America the beautiful!

Shiyu on the first day of school in her new Abercrombie clothes.
Doesn't she look so cute? Well all I can say is the last two weeks have been a BIG learning experience.

1. Registration took 4 days!! If you decide to host a student I advise you to take their immunization records to a doctor or the school nurse the second you receive the file(should have done this in May when that file arrived) She had to get a tetnus booster, and almost had to get a Polio/Measles....but we applied for a letter of conscious through the state to avoid this. But it could have all been avoided had we had someone look over the records when they arrived. It is also advisable to make them send you a very detailed transcript....something more than just Math, English, Geography. Needs more detail, maybe even some assessment test scores. Makes registration a whole lot easier.
2. It is hard to participate in a US History class regardless of your intelligence when you have not one speck of that history in your brain.
3. Kids are very, very resilant, and very strong.
4. Parenting is a very different job in China. Shiyu is shocked at how involved parents are in their kids lives, and in their school. I have had to sign every single sylabus that has been handed out....she has no understanding of this process.
5. Shiyu thinks that everyone in America must be rich, that we never have to wait in line for anything, that everyone is incredibly friendly and wants to be so helpful(except for her Math teacher-Bi$ch) Trust me I have tried to make sure she understands that none of this is accurate, and it only appears that way, and that she will get to see that this is not accurate.
6. We drive everywhere
7. That there is a store for everything
8. It is easy to learn to barracade yourself away from the dog so you can enjoy your breakfast in peace
9. That not all kids are created equal. Teenagers can be level headed, responsible, and can take on more than you would ever expect. So far this has been very different than having Taylor and Connor in our house. I don't know if this is a difference in parenting, or if it is a cultural difference, our it is just a personality difference. I would guess it is a combination of all of them. So far....she is the perfect child.
10. That we have a lot to learn about China
11. That the people in China think that George Bush looks like a monkey, and that they also think that most of the US thinks that he is a good president, and that we all want to be at war. We have had some very lengthy discussions about this, and she now understands that most of the US does not want to be at war, and that overwhelmingly our population is ready for a new president.

The list could go on and on. But this is just a few that come to mind. We are very lucky to have this opportunity. Let me just tell you how quickly someone becomes a member of your family, and quickly you become protective of that new family member.

MIA

You must be thinking what a slacker I am....Not, I just have not stopped moving since last Sunday. This past week is a total blur, I have not had a moment to spare or to write a post.
All I have to say is if you are frustrated with the current wait times in China.....accept an exchange student to live with you for 10 months, and you won't have a moment to think about the wait times. I have been moving and doing constantly for exactly one week now. Don't get me wrong here, Shiyu(pronounced shhh- u- wee) is a wonderful addition to our family, we are thrilled to have her here, we are enjoying all the things we are learning from her.....but it has eaten this last week away like bagworms eats a tree..... it just disappears into think air.

So school starts tomorrow, she is working hard to get at least one of the summer reading books finished(Death of a Salesman) she will have a timed writing on it on Wednesday in English. So I am much more worried about it than she is. She is mostly just really excited to get the show on the road, and wear the new duds I bought her yesterday. I think she considered wearing the new jeans to bed!!

So I will write a real post in the coming days. Be prepared that our blog has gone from a blog about adoption, to a big white machine, to our many travels, to a new dog, and now it will be mostly about this amazing, brave 16 year old from China. Maybe someday it will make a full circle and be about a family adopting from China again:)

Hope your weekend was good, ours was full, fun, short!

She made it safe and sound!

