Notes From KY...

• Tomorrow is the last day of January and unfortunately there were no referrals for the month, again. There isn’t even a rumor of the possibility of referrals coming. Disheartening.

• Last night I went to dinner and a movie with a really fun group of women. It was so much fun, I felt like I was in high school again! We laughed, talked about boys, ate, went to a movie, and LAUGHED! We saw When in Rome. It is a cute movie. Great for a girl’s night out!

• I am still not the proud owner of a steam mop. I can’t find the one I want around here. My dad gave me the idea to look at Lowe’s, so if I can’t find one there I am going to either order it on-line or wait until I go to Lexington. As long as I get it before Polar Cub is home all is good. At the rate the adoption has slowed down, I have plenty of time.

• One of my students at school had a real scare this past week. He was told that is may have cancer. His biological mother died of cancer, and he was told he may have the same thing. My heart went out to him. After some more tests the doctors are not sure any more it is cancer ~ Thank God.

Yesterday T came in and wanted to talk about being a vegetarian. This scare has made an amazing change in this young man. The questions he asked me yesterday touched my heart. He wants to do all he can to be healthy and strong. When I met T three years ago all he dreamed about was being in Special Forces. Everything he talked about was army and zombies ~ he makes me smile. Now he is talking healthy diets, exercise, and graduating high school.

The best part of my job is seeing the changes that occur in my kids. There are the improvements in their reading and writing, but more amazing is the change in maturity. They all come in as gawky, hormonal teenagers ~ and several leave that way. Many of them, though, mature into young adults who make me so proud.

(By the way, I didn’t talk T into being a vegetarian. We talked about better meat choices. Right now he eats fast food hamburgers and sausage pizzas. I told him that being a vegetarian is more than cutting out meat. I told him that if he is wanting to ‘bulk’ up he will need good sources of protein. I don’t want anyone to think I preach being a veggie. For me it is a personal choice. For kids I think protein is an important food group. I don’t plan on raising our daughter as a vegetarian. I will provide healthy, organic meat choices for her.)

• The pictures that I used in the new header are pictures that we hung in Polar Cub’s room. The moment I saw the prints I fell in love with them. While I was laying them out so Big Bear could hang them it occurred to me that they tell our journey to China.

Meeting Polar Cub in China

Touring China...

Getting to know Polar Cub...

Our journey home and beginning our life as a family.

Yes, I know it may be a stretch and you all now KNOW I'm nuts, but I've had way too much time to think about things. I am so ready to begin the next chapter. The chapter where the word Wait will no longer be a four letter word!

Feel Like A Kid At Christmas

Do you remember when you were a kid the feeling of anticipation that started just around Thanksgiving? It usually really took hold when the toy ads hit the newspaper and the Sears catalog came in the mail. That anxious, excited feeling that would make time seem to stand still.

I haven’t felt such a feeling in YEARS! Until a few weeks ago. The month of January has been the longest month so far in terms of waiting for the next batch of referrals. I thought for sure another month was skipped, until I looked up the date for the last set of referrals. They came out on December 30th. I can’t believe it hasn’t even been a month yet.

At times my stomach feels like it is full of butterflies. There are moments of tears ~ for example the other night when Big Bear told me that he ordered three tickets for next years UK football games. He thought Polar Cub should have her own seat. TEARS!

Instead of looking at toy store catalogs like I did when I was waiting for Santa Claus, I am looking at baby gear sites. We went through tubs of baby things that we have collected over the last four years and put them away in Polar Cub’s drawers. We have even started our ‘going to China’ pile. I have been a cleaning fool. Right now our house is so clean, even my mom could drop by and it wouldn’t faze me.

Warning! A tangent! Speaking of cleaning I am on the hunt for the perfect steam mop. We have a tile in the kitchen that has so many tiny grooves. Even though the floor is clean for a house with three dogs, the thought of our baby crawling on that floor without getting deep down into those grooves gives me the heebe jeebies! I have the mop narrowed down to two, and hopefully by the weekend I will be the proud owner of one.

Unfortunately, I think these excited, frantic, anxious feelings are going to go on for longer than a few weeks like they did at Christmastime when we were younger. I think we will see a referral in March ~ maybe April. I wonder if we will be the first group to hit the 48 month mark? On one hand it is good to have the time, I have decided on a few projects that need to get done around the house before we go to China.

Years ago we waited for Santa Claus to come down the chimney.
Now we are waiting for the stork to land.

