Well, we have finally returned home and I hope that next week, life will return to normal. This past week has been pretty crazy and we were still trying to get back into things. My husband's boss came in with his family from Sunday to Tuesday so I hung out with the family while the men went off to work. It was fun and tiring!! We went to the zoo on Monday for about 4 hours and now I really want to get a membership. This was Jonah's first time to the zoo and I was curious to see if he would enjoy it yet. He loved it!! Part of it was the fact that he was with 3 other kids who he has become pals with and part of it was just the fascination with the animals. The Detroit zoo is set up pretty well so people can get close to the animals in some of the exhibits and Jonah was wide-eyed watching these creatures move around and do stuff. It was fun to watch his expressions!! The zoo is only about 5 minutes away from our house and is open year round so it will be a nice a place to visit with him and good, enjoyable exercise for me!!
Monday night we had them over for a BBQ which was nice. On Tuesday we headed to Dunkin Donuts for a late breakfast and then to a friend's house. She has a 7 month old baby so it was like a Baby/Kids meeting right there. Jonah is getting really into playing "with" other kids and especially LOVES watching older kids and interacting with them. He's good with babies too....more or less.......
We were also having an internet issue - it wasn't working and they said they couldn't get a tech out to us until FRIDAY!!! So if I wanted to get any work done, I had to go to my in-laws. However, many of my e-mails and info I needed were on my computer at home. So that didn't work so well. But after calling Comcast every day, twice a day and explaining how we desperatly needed our Internet because both my husband and I work from home and need to be online and our home phone is run through the internet, we finally found someone to listen!! The customer service rep, Isaac, contacted dispatch to see if they could squeeze us in and called us at about 11 that night to tell us someone would be out on Wednesday to help us. So that was good!!
The tech came out and fixed it and that was that. Shu has been working from home which will be nice when he moves into his "office" downstairs. It's hard for me to be home with the baby and see Shu sitting right there in the other room and not be able to say hey honey, watch Jonah for a minute? I have to do such and such. Cuz he's right there. But I must remind myself - he is working. Also, Jonah loves his daddy and wants to do what he is doing. So if Daddy is typing on the computer, Jonah wants to be there right next to him. Causes a bit of trouble.
One of these days we hope to finish the basement, although in the more immediate future, we need to do something about the room down there so Shu can have his office. And that will make it somewhat easier.
Jonah has gone back to his babysitter and LOVES her and the other kids there. By the third day, he jumped off my lap and headed over to play with a 3 year old friend he had made the day bfore. He hardly even glanced at me. I guess that is a good thing but it's crazy to see his independance.
He is getting into more of a bedtime routine - WOOHOO!!! This means he goes to sleep at night between 7:45 and 9:00 and it's not much of a struggle. He wakes up once at night and goes back to sleep pretty easily (although we need to go in and lay him back down or give him his pacifier). And then he wakes up at about 6am. At that point, I am truly not functioning so I just bring him into our room and he either conks right out or crawls around on the bed for half an hour before falling asleep in some weird position like upside down or sprawled across my legs. And then he is usually out until about 8:30 or 9:00. So this is much more liveable than the way things were in Pittsburgh where it was a fight to get him to sleep at night and a real struggle to get him to go back to bed after he woke up multiple times in the middle of the night. And he was raring to go at 7 in the morning (or so). So I'm happy. Not quite using the Ferber method (except to tire him out) but more using the Baby Whisperer method. Whatever works at the time, really.
But since he goes to sleep so early, it made it difficult when I had a crazy craving for ice cream and Shu was out of town. I did debate putting Jonah in the car seat and just going to the drive through but I restrained myself and waited until Friday to have my Baskin Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip. Mmmmmmmmm.....................................
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Car......
Well, it has almost come time for the AP's to come home and take their car back from us. Despite all the craziness that has occured with that car, we will be sad to see it go. It certainly holds some insane memories!!! The most recent of which you can read about on Shu's site.
Anywhoo, unfortunatly we are going to have to get a second car. Shu is going to be driving all over Michigan for his job (until he hires someone else) and I am going to be back and forth when I return to Kohl's (woohoo) and hopefully to take Jonah to some new places because he is really at the age where he LOVES discovering new things. Plus the general errands that moms need to run. So now comes the question - how? what? where? when?. HOW do we pay for this car (although no one reading this blog can really answer that - unless you have a winning lottery ticket you want to give me). WHAT kind of car do we get - make, model, new, used, lease vs. buy? WHERE do we get it from - ads in the paper or possibly Shu's cousin who works at a Chrysler dealership? And when - well, I guess sometime in August...
