Blue Suede Beauties - FR: Caroline, Me, Karen. BR: Susan, Tracy, and Cindy - who finally got her girl!Congratulations to Cindy and the boys on their referral of the newest addition to the family, Elizabeth!
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Welcome Elizabeth W.
Blue Suede Beauties - FR: Caroline, Me, Karen. BR: Susan, Tracy, and Cindy - who finally got her girl!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Waiting and Worrying
We are now waiting on our LID. To me, in my mind,this will be the final step that will confirm that we are going to get Ruby. I worry about being turned down. A lot. I want reassurance, I want a "done deal." I want to be able to register for baby gifts and buy pretty things and not get nauseated thinking I may have to return them, "Sorry, no baby."
At my annual exam last year, my GYN recommended an endometrial ablation. Ironically my virtual twin, Shannon, just went through this a few weeks ago. My GYN and I decided to wait until B and I returned from China. I distinctly remember saying, "We'll travel next year." That was a year ago. In March. Now, we are looking at least another year after we get our LID, which could be now or a month from now. I have decided to go ahead with the surgery. I can't wait another year for this. I know I can wait on Ruby, albeit not patiently, but I don't want to put this off for another year or more. I am at the point where I am either in PMS mode, bleeding, or recuperating from the endless period. They are lasting around 10 days now, and are debilitating.
The deal with endometrial ablation is sterility. Granted, B and I are as barren as they come, but this surgery will make it an in-your-face reality. My GYN will also perform a tubal ligation just to safeguard, you know, just in case pigs fly and people in Hell drink ice-water. I will be going in on the Friday before Thanksgiving, and will be taking that entire next week off. I decided November for reasons. 1) My job should be in a groove by then and I'll have a better sense of scheduling clients, 2) I really want Thanksgiving week off to hang out with my mom to cook and shop, and 3) We will know for sure by then if we are definitely going to China because we'll hopefully be 5 months LID. Hopefully.
Bottom line? I want to quit worrying. I want to enjoy shopping for my girl. I want to do all of those things that make me want to puke. I want my LID.
At my annual exam last year, my GYN recommended an endometrial ablation. Ironically my virtual twin, Shannon, just went through this a few weeks ago. My GYN and I decided to wait until B and I returned from China. I distinctly remember saying, "We'll travel next year." That was a year ago. In March. Now, we are looking at least another year after we get our LID, which could be now or a month from now. I have decided to go ahead with the surgery. I can't wait another year for this. I know I can wait on Ruby, albeit not patiently, but I don't want to put this off for another year or more. I am at the point where I am either in PMS mode, bleeding, or recuperating from the endless period. They are lasting around 10 days now, and are debilitating.
The deal with endometrial ablation is sterility. Granted, B and I are as barren as they come, but this surgery will make it an in-your-face reality. My GYN will also perform a tubal ligation just to safeguard, you know, just in case pigs fly and people in Hell drink ice-water. I will be going in on the Friday before Thanksgiving, and will be taking that entire next week off. I decided November for reasons. 1) My job should be in a groove by then and I'll have a better sense of scheduling clients, 2) I really want Thanksgiving week off to hang out with my mom to cook and shop, and 3) We will know for sure by then if we are definitely going to China because we'll hopefully be 5 months LID. Hopefully.
Bottom line? I want to quit worrying. I want to enjoy shopping for my girl. I want to do all of those things that make me want to puke. I want my LID.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Quiet House
C and her brother went home today. The weekend was rough, B pulled his back on Saturday morning and it basically went downhill from there.
B and I learned quite a bit from this experience:
- Having a baby in the house can be a lot of fun. We laughed a lot.
- Having a baby in the house can be very stressful. We bickered a lot.
- Soy formula really stinks. That smell, like instant mashed potato flakes, permeates everything.
- Babies need to have their teeth brushed. You know, from the beginning, we have been on C like white on rice about this. Religiously. Don't ask me why we kept bailing on this poor kid. If he develops massive tooth decay, we're pleading the fifth and deleting this post.
