Breaking The Surface---Part Two

Ok! So as you might remember I had a wonderful road trip and everything was solved! Not. That road trip was just what I needed at the time but it solved nothing. By the end of that week I had had at least one day where I found myself prostrate on the floor, trying to pray but the only thing that was finding its way out were sobs of the gut wrenching variety. And yes, those still count as prayers...God knows better than I what those sobs mean. My girls do NOT witness these scenes. They are busy downstairs emptying every single toy box, drawer, storage cube, etc. and having a righteous blast. Once they are busy I go upstairs to my room, sit on the side of the bed, and talk to God. That is when the tears appear. I'll talk more about that topic in a future post.

Before I go on, let me clarify something. I LOVE my children, BOTH of them. I do NOT want to LEAVE my children...or send them back to China...or make them disappear...or any one of several other ridiculous ideas. That is NOT what this is about. This is about Mel. I already know Mama. I'm well acquainted with her. "She" is the way I'm wired. I'm an empath...a nurturer...a Mama. If there's something wrong, I want to help you take care of it. I want to make you feel better. So maybe what this is all about, is turning Mama loose on Mel. Mel needs to figure out, discover, create the person she wants and needs to be.

So the aforementioned friend...the one who talks me down from my ledges? This person allows me to ramble at will via email. Did I mention said friend is sooo going to heaven? Whenever something is bothering me...confusing me...making me smile...pissing me off...I ramble...and send it off. Besides having a "Living Journal" to share all of this with, I've also got a treasure trove of blog entries just waiting for me to cut, paste, and edit.

The following is a portion of a ramble written the Thursday before Hope's first full day of school...which coincidentally was the day God had to decipher those sobs of mine:

"My heart is crushing dealing with the thought of my baby being gone from me all day on Monday. The fear isn’t that she’s not going to come back. The fear is losing a huge chunk of her…she’s going to have 8 hours a day that don’t involve me. She’s going to have an entire life apart from me at age 6…where Mama Bear can’t be there to protect her from the hurt and the fear and the evil. I was snuggled up to her, reading her a story this afternoon and it just smacked me right between the eyes. This “thing” that I’ve been doing…this routine…this reading to her in the afternoons since she was 11 months old…will be over tomorrow. And yes, I’ll still read to her...but it’s just the saying goodbye. Like when she lost her first teeth…they were the same two teeth she had when she was handed to me.

When I finished reading to her I told her I’d miss her on Monday. She’s amazingly strong that kid…GOD I love her. She won’t cry unless something is absolutely killing her. She reached up and wiped away a tear, never admitting that she was crying, and asked, “Mama…I’m going to be gone all day. Are you going to be ok?” Then she did something she’s never done…ever. She crawled over and draped herself over me for a hug. The kid isn’t affectionate…never has been. I held onto her for dear life and let my tears flow for both of us. I told her I’d be fine…I’d miss her but I’d be waiting for her at the bus stop with Claire when she got home. We talked about all the fun things she’s going to experience in first grade. She pulled back…ground another tear away with her fist and said, “But Mama…if I’m gone all day…how am I going to remember you?” That one just about tore my heart out by the roots. I have worked very, VERY hard…maybe too hard…to make my girls strong, and confident, and independent. I worry about leaving them without a mother…again. So we talked about what Mama smells like…and looks like…and sounds like…and dresses like…and how she can think of those things when she’s gone. She sat there for the longest time…her face not two inches from mine…staring into my eyes…trying to decide what color they are so she could remember. Again…I LOVE that kid."

