A phrase I will never say again and Pumpkin Patch Pictures

You know how you can use a phrase and not even realize how thoughtless it is? As an example, it really gets under my skin when people use the word "retarded" as a negative. I have come to know too many people who have adopted developmentally delayed children, and something just grabs my gut and twists it when I hear that word.

That's not the word I'm talking about.

As most of you know, we are not the most high-fashioned people. We live simply, and my daughter dresses rather casually. Well, sometimes TOOOOO casually. She has "school/church" clothes and "play clothes". And usually for play clothes, we are just home romping around in the yard, or maybe out camping, so it doesn't matter what she wears.

But at times I will say, "Kacie, get dressed we are going to the store," and she will come out in the worst pants and shirt combination, complete with stains, holes, mis-matched, you name it. The other interesting thing about Kacie is her feet don't grow much. She's 9 years old, 4ft 7 inches, 76 pounds...size 2.5 shoe in kids. The good news is that her shoes last forever! The bad news is that they all convert to "play shoes" and she tries to wear them in public. UGH!

So before Tyson... and I mean long before Tyson, I'd use the phrase, "You're dressed like an orphan, go change into something nice." I didn't say it a lot, probably only a handful of times, but those words did come out of my mouth. I cringe at the thought of me saying it, but it's true.

Since our adoption, I have caught myself almost saying that phrase again, I feel the same twist in my gut that I feel when I hear "retarded". How could I have ever said such a thing? That is so insensitive, but when you don't have a face with the label, it is so easy to throw out that label. Now I have seen orphans and how they are dressed. I have no excuse for saying that phrase anymore, and I don't. It's just another one of the things that has changed about me through my adoption journey.



On a happier note, I was able to go with Tyson's preschool class to the pumpkin patch on Tuesday morning! These pictures are a bit fuzzy from my phone, but we had a good time. Tyson didn't want to wear boots--he has never liked them and has always refused to wear them. But I required it, so we changed on the bus, and when we got off the bus some cut grass covered the top of his boots and he said, "Boots dirty, shoes on mom!" But he quickly realized why those boots were so important!