THE CHESS-MASTER & THE PLUG-MASTER

Ahhhh, my boys. I love them both dearly and they each have their own unique personalities and interests. Anthony, our first born, loves baseball and any sport you can think of - this winter he joined a chess club. He is just SO good and so far he is unbeatable! So, that is why I call him the "Chess-master"! Go Ant!!!

Then, their is Eddie, our second born, he loves appliances, lights, tools; do you see a pattern here? But, his favorite thing ever.... is the plug! Where ever we go, whatever we do; if there is a plug in sight, well, as you can see he will point it out. He not only wants to point them out, but he wants to have a plug discussion, count the plugs he sees and just plain admire them! That is why I call him the "Plug-master"! Go Eddie!!!

*You probably think my blogging troubles are over since I am posting. Sorry to say I still have not solved the problem. The only way I am able to get into my blog is if I create a new blog! So far I have 4 new blogs! This is crazy ~ this new version of blogger STINKS! I am so frustrated!

WHEN THE CAT'S AWAY, THE MOUSE WILL PLAY!

I know I shouldn't encourage him, but he looks so cute listening to his big brothers "ipot", as he calls it. It also gives me a couple of minutes of uninterrupted time to get something done or make a phone call.

Since I'm on the subject of how cute "little brother" is; the other day we were shopping (Poppy came along for the ride) and Eddie saw a globe and asked Poppy, "where China?" ~ brainwashed or just inquisitive? Just too darn cute!!!

TRADITIONS OF CHINESE NEW YEAR!

The Chinese New Year is a time of great excitement and celebration for all Chinese around the world. On New Year’s Eve, family members gather for a huge luxurious feast. Many of the foods served have a symbolic meaning.

Each dish has a prosperous meaning, and the shapes and colors of the foods symbolize health, happiness, and good fortune. The New Year is ushered in joyfully with the thunderous roar of exploding firecrackers to frighten away evil spirits.

The dragon dance is a vital part of this celebration. The dance was originally performed to please the dragon, the god of water, and to ask for rain during periods of drought. The dragon is a symbol of strength, dignity, and success.

During the Chinese New Year, people greet each other with the phrase, "Gung Hay Fat Choy" to wish each other best wishes and prosperity This phrase means " Happy New Year."Families will visit relatives and friends to wish them a Happy New Year.

The younger members visit their elders. The elders give "lucky money" to their younger visitors. "Lucky money"; is money that is placed into specially designed red envelopes. Married couples give "lucky money" to their children and to the unmarried children of relatives and friends.

New Year gifts (oranges, tangerines, and New Year candy) are exchange between relatives and friends.

WHAT A GREAT HOLIDAY! I CANNOT WAIT TO CELEBRATE WITH MIA!

A Year Ago Today ~ January 12, 2006

Unborn Baby

I knew your spirit,
when she came to me,
Tiny,
Sweet,
Unborn baby.

Knew the color of your hair ~
and your eyes,
Knew your traits, your personality,
There was no disguise.

But I had a lesson, I needed to grow,
Although it caused my tears to flow,
God decided to take you home ~
His gain,
My pain,
I would never feel the same.

I still miss you everday,
Still cry sometimes ~
But it is the only way,
I needed to heal and be strong,
I know God's will can't be wrong.

I know you'll never be alone,
Surrounded by angels in your spiritual home,
We'll be together again someday,
In heavens garden for eternity and a day.

~ Written by Sharon Platts

IS IT REALLY WINTER?

You know it's getting cold out when the dog and kids hang out by the heating vent (in the floor)! Eddie and Penny camped out by the "warm spot" as Eddie put it. It really is about time it dipped below 50 degrees in N.Y!

Although Anthony is having a hard time accepting that he has to wear his winter jacket from now on - he thinks he's too cool and looks better in a sweatshirt ~ what will go on when he's a teenager?

Looking forward to our next FCC meeting with the girls (Meaghan and Paige's mommy's) ~ it's Friday night ~

CHRISTMAS CLEAN-UP!

Wow, what a gorgeous weekend in N.Y.! The boys have spent most of their time outside; which is nice. This mommy has been cleaning up after packing away all of our Christmas decorations, and to have the boys outside really helps a lot! The house looks so bare now!

I feel better that I left a "negative" comment for CNN following their disgusting show Friday night on China adoption. They call themselves a "news shows" - that wasn't news, it was... ignorance and stupidity rolled into 15 minutes! If you had the pleasure of missing this show, you can read about it here: http://transcripts.cnn.com/transcripts/0701/05/pzn.01.html and scroll down, I believe it was the 3rd show aired. I am really just saddened that they would air a show where no one seems to have done their homework on the subject. You will find they ask questions such as, "What's the big deal with Chinese children?" and "Why the infatuation?"