- Sam's Choice wet wipes are crap. They smell awful, no sweet baby smell from these and they shred when wiping copious amounts of poo. We won't be purchasing this brand. Ever.
- Speaking of copious poo, I have a history of poo related issues. This weekend did not help me overcome them.
- B and I are very different types of parents; I stress and he sleeps. We have a lot of middle ground to find.
- We are both incredibly out of shape. We have a year (or more) to remedy this.
It was a good week, but I am happy to have my house back. Next we need to get to work on Ruby's nursery, we're going to need the space.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Shhh...We Don't Know Yet!
I just checked our Parent Access page on our agency's website. Guess what? We were DTC Monday June 19! We haven't received the official email yet, so keep it to yourself, 'kay?
Awesome Gifts
Monday, June 19, 2006
Cutting Off My Nose
C's mom had her second thyroid surgery today. As of yesterday, we are keeping C and her 13 month baby brother, M while mom recuperates. It's looking like we are going to be the home base for these two for the next two weeks, maybe more. Unfortunately, C's mom doesn't get any support from family or M's father. She has to rely on friends to help her out. B and I debated the issue of keeping him (and being his guardian should something happen) for a long time. It's kind of strange, and many wouldn't understand, but we couldn't say no.
It's not always been easy being a stepmom. From the beginning, I have been hyper-aware of my place. I am not C's mom. Oh, more times than not I call her my "daughter," I don't love her any less, and I discipline regularly just like any parent would. Nevertheless, there have been too many times to count when C's mom would remind me of my place. Over the years, I have been told "no" to requests to take her places, not allowed to spend time with her one-on-one because she "needs to be with a parent," denied access to school activities or parent-teacher conferences, had new clothes returned or destroyed, and received parenting and nutrition magazine subscriptions as gifts so I can "learn and understand" what it's like to be a conscientious parent. No I am not exaggerating. But honestly, I wasn't at all surprised when she asked if we would adopt M if she dies of cancer. Why? Because despite all of her spite, I love her daughter. I always have and I always will. No, I am not the "better" person, and I am positive our animosity toward each other is only on hiatus, I am just a person who will not hurt these children because their mother and I don't get along.
So far, my house looks like a bomb dropped, I have been spit-up on twice, endured a 2 am diaper change, I smell like soy formula and laughed till I cried more than once. It doesn't matter though, because if being with Ruby is half this much fun, we've got it made in the shade.
It's not always been easy being a stepmom. From the beginning, I have been hyper-aware of my place. I am not C's mom. Oh, more times than not I call her my "daughter," I don't love her any less, and I discipline regularly just like any parent would. Nevertheless, there have been too many times to count when C's mom would remind me of my place. Over the years, I have been told "no" to requests to take her places, not allowed to spend time with her one-on-one because she "needs to be with a parent," denied access to school activities or parent-teacher conferences, had new clothes returned or destroyed, and received parenting and nutrition magazine subscriptions as gifts so I can "learn and understand" what it's like to be a conscientious parent. No I am not exaggerating. But honestly, I wasn't at all surprised when she asked if we would adopt M if she dies of cancer. Why? Because despite all of her spite, I love her daughter. I always have and I always will. No, I am not the "better" person, and I am positive our animosity toward each other is only on hiatus, I am just a person who will not hurt these children because their mother and I don't get along.
So far, my house looks like a bomb dropped, I have been spit-up on twice, endured a 2 am diaper change, I smell like soy formula and laughed till I cried more than once. It doesn't matter though, because if being with Ruby is half this much fun, we've got it made in the shade.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Lost in Translation
As of June 15, we are currently in translation and almost ready to be DTC. I had to get an additional letter from my doctor telling CCAA that because I have hypertension I can still parent a child. This is letter #3. 3! Regardless, we were pushed back et another week and now we are just hoping to be DTC before July. AAARRRRGGGGG!
Friday, June 16, 2006
Bright Light City Gonna Set My Soul...
Oh, how to describe my recent trip to Memphis to meet some of my bloggy pals? It was a fantastic time. I would love to include pictures with my narrative, but blogger is not being cooperative. I downloaded some, but they are lost in space. I'll try again later, or maybe they'll just pop up. We'll see. Anyways...
