So, after all the ups and downs of the past few weeks things are picking up pace.

Just like my last adoption, paperwork is suddenly flying around, and things are moving at last. I’ve got a host of meetings scheduled to talk about post-adoption support and funding applications and prepare for the panel, and so on. I’m also back and forth with my manager planning my adoption leave, and looking at the price of school uniforms and so on.

In amongst all of this my daughter-to-be is still coming for visits and honestly we are having the best time.

I know that it will be hard, and we’ll have tough days and tough weeks, and that once she’s settled in and feels secure the behaviour (and pre-teen hormones) may take over, but right now, we are just loving hanging out together!

This last weekend was fairly low-key, we went into town on the bus to get our feet measured for shoes and went to our favourite museum to look at dodos and dinosaurs and do a fun treasure hunt etc. We did some baking together and went stomping about in the woods and found a rope swing on a tree, and dropped in to see a couple of friends here and there.

The girls were on good form, barely any tantrums or issues. They were kind to each other, and cuddled each other a lot and played together. They even shared the tablet and took turns with minimal fuss which was a first… They both ate all the food I put in front of them and declared it to be delicious (another first!). I did manage to explode a baked potato in the oven but I feel confident that won’t happen again….

We had a special treat McDonald’s in town for lunch and after years of not really understanding the attraction I suddenly get it. It was 2 days before payday so I’m watching my pennies pretty closely by that time of the month, but McDonalds works on so many levels. For the girls it’s a special treat – chicken nuggets and chips for lunch, AND a drink AND a toy, for me it’s 3 hot dinners and drinks and toys for £10 which is hard to beat in most other places. Everyone was happy and full and the card game they got in their happy meal turned out to be so simple that even the 4-year old could play it and the girls loved it and wanted to sit and play it for hours.

It was a rare weekend when we were all relaxed and happy and calm and everyone was getting on with everyone else. We chatted about S’s upcoming birthday and what we’d like to do, and talked about the new beds that I am ordering for their rooms, and talked a bit here and there about the girls’ birth families and we giggled and giggled at A’s funny dance moves and about who farted in the woods, and they were just so sweet and funny and kind to each other. I even got a few absent-minded “please” and “thank yous” from S which was nice as she’s not always great at remembering things like that.

I kept waiting for the honeymoon period to end and the screaming tantrums to appear but miraculously they remained on hold… As my mum pointed out, sometimes you just have a lovely time and really enjoy being with your kids and those are the moments to relax and enjoy, as you’ll remember them.

It reminded me of a children’s book we used to have when I was a kid called “On Friday something funny happened”.

Anyhow, the kids are back at school/nursery and for once I don’t feel completely exhausted after the mayhem of a monday morning. We are settling into each other and our new routines very nicely, and I just can’t wait until she is home for good. Not long now inshallah….