Early Halloween fun

"Dog & Beth"--Halloween 2007

Homer & Marge--Halloween 2008
Calypso dancers--Halloween 2009

Every year, we are invited to a friend's Halloween party. It's always a lot of fun for us and the kids, especially since the hubby and I have started to dress up. The first year we dressed up, we went as Dog & Beth. That was pretty fun and probably our best costume idea as a couple yet.

Last year, we went as Homer and Marge Simpson. Hubby had a lot of fun doing creating my "hair".

This year, we were struggling to come up with a clever idea that was kid-friendly, but a lot of fun too. So many of the costumes out there are NOT kid-friendly and a little too risque' for my "un-risque' " body-type. I googled and I searched tons of Halloween costume websites and came across the Calypso dancer idea. I found the idea for hubby's costume first--he thought it was hilarious.

I have the most fun creating our costumes by searching re-sale or consignment shops. I was able to find my dress at a consignment shop for $4 and my shoes on sale at Wally-world for $11. Not too bad and they went pretty good with the costume theme. I even surprised myself by not killing myself walking in those high heels. Surgery on an old ankle injury make wearing heels out of the question for me--for the most part.

Thank goodness for a mother-in-law who is a sewing genius with tons of experience creating costumes, prom dresses, wedding dresses, etc. You name it, she's probably sewn it. Without her help, I never would have done as well on our outfits this year. She completed most of hubby's pants, while I tackled the shirt. Man---there were a lot of ruffles to sew! And a few moments of irritation like breaking the needle on the machine at midnight. Of course, I didn't have any spares and had to wait to run to town the next day. Live and learn. You should always be prepared for the unexpected when you are projecting and live 30 miles away from the town with all the supplies.

I got it done though and we had lots of fun with it.

Obviously, from the pics you can tell that I didn't sew the kids' costumes this year. I asked Cole several times and let him look at several choices for his costume. He still wanted to be Darth Vader. I think it's just because he wanted the cool light saber.

I talked Allison out of being a princess (again) and once she saw this pink mermaid costume, she was in love. I have always let the kids be whatever they want. Halloween is their day to have fun. With 2 parties to attend this year before we even get to Halloween, we seem to get our money's worth out of them.

Four years ago today...

We were in China and we met our daughter for the first time. In the adoption world, some call it "Metcha Day" while others refer to it as "Gotcha Day". We were just happy to be completing our family. Four years seems so long ago because it seems as though you have been with us from the start. We were fortunate enough to be with you when you turned 9 months old while we were in China. We were fortunate to meet you when you were so young. We are fortunate to have you as our daughter. I'm posting a few pictures from China. They are some of my favorites.


Taken at the famous White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou, Sept. 05.

She always has been a natural ham for the camera. It didn't take her long to know what the camera is. She actually posed like this on her own while we were in China.

Meeting Daddy for the first time. A funny story about this picture, she must not have ever seen anyone with a big nose before because she reached up and grabbed Russ' nose. Anyone who knows Russ will understand that he doesn't allow ANYONE to touch his nose (he's gotten hit too many times in football and defensive tactics class) Of course, he obliged for his curious gal!

Meeting Mommy for the first time! She never cried. She was very curious and just took in the entire scene around her. She had just journeyed on a bus for 5 hours with her nannies and other girls from her group. They traveled from her hometown of Tonggu, in Jiangxi province to the capital city of Nanchang, where we stayed in a hotel. It was hot at the government office building where we met the girls since there wasn't any A/C. Most of the buildings in China do not have A/C. Yet, she was dressed in long sleeved pajamas and had a onesie on underneath. Still, that was pretty light dress compared to how most of the babies are dressed. It was a chaotic scene with names being called, babies and parents crying and camera flashes constantly going off. Some were videotaping as the nannies handed each new parent a beautiful baby girl. Despite the chaos, there was happiness. After all the paperwork hurdles, the financial hurdles, making arrangements and worrying about Cole and then the long flight, we were finally here to get our daughter!

First Day was a hit!

Allison had a great time at pre-school today. She chose a dress (shocker) & I was afraid she might be too dressed up, but there were several other little girls in her class dressed similarly. Allison could hardly wait to get dressed and go to school. She asked if I had her backpack all ready at least 5 times. She wanted to take her lunch too, but they only eat lunch together on Fridays. Since she doesn't know her days of the week yet, she constantly asks if she gets to take her lunch tomorrow or not.

When I dropped her off, there were SO.MANY.KIDS there ! I learned there are 29 in her class (whew!) but there are 3 teachers. I so don't envy those teachers. That's a lot of 4 and 5-year -olds in one room at the same time. Allison had no trouble at all meeting the teachers and running off to find the dolls and dress-up box. My only fear is that she wouldn't take time to use the bathroom because of the new surroundings and too many new, fun things to do. I mean, who has time to potty when there's so much stuff to check out?

I picked her up and she was all smiles and very excited. They sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "E I E I O" as she called it, and ate cookies, colored a picture of Tigger and brought home a little sheet that said she knew all her colors. Already?? I don't even have a keepsake box ready for all this crap yet. I so need to get on the ball for her.

No tears. No clinging to my leg in fear that I would leave her. No tantrums. You know, I don't recall her EVER doing that? Family--do any of you? She is such a social bug who fears NO ONE that I can't think of one time I have taken her someplace where she has clung to daddy or I. She is happy to see and talk to everyone.

