The year in a quick summary

Happy New Year everyone.  I know it's only New Year's Eve, but since I'll be out of commission for the weekend, wanted to bestow wishes to you all! 

This year has been amazing, tough, eye-opening, and just all around great.  Let's review shall we?

Jan....Tigger had only been with me about 2 weeks or so, I was still getting used to her, anxious and nervous about everything and I ended up in the ER due to not eating well and my electrolytes (ok Potassium) going out of wack making me not able to move....

Feb....Court had a .26 hearing and terminated parental rights on Tigger's bparents.  Tigger sits independently

March....Getting used to a work schedule and infant schedule all by myself after going back to work. 

April....glad for a break, family from NJ came down to meet Tigger.  60 day appeal period over from TPR.

May....found out there was a paperwork error and so finalization of Tigger would have to wait.  My 32nd Birthday!  Tigger crawls. 

June.....decided not to work summer school for the first time in 7 years so I could spend 10 weeks home with Tigger....money was a wee bit tight but oh so worth it.

July....My grandpa and step-grandma came to meet Tigger and stayed for a few weeks....Tigger loves her great grandpa! Tigger's birthday, an awesome 1st birthday bash leaving me tired!  oh yes and visitors from TX with trips to museums and the zoo...much fun was had by all...Tigger pulls to stand.

August....Great-Grandpa still around and just hanging out enjoying our time together

Sept....the start of another [school] year, Tigger has problems with transitioning to the toddler room at daycare

Oct....we decide to let Tigger mature a bit and leave her in the infant room for a few more weeks with transition to the toddler room going slowly, Tigger walks Halloween weekend.

Nov....transition finally takes place and Tigger begins to enjoy the toddler room at daycare.  Finalization happens on National Adoption Day!  woo hoo

Dec....Tigger and I enjoy some beginning traditions and have a way better Christmas season than last year! While Tigger will always be my Christmas baby, that first year was tough with transitions and Tigger getting used to me and my family. 

I hope your year was great.  I wish for a wonderful new 2011 year for all of you!  Filled with growth, love, maturing, and peace.

Love,
DannieA and Tigger

I totally need therapy!!!!!

I have some good adoption and [our] family life updates/posts coming up, however, this is another "out there" posts from me.

I don't know why, maybe it's due to resorting to creativity and fantasy world living because I was an only child growing up and that was how I spent my days playing in my room or maybe it's just because I'm crazy but I really get into my 'dramas'.  If I'm reading a book series, I become the characters or I get so involved it's like they are family to me.  Yes I know, I'm looking up psychologists in the yellow pages as we speak. 

When I was growing up, I fell into the world of "little house on the prairie"....I figuratively fell into the TV box and was part of the family.  I made up my own character, when I wasn't watching the show my mind thought up scenes in my head where I spent afternoons in, just living the life I saw in that show.  In my room, I played in my fantasy world of 'little house on the prairie' and I saved people, I was hurt, I was found, you name it, I acted it out or at least thought about how I would write myself in and I pretended I was a part of that family to the exclusion of my own.  (I did say I needed therapy right?!)

I did this with reruns of the old Batman and Robin series (you know, Adam West and Burt Ward who happens to be neighbors with my co-worker....freaky).  I was catwoman.  I fell in love with batman, I did the moves (of course it was easy with the um balloon words "pow" "shazaam" going on), I still am catwoman sometimes, she's just awesome!

In college it was 'The X-files'.  Oh my word.  I was Dana Katherine Scully, I was in love with Agent Mulder, I dreamt about them though I shouldn't get into detail as minors may read this (although the more recent news of him checking into rehab for sex addiction kind of killed it), I wanted to kill Tea Leoni for marrying David Duchovny, my friend and I devised a plan for how to get David Duchovny to fall in love with me and leave his wife (did I mention I needed therapy?) and oh let's not forget college where my friend and I (and her brother) filmed an "x-file " episode and I was Agent Scully.  I even cut my hair like her and yes friends as bad as it is to admit it, I constructed an entire scrapbook devoted to the "x-files"....it sits in my album/scrapbook rack.  Oh yes and because in the very first episode, the pilot episode Agent Mulder painted X's on the road where "strange" occurrences happened, my friend and I bought red spray paint and went out around town to spray paint X's on the road too.  That was the night we got chased by the police I think and we ran, but to be honest I didn't know it was the police that was after us...thank goodness he bought that story...I so thought we were going to be arrested!