Friday we drove all day. My friend Caroline went with me to offer moral support and conversation on the long way down and back. Caroline is quiet and unassuming and calls me on my shit when I'm being a spaz. The drive wasn't bad, just long. There's just not a lot to see on the Blue Grass Parkway. Ironically when we arrived, Traci was in the car in front of us, and Karen pulled up in a taxi right behind. We met up with Cindy, who'd arrived earlier, and all went to Bahama Breeze. It was wild to see these women that I felt like I knew, but really didn't know at all. We had a great dinner and went back to the hotel. Susan had arrived while we were out, but Caroline and I were so tired we just said hello and made plans to meet in the lobby the next morning.
Saturday, Karen, Susan, Caroline and I hit Graceland with a vengeance. After a breakfast at the secret I-Hop, we ran around like tourists snapping pictures, getting temporary tattoos and giggling like we were in high school. Caroline and I hit the car museum, while Susan and Karen admired the airplanes. We dashed back to the hotel, freshened up and met up with Susan and Traci to head to downtown Memphis. We had lunch and the waiter was a hoot. He called me "love" and was gracious enough to snap pictures with 5 different cameras. We started a trends and 2 other tables whipped out digitals and hit him up for some snaps.
We had reserved a carriage ride through the city and once we piled into the seats, I bailed. Too tight a squeeze, and 20-30 feet into the ride my butt was asleep. I jumped out and tooled around the air conditioned Peabody hotel while the rest of the ladies toured Memphis. I am sure Chester the carriage pony was appreciative, and I had a great time. I shopped and talked Pencil Pointer puzzles with a Russian storekeeper who was whizzing through one in his native language (v. v. cool, btw), watched a very young wedding party in very expensive attire swig Bud out of the bottle, and watched the Peabody Ducks do their evening parade to their private penthouse. All in all, my hour alone was really fun.
After the carriage ride, we shopped a little more, and the ladies all chipped in and bought Ruby a gift, which was really sweet. If blogger wasn't being a bitch, I would proudly share a picture of her ducky t-shirt and puffy "Quack, Quack" Little Golden Book. Soon, soon. Thanks again, pals.
We walked to Beale St. and ended up BB King's Blues Club. We listened to music, Karen and Susan were Ikettes, drank a blue cocktail called "Lucille" and finally ate BBQ. Cindy split to shop without 3 boys clinging and pleading for mercy, and the rest of us hung out and rested our dogs. After a while, Susan, Caroline and I walked the length of Beale St looking at the bars and shops. I was amazed to see children running around, but the most shocking sight was seeing a pregnant woman chugging an industrial sized beer. Nice. We looked into the grimy windows of Coyote Ugly and saw the bartenders dancing stripper-style on the long bar, and a skinny Elvis impersonator that was kind enough to let Susan snap his picture. Around 11:00 we caught a cab and headed back to the hotel. I sat up front because I get carsick and chatted with our driver, Gregory. On the way out of the taxi, he handed me his card saying, "Here's my card. Give me a call if you're ever back in Memphis or you get a divorce." Wow, I haven't been hit on in forever. Thanks, Gregory, for capping off a great day.
The next morning Caroline and I dropped Susan off at the airport and headed home. I was exhausted, but would do it again in a heartbeat. I met some wonderful women who gave me a little bit of hope during this bleak time of waiting for Ruby. What a bunch of great broads. We have to do this again.
Friday we drove all day. My friend Caroline went with me to offer moral support and conversation on the long way down and back. Caroline is quiet and unassuming and calls me on my shit when I'm being a spaz. The drive wasn't bad, just long. There's just not a lot to see on the Blue Grass Parkway. Ironically when we arrived, Traci was in the car in front of us, and Karen pulled up in a taxi right behind. We met up with Cindy, who'd arrived earlier, and all went to Bahama Breeze. It was wild to see these women that I felt like I knew, but really didn't know at all. We had a great dinner and went back to the hotel. Susan had arrived while we were out, but Caroline and I were so tired we just said hello and made plans to meet in the lobby the next morning.
