Name Game MeMe

My friend Sandra tagged me! This looks like fun until you realize how hard it is to describe yourself!

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don't have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. When you are tagged, you need to write your own blog post containing your own middle name game facts.
4. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged & to read your blog!

R - reading. I'm a total book-aholic. Actually, I've been known to read the back of cereal boxes just to have something to read. Some of my favorite authors are Norah Roberts, Iris Johannsen, Sandra Brown, Lisa Gardner, Catherine Coulter & Lisa Jackson. I also love the Harry Potter series. BTW, I absolutely do not read newspapers. When I read, I'm looking for escape - not reality. For reality there's the news.

O - observant. I seem to pick up on things about people that are important. This trait helps me at work with my clients but also allows me to be a good friend. (At least I hope so.)

B - bleeding heart. I'm a sucker for a sob story, a crying child, an animal in need or sick, a person in need. I cry at commercials or reading cards. I haven't eaten veal in 20 years. Get the picture?

I - in love. With my husband of 19 years next Tuesday. I'd do it all over again - mistakes & all!

N - nuggets. "Nuggets" is what I say when I really want to say "S&^T!" I'm trying to have a cleaner mouth - especially around Erin the child who repeats it all. Nuggets is also the one thing I know that Erin will eat willingly.

Ah! Finally I'm done. Now on to torture the rest of you! Here are my victims:

Shari - I know how you love these tags/memes.

Vivian - I know you have nothing better to do. (That is other than chasing Kerri & Pookie around.)

Lisa - Take your time. I know that typing is still hard with your arm in bandages!

Michelle - This will give you a whole new type of headache. Sorry!

Lori - Something to do while you wait to bring Ethan home.

I hope you all have fun with this!!

The First Day of Kindergarten

Today was that oh so special day that children everywhere look forward to - some eagerly, some not so eagerly. It was the first day of Kindergarten. And Erin was no different.

We started off with a breakfast of pancakes & chocolate milk. I'm always thrilled to pieces when I can get Erin to eat but this is always a winner. My girl chowed down her pancakes happily knowing she was going to wear her favorite color today - pink. Really! Is there any other color? Normally getting Erin dressed is a fight from choosing what to wear to actually getting her into whatever outfit she's decided is okay for the day. This morning Erin decided that she liked the outfit & would be happy to get dressed fairly quickly.

I decided to go in to work late this morning so that I could share some special time with Erin. I'm so glad that I did this. Right as we got out of my car at her school, Erin decided to drag her feet. I guess it finally dawned on her that this was a different thing from camp. She gladly let me snap pics before we got inside.

Once we walked in to her class, Erin saw her friends from camp & last year's Pre-K classes. as we went to her cubby, she got nervous & asked me to stay for a while. Yay! for me. I stayed & chatted with one of the other mothers that I've gotten to know over the past few months. Erin chatted with her friends - especially Sam. They seem to really have fun together so it made the morning easier. I took a bunch of pics & then Erin decided she needed to snap some herself for her scrapbook. By the time I left, she was comfortable.

Tonight we celebrated her special day by having brownies for dessert. (Normally desserts are only allowed on Saturdays.) Then she finished off her day by playing with her Magnetix with her daddy. When she started to clean up (without being told), we knew the day had tired her out.

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The Pitty Kitty & a New Pet?

Well, David & I learned an important lesson today. Don't get a new pet if you're not sure how your old pet will react. No! We didn't make that mistake but almost did.

Our cat Kira is also known as "The Pitty Kitty." David bought her for me days after our dog Sari had to be put down 9 years ago. We had already made plans to buy a new dog but waiting for Star to be born was killing me. I hated not having an animal in the house. We were walking in to PetSmart just to look around for the new dog toys we'd need. Outside were the cats up for adoption. David wanted this really cool looking cat named "Arrow." Too bad Arrow just hated David. He actually spit at David. We ended up with this tiny cat who looked as if someone had poured a glass of iced tea on her.

Fast forward to this afternoon & once again we were walking into yet another PetSmart. This time we were looking for a specific cat food for Kira. This darn cat is allergic to chicken, turkey & can only eat lamb-based foods. After that horrible pet food scare a few months ago, we decided to put Kira on Purina cat chow. She had so many problems that today we went to buy her the old stuff.

David walked over to the cat adoption area to take a peek. We found a really sweet kitten & a 1 year old cat who both would have fit in great for us. David, Erin & I fell in love with them. Thankfully, I know my animals & said that we needed to see how the existing pets would do. The adoption lady took a towel & rubbed the kitten all over with it. The 1 year old cat rubbed herself all over me. We went home & David put Kira near the towel. She looked at him, stuck her tongue out & walked away. She wouldn't come near me till I changed shirts.

Guess what? We didn't get either cat. It looks like we're going to have to wait quite some time before we can bring home another pet. Erin wasn't too happy but still loves Kira "The Pitty Kitty."

What! Me? A Spammer?

Apparently Blogger is having problems deciding who is & who isn't a spammer. I went to post about Erin's birthday & found that I was blocked. What the heck!? It seems that if you link to too many places, you must be doing something wrong. I guess I can't be friendly with other bloggers or lead anyone off to a website that may be of interest. I wish I knew how to transfer my stuff over to Typepad because I'd leave fairly quickly for all this BS!!

My Girl Turns 5!!!

This past Sunday we celebrated Erin's 5th birthday with our family & friends at a local park. We had a bounce house, sno cones & cotton candy along with pizza & cake (& other munchies of course). As always I worried & stressed about almost every detail. (What can I say? I'm a born worrier.) All I wanted was for my little girl to have a blast on her special day.

As my friend Lisa took a family snapshot, all I could think of was how special a gift our big girl is. I'm so proud of Erin & how far she has come from that 10 month old baby that couldn't sit up or hold a bottle. And now Erin will join in on any fun she can find.