I was into "without a trace" "cold case" and I am Brenda Leigh Johnson of the LAPD from "the closer", let's face it her hubby on the show "Fritzy" is one fine looking specimen of the male gender. 

However, now I'm agonizing with "Fringe".  I just saw the last new episode from a couple of weeks back on the dvr tonight and while for the most part I'm not a shipper fan....last time was x-files, this season is killing me with Peter and Olivia.  I just want them together already....without distractions of the alternate Olivia who now has totally built a wedge in Peter and Olivia's budding feelings for each other....oh and the way it ended just made me sad.  This my friends is agony in the fantasy world.  I don't know if this is a good thing or not, but I've suffered through this since childhood and while I know these are TV shows that end eventually, I really get caught up in the storyline and build my own with it...how weird is that?  The most heartbreaking ending to a 'drama' episode...see it here!

One good thing that has come from this is that I can write creative blips here and there.  Not so much for blogging per say, but for things that need wit, such as church items  like "reader's theatre".  I've written them for church and for family Christmas gatherings (cousin's readers theatre is usually present), and I love it.  It's fun to delve into fantasy land and come up with lines of a story sometimes.  But one should come back and not be so into the fantasy life that it takes over one's whole world!

What happens when love comes at the wrong time?

And thus begins the sentence of one of the worst pieces of news (under wedding celebrations) that I've ever read.

Yes I know this post is not about my family nor is it about adoption.  Heck, I don't even take time to gossip or nay say about things I agree or don't agree with that much.  I try to be level-headed about most things and above all compassionate but this, oh this is just too much for me to handle. So yes this is actually me, DannieA being slightly annoyed [ok maybe more than slightly]

This Wedding Celebration announcement/article should be about two people coming together and getting married, but ugh the more I read the more I want to throw-up a little.  Hmmm we could sing the Brady bunch tune, yet....oh wait, both of them were still married to other people when they met and decided they were soul mates....yeah sanctity of marriage and all that crap. 

It's stories like these that really make me glad I'm single and avoiding the craziness that is happening out there. 

Take this wonderful section about the thoughts going through their heads:

Ms. Riddell said she remembered crying in the shower, asking: “Why am I being punished? Why did someone throw him in my path when I can’t have him?”
In May 2008, Mr. Partilla invited her for a drink at O’Connell’s, a neighborhood bar. She said she knew something was up, because they had never met on their own before.
“I’ve fallen in love with you,” he recalled saying to her. She jumped up, knocking a glass of beer into his lap, and rushed out of the bar. Five minutes later, he said, she returned and told him, “I feel exactly the same way.” Then she left again.
As Mr. Partilla saw it, their options were either to act on their feelings and break up their marriages or to deny their feelings and live dishonestly. “Pain or more pain,” was how he summarized it.
“The part that’s hard for people to believe is we didn’t have an affair,” Ms. Riddell said. “I didn’t want to sneak around and sleep with him on the side. I wanted to get up in the morning and read the paper with him.”
With that goal in mind, they told their spouses. “I did a terrible thing as honorably as I could,” said Mr. Partilla, who moved out of his home, reluctantly leaving his three children. But he returned only days later. Then he boomeranged back and forth for six months.
The pain he had predicted pervaded both of their lives as they faced distraught children and devastated spouses, while the grapevine buzzed and neighbors ostracized them.
“He said, ‘Remind me every day that the kids will be O.K.,’ ” Ms. Riddell recalled. “I would say the kids are going to be great, and we’ll spend the rest of our lives making it so.”
The problem was she could not guarantee that.
All they had were their feelings, which Ms. Riddell described as “unconditional and all-encompassing.”
“I came to realize it wasn’t a punishment, it was a gift,” she said. “But I had to earn it. Were we brave enough to hold hands and jump?”
They did jump. Both officially separated from their spouses by late 2008, though they waited until July 2009 before moving in together.
“I didn’t believe in the word soul mate before, but now I do,” said Mr. Partilla, who is 46 and in January is to become a chief operating officer of Dentsu, a Japanese advertising agency.