The girls made here a little late, but safe and sound, and no worse for the wear. We are so lucky, she is just great, and is so polite, and anxious to dig her heels in and make this a great experience. She is so little......and by the way she speaks Chinese. We are communicating just fine, but after a summer of emails, you forget that someone does not speak the same language. Anyway, she brought us some Chinese tea, a beautiful tea pot, and she made us a scrapbook of her family, friends, her home, dog, and some of the trips she has taken. So sweet, and her mom wrote us(in Chinese) a lovely letter about taking care of Shiyu, and that she knew she was in good hands. We hope someday that we will get to meet them.
Anyway, gotta go get her up from her 1 hour nap that I allowed(gotta get her adjusted to the time before school starts) and we are headed over to our friends house that is hosting too for swimming, and pizza.
Thanks for everyone's nice comments, and you were right....it was fine the second I hugged her:)

She's leaving on a jet plane

Well our student will be headed for the airport in Chongqing in about 6 hours to make her long journey to Texas. I think her flight leaves at 2:55 p.m. and arrives here at 9:20 tomorrow night.

She emailed me to tell me her best friend had come over to stay the night and to celebrate her upcoming year, and her departure. How they had had so much fun, and how happy she was for her to have this experience.

She is 16 almost 17, and I am so impressed by the fact that she is so excited about this journey, this opportunity, and this life changing experience. I am not sure at that age I would have been mature enough, or brave enough to leave my parents, and fly 8000 miles to live with strangers for 10 months. What must she be thinking?? How must she be feeling? I worry that maybe her parents have encouraged this opportunity and her real desire is to stay at her own school with her friends, living with her parents just as all kids should do. Or is she thinking this is the opportunity of a lifetime, and will change her life forever....hopefully for the better! I can't imagine what must be running through her mind. Is she worried that she won't like us, or that we won't like her...I worry that she won't like us, or think that we are too strict, or wayyyyy too boring. I want her to feel comfortable in our house, and in her room, and with us, and at her new school, and with her new friends.....I worry about these things, and I am 40 years old with a lot of life experiences behind me. Does she not worry as much because she is too naive to worry?

We are just about 25 hours from her arrival, and I can't wait to see her, hug her, and introduce her to our life. I am not sure who's life will be changed more....

How did I get so lucky??

The secret pal strikes again. Man she rocks, and I am so lucky. She sends me stuff all the time. She has this amazing knack for knowing exactly what I like, and what I need. This months theme was something personal. There is some really cute stuff for the "princess" that beautiful blanket, and the Oink Piglet book. But most of the box was for the "Queen of the house" which included my favorite english breakfast tea(no I didn't care that it was Archer Farms) a cute new mug to enjoy my tea in, some calming bubble bath, a great new CD-which happens to have one of her favorite songs. It is Corinne Baily Rae, and the song which is #3 is "put your records on" so I can't wait to listen to it. I can tell you what I will be doing tonight. Thank you Secret Pal, and thanks for the book last month. She sent me "Your not my Real Mommy"
I can't wait for us to meet, and that desire grows stronger every single month, because it is like you know me so well, and we are already friends.
**she always wraps my gifts in the cutest paper, and even the box she sends it in looks cute. My mail lady always tells me that when she sees my box in her truck....she always thinks how lucky I am, and she always wonders what's inside(all because the box is always so cute)

Surprise!!

This past Saturday was Miss Meggie's sip and see in Kansas City. I really wanted to go, and I really wanted to surprise "K" with my coming, but the fares were a bit high, and I have spent a lot on airfare this year going to KC. So I decided that it just was not going to happen. Well then my good friend "M" offered up a buddy pass on AA to go and surprise everyone at the party. Not only did she offer this pass to me, she insisted that I go, and she was just as excited about surprising "K" as I was. She checked the flights, she took care of getting me listed on the flight, she checked on me throughout the day. I can't thank her enough for allowing me the opportunity.
I must tell you it is very hard to surprise "K" and I was not for sure that she didn't have a clue of my impending arrival. She kept telling how bummed she was that I wasn't coming, and that she knew that I couldn't come, but that everyone would be asking where I was. So I boarded my flight early Sat morning, flew to KC(first class mind you) jumped in my rental car, stopped at Starbucks to pick up some iced lattes, and then knocked on her front door by 10:00 Sat morning. When she and the kids answered the door in their jammies, and the yelled OMG looks who is here....I knew that I had pulled it off. It was so fun, and I think everyone had a great time, and I am so glad that I got to go. Miss Meggie now weighs 7.5 lbs, and as you can see she is as cute as she can be. Her hair is still red, and she has a temper and a set of lungs to go with the red hair.
This is my friend Jamie....she has 3 adopted children, and would have loved to show you a picture of "K" and me, but there wasn't one that showed you how cute Miss Meggie looks. She was an angel at her party, and she received so many nice gifts.