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl! Momma & Daddy love you "always & forever a whole big bunch no matter what!"

Favorite TV Shows

Recently we had some new members join our FCC family. Shari & Myke are really quite nice, & I've gotten to know Shari especially from her great blog & conversations at the FCC dinners. It turns out that she & I have very similar taste in television shows along with other areas of interest. I have found that we enjoy many of the same shows.

That said, I wanted to list a few of my favorite shows. Maybe you'll find something here you like also!

One Life to Live

General Hospital

The Dresden Files

Stargate SG1

Bones

Law and Order

30 Minute Meals

The Barefoot Contessa
Good Eats

Paula's Home Cooking

Semi Home Made

Dirty Jobs

MythBusters

Now for those of you who know the reality of parenthood, you can't forget the children! Here are some of Erin's favorites.

Hannah Montana

Kim Possible

Pucca

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody

Yes, Erin will be 5 this coming Monday, but she has her own taste. Along with what I've listed, she loves to watch many of the same shows that David & I are into. Obviously, we're not going to let her watch something like The Dresden Files, but what's wrong with Dirty Jobs? I know there are people out there in BlogLand who dislike tv for young children. That's your choice. David & I choose to allow Erin to watch a wide variety of shows. They can be relaxing and often just plain ole foolish; however, many are educational just in the end lesson of the show.

Ramblings

Wow! When David showed me this picture I nearly flipped. It's been a very long time since I liked a picture that anyone took of me. Let's face it. My nose is always red & my hair has gotten white. On the other hand, I'm a lot older than I was in the last picture I liked which by the way was taken at my wedding. Oh. That was 19 years ago next month.

I never knew that I could become comfortable in my own skin, but I have. I've accepted myself (for the most part) for who I am. I'll never be the woman with the amazing figure & the pearly white smile. However, I've realized that I'm a long way from the kid who moved to Florida at 16 & hated it.

Who am I now? Let's see.

I am a person with a career that I really enjoy even with the trouble that's involved. During the week I get to speak with adults & help people get where they want to or need to be. On Sundays, I teach 1st grade. That's for my soul since I've wanted to be a teacher since I was 5 years old. I love that I can get children to enjoy learning about being Jewish & having fun at the same time.

I am a person who loves an incredible man & is loved back by the same man. It's been a long, hard haul & worth every minute. I have to say with everything we've been through, I'd do all over again. Gladly.

I am a person who has been lucky enough to become a parent. I am totally in love with my daughter. I've always wanted 6 children but am happily settling for the 1 that David was willing to deal with. It's a good thing too because Erin challenges me every day. I look in on her each night before going to sleep & thank G-d for smiling down on us.

I am a person with a wide range of friends. The adoption community has brought me to people I would never have had the occasion to meet before. Parenthood led me to other mothers who've been there done that & understand everything I'm feeling - love, frustration, sadness, anger - the whole range of emotions.

I guess I'm pretty happy with who I've become. Yup.

Who do you blog for?

I blog for myself.

I know that people out there that stop by & take a peek to see what's going on in Erin's life & by default my life too. It's a great way for my parents to keep up with Erin. I have friends who want to know what's up also. However, as nice as that all is, I do it for ME! Some days are great so I want to write it down. Some days are horrible so I need to write it down & get the frustration out of my system.

I'm basically a "call it as I see it" kind of person. That isn't always the best way to be, but I don't know any other way to be. That said, I certainly don't want to offend anyone, but, again, I blog for me!

So. Who do you blog for? Do you really want to watch what you say or would you prefer having the freedom to say what you want, when want to?

Erin Loves This Book!!

This book has quickly become Erin's favorite! I've been reading it to her each night for 3 weeks now. She really enjoys hearing the story about Ming & the lesson he learns about giving thanks. Right after I read her the story, Erin "reads" it out loud to me. I love how she asks me - each & every time - what kind of tree is it, what's the boy's name. She may not remember the small things, but she truly gets the bigger picture.

Happy 4th of July to you!

How did you celebrate the 4th? We took an early morning excursion to Erin's favorite place - Butterfly World. This time we each had our own cameras with us for pics. We woke up early (as usual) & looked to see what the weather was going to be like. After all, in sunny S FL this is our rainy season, & we've been having quite a bit of rain each day. We really lucked out because there wasn't a drop of rain in the sky in the early part of the day. On the other hand, it was steaming hot down here. Nevertheless, we enjoyed ourselves!

Erin loves to see butterflies so off we went! This time I can honestly say I saw some butterflies that were just gorgeous. The colors were amazing - bright lime green, beautiful sky blue, pearly white, monarchs! David got some amazing shots with his new toy. I never knew he was such a good photographer before which is saying a lot since this summer we'll be celebrating 19 years of marriage! Of course he'll tell you that it's because he always wants me to have a camera I can use easily. What a man!

After spending the morning walking around Butterfly World, we did a bit of shopping so Erin could have a blue shirt for camp the next day. Who knew my daughter didn't have a blue shirt!? Well, she does now along with a ton of other shirts. Her closet is overflowing & yet not a blue shirt in sight till that little expedition.

Once the shopping was done, we headed home for lunch & a nap. When I woke up, it was thundering so hard that my bed was moving! Honestly!

David made dinner - our usual July 4th BBQ of dogs & beans. Yum! We really do love the simple foods. Besides, we knew Erin would eat a hot dog. It's the only red meat she puts in her body. After dinner, we went into our backyard to set off fireworks. This was the first year that Erin wanted to have anything to do with them. Thanks to my friend Lisa's son Joey, Erin has gotten to appreciate them. Of course that doesn't mean that Erin didn't have a hard time but at least she watched them for a while. When we were done with ours, we went up front to enjoy our neighbors' show.

