Happy Thanksgiving

This is what I am thankful for. My sweet girl. Erin has changed my life so many ways - all good. I have made some wonderful friends because of having this child in my life. I have watched my husband turn into the most amazing father which is a turn-on all on its own. (I know. TMI. You'll all have to deal.)

There are no words that I can find to express the joy that I have in my life because of this child. So I'm going to say thank you to my brother Seth & his friend Kathy. Seth is the one who guided us to his friend Kathy who introduced us to China.

Scattergories

I know. Shocking isn't it. I haven't blogged in forever but seem to need something. Super Mommy has this on her blog, & she seems to think that I need to get back in action, I thought I'd give this a shot.

Scattergories . . .

It's harder than it looks! Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, things . . . nothing made up. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

• What is your name: Tammie
• Boy name: Thomas
• 4 letter word: tart
• Girl name: Tina
• Occupation: teacher
• A color: turquoise
• Something you wear: thongs (think flip flops here)
• Beverage: Tab (dating myself, huh?)
• Food: tortellini
• Something found in a bathroom: towels
• A place: Tallahassee, FL
• Reason for being late: tossing & turning all night long
• Something you shout: TURN HERE!!!

Your turn now. Have fun if you choose to do this.

Book Meme

I guess I'm popular. Who knew!? I've been tagged by both Viv & Super Mommy for a book meme. I enjoy the doing these memes, but when it also involves one of my loves - reading - I'm even happier.

The Rules:

• Grab the nearest book.
• Open it to page 56.
• Find the 5th sentence.
• Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.
• Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the most intellectual - pick the CLOSET.

On Basilisk Station by David Weber

If a hostile task force emerged within energy weapon range of the defenses, those defenses would be destroyed before they could reply, but ships transiting a wormhole junction arrived with a normal-space velocity of barely a few dozen kilometers per second, far too little for a high-speed attackk run. (page 56k sentence 5)

And now I tag Michelle, Lori & Magi.

They Heard Us! They Heard Us! Our Vote Rocked the World!

I couldn't stay awake last night. By 10:30 I was exhausted. It had been a full day at the bank with work & talk of the election. David & I had planned on ordering dinner in so that we could concentrate on the election coverage. I spent the evening watching the coverage & IMing with my friend Lisa. Like so many Americans, we were waiting to see what would happen. Well, I couldn't handle it anymore & went to bed.

Sometime around midnight, David came in to wake me up with the news. We have a new President - Barack Obama. I went back to sleep. And at 3:00 am I woke up & asked David if I had heard him correctly. He wasn't happy at being woken up but sleepily said yes.

When I woke up this morning, it was with a smile. Of course I am also crying here.

The People have been heard. The country has realized that it really is time for change. No longer do we have to listen to someone telling us that there are no problems with the economy. We have an incoming president who understands that there are problems - and not just with our economy.

History has been made. Congratulations President Elect Obama!

Halloween Fun!

A huge thank you to my friends Shari & Myke for Erin's costume. She had such a great time getting dressed up as her all time favorite secret pop star Hannah Montana! If you are ever in need of a costume (for any event), just high tail it over to their business - Exteme Halloween. They have it all! And their customer service? Great!

I had to catch a hug with the secret pop star!

Happy to be out trick or treating this year.

And yes, we do know how to decorate for Halloween! We Floridians have our own style you know! Warning! These are not pics of my home. For the first time in years, I didn't decorate our house. Too lazy this year. What can I say?

The Pumpkin Patch (Octber 19th & 25th)

We went to a local pumpkin patch twice this year. We've never gone before because Erin hasn't really been into the whole thing even though I love it. I'm so happy that she finally changed her mind!

The first time we went, on the 19th, we went with our friends from our FCC group. It was a great idea because we took pictures of all the children in the pumpkin patch. My friend Candy had her hubby snapping his usual fabulous pics. David knows how to capture these children at their best. The man has never taken a bad picture that I know of!

(Of course my camera's lens was filthy but I did take pics anyway.)

Then on the 25th, Erin & I went to the pumpkin patch again. This time we went with our friends from school. Zhanna with Sam, Shari with Alyssa, & Erin & I went to a local bookstore for some Halloween activities and then we moved on to the patch. We went to the same patch because it really was a great place with face painting, pumpkin painting, a 3-in-1 bounce, snacks, places for photo ops & of course buying pumpkins. Sam, Erin & Alyssa have been going to the same school since they were all 3 years old. They had a great time in preschool & are loving going to school during the week & Hebrew school all together. In fact, we meet every morning Monday through Friday by 8:00 so the kids can play & chat while we moms chat about - well, nothing much really.