Shu's family seems pretty into leasing cars but I have always felt weird about it. Because you pay and you pay and you pay and you don't have anything at the end. Kind of like renting an apartment. On the other hand, if there is a problem with the car you just bring it back and they fix it. You don't have to pay and pay and pay when there are problems with it (like when the air stops working in the MIDDLE of the boiling summer.....twice).
So, I just thought I would throw this out there. What do YOU think of renting vs. leasing? Any Chryslers that are good?
I really know nothing about cars so we are starting from scratch here. Oh, except I really want a Dodge Intrepid because I had that as a rental car once and fell in LOVE with it. But it's not a Chrysler so I may be out of luck.
Anywhoo, unfortunatly we are going to have to get a second car. Shu is going to be driving all over Michigan for his job (until he hires someone else) and I am going to be back and forth when I return to Kohl's (woohoo) and hopefully to take Jonah to some new places because he is really at the age where he LOVES discovering new things. Plus the general errands that moms need to run. So now comes the question - how? what? where? when?. HOW do we pay for this car (although no one reading this blog can really answer that - unless you have a winning lottery ticket you want to give me). WHAT kind of car do we get - make, model, new, used, lease vs. buy? WHERE do we get it from - ads in the paper or possibly Shu's cousin who works at a Chrysler dealership? And when - well, I guess sometime in August...
Shu's family seems pretty into leasing cars but I have always felt weird about it. Because you pay and you pay and you pay and you don't have anything at the end. Kind of like renting an apartment. On the other hand, if there is a problem with the car you just bring it back and they fix it. You don't have to pay and pay and pay when there are problems with it (like when the air stops working in the MIDDLE of the boiling summer.....twice).
So, I just thought I would throw this out there. What do YOU think of renting vs. leasing? Any Chryslers that are good?
I really know nothing about cars so we are starting from scratch here. Oh, except I really want a Dodge Intrepid because I had that as a rental car once and fell in LOVE with it. But it's not a Chrysler so I may be out of luck.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Only In Israel
"At least we can all still daven together. The world will never understand."I got this picture sent to me via e-mail (and don't know who to give photo credit to) so I thought I would share it. Quite a sight. Only in Israel, right?
Speaking of Israel, my friend Shlomi called me from there today. It's been ages since I have spoken to him and it was nice to hear his voice. He got some phone service where he pays 10 NIS a month and gets unlimited calls to anywhere. I should have asked what service it is. Pretty good deal.
Oh yah, and he is looking for a blonde, green eyed girl. Thought I would pass that message along for him. :)
That's all for now. I have to stop procrastinating and finish packing so I can move back to DETROIT tomorrow!!! Hoooooray!!
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Faker
Why is my baby such a faker?
He knows how to climb down one step (head first of course). We know that he knows how because we have seen him do it (when he thinks we aren't looking). But if he is on that one step and we are in the room or were playing with him a little earlier, he will sit on that step and whine and cry until we come over and take him off the step. And he will do a whole production and make it look like he has no clue how to get off the step.
Why is he such a trickster?
He knows how to climb down one step (head first of course). We know that he knows how because we have seen him do it (when he thinks we aren't looking). But if he is on that one step and we are in the room or were playing with him a little earlier, he will sit on that step and whine and cry until we come over and take him off the step. And he will do a whole production and make it look like he has no clue how to get off the step.
Why is he such a trickster?
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
And......TWINS
Noa - you better come on home!!! And Jenna, you better watch out!! Jonah spent all weekend with TWINS. And they are moving in on your man. Well, one of them more than the other - but you know.
And a HUGE Kol Hakavod/Way To Go to my friends Sho and Benny because they certainly have their hands full with those feisty girls (again, one more than the other). What a visit!!!
Just thought I would share these cute pics with the rest of you. Doesn't Jonah look big??
RIP "Baby Car"
We just drove past the site of my fateful accident from the first night of Chanukah 2000. After I retold the story to Shu, I decided it was a blog story. And typing it up in Word would give me something to do while we drive. So here you are….
It was a cold wintery night………I was on my way to Pittsburgh from New York for Mayer’s bar-mitzvah. I was with 2 friends and twins that called to ask for a ride. Twin M and Twin T. We were driving at night and after a few hours, I was exhausted. So Twin T offered to drive. I was very protective of my “Baby Car” which was a red 1990 Geo Prism that had belonged to my Dad. Since these twins seemed to be responsible, good people, I assumed (and you know what happens when you ASS U ME) that they were responsible and good drivers too. Perhaps Twin M is. But maybe not since they are identical so aren’t they from the same egg? Maybe they have the same driving traits? But that’s more than I really want to think about.