All in all, it was a great day!

5 Things! I've Been Tagged!

Well, I've been tagged by my good friend Sandra. I am making this first attempt so bear with me!

5 Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago:

1. Have you read the description of my blog? I don't remember life before Erin!

5 Snacks I Enjoy:

1. 1. Fresh Fruit
2. 2. Ice Cream
3. 3. Doritos
4. 4. Cheese
5. 5. Cake

5 Songs I Know All the Lyrics To:

1. 1. Any Wiggles song
2. 2. Your Song by Elton John (our wedding song)
3. 3. How Do You Like Me Now by Toby Keith
4. 4. We Don't Need No Education by Pink Floyd
5. 5. She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy by Kenny Chesney

5 Things I Would Do If I Were a Millionaire:

1. 1. Pay off all the bills for my entire family
2. 2. Travel
3. 3. Build a home to my specifications
4. 4. Start a charity related to adoption needs
5. 5. Volunteer at Erin's school since I wouldn't be working

5 Bad Habits:

1. 1. Impatience
2. 2. Overeating
3. 3. Lack of exercise
4. 4. Quick temper
5. 5. Taking on other people's problems when there's nothing I can do

5 Things I Like to Do

1. 1. Play with Erin
2. 2. Sit down with a good cup of coffee - whenever
3. 3. Read
4. 4. Watch soap operas (One Life to Live & General Hospital)
5. 5. Blog

5 Things I Would Never Wear Again

1. 1. Bikinis
2. 2. Large-frame glasses
3. 3. Mini Skirts
4. 4. Shoulder pads
5. 5. Short Shorts

5 Favorite Toys

1. 1. My laptop
2. 2. My Canon SD Elph 1000
3. 3. My SonyEricsson Phone
4. 4. My Senseo coffee pot
5. 5. My Mia Bella soy candles

5 Bloggers I Tag:

1. 1. Lori
2. 2. Shari
3. 3. Vivian
4. 4. Magi
5. 5. CJ

How do you know you're in love with your child?

When your heart dances because your child calls out for you & only you?
When you can't wait to have your child wake up & stumble into your bedroom looking for hugs & kisses?
When you can't wait to get home & hear your child scream in joy when you walk through the door?
When only you can bring comfort to your child with hugs & kisses?
When you drop your child off at school or camp & she can't bear to have you leave without just one more hug & a "have a good day mama?"
When your child tells you that you make the best French toast? Even though it's only microwaved French toast.

I could go on & on but there isn't enough time in my life. I'd rather enjoy spending my time with Erin seeing the light in her eyes & hearing the laughter in her voice. I just absolutely love being Erin's mother.

Mama, where is "E" from?

Today Erin had a birthday party to attend in the afternoon. We ran into "E's" parents at the party store when we were looking for things for Erin's party. "E's" parents are just so nice & warm. They always have a smile for the children & something sweet to say.

When we left Party City, Erin asked me "Mama, where is "E" from? HUH!? So I asked Erin what she meant. She repeated her question in exactly the same way. At the same time, David & I both said "Florida." So Erin said "NO! Where is she from before Florida?"

AH HAH!!

I realized what Erin was asking. I said to her "Erin, do you think "E" is adopted because she looks like you?" And, of course, she said yes. (A little background - "E's" mother is Philipinno & is married to a caucasian man.) I then explained to Erin that even though "E" looks like her, she isn't adopted. I reminded Erin that "E's" mommy also looks like her. Then I explained that "E" came from her mommy's tummy & isn't adopted.

Oh! Mama, can I listen to music now please?

Qualifying for the Yellow Belt

Erin started taking karate at school just under 3 months ago. I wasn't sure we should that we should attend the ceremony but in the end David & I decided that it would be okay. Mr. Richard, the instructor, told us that although Erin had only started a few short months ago, he was amazed by how much she really wanted this & how focused she is. Huh!? Who is he talking about? Surely not my daughter! Boy was I wrong. Erin made us so proud today when she qualified for & received her yellow belt.

Erin Graduates Pre-K at Temple Beth Am

Last night my beautiful girl graduated Pre-K! We had to be there with the children by 6:00pm. The program was supposed to start at 6:30 but didn't get going till 6:45. While we were outside wondering where Erin was supposed to be, her teacher the marvelous Miss Ethel came & took Erin with her to get ready. I cannot sing Miss Ethel's & Miss Monica's praises loud enough. They are 2 amazing women who are totally dedicated to teaching young children - not just their ABCs & 123s but also how to be good people.

As we waited outside, I got to talking with the mother of a girl who will be in Erin's camp bunk this summer & Kindergarten class come August. Michelle & I met last week at my office & got to talking. Anyway, it was nice to have someone to chat with while we waited since if it was only David & myself, a box of tissues wouldn't have been enough.

As we were seated in the sanctuary, I thought back to the day we received Erin's referral. That picture showed me a glimpse of the child who I had been waiting for all of my life - Erin. As I thought back, I realized that Erin was like a blank slate, a blackboard with no writing. Then I remembered the day we were joined as a family. Erin still didn't have a clue what was in store for her - a loving, supportive family & many friends.

Each year that Erin has been with us, I am always amazed by her. She is a beautiful, caring, loving child. If there is a baby around, she zeroes in on that baby. Her only concern is that the baby isn't lonely or doesn't need anything. In school, if a classmate needs assistance, I am told by Miss Ethel & Miss Monica that Erin is the first one up to help out.

David & I are so proud of Erin's accomplishments. The baby who couldn't sit up when we adopted her, now is on her way to flying through life.

Mazal Tov Chuchie! Mama & Dada love you - a whole big bunch, always & forever, no matter what!

