The Reality Fairy

I have a dear, sweet friend named Paula whom I met during our horrific ordeal adopting Ahren. We shared the same agency (who was arrested and incarcerated while we were in process) the same facilitator who was undeniably incompetent, the same many-year ordeal, the ups and downs and the final triumph of bringing our children home. We became very close and I love her like a sister.

During our long adoption roads we shared many moments of good news. Unfortunately these were always followed by BAD news. The kind of bad news that brought you to a whole new low, especially after experiencing a high and some hope. Those moments were the ones that always hurt the worst. The low after the high was always more painful, more devastating, more soul-sucking. We dreaded the highs because we knew the lows would follow with a new intensity.

Paula dubbed these the hit of the 'Reality Fairy'. Each time we dared to hope, to believe, to think it might just happen, the Reality Fairy would sweep in and smack us upside the head and deliver a devastating blow. We would joke about the Reality Fairy, but we both believed and dreaded her presence. Oh how we hated that fairy.

So here we are, post-adoption and beyond the reach of the Reality Fairy....or are we? The last 2 weeks here have been wonderful. The boys have been lovely, no big rages or out-of-control behaviors. We are having FUN! Lots of love and hugs and kisses, all spontaneous and heart-felt. We changed a few things this summer. No Nanny, just a part-time teenaged sitter. I am working very few hours and spending the majority of my time with the boys. We do special things every day. Nothing huge just time together and it has been wonderful! We are all loving it!

But the Reality Fairy has not let go of us this easily. First the microwave door broke and could not be repaired. I ordered a new one on the internet and had it shipped to a local store. it had to be the same model to fit in the built-in space in the kitchen. We have been without a microwave for two weeks. That sucks!

Then when we returned from the beach house last weekend we found that we had no hot water. One heater sprung a leak and kicked off the other one. On and of all week we have been able to get one working. Just enough to have a warm shower now and then. Three times the repair man was supposed to be here, and three times we missed him. Five minutes and it was a miss and he wouldn't answer his phone. Finally today we got it fixed (hopefully). Cold showers are getting really old.

And then, the ultimate insult. Please don't laugh at me cuz I am devastated, embarrassed and ticked off. My van was out of gas Friday morning and in a hurry to try and get to work I grabbed a five gallon gas container out of the barn and chugged a little into my tank. I took off and got all of 200 yards down the road when the engine quit. I managed to direct the van into the ditch in front of an empty lot and called Kaytee to pick me up. I drove the spare car to work and called Chris.

What I learned is that, beside the 5 gallon gas cans he had stored 5 gallon water cans. I had actually grabbed a water can and poured it into my gas tank. Oh Hells Bells, this is not good., So now my van needs to be towed to the dealership for a full work-up and I am driving the small back-up vehicle (Thank God we have that!)

Reality Fairy, could you please not just let this little period of happiness slide? Did you really need to exact some Karmic balance and make me miserable in other ways so that I was not so happy about my kids being so great? Would you be happier if I go the kids to have some huge fits and maybe break a few things?

Reality Fairy.... I hate you so very much.......