Full Days

Sunday I worked hard in the airport. Arrived to the hotel around 8:30 and caught up with Bart, cleaned up my email and then went to bed. Didn't sleep well -- was up with a headache -- but yesterday I had to up and raring to go. And I wasn't exactly raring.

The morning of the training was very intense and overwhelming but by afternoon I was a bit more relaxed with how things will go during the week ahead. The material we are being trained to present is excellent and I think that it will have a big impact on the professionals we will train.

To give you a quick glimpse, after this training is over, I will be qualified to teach a course for an Adoption Competency Certificate for clinicians -- therapists and psychologists -- that will help them to understand adoption issues in depth. The curriculum is based and partially written by greats like Bruce Perry (don't salivate Kari), Dan Hughes and others. They have spent four years writing it and it involves 13 six hour modules. Lots of great material that should really help therapists to understand the specific needs of adopted individuals.

After the full day of training (we finished at 5:30) I came to the hotel where one of my favorite people in the world, Dr. Paul Mills. He had driven a couple hours to take me out to dinner -- and had made reservations for Italian. We had a wonderful time where I got to hear all about his new wife.

I then came back to the hotel at eight determined to catch up on all my emails, which I did and then fell into bed at 11. Now I'm up ready to do it all over again.

It is supposed to be 85 here and green, green green, with many blooming flowers. We have a gathering tonight with all of the other trainers and mingling is not my strength but I slept well and maybe I can at least pretend to be personable and fun.

Bart reports things are going very well at home so I can relax about that.

Jimmy has one more month of school and just might manage to drive his special education teachers to a nervous breakdown before he does so. Is it possible to be truly naughty at 19?

Ok, need to brush my teeth and head out. Won't be back to the computer again until probably about 9:30 tonight....