Impromptu Girls Afternoon

This weekend David is hard at work painting Erin's room into a princess paradise. We went to Home Depot and picked up Behr's Disney Ultra White for the moldings, Pretty in Pink for 3 walls & Pretty as a Princess for 1 wall. By the time David finished the walls this afternoon, Erin was a happy little girl. David & I are in agreement that Pepto Bismol pink would have been easier on the eyes. Tomorrow David gets to do the finishing touches & the furniture will go back in later in the day.

Erin has been out of sorts over the fact that she can't spend any time in her room now. Trust me the fumes are overwhelming! We needed to go out shopping for some lunch, so I went over to a new shopping center. I decided to check out the brand new Color Me Mine store. Erin took one look & asked if she could paint something. She has been so good this weekend between having Kerri move to Canada & not being able to play in her room, that I sat down & we had some fun painting.

Farewell Breakfast

Yesterday morning, we said goodbye to the Masson family. David, Erin & I joined Vivian, Corey & Kerri at their last breakfast in S FL. This was actually the first time that Corey & David met. The guys were really sweet & allowed Viv & me to indulge ourselves with the female chitchat although I'm sure that they did some talking themselves. You just never know with guys. Erin & Kerri had a nice breakfast also. They got to eat whatever they wanted! Picture it now - lox with cereal & milk. The cereal didn't go over so well, but the lox was a big hit.

Farewell to Vivian & Kerri

Last Saturday, the ScrapSkanks had a farewell party for Vivian & her daughter Kerri. It was a beautiful day!

Build a Bear for LOOK

This past Saturday my friend Vivian & I took our girls to Build a Bear. Erin & Kerri got to stuff a bear for LOOK. The bears are being donated to older children in Chinese orphanages who haven't been united with their forever families.

Thanks for letting us know about this Lori!

A Hard Week . . .

. . . was had by all. David took a class up in West Palm Beach this week which threw us all of our regular schedule. Even though he had to be in class by 8:30, he still had to leave early but not early enough that he didn't screw up my basic morning schedule. Since I am in no way a morning person, I don't deal well with change. His class ended at 5:00, & traffic was such that I needed to pick Erin up each day. Need I tell you what the tantrums were like? Even preparing her for the disruption to her routine didn't help. She would be fine when I went in to pick her up but the minute the car was turned on, the screaming began. For the entire 15 minute drive. By the time I pulled into the driveway each afternoon, I was practically in tears myself.

This past Thursday was a horrible day. I work at a bank & having done so for 20 years have been lucky that I've been involved in only 1 robbery so far. Many of my co-workers can't say the same. Thursday afternoon, one of our clients was robbed at gunpoint outside the bank. I can't say any more since the robbers have been caught and are now awaiting trial. However, it was a very stressful day with many tears & emotions running high in our office. I have to say that the police who showed up, were wonderful. They were more than kind to the victim & her grandson along with the bank staff. I have so much respect for these people who each day put their lives on the line for us - total strangers. People make so many jokes about the police that are really unkind. Trust me. (We owned a Dunkin' Donuts years ago, & yes, the police did take their breaks at our counter. However, there many days when they barely got a sip of coffee that they had to run out.) That night I had to attend a workshop for my other job (1st grade teacher at a local synagogue). I wanted the facilitator to know that if I got up & left it had nothing to do with him. That's when I finally heard that the local schools were locked down in the afternoon. Needless to say, I was able to enjoy the workshop & spent 2 hours not thinking of the day's happenings.

This afternoon, we get to have a change in attitude. My dear friend Viv is leaving S FL. She & her family will be leaving this week to move to Canada. Viv is one of my scrapping pals & someone I met through the adoption of our daughters from China. This afternoon, we are having a ScrapSkank party to send her & her family off with our good wishes. And, yes, this is also hard & stinks for me. On the other hand, it is best for her family. Ugh!

Mother's Day in School

Yesterday Erin's class celebrated Mother's Day with a morning tea. Erin couldn't wait to tell me that the students had made the muffins (chocolate & blueberry for inquiring minds) themselves. She was just so happy when the time came for all the mommies to come in. It was such a treat to see my smiling daughter's face in the morning when I should have been at the office.

The children made Mother's Day cards, portraits of their mothers (wait till you see me!) & a book about what they do with their mothers. I think that I will be keeping these forever!

I've Changed My Mind

I have been so grumpy the last few days because of this beautiful child of mine. That's what I've changed my mind about. I'm not really grumpy because of her. I'm grumpy because I've handed over the reins to her. How?

Let's see how I did that.

In the mornings, Erin used to get dressed by herself. Now she's going through a lazy stage crying & screaming that she wants me to dress her for the day.

I weaned Erin off of naps at school since there are no naps in Kindergarten. (And just who decided that at 4 & 5 our children don't still need naps!?) When she gets home, Erin is just plain ole bitchy & whiny. That's my job!

Bedtime has always been a problem for us. I'm so envious of my friends whose children go to sleep with no whining, screaming, crying, tantrums, etc. I'm tired of hearing "When are you going to bed momma?" and "I NOT tired." I'm tired of having a child who falls asleep in the car when we're only going down the street to go shopping & then has a full out tantrum because I've woken her up. Why does she do this? Because she's too damn tired!

Eating. Erin is not a spectacular eater by any means. Veggies is a 4-letter word to her. I can just get her to eat corn although she will wolf down an entire sweet potato. She eats raw carrots & string beans at my friend Debbie's house. At our house, she screams. I even tried buying carrots where Debbie buys them. Then Erin tells me that if Jonathon isn't here to help her eat them, she won't eat them. Argh!!