The next installation is from Monday, her first day. I just reread it...and yes, it's only been three weeks, but all the feelings just rose to the surface again. The thing is...now? I'm able to let them rise to the surface, deal with them, and move on. No more denying they exist...no more pushing them back down:

"This day has already kicked my butt. I didn’t sleep last night. I think I saw every 40 minutes from 10:45 until 6:15. Had both girls ready with time to spare…took the first day pictures…put the “Mama loves you” notes in Hope’s lunchbox and her school box. Talked to her about a bunch of stuff and tried my hardest NOT to cry in front of her. She asked me several times again if I was going to be ok without her all day. I did just fine until the bus was pulling away. She was waving up a storm at me…and her mouth was smiling…but her eyes weren’t…her eyes showed fear. And I *KNEW* she was going to be fine once she got to school…but that one just about killed me. Made it until, I don’t know…10:30 until the big tears came. Let Claire watch tv…I went up to my bedroom and let them out. Was in Hope’s bedroom twice before noon…just to “smell” her. Got a few things accomplished that didn’t really keep my mind off of anything. Lunch was killer. Opening the fridge and seeing her milk in there from breakfast this morning…only having to get lunch ready for one…her place empty at the table. Claire upset and telling me we had to go wait for the bus (like we did when Hope was in Kindergarten) before we could have lunch. After lunch…same thing…only one to make sure she brushes her teeth…one story to read…one monitor to bring downstairs. More big tears after that."

And that day just got better...yeah...right. I had Claire up from nap and we were waiting for the bus at least 20 minutes before it was due. It was the first day, I knew it was going to be late. I didn't care. When it finally came up the hill I could exhale again...and let loose of the picture in my mind of me running after the bus, ripping the door from its hinges, and grabbing my frightened child from her seat. The bus stopped, four of the five children who were supposed to get off got off. The door closed and the bus started moving...and Hope was nowhere to be seen. I waved at the driver and mouthed, "Hope?" She stopped, looked behind her, smiled, then got on the radio and got Hope's attention. One thing I had neglected to tell her? Only the Kindergarten bus drops you off at your own house. NOW you have to get on AND off at the bus stop. I breathed another huge sigh of relief, squeezed the breath out of my oldest child, and walked home.

Things went progressively downhill that week. I had at least two days worth of wordless prayer. I don't think I can say it any better than I already have:

"This week bit. Flat out blew…dare I say sucked ass. Fear and anger and depression the likes I’ve never seen…nor do I want to again. At least earlier this month I’d have a moderately up day or just a stasis day in between. Not so this week…one black hole after the other. Hope comes home insane or exhausted or both. The school/teacher sends home things that need to be done immediately with no instructions. I read through everything…look at her website…look at the school’s website. Nothing. So finally I email her and ask her. Nope…nothing is published anywhere…but what a good idea! She gave me the info I needed and then also added, “I don’t know why they don’t send that information out to the first grade parents.” Yeah…me either. This morning Hope was in tears…SHE’S deconstructing now. She was clinging to me…and remember…this is the kid who is NOT affectionate…and crying, “Mama I miss you too much! I’m at school more than I’m at home!” ::sigh::"

After three weeks she still tells me every day that she misses me too much. I miss her too. So does Claire. But we're adjusting. She loves school and all of her teachers. She thinks being able to buy her lunch is beyond awesome. Recess is still tops on her list followed closely by Gym...although she's talked a lot about Music lately too.

Right now I'm working on a winning streak. I've had at least 12 days that I consider GOOD in a row. Not just baseline days either...there have been a lot of them in there that were downright wonderful...filled with sunshine, giggles, and utter silliness. Today I am feeling blue. But that's all it is...just blue. I'm not sad...nor depressed...nor angry. I think it has a great deal to do with the fact that today is the anniversary of 9/11.

Will I plunge again? I don't know. Do any of us know, really, what our emotions are going to do from second to second, let alone day to day? I fully expect to drop, yes. But I'd like to think it won't be as far, or last as long. But again, how can I know? I will continue to deal with each day as it comes. Some go in the win column, some don't. But so far? He's still letting me get up and try it again the next day.

Blessings y'all,

So I guess you can see by the graphic that Hope's first two days went VERY well. ") I can't say that I was really surprised. She's loved school from the first morning we left her at Sunday School. The fact that she *now* gets to ride the school bus? Well...let's just say that's the icing on the cake.