Fall Festival (October 18th)

Wow, I have a lot of catching up to do here! I didn't realize it but I have been a bad blogger. I'm keeping this blog for Erin, & yet I have done an amazingly poor job of recording what has been going on this month. Here's my chance for a fresh start.

Erin goes to a wonderful charter school that is really close to our house. In fact, I found out Friday night that many of the people we know from her school live in our community! On Saturday, October 18th, her school had their Fall Festival. Local businesses set up tables so the people attending could stop by & get to know the business or buy stuff. I was there representing the bank I work for along 4 of my co-workers. There were so many things to do that I was really surprised.

Hmmm . . .

• Discover Toys
• Cookie Lee Jewelry
• Magnetic Jewelry
• Mary Kay
• The Breakfast Joint
• Wachovia Bank (Do you like my shameless plug!?)
• Bounce Houses
• Pony Rides
• A Cakewalk (You should have seen all the yummy goodies people brought in!)
• Tupperware
• Food galore - roasted corn, carmel apples, hot dogs, beverages, etc

I got there at 8:30 to help set up & had a blast. Of course, while my home looks like a bomb went off in it, I love to organize so I was a happy camper! My friends showed up later to man their own stations since Shari had volunteered all of us to work. Hey Shari! How'd you get out of working The Festival? Did you tell them you were on schedule at your office? (Don't worry. We'll get you back.)

The fundraiser was a total success. The PTO raised almost $4,000 at this one event. No one expected that kind of success.

The best part? It was a great day!

I voted!

I registered to vote when I turned 18 years old. Voting is a privilege afforded me as a citizen of this great country. Voting is a duty because of this great country. I choose to exercise this privilege & to make sure that someone knows what I think.

After dropping Erin off at school this morning, I went to my local library to vote early. I got there at 8:30 & got on line. I expected to have to wait forever. The line moved so quickly that it was shocking. People who don't know each other chatted amiably about anything & everything.

The process was a new one - or maybe this is how they do early voting. I don't know, but I do hope that this is the new way for FL.

When I got back into my car, it was 9:26. Not bad considering my friend Lisa took almost 2 hours to vote today.

Quirks? I have quirks!?

Who knew!?

Viv wants me to list my quirks. These tags are so much fun but goodness they make you work!

1. I'm territorial. That may not be quirky to you, but trust me that for me it is. I'm left handed & use my mouse on the left side. If you move my mouse to the right side, fine. But put it back where you found it. Don't move or touch my things without the knowledge that you better put it back where you found it. If you don't, you will hear about it from me.
2. I almost never take lunch breaks at work. Most people need their 30 minutes (or however long they take). To me a lunch break is a waste of time. I'm in the groove, doing my thing & you expect me to stop so I can eat? Why? Do I look like I'm missing out on food or something? Are you kidding!? The only day I consistently take a lunch break is Fridays.
3. I love science fiction tv shows & movies. However, I absolutely cannot read the stuff. It bores me to tears when it's in the written word.
4. I yawn. All the time. Even when I'm not tired. I don't mean to do it, & I can't help myself but I yawn. My mother used to say that I came out yawning & not crying.
5. I sleep with 2-3 blankets each & every night. At least I start out that way. My hands & feet are always cold so I can't fall asleep without being all bundled up.
6. I love to shop. I mean grocery shop. I find it very relaxing. If I could make a living dong people's grocery shopping, I would.
7. I love to be driven around. Ever since I was a child, if I was stressed out, my parents would put me in the car & just drive. To this day, David does that for me. Back when we didn't have much, a big night out was dinner at McDonald's & a drive down A1A.

Well, you wondered about my quirks. There you have them! No one ever said that I was normal. Besides, being normal is so humdrum.

And those of you who follow? I want to know about your quirks too!

1. Gretchen
2. Michelle
3. Sandra
4. Super Mommy
5. Lori
6. Kim
7. Candy

7 Facts

I've been tagged. Not once. Not twice. Three times! It seems that Gretchen. Vivian and Mary all want to learn more about me. Go figure.