Routine is important to my girl. I drop her off in the mornings, & David picks her up in the afternoons. Heaven forbid there's any change to that routine. The rest of the day is gone to heck & a handbasket. Yesterday, David got hurt at work by a co-worker whose got the brain cell function of cabbage. (I could have sworn we were all out of high school & no longer hand the need to hit someone to show we like them.) I told him to go home, & that I'd pick her up. Yes. He warned me. No I didn't listen. BTW, I'll never pick her up again. I may leave her at school just to avoid what I went through yesterday afternoon. (I'm joking. Of course, I'll pick her up. I'll also have earplugs with me.)

Now I have to figure out how to change all this. Without another tantrum.

Birthday Scrap Night

This past weekend my scrapping buddies got together to celebrate my birthday. Normally we do it as close as possible to our birthday, but Lisa's son Joe came down to visit her. It was a great night.

Some of the children came to join in on the fun also! Viv helped them make their own art projects. I got some wonderful gifts from my pals! Lisa knows how much I love the candles she sells (Mia Bella soy BTW) & she gave me a goody bag filled with the yummiest scents ever! Ibis gave me a little basket filled with all kinds of scrap embellishments & Starburst chews. Viv gave me a gorgeous tote which I'm going to use to carry around more of my scrapping odds & ends. And Jamey made a wonderful cheesecake. She found out that's my favorite & asked if she could make one for me since it's her specialty. She also went to the trouble of finding out how to say Happy Birthday in Hebrew & then read it out loud to me.

As I blew out my birthday candles, I made this wish. (Yes, I know that we're not supposed to tell, but really my wish has already come true.) I wished that I would always have friends like these in my life.

Thanks Ladies!

Well, it's finally happened, . . .

. . . and I certainly wasn't expecting it!

Today was the last day of my vacation. At the last minute I decided to ask Erin if she'd like to take a day off from school & spend it with mama. I told her exactly what we would be doing & that I would expect her to behave the right way. Erin immediately said she wanted to spend the day with me. I called David to let him know, & he wasn't too happy about her missing a day of school but finally got it.

Our first stop was the nail salon. I had to cancel my last appointment due to a bad stomach bug that lasted way too long. Anyway, it was going to be a very long visit since my nails were in bad shape. The people who own the salon & the people who work there are from Viet Nam & China. They've met Erin before & are very nice to her. A few of the ladies started to ask Erin if she was from China. When she said yes, they asked her if speaks Chinese & then started to speak to her in Chinese.

From the minute we adopted Erin, she would get very agitated whenever someone to her in Chinese. She had definitely gotten better with her reactions to hearing Chinese. After all, we've spent the last 3.5 years telling Erin how beautiful China was & how proud she should be to come from such an amazing country.

When these ladies were speaking with Erin & asking questions, she got visibly shy & upset. Being her mother, I noticed that her reactions weren't in the norm for her. After we left the shop & got into the car, I asked Erin if she was upset. When she said yes, I asked her if she was upset about the ladies asking us questions.

Blow me away! My child said yes it bothers her!!! Since Erin is 4 & not always able to communicate in the way adults do, I asked her questions to make sure I understood her. It turns out that my daughter doesn't like to have her adoption discussed with people. It bothers her that people expect her to be able to converse in Chinese but she doesn't want to go to Chinese school. We did talk about this some more. It turns out that Erin is very comfortable talking about being Chinese with our FCC family & our family. She didn't want us to discuss it at the Great Wall adoption workshops that my friend Susan holds occasionally. I explained to her that the workshops were held so that other people could bring home little boys & girls so that they could have families also. She's okay with that.

All this said, my daughter shocked me. I had no idea that at 4 she had these feelings. She's never asked questions about a birth mother or why she doesn't look like her mama & daddy. She's always been content to accept her life the way it was. In fact, I've even discussed this with my friend Sandra. Her daughter Jazzie is always asking the most amazing questions. I guess it's my turn to figure it all out.

It's My Blog, & I'll Complain If I Want To!!

Many of us have our own blogs these days. We use them to journal our feelings, experiences & of course to keep in touch with family & friends. Many of us blog about not only the positives but also about the negatives that we deal with in life. Unfortunately, there are people who blast (a/k/a flame) the poster. Now, I do believe that we have a right to blog/post what is on our minds. When we belong to a yahoo group, we should try to be as considerate as possible (just MHO here). Remember that we are reading words "on a piece of paper" so we can't hear what the person is "saying" with all of the intonations & such. However, when we blog, we are on our own forum & should feel comfortable knowing that no one will blast us.

Sometimes people don't have their own blog so their comments have to be made anonymously. On the other hand, you have the people who do have blogs but chose to remain anonymous so that they can be, well, downright nasty in their comments. Because of this situation, many of my fellow bloggers (myself included) have chosen to not allow anonymous comments. It may be something for you to consider.

It's a sorry state of affairs that we now have to worry about what we write on our own blogs.

I hate bedtime!

Sleep? My child? Nope. Not happening! Still. We thought we had the problem licked when we bought Erin her new bedroom set. Since she was complaining that her bed was too small, we gave in & bought her a new set months earlier than originally planned. Ha! She was just teasing us. And we fell for it - hook, line & sinker.

We have major battles each & every evening getting Erin to go to sleep. There's the usual BS that every parents deals with like needing to go potty, needing a drink, needing a hug, & her night light isn't on. Then there's the arguing about how it isn't dark outside so it can't be bedtime so she doesn't have to go to sleep. The argument that is sending me over the edge is that Erin wants me to go to sleep when she does. That would be fine if her bedtime were around 10:00 pm, but she goes in by 8:00 pm Sunday through Thursday & 8:30 pm on Fridays & Saturdays. The tantrum that we are treated to each night is ridiculous. I have tried logic with her "Sweetie I need time with Daddy." & "Erin, I don't go to sleep when you do." Logic isn't working.

Thankfully Erin hasn't woken up in the middle of the night for a few months. I was going in to work looing like death warmed over. I'm just darn lucky that my co-workers understand they can't talk about anything important with me till that first sip of coffee is coursing through my veins.

