Friday, October 31, 2008
How to Turn Me On #2
Have chicken noodle soup hot on the stove for me when I come home from work 1/2 day sick.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
I Have Found the Cure-All to Any Child with Self Esteem Issues.
They need to go spend a few weeks at my friend C****'s house.
My friend C**** has a daughter that is 11 years old. She’s a good girl…sweet but sassy and very intelligent to boot. This could be a deadly combination in many pre-teens; however, this girl is all but typical. She definitely knows how to work what her momma gave her…that’s for sure. This girl knows when to turn on the charm, but she isn’t going to let anyone run her over either. She has sarcasm to an art and her timing is quite impeccable. She’s my kind of girl.
Miss Thang (as I prefer to call her and will in posts for privacy reasons) is “only” 11 but she’s taught me a few things, for sure. You gotta love friends that are honest enough to tell you how it is…even when you don’t wanna hear it. With this girl around I never have to worry about if I have food in my teeth or if I have toilet paper hanging in a trail from the back of my shoe. She would point this out to me in an instant, roll her pretty brown eyes at me and ask me, “Who leaves the restroom without looking to see if anything is stuck to their shoe”? I love that girl.
We live in a Podunk town in Northeast Georgia next to another Podunk town that is next to another Podunk town. It's small town America. Now there are good things about living in small town American and bad things about living in small town America...but that is another post for another day.
In said city they have what is basically soapbox derby racing during the city's annual festival. For this year's derby, Miss Thang had enrolled in her group (the groups are separated by age) and was awaiting her turn down "the stretch" when we first saw here there. There was another girl in this group as well---totalling TWO in this age category. Soon they announced her age group and she and her friend took off racing each other in their matchbox cars twice (as it was double elimination). Miss Thang not win but had an excellent time nevertheless.
When her race was finished, Miss Thang walks around the crowd to her mother who was standing beside me and exclaims to us all with a proud smile spread across her face, "I got second place!"
You heard me right. She did not lose.
She came in second.
There are no self-esteem issues with that one, I tell you. She can see the positive light in any situation...or at least how she can benefit from it. ha! She's great. Did I mention I love this kid? Ya. If I ever have a daughter she and Miss Thang are so gonna hang. You truly have to admire that kind of attitude, I don't care who you are.
My friend came up to me at work the following Monday and said, "You should have seen it. The Falcons won their game this weekend and *** (her husband) was all like, 'THE FALCONS ARE THE BEST TEAM IN THE NFL!!!!! WE ARE UNDEFEATED!!!' and I was like, "***. That was their first game of the season."
I think I may move in.
My friend C**** has a daughter that is 11 years old. She’s a good girl…sweet but sassy and very intelligent to boot. This could be a deadly combination in many pre-teens; however, this girl is all but typical. She definitely knows how to work what her momma gave her…that’s for sure. This girl knows when to turn on the charm, but she isn’t going to let anyone run her over either. She has sarcasm to an art and her timing is quite impeccable. She’s my kind of girl.
Miss Thang (as I prefer to call her and will in posts for privacy reasons) is “only” 11 but she’s taught me a few things, for sure. You gotta love friends that are honest enough to tell you how it is…even when you don’t wanna hear it. With this girl around I never have to worry about if I have food in my teeth or if I have toilet paper hanging in a trail from the back of my shoe. She would point this out to me in an instant, roll her pretty brown eyes at me and ask me, “Who leaves the restroom without looking to see if anything is stuck to their shoe”? I love that girl.
We live in a Podunk town in Northeast Georgia next to another Podunk town that is next to another Podunk town. It's small town America. Now there are good things about living in small town American and bad things about living in small town America...but that is another post for another day.
In said city they have what is basically soapbox derby racing during the city's annual festival. For this year's derby, Miss Thang had enrolled in her group (the groups are separated by age) and was awaiting her turn down "the stretch" when we first saw here there. There was another girl in this group as well---totalling TWO in this age category. Soon they announced her age group and she and her friend took off racing each other in their matchbox cars twice (as it was double elimination). Miss Thang not win but had an excellent time nevertheless.
