the Park- yeah!!!!

We headed to the park tonight.  Hijo was jumping up and down at the door when I arrived to pick him up from Auntie Lulu's house.  I think she was jumping up and down too (although on the inside only, no physical jumping)

Hijo spent an hour playing tag with the older boys, running every where, jumping off everything and screamming at me "watch this mom".   I had to play tag too, but also got to talk to some parents while I snapped pictures of the little man racing past me.  It was apparent tha while hijo has grown up so much this year, he is still a  little boy.  He still has the little boy cautiousiness and gait when running on the playscape (not on the ground like in the picture). 

I took this from the side, he is puckering up to give me a kiss.  Yep, whole body into the kiss- that is my boy.

We went down to look at the ducks.  I did not bring bread to feed them, as I was not sure they would be back.  Lucky for us, another momma offered us some bread.  Hijo fed the geese not the ducks.  And I had to gaurd him from the goose on the walk that was coming up behind him to grab the bread out of his hand.  I finally ran that goose back into the water.  The other momma said that goose was quite aggessive.

This duck was interesting- he has a tuff of brow feathers on his head.  I have never seen anything like it.

And finally- our census form arrived today.  It took me all of 5 minutes to complete.  Over on one of the boards I read, people are stressing about how to fill the form out for their child adopted from Guatemala.  I really don't get it.  If you have referral paperwork, the social worker report - you have a pretty good idea of the background of your child.  If you don't have those, then looking at your child and doing 10 minutes of research on the internet, will give you the basics.  But if nothing else, you check want you want to check becuase the entire form is based on SELF IDENTIFIYING.  If you say you are a blue skinned martian, then it can be put on the census form (in the other box).  If you want to check every box, becuase you are not sure or you want to indicate that you have a varied background- then you're right.  There is no right or wrong answer - it is how you see yourself and how you see your child (assuming they have not told you how they want to be counted)

And just in case you are wondering-

I am non hispanic ethnicity with a race of white

hijo is hispanic ethnicity-  guatemalan, with multiple races.

for the US- hispanic covers anyone wit a heritage from a spanish/portugese speaking country and it is not a race, but an ethnicity.

So hijo and I are counted. So different from all the other times I was counted (since being an adult)

1990- living near college, just graduated.  Counted in the group of 5 that shared a house

2000- living in Michigan, renting an apartment.  Just me and 2 cats

2010- home, owning my own home - a momma.

A small snapshot of my life.

Love to you,

Momma