Merry Christmas-ish

Okay so I know I'm a little late with the Christmas post. But! Merry Christmas! I took this week off to spend with the kids (Chester is home) and we have been crazy busy just having fun. I showed much more restraint this year in the gift dept. Toys R Us did not explode in our living room as it did last year. Dreamsicle did receive an annual membership to the local zoo, childrens museum and a local garden/sculpture park that she adores spending time at. Add to that the books, puzzles, and assorted little gifts she received and that girl still ended up with quite a haul.

I, in my usual manner, ended up pulling an "Oops I did it again" incident. Friends of ours came over on Xmas eve. They gave me two beautiful (think expensive) wine glasses as a gift. I went to grab a bottle of wine to open to pour into these beauties and the wine bottle hit the glasses and sent them flying. Shattered wine glass everywhere. Right in front of the givers. Oh my. I do have class, don't I?

Chester informed us that he will be visiting Iraq again in 2008. I stopped at Macy*s today looking for a heavy duty wrinkle reducer....I'm going to need it.

And! I'm inked! I know-whodathunk that me, at my age, with the personality that I have would actually get tattooed but I did. I have wanted for a very long time to come up with a way to honor Angel Baby. I decided that a tattoo would be the perfect way. Once I shared my thoughts with the family there was no turning back. U*Haul and Pixie begged me to have it done before their wedding and Chester insisted that I get it done while he was home since Angel Baby was his twin. Chester stayed with me the entire time I was getting the tattoo and now I'm sporting a puffy heart with a halo over the top with a banner that has his name on it wrapped in angel wings resting on puffy clouds on my right shoulder. I'm very happy I did it.

We are now gearing up for the wedding so we're firing on all four pistons getting everything in place for the "destination wedding".

Picture will be added soon. McGyver got me a zippy lil' camera to throw in my purse for Christmas but I haven't loaded the software onto the computer to allow me to download the pics yet.

Bah-Humbug-ers

Those of you that know us in real life know that we will give the shirt off of our backs if you simply ask for it. Here is the key point to take out of that sentence. Ask. For. It.~Ask for help. Don't just take.

5 days before Christmas someone broke into U*Haul and Pixie's home and stole from them. Their camera, i-pods, video games, gaming system, video camera-all gone. Those things can be replaced. But the dirty rotten scoundrels also stole family memories when they walked away with things given to the kids by my Dad (now deceased), Chester (from Iraq) and their Grandma M (also deceased). And they stole a young woman's sense of safety and security.

Karma-watch for it-

Dreamsicle

Christmas preparations are in full swing at the McGyver house. Last year Dreamsicle happily sat on Santa's lap and we have photographic proof to prove it. This year, not so much. We happened to run into the Jolly old fellow and his wife while they were doing their shopping. In Walmart. In full Santa suit. They happened to be checking out one aisle over from us at the same time that we were. Santa spotted Dreamsicle and bee-lined over to her. She froze in fear as she sat in the shopping cart. He didn't seem to notice as he tried to banter with her. She would not make eye contact, looked directly at me, finally covered her eyes and began wailing-NOOOOOOOOOOO!! At this point I scooped her out of the shopping cart as she was becoming more upset by the minute. The fat guy in the Santa suit would not leave her alone! I finally had to be rude and ask him to leave her alone. It was so bad that three lil old ladies that were behind me threatened to start beating him with their purses if he didn't get out of their site! Anyway, anytime we bring up the name Santa, it is not met with joy but with fear now. Sigh. Oh the joys of being two. Before this encounter I had taught her to hold her belly and say HO-HO-HO when I asked her what Santa says. Now she covers her eyes and yells NO-NO-NO instead.

Here's hoping you all have a HO-HO-HO holiday with no NO-NO-NO's.

Where did that Kitty-Cat go Mama?

A Couple more from Disney

Dreamsicle insisted on pulling her own luggage from the car to the hotel.