The entire family walked her out to the bus stop last week after the usual round of "First Day Of School" photo ops. Daddy had the video camera on hand as well. Possibly the coolest part of the whole morning...for me anyway...was the fact that ALL of the children at the bus stop, including Claire, had Asian eyes. I don't know if Hope even noticed or not, or took any comfort from it, but I know her Mama sure did.

We had been told that the bus would more than likely be late the first couple of weeks. It was only about ten minutes late that first morning...not that I would've noticed...remember...I didn't want her to go! ") It was such a gray and cool and rainy morning...but Hope was all smiles...she was going to KINDERGARTEN! (The day before I heard her telling Claire, "Now tomorrow morning you can play with the Little People because I'm not going to be here. I'll probably be at Kindergarten.") Sooo...the bus pulled up and she was off like a shot before it even stopped. We didn't get a hug or a kiss or even so much as a wave good-bye! Her bus driver seemed extremely nice. She helped Hope up the stairs, turned her around, and told her to smile at me so I could take her picture. After showing Hope where to sit (in one of the three seats right behind her!), the door closed and the bus roared away with my baby inside. THAT'S when I cried...not a lot...because the bus stopped abruptly about two houses away for no apparent reason and put its hazard lights on. Did I freak? Only a little...I didn't run screaming down the street after it...nor was Garry restraining me from doing so! Whatever the problem may have been was quickly taken care of and their route resumed. Speaking of their route, it is set up in such a way that anywhere from 3-5 minutes after the bus picks up the kids at the bus stop it goes past our house again. So Garry, Claire and I walked home and waited in front of the garage to wave at Hope when she went by. We waved...I don't know if she did or not...we couldn't see her!

Claire was not at all happy that "Hopa" wasn't home. Once she stopped clinging to me and whining all I heard about for the rest of the morning was, "Hopa school!" or "Hopa bus!" or "Hopa HOME!" Finally it was time to go outside and wait for the bus to drop "Hopa" off. Again, we had been reminded that the Kindergarten bus...the one bringing them home in the afternoon...would probably be VERY late...so it wasn't like we weren't prepared. I was still out there ten minutes before she normally would've been due home! I called Garry at work so he could "wait" with us. We waited...and waited...and waited...and waited some more. I kept handing Claire books and toys but after a good half an hour she had had more than enough. Every vehicle that went by...be it car, truck, van, SUV, bicycle, or airplane..."HOPA!!!! HOME!!!" About forty minutes after the time she is supposed to be home the bus pulled up in front of our driveway. Another wonderful woman helped her down from the bus and walked her across the street. My joy was only slightly less than when Mme. Xu handed her to me for the first time back in Hefei. I gave her the phone and the first thing she said was, "Daddy! I LOVE Kindergarten!" Then of course the usual...her favorite thing is recess...and are you ready? She told us that she chose to sit at a table with three boys. ::sigh:: Garry thinks "it's" starting already. Me? I think she's going to be just like her Mama and will have more guy friends than girls. Whatever...it doesn't matter...she was safe home, she was happy, and she couldn't wait to go back the next day.

Now...when we got in the house and she was changing into her play clothes? *THAT'S* when Mama broke down and lost it. She looked at me with this "wise beyond her years" expression...put her hands on her hips and said, "Mama? Are those *happy* tears?" Yes baby...they are.

The next day she was up and ready to go! She told me that it's ok if I want to stand with her at the bus stop until she's ready for first grade. ; ) Again, she was ready to jump on the bus as soon as it pulled up. On the bus' second pass? It was the cutest thing I've ever seen. There was Hope's precious little face, pressed up against the window, grinning from ear to ear, and waving her arm off until the bus disappeared up the street. My kid is AWESOME!

Wow...just to be READ by David is an honor...but to be mentioned as a contender for his Post of the Day? I am truly humbled! Many thanks David