It's a whole new world to experience with this little one. I just can't wait to see what she has in store for us!

Starting pre-school tomorrow

It's already Sept. 8--where the hell did the last few weeks go? Oh, I know. They passed me by as I was laying in the recliner or in bed recovering from the hysterectomy. I'm ready to feel better. Not sure how soon that will happen though. I've not had any medications for my RA/fibro since July and it's really taking a toll. I think a snail moves quicker than I do most days.

But, that's not what this post is about!! Allison is starting pre-school tomorrow!!!!!! I've been trying to prepare her, letting her know when she is starting, getting her backpack and lunch box and telling her she's going to have to LISTEN to the teacher and not do what she wants to do in class. I think she will love it. She loves to be the center of attention though and I'm afraid she will have to learn the hard way that she's not the ONLY one in the class. She will go 3 days a week for a few hours and on Fridays, she gets to stay an extra hour to eat lunch with her class. I don't know what is more exciting, eating with a bunch of other 4 year olds or her new butterfly lunch box? I'll update as soon as possible with pics & info about her first day. Poor daddy has to be in Indpls for ANOTHER conference. I swear, how in the hell did I manipulate my schedule when I was working??

Cole seems to have adjusted fairly well to 5th grade. He's gotten a 100% A+ on EVERY.SINGLE.SPELLING.TEST so far!! Woo--Hoo!! That is a huge feat for him and we are making a big deal out of it. We still must figure out how many A's he needs to get in order to earn the Nintendo DS we have promised him. I am marking his progress on a chart. I just don't know how many we should make him achieve before issuing the reward. I don't want him to lose interest and give up before he's able to achieve it. But, I also don't want him thinking that he only needs a couple more and then he'll give up the rest of the year. I KNOW he is working hard. We are working hard right along with him to make sure he stays on track. Let me tell you, keeping his focus & concentration is the most challenging thing in my life. Standing firm is the second most difficult. But, all in all, I am pleased with how well he's doing. We've been talking to his teachers and they are pleased as well. Big Smiles!!

A new start

Today is the first day of 5th grade and Lord help us, I hope it starts off good. I stayed up late making sure clothes were ready, the backpack stuffed with supplies he will no doubt lose track of and the kitchen poised to cook breakfast. I was determined to start off on the right foot. As I fried the bacon, hubby even asked if I was going to keep this up every day. I am not a morning person. At all. They are just too early for me. If it were up to me, life would begin around 11. Maybe by then my sore body would be ready to function.

Never mind the fact that I think that school is starting way too early. It feels as though the summer escaped us and all the goals I had intended to fulfill went right out the window. Where does the time go? Just yesterday we were stressing over him starting kindergarten and now--5th grade. Maybe he IS ready. Maybe we aren't.

We worry about his daily struggles in school. His attention span. His lack of focus. His need to get up and move around every few minutes. His need to be included in social groups but his unsurety on just how to interact. Of course, the biggest worry is how others treat him.

Our biggest challenge is keeping him on task and boosting his confidence so that he can work independently. A task that is easier said than done. Our life revolves around medicine schedules and social or extra curricular activities must be carefully planned. We are very diligent about ensuring that things run smoothly. Now, we must hand off that trust to the school to make sure that things run smoothly.

I hope and pray this year is easier, better. I'll be watching and I'll be ready.

The Cat got my tongue

Yep, that's what I'm claiming happened. The cat got my tongue and that's why I haven't posted anything here since January. I became one of those bloggers I hate--just disappeared for awhile with no explanation. In my defense, I have thought about a post a million times. I've had time, opportunity even. My problem was the direction I want to take this blog. Do I write about the things I really need to write about--the frustrations with my body, the irritations with my son's teachers, the crap at work (which isn't so much of an issue anymore) or do I leave it the kid blog? Hubby has issues with divulging too much family info. I, on the other hand, would really love some more feedback and think that I could really connect with others out there if I could only... explain/unload/vent. I have come to love several blogs and really connect with the women writers. They say what they want (I'm sure with some reservations like the rest of us on just how much to share) but when you get an audience that appreciates and identifies with what you are saying, it does wonders to your own feelings. Validation is something everyone needs.

We deal with some real tough issues at our house. When things get rough, I tend to wall myself back into a corner and stay there until it's safe to come out. A horrible defense mechanism taught by my mother, the ostrich. I lock my mind up and don't let it out. I deal with only the bare minimum in daily life to get by, or until I am forced to come back to reality. Unfortunately by then, the depression has taken a foothold and the downward spiral continues.

This is not the type of person I am suppose to be. This is not who I am. This is definitely not where I wanted to be in life--career-wise. If it weren't for my hubby and family, things would really be shit.

For now, I decided to just get a post up. Get some pictures up and see where it takes me. The thought of keeping up with another blog just doesn't sound appealing. I will have to carefully think how to tackle some of the subjects I'd like to blog about. Stay along for the ride. Comment if you can. It might be good for all of us.

Locking it down

It's time to lock the blog. If you read now and want to be considered to continue to read, send me an e-mail. I'm going to leave this up so anyone who does read will be able to send me an e-mail. After a week or so, I'm locking it down and you'll need a password to enter

Thanks