Yeah, She is coming!

*****This has been edited for you all to see it for yourself that Gracie does ring the bell*****
This is how we housetrained Matty too, it works beautifully!! I was only asking her if she wanted to go outside, and then Mr D was able to snap the picture.


I just found out this morning that our student(Shiyu, aka Amy) from Chongqing was approved for her visa, and she is for sure coming to spend 10 months with us this school year. We don't have her travel information yet, but we are expecting her around the 18th.

I have a lot to do between now and then. The list is really, really big.

We are very excited about this opportunity, and we think this is going to be great for all of us. The experience became even better when we learned that our good friends that live just 15 minutes away and have 2 adopted girls from China are now hosting a student from the same province. I think this will be a great support for both girls, and will be so easy for us to be able to do things together with the girls.

So we will keep you up to date on her arrival, as I am sure I will have lots of great stories to share about this experience.

*Gracie is doing great, still no accidents. She has learned to ring the bell that we have on the back door to let us know she would like to go out, she has learned "get in your house"(her crate) and she has learned "sit" So we are off to a good start. Her hair is growing about as fast as she is. She weighed 13 lbs when we went to the vet, and I am guessing that she will be up several pounds by the time we go back next week. We'll see. She doesn't look quite as awkward as had been when we first brought her home.

*Thanks for listening to the whining yesterday, I really didn't mean for it to sound like whining....no really. I just had nothing really to talk about, and it just wasn't the best day. I am chalking it up to the AC breaking again, and having to go through yesterday fighting with the HVAC people, and sweating my ass off. So sorry if it came across as a pity party. No pity going on here.

Absolutely Nothing

I have nothing people. It is hot, there is nothing on TV, I am trying to train a puppy, I can't wait for my college age step son to go back to college, we are in limbo with our exchange student(she has another visa interview on Thur) we just went 3 weeks without a/c downstairs(that was the soonest they could come replace it) and in the end I am just pissed off. There are days when this wait feels like it is flying by, and then there are days when it just seems too much to bear. Today is one of those days, and the reality of 2 mores years has me wanting to climb back in bed-but I can't the dog just chewed through my usb cord that runs from my computer to my big white machine....it doesn't really work without it, so I guess I am going to Fry's this morning to get a new cord. Sucks to be me

Here she is in all of her Glory

Miss Gracie May
Here is what you have been waiting for! We think she is going through an awkward stage right now. We have a bit of puppy envy going on with my MIL's puppy(see below) being here, and well.... her little girl looks like one of the cutest puppies I have ever seen. they don't even look like the same breed, much less from the same litter.
We are certain that our little miss will grow into her cuteness. She is very friendly, and VERY CURIOUS, and seems very calm for a puppy. She has had a very good first day. No accidents at all!! However she REFUSES to walk on leash. That is going to have to change.
We are happy dog owners again!! Enjoy the scoop of sweet.





This one has been named......peekaboo. I didn't have any part in the naming of that cute baby.

The birthday celebration just keeps going

The Place: Cafe Pacific(very she'she', and very good)
Who: Some of my dearest friends
When: Today
Why: To Celebrate my "oldness"
The Result: SIMPLY AMAZING

Here I am modeling one of my favorite presents!! In the last few months I have been complaining that my eyesight is not what it use to be, and that I need to go to the eye doctor to see if I need glasses...yes I do need some specs, I can't see to read for godsakes, and I really don't need anyone but me to tell me that tidbit. But my friend "K"(dark hair next to me) was so kind to tell me not to waste money on expensive prescription glasses, but to just go to Target and buy 20 pairs of the $1 glasses and stash them everywhere. Well let me tell you that the pair she searched all over town for in her mission of funniness, was not the $1 aisle at Target, these pink rhinestone beauties are from Neiman's....what a gift and what a friend(by the way she is older than me, and has more experience in needing the glasses than I have.....maybe just 3 months more experience -LOL) Anyway, how cute are these? Love them, and they came in a REALLY neat case. It was accompanied by a candle that smells like white cake....could I ask for anything else?