So I'm sitting here trying to think of 7 things about me that people might find interesting. Hopefully I'm up to the challenge!

1. I am married to my first and only love. I met David in 1982 and have been in love with him ever since even though we broke up for a few years before getting back together permanently in 1986.
2. I love my jobs. Truly. During the week I work at a bank (how boring!) where I get to help people with whatever their needs. I also act as the office liaison - purchasing for the office, keeping the peace, reminding everyone that if they don't like what they're doing they should find something else 'cause it ain't worth it to be unhappy for 40 - 50 hours a week for years. I really believe that. On Sundays I teach 1st grade at a synagogue. I really love interacting with the children. OTOH, I really hate the politics at both jobs. Gee. That's a surprise.
3. I love scrapbooking even though I'm one of the least creative people you'll ever meet. I started about 2 years ago with the encouragement of a very dear friend. I now have tons of scrapbooking supplies but no dining room table.
4. Years ago I snored myself awake. Yup. You heard it here. I used to always complain to David that he was keeping me awake with his snoring. One night I woke up & yelled at him to stop snoring when he looked at me in that way that only a man can have & said "Honey, I'm reading. See my book? You snored yourself awake." Oops. He's never going to let me live that one down. (I can't really blame him though.)
5. I'm very flexible. Even at my weight. I can stand up straight, bend over & touch my hands to the floor. Flat. Without any problems. It ooks people out. And Erin is even more flexible than I am.
6. Like my friend Lori, I absolutely can't make a go of my day without my morning coke. David brings me a can of coke every morning so that I can get out of bed. And when I get to the office, I drop my stuff down & go make the pot of heavily caffeinated coffee so that I can become human. The joke in my office is that if you want Tammie to know something, wait till she's had her first sip of coffee 'cause it won't stick without the coffee. I can drink regular coffee & fall asleep in minutes. I drink so much caffeine that I never have a problem.
7. I love to read books. I absolutely love to read romance, mystery, true crime but can't stand reading science fiction or fantasy even though I love to watch it.

There you go. I don't know if it's interesting stuff, but there it is. And now I have to tag 7 other people. Yikes!

1. Sandra - Are we ever going to meet in person?
2. Shari - I know you're busy right now, but Halloween is almost here so you'll have more time eventually.
3. Grace - You may be new to blogging but I love what you have to say.
4. Magi - I have loved reading all about your sweet girl. Now it's time to read about you!
5. Kim - I can't wait to see what you have to say!
6. Candy - Your turn! Now we get to know you!
7. Sandy - It's not like you're busy or anything, but if you get a chance, we'd love to know more!

Have fun everyone!

She Eats Peas!

Woo hoo!!! She ate them!! David & I walked away from the dinner table while Erin was still sitting there eating. (She takes forever!) When David turned around, she was eating peas by the forkful, & I mean a real forkful not 1 or 2 peas on the fork.

He looked at her like she'd grown a 2nd head or something & the conversation went like this:

David: Are you eating peas Erin?

Erin: Yes (smiling with huge grin on her face)

David: Since when?

Erin: I don't know.

Me? I'm happy. Now she can't look at me & say "I don't do green!" By George, I think we've made progess. Yay!

Guess I Need My Bamboo

You Are a Panda

You are a very philosophical, introspective creature. You project a calm vibe. You have amassed a good deal of wisdom in your life. You can teach anyone who is ready and willing to learn. Solitude is very important to you. You don't truly feel at peace until you are alone. You enjoy a few friendships but only when those friendships are with fellow loners.

What Animal Are You?

Don't Vote!!!

It is not a privilege to vote. It is our duty. It is our right. Why would anyone not vote? Don't you care about what has happened to our country? Could people be any more blind to what is happening?

Hey! Stop Movin' My Cheese!

Sometimes life throws things in your path to see how you adjust. That is exactly what's happened to me.

I work for a bank. Not just any bank, but a bank that has been in the news. I started out in March 1996 as a brand new employee of First Union. It was my birthday present to David. I had been out of banking for a year & was totally miserable. Even though I had management experience, I wanted to take it easy & start over. After working there for about 3 months, I got bored & started training to be a customer service rep. I did the entire program in 3 months which shocked everyone. When I decide to make a move, that's it, watch out. In late 1999 I made a career change but stayed with the bank. I can't tell you how lucky I am. Even though I bitch & moan at times, I really do love what I do. I enjoy being able to help people & guide them.