I know I'm not alone in this. Many other 4 & 5 year olds hate going to sleep. On the other hand, I hate that I have to deal with it by telling her what she will lose if she doesn't go to sleep.

Scrap Skanks in Action

Some my friends & I get together a few times a month to do some scrapbooking. We have tons of fun - gossip, goodies, scrapping. I need another Scrap Night!

Birthday Celebration

I celebrated my birthday this past Sunday (please no tax jokes as I've heard them all). Having a birthday cake is majorly (is that a word?) important to me. I was born during Passover & most of my life have gone without a cake to celebrate. Can I tell you how that just sucks? Imagine being a child & not being able to have a birthday cake. Heck, if I remember correctly I didn't have one for my 13th, 21st, 30th - well just about all of them since my day usually falls out on Passover.

My brother-in-law & I share a birthday so Steven feels the same way. As soon as the Jewish calendars come out, I look at April to see when Passover falls. Then I call Steven & let him know if we're getting a cake that year. It's become a ritual in our family, & we actually have a good laugh over it.

This past Saturday night, Erin & I went over to my friends' Viv & Corey to celebrate my birthday. We had a wonderful sushi dinner followed by that marvelous looking cake you see here. "YUMMO!" isn't descriptive enough for this cake - chocolate cake, chocolate filling, fudge icing & topped with the most amazing strawberries. Because I don't normally get to have birthday cake, I had a rather nice slice & enjoyed each bite of it. It was pure sin!

After dinner, Viv & I spent a nice night scrapbooking. She's doing a great job scrapping her journey to her daughter. I'm so amazed by the sheer beauty of her book. I am just about done scrapping my "2006 Travels" book.

I Got My Gi!!

We enrolled Erin in Karate at her school the week before Spring Break. She was so excited to finally get her gi!

Pics From the New Camera

Here are just 2 pics I took with my new camera. I have to admit that I love snap away when Erin's around.

And to top it all off, Erin's new camera came in the mail today. I have to recommend that any parent with a child over 3 look into the Fisher Price Kid Tough Camera. Erin loves hers! We've been showing her how to take pictures correctly (getting peoples' faces & such), & she does a pretty good job at it. When I can print out some of her pics, I'm going to start her with her own little scrapbook.

Gotta love my man!!

Well, maybe you don't have to love him, but I sure do! David's favorite hobby is stargazing. He's been doing it for as long as I know him. We saved our pennies for this telescope for quite a while & he uses it as often as possible. Unfortunately, living in S FL the skies aren't all that great but he does it when he can.

This past Saturday night, as David was setting up for his evening, he asked me to join him & Erin outside. For those of you who know me, you know I don't do sunlight. (I might melt you know!) I took my book & sat down to read but decided to ask Erin to get my camera. I figured this would be a great opportunity to get some pics. When Erin brought me the camera, & I took it out, the display was - - - well, not there. The screen was white, & where it wasn't white, it looked like someone took a blue crayon & had fun. AAAHHHHH!!!!

I've gotten into scrapbooking over the last year so my camera has been almost attached to me. I was so upset that David offered to stop what he was doing so we could go buy a replacement camera. Needless to say, I told him to continue what he was doing. The camera was able to take pictures but not display them. In fact, this is one of the last pictures I took with the camera. Bye-bye Canon! :-(

On my way to Debbie's house to pick Erin up, I called David to check in & give him a time table. My man, my dear husband knew I was really upset about losing my camera. On the way home from work, he went out & replaced it for me!! He got me the updated version of my little Canon because I had loved it so much. Well, that & the fact that I had recently purchased 3 new batteries for it.

As soon as I got home, I checked out my camera. Oooohhh!! I'm going to have some fun.

Thanks David!

Duh!!! 4 Questions???

Forgive me for my last post. My friend Sandra http://www.jazzieandtahlia.typepad.com/ just asked me what the Four Questions were. Duh! Sometimes I forget about "diversity" & just ramble on.

The first 2 nights of Passover begin with a seder - a family meal (usually with tons of family & friends in attendance) is enjoyed with the retelling of the exodus from Egypt to Israel in a book called a "hagaddah." At one point in the seder, a child (usually the youngest male who can read Hebrew - although to be honest it was me until my 30th birthday) reads the Four Questions. These questions are asked & then the person leading the seder answers. These questions explain why we do what we do on Passover. Here goes:

Why is this night different from all others?

1. Any other night we can eat whatever kind of bread we choose. On this night, we can eat only unleavened bread (matzah).

2. Any other night, we can eat whatever herbs we want. On this night, we eat only bitter herbs.

3. Any other night, we do not dip even once. On this night, we dip twice.

4. Any other night, we eat & drink either sitting or reclining. On this night, we all recline.

And for inquiring minds, the answers:

1. We eat matzah as a reminder of the Hebrew slaves who had to leave Egypt in a hurry & didn't have time to make sure their bread rose.

2. We eat bitter herbs to remind us of the bitterness of slavery.

3. We dip twice to remind us of the tears of the Hebrew slaves.

4. We recline because now we are not slaves & have choices.

Some people may argue with my translations & answers, but these are the general explanations.

The 4 Questions

One of my yahoo groups is for Jewish Families with Children from China. A few families have been looking for the 4 Questions in Chinese. I had never thought of it before, but let's face it - people from many different countries recite these important questions. So. Why not China? Here they are in Mandarin Chinese.

The Four Questions

Wèishénme zhège wân shang gen bié de wân shang bù yï yang?
1. Bié de wân shang, wômen chi famiàn miànbao; jìntiän wân shang chï si miàn miànbao.
2. Bié de wân shang, wômen chi gè zhong gè yàng de shu cài; jìntiân wân shang wômen zhí chï ku cài.
3. Bié de wân shang, wômen bù yòng shu cài zhàn yán shui; jìntiän wân shang zhàn liang cì.
4. Bié de wân shang, wômen zuò zhe huò zhe xié tang zhe chï; jìntiän wân shang, wômen xié tang zhe chï.