Back to my Baby Car. Twin T offered to drive and I asked if he had insurance and will he be very careful. And most important, if he breaks my baby car will he fix it???? And he said YES. I should have had him sign on the dotted line. So there we were. Twin T driving with Twin M in the front passenger seat. And me and my two friends in the back seat. I was fast asleep before we even left the parking lot. But as I was drifting off, I remember wondering if I should put my seat belt on. I was sooo tired and it would take a lot of maneuvering because we were all smushed in the back seat. So I decided not to bother anyone by making them move and I thought, “I’m sure nothing will happen anyway.” Famous last words?
BAM…..BAM…..BAM…. I thought I was back in Israel. Driving back to Jerusalem with Eli after dropping my mom off at the airport. Eli falls asleep at the wheel and we hit the guardrail. Good thing it was there. Because there was a cliff on the other side.
Then I realize I am not in Israel with Eli. I am in my Baby car and we are swerving back and forth on the road. The next thing I see is a forest and I think we are going over the side of the road, into the forest. We’re going to hit a tree and I wonder if death will hurt. Will it be quick? How will it happen?
My head is hitting the ceiling of the car and against the door. And I keep repeating some choice words as the car spins around and around and around until we smash into the guardrail and go a few more feet……
We didn’t die.
We tumbled out of the car and I asked if everybody was ok. The entire night trucks had been speeding along that road and for the minute that it took for the accident to happen, the road was clear. Since it was right outside of a tunnel, no one could see coming out. And the accident could have been a lot worse. I saw the side of the car was a little smashed in and the tire was flat. I just kept saying, ok, it’s not so bad. At least everyone is ok. Thank G-d everyone is ok. Then I saw the trunk open and our bags all over the road. I walked behind the car and saw the real damage. It made me feel sick. It was like looking at a horrible wound. I finally had to look away.
We were all pretty dazed but had to get our heads together. Someone collected the bags from the road, we tried to flag down passing cars and trucks but no one stopped. There was a sign nearby that said NO CALL BOXES NEXT 50 MILES. My friend’s phone had no reception. My battery was dead and charger didn’t work. And while the roads were clear, there was about a foot of snow everywhere else. We saw a house with no lights on across the highway and about ¼ mile back, a building of some sort. So we figured we would just have to hike over there. We left one twin and one friend with the car. We told them they may not want to sit in it because it’s dripping stuff all over and we thought it might explode (after all that is what happens in the movies). But then again, it was freezing outside. So it was their call. The 3 of us began the hike.
We got to the building which turned out to be a maintenance building for the Penn turnpike. They called the cops and we called my friend’s dad to come pick us up. But there was a blizzard in Pittsburgh so he wasn’t happy about it. He ended up coming with my friend’s sister and since the road to Pittsburgh was bad, they wanted to stay in a motel for the night and finish the drive in the morning. But there was only one available motel room. Well, guess who got the room. My friend, her sister, and my friend’s dad. We lit the Chanukah menorah and thanked G-d for our Chanukah miracle. Then the rest of us slept in the car. And we could only turn the heat on for a few minutes every half an hour. What the ????
To make what turned into a very long story – somewhat shorter, I had a slight concussion and was sick as a dog at the bar-mitzvah. I ended up in the hospital later that week for what turned out to be (figured out months later) two herniated discs in my lower back. Luckily, I had good health insurance. But neither insurance (not mine nor his) would pay for the damage to the car. It was a couple thousand dollars of damage and a few hundred more to keep it at the garage until I decided what to do with it. Which was basically have it taken to a junkyard.
Things got pretty ugly between me and Twin T. He refused to take responsibility for anything and tried blaming it on the road, black ice, my (new) tires, my car, anything he could think of. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know if he fell asleep at the wheel or was just going too fast. The cop could not find any ice (black or otherwise) on the road and said Twin T must have been speeding coming out of the tunnel and around a turn. Twin T says the cop is wrong and it was just a fluke.
I know I won’t forget the miracle of the first night of Chanukah. I’m lucky to be alive. We all are. I just wish my Baby Car could be here with us.