The only semi downside to the lunch at the fancy schmancy place was the waiter "Ed" great waiter, very patient with a group of six gaggling women who couldn't make up their minds. He was very entertaining until he decided to share with us how his girlfriend is in from England for a month, and he has not had 8 continuous hours of sleep since she arrived....Ed, dude, TMI, now go get the birthday girl her dessert. eeeeeewwww yuck!

He did do a beautiful rendition of Happy Birthday though.

Thanks Ed, you made the lunch very entertaining.I just want to tell you all that I am so lucky to have the circle of friends that I do. Some of these girls I have known for 20 years, and some for just a smiggen of that. But regardless of the time I have known them, I am so blessed to call them friend, and know that they would all be there in a time of celebration, or a time of need. Don't know what I would do without my girlfriends.
I had such a wonderful day my friends, thank you for welcoming me into the 40's club. But be reminded to half of that table who will be 40 next year.....paybacks are a b!*tch, and I will be there to welcome you to the club with open arms:)

Thank you,
The 40 year old soon to be mother(okay, to a 16 year old from China, but hey no need to split hairs here)

Well the week has come to a close, and I am feeling the pressure of the summer being almost over, and school starting one month from Monday. We are still waiting to hear when our exchange student will arrive. We did just find out that our good friends are hosting another teenager from Chongqing.....so that is really awesome news.
But I feel like I have so much to do to get ready for her arrival.

I have an extremely busy weekend ahead. Tomorrow all of my lovey girlfriends are planning a (belated) 40th birthday lunch for me at an undisclosed location. Just hoping that there is white cake involved.

Sunday is Connor's 20th birthday(hello, how did that little 4 year old become 20?)

We are also going to pick up our new puppy in Oklahoma. Promise there will be pictures to follow that trip. We are picking up my MIL's puppy too, as she decided that the 5 dogs(yes I said 5) that she already has are not enough, and that she needed one more so she bought Gracie's sister. So we will actually be coming home with two little scoops of sweet.
I have bought the clicker, the puppy mats, the BIG bottle of Natures Miracle, a new bed with her name embroidered on it, her new collar(with her name embroidered on it too) a new pink leash, I have read Puppies for Dummies once and now I am re-reading it and taking notes this time. I still need to spray down the crate, and put it together.....and then I would say we are as ready as we are ever going to be for our newest family member.

Mr D is so excited he can barely stand it!!

Puppy Breath here we come.

I have been very busy with my business lately. Working on lots of orders, ordering lots of merchandise, and working hard on my website. So keep checking it out, and see all the new items coming in almost weekly now. If you are needing a secret pal gift, go check it out as I have a program to help you out with your gift, keeping it a secret, and saving you a little $$$$$.

By the way congrats to all of the June families who just came out of review.

Man the review room has put it into high gear. We are just around the corner from having our dossier reviewed. That is at least be a baby step in the right direction, and we will feel a bit of relief when we have moved out of review, and go back to waiting some more.

Now maybe the matching room should take note, and put it into gear as well!!

Well hope you all have something fun planned this weekend.

I will see you on the flip side of non-dog owner to New puppy owner.

Now go on and check out my store, I have some really cute things , and even more REALLY cute things coming next week.