Saturday, Karen, Susan, Caroline and I hit Graceland with a vengeance. After a breakfast at the secret I-Hop, we ran around like tourists snapping pictures, getting temporary tattoos and giggling like we were in high school. Caroline and I hit the car museum, while Susan and Karen admired the airplanes. We dashed back to the hotel, freshened up and met up with Susan and Traci to head to downtown Memphis. We had lunch and the waiter was a hoot. He called me "love" and was gracious enough to snap pictures with 5 different cameras. We started a trends and 2 other tables whipped out digitals and hit him up for some snaps.
We had reserved a carriage ride through the city and once we piled into the seats, I bailed. Too tight a squeeze, and 20-30 feet into the ride my butt was asleep. I jumped out and tooled around the air conditioned Peabody hotel while the rest of the ladies toured Memphis. I am sure Chester the carriage pony was appreciative, and I had a great time. I shopped and talked Pencil Pointer puzzles with a Russian storekeeper who was whizzing through one in his native language (v. v. cool, btw), watched a very young wedding party in very expensive attire swig Bud out of the bottle, and watched the Peabody Ducks do their evening parade to their private penthouse. All in all, my hour alone was really fun.
After the carriage ride, we shopped a little more, and the ladies all chipped in and bought Ruby a gift, which was really sweet. If blogger wasn't being a bitch, I would proudly share a picture of her ducky t-shirt and puffy "Quack, Quack" Little Golden Book. Soon, soon. Thanks again, pals.
We walked to Beale St. and ended up BB King's Blues Club. We listened to music, Karen and Susan were Ikettes, drank a blue cocktail called "Lucille" and finally ate BBQ. Cindy split to shop without 3 boys clinging and pleading for mercy, and the rest of us hung out and rested our dogs. After a while, Susan, Caroline and I walked the length of Beale St looking at the bars and shops. I was amazed to see children running around, but the most shocking sight was seeing a pregnant woman chugging an industrial sized beer. Nice. We looked into the grimy windows of Coyote Ugly and saw the bartenders dancing stripper-style on the long bar, and a skinny Elvis impersonator that was kind enough to let Susan snap his picture. Around 11:00 we caught a cab and headed back to the hotel. I sat up front because I get carsick and chatted with our driver, Gregory. On the way out of the taxi, he handed me his card saying, "Here's my card. Give me a call if you're ever back in Memphis or you get a divorce." Wow, I haven't been hit on in forever. Thanks, Gregory, for capping off a great day.
The next morning Caroline and I dropped Susan off at the airport and headed home. I was exhausted, but would do it again in a heartbeat. I met some wonderful women who gave me a little bit of hope during this bleak time of waiting for Ruby. What a bunch of great broads. We have to do this again.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
More on Memphis tomorrow
Man, photos + me + Blogspot = headache and hours of irritation.
It took over an hour just to get those pictures lined up.
I'll post about our awesome trip tomorrow. Yawn.
It took over an hour just to get those pictures lined up.
I'll post about our awesome trip tomorrow. Yawn.
Takin' on the King
Self-portrait in Elvis' mirrored stairwell
Karen of Gwenblog (password protected) and my very quiet friend Caroline getting ready for a rocking day at the home of the King - Graceland!
Susan getting her "Burning Love" shimmer temporary tattoo by Sequoyia, a very sweet Graceland employee.
The final resting place of the King
Friday, June 02, 2006
I Hope No News is Good News
Well, everything has been submitted to CCAI for a week now. We are officially in critical review and translation. If all goes well, we should be DTC in the next 5 to 10 business days. That's all I'm saying because I don't want to jinx it.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
The Story of We
A few days ago one of our directors was discussing her daughter's wedding. It's planned for May 2007, and they have budgeted 25K for the whole shebang. Firstly, knowing this person, I wasn't surprised. Secondly, I thought, damn, that would pay for another adoption. Thirdly, the conversation got me thinking about my own wedding 7 years ago today.
