You like WHAT???

Football Mama.

That is what Erin likes. Okay, so that's not so bad by any means; however, she lives in a house that has never seen a sports channel turned on. Erin came home from school one day & decided that she likes football. I even bought her a small football to toss around.

Does this mean that I have to actually watch the game!? I don't understand it one bit. And I don't really get why people watch it either. OTOH, at least it isn't golf.

Oh! And she is obsessed by the news also. Now that makes sense. David is a news hound. Many mornings when Erin is finished with her daily chores, she can watch some tv before leaving for camp. Some days it's the Disney channel. Some days it's the news.



Rather than be upset about the bad things she sees, she asks questions.

• What does this word mean?


• Why are those people doing that?


• How are they going to fix that traffic mess? (I don't know but hope "they" figure it out before I go out on the road.)

I find this all very strange. At 6 I liked playing at the park, riding my bicycle & playing with my Barbie doll.

Vacation. Or Not.

I've been on vacation for the last 2 weeks.

Vacation you say? You must be so well-rested.

Ha! Who decided that vacations are for resting!? They must have been nuts. I'm exhausted from 2 weeks of "resting." I really do think that vacations are just a mental break from the norm because I got absolutely no rest these last 2 weeks.

This is what I accomplished on "vacation."

• Cut off 6 inches of my hair.
• Shopped for some summer clothing for Erin with my friend Michelle.
• Met Shari, Myke & Chianna for lunch.
• Went to the movies to see "Up!" with friends & all the kids. Michelle, Lisa & I sat in one row while we let Madi, Dante & Erin sit in front of us. It was a great experience for all of us. That is until Lisa & Michelle had to help me out of the chair because my hip locked up. Thanks gals!
• Scrap dates with Lisa. I got a lot done - 5 pages in 2 days. We tried to figure out how to use my new Cricut Create with no success. (More on that later.) It's always a good day when I'm with my gal Lisa! Scrapping, coffee, coke, shopping, chatting & trying to hide from the kids.
• Spent a day with Michelle & her daughter Lauren. Shopping, food & doctor appointment. Then the girls got to play at Lauren's house while Michelle & I chatted.
• Lunch & play date at Chick Fil-A (Their new peach milkshake is delish!) with Candy & Rachel, Minouche & Yasmin and Shari, Myke & Chianna (I'm still waiting for blog updates!). The mommies had a nice relaxing time chatting while Myke exhausted himself playing with the children. Watching the children play together is so heartwarming. Rachel & Yasmin hung together playing with Myke. In the meantime, Erin & Chianna were side by side.
• Drove up to my friend Jolene's house for a mommy scrap date & so that our girls could have a play date. We got there an hour early because I had forgotten that the last time I went there, I drove up during rush hour. Jolene laughed at me knowing that I'm driving challenged. Her hubby Freeman just took it in stride. I can't thank Jolene enough for a wonderful day! She showed me what I was doing incorrectly with my Cricut & totally wowed me with the capabilities it has!
• I signed Erin up for another 2 years of karate. Starting next month, Erin will also go into the school's leadership program. I can't thank Sifu Halana, Sifu Neil & their staff enough. Erin has really come far in their program. This normally shy girl has gained a measure of self-confidence that David & I only hoped she would gain. Erin goes 2-3 days a week & really looks forward to her time there. And I get to do more gabbing with new friends.

So now my vacation is coming to an end. What's on the plate for the weekend as I get ready to return to real life? More.

• Karate class
• Attend the grand opening of Monkey Joe's with some of my FCC friends.
• Laundry
• Shopping for the house
• Napping. Finally!

Life is busy! And exhausting!

"Gotcha Day!" "Forever Day!"

What's the difference? That was the question someone asked me just the other day. It's not a big difference in either David's or my mind. It really is one & the same; but it isn't.

Gotcha Day was June 2, 2003. It sort of speaks for itself. This was the day that 15 families sat in a very hot, very un-air conditioned room in the Guangdong Provincial Civil Affairs building for what seemed like years. We waited, & we waited & we waited. Only to find out that the Yangchun babies were arriving later than expected because of traffic delays. I even have a picture of my friend Gary pointing at his watch in impatience. After what seemed like ages, they arrived. I was so busy taking pictures of everyone receiving their baby & videoing our friends' Susan & Art receiving their daughter, that I actually missed hearing our name. In the background I finally heard David yell at me "Hey Tammie! Go get our daughter!" And they handed me the sweetest, quietest little baby who in no way weighed what they told us she weighed as far back as her referral picture was taken. David let me take Erin first & hold her & cry & check that she had 10 fingers & 10 toes. And then I handed David his daughter. And fell in love all over again.

Forever Family Day was June 3, 2003. This was the day that Chun Hua Xu became our daughter Erin Chelsie. We signed the papers, & I started crying. (I know that's a shock.) I looked at David & can remember saying we have to call our parents & tell them she's ours forever & no one can take her from us. When we did finally get back to the hotel, David told me to call my dad first. "Daddy, she's ours. No one can take her from us." And I heard my dad & stepmother cry tears of joy. I think it was about 2:00 am where they live.

We don't make a huge deal over these days. We want Erin to know that they are special, but that just having her in our lives is special. Each year we try to do something a little special. This year it was a pedicure & special dinner followed up with a yummy cake.

Come & Gone

Here is the new "do!" Not too different at all.

June 1st has come & gone. I've made it. I have survived 46 years, 6 weeks by 4 days.

I'm still worried but I don't think I'm as scared as I have been. David has been edge & asked me about how I was feeling. Actually, I feel fine. A little stressed, but other than that nothing is bothering me.

Yay me!

So what did I do to celebrate? I cut off my hair. Actually, I didn't cut it all off - just 6 inches. I still have enough hair to put into a decent pony tail. I spent the last 2 days trying to find a place to go. I have some clients who wanted to work with my hair, & I thought about it. Then I realized that being as picky as I am with my hair, I didn't want to worry about "What if I don't like what they do?" I ended up walking into a Hair Cuttery telling the stylist to cut my hair to just below my shoulders. I didn't even flinch!