Peace Out:)

Rapunzel I say

Okay, I will be the first to say that I can't believe that I am exposing my back (my arms look like vienna sausages at the top)-this is when you are glad that you don't have a big following. So look beyond the body attached to this mane.
I decided to start growing my hair out last year as we were finishing up our dossier. I had decided that it would be easier to have a ponytail in China, and I thought it would be awesome to use it as a benchmark of the time passing, with the plan to cut and donate my hair here when we return from China. You must have 10 inches from one end of a pony tail to the other.
This may turn into the story of Rapunzel before it all ends.
I normally keep my hair cut to my chin in a bob, and I actually really like that cut with my long facial structure, but I can't tell you how much I love being able to just put my hair in a clip or a pony. Piece of cake, and I don't have to wash my hair everyday(it is long and people it is thick, so let me tell you that blowing drying this mop takes a long time, so I love not having to wash it everyday...not complaining, just don't like having to spend 30 min blowing it out)
I am pretty sure that by the time we get back from China it will be more than half way down my back, so I guess I will have the option to still keep it relatively long and still donate at least 10 inches.
So I will take another picture in about 6 months and we will compare.
I may have enough for everyone to donate:)

Glamour at 30,000 feet

I was a flight attendant for 16 years for a major commercial carrier. I flew 10 of those 16 out of NYC. It was an amazing experience that I actually feel very blessed to have had. For a small Midwestern girl who never walked on a plane until she was 19....well I must say that I have seen the world, I have met people that I never thought in a million years I would meet. I have had the best of times, and the worst of times abroad an airplane. I met my husband, and some of the best friends that I have ever had on board an airplane. My children walk onto an airplane like they get into a car. I can't believe I got this lucky to have this job. But I must admit that there have been moments that I thought what in the hell am I doing here? The day the man spoke into the airvent as though he were ordering at Sonic was one of those days:)
But I find it my job now to try and make all of you the best passengers you can be. Most important rule of thumb. Give the f/a's your magazines and you will have a friend for life!

But this list is to just share with you in a nutshell what our job is really like....it is not so glamorous. As a passenger you should be able to still relate. If you have done any of these.....all I can say is never do them again.....you are who we talk about in the galley!

YOU MIGHT BE A FLT ATTENDANT IF...

1. You never unpack

2. You look to the ceiling when your doorbell goes off

3. You wish you had jet engines mounted in your bedroom so you could fall asleep faster

4. You don't ever write a full city name anymore(bugs your non airline friends) DTW MCO FCO BOM

5. You get excited over certain types of ice

6. You curse every "Bose headset wearing moron"--yes the electronic device announcement means you

7. You know how to look fresh in 5 day old clothes

8. No matter how many times you clean out your suitcase you still find ancient hidden treasures in there

9. You HATE boarding

10. You LOVE deplaning

11. Turbulence is not caused by clouds but caused by the initial movement of all beverage carts

12. You can't believe you've never been in a hotel van accident

13. You loathe your CEO

14. Businessmen on cell phones rank up there with the CEO

15. You remember the passengers with great manners(that's sad) .....we don't get many! Please and Thank you go a very long way!

16. You LOVE the Nicoderm commercial(if you have not seen it go to www,youtube.com and search it)

17. You can't remember when UM's ( UNACCOMPANIED MINORS) actually became bigger than you , ou also can't believe how young the children are that parents put on the plane by themselves.

18. You love foreigners because they can't adequately complain in English

19. You despise foreigners because they can't communicate effectively

20. You secretly cheer when another flight attendant has to deal with the medical emergency

21. You HATE on board duty free

22. You can't stand the frequent flyer who says"I fly more than you..." NO YOU DON"T!

23. You hate seeing passengers at your layover hotel

24. #$K drink cup & tray stackers ...I promise we can do it just fine without you stacking them...they always fall, and spill everywhere.

25. You hate when drinkers start calling you by name(don't buddy up to me loser) We will still cut you off, and we will still say that will be $5

26. You long for the days when it was easy to rig the hotel TV for free movies

27. You want to smack the nail clipping ,finger nail polishing, perfume spraying, nose picking, snoring morons (oh I mean passengers)

28. You do not want passengers talking to you while nonreving(when we fly on our passes) It is why we put our ipods on people!!

