another is that we'd like to give a home to a child who doesn't have one - actually help a child out. I think there are a lot of positive things to having a sibling for Davan, but there are a lot of positives in being an only child, as well.

Right now, I'm torn between a few courses of action.

1) Just keep plodding on. Check in with Barbara every week. Comb through the bulletins. Keep our hearts open.

2) Continue, but without the drive. Be a lot more passive. Wait for Barbara to call us.

3) Just stop.

With options 1 and 2, I'm also thinking about the possibility of a time limit. For example, I think we'd have to repeat our classes if it takes more than another 6 months or so. It might be 18 months, I'm not sure. I think the classes are only good for 2 years, but it might be 3. If it comes time to take classes again, then give it up.

Anyway, on to the nice. We had a lovely weekend. We did a bike camping trip and were joined by my mom. We rode a very hilly 27 miles to Milo McIver State Park and camped for the night. Then we rode home a not so very hilly - but with a couple of good hills and one huge, steep, hill - 24 miles.

The weather for it was perfect - highs in the 70s both days. I think it would have been much harder with 10 or more additional degrees.

Anthony and Davan rode the tandem and pulled the trailer with gear - including our big, heavy tent so that my mom could join us. My mom and I each rode our bikes with panniers. I was carrying all of the food (and kitchen gear and my clothes and the guide book and....). The food, though, was, obviously, eaten down by the second day, for which I was grateful when it was time to do the monster hill. I was the only one to peddle the whole way to the top. The others got off and walked. Anthony, though, I'm sure would have made it on a single bike.

During our return trip, the Livestrong Challange was going on - right along our chosen route for a while. We were passed by sleek road bike after sleek road bike. It was fun, though, and certainly gave us something to look at and talk about. The long ride for them was actually off limits to tandems due to the steep terrain.

Then, just because we're sadists, I guess, Davan and I hoped back on our tandem on Monday and rode about 11 miles to the community center where Davan takes gymnastics. They also have a very nice pool with a big slide, a whirlpool and a current channel. Davan and I like to swim there before her class. Then we rode the 11 miles home. I was pretty whooped, though, after all of that riding.