Sometime in 2001, First Union merged with Wachovia Bank. I was so afraid but did my best to hide it. Right after the merger, I was asked to temporarily transfer to another office & guide the employees through the merger. It took me a few weeks, but I finally realized that while I, as a First Union employee, was losing my identity because of the name change, they were losing an operating system & in many cases their home since offices were closing to consolidate. This realization made me more sensitive to why the people in that office were so resentful of me coming in. In the last few years, Wachovia has gone on to merge with other banks. I have tried to remember what I learned during the First Union - Wachovia merger each time.

Now it's my turn. Over the last few months the banking industry has been facing challenges that I have never seen in my 21 years as a banker. Wachovia has been facing some amazing challenges during this time. Clients everywhere have been worried. Employees have been worried. Monday morning the news hit. Wachovia has been acquired by CitiBank.

What does this mean? Nothing really at this point. It's business as usual. So why are people coming into our offices & being so mean? The bank DID NOT FAIL. It was acquired. That means it was a merger. The news has been crazy so people have been crazy. For me the stress has been way overboard. I spent a good amount of time Monday crying whenever I was alone. I have been off from work since late Monday for the Rosh HaShanah holiday. During this time off I've been contemplating what it all means to me. Hopefully, when I get back to work tomorrow, things will have calmed down some.

So. Yes. My cheese has been moved. Once again. Now I just have to follow it or even better anticipate where it will be moved to next time.

Lori,

Thanks for reminding me that this is only a moment in time.

Rosh HaShanah

From our home to yours, we wish you a very happy, healthy & sweet New Year!

I Make Viv Smile!

Apparently I make my friend Viv smile. She has decided that I deserve this award, & I can only hope that I really am worthy. I love the quote at the bottom of the award. "Always remember to be happy because you never know who'd falling in love with your smile."

Anway, I now have to choose 5 friends who make me smile. Let me tell you how hard that is. If you're my friend, or if I read your blog, you leave me smiling. However, I must choose 5.

• Sandra - Just reading your blog & seeing how you guys are doing makes me smile. I look forward to seeing what you & your family are up to. Whenever I see Jazzie, I remember "back in the day" & think of that red thread from Erin to Jazzie. Whenever I see Tahlia, I remember how thrilled I was that we had another red thread going from Erin to Tahlia.
• Lori - I'm so happy that you're blogging everyday although I'd rather your mom's ribs be all better. You have a way with words that just makes me laugh with everything Katie Starr & Ethan are up to. And let's not forget the rest of your family. You guys put a smile on everyone's face.
• Michelle - Girl, my heart goes out to you when it comes to that job of yours. How you keep a straight face when you go in to the office is beyond me. Whenever you post about Luca, I know that it's a great time. When I think of the runs you do, & why you do them, I smile. Why? Because you do it all so selflessly.
• Kim - I miss you terribly my friend. At least Viv stayed on the same continent! I smile whenever I see you've blogged. Why? First, I'm thrilled that you're living your dream. Second, I can just hear you chatting away with me or someone. BTW, I miss searching for beets at the salad bar with you.
• Magi - From the first time I came across your blog, you always managed to make me smile. Now that Sera is home & growing up, I look forward to seeing what she's up to.

Spitting Nails

Right now I'm so pissed off that I could spit nails! I don't even know where the heck to begin so I'll try to do this bullet style.

