It's been a long and challenging few days... 

Last weekend started happily with plans to celebrate R's anniversary. Nine years ago Sunday, R officially came to our house to live. We don't celebrate the date our kid's adoptions were final, instead we celebrate the day each of them came to live with us...their anniversary... since that's really the date they became part of our family. Her sisters came home from college for the day and we make plans to eat at Gunther Toody's (a great 50's diner) and then go see "Hairspray". We had a great time, and we all loved the movie... although (LOL) I don't think R ever really believed me that Tracy's "mom" in the movie was really a man (John Travolta) in women's clothing. 

When we got home we were all out on the front porch when DD#2 (who had been a dance major at School of the Arts) decided to teach R some of the dance moves R had been so impressed with in the movie. After fussing at DD#2 to be careful not to hurt her sister, I gave up and just let them go... R bonked her head a couple of times but did manage some pretty good flips as well! 

Getting ready... (R needed to stand on the flowerpot to be tall enough for the flip)

 

Then they linked arms, bent their knees, and...

 

...over she went!

 

That led to DD#2 giving M some impromptu tango lessons.... I think they made a pretty good couple.

 

Unfortunately things have gotten complicated again since Sunday... 

M's pdoc is once again thinking it may not be possible for us to continue to care for him at home. So I've spent the past two days on the phone, trying to line up (and find funding for) some in-home support for M. If I can show the pdoc we have that kind of support in place I think she'll relax a little and leave things alone. I'll be feeling unsettled for awhile though, she's notified the county that she has concerns about M continuing to live in the community, so once again I'm half waiting for a phone call from social services, asking to come out so they can check the situation out. 

When I went out to the barn tonight to feed the animals, the sun was just setting... and it was just beautiful! The sky turned from brilliant orange, to dusky gray, and finally, to dark...