She loved the palm trees!

Pictures!

I finally found the USB cable! Pictures of our trip to Disney

Happy Birthday U*Haul!

Twenty years ago today~after Mcgyver's second helping of mashed potatoes but before dessert was served, we left my Aunt's house for the hospital. During the middle of the "big game" (can you say hello husband and resident OB physician-I'm over here, the one in labor, panting like a dog-please pay attention to me instead of the blasted football game?) U*Haul made his entrance into this world. With a head full of dark beautiful hair and a cry that would wake all of the other babies in the nursery, he made his presence known.

His dark hair has lightened over the years, he rarely cries any more but he certainly has brought joy to our lives.

It is so incredible that my baby boy, my last born son is now a man. When I look at him, I still see a 6 year old boy with a missing front tooth and a crooked smile. And yet a man he is. I am so proud of all that he is and all that he will become. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for him.

I brought pizza and a birthday cake home and everyone came up to the house to celebrate his special day. (Shut up-some people cook birthday dinners, I buy them when they fall during the week) Dreamsicle wouldn't eat, she was too excited about the chocolate thing in the box. W'az dat? was heard at least 15 times while eating pizza with her pointing her little finger at the box. When I brought the cake out and set it on the table with the candles in front of U*Haul she became the slightest bit indignant, exclaiming 'dat cake Dreamsicles! I gave her a small piece ( search my archives to see proof that she does not sleep when she consumes more than a tiny amount of sugar) of cake which she happily launched her whole face in to. It seems our sweet girl thought the most expedient way to eat the cake would be to put her lips into the cake rather than using a fork and bringing the cake to her lips. We all howled at that one. This might be a good time to tell you that it was a chocolate and whipped cream cake so when she picked her head up because we were all laughing she was covered in whipped cream. No pictures though-must get new camera STAT!

Anyway, trust me when I tell you a good time was had by all.

Thanksgiving 2007~Broken, Shattered and Scratched

Let me start out by saying that it was marvelous having the whole family together for Thanksgiving. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than having my boys and daughter in love assemble at the house with Dreamsicle, McGyver and I, allowing me to cook for them. The turkey was moist, pies were devoured and there was nary a spec' of mashed potatoes left in the bottom of the bowl.

Having said that, the day did not turn out as planned...

I must have had a pie spill over in the bottom of the oven (how I have no idea, since the pies were on a baking sheet). I did not notice this until I placed the turkey in the oven and the smoke detectors started screaming. When I looked into the kitchen, there was smoke billowing out of the oven! Since you may recall we moved this summer, we had no idea that the smoke detectors were hard wired into the security system. It took us 15 minutes to finally figure out that removing the batteries from the smoke detectors while opening every window and door in the house was not going to stop the blasted noise. We finally had to unplug the battery for the security system to have some peace.

During Dreamsicle's birthday party, I had asked a friend of mine to be in charge of taking pictures with my camera. Somehow during the course of the festivities, a beverage managed to make its way into every nook and cranny in my camera. It started to work after it was dried out but decided to die an untimely death on Thanksgiving. I have absolutely no pictures of the fam for this holiday.

It is a McGyver family tradition that we put our Christmas tree up on Thanksgiving. While the boys were out in the garage getting the Christmas decorations from the rafters, they managed to drop the rubbermaid container that held all of our ornaments. All but 12 broke. All of the hand made ornaments that the boys had made over the years that I treasured, all of the ornaments that my father purchased each year in honor of Angel Baby, all gone. I actually think I lost my speech center of my brain for a while when that happened.

And then to top it all off~Chester must be used to driving a very big tank that has nothing in its way. Aunt Genious stopped by the evening of Thanksgiving, Chester was pulling out of the driveway in my car (the one I purchased a year ago) and clipped Genious' truck with my car. Both vehicles have scratches the entire length of the autos.

