Not a lot to report. Feeling good, feeling positive right now. I've been watching "Adoption" on the Hallmark channel. I love that series (though most of the episodes we are getting are repeats of repeats, I don't mind). For those who haven't seen it it's a documentary series about adoption in the US - it focuses on all sides of the triad: adoptive parents, relinquishing mothers, adopted children. There are adoption stories (local and intercountry), there are reunion stories, there are adoption decision stories about relinquishing mothers in the US. What I like is they follow up too, doing a visit with a family a year or so after the adoption (or the "non" adoption as was the case last night where they visited a young woman who was planning to relinquish her daughter but decided not to). It's such a good show because it embraces all aspects of adoption in a warm, sympathetic but non-judgemental way.

When I watch it I feel happy and optimistic and oddly proud of being a member of this weird "adoption universe". Watching other people's stories, which are often very harrowing and turbulent and much, much more confronting and challenging than our own, I feel not only more perspective on our own situation but also a sort of elation that there are wonderful people in the world who will go above and beyond to adopt children who would otherwise have a very bleak future. There are families who adopt older, troubled children and teens, families who have adopted 10 children, families who adopt children with serious medical problems - sometimes knowing that the child will not have a long life but choosing to give them a loving family even if only for a few years. Often I cry tears of joy and sadness when I watch but it's the best kind of "reality tv".

Wednesday night we went to see "A View from the Bridge" at the Ensemble Theatre. It was a dress rehearsal and was put on as a charity event for the STaR Program. It's an Arthur Miller play so of course it was beautifully written and very powerful. The cast was also great. My only gripe would be the accents. Every play I've ever seen where Aussie actors have to play Americans the accents suck; they just can't seem to keep them consistent throughout the play. The accents fade in and out and each actor seems to be from a different part of the US - it's very confusing and distracting.

Tonight the mighty Swans (Swans really is a piss weak name for a tough AFL team, isn't it - why not call them the Sydney Gold Fish or the Sydney Kittens? wouldn't that strike terror into their oponents' hearts? "come here and we'll peck your eye out, argh!") take on the West Coast Eagles (Eagles - that's more like it, if you have to have a bird at least have a vicious one). West Coast are Jason's old team (being from Perth) so I'm sure he has some mixed feelings when the Swans come up against them (though he swears to being a die hard Sydney fan now). I'm looking forward to the game but I also know how tense I'm going to get and I don't know if I need any more tension right now (having at least temporarily achieved a state of peacefulness). But I'll give it a go - if it gets really bad I'll just do some housework or read a book while I watch the game (my equivalent of watching a horror movie from behind my fingers). Honestly I want the Swans to WIN so bad it hurts - they haven't won a Grand Final since 1933 so they're bloody well due for one, aren't they??!!

Oh, I should tape Will trying to sing the Swans' club song. It is so CUTE! He thinks he's singing the words but apart from a few here and there he is just singing nonsense to the right tune. Sing with me now "Cheer, cheer the red and the white, honour the name by day and by night...".