And kinda wish certain people would learn to take responsibility for their actions…………….not that I am bitter. No, not at all……
Oh yah, ALWAYS BUCKLE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was a cold wintery night………I was on my way to Pittsburgh from New York for Mayer’s bar-mitzvah. I was with 2 friends and twins that called to ask for a ride. Twin M and Twin T. We were driving at night and after a few hours, I was exhausted. So Twin T offered to drive. I was very protective of my “Baby Car” which was a red 1990 Geo Prism that had belonged to my Dad. Since these twins seemed to be responsible, good people, I assumed (and you know what happens when you ASS U ME) that they were responsible and good drivers too. Perhaps Twin M is. But maybe not since they are identical so aren’t they from the same egg? Maybe they have the same driving traits? But that’s more than I really want to think about.
Back to my Baby Car. Twin T offered to drive and I asked if he had insurance and will he be very careful. And most important, if he breaks my baby car will he fix it???? And he said YES. I should have had him sign on the dotted line. So there we were. Twin T driving with Twin M in the front passenger seat. And me and my two friends in the back seat. I was fast asleep before we even left the parking lot. But as I was drifting off, I remember wondering if I should put my seat belt on. I was sooo tired and it would take a lot of maneuvering because we were all smushed in the back seat. So I decided not to bother anyone by making them move and I thought, “I’m sure nothing will happen anyway.” Famous last words?
BAM…..BAM…..BAM…. I thought I was back in Israel. Driving back to Jerusalem with Eli after dropping my mom off at the airport. Eli falls asleep at the wheel and we hit the guardrail. Good thing it was there. Because there was a cliff on the other side.
Then I realize I am not in Israel with Eli. I am in my Baby car and we are swerving back and forth on the road. The next thing I see is a forest and I think we are going over the side of the road, into the forest. We’re going to hit a tree and I wonder if death will hurt. Will it be quick? How will it happen?
My head is hitting the ceiling of the car and against the door. And I keep repeating some choice words as the car spins around and around and around until we smash into the guardrail and go a few more feet……
We didn’t die.
We tumbled out of the car and I asked if everybody was ok. The entire night trucks had been speeding along that road and for the minute that it took for the accident to happen, the road was clear. Since it was right outside of a tunnel, no one could see coming out. And the accident could have been a lot worse. I saw the side of the car was a little smashed in and the tire was flat. I just kept saying, ok, it’s not so bad. At least everyone is ok. Thank G-d everyone is ok. Then I saw the trunk open and our bags all over the road. I walked behind the car and saw the real damage. It made me feel sick. It was like looking at a horrible wound. I finally had to look away.
We were all pretty dazed but had to get our heads together. Someone collected the bags from the road, we tried to flag down passing cars and trucks but no one stopped. There was a sign nearby that said NO CALL BOXES NEXT 50 MILES. My friend’s phone had no reception. My battery was dead and charger didn’t work. And while the roads were clear, there was about a foot of snow everywhere else. We saw a house with no lights on across the highway and about ¼ mile back, a building of some sort. So we figured we would just have to hike over there. We left one twin and one friend with the car. We told them they may not want to sit in it because it’s dripping stuff all over and we thought it might explode (after all that is what happens in the movies). But then again, it was freezing outside. So it was their call. The 3 of us began the hike.
We got to the building which turned out to be a maintenance building for the Penn turnpike. They called the cops and we called my friend’s dad to come pick us up. But there was a blizzard in Pittsburgh so he wasn’t happy about it. He ended up coming with my friend’s sister and since the road to Pittsburgh was bad, they wanted to stay in a motel for the night and finish the drive in the morning. But there was only one available motel room. Well, guess who got the room. My friend, her sister, and my friend’s dad. We lit the Chanukah menorah and thanked G-d for our Chanukah miracle. Then the rest of us slept in the car. And we could only turn the heat on for a few minutes every half an hour. What the ????
To make what turned into a very long story – somewhat shorter, I had a slight concussion and was sick as a dog at the bar-mitzvah. I ended up in the hospital later that week for what turned out to be (figured out months later) two herniated discs in my lower back. Luckily, I had good health insurance. But neither insurance (not mine nor his) would pay for the damage to the car. It was a couple thousand dollars of damage and a few hundred more to keep it at the garage until I decided what to do with it. Which was basically have it taken to a junkyard.
Things got pretty ugly between me and Twin T. He refused to take responsibility for anything and tried blaming it on the road, black ice, my (new) tires, my car, anything he could think of. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know if he fell asleep at the wheel or was just going too fast. The cop could not find any ice (black or otherwise) on the road and said Twin T must have been speeding coming out of the tunnel and around a turn. Twin T says the cop is wrong and it was just a fluke.