Ugh...people, marriage is a vow.  I understand divorce when there is domestic violence/abuse and outright secret adultery going on, but come on....you can decide to forgo or heaven forbid MOVE away if it's that much of a temptation.  After all, nobody said you weren't going to find people attractive or enticing after you married.

Christmas bed fiasco and a wonderful Christmas 2010

Thursday night I had big plans….I had big plans to fill up an air mattress I had so Tigger and I could sleep under the Christmas Tree and wake up to Christmas breakfast and presents….this year since our schedule was a bit different due to Christmas falling on Saturday, the day our family attends church so Christmas Eve was going to be filled with relatives and Christmas Day was going to be at grandma and grandpa’s house so I decided we would treat Thursday night (the 23rd and Friday morning as OUR Christmas).

Well I didn’t have a motorized air pump so as I was getting ready to go buy one, my dad says…oh don’t do that, I have a foot pump and it will get it done….so without thinking, I said “sure”. Well after about an hour and a half of pumping and really starting to feel the muscles in both my legs getting exhausted, I just about had it and decided that I would just be creative to make the bed soft (downstairs is tile and a flimsy area rug so I did need the area where we would sleep to be relatively comfortable and not hard)….so I just threw (both under and over the barely filled air mattress) lots and lots of comfortors, blankets, flannel sheets until it became a make shift bed.   We then did some role playing with our play nativity little people and I dressed Tigger up for fun, nothing formal or anything, I"m not that uptight ha ha!

I’m proud to announce that both Tigger and I had a great night next to the Christmas tree and Tigger thought it was fun!

We then ate breakfast together for the first time at the same time! (that's a Christmas miracle, usually I make sure she eats before I sit down to eat)

Christmas eve brought Santa (yes our family is Christian and we still bring Santa to our kids) to our family gathering, presents, family, and fun.

yes even the lone newly 18 year old had fun!  Actually I have WAY more pictures of family members taking pictures with santa but then there would be way too many pictures ....just the kiddos this time around for your viewing pleasure.

Christmas day brought Church and Sabbath School for Tigger and us….we enjoyed it!

Then Christmas brought a late lunch/early dinner (after Tigger’s nap) and then presents.  Of course this respresents both mine and my parents and a couple from Christmas Eve so half the toys stay at grandma and grandpa's and half go home with us.

It was a very blessed day! Christmas with a little one brings more joy then one can ever imagine!

We hope your Christmas was just as blessed and exciting in it's own way.
With love,
DannieA and Tigger

Christmas Eve, Eve.....

Well couldn't resist just posting a little bit.  Today Tigger and I are celebrating Christmas Eve and tomorrow morning we'll celebrate Christmas just us.  Christmas Eve this year is going to be full of family and spending the night at Grandma and Grandpa's and church so I figured we would celebrate early just the two of us. 

Well sometimes I think I have way to many ideas for having only a 16 month old.  I got the grand idea of making gingerbread men cookies thinking a 16 month old would totally want to help with everything.  Ha Ha Ha on me.  She did enjoy making the dough.  I had no idea it would be a two day process since we started late yesterday so the dough needed to be in the fridge overnight.  We finished today, but the rolling of the dough and cutting it wasn't Tigger's favorite part, however, she did decorate and she did enjoy eating ONE cookie that I allowed her to eat. 

Even though I found that this activity was mostly on me...(ha!) I hope that maybe someday Tigger will smell cookies and remember the fun times our home tried to have.  One can only hope anyways. 

here they are in order from last night til today.

getting prepped

mixing the dry ingredients

using the mixer.....she is completely engrossed

packing it up for the night in the fridge

getting the utensils ready

cutting out the gingerbread men

mom makes a bigger one

in the oven

mmmmmmm icing

her plate of decorated gingerbread men.....will eat tomorrow and Christmas at Grandma's

ok so I broke my "no sweet" rule and gave my child a cookie

Twas the Week Before Christmas

.....and all through THIS house....new traditions are being made and followed through,

The dishes are rampant

the cookies are warm

the baby is hyper

and yes she is happy

My vacation has started

I have two weeks with my girl

this means I'll be posting

whenever I can

so throw away my nightly schedule

of posts like I usually do

Until after the new year when all this is through

I can say I don't mind

I love my girl more

and spending time together

is what I adore

It's raining like crazy

and it seems like it will continue

so yes there is Christmas abounding

even the week before

I may post some tidbits

here and there if I'm inspired

but I hope to post more

and see you in 2011

with routine like before

Best wishes and have a great week before Christmas doing what you need to do

Peace!

