As I have posted at least three times in the last week, today marks one year since RP's adoption was finalized. I can hardly believe it has been a year since the court in St. Petersburg signed off on her adoption, and one year ago today I arrived in St. Petersburg tired, overwhelmed, and antsy... ready to scoop up my child, bring her home, and start our life together.
As such, I really wanted today to be a special day. Originally we were going to spend the day at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, but weather and other circumstances have postponed that outing for a later (and nicer weather!) day. I was actually fine with this, and was looking forward to a day spent with RP, just hanging out and enjoying time with her, especially since I wasn't with her on this day last year.
Have I mentioned lately that either the "terrible two's" have shown a late onset or the "trying three's" are rearing their ugly heads exactly two months early? This last week RP has truly been out of pocket - public temper tantrums, talking back, refusing to listen... the whole nine yards. A SMART Mom would have realized this and planned for something simple, especially when her last nerve was shot on Saturday when, during Mass, her almost-three year old started screaming at the top of her lungs "I WANT CANDY" while thrashing, kicking, and crying loudly. Clearly, I am not a smart Mom, as I set up RP's easel and new finger painting set, camera in hand, fully prepared to watch her child enjoy the simple joy of painting.
Yeah. Big mistake. RP enjoyed painting all right - by scooping huge handfuls of it up, squishing it between her hands and fingers, then rubbing only a smidgen of it on the paper so that she can save the bulk of it to swirl in the bowl of water meant to rinse her hands in. There was paint EVERYWHERE (surprisingly even on the paper!), while I meanwhile kept reminding her where the paint was to go, how the paint was to get there, and NOT to try to make a mess (remember, NOT a smart Mom today). Painting came to an abrupt end when the bowl of multi-colored water, complete with large clumps of paint, went crashing to the ground, spilling almost EVERYWHERE in the kitchen. I lost my mind (something I'm not proud of, but it happened nonetheless) and RP ended up in her room, in her bed, painting time over.
Painting, BEFORE "the big spill!"
While I am NOT a smart Mom (especially today!), at least I was smart enough to realize that the way the day was going, we were going to forgo any other "special plans" and just let the day evolve. Nana and Papa came over and dropped off an early birthday present for RP - a little table and chair set which she absolutely loves - and we spent the rest of the day just hanging out, so it ended MUCH better than it began!
I'm hoping this is all just a phase and am trying to keep things in perspective. Overall, she is a sweet, loving little girl who is testing her boundaries and discovering her independence and her personality. A year ago she was a shy, quiet, almost angry little girl who never smiled and kept to herself. To see the changes and how far she has come in only one short year is nothing short of a miracle, and despite our challenges today, I am SO thankful for the blessing of her in my life. No matter how trying today was, I'll take it over being where I was last year, just starting the journey and not knowing where it would all end up. My daughter is my world, and I'll take whatever challenges may come (although yes, I'm hoping for a quick end to this current "phase" she's in!)!
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