I know I won’t forget the miracle of the first night of Chanukah. I’m lucky to be alive. We all are. I just wish my Baby Car could be here with us.
And kinda wish certain people would learn to take responsibility for their actions…………….not that I am bitter. No, not at all……
Oh yah, ALWAYS BUCKLE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, July 15, 2005
New York, New York
Hi all. Posting here from the Big Apple. Interesting town..... Anywhoo, just wanted to let you know that I may not be able to post for the next few days while we are here because I'm not sure what our schedule will be like (aside from CRAZY). So if you don't hear from me - this is where I am. And I must say, I love my friends here but I HATE this city. Oh I do look forward to coming back to Detroit..............
New York, New York!!!!!
New York, New York!!!!!
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Well, that didn't work. I am trying to put a picture into my Profile and I downloaded some Blogger program thing called Hello. But I am more confused than ever. Can anyone help me?
Anywhoo, this picture popped up somehow - into my post not my profile. This is my baby boy at the 4th of July Parade. Go Red, White, and Blue. :)
But None Ever Cried for Me
Thanks to Digital Irony for the link to this article. Written by Isaac Kohn, here is a thought-provoking article called But None Ever Cried for Me. What are your thoughts?
My Baby Knows Stuff
How exciting is this!!! Donuts knows stuff! I mean he has probably known stuff for a while but this was like interactive and quite exciting. He did two cool things today (and yesterday).
Thing one - we were at the mall checking out and I said to Donuts, "Ok, are you ready to go?" And he waved Bye Bye!!! Like he knew the two things were connected. So that was cute.
Thing two - yesterday we were playing ball, rolling a big blue ball back and forth between Donuts, me, and Shu. Sometimes when it would roll away, we would say, "ok, go get the ball" and he would go get it and try to roll it. Ok, so we clapped and stuff when he got the ball but we just kind of figured that it went with the game. So here is the cool part. Today, Donuts was sitting on the floor surrounded by toys and I was playing with him. I saw a small Pistons ball that we had gotten for him amidst the toys. So I decided to test him. I said, "Donuts, go get me the BALL. Go get the BALL for Mommy." So he looked at me and at his toys, back at me and back to his toys. Then he gave me a big smile, crawled over, got his ball and rolled it to me. YAY for Donuts!!!!
Thing one - we were at the mall checking out and I said to Donuts, "Ok, are you ready to go?" And he waved Bye Bye!!! Like he knew the two things were connected. So that was cute.
Thing two - yesterday we were playing ball, rolling a big blue ball back and forth between Donuts, me, and Shu. Sometimes when it would roll away, we would say, "ok, go get the ball" and he would go get it and try to roll it. Ok, so we clapped and stuff when he got the ball but we just kind of figured that it went with the game. So here is the cool part. Today, Donuts was sitting on the floor surrounded by toys and I was playing with him. I saw a small Pistons ball that we had gotten for him amidst the toys. So I decided to test him. I said, "Donuts, go get me the BALL. Go get the BALL for Mommy." So he looked at me and at his toys, back at me and back to his toys. Then he gave me a big smile, crawled over, got his ball and rolled it to me. YAY for Donuts!!!!
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Countdown to Sleep Training
Thanks to Julie I can now post pictures on my blog and she inspired me to try out some of the other tools on the toolbar. So now I know how to link to a site too. I know it's only a click of a button but I never really paid attention to those before so this is exciting.Here is a picture of my cutie-patutie showing off some of his teeth!! He has 6 of them in all. WOAH. That's a lot of teeth.
He loves to smile and laugh and is a very good-natured baby. He just doesn't like to sleep.
A lot of that is because of our current living situation and the fact that we sort of live in two places and are always going back and forth between them. So of course, "Donuts" can't get on a normal schedule. However, we hope to be HOME SWEET HOME at the end of the month and then the sleep-training can begin.
So, if you have any suggestions on how to teach a child to sleep (remember, he is 10 months old and knows how to pull himself up in his crib) - PLEASE let me know. Especially if you have TRIED and TRUE methods. And if you know of anything besides "cry-it out" that would be nice to hear too. Not because we won't try it but because it hasn't worked since he has learned to stand up. Or if you have some tips on how to get the Ferber method to work - please share!!! THANKS!!!!