Snow Day #4

Yes, we are on snow day number 4! Usually I would be over snow days at this point and ready to get back to school. I never like the thought of having to make up more than one or two snow days at the end of the year. Having this week has been a blessing in disguise, though.

On Monday my knee popped out of whack again. Every once and a while the meniscus in my knee will pop out of place. It takes a couple of days for it to right itself, and then a few more days for the pain to stop every time I take a step.

Things are looking up! This morning I didn't reach for the Adv*l bottle before anything else. Having the time off has been good, because the days would have been quite long at school on this knee.

Another reason I don't mind the snow days this year is because ~ do I dare say ~ I am hoping we are in China when it comes time to make up the days. Now that I have said it CC@@ will slow down even more and we won't travel until June or July, but a girl can dream.

It is supposed to be bitterly cold here this weekend. Right now it is a whopping 9F outside. Even Florida is getting hit with uncharacteristically cold weather. Stay warm out there!

Snow Day #1

The phone call came late last night, about 10:36 to be exact. I was sound asleep and didn't understand the message when I answered the phone. I had to get up and go down to the computer to double check I heard correctly. :o)

Happy Snow Day Everyone!!!

Anyone Interested in Ladybug Decor?

Three years ago while trying to decide on the decor for the nursery Big Bear and I couldn't agree on anything. Finally, somehow, it was decided that we would do ladybugs and daisies.

White daisies are my favorite flower, and ladybugs just seemed appropriate. With a decision made I set about finding things to decorate the room. I had seen a cute wall border back in the beginning of the search, and then when I went to order it - it was discontinued. Of Course!

Thankfully my friend K1 was able to find it. I was so excited. Over time I ordered several other items for the nursery, as well. As things came in I would put it into the room that would one day be the nursery and shut the door, not feeling the need to rush into anything.

Two years go by, and as the summer of 2009 was approaching I thought I had betterstart working on the nursery while I was off of school for the summer. Unfortunately I was WAY over the daisy and ladybug theme. I knew I should use it, I had all sort of ladybug decorations. I just wasn't feeling it.

One day Big Bear and I were talking about working on the nursery and I told him how I felt about the theme. He says, "I can't believe you don't want to do a polar bear room, since you like polar bears so much."

My jaw dropped! A polar bear room was the ORIGINAL theme I wanted to do four years ago!!!!

BAM!! Out went the ladybugs! A new search began for polar bears. I was irritated with Big Bear, especially since he now takes credit for coming up with the theme ~ jokingly ~ but I am super excited how the nursery is coming along.

So in ending this LONG story, is there anyone out there who may be interested is some ladybug items? Do you know anyone who may be interested in some ladybug decor?

I have:

The ladybug rug is 27inches in diameter.

Four rolls of the wall border. Each roll is five yards long.

Two plug covers.

Three switch covers.

Wallies ~ I think I have two packages of these, but I'm not sure

If you are interested in any ~ or all ~ of these please email me. If you only want one or two things, we can work that out, too!

Baby Shoes?!?!?!

During the next few months, if not years, I think I am going to be eating a lot of crow. I used to believe that I wouldn’t have those panic moments of worry about motherhood. I was going to let it happen and just deal with any thoughts or feelings of worry that may –or may not – arise.

The other night I had my first mini “Oh Good Golly” thought. I was watching Lisa's year in pictures video. (Which is a fantastic video of Briana!) As I was watching I kept noticing that Bri had several cute little shoes. Suddenly a little, tiny butterfly started in my stomach, soon one little butterfly led to several huge, honkin’ bats as I started to worry about baby shoes! Baby shoes people!!

In my head I started hearing:

• You have to buy her shoes
• You don’t know how to buy baby shoes
• You have no clue how to buy little girl shoes!!
• They come in strange sizes! A one is bigger than a three ~ what the Hell?
• What if I buy them too small?

I can laugh about it now, but I kid you not I was frazzled. It was a very strange little conversation that went on in my head. A mini- “Oh Good Golly what are you doing?” – passed through.

Don’t worry! I don’t need a straight jacket, yet! I didn’t talk back to myself! I was able to rationalize through it all; after I walked away from the computer, took some deep breaths, and a swig from the Makers bottle. (Just kidding about the Makers – we’re out!)

Thankfully after an email from my friend Lynette she was able to calm my nerves about the shoes, oh and the pediatrician! Thanks Lynette! I have a feeling that as we get closer to Polar Cub there may be a few more of these mini “Oh Good Golly” moments. I better find some good recipes for crow, stock up on some more Makers, and keep my phone charged – All my 'Been There, Done That" friends, be ready for some crazy texts! :o)