29. You travel in uniform for the liquids creams and gel exemption

30. If passengers can't find the flush button on the toilet---they should stay in there till they do!!!!!!!!

31. No I don't have a pen (you can borrow)

32. You are excited to find a can of different soda that is not supposed to be on your airline

33. You never imagined you could pass gas all the way across the Atlantic(jet belly my friends)

34. You get tired of telling people what you have to drink and showing them how to use the traytable!

35. You LOVE to sleep more than you love Rome!

36. You hate early morning departures---Who in the hell HAS to fly at 6 am ?

37. You wish your manager actually WAS a f/a at one point in there life

38. You can't believe your senior f/a is in their 80's-(doesn't matter what airline - they all have them) Retire already!

39. You try not to go the bathroom on the plane but you sure can catch a good nap in there

40. You hate that passengers think they can hear you without taking off there headsets

41. You wish bassinets were never invented

42. You are glad there are no hidden cameras in the galley

43. Your friends truly don't get the commuting part---"so you have to fly when and your trip starts where?? "

44. YES, "Remain seated for the duration of our flight" DOES mean YOU

45. There is one person at the airline you can't stand to fly with(sorry I have more than 1)

46. You can't figure out why your manager is not held accountable for the same things you are ie....why is fine that she can't drive to JFK because of the snowstorm, but she can't figure out why I can't fly there??

47. Your jumpseat partner knows more about you than your spouse or life partner

48. You know every departure time and arrival of every airline that flies to your home city...we commute people, we know these things.

49. We really mean it when we say we want to depart or land as much as you do!!

50. You want to announce over the p.a system that we really don't give a rats ass if you bring your seat forward for landing, but it is our job to do so, so we do it:)

Please also remember that our day did not start when yours did, it does not end when yours does. Don't be offended if we don't act thrilled out of our minds that you are going to Disney or Hawaii for the first time.....it is just another day on the airplane going to some random city as far as we are concerned. Our smiles wore off 10 hours ago. Our average day is 12-13 hours on the airplane, and most crew commute now, so most of us have only a 16 hour day if we are lucky!We really do want to be nice to you, but don't forget that we are in the transportation industry, the objective is to get from point A to Point B safely, and we really do try to do it with a smile on our face.

****as an added note our student(Shiyu-aka Amy) just called from Chongqing. She played a very short song for us on the piano, and told us her visa interview is this week, and that she promises to do well on it. She is scheduled to arrive Aug 18th. Her mom also got on the phone to say "Hello, how you, and we are fine" So cute!! We can't wait for her to get her.***

300 down, hopefully not 600 to go!

There is nothing left to say here. If only I knew 300 days ago what I know now!

Meggie is in the house!

Megan Josephine

June 7, 2007

3 lbs 8 oz
13 1/2 inches

Is home sleeping in her beautiful princess room. She came home yesterday to much fanfare after 5 weeks and 1 day in the NICU. She is doing great, and growing at a very rapid pace. She now weighs in at a hearty 5.5 lbs and is now 18 1/2 inches long.

Jack and Katie seem to be adjusting well to their new housemate. Jack has been a big help, and well Katie just thinks that they have added a new American Girl to the line....her name is Meggie. Katie also seems to think the breast pump is REALLY neat, and I guess she thinks breast milk taste pretty good too, as she finished off Meggie's bottle yesterday after it was put down-oooops.

By the way she still has red hair...mommy says it is strawberry blonde.....Aunt J says it's RED!

Welcome Home Meggie, we waited a long time for you, and it was worth every second of waiting.

All those that feel strange, raise your hand

Someone had a meme on their blog that named 6 weird things about them.

That same day someone else emailed me to say how very weird(maybe it was strange) I was.

So decided that I would just go ahead and share a few "weird" or "strange" facts about myself.

I have so many that I am going to do 10 for you just to add to the strangness.