So-it will be a holiday remembered for alot of reasons, gave me an awful lot of time to remember what is important (the camera, ornaments and vehicles are just things-the health of my family is of the most importance to me).

But lets all hope Christmas goes a little better

If I Could Only Find My USB Cable

I would be posting many, many pictures. Pictures of Dreamsicle at the Magic Kingdom when she met Belle. Pictures of her at the resort-especially of her while she was "phwimming".

I would also be posting pictures of Chester's homecoming last night. I laid eyes on him and the river of tears began flowing again. He was no sooner out of the protected part of the concourse at the airport then my arms were around his neck, I was sobbing the big messy tears again and he was lifting me up in his arms in the sweetest hug I have ever felt in my life. The Patriot Guard was there and I guess there was much, much clapping that ensued. Not only from the members of the Patriot Guard and our assembled group of family and friends but everyone else in the terminal at that time. I honestly did not hear one sound other than the words "I love you mama and I'm home" that came from Chester's sweet lips.

We arrived home and U*Haul came in. Despite the late hour (1:00 am by that point) we stayed up a while and talked with Chester. McGyver and I finally gave in and went to bed. This morning my alarm clock rang at 5:30 for me to get up and get ready for work, before I left I crept into Chester's room and he was wide awake. I asked him why and he told me that U*Haul had just left. Oh how my heart if full. Two of my boys stayed up all night reconnecting. The last time that happened involved flashlights and a tent made of sheets over their bunk beds many, many years ago.

Family Code Red

This is a PSA for our extended family.

If any of you suffer from insomnia and would like to meet Chester when he lands at the airport the scheduled arrival time is Sunday night at 11:30 pm. The Patriot Guard will be there to welcome him home as well so it should be quite the night.

Also-get ready for the arrival of Bridal Shower invitations. U*Haul and Pixie have decided that they don't want to wait until after boot camp or schools to get married. Scheduled wedding date is now February 7th on S Padre Island in Texas. Reception to follow back here in the Mitten State the following weekend. Much money is flying out of my hands as we speak! :) But oh so worth it! Finally! the girl who has been a McGyver for so long will be officially my daughter in love.

Where Has The Time Gone?

I can't believe how negligent I've been in keeping up with this blog lately. It certainly isn't because of lack of things happening at Casa de Dreamsicle that's for sure. So much to update-are you ready?

1. Chester is currently winging his way back to the good ole' USA! That's right, he is officially out of Iraq. I had no idea how much stress I actually surpressed over the course of the last 7 months until I received the call telling me that he was out of harms way. Once I heard his voice telling me "Mama, I'm coming home" I immediately started sobbing. Like a baby. Big, messy, cry my eyes out tears of joy that lasted for hours. He decided to stay out in Cali to attend the Marine Corps Ball before coming home so we won't actually see him until just before Thanksgiving but man am I happy.

2. After months of anticipation, U*Haul finally proposed to Pixie! Yep, the two are gittin' hitched! Not quite sure of the date yet, it will be sometime in the warm-ish months of 2008 but they need to figure out U*Haul's training schedule first.

3. That's right-I said U*Haul's training schedule. He leaves in February for boot camp. He joined the Navy. Going to be a submariner (can we all channel the Beattles now and start singing We All Live On A Yellow Submarine?) The funniest thing I heard was when I told Chester about U*Haul's decision to join the Navy and be on a sub. He was outraged-telling me to tell U*Haul to pick a different job. When I asked him why he was so upset, he said "doesn't he realize how close of quarters you live in when you are on a sub?" I had to remind him that Gee-maybe this piece of advice coming from a guy who has to sleep sitting up in his tank while on missions may not be such a great thing. We both laughed at that one.