• Why did I have to buy over $100 worth of school supplies for Erin? Will she actually use 9 yellow folders, 1 blue folder, 1 1-inch binder, 1 marble composition book, 5 yellow wide-ruled spiral bound notebooks, a pack of 48 crayons, 1 pack of dry erase markers, 1 pack of sharpie markers, 1 pack of copy paper, 1 pack of erasers & all the other crap I had to buy!! Impossible! So far when she's come home with homework, I've wondered why the teacher didn't send home any of the pencils, crayons, notebooks or paper that she will need to complete the assignment. How the heck can a child learn to write properly if you don't give him/her ruled paper!? Why would you assume that after going to 2 different stores & spending over $100 that I have any of those same supplies in my house!? I sent them in to school!!! SO WHERE ARE THE SUPPLIES??? Who is using them?? Certainly not Erin.
• I have Erin enrolled in Hebrew school at the synagogue that we belong to rather than the one at which I have taught for the last 17 years. Why? Because she shouldn't be in my classroom, & the other 1st grade teacher has a tendency to spoil Erin. David went to the Open House for Erin's Sunday school class. On the way home from my own teaching, I called to see how things went. He warned me. He told me I wasn't going to like it. Then he made me wait the entire half hour till I got home to discuss things with me. Why is my daughter using a book that teaches letter recognition that is just plain ole wrong!? How can I say this? Easily. I've taught 1st grade Sunday school since 1989. I know what I'm talking about here. Hebrew letters are NOT the same as English letters. They may make the same sound, but there is no comparison beyond that. Her books teach that there is a comparison. And because, the director of the school knows me, I have to tread lightly. I don't tread lightly well. I kind of do a stampede when I'm in this mood.
• After not being sure of whether or not I should continue teaching on Sundays, I went back. My director & I had a long talk. We came to a point where we both got what we wanted. Cool. Great. Couldn't be happier about it. On top of that, I've got a class this year that I'm so happy with I can't wait to go in & teach. My co-teacher has a habit of walking in while I'm in the middle of a lesson to ask me stuff. You know. Where am I in the lesson? Will I be doing all the work in class or sending some home? If she doesn't come in, she'll send her student aid. I constantly have to remind her that I'm in the middle of a lesson & we can talk after class ends. I have never liked being interrupted. Ask David. He'll tell you that interrupting me can be taking your life in your hands. I consider it the ultimate in rudeness. In this case, I loose my class because now they're distracted. I have to be almost pissy with the other teacher who is a very dear woman.
• On top of all that, I can't sleep. David passed out over 2 hours ago. Erin went in without a fight for the 2nd night in a row about 8:00. And, me? I can't fall asleep for nuthin'!

The Start of Sunday School

Erin & I both started Sunday School a few weeks ago. This year it has been hard for us since last year she was going to the school that I've been teaching for the last 18 years. I cried all the way to work that first Sunday morning. I have always been excited that Erin would be with me on Sundays through 3rd grade. However, this past summer David & I made the hard decision that this wouldn't be right for Erin. As much as we all wanted her with me, she needs to go to school along with the children with whom she will be celebrating her bat mitzvah.

While each school has the same curriculum, we use different textbooks. To be honest, at my school, she would have been using more advanced books than her school uses right from the beginning. While this sounds great, she would have been bored to pieces going into the 3rd grade / keetah aleph class. That said, she has her daddy taking her to school on Sundays. And, thankfully, she really loves it. She has children in her class that she's known she was 2 years old. I have a feeling they're going to give Miss Debbie a run for her money!

My class has 15 children which is pretty small for me. I'm excited as always. I've been at the same synagogue for so long that I can remember when many of my students were born because I've had their older brothers &/or sisters! I love the curriculum I'm using. The books are great, & the projects that we do are lots of fun. I guess it's a good thing since I'll only have off 8 or 9 Sundays this year!

Annies Costumes' Top Halloween Costumes for 2008

Annie's Costumes has been around down here for what seems like forever. A few years ago, they switched to being an online business.

They have an excellant selection of costumes. Their customer service is wonderful. They ship all over. Need I say more?

Oh. Yes. I have to. The owners are very dear friends. They love Erin which is great considering she adores them!

So take a peek at the video. You may see someone you know!

Happy Anniversary!

I can't really remember life before Erin. However, I do know that since Erin came into our lives, we have met some very special people.

When Erin was a baby, & home not very long, David & I were both home sick. I was reading email (as usual) & there was a plea for help on one of my boards. A woman in the paperwork stage of her adoption was having trouble getting some documents notarized. I happened to have my notary stamp home so I emailed her that I'd be happy to help her out. We scheduled a time for her to come over, & the rest is history.

This family has become so special to us in so many ways. While they talk about how Kerri wouldn't have come home (Bull hockey!) without my notary work, they gave us a greater gift. That same little girl has shown David that he really can love more than one child. He seems to have this special bond with Kerri. When Viv & Corey were worried about guardianship plans for Kerri, David spoke out & told them that we would take Kerri if the need ever arose. WHOA!!! That sure blew Viv, Corey & me away.

Today is their day. Today Viv & Corey are celebrating 7 years of love, friendship & marriage together. And we couldn't be any happier for them.

We love you guys! Enjoy your special day!