1. I absolutely loathe going to the grocery store. I really dislike everything about it. I don't like to touch the cart(love that they have the wipes for you now) I don't like trying to think about what I might like to cook or worse yet what I might not want to cook. My grocery was just remodeled, and now I have no idea where anything is, so I wonder around like a lost child, and then they ask you when you check out if you found everything okay....NO!!! I like to put all of my groceries in order in the cart, so that hopefully when they check them and then bag them they will be like items in the bag....that never works out. I really don't like carrying them into the house, and putting them away.....it clutters my pantry and refrigerator. But the main reason I don't like to do it, regardless of what I buy or how much I spend, it still never seems like we have anything to eat!! Maybe not strange, but stupid and I unfortunately I can't take the grocery off my check list.

2. Regardless of the time of year I have to sleep with the down comforter on the bed, and pulled up around me. Plus I must have socks on my feet when I get into bed. By morning the socks are gone and the comforter is at the bottom, but must have them in order for me to fall asleep.

3. I also must have complete silence and darkness to go to sleep. If I get up in the night to go to the bathroom, I can't turn on a light or have anyone talk to me, as that is FAR TO MUCH stimulation and I will never go back to sleep.

4. I can't mix my food. I don't really like it to touch. I have to eat one thing at a time. The only thing I would ever mix is mashed potatoes and corn. Well unless it is suppose to touch.

5. I am obsessed by my gas tank in my car. I don't like it to not be full. So if I have just filled up my car, and then the next day need to go out and do something.....I really think about whether I really need to go out, as it will use up my gas......I think I have mentioned a time or two that I suffer from severe OCD!!! The guy at our Costco gas station knows me by name!! This is a problem since gas is $3 a gallon.

6. I am very strange about smells. I think my house always smells good, as I have those mounted air fresheners that spray every 38 min. But I only like citrus or fresh linen as the scents. I have a particular candle that I have a love affair with....Seda France Japanese Quince. It makes me happy just writing its name down. I am very quick to smell, and very quick to judge a smell, and can't be exposed very long if I don't(read, makes me gag) like the smell. That is one reason why broccoli rarely if ever gets steamed in my house. This was always a problem when I was flying to really smelly places, and boy are there some smelly places in the world.

7. This is weird and seems to be a huge problem for me. I really have trouble deleting emails. I need to put them in files for keeping(don't know how to do that yet) but this problem has been exacerbated by the adoption, as any tidbit of info, or advice I get, I am certain I will need it, and so it just stays in my inbox. I too embarrassed to tell you how many emails I have in my box at the moment. This is a strange obsession and very weird behavior for me as I am not a pack rat and am extremely organized. But I just can't bring myself to delete much!!

8. I change the linens on my bed at least twice a week. The notion of dirty linens just makes my skin crawl. Heeby jeebies!! So then I must admit that I also have a linen fetish. My linen closet is filled with sheet sets and fresh towels. I love to buy both!! I prefer white linens!!

9. I forget I like certain foods. For example I never remember I like bananas until I make myself eat one. I go through phases where I will eat the same thing over and over again, and then one day I just decide that I don't like it anymore. Plus, I can't eat anything that is just wrong. Like buttered popcorn jelly bellies, and I won't even taste the V8 splash fruit juice, as it is suppose to be tomato juice not "fruity tasting juice" If there is any question that the milk might be too close to its expiration date I throw it away...this one drives Mr D crazy!!

10. I am dyslexic, I have worked on this since 2nd grade, and overall I don't find it a HUGE problem, but it definitely creeps back in at the least opportune times.

Hopefully this list has helped you feel better about any of your strange or weird qualities. If you are thinking this poor girl needs to see a therapist....you would be correct(but then I would disqualify as a parent in the eyes of the CCAA) I have actually cut the list down as I have gotten older. I already admitted that I have OCD issues, but at least they are not quite as serious as they were when I was in my 20's.

