Toot toot!!!

Skinny jeans really can work for anyone, if you only buy the correct size.  I'm just sayin'.

So I'm back from San Francisco and what an AMAZING trip my sister and I had!  Of course, I did fall off a chair in the lobby of the hotel where Susan's conference was in front of about a thousand psychiatrists, but other than that it was really wonderful.  There were no arms on the chair.  It's complex, really, and not the point of this post at all.

One of the best things about going away is coming home.  I was so happy to make it home safely, after changing my flight to go through Cleveland instead of Newark (hello Cleveland!!!).  My poor sister had to spend 2 days in Chicago (granted she was with one of her favorite people besides myself so it could have been worse, but she missed her kids) and just made it home in time for Halloween.  So glad she's home safe.  Anyway, my boys met me at the airport and we all were thisclose to tears hugging at the gate exit.  Seriously.  It was one of those moments.

Today is a gray rainy chilly day, so we went to the ECHO Lake Aquarium Center in Burlington.  Google it.  It's got exhibits that change twice a year, and the one that just opened is about Race.  Sean and I told the boys that the exhibit is looking at how people are all different.  We went in and on the wall are pictures of many different people, of many different ages, who wrote little blurbs about their heritage.  Below this on a table were blank cards, pencils, and a binder where you could write your own blurb.  TJ grabbed a card and a pencil and wrote this:

Then he put it into the clear plastic sleeve in the binder.  Satisfied with his completed task, he went on to the "Exploring the Lake" section of the museum.

This made me smile, and sad, and thoughtful, and proud all at once.  It seems like something has changed....like he has confirmed his understanding of what he's got and knows that it's just a part of him.  Almost like he's proud of his differences.  I don't know.  But something about it made me feel content.  Like we are really are doing a good job with him.  Which I almost don't want to say out loud, as I never have, and don't want to toot my own horn, but TOOT TOOT!!!

As long as he is OK, I'm OK.  And I think he is OK.  Today anyway.  And that's good enough for me.