When her race was finished, Miss Thang walks around the crowd to her mother who was standing beside me and exclaims to us all with a proud smile spread across her face, "I got second place!"
You heard me right. She did not lose.
She came in second.
There are no self-esteem issues with that one, I tell you. She can see the positive light in any situation...or at least how she can benefit from it. ha! She's great. Did I mention I love this kid? Ya. If I ever have a daughter she and Miss Thang are so gonna hang. You truly have to admire that kind of attitude, I don't care who you are.
My friend came up to me at work the following Monday and said, "You should have seen it. The Falcons won their game this weekend and *** (her husband) was all like, 'THE FALCONS ARE THE BEST TEAM IN THE NFL!!!!! WE ARE UNDEFEATED!!!' and I was like, "***. That was their first game of the season."
I think I may move in.
Friday, October 24, 2008
When it Rains, It Pours.
I don’t think I ever realized how true that very statement can be.
I’ve been through a lot in my 33 years on this earth, but I have also been very blessed in many ways. I’ve had to watch my best friend, who was truly a sister to me, die slowly before my eyes week after week. At the same time, I had to watch her 6 year old daughter lose her mother. Don’t let me get started on the issues I have with my parents / family or my first marriage. But--I also have a wonderful new family and a husband whom I love dearly and who loves me the same. I have many great friends and a job I can stand going to every day. I have my faith first and foremost which has brought me so much joy, hope and peace. I can’t complain, truly I cannot. There are some things that I wish I could change…sure. But as a whole, my life has been (and is) a good life. I know this.
Sometimes when we receive bad news it seems like the world is crashing down around us. This is where I have been for the past couple of days. I am still trying to pull myself out of it. I know that there are so many things to be thankful for…but right now…at this moment…they have faded to the background. I found out a couple of days ago that one of my dear, dear friends from high school has lost the baby she was carrying and I cannot be there to support her. This breaks my heart because I want more than anything to be in Ohio right now helping her and doing whatever I can to nurse her back to health and to be an emotional lean-to for her. But I am a ten hour drive away.
I wish that I could afford to hop on a plane and spend at least a few days with her, but I just cannot afford it right now. I’ve missed so much in her life during the last several years…it kills me to know I can’t be there when she really needs me the most. I know that she is strong enough to pull through this emotionally, but she is not physically doing well at the moment either.
The very next day I find out that Joey has leukemia. This just totally knocked me off my feet. For those of you that do not know, Joey is a little boy that I had in my daycare for around four years. I was especially close to him as he spent so much time with me and my family. He was there quite often…staying for days at a time for several nights in a row…more often than not, to be honest. We grew exceptionally close and I loved him as if he were my own nephew. I still do and I always will. I’ve said before that it was just as hard for me to leave Joey as it was for me to leave Jordan. THAT is how close we were.
He is a big piece of my heart and I cannot even begin to explain what I am feeling right now. I don’t think I even know. Right now I just know the shock of it all and the worry. I keep hoping that Joey has enough “fight” in him to win this battle. I know that if he doesn’t I will see him again someday. But he is only 8 years old. It just seems too soon for him to be leaving us. He has so much ahead of him. In his fight, yes, but in his life as well.
I have never known a more loving child, or a kinder one. He has brought so much to me and my life and to many others that have been privileged to know him. He has so much more of that to give. The fact that he has to go through this now…breaks my heart. I just hope with all I have that he is strong enough to beat this. If he isn’t, I pray that he will be able to enjoy the time he has to the fullest.
He asked his mom if he could go to school today. He just came home from the hospital yesterday. His biggest worry is losing his hair and he probably has more understanding of what cancer is than most adults. (This child is unbelievably intelligent and wise beyond his years.) I’m not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing…but it seems as if his spirit has not been broken as of yet.
