At Summer's End

Our summer continued right along, with a train trip to California that ended up being really pretty fun considering it consisted of 31 hours on a train with a 3-year old (each way, mind you).  L loved it, there was plenty of room to move around, beautiful sights to see, and during the WA/OR portion of the journey they even had park rangers narrating the passing scenery.  Well done, Amtrak, well done.

All aboard!

Wearing a Thomas shirt, playing with a train set, eating Thomas cookies, on a train. 
The good life.

Family time was had by all in beautiful California, with lots of beach/exploration time as well. 

We rode on Thomas the Train:

And went on a boat ride with our cousins.

And on to autumn, which I am fighting tooth and nail, to be honest.  This summer was the warmest and sunniest since...forever?  It's been hard to see it winding down.  On the other hand, here come apples and pumpkins and costumes and schedules. 

L starts soccer tomorrow (does a practice, clinic and game a week sound like a little much to anyone else?  I mean, he's three).  He starts preschool this week, as well as gymnastics.  We are discussing our upcoming Family Day, his birthday, and Halloween costumes.  How are we here again? 

Tangled amid the daily life conversations we are circling the 2nd adoption discussion.  We want to take it on.  We really, really want another child. We feel comfortable with limb deficiency issues, and would be willing to take on something more complicated. L would benefit from a sibling in multiple ways, no doubt.  We're 40, and have other life plans that would have to be on hold to make an adoption happen.  And those plans are also important, and would benefit L in multiple ways.  Entering the adoption world again--the waiting, the invasive paperwork, the cost, feeling like other unknown persons get to decide our family structure--is just....hard.  But if we want another child, that's what we have to do. 

So maybe we will.  Or maybe not.  Too soon to tell.  So, onward to autumn!