Monday, July 11, 2005
Comments
Oops. For those of you who wanted to comment before this but weren't able to because you weren't a member and/or didn't want to sign up - I changed my settings so you too can post a comment. :)
Keep 'em coming. I will try to do the same. Happy Reading!
Keep 'em coming. I will try to do the same. Happy Reading!
Beds
How early can you let a baby sleep on a bed? Like a mattress on the floor...... if you put a babygate by his doorway.......and babyproof the room.......and leave a monitor on..........
Just curious.
Just curious.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Adoption...Part Two
I am fascinated with adoption. And have always wanted to adopt a child or two - in addition to having my own birth children. Recently, I have begun thinking about it more (not that it is going to happen in the near future - just the concept of it has been on my mind).
There is a couple in our shul who have spent the last few weeks in Kazakhstan waiting/hoping/planning to adopt a child (or two). They have kept all of us back in America up to date on their story via their Blog (see link on side to Beth and Noam's Excellent Adventure). It's really been an incredible process and truly an adventure. They will, please G-d, be coming home with 2 new children. A little boy who is a year old and a 7 month old girl. The funny thing is, the kids resemble their new parents. A redheaded son and a dark haired daughter. It's all very exciting and fascinating and we can't wait to meet Jonah's new pals. :)
One of the things that got to me when reading their blog is when Beth and Noam would take their soon-to-be children outside to play, sometimes other kids would be there too and would come over and call them "Mama, and Baba (father) and want to talk to them. It is so hard on them not to be able to take all the kids with them. They said that their new kids have already benefited so much from the one on one attention and grown and rapidly changed. Kids thrive on it and they need the love that comes from a home. It's heart-breaking that there are so many kids out there without homes.
I would love to give one or two of those children a home. Somewhere that they can be loved and taken care of like they deserve and need. I haven't really talked to many people about this and don't know many people that have adopted. So I don't really know the many ups and downs that are involved. I would love to look into it though and just hear people's stories. I can't wait for Beth and Noam to come home and talk to them about their true, incredible adventure. That moment must have been truly amazing to them. When they met their kids for the first time. How did they feel when they walked into the room and saw them?
They said it was love at first sight.
Wow.
Who knows. We'll see.
There is a couple in our shul who have spent the last few weeks in Kazakhstan waiting/hoping/planning to adopt a child (or two). They have kept all of us back in America up to date on their story via their Blog (see link on side to Beth and Noam's Excellent Adventure). It's really been an incredible process and truly an adventure. They will, please G-d, be coming home with 2 new children. A little boy who is a year old and a 7 month old girl. The funny thing is, the kids resemble their new parents. A redheaded son and a dark haired daughter. It's all very exciting and fascinating and we can't wait to meet Jonah's new pals. :)
One of the things that got to me when reading their blog is when Beth and Noam would take their soon-to-be children outside to play, sometimes other kids would be there too and would come over and call them "Mama, and Baba (father) and want to talk to them. It is so hard on them not to be able to take all the kids with them. They said that their new kids have already benefited so much from the one on one attention and grown and rapidly changed. Kids thrive on it and they need the love that comes from a home. It's heart-breaking that there are so many kids out there without homes.
I would love to give one or two of those children a home. Somewhere that they can be loved and taken care of like they deserve and need. I haven't really talked to many people about this and don't know many people that have adopted. So I don't really know the many ups and downs that are involved. I would love to look into it though and just hear people's stories. I can't wait for Beth and Noam to come home and talk to them about their true, incredible adventure. That moment must have been truly amazing to them. When they met their kids for the first time. How did they feel when they walked into the room and saw them?
They said it was love at first sight.
Wow.
Who knows. We'll see.
Shower Games
Does anyone know of any good bridal shower games or fun games to be played at a Bridal Shower? Nothing too goofy...........
Let me know!!
Let me know!!
Adoption
I've always been fascinated by adoption. And I've actually always wanted to adopt a child.
Maybe it's because when I was young, I was friends with a girl who was a foster child. We'll call her Lucy. I remember when she first moved in. She moved in with our neighbors who didn't have any children at the time. Well, Lucy moved in with them and they wanted me to be friends with her. She was a couple years younger than me but not enough that it truly mattered. She was certainly wise beyond her years, had seen too much evil in her life, and was starved for attention and affection. She was 7 and I was 10? Or younger possibly. She had a couple siblings and they were all split up. I don't believe she knew who her father was but her mother lived in California. She was hit often when she was little and then raped and that is why she was taken away. She used to tell me stories about her life but it was hard to tell what was truth and what she added for effect. So Lucy moved in with this family and we became real pals. She definitly gave them a run for their money but they truly fell in love with her. And she with them. After a few years, this family decided to move. And they wanted to take Lucy with them. But in order for them to take her out of the state, they would have to adopt her. Which they had wanted to do anyway. So thus began the whole process of adoption. They wanted her and she wanted them. I didn't want them to move but I knew Lucy becoming part of their family was in her best interests. And the court dates began.