B and I had only been together 11 months. We were living together, to the chagrin of both our parents. Memorial Day weekend, I was supposed to have surgery to determine what was making my period so crazy. The day before the surgery, Friday, I came down with tonsillitis which caused the doctor to cancel. That night, as we were getting ready for bed,B asked me what I was going to do with my time. My response, "Clean the house." His rebuttal? "Well, let's get married." I said okay, rolled over, and passed out in a medication-induced coma. Romantic, huh?
Because it was a holiday weekend, we had to wait until a Tuesday. We loaded C into the van and headed to Catlettsburg Kentucky to get married. Our parents followed us down and we the whole thing was complete by 12:30, because the minister had a root canal scheduled at 1:00. C was very excited and somewhat disillusioned as to why we were there, When we arrived, she asked me, "Where is she?" When I asked about whom she was talking, she said "Married? We're here to get Married!" To this day, this is one of her favorite "when you were little" stories.
We all had lunch and came home. B and I gave C a nap, took her to her mom, and went to see Star Wars: Episode I. I'll never forget sitting in that empty theatre running my thumb absently over his wedding band, thinking to myself that this is it, he's the one.
I still feel that way. We had a good day. I got the requisite flowers and gifts, and we also had dinner at Cafe Cimino, a lovely Italian restaurant owned and operated by our neighbor's father and stepmother. The food and atmosphere were romantic and delicious, respectively, but the best part was the drive up and back. For an hour each way - the pleasure of each other's company. Seven years, and we have yet to run out of things to say.
B and I had only been together 11 months. We were living together, to the chagrin of both our parents. Memorial Day weekend, I was supposed to have surgery to determine what was making my period so crazy. The day before the surgery, Friday, I came down with tonsillitis which caused the doctor to cancel. That night, as we were getting ready for bed,B asked me what I was going to do with my time. My response, "Clean the house." His rebuttal? "Well, let's get married." I said okay, rolled over, and passed out in a medication-induced coma. Romantic, huh?
Because it was a holiday weekend, we had to wait until a Tuesday. We loaded C into the van and headed to Catlettsburg Kentucky to get married. Our parents followed us down and we the whole thing was complete by 12:30, because the minister had a root canal scheduled at 1:00. C was very excited and somewhat disillusioned as to why we were there, When we arrived, she asked me, "Where is she?" When I asked about whom she was talking, she said "Married? We're here to get Married!" To this day, this is one of her favorite "when you were little" stories.
We all had lunch and came home. B and I gave C a nap, took her to her mom, and went to see Star Wars: Episode I. I'll never forget sitting in that empty theatre running my thumb absently over his wedding band, thinking to myself that this is it, he's the one.
I still feel that way. We had a good day. I got the requisite flowers and gifts, and we also had dinner at Cafe Cimino, a lovely Italian restaurant owned and operated by our neighbor's father and stepmother. The food and atmosphere were romantic and delicious, respectively, but the best part was the drive up and back. For an hour each way - the pleasure of each other's company. Seven years, and we have yet to run out of things to say.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Holiday Hell
Man, today was rough!
- Using my new chef's knife Rachael Ray style, I almost sliced off my right pinky. Let's just say I filleted it, and it is continuing to seep as the rest of my finger turns bluish-purple. Still. 12 hours later. Yes, I know I should've had a stitch or at least some of that human super glue stuff, but no. I didn't realize how much you use your pinkies when you type.
- I have to make a big decision. C's mom has another child, who's only a year old. She has asked us to help out with him while she's recuperating from her next surgery. She has no family willing to help, and her best friend just said no. I don't know if I can do it for many, many reasons I can't discuss here.
- Said bio mom came to my parents picnic with said baby. It was hard, not because of the baby, he's a baby, what's not to like? C on the other hand has assumed the "mommy" role because she's doing the bulk of the lifting. It's nerve-wracking and frustrating, plus she's really annoying about it. I guess that's one reason I am discussing here.
