About Us

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

a weekend full of camping and river fun

This past weeekend, we camped at Onondaga State Park and had a blast. The B.U.L.L radio station float trip was this weekend from the ozark outdoor (or whatever it is called) camp site just down and across the river from Onondaga. Several of us campers bring awnings and set up our river chairs and sit on the river all day Saturday of the float and watch the crazy people (drunk and whateverelse they are) float past us. We stood in a line in the current and told them they had 18 miles to go until take out and then splashed them with our hands and water cannons. FUN. Julia played on the banks with her friend Emily and they both befriended a little terrier named Penny. They had so much fun. We made sure we applied the sun block and stayed hydrated. We even cooked hotdogs on a friends gas grill. Fun. Veggie trays, a yummy chicken salad a friend made (with grapes in it, YUMMY! gotta get her recipe) and then I did have a few adult drinks. So much fun.

I am so glad I get to instill in Julia the fun to have while in the outdoors. Next time I promise to bring my bike because all she wanted to do in her free time at the camp site was to ride her bike around. I did walk with her a few times while she rode, but I want to make it a point to get up on the bike and do it myself too. Much needed exercise.

Julia asks when she can go camping again. I love that. I spent so much time growing up camping and doing outdoor activities that I am so glad she is soaking it up now too. I need to make it a point to take more pictures when we camp. I often forget to do that. I will say I did have my camera with us this weekend, but the battery died as the main group of floaters (average of 3200 floaters for that b.u.l.l float trip).

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Visits with her birthfamily

Ahhhhh, what a great time we had last night. Scenario ...we had been texting all week long with J's birthfamily and the subject of meeting up in person came up and they asked us to meet them Saturday night for dinner. We set a date night at CiCi's pizza and when we arrived, we found all of them standing out in front of the store. Oh my gosh. Tummy Mommy H was there and she had her hair up in a dual cornrow(like a outward french braid) and so did J's birthsister, B! They looked like twins. B has grown so so much since we saw her in person the last time. Heck, she is growing into a near teenager now and her height is soaring up there. J's Birthgrandma M is just as beautiful as ever with her long flowing brown hair and smile. Then there is Little man A, he is not so little anymore. He was just over 4 when J was born and we have only seen him a handful of times up until J's 2nd Bday. So to see them all standing there, in great health (tall and skinny!) was such a blessing.

They all gave us huge hugs and especially J! She gave them hugs right back as if she had just seen them yesterday.

We proceeded inside and enjoyed nearly 3 hours of dinner and chatting time and we gave the kids some change to play the game machines. While at the table we were able to catch up and see how life is treating everyone. H is a cook at a local diner .. She had told us she always wanted to go to culinary school, but she said she was blessed to have gotten this job and LOVES LOVES cooking the breakfast and lunch crowds. M is cleaning apartments still, she wishes she can find something else, but it works really well with the fact that the B & A get off the bus right there at the house and M can just walk out the door to bring them inside.

I wanted so badly (and plan on in the future) asking them if we could bring B & A into the City and have a huge play date with J. I just didn't ask today. I didn't want to put any pressure on our enjoyable evening. I wanted to enjoy looking at their beautiful faces and be so thankful we got to see them in person. It had been nearly 2 years since we saw them in person and only had text messaging as our means of contact sporadically through these last 2 years. I don't want to push any buttons and cause further distance between contact. I did ask B if she needs more paper, envelopes and stamps so she can send J more letters, pictures, drawings etc and she said YES. So this week I will do that and send a box of goodies down to them.

I had missed them so much, but having talked to J's birthmother M, we knew we needed to let them contact flow with H's comfort. And thanks to our agency's Social Worker, we learned it is best to back off and not put so much pressure on the birthmother/family to have numerous visits. I think the visits we have, although far between, make us appreciate the situation and love we have with them even more. It personifies the LOVE we have for each other and respect too.

We gave H a photo book and more pictures. I told her we will for sure send more at her birthday and along with a letter or two. I want to let them see how big she is and how smart she is and how she is growing up to be such a beautiful "Diva" , love of our lives.

When we left, we stood around in the parking lot giving hugs and more hugs. I loved it. We did get some pictures. I'll have to get them printed.

Thank you Lord above for letting us have contact with her birthfamily. What a love to share and what a blessing to have in our lives.

Oh, I did ask her birthmother for a family tree history so maybe we can see that come our way in the next few snail mail mailings.

Monday, August 15, 2011

whatchu looking at. fool

yes, this is my blog that has been severely neglected. Busy is a term I use to describe my life now. Raising a nearly 4 year old child, looking for a full time job, wanting to get back into school, it all keeps me very busy. I hope to put our daughter in pre-school part time again this fall. I hope to find a part time or full time job (maybe babysitting again). I'd like the flexible schedule to help keep up with her school schedule, but we will have to see about that.

Watching her grow up is something i have always longed for. She gets bigger and bigger each day, smarter by the moment and wiser with each step forward. This was my hope and dreams to see her fulfill my wishes of this dream, it is all coming true. I love it. Motherhood is a challenge, but bring it on.

I sent a text msg today to her birthfamily to see if they would want to meet up this wekeend. I am sad to say they have not seen her in person since her 2nd Birthday... Is that right? nearly 2 years? let me check that again. I could be wrong, but it seems ot have been that long. I did print off some photos recently and plan on adding a letter to them in September and seding them off to her birthfamily. I know they appreciate them, but I wish we could also see them and take some pictures with them.

I love being able to share her with her birthfamily and taking lots of pictures is the way I do that. I also send text msgs every once in a whle with a silly picture of her when we are out and about. I want them to see how she is thriving and growing up to be a little girl, not just a baby anymore. I want them to know she is so smart, crafty and sassy! hehehe. Yes, sassy is a light word for some times of the day/week. LOL she tends to show her emotions well and even has an arm folding sneer and umph she makes when she is mad or protesting against something. I love that, but then again as her mother I can say it is frustrating sometimes to not be able to get her to do the things I want her to do and to learn. Patience is what I lack in that department as her mentor and mother.

So since her birthday is late September, she has to go to school for another 2 years.. Preschool that is. I wish her birthday was a few months earlier, since I feel she is skilled and at a level she might fit well in kindergarten. I know I need to let her be her age and grow into school. I won't push her.

Her likes these days in music is cracking me up. I tend to have y98 on the radio often .. lady gaga, katy perry, bruno mars.. she sings them all. She especially likes lady gaga and katy perry. When we are inside, I put on YouTube for her often and let her watch videos as long as they are not too "adult" for her. She will dance for us and sing. Singing in the car is one of her favorite activities.

Speaking of dancing, she is starting Tap/Dance and Gymnastics this fall. She did gymnastics at Litt.le Gy.m this last year, but we decided to change it up a bit and try tap and dance (ballet?, not sure). I can't wait to see her follow instructions for tap. I took tap as s kid and loved it. Getting her to put her hair up for these classes will be a challange. I can see it now that she won't like to let me put it up, but maybe once she sees her classmates, she will then let me put it up in a pony tail. I tried to do a french braid the other day, but it was very loose. I'll keep trying because I love how they look in her hair.

Fun. I'll keep updating. I need to do this from now on so I can keep the updates for her yearly letters and pictures to her birthfamily.

I love our daughter.