This story has a sad ending though. The judge had some problem with the foster mother and in the end said NO to the adoption and sent Lucy back to California to live with her grandmother. Everyone was devastated and nobody understood. Well, I lost touch with both the family and Lucy but interestingly enough, the family showed up at my wedding! We had sent them an invitation because my Mom was still occasionaly in touch with them. It was the first time I had seen them in years and they now have 3 sons (all birth children). They are in touch with Lucy and she is living in California and may be getting engaged. I suppose she turned out all right.
Being a foster parent seems too hard. You put so much time and energy into taking care of a child and in the good cases begin to fall in love with them. And then they get taken away from you. I mean maybe that is best - if they end up back with their parents who will love them and take care of them. But they couldn't so isn't that why they were taken away in the first place?
To be continued about the adoption part............................Maybe tomorrow.
Maybe it's because when I was young, I was friends with a girl who was a foster child. We'll call her Lucy. I remember when she first moved in. She moved in with our neighbors who didn't have any children at the time. Well, Lucy moved in with them and they wanted me to be friends with her. She was a couple years younger than me but not enough that it truly mattered. She was certainly wise beyond her years, had seen too much evil in her life, and was starved for attention and affection. She was 7 and I was 10? Or younger possibly. She had a couple siblings and they were all split up. I don't believe she knew who her father was but her mother lived in California. She was hit often when she was little and then raped and that is why she was taken away. She used to tell me stories about her life but it was hard to tell what was truth and what she added for effect. So Lucy moved in with this family and we became real pals. She definitly gave them a run for their money but they truly fell in love with her. And she with them. After a few years, this family decided to move. And they wanted to take Lucy with them. But in order for them to take her out of the state, they would have to adopt her. Which they had wanted to do anyway. So thus began the whole process of adoption. They wanted her and she wanted them. I didn't want them to move but I knew Lucy becoming part of their family was in her best interests. And the court dates began.
This story has a sad ending though. The judge had some problem with the foster mother and in the end said NO to the adoption and sent Lucy back to California to live with her grandmother. Everyone was devastated and nobody understood. Well, I lost touch with both the family and Lucy but interestingly enough, the family showed up at my wedding! We had sent them an invitation because my Mom was still occasionaly in touch with them. It was the first time I had seen them in years and they now have 3 sons (all birth children). They are in touch with Lucy and she is living in California and may be getting engaged. I suppose she turned out all right.
Being a foster parent seems too hard. You put so much time and energy into taking care of a child and in the good cases begin to fall in love with them. And then they get taken away from you. I mean maybe that is best - if they end up back with their parents who will love them and take care of them. But they couldn't so isn't that why they were taken away in the first place?
To be continued about the adoption part............................Maybe tomorrow.
Intro.
Maybe that blog about Grandma was kind of random. I start a new blog and don't say anything about who I am or why I am writing or any kind of intoduction. I just write about my Grandma. Well, I decided that I was going to start a blog. And a lot of things were going through my head. And I picked Grandma to write about.
So anywhoo...hi, it's me. I used to share my blog with my husband www.shuandnat.blogspot.com, but it really turned into "his" blog because he had more time and I think more interest in writing. So most of his friends would read his blog and then when I would want to post some random question (like do you have any ideas for bridal shower games?) or if I wanted to write about our baby, I felt like it didn't really belong there. Cuz his friends are more interested in sports and guy things - Ar Ar Ar. Sometime I would post on The Family Blog but some things (although very few) didn't seem like they belonged there either. So I needed my own blog.
Also, I am now (going on 4 months) a stay at home sort of work from home Mom and feel I need a little more interaction then just with my 10 month old son. Who is a blast but when he talks back to me, I don't quite understand his language yet. So until he learns some English, I need a blog.
Well, that's it. Welcome to my blog. I hope to write often and I hope you will read often and don't forget to comment. See ya!!