- B and I were talking about this as we were leaving my parents, and I backed my Sorento into my father-in-law's new Chevy Trailblazer. Big crunch, but no major damage. My truck barely has a scratch. We have decided to get an estimate and go from there.
- I had to come home and write a paper that was due on a freaking holiday. The hell?
Saturday, May 27, 2006
How Bizarre
I just noticed that in the picture of B and me and in the picture of Elliot, they are holding their heads the same way. B is way cuter!
Friday, May 26, 2006
Here's the Deal, Pickle
So, B and I made this big trek to D.C., went through the harrowing process of fighting with the State Dept, relyied on strangers, and all-in-all had a pretty good weekend. I mean, we had fun, I got a Nine West purse for 12 bucks, and we ate really good Italian and really bad Mexican food.
Well, amidst all of this fun, we didn't realize was that we took 2 copies of B's police clearance reports and none of mine. Basically, when CCAI got our dossier, it was one document short. Plus, they wanted more pictures of us with friends and family.
Pictures I could do - that's easy I have a new camera. Getting that document authenticated was another story. Prior to crying tears of frustration and embarrassment, I called our dossier rep Amanda who confirmed the news and led me in the direction of an Adoption courier. Now, I really wasn't sure if I wanted to trust a stranger with our precious cargo, but what choice did I have?
I contacted Laura of The Assistant Stork, and she took care of us. Although it cost us a little more, she had it taken care of in less than a week. As of yesterday, CCAI has the last of our dossier documents, and I hopefully can say we are in critical review. My hopes for being DTC in May are shot, but my DTC group hasn't kicked me out, so I guess that's okay. Besides, with the wait, what's another week?
Well, amidst all of this fun, we didn't realize was that we took 2 copies of B's police clearance reports and none of mine. Basically, when CCAI got our dossier, it was one document short. Plus, they wanted more pictures of us with friends and family.
Pictures I could do - that's easy I have a new camera. Getting that document authenticated was another story. Prior to crying tears of frustration and embarrassment, I called our dossier rep Amanda who confirmed the news and led me in the direction of an Adoption courier. Now, I really wasn't sure if I wanted to trust a stranger with our precious cargo, but what choice did I have?
I contacted Laura of The Assistant Stork, and she took care of us. Although it cost us a little more, she had it taken care of in less than a week. As of yesterday, CCAI has the last of our dossier documents, and I hopefully can say we are in critical review. My hopes for being DTC in May are shot, but my DTC group hasn't kicked me out, so I guess that's okay. Besides, with the wait, what's another week?
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Yes, We Are
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Word of the Day - Antagonize
Well today we found out that C's mom definitely has thyroid cancer. She had surgery on Monday and was told she was cancer free. When she went to have her post-op check-up and have her drain removed, her doctor said, "We were wrong, you do have cancer." So it's a massive radiation treatment and a second surgery. Damn, that sucks.
C's bully situation has escalated over the past few weeks, and we can't wait for school to be out, just to get a break. The problem is, C just can't get it and she antagonizes this one boy and two girls who torture her. She gives as much as she gets. Where they are mean, hateful bullies, she is spazzy and annoying - on purpose. We've tried to work with her on calming down and recognizing that she's being a spaz/annoying/childish, but it's just not clicking. I don't even want to go into how she handled herself this week at After School Care. I won't go into the details; they're too painful for me to type and for you to read.
It's hard for B & me to see her struggle, but for very different reasons. B still sees her as an innocent, precious baby. I see it from a clinical perpective - anxiety inducing plummeting self-esteem that can scar teenage girls into making bad decisions. Before I began working in the field of MR/DD, I was a Family Preservation Specialist and worked with children exclusively for 6 years. I have seen the damage children can do to each other, especially girls her age. I can't separate from this situation the way I could then. This is my child. You can't imagine how thrilled I am that she has one more year of elementary school. The thought of her going to middle school at this maturity level makes me want to puke.