DannieA and Tigger

Blogging has been slow this week

As usual this time of the year is hectic with IEPs from my work and now apparently school parties....for the daycare Tigger is in.  Tomorrow is her party and I had to bring fruit suitable for toddlers.  Luckily I got that, I've had two very late days this week and I'm just tired and trying to do Christmas over here so tonight I'll leave you with a Mommy prayer I was thinking all week long....it doesn't come from any of my mommy emergency prayer books...this one is all on me. 

Dear God,

It less than 2 weeks before Christmas.  Please let all the plans go smoothly.  May I get a good outfit for Tigger and myself for Christmas Eve, let me have the energy to wrap presents, let me not forget my fruit bowl for the daycare nor the present for the gift exchange.  May I get the shredding I want to get done over vacation, and may I get caught up on her scrapbook.  May I find the energy to keep up with her and still enjoy my time off from work.  Oh and if those nightly tantrums that happen every night could start diminishing that would be awesome!

Thanks,
DannieA

December 15

Ah December 15.  Technically when this blog post comes out, it will be late December 14th, however, since it gets busy during the day, I did want to pay tribute to what December 15th means to me. 

Early December 15th, 2009, I started up my 2-door VW rabbit (an awesome little car) and left my home at 7:30 am.  It was windy and tumbleweeds were flowing.  My heart was pounding.  All of a sudden I had a panic attack as the freeway came to a complete stop...."oh no" an accident on the road, oh please get me through it.  The appt. was at 8am....I was going to be late.  Passing the accident, I raced as fast and as safely as I could towards a house in a quiet neighborhood.  I parked and struggled a bit with the new car seat I just bought a couple days ago.  I was 15 minutes late. 

The door opened and I was welcomed in.  It was the morning I picked up Tigger.  As the wonderful foster mom rounded up her things, I was encouraged to change her and put her in her snuggie.....I panicked briefly as I was still kinda green on changing diapers and I did have that one incident where I couldn't tell which way the diaper went and diapered one of my friend's kids um backwards so you know, a real confidence booster.  Luckily I came out of changing her diaper fine and struggled a bit getting her clothes back on.  What an amateur. 

Needless to say, we survived one year living together....no one is dead, I survived the first few months of endless screaming/crying, a brief trip to the ER due to 'not eating' at the beginning, Tigger survived my "greenness", has learned that I am one wacky mom, and we are doing ok.  We endured Termination of Parental Rights, Appeal period, a paperwork glitch, and finally finalization.  I feel more confident, she is demonstrating being an attached child....I still have no idea what I'm doing sometimes and that's ok.  Neither do the rest of you! 

I thank God that he has seen fit to allow me a great responsibility.  I thank God that I am a mom.  I thank God for my daughter, she is a wonderful, complex,  and charming human being.  I can't wait to see what the years bring and how she grows and blossoms.  One thing adoption does is that it keeps me honest.  It helps me see that children are not just "yours" but ultimately they are children of God.  With that in mind, I chose this next weekend...after the 1 year anniversary to have the child dedication at my church.  It will also be a reminder that I am not in control.  I do not "own" Tigger, but have been blessed to have been chosen to raise her to the best of my ability with God's help. 

December 15 is a great and memorable day.

December 15, 2009

Priceless expressions

Wonderful foster mom

I did it, I actually was able to buckle her in!

Home sleeping in her swing, me taking pictures and wondering what to do

Grandpa telling it like it is!

Grandma is ecstatic!

December 15, 2010 (well pictures taken the night before)

Not bad considering I took it with my other hand!

Tigger and her favorite doll she alternates between hugging and kissing and throwing her around

Being a big girl and brushing her teeth in her own bathroom

Weekend Review

Ah it's Sunday night where I start my blogging week all over again.  I confess it's a bit later than my usual time to upload a new blog post, however, I decided that I wanted to watch one of "my" Christmas movies in the dark with only the lights from the Christmas Tree on so I did just that.  I am now done and decided to do a little weekend review.