He has three more years of chemo to go through. Such a short time can seem so long when you are fighting a battle like this each and every day. I am keeping Joey and his family in my heart and prayers. I will be able to talk to him on Monday. I don’t know what I’m going to say and I don’t know that I have even thought about it until just now.
I’ll probably end up talking about video games and third grade. :)
Friday, October 17, 2008
Baby Update:
I haven’t written in quite some time. I appreciate the interest many have shown in our little adoption story and I apologize for not keeping you more up-to-date. Many have drifted off from boredom due to my slacking on updates, but I have good reason:
I haven’t had time.
It sounds so lame when I say it "aloud". I used to say that as an excuse for things and believe it to be true…but it turns out that I was dead wrong. Since delving into this little journey of ours-NOW I really have learned what not having time is all about.
We have officially decided to adopt from the foster care system. (DFCS) *GASP* I know. It was a scary thought to us at first, I have to admit. But once you really learn about the process and start looking into it, it seems a shame to go any other way.
There are SO many bi-racial and African American children in foster care awaiting homes. Any child over 12 months who is in any way African American by bloodline is considered special needs. (sad as that is) We are 100% open and willing to take a child in regardless of their race and for some reason...not many are. (Which doesn't make sense to me considering how many people think nothing of going to other countries to adopt a child of another race. BUT that's another blog for another day.) Special needs adoptions are much easier to come by and there is no agency expense to do so. The waiting list for a non-special needs child is 4-7 years. We can adopt a special needs child / family in as soon as six months from the date of the home study completion. Ya.
We are about halfway through our IMPACT training for our home study (week 4 of 7). If you know anything about foster care and / or adoption from foster care, you know why I’ve been gone for so long. It is SO involved (understandably so) and it has literally consumed every spare moment we have had. From filling out 50 pages of paperwork to converting our office to a bedroom…we no longer have what we used to refer to as “down time”.
Not that I’m complaining. I completely understand why things have to be so involved...so detailed. I’m glad those things are put into place for the child’s benefit. I’m just tired. So if you feel that we have been ignoring you…that we have been antisocial…please don’t take it personally. We are either painting, baby-proofing, at an appointment, in a class, being fingerprinted, scheduling, filling out paperwork, looking through photo listings, or doing research. I suppose you could compare it with 9.5 months of pregnancy all crammed into one lovely month. :)
I’ve decided to start a blog JUST for the adoption. I have realized that it’s completely consumed this blog and some people don’t come here for that. Some readers stop by only for that. SO…I’m working on it. WHEN? I don’t know. I have heard that there is someone that will set up the site for free as long as it is adoption-related. I just may take her up on it. I COULD set it up myself and make it all wonderful and pretty…but why not let her do it and I’ll give her a little donation for her time? She does a wonderful job--and I wouldn't have the hassle. The donations go to an adoption fund for her and her husband and I think it’s a wonderful idea. It’s so crazy expensive to adopt. No matter how you go about adoption…it’s costly in one way or another.
I’ll keep this blog posted of the move if anyone wants to follow along they may. If not…it can be our little journal this crazy roller coaster ride to our newest addition. :) Perhaps someday she may want to read all about this experience. Or maybe when she is a teenager, I’ll make her read it from start to finish. I’ll then point out what we had to go through to get her here and she owe us one big time. You know, nothin’ like a good 'ole guilt trip.
Mwahaha.
To top things off--we are also pondering a move as well. We have heard about this house in a subdivision about 5 minutes from Corey’s job that is coming available in December. If it is still open in January we may be walking through. It’s a 3 bedroom 1.5 bath and the neighborhood is great. It has an open layout and a great room so that would be very nice. The biggest complaint I have about the house we are in now is that the rooms are so split up. Well that and the Cracker Jack box bathroom. Ugh. I will definitely not miss that. We can manage in our 2 bedroom but we really do need that third one for an office (or perhaps a daycare room?). We’ll see…
In the meantime…we’ll just keep plugging away filling our tiny brains with all kinds of “handling techniques”, rules and regulations.