I'm sure this topic will come up for discussion at FCC's MOM'S NIGHT OUT on Friday ~ which I am SO looking forward to!

PROUD OF WHAT I ACCOMPLISHED IN 2006!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I am so excited to see what 2007 will bring to my family~ a daughter would be nice (hint, hint); but realistically that doesn't seem possible at this point. But, who ever said I was a realist??

I was just reflecting, as is common to do on New Years Day, and I just wanted to share all that was accomplished in 2006 ~ I'm pretty proud of myself!

FEBRUARY 4TH: Attend adoption seminar (where a newly adopted baby put her darling hands on mine and looked up into my eyes- this is meant to be!)

MARCH 22ND: Sent our application to GWCA (Anthony saw the paperwork and was thrilled to be getting a sister from China - love my Ant.)

MARCH 30TH: We're accepted! (So excited, but soooo nervous-kind of like finding out you are pregnant!)

APRIL 6TH: Sent in our first agency fee

MAY 11TH: Ed & I have our physicals

JUNE 5TH: Our 1st and 2nd Home Study ( I should have gotten a medal for getting thru this!)

JUNE 15TH: 3RD Home Study

JULY 14TH: 4th and last Home Study

JULY 17TH: Our completed Home Study is approved by our agency!!

JULY 22ND: Mailed out the I600A

AUGUST 4TH: Received fingerprint date

AUGUST 15TH: Fingerprinted (and found out I don't have "much" fingerprints left!?)

AUGUST 31ST: Received I171H!

SEPTEMBER 11TH: Sent Dossier to our agency! (I just remember kissing the package good-bye... a lot of love and work went into this!)

SEPTEMBER 15TH: We are DTC! (I was so happy our agency sends out dossiers weekly!)

OCTOBER 16TH: We are LID! (The wait begins, but it feels so good to have a DATE!)

What a Timeline...I know others did this all much quicker than we did. But, this is OUR timeline and a lot went on inbetween these lines (or dates, should I say). There were a lot of "signs", if you believe in that sort of thing. I will have to go into that someday ~ some amazing signs ~ I know now that all the very "sad things" that happened, had to happen in order for us to be right where we are right now.

COME ON 2007 ~ SHOW ME WHAT YOU'VE GOT!!!

Bring on the New Year!

I just wanted to take a moment to wish my friends & family a wonderful, safe New Years celebration!

I wish for us all... PEACE...MUCH LOVE...HEALTH...HAPPINESS!

I hope it will be the year we meet our daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, friend ~ Mia you are so much to so many people!

Mia, we are trying to wait patiently for you, little girl, but it is hard. I just know I love you already ~ kisses, Mommy!

HALF A WORLD AWAY
Half a world away, sometimes it seems we're so far apart.
But, half a world away, is not too far a journey of the heart.

My little one, my precious joy, I'm waiting for you.
My precious daughter, my little girl, I know you're waiting too.

A half a world away, a child waits for a family of her own.
While, a half a world away, a family waits to come bring her home.

My little one, my precious joy, I'm whispering a prayer.
My precious daugher, my little girl, I hope soon to be there.

A half a world away, so many months of waiting are past.
A half a world away, so many miles to bring you home at last.

My little one, my precious joy, you're finally home to stay.
My precious daughter, my little girl, we celebrate this day.

Knowing we will no longer be a half a world away...

*Just thinking about Mia, when we will get to meet, when the wait will be over ~ please, please let's see some referrals...

MY VERY FIRST INTERVIEW! PART II

We did, indeed, make the newspaper on Christmas Eve! There was a picture of a family already home with their little girl; and there were about 3 other families included in the article. I wasn't totatlly impressed - there were some "misprints" and comments I wasn't thrilled with ~ but it had a possitive feel to it.

Ed really didn't understand why I wanted to be interviewed - what good would it do, "why would I want to do this", he asked me. It took "a little" convincing and he never actually spoke to the reporter. I told him I was hoping it would touch someone to adopt from China or ... anywhere!

What I was hoping would come out of this article...actually did happen!!!! When Ed went back to work on Tuesday he was approached by someone who had read the article. He and his wife had been interested in adopting from China and wanted to know about our agency and some other info. I had Ed give him our email address, if they had any other questions. I just about cried when Ed told me - it feels soooo good to help in this way ! I'm happy we got involved and I actually think Ed is too :)

*Just spoke to Ed from work and he said yet another person approached him about the article. He and his wife have 2 sons and had been talking about adopting too. How... interesting :)

CHRISTMAS DAY!