Saturday:

Wonderful, wonderful, and more wonderful.  Saturday is the day we go to church and it was the day of our Church's Christmas Pageant.  Every children's class and some people from church participated, including children's choir, men's chorus, women's chorus, adult choir, church choir, and teens from the nearby church academy choir....wow looking at all that, we have a bunch of choirs LOL.  Tigger's birth-2y/o class went on the platform with their lamb ears and basically just sat or crawled on the platform during the performance of "Away in the Manger" and "Silent Night"....some of the older kiddos got a word here and there, but it was mostly cuteness (while us moms sang) so that was my "mom" moment of church.  It had so much music and fanfare that when it was time for the sermon, the pastor decided that we had been blessed and postponed his sermon for next week and thus we concluded the church hour by singing to Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" from the Messiah.  Then the Children's classes were interactive and Tigger got to pet some "Bethlehem" animals, travel to different stations before ending the day...I have to say it was a great program and it reinforced the fact I am happy with my recent decision to switch memberships to this church.  The kids programs are really fantastic and I've gotten to know some people as well. 

Later that evening, I bundled Tigger and my parents and I went to one of the neighborhoods in another city that really go all out with their lights and we walked the streets looking at Christmas lights.  It was crowded, the streets were closed and it was fun as well.  Tigger was sporting her Santa PJ's along with her Santa hat and bundled up in a blanket.  I think she was warmer than the rest of us. 

Saturday night ended with hot chocolate and a viewing of that timeless Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life"

Sunday:

While Tigger's room had been finished, her bathroom was not, so my mother came over this afternoon and we finished Tigger's bathroom and it looks adorable.  If you remember, Tigger's room is pink and brown with wall applications consisting of butterflies and flowers.  We made her bathroom green/brown/pink with frogs and butterflies....the contrast is great.  Plus the added bonus is that it looks like when she kisses the frog she'll end up with a prince so while the room and bathroom have different themes, they actually ended up going well together. 

Sunday night ended with the viewing of one of my favorite movies to watch during December "Little Women" (the new version) in the dark by the glowing Christmas Tree.  Love that movie.  I tend to identify with Jo (Josephine March) yet I think my personality is a mix of Jo and Beth so there ya go yikes!  Wonderful end to a great weekend. 

           Waiting and Walking towards the animals



‎"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" ~It's a Wonderful Life~

 

"The world should always be a better place because a man lived" ~Little Lord Fauntlery (1980 version)~

Nebulizers and Goose eggs oh my!

Yup the title says it all.  Tonight will not be a warm fuzzy night.  Tonight I've had to use the Nebulizer for the 3rd time today and before bedtime Tigger totally fell against a a corner and a humongous goose egg began to form.  It was off to the side so it looks worse than the usual bruises on the front of the head. 

It's official today is one of those days that I want to put the sign "fail" on my forehead.  As I looked at that bruise, I almost went to the ER until I had my mom look at it after calling and panicking and she said no....she didn't pass out, vomit, stay dazed, or act funny so an hour later, Tigger finally went to bed and she was her happy self singing over me while I was rocking her to sleep. 

I don't think I'll be up much longer, sometimes parenting just isn't fun or all smiles.  Of course as my mom always gives encouragement her parting words were "don't worry, just wait until the real accidents start happening and there's blood and stitches and casts."  Well thanks mom!  That just makes me look forward to the future. 

This Song is Exactly How I feel about Tigger

I love Martina McBride anyways....but wanted to share my favorite song.  This is dedicated to all of the mothers of girls that steal their hearts. 






I love you my Tigger....

Quote week II

Christmas for the First Time Again

By Jill Marshall-Work

You wander in wonder, your eyes open wide.
You cherish the magic adults take in stride.
In your fresh exuberance I realize
I see Christimas for the first time again through your eyes.
You sing bits of tunes about Santa and snow.
You hum hints of carols wherever you go.
Your laughter reminds me to stop and rejoice--
I hear Christmas for the first time again through your voice.
You dash to the window to catch reindeer dancing on snow.
While candles surround you, your bright smile eclipses their glow.
My heart takes a snapshot to capture the joy you impart.
My child, you're the reason this holiday season
will always remain in my heart.
You live in the moment, as most children do.
Allow me to savor each moment with you.
Together we'll celebrate wishes come true--
I'll know Christmas for the first time again with you.