Referral Anniversary!

This is one of 3 pictures that we received 4 years ago today. Yes, April 1st - you know, April Fools Day. After a 14 month wait from DTC (now known as LID) to referral day, I got the call on April Fools Day. I was so upset that someone would play such a horrible joke on me that I hung up the phone. Needless to say, my social worker from GWCA called back & in a rush said that this was really THE CALL. It was all I could do to ask the questions that I'd been carrying around everywhere. I had the agency send the photos via email to David since I had gotten the info.

Four years later & life is very different. David walks around smiling frequently. He loves being a father - something he was very worried about. Of course, I always knew that he'd be a great daddy. Our daughter is a happy, loving, polite, caring person. Erin usually has a smile on her face. She loves music - Hannah Montana, Wiggles, Jewish music, Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, Rob Zombie, AC/DC, etc. She loves movies - Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Finding Nemo, etc. Last week she took her very first karate class & got her white belt. According to her instructor, he doesn't normally give the belt out at the first class, but she was so enthusiastic that he felt he had to.

And let's not forget that we are now part of a larger community. The adoption community is amazing!! We have lifelong friends that I can count on to understand when I need understanding & to laugh & cry with when that's what I need.

Four years has definitely brought about some changes. Thank G-d!

New Bedroom Set

Last Monday David & I took Erin to go buy her new bedroom set. She's been complaining that she wants a new bedroom set. It really was time so we decided to just go & do it. We have learned that Erin has a mind of her own & a good sense of what will work for her. If it isn't something that will drive us nuts & is safe, we usually will allow her to help in the decision process. Anyway, we had the choice narrowed down to 1 bedroom set in 2 places.

When we made the purchase, we were told that because we wanted delivery of everything once, it could take 2-3 weeks. This was not a problem for us since she did have a bed. Friday we got the call from the salesperson that everything was in. We scheduled delivery for Saturday between 7 & 1. BTW, that was in the a.m. I asked her if there was a better time frame & she told me that because of where we live, we would be among the last to get delivery. Cool! That gave us enough time to eat breakfast & pull her room apart.

The phone woke us up at 7:30 a.m.!! Yup. The furniture was here. We were all in bed & nothing was ready. The delivery guys were wonderful & helped us pull everything out of Erin's room. Then they didn't mind that I was taking pictures of her new set being put in.

Passover Show

Friday Erin's class participated in a show called "Haggadah in the Round." Alll 3 pre-K classes & the Kindergarten class participated. It was done really well, & you could see how excited the children were & how hard they had worked.

Erin was so happy to see me at the show. I just loved seeing her big smile! Of course, it didn't last long when she realized that she couldn't come over & sit on my lap. Either way, she was too cute. After the show, we went back to the childrens' classrooms to enjoy a Passover snack of matzah with cream cheese, jelly or chocolate spread.

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Ranting Again

Okay, so I'm tired & bitchy. Heck, it's Monday, & I got no rest this weekend. We had 2 birthday parties on Sunday, & when I say back to back, I mean back to back. Erin enjoyed both parties immensely.

After work today we went & bought Erin's big girl bedroom set. We've planning on doing this for quite a while but had hoped to hold out until her 5th birthday this summer. Unfortunately, she's been very vocal about her bedroom.

"I don't like yellow. I want a pink room!"

"Where are the butterflies?"

"I want a bed like mama & daddy." (BTW, I didn't get a king size bed till I got married. When do you think Erin's getting hers.)

Her bedroom set should be delivered within the next 2-3 weeks. It's going to be pure hell until then.

The whole experience was quite nice since we knew what we wanted when we went in to the store. Even the sales lady tried to be nice. A few of her comments:

Are Oriental children just exquisite? Their eyes & all. . .

When did you get her?

My friend who's Oriental married an American guy. I really hoped their baby would have Oriental features, but he came out all blond & blue-eyed.

I wanted to smack the woman but self control took over. -

I didn't tell her that people are Asian & "things" are Oriental.

I didn't get her. I got a new purse. She came home almost 4 years ago.

Thank G-d your friends' child is healthy & able to be with his birthparents.

Okay, so I wanted to stop the transaction & not buy the bedroom set. Then I looked at my beautiful Asian daughter who had been so sweet the entire time & used her manners. Then I took out my credit card & paid for her new bedroom set. She smiled & all was right with the world.

Muscle Sprouts!

Food is a problem in our family. David & I love it. Erin could care less on a good day. Today we went to Olive Garden for lunch. As usual we were joking around. Erin asked what I was eating today so I told her I was eating muscles which I love. My daughter being who she is, innocently says "Like Brussel Sprouts Mama?" So I told her that these were not Brussel Sprouts but muscles. Erin played Popeye, made a "muscle," & said "See Mama, I have Muscle Sprouts!" Needless to say, David & I fell apart laughing.

Things That Annoy Me!

My friend Sandra http://www.jazzieandtahlia.typepad.com wants to know what annoys me. I'm pretty sure that my list is long. I always say that patience is a virtue. However, I was born without that particular virtue. Needless to say, there's plenty that I find annoying.

• Red lights. If I wanted to sit still & do nothing, I'd stay home.
• My name is T-A-M-M-I-E. Have the courtesy to spell it correctly please. I don't know what possessed my mother to spell it that way (or my dad to allow it), but she did.
• Snobs. No one is better than anyone. We all came into this world the same way, & we're all leaving the same way. Just because you have more money does not make you better.
• People who feel the need to let me know that I have a lot of gray hair. Do they realize that I look in the mirror every day at least once. One of my many allergies is an ingredient in hair dye. BTW, my hubby thinks it looks sexy, & his is the only opinion that matters.
• Stupidity. I refuse to say more here.
• People who are nasty.
• Being yelled at. I will do almost anything for almost anyone. Just don't yell at me. I promise that if you do, I'm going to "turn you off."