If only we could truly learn by osmosis…
I haven’t written in quite some time. I appreciate the interest many have shown in our little adoption story and I apologize for not keeping you more up-to-date. Many have drifted off from boredom due to my slacking on updates, but I have good reason:
I haven’t had time.
It sounds so lame when I say it "aloud". I used to say that as an excuse for things and believe it to be true…but it turns out that I was dead wrong. Since delving into this little journey of ours-NOW I really have learned what not having time is all about.
We have officially decided to adopt from the foster care system. (DFCS) *GASP* I know. It was a scary thought to us at first, I have to admit. But once you really learn about the process and start looking into it, it seems a shame to go any other way.
There are SO many bi-racial and African American children in foster care awaiting homes. Any child over 12 months who is in any way African American by bloodline is considered special needs. (sad as that is) We are 100% open and willing to take a child in regardless of their race and for some reason...not many are. (Which doesn't make sense to me considering how many people think nothing of going to other countries to adopt a child of another race. BUT that's another blog for another day.) Special needs adoptions are much easier to come by and there is no agency expense to do so. The waiting list for a non-special needs child is 4-7 years. We can adopt a special needs child / family in as soon as six months from the date of the home study completion. Ya.
We are about halfway through our IMPACT training for our home study (week 4 of 7). If you know anything about foster care and / or adoption from foster care, you know why I’ve been gone for so long. It is SO involved (understandably so) and it has literally consumed every spare moment we have had. From filling out 50 pages of paperwork to converting our office to a bedroom…we no longer have what we used to refer to as “down time”.
Not that I’m complaining. I completely understand why things have to be so involved...so detailed. I’m glad those things are put into place for the child’s benefit. I’m just tired. So if you feel that we have been ignoring you…that we have been antisocial…please don’t take it personally. We are either painting, baby-proofing, at an appointment, in a class, being fingerprinted, scheduling, filling out paperwork, looking through photo listings, or doing research. I suppose you could compare it with 9.5 months of pregnancy all crammed into one lovely month. :)
I’ve decided to start a blog JUST for the adoption. I have realized that it’s completely consumed this blog and some people don’t come here for that. Some readers stop by only for that. SO…I’m working on it. WHEN? I don’t know. I have heard that there is someone that will set up the site for free as long as it is adoption-related. I just may take her up on it. I COULD set it up myself and make it all wonderful and pretty…but why not let her do it and I’ll give her a little donation for her time? She does a wonderful job--and I wouldn't have the hassle. The donations go to an adoption fund for her and her husband and I think it’s a wonderful idea. It’s so crazy expensive to adopt. No matter how you go about adoption…it’s costly in one way or another.
I’ll keep this blog posted of the move if anyone wants to follow along they may. If not…it can be our little journal this crazy roller coaster ride to our newest addition. :) Perhaps someday she may want to read all about this experience. Or maybe when she is a teenager, I’ll make her read it from start to finish. I’ll then point out what we had to go through to get her here and she owe us one big time. You know, nothin’ like a good 'ole guilt trip.
Mwahaha.
To top things off--we are also pondering a move as well. We have heard about this house in a subdivision about 5 minutes from Corey’s job that is coming available in December. If it is still open in January we may be walking through. It’s a 3 bedroom 1.5 bath and the neighborhood is great. It has an open layout and a great room so that would be very nice. The biggest complaint I have about the house we are in now is that the rooms are so split up. Well that and the Cracker Jack box bathroom. Ugh. I will definitely not miss that. We can manage in our 2 bedroom but we really do need that third one for an office (or perhaps a daycare room?). We’ll see…
In the meantime…we’ll just keep plugging away filling our tiny brains with all kinds of “handling techniques”, rules and regulations.
If only we could truly learn by osmosis…
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