I owe you nothing
I give to you
Love
Fidelity
Trust

You owe me nothing
You give to me
Family
Belonging
Connectedness


Owing brings forth
resentment
debt


and when it's paid
it's final


Giving offers
warmth
love
joy


and it is never done
it is always held close to the heart
-- Eun Mi on IAT

We Pray for Children


We pray for children who put chocolate fingers everywhere,
who like to be tickled,
who stomp in puddles and ruin their new pants,
who sneak popsicles before supper, who erase holds in math workbooks,
who never can find their shoes....
And we pray for those who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire,
who can't bounce down the street in a new pair of sneakers,
who never "counted potatoes,"
who are born in places we wouldn't be caught dead,
who never go to the circus,
who live in an X-rated world.
We pray for children who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions,
who sleep with the dog and bury goldfish,
who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money,
who cover themselves with Band-Aids and sing off key,
who squeeze toothpaste all over the sink,
who slurp their soup....
And we pray for those who never get dessert,
who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
who watch their parents watch them die,
who can't find any bread to steal,
who don't have any rooms to clean up,
who pictures are not on anyone's dresser,
whose monsters are real...
We pray for children who spend all their allowance before Tuesday,
who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food,
who like ghost stories,
who shove dirty clothes under the bed and never rinse out the tub,
who love visits from the tooth fairy,
who don't like to be kissed in front of the school bus,
who squirm in church or temple and scream in the phone....
And we pray for those whose nightmares come in the daytime,
who will eat anything,
who have never seen a dentist,
who aren't spoiled by anybody,
who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep,
who live and move, but have no being.
We pray for children who want to be carried,
for those who must,
for those we never give up on,
for those who don't have a second chance
for those we smother
....and those who will grab the hand of anyone kind enough to offer it.
--- Ina J Hughes © 1985 & 1995

It's quote week

It's a busy time of year, I"m tired, yet want to bring something you can enjoy.  Please enjoy the following quotes....two 'prayers' and a saying from an unknown author.  Hope you are enjoying the Christmas season still. 

Prayer for my shy child


Dear Lord,
Is this one of your little life lessons, a bit of heavenly irony? You give a loud-mouthed extrovert like me the shyest daughter in the history of preschool? Other kids aren’t staring at the toe of their shoe, thumb (or in this case index finger) in mouth, hanging on to their Mama’s knees for dear life. Only my little shrinking violet. She’s so considerate and cautious, such a peaceful, deep-thinking little soul. God knows the world could use more people like her, Lord. And yet, those aren’t exactly traits that play well on the playground. Please remind me that shyness isn’t something I need to “fix.” Please help me to remember that this isn’t anything she chooses, it’s not something I can push her to work through. Because I’m not going to lie, Lord, when I see my girl standing there, all alone outside the circle while everyone else is happily playing Wonder Ball, it’s like a knife to my heart. Especially then, God, help me to remember that the kids outside the circle in preschool can grow up to be adults who think outside the box, and that’s all good. Please help me to honor this shyness as an essential part of who my daughter is. But if it turns out that shyness is something she’s destined to outgrow, that’s good too--and if that’s the case, as always, sooner would be better. Thanks, God
~Tracy Mayor~

Prayer for my Unwashed Hair

Dear God,
I know I look like holy hell, if you’ll pardon the expression. I’d put on a little lipstick if I had any idea where one was--the last tube I used, as you might recall, ended up on the walls of my room. I’d wash my face if this clingy, teething, toddler you have blessed me with would let go of my kneecap for even one minute. *I’d wash this hideous hair if six moms from playgroup weren’t due to pull into our driveway in twenty minutes in their matching SUVs, expecting iced tea and homemade cookies and a family room cleared of choking hazards*. So for now, Lord, please bless my greasy locks and give me the power to fluff them into some semblance of a Perky Mom updo. Also, please give me the vision to find a scrunchie in the next thirty seconds. Thank you, Lord, and amen.
~Tracy Mayor~

*If I were writing this prayer, that’s sentence in bold would read “I’d wash this hideous hair if I didn’t have two IEPs with families that wanted every service known to man for their child and it is just a plain miracle I could find clean slacks and a blouse much less wash my hair with an inseparable child*

The man whispered, "God, speak to me" and a Chickadee sang.

