Stuff In My Head

I have so much stuff rolling around in my head right now. Stuff like, trying to decide which blog to shut down-this one or the password protected one at babyjellybeans. I have people that read this blog but don't have the password for the other one and others that only know about the password protected one. There are so many things I want to write about, no-need to write about that have nothing to do with Dreamsicle. I have this whole other side of me that is dying to chronicle my feelings on alot of issues but they have no place on a blog about the cutest girl evah. What to do, what to do. Stay tuned

The Moving Target

This is how 90% of the pictures I take of the babe turn out. Sitting still is not her strong suit. She is so curious that whenever I point this black thing at her she needs to get very, very close and grab the lens cap...

Dreamsicle

Here she is, trying to hold the camera from the other side while I'm trying to take her picture.

She Didn't Get The Memo...

Last night was the night to turn the clocks back an hour. Dreamsicle apparently didn't read her memo. Someone got up very early (cough, cough 5:00'ish), is miss grumpy pants and will. not. go. back. to. sleep.

Today should be fun (not)

Oh-and an update on my previous post-No Rovers, Fidos or Bingos lost their life to my vehicle-it was a coyote. Still sad the incident happened but happy that their isn't a family mourning the loss of their dog...

Can I Please Start This Day Over?

Ugh. I have been getting up at 4:30 in the morning this week to start a new exercise routine. I have found that I have to go to the gym. I may have every good intention known to man, but I do not allow myself to exercise at home. I can't stop playing with Dreamsicle. What would you choose? Subjecting your body to torture or being smothered in open mouthed kisses? See what I mean? So! The procrastination had to stop-I'm hauling my butt to the gym every morning. This morning I worked out, stopped at the local gas station to get me a big ol' coffee for the drive home. As I am pouring creamer into my coffee I realize that I am actually pouring the creamer into the trash can and throwing the creamer containers into my coffee. Tired? I'll say.

Then! On my way to work a deer ran out in front of me, I missed him but hit the dog that was chasing him. Cry, cry, still crying 4.5 hours after the incident. I hit someone's beloved pet and I am so filled with guilt, anquish and anger at the owner who let their dog out to run unsupervised into the path of my car. I had to call McGyver and get him to try to find the owners of the dog to tell them the bad news. I couldn't speak and could not face a family to tell them the dreaded news even if I did find them. Poor McGyver, see why I love that man? He does all of my dirty work.


Can I please start this day over?

Cuteness

Cuteness reigns in our house! McGyver just returned from a 9 day hunting trip. Our girl didn't know whether to laugh or cry when she saw her daddy walk through the door. He has been put on restriction for the time being so that his Dreamsicle can become better adjusted before he disappears for any length of time again.

Friends Reunited

I need to start this post off with a confession. Our family had made the decision that we weren't going to get all wrapped up in our local chinese children's organization. We made this decision based on a number of different factors. One- being that it is an hour away from us, most events are held at 6:00 at night-during the week. Two-alot of the families are just...how do I say this nicely...different. McGyver and I completely understand the importance of helping Dreamsicle hold on to her heritage, but after attending a few of the local groups meetings I was a little bothered. Some of these families live for these meetings, this is their social circle. You don't fit into their lives unless you have adopted a child from China. That is fine for them, but that's not us. One of the moms that I know has called me repeatedly to set up play dates with our daughters. I agreed to the first one, thinking it would be two toddlers, having fun together. I backed out at the last minute when she told me that she had went ahead and invited 10 other little asian girls so that all of our "China dolls" could play together. Ummmm, I don't think so. In fact, Dreamsicle's day care provider has another little girl who came home from China last spring. She really doesn't care too much about her-she's attracted to the chunky little red headed boy who also attends the daycare. I want Dreamsicle to have a wide range of friends, not to make her feel as if the only kids that matter are the ones that look like her. I know that she is only 14 months but the patterns we set now are the ones we will likely follow.

BUT! I have to tell you about what happened on Wednesday. Dreamsicle had her first pediatrician visit. When we were going back into the lobby after having seen the doctor, we ran into a family whose daughter came from the same orphanage as Dreamsicle. These two girls spotted each other, Dreamsicle was in my arms and started shouting with glee-the other little girl can walk already and she made a beeline over to me. I placed Dreamsicle on the ground and these girls couldn't stop squealing-they were holding each others hands, hugging each other and were just purely happy. The joy radiating from the two of them is hard to describe. It moved me to tears. So-it looks like we will be having some playdates with this family in the future~with ground rules firmly in place before we start. I owe it to Dreamsicle to help her build this relationship for as long as she and the other little girl wish to.

My Girl

Have I told you lately how much I love my girl? She amazes me everyday. I'm back to work 4 days a week and she is doing well in day care. When I walk through the door to pick her up, her whole face lights up, she does a little happy dance (she dances as much as she can for a girl who doesn't walk by herself yet) and bursts into giggles. I tear up every day when I see her. She has so much love and joy radiating from her little 15+ pound body that it is hard not to smile when you are around her. One of my cousins described her as having a spirit that fills up a room. That is so true. Her birth parents must have been a couple of happy people because this girl sure is! She wakes up smiling~oh to be able to do that.

I was asked how it feels to be an "older parent" recently. I have to say that my boys probably would have been alot better off if McGyver and I would have waited to have them. This older parenting gig is great. We are both so much more patient with her than we were with the boys. I realize that every decision I make for her is not life and death, I can make mistakes and she will still probably turn out okay. I spent so many years when the boys were small anguishing over little details that really didn't matter. I couldn't process that my deciding to feed them bologna and cheese sandwiches for lunch two days in a row would not damage their psyche. Dreamsicle is benefiting from our age that is for sure. Neither one of us looks extremely old so I don't think she will be embarrassed that her parents will be in their sixties when she graduates high school. Who knows, maybe she'll even still like us then.

Hi-Ho,Hi-Ho It's Off To Work I Go...

This week I entered the workforce three days a week. Doesn't seem like much since I have been making it in to the office whenever necessary for meetings since we returned from China. But it is different. Today Dreamsicle attended daycare for the first time. She had a great time. McGyver took her and I picked her up. She punishes me whenever I have left her for a period of time. She will not look at me for about 15 minutes-she wants me to carry her, hold her close, speak to her-but she will not respond. After about 15 minutes she warms up, believes me when I tell her we are together for the rest of the day and becomes her normal, happy self. This girl is going to rock my world.