So anywhoo...hi, it's me. I used to share my blog with my husband www.shuandnat.blogspot.com, but it really turned into "his" blog because he had more time and I think more interest in writing. So most of his friends would read his blog and then when I would want to post some random question (like do you have any ideas for bridal shower games?) or if I wanted to write about our baby, I felt like it didn't really belong there. Cuz his friends are more interested in sports and guy things - Ar Ar Ar. Sometime I would post on The Family Blog but some things (although very few) didn't seem like they belonged there either. So I needed my own blog.
Also, I am now (going on 4 months) a stay at home sort of work from home Mom and feel I need a little more interaction then just with my 10 month old son. Who is a blast but when he talks back to me, I don't quite understand his language yet. So until he learns some English, I need a blog.
Well, that's it. Welcome to my blog. I hope to write often and I hope you will read often and don't forget to comment. See ya!!
Friday, July 08, 2005
Role Models
My Grandma is one of my role models.
She is such a special and incredible lady!! She has been the grandparent that I was always the closest to and now the only grandparent of mine who is living. She's 90 something and boy, is she going strong!!! She's always been crazy and fun and full of life! Even after a heart attack, hip surgery, and shoulder surgery - she just springs back into things. She loves to go to Las Vegas and have her poker parties. She does water aerobics a couple times a week. She is always redecorating her house and is one of the best interior decorators I have ever met!!! She's still driving and I remember once a few years ago when she was driving and annoyed at the driver in front of her for going too slow so she said, "Get those old people off the road!! They shouldn't be allowed to drive!" She's computer savvy with her flat screen fancy shmancy computer and we hope to hook her up with a web cam soon too! We used to make plans for when we win the lottery - where we would go and what we would do. I smile thinking of all of our crazy plans.
She has survived three husbands and by survived I mean divorced :) And numerous boyfriends. None of whom can keep up with her, might I add. She has a so-called boyfriend now who calls her all the time and wants to go out. She shrugs it off and says she keeps talking to him cuz she feels bad for him. :). Aww. But we know she loves the attention!
And she has survived the death of a younger brother, younger brother-in-law, and sister-in-law. And survived the death of a son, my dad. For a while, we wondered if it would break her. But it didn't. She got through it and I don't know how she did it. Losing a child is just wrong. It's not the way things are supposed to be. And as horrible and traumatic as the whole experience of losing my dad when I was 17 was, I can't imagine how she did it.
So that's Grandma. We've had our ups and our downs together - I lived with her after my dad died and we were both trying to deal with it in our own ways. And we did. She's gotten real close with my mom and step-dad since then and I can't tell you how happy that makes me. My step-dad even walked down the aisle at the wedding with my Grandma. That was nice.
I'm proud to be her granddaughter and have learned so much from her. I can only hope that she is proud of me too.
Who is your role model? And why?
She is such a special and incredible lady!! She has been the grandparent that I was always the closest to and now the only grandparent of mine who is living. She's 90 something and boy, is she going strong!!! She's always been crazy and fun and full of life! Even after a heart attack, hip surgery, and shoulder surgery - she just springs back into things. She loves to go to Las Vegas and have her poker parties. She does water aerobics a couple times a week. She is always redecorating her house and is one of the best interior decorators I have ever met!!! She's still driving and I remember once a few years ago when she was driving and annoyed at the driver in front of her for going too slow so she said, "Get those old people off the road!! They shouldn't be allowed to drive!" She's computer savvy with her flat screen fancy shmancy computer and we hope to hook her up with a web cam soon too! We used to make plans for when we win the lottery - where we would go and what we would do. I smile thinking of all of our crazy plans.
She has survived three husbands and by survived I mean divorced :) And numerous boyfriends. None of whom can keep up with her, might I add. She has a so-called boyfriend now who calls her all the time and wants to go out. She shrugs it off and says she keeps talking to him cuz she feels bad for him. :). Aww. But we know she loves the attention!
And she has survived the death of a younger brother, younger brother-in-law, and sister-in-law. And survived the death of a son, my dad. For a while, we wondered if it would break her. But it didn't. She got through it and I don't know how she did it. Losing a child is just wrong. It's not the way things are supposed to be. And as horrible and traumatic as the whole experience of losing my dad when I was 17 was, I can't imagine how she did it.
So that's Grandma. We've had our ups and our downs together - I lived with her after my dad died and we were both trying to deal with it in our own ways. And we did. She's gotten real close with my mom and step-dad since then and I can't tell you how happy that makes me. My step-dad even walked down the aisle at the wedding with my Grandma. That was nice.
I'm proud to be her granddaughter and have learned so much from her. I can only hope that she is proud of me too.
Who is your role model? And why?
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