***by the way I also am not a morning person....AT ALL, but had a job for 16 years that required me to get up at 0'dark hundred! and I HATE to talk on the phone, but really struggle to end a phone call, even though I can't wait for it to end***

Let me know your weird or strange habits, qualities or eccentric behaviors. It might help me feel better about how strange I really seem on paper....I don't feel that strange:)

Lifes a beach

We are off to the beach for a week.

Wishing everyone a very happy and safe 4th of July!!!

Lean on me!

Okay, I whined and complained enough yesterday that it got me an invite to coffee with this lovely friend
We met on our FCC waiting family board, she is a sky goddess just like me, and we live about 10 minutes apart. So I met "M" for the first time in person a few months ago, and instantly hit it off. She also has a home business making these really cute cross t-shirts(cute huh? I know you want one) Anyway enough with the twinky stuff. Bottom line, we were instant friends, it was as though we had known each other forever.
This adoption has brought so many things to my life that I would have never imagined. Friendship seems to be the real reward in this journey, and I have been truly blessed with some really amazing friends so far. I have always been fortunate to have a really tight circle of GREAT girlfriends, but this process has lead me to expand that circle to include some really amazing women.
Yesterday I was a little freaked out(now that is an understatement) and just needed to let the world know that I was feeling a little picked on. "M" instantly recognized that I needed a little TLC and Starbucks to mend my broken heart. So we met up this morning, and she brought me that incredibly cute t-shirt(you can have one too) a BIG hug, and some kind words to cheer this girl up. It worked magic, and while I still feel like this whole thing isn't fair, and a crock of crap. I realize that I am not here all by myself, and I am not feeling anything that anyone else isn't feeling. I also know that someday(hopefully sooner rather than later) I will be in a big room with all of my adoption friends watching our girls play together, and we will never think back to this crappy wait.
So anyway I will try and keep the whiny voice to a minimum, and if you have not made some adoptive friends, I heartily recommend that you head on out and find some. It helps so much have someone to complain to....mostly because you never have to wonder if they get it..... because they REALLY GET IT!!

Adoption....not for the faint at heart!

Just having one of those weeks. 9 months of waiting, 14 months since starting the process, and there is NO end in sight. Getting older by the day, both of my stepchildren will have graduated from college by the time we get our referral. We would like to think about selling our house, but don't dare as it will be way too much work, and way to expensive to change our paperwork.
I realize that there are people in the world that have REAL problems. But I am taking today to just stomp my feet, and say in my best 5 year old voice; "THIS IS NOT FAIR"
By the way if one more person tells me that they are pregnant, or that their kids drive them crazy, or to have a nice day.........I am going to scream my head off!

I find myself reading other's adoption stories, and I actually feel deep in my soul that I can't even comprehend their feelings, as it truly feels as though this will never be a reality for us. 3 years from now? I can't even go there. What would be the point? I don't need any comments on this....I just need to vent. This sucks is all I have to say!!

Okay, back to having a pity party by myself, and eating Pepperidge Farm Tahiti cookies.

* I read someone's first 5, and thought I would comment as to my first 5 each day. Not unlike this person I wake every morning thinking that someday I won't get to sleep that late, that someday I won't wake to the sound of my alarm or D showering, I will awaken to the sound of a little voice in the room across the hall. I think maybe today is the day that we will finally see a turn or a change, or maybe today is the day that we will have a more definative answer, maybe today RQ will have some good news for us, maybe today will be the day that I find out when I might become a mother.
Somedays the order changes, but the same mantra runs through each and every morning.
This week, the mornings don't seem so bright. Did I already say this SUCKS?

Run don't walk!!

Okay, run as fast as you can, do not walk, do not pass go, and do not collect $200. Instead run straight for the cookie aisle and pick up a couple of packages of Pepperidge Farm Tahiti cookies, on your way out pick up a nice box of Twinings english breakfast tea, go home and have a lovely afternoon with a friend(if you dare share one of these amazing cookies)

Let me know if you pick some up, and I will be right over.

I hate loving things that taste good! Dreaming about cookies...what a loser!