4. Dreamsicle is growing by leaps and bounds. I had her evaluated by Early On and she has a little of a gross motor delay but cognitively she tests above her age group so Mama is happy, happy, happy! She wanted to be a Princess for Halloween (like that surprised anyone). She was set on being 'rella (as in Cinder-ella). I took her to the Disney Store to pick out her Cinderella costume and when we got there she looked over the Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White Costumes but didn't seem too excited. That all changed when she turned around and saw the Gold Bling that was Belle's costume. So she dressed up as Belle from Beauty and the Beast~complete with light up shoes, light up sceptor and crown. She was gorgeous and she had a great time. Pictures to follow as soon as I locate my USB cable.

5. My travel schedule is brutal right now so I've been having Dreamsicle travel with me. Last week we had Aunt Genious accompany us to Chicago for a conference where Dreamsicle made her maiden voyage to the American Girl store. She chose a bitty baby and promptly named her Mamie. So Mamie the baby now goes everywhere with us. I have a conference in Orlando beginning Saturday so Pixie is going with me to care for Dreamsicle while I'm in classes. We have the Belle costume packed and should be posting some great pic's of her at Disney next week.

Well there you go-the update on the McGyver family. Life is good!

Where Has The Time Gone?

Has it really been a month since I have posted here? Holy cow, time sure has flown by! So much going on I can't believe that I haven't kept all 3 of my readers updated! Seriously-you all need to start commenting on here-it isn't painful, I promise, but you are giving me a serious complex since I track how many hits and from where they come-why oh why do you all hover beneath the shadow of lurkdom? Don't be afraid-come into the light! :)

Anyhoo-Dreamsicle is exploding in her personality. How did we get to be the lucky ones that parent the happiest toddler in the world? Seriously, this girl is happy. I'm a little on the high energy side but she makes me look like I'm an 87 year old with her exuberance and love for life. Every day is joyful. Seriously. She is talking constantly. We can only understand about 25% of what she is saying but that doesn't stop her, no sirree-she just looks at you, cocks her little head, shrugs her little shoulders and soldiers on with her conversation. She has much to say and will not be stopped! Oh boy is McGyver in trouble when he finally can understand her, she has herself some serious Daddy love conversations with him.

In the big boys news...We are almost done! Chester will be back on US soil soon! Soon people! Not soon enough for me but soon enough that I need to make flight reservations ASAP! This has been a looooong 7 months. U-Haul is currently signing his enlistment papers for the Navy as I type this. Honestly-what is it with my children? I'm amazingly proud of their desire to serve their country but two in at once? I have taken up running. I've never run a day in my life but I need to release this nervous energy I have seemed to have picked up in some way. So far I can run a whopping 1/2 mile but my goal is to get up to 3 miles. I may be old but I'm determined! Please say a prayer that my body cooperates with my will to do this.

Well, I think I have rambled on enough for one post. I have many pictures to post so stay tuned!

Metcha Day 2006!

August 28th, 2006 was so hot. We had arrived in Jiangxi earlier in the day and took a bus to a government office. I can remember riding the elevator up to floor number 7. When we stepped off the elevator you could hear babies. As we entered the room that held our babies, I laid eyes on Dreamsicle for the first time. She was holding on to her Ayi, lightly tapping her leg over and over. She had little tufts of bird hair and was the tiniest of the tiny. Wearing summer Strawberry Shortcake pajamas and pink shoes. My heart was pounding so loud I really thought that the other families would most certainly be able to hear it. I could hardly contain myself as I watched her, mesmerized by her every move. At one point, while our guide was having a conversation with the orphanage director I was aching to hold Dreamsicle so badly that I pleaded with McGyver to "just go get her". It happened soon enough, we were the second family called. When they finally placed her in my arms, I took her to a quiet corner of the room and don't remember a thing about the rest of the families getting their babies. I was so deeply in love at that very moment that the rest of the world seemed out of focus. Time seemed to stand still as I held her and we scoped each other out. There were what seemed like hours of waiting around after that, completing paperwork, sweating like never before, impatiently waiting to be able to go back to the hotel to begin our lives together as a family.

