TWINS...again!

Twins E & E (arrived May 26) and Twins G & G (arrived October 3)

Without a doubt, some of the most insanely busy, full, emotional, amazing, exhausting weeks of my life have been during adoptions. This one was right up there, and it will continue through the weekend!! I think it's been the second busiest week of the year overall, after one memorable week in February (during the last adoption, actually). Caring for the most pressing medical issues, staying on top of hourly developments of the 3 homes/38-39 kids/19+ staff members, being with Juanito and his adoptive family almost constantly during the pre-custody visits (up to 12 hours a day), at night writing a report of the day in Spanish (for the judge next week), then tending to the most pressing emails and computer issues until midnight, and so much else..... It's been intense, to say the least! Every day seemed like 3 in 1 (or at least I needed to be in 3 places at once more often than not), but on the other hand, the days FLEW by as if they were only a few hours long. At least it felt that way because of all the pressing matters always at hand (need I say I still urgently need an assistant? or more servant-hearted volunteers).

THEN came today, Friday. We got a call about 5 month old abandoned-under-a-tree-in-tall-grass twins in the middle of everything*. Since we've shored up on caregivers at the Baby Home, and one baby left this week and another leaves next week (in adoption!), we said yes. In all honesty I said yes because they are twins...Denise and Amber, I know you're with me here...I mean, what could be better than 1 set but 2 sets? (But the other reasoning sounds better!)

When they arrived, same as happened with the last baby, everyone quickly noticed they were a wee bit younger than 5 months. Apparently they are more like scrawny, underfed 3 or 4 week olds. I say "everyone", because after only a small handful of times of not being here for kid arrivals (very amazing really, seeing as how often I'm out and about), I wasn't here for their arrival. :-( I waited as very long as I could, 2 hours, but I had to get to CDA II and Juan's family because they were waiting on me, and of course the twins arrived shortly thereafter and I didn't have a chance to meet them for over three hours more. But I can't complain too much! I was having a perfectly delightful Italian lunch with a lovely Italian family and Juan, plus their adoption coordinator who has worked in adoptions many years. We all swapped information and shared stories to our hearts content, in a crazy mixture of Italian, Spanish, and English, since everyone knew a little or lot of all three languages. Later we finished the day together watching some of the kids from CDA II and III (and Emma of course) enjoy s'mores around a campfire during their very special campout night.

Okay, gotta get back to proofreading the pre-custody report that the social worker and psychologist finished today, so that I can take it to court in the morning, so that the all-important second hearing is on Tuesday, so that I can travel more peacefully to Chihuahua (department of Santa Cruz) on Thursday with our church's praise team, so that I can race back for the next 2 adoptions that same week.....INSANE. But very memorable! And I'll appreciate it more when life settles into the "normal" rhythm once again, with not just one but several of our kiddos in loving families. :-)

The second picture: on our way to the pediatrician tonight, also with baby Jose in the marvelous sling. I was heading out alone because there was no one else available to help, but my Dad just happened to have time to take us, so that was helpful!

*Later said to be a (dry) riverbed?! Sometimes it's very hard to know what the truth is.