But, the man did not hear.
So the man yelled "God, speak to me!" And, the thunder rolled across the sky.
But, the man did not listen.
The man looked around and said, "God let me see you." And a star shined brightly.
But the man did not notice.
And, the man shouted, "God show me a miracle!" And, a life was born.
But, the man did not know.
So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know you are here!"
Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man.
But, the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

How many times have we missed out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way that you expect?
~Author Unknown~

A Busy Weekend

This weekend was a great one for the family.  I wish I had the photos uploaded, but it's been a busy weekend so I just decided to share what we did. 

Saturday, we had the first Baby Dedication with some of the family at my Aunt's church.  Tigger loved it.  She was good on the church platform and went with my Aunt when it was the dedication prayer.  I decided to do one there (even though I have already planned her dedication at our church since way back when) because my aunt's church had been praying for Tigger and I wanted to take Tigger after finalization.  My aunt is the senior pastor at a predominantly African American church and I just wanted Tigger to go and meet the congregation that had been praying for us from placement to finalization and enjoy a more upbeat church service.  Tigger really enjoyed the service and while she's not fond of strangers, really hit it off with many of the individuals there which makes me think that we will be visiting my aunt at her church more often.  The church is about an hour away which is why we don't go often, but I think for Tigger's sake, we will make an effort to visit more often than what we have been doing as we have been dubbed honorary members there now lol.  While she likes her routine and children's classes at our church, the atmosphere at my aunt's church really was to her liking.  I've always noted that Tigger is a thoughtful child.  Maybe not in a deeper sense, but maybe she does know already that for some reason she is connected to African Americans.  I wouldn't doubt that maybe she just already "knows" even before she and I have more talks about people, race, and differences.  Children always amaze me with their abilities that we take for granted.  An overall great day!

Then today, we went to a theme park.  It was a good day sorta.  I give it a 6 out of 10.  Honestly, I think 16 months is still a bit early to enjoy a theme park the way it's supposed to be enjoyed, but we did the best we could.  Tigger went on the little rides and one I thought was a bit much for her.  I was holding on to her for dear life and looking at her to make sure she wasn't panicking. However, while serious for most of the day (new things never bring a complete smile from her) she did enjoy the rides where she could honk the horns and move.  She absolutely HATED standing in line and refused to take a nap because she didn't want to miss out on what was happening around her, which made for an interesting afternoon. 

Overall, a fine weekend.  I'll be glad to crash in bed soon. 

It Was 1939

Don't you want to know the history behind the silly carol "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer"?  Please go here for the full story, but did want to tantalize you with an excerpt:

            A Ray of Sunshine for a Sad Little Girl

"Rudolph's story begins sometime in 1939. The nation was still in the midst of the Great Depression but that didn't prevent people from celebrating and enjoying the good times of life. Times may have been difficult but that just meant that people had to be more careful with their money.

In the Chicago headquarters of department store giant, Montgomery Ward, that summer, executives were making plans for the coming Christmas season.

In those days cities were more compact and commerce was centered in the downtown. Scattered amongst the big banks and office buildings were the large, multistoried department stores. During the Christmas season shoppers would flock downtown and these stores competed fiercely for these people's shopping dollars. To attract customers the stores put up lavish decorations and, in their toy departments, they would create elaborate Christmas kingdom displays with Santa Claus enthroned in the middle. The highlight of the Christmas shopping season for children was a trip downtown with Mom and Dad to visit Santa Claus. They would stand in line and, when their turn came, would sit on Santa's lap. After assuring Santa that they had been good, or had at least were trying hard to be good, they would tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas. Santa would then assure them that he would do his best to give them the toy they most desired and then, after making their requests and got up to leave, Santa would reach into the big sack next to his chair and, reminding them to be good, give them a little parting gift.

For many years Montgomery Ward had filled their Santa's sack with a Christmas coloring book that they had specially printed each year. But this year the Montgomery Ward executives wanted something new and different. They also wanted to save money. So, instead of calling upon an outside firm to create the new item, as they had done in the past, they decided to have their own advertising department create the new giveaway.