Here we are one year later. The tiniest of the tiny has grown so much, come so far, completely entrenched herself into the fiber of our very beings. Thanks for allowing us to parent you Dreamsicle. We are so blessed

The Social Worker

It is done. The social worker social working portion of our adoption was completed last Monday. Said social worker visited the house commented on how far Dreamsicle has come since our 6 month post placement and left. So the official part is complete. Almost. I still have not applied for Dreamsicle's birth certificate. This I must do soon~note to self.

This Girl That Is Two

Where has my baby gone? This girl that is two is so quickly changing before my eyes. Her ever expanding vocabulary is so exciting to hear except. except. inexplicably she has suddenly decided that the word "sit" must now have an "h: in it after the "s". Hmmmm, perhaps Daddy needs to be more aware of his language...She can clearly identify every member of our family but absolutely refuses to say her name. I'm getting a little worried that she may find herself going to kindergarten and signing the word "duck" when they ask her her name. These are the pics of Dreamsicle getting ready to watch the parade on the Fourth of July. Yes, there really is a full scale nativity scene in the background of one of these pictures. What? You mean to tell me that your town doesn't pull out the Christmas decorations for 4th of July?

Thank You

To Dreamsicles birth parents. Thank you for the choice you made. We will light a candle to honor and remember you every year on her birthday just as we did yesterday.

Happy Birthday!

Today our Dreamsicle turns two. TWO! The theme for the birthday party is Two for Two. We have a whole lot of celebrating to do to make up for birthday number one which came and went without us being united as a family. So today Dreamiscle will be receiving two presents and two cakes.

In her referral paperwork one of the words to describe her was clever. That she is. We went out to eat last Sunday. I gave her a sip of my soda and she wanted more. I redirected her to her milk but she was sitting right next to me. She pointed over my shoulder and asked "what's that?" I looked away to see what she was pointing at only to turn back around and find her sipping on my soda again!

Our girl is the most tenderhearted, loving child I have ever encountered. She touches every single person she meets. I look back on our family 3 years ago and now realize that it never would have been complete if she had not joined it. Thank you Dreamsicle for completing our family circle. We love you and are so glad you are finally home.

Pictures!

From left to right: Koli wearing her daddy's shades; playing with her cousin at the family reunion; chillin' on Grandma's porch; showing off her new ability to wear piggy tails.

This Mom's Heart

I have so many posts sitting in "draft" status right now. I'm going through a rough time and can't seem to articulate what it is that I am feeling. But I'm going to try.

Chester is out on his longest mission yet. We have not heard from him for some time now and I am filled with anxiety. I long to hear his voice and know that he is okay. Not just physically but emotionally as well. He has done well so far but I feel deep within my very core that this mission is somehow different and I worry about the well-being of his heart. I worry about the well being of my heart~should his heart be breaking over there, I can only console from a distance. This separation is difficult and I ache for the day when he is back on US soil.

Dreamsicle's birthday is just days away now. I cannot stop thinking about her birth parents. I know that even after all of these years I still rejoice but also dread Chester and Angel Baby's birthday. I wonder if Dreamsicle's birth mom is counting the days until August 2nd like I do December 2nd. I wonder if she is remembering where she was, what she was doing as she prepared for the arrival of this baby. We will never know the circumstances surrounding her decision to abandon this precious girl of ours but based on what little information we have, I think it was a difficult decision for her. That's not something I will ever tell Dreamsicle because it is not based on fact. The truth is I will never have the answer for Dreamsicle but I think there will always be a sadness whether she verbalizes it or not as she gets older that she does not have that information. The big WHY? I'm sure that her birthday will always be a hard time for her. This little Dreamsicle the Tiny, the person McGyver and I so desperately want to protect and nurture and love, will undoubtedly wrestle with this sadness all on her own. We can be there to listen and comfort, but we can't own or take away her grief. I pray that the love we have for her is enough to help her get through it. This year I will cherish her birthday, not only because it is the first one we will celebrate as a family, but because it could quite possibly be the only one we will ever have that she will be able to enjoy without anything getting in the way of her happiness.