C's bully situation has escalated over the past few weeks, and we can't wait for school to be out, just to get a break. The problem is, C just can't get it and she antagonizes this one boy and two girls who torture her. She gives as much as she gets. Where they are mean, hateful bullies, she is spazzy and annoying - on purpose. We've tried to work with her on calming down and recognizing that she's being a spaz/annoying/childish, but it's just not clicking. I don't even want to go into how she handled herself this week at After School Care. I won't go into the details; they're too painful for me to type and for you to read.
It's hard for B & me to see her struggle, but for very different reasons. B still sees her as an innocent, precious baby. I see it from a clinical perpective - anxiety inducing plummeting self-esteem that can scar teenage girls into making bad decisions. Before I began working in the field of MR/DD, I was a Family Preservation Specialist and worked with children exclusively for 6 years. I have seen the damage children can do to each other, especially girls her age. I can't separate from this situation the way I could then. This is my child. You can't imagine how thrilled I am that she has one more year of elementary school. The thought of her going to middle school at this maturity level makes me want to puke.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Pictures
Obsessions - Spring
If you've been following along, you'll know I have a tendency to obsess on things I like or love. Well, I have a whole new crop for spring so here they go...
- My new camera, the Canon PowerShot A430. I have been taking pictures like a crazy woman, but have yet to figure out how to download them. Be prepared, they're coming.
- Elliot Yamin. In the 5 years I have watched American Idol, I have never voted. This week I did - twice. Before, I really didn't care. With the exception of the Clay Aiken upset (moment of silence here), it was always crystal clear who would win. This time, it's up in the air. I have been sweating it every week in fear that Elliot would be booted. I really want this little guy to win. He's against the odds - he's got that he's-so-homely-he's-cute-but-damn-can-he-sing! thing, a stinkeye, and he's humble. Plus, his mom is his #1 fan. I am not ashamed to admit how happy I was with Wednesday's Chris Daughtry bitch slap.
- The Office. I was in love with the BBC version, and I bow down to the comedic genius of Ricky Gervais. Nevertheless, the American version has hooked me. The last five minutes of Thursday's season finale killed. I am pretty into Jim and Pam, but nobody does painful, heart-breaking, unrequited love as well as Martin Freeman's Tim in the original. The American version parallels the BBC version pretty well. Dwight rules.
- Jill Winters. I just finished reading her newest, Lime Ricky, and loved, loved, loved it. Her novels are funny and always have a mystery. Great chick lit. Read.Them.NOW.
- This blog, Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Novels. Snark at it's finest. I have found kindred spirits, because I, too, am a smart bitch who loves me some trash. I also love their takes on romance novel covers, they are laugh-out-loud funny.
- School. Spring semester has been out for 2 weeks, and I am so ready to get back in the groove. Who woulda thunk? I am taking one class this summer, Curriculum Development, and I am developing an online professional/continuing education class on classroom management for K-12 teachers with the professor I am praying will be my chair. She wants to work with me and/or have me in class before she agrees. Well, this summer I will be doing both. Wish me luck - she's the one that I want ooh, ooh, ooh, honey!
- Games Magazine. I have been a fan for years. My favorite puzzle is the Pencil Pointer crossword. It's a big square crossword where the clues are in the puzzle instead of being numbered and each clue can have multiple words. A few years ago Games put out an all Pencil Pointers special edition. I couldn't stop until I finished the whole thing. Every time I go to Books-a-Million I search for another special edition. Keep your fingers crossed.
- Baby Clothes. B & I discussed timeframes for purchasing while I was molesting this, this and this. I put them back and remembered my vow that I would not buy anything baby until we knew for sure we were going to get Ruby. To him, that means an actual referral. To me, that means a LID. Well, let me tell you it's hard. I glance longingly wherever I go. I try to avoid shopping alone. When I am with someone, it's easier to resist.
- My upcoming trip to Graceland. I am meeting some epals for the first time for a fun-filled weekend in Memphis. I am excited, but a bit nervous. I am afraid they won't like me, I won't be cool, fun, stylish, etc... When it comes to the China adoption community, there are more times than not that I feel I am on the outside looking in. I am nervous that this will be one of those times.
- Our dossier. It's out of my hands now and I am scared to death. Enough said.
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