Thus it happened that Robert L. May, a 34 year-old copywriter for Montgomery Ward, found himself charged with coming up with a new gift for their Santa to give to the little children. May went to work developing a Christmas story for children. As a child, May had always been small for his age and this had brought forth taunts and ridicule from the other children. Drawing upon his experiences of being somewhat different and an outcast, May set about creating a character with similar problems who, in the end, rises above his problems and is transformed.

The year 1939 was a difficult time in the life of Robert May. In addition to the worries of losing his job in the Depression that had engulfed the economy, his wife lay dying of cancer. Despite his own worries and grief, May had to be stoic and, setting his own grief aside, help his four year old daughter, Barbara deal with the trauma of seeing her Mother die. However, little Barbara, in her own way helped her Dad with the creation of Rudolph. Robert worked on the project in the office and then came home and tested out themes and story lines on Barbara. Work and home life converged in a way that both allowed father and daughter to come closer together as well as providing a diversion from the troubles that surrounded them. Some even credit Barbara with the naming of Rudolph, claiming that May tested different names on Barbara and Rudolph was the one that she enjoyed the most.

Robert May's creation was not the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer song that everyone now knows so well and it was not the popular cartoon that is now shown on TV each Christmas. No, May's creation was a short story written in rhyming verse. It was the story of a little reindeer who was different due to a physical deformity – a bright red nose. Unlike the Rudolph we now know from the song and cartoon, May's original Rudolph lived an ordinary life with his parents in the woods. He did not live at the North Pole and his parents were not part of Santa's reindeer team. Oh, Rudolph had to deal with the taunts of the other little reindeer who shunned him because he was different. Like May as a child, Rudolph was lonely and had few friends. But, rather than dwelling on his problems, Rudolph had a positive outlook on life and did not let his deformity hold him back.

In the original story, Rudolph's big moment came when Santa landed his sleigh at Rudolph's home to deliver gifts to him and the other good little reindeer in the neighborhood. As Santa landed a fog started to roll in. By the time Santa had finished delivering presents to the little reindeer in the area, the fog had become dense, making it impossible for Santa to take off safely. With children all over the world expecting him to visit and leave presents, Santa had a dilemma – he couldn't see to take off in the fog but if he did not take off he would disappoint children all over the world. At that moment Santa noticed Rudolph with his shiny red nose and asked him to lead his sleigh. Rudolph agreed and Santa was able to make his deliveries. Following Santa's successful Christmas Eve journey with Rudolph in the lead, the story ends with Santa saying to Rudolph, "By YOU last night's journey was actually bossed. Without you, I'm certain we'd all have been lost!" This is a little different from the song and cartoon which end with the other reindeer praising Rudolph by saying he will go down in history."  Read about how Rudolph morphed here. 

Isn't it fascinating the information we find out?  I'll bet many of you didn't know the origins of where the song came from. 



Finding Christmas Tradition in New York City

I've been receiving information about what traditions are around from several states and today I'd like to focus your attention to NYC.  The big apple.  I have YET to spend a Christmas season there, and I would love it one of these years.  I think it would be neat.  There is so much to do and yet I'd like my New York city fans to weigh in with their comments if they'd like.  Also please tell what their favorite tradition is in NYC. 

Since it's always great to watch kids just have fun with answering questions, I've seen a collection of videos from MSG.com and they made me laugh.  Coming straight at ya from MSG Kids Cam filmed at the American Girl Store here are some kids talking about their favorite traditions

If you're into more cuteness then watch the "snow experts" and the kids talk about their favorite treats!  Love watching kids answer questions.  It just makes me laugh, especially when front teeth are missing. 

Also having seen Cirque de Soleil once before, had to put in a plug for their winter show going on now at Madison Square Garden Theatre through Jan. 2.  Seems like a great show!  I would totally be there if I were in NYC this year. 

If you're so inclined and in the area, check out show/ticket information here.


Well that's a plug for NYC.  Does anyone else have any good Christmas shows or information going on in their state that may become a family tradition or an event to behold and enjoy during the Christmas season?  Tell me and I'll be more than happy to tell blogland.