Well, I think that is more than enough for now. Hopefully, you're not too annoyed with my post. ;-)

Sleep? Baths? Nah!

I have to admit that I hate being in a funk, but it seems that is exactly where I'm at lately. I've been trying to be "up" for people but don't really have the desire to do it now. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy when I can help others but feel like I need a break.

Erin has always given us trouble with her bedtime. No matter what we do, it's a fight. Each & every night she cries & complains that she doesn't want to go to bed. When we do finally get her in bed, she will call either momma or daddy at least 4 times. It's really wearing on me.

The last month or so she had started to sleep through the night, & David & I were thrilled thinking she'd finally made it past whatever was bothering her. Sunday night, we decided to try it her way. Erin's normal bedtime is 7:30 Sunday through Thursday with an extra half hour on Fridays & Saturdays. With the time change, I knew we were going to have an even harder time getting her to bed. By 8:30 we finally decided that she could stay up in her bed & quietly "read" to herself. The child was still going strong when I went in at 9:30. It was like she had so much extra energy. At 10:00 David very strongly told her to go to sleep. We were up by 12:30 with her crying. And we were up at 2:00 & at 4:00. By 5:00 am, I gave up & stayed up with her. Monday night we put her to bed at the normal 7:30 but got no sleep again. Tonight's not looking much better.

This nighttime behavior is making Tammie a not so nice person. Today at work I just wanted to smack a few people. It's a good thing I have an amazing amount of self control or I'd be out looking for a new job in the morning.

Bath time isn't much better for us either. Ever since Gotcha Day, bath time has been really hard. In the beginning, you would have thought we were drowning Erin she screamed so badly. It was horrible, & David & I cried all the time. Our friend Debbie finally took over bathing duty once she started watching Erin. In the last year, Erin has definitely gotten better. She doesn't scream anymore but getting her to take a bath is just so hard. The production she puts on is interesting now. She'll tell us that she's still clean, doesn't stink, wants to play - anything to avoid the water. We tried a shower once but our neighbor made mention of the screams she heard. Thankfully, this neighbor has known us forever & is aware of Erin's issues. Another person may have called the cops for suspected abuse.

Tonight, Erin tried to avoid going to bed by begging for a bath. I almost cried.

Keep Driving

So the other day I was driving my much loved child to school. I call David each morning to let him know how the day started & that we're leaving for school & work. Erin screams her good mornings to her daddy. After I pull out of our development, I call my friend Debbie so we can BS about "stuff." Usually Erin, Jonathan & Kaylee will try talking to us while we're chatting. This particular day, I finished my morning chats early & was just driving down the road quietly listening to nothing in particular. All of a sudden I hear Erin chatting away so I asked her what was going on. My daughter said to me "It's okay momma. I'm only talking to myself. Keep driving." HUH!?!?

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My friend Debbie

As I was driving home from work yesterday, I was chatting with my friend Debbie. She is a very special person in our lives. When my maternity leave was up, & I had to go back to work, Debbie offered to watch Erin for us. It was a hard decision because she was getting ready to deliver her own special package - our much loved Jonathan. David & I talked it over & decided that Debbie would be perfect as long as it was also okay with her husband Ed. Now here we are 3.5 years down the line, & there is a special bond between our families. Erin & Jonathan don't know of life without each other. Jonathan was born 3 days shy of Erin's 1st birthday, & she came to the hospital with me when I visited him for the first time. Her daughter Kaylee took to Erin the very 1st time she laid eyes on her. In fact, I have a feeling that there isn't much Kaylee wouldn't do for Erin. It must have been hard for Kaylee to all of a sudden have to share her mommy with not only her brand new brother but also Erin.

Anyway, as I was say, I was chatting with Debbie. All of a sudden, I realized that I am so totally in love with my daughter. When I mentioned this to Debbie, she wasn't shocked. Actually, her response was "Yea, and. . . " Debbie has watched me evolve into a mother since we started our adoption journey. I talk over lots of things with her - happy things & frustrating things.

Debbie & I come from very different backgrounds but have found a connection. We met when she worked for the same company that I'm still with. I'm so happy that our friendship continued outside of work.

Baking Hamantashcen at School!!

Tuesday Erin's class baked hamantaschen for Purim. These are yummy cookies baked in the shape of a triangle with fillings in the middle. I love the prune or poppy seed filling best. Erin is like her daddy & prefers the chocolate chips or jam filling. Being in the kitchen is a treat for Erin. She loves to cook with her daddy & bake with her mommy. I went in to volunteer with Erin's class. We had so much fun!

Butterfly World -- Again!!

Erin's school puts on an international show each February, & the children all work so hard to put it together. The show was this past Friday, & Erin really came through. Last year it was like she was in shock & couldn't do anything. This year she shined. BTW, that was what another mommy told me! Oh yeah! I was glowing with motherly pride.

Anyway, to celebrate Erin's hard work, we took her to Butterfly World this past Saturday. She just loves butterflies so it was a great day. We all had so much fun just walking around, looking at the beauty of the surroundings & snapping pics.

I even decided that I would have David take a picture of Erin with me. Normally, I'm the one snapping away. Many of my friends balk when I snap pictures of them with their children. I always tell them that I don't have enough pictures of my mother with me, & I regret that. Well, I'm going to be proactive & attempt to give Erin the pictures that I don't have. Needless to say, I don't believe that I photograph well but I'm going to work on it. Here's your proof!