Our morning started off with Eddie sleeping-in (he'd been up during the night with a croup cough!) and we let Anthony start on his gifts ~

Eddie woke up happy and joined in with Anthony opening all the gifts Santa brought! They were thrilled and in awe of all that Santa brought them!

Penny was hesitant to lay on her gift ~ she's still not sure of her bed, but the boys seem to like it (they lay on it more than she does!).

Grandma & Poppy came over to look at the gifts, eat and we all watched "Elf", one of my favorite movies. It was a nice relaxing day ~ hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

CHRISTMAS EVE ~

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PENNY THE RED-NOSED REINDEER!

Penny and her entire family would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2007 ~

*In this last picture Penny is saying "tell me when it's over"!

MY VERY FIRST INTERVIEW!

I received a phone call from my adoption agency today asking if I would mind being interviewed by a pretty well know newspaper (at least I read it everyday...)~ the subject being: Families in the financial industry adopting from China! Supposedly there are many families in this industry adopting from China and we will be among a few to be interviewed. The story is supposed to be a "happy, uplifting, end of the year" article ~

What could I say - "yes!"

My first interview went well. The reporter was very interested in our adoption, how we came to adopt from China and about the long process. He seemed pretty well informed and knew about the new regulations going into affect in 2007. It is kind of funny because he only spoke with me and for those of you who know me, you know I am not the one in the "financial industry"; he will talk to my more financial-half tomorrow ~ that should be very interesting! My husband is not the talkative type...stay tuned for Part II of Families in the financial industry adopting from China and Ed's one word answers!

*I hope and pray that this article will touch someone or encourage others to adopt from China. That would be just...great!

A VISIT WITH SANTA!

We're so excited!

Telling Santa their "secrets"

Yes, they've been very good boys!

Another successful Santa-meeting!

The boys were so excited ~ this was the day we would visit Santa! Thank goodness the line wasn't too bad and the line moved quickly. We were one person away from Santa when they broke the news ~ Santa had to take a break! We passed the time by looking at decorations, people watching, Eddie had to use the bathroom- I tried to hold him off, we talked with other families, yup- Eddie still had to use the bathroom ~ but, Anthony spotted Santa coming back!

Santa came on line and shook hands with all the kids and patted Eddie's head - how sweet! It was our turn and Eddie yells out "I have to do poo, poo!" ~ why did I want him potty-trainned?

It all worked out and he sat on Santa's lap as you can see above. They were SO happy and so was mommy. Oh, I hope they always believe...

(Eddie did use the potty in car - other drivers wanted our parking spot - they honked horns - some even gave thumbs up - some others gave dirty looks - but, Eddie took his good ole' time!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

GIRL'S GONE WILD!!

Yes, my friends and I are out of control ~ off to a local tea house for mini sandwiches, scones and petite fours! They had about 100 different varieties of teas (decaf & regular!); such as chocolate raspberry truffle (mine), chocolate coconut almond (Barb's), creme brule (Mich's) and Debbie also had a chocolate variety that escapes me at the moment! The teas where delicious and tasted like a dessert on their own!

The tea house was decorated beautifully for the holidays~ so quaint and cozy! We got to "catch up", talk about old times and just plain relax! What a great night spent with my oldest & dearest friends! I would love to take Mia here in the future...mother & daughter...or out with her aunts ~ what a nice daydream :)

CHRISTMAS COME EARLY ~

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Every year we celebrate the holidays with my dearest (and oldest) friends and their families. They tell me we've been doing this for 14 years! Can't be ~ I sometimes feel like I'm only 14! We always have a lot of laughs, good food and presents!!

*Just wanted to say, Barbara, Debbie and Michelle, I am so blessed to have had you all in my life for the past 26 years! (They know me so well and still stick around!)
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and I look forward to a fantastic 2007 ~ Love You Guys

Mia, Mia ~ so loved already!

Oh Mia, I wish you were here already...you continue to receive the most beautiful and thoughtful gifts! Grandma and Poppy brought over this ladybug and dragonfly lamp for your room! Aunt Debbie's grandmother (!) made this pink blanket to wrap you in and also a matching one for your crib! I will bring the smaller blanket to China when we go to bring you home... I can't wait to have you home Mia ~

OUR DOSSIER IS IN "TRANSLATION"!

Each month my adoption agency (GWCA) sends out an email letting everyone know where their dossier stands. We are moving right along ~ our dossier is being translated from English into Mandarin! It is another step closer to Mia!

How many pictures does it take to get a Christmas Card??