Big Doings at (new) Casa de la Dreamsicle

Things are a changing here in the land of Dreams. We have had a change of address. That's right-we moved out of the big house in the hundred acre woods and bought a new home on the water. It is simply divine. Our house faces a bayou, you cannot see another house from our yard-I am in heaven. Moving was awful. The home we purchased is about half of the size of our old one-trying to decide what needed to be moved and what didn't was a tedious, time consuming task but it is over and we are settled (finally). It is nice to be able to be surrounded by my family again. We literally could go days without seeing the boys when they lived at home in the big house. With three floors and too many tv's, gaming systems to mention I often felt disconnected. I wanted a smaller home for the safety/security of me and the babe when McGyver is away on his hunting trips but also because there are just 3 of us left in the house. This fits us. Dreamsicle handled the move like a champ. The floating playpen is securely fastened to our dock and we can decide on a whim to take the boat out now! Yippee!!

We also sold our 5th wheel. I know! Can you believe it? I had to seriously stop and consider the fact that we only use it one weekend a year for my family reunion-not really wise to keep something for one weekend a year. So we put the for sale sign in it and it sold within 3 days. To a lovely older couple who vacation in Southern Texas. I'm sure they will love it as much as I did.

The fourth of July had its good parts and bad parts. Dreamsicle adored the parade (big, loud sirens and all) and absolutely HATED the fireworks. She hid under a blanket (we were on the floating playpen) the entire time then fell asleep as soon as they were over. So not what I was expecting when I thought last year of what this year with her would be like. But-next year she will be a year older. I have pictures to share and will do that within the next day or two. But for now, if you can't find me it is because I am outside sitting on my deck, enjoying the view.

This time last year

This time last year I received word that our referral was winging its way across the ocean. I can remember the nervous anticipation that filled my very soul as I tried to sleep on the eve of our referral. Thoughts of our Dreamsicle~would she be healthy, young/old, happy/sad filled the night time hours as I waited for morning to arrive.

The next day June 26th dawned bright and beautiful. I went to work since I had no idea when the phone call would arrive. McGyver called early afternoon to tell me that our adoption agency had left a message on his cell phone but he wanted me to take the call. I called from work and received all of the info on our precious girl. I could not stop crying as I heard the details of our newest family member. "10 months old, a little wisp of a thing but cuter than all get out" was how the person from the adoption agency described her. I had no idea how true that description was until I received her photos later that evening.

One year ago tomorrow, we saw the face of our precious girl for the first time. What a difference a year makes.

The final pics

Dreamsicle filling her Mama's shoes, sleeping after her long day of boating, daddy and Dreamsicle on the boat (notice the grill, yes it is attached to the floating playpen)

And Even More Photos!

Dreamsicle on the boat, corn on the cob, I posted the same pic twice,

I have too many photos to upload at once so here are some more!

Dreamsicle taking her baby for a ride, on the carousel at Disneyland, Chester's last meal before Iraq, just love her shirt, being carried around in U*Haul's work duffle bag

Pics A Plenty, Pics Galore!

Photos of Dreamsicle and Chester, Dreamsicle on the plane to see Chester, Dreamsicle's first corn on the cob, first trip on the floating playpen and various other sweet shots. Enjoy!

Memorial Day, Shoes and the Floating Playpen

Memorial day has always been a day of solemn remembrance in the McGyver household. Having Chester in harm's way this year gave the day an even greater meaning for us. We spoke to Chester this weekend which certainly helped but boy do I miss that kid. He is doing well and is bored. Bored! The whole time the boys were growing up I would shudder when they would utter that word. Now it brings joy to my heart. Stay bored the entire summer Chester. Please stay bored.

Reason 365,762 that I am certain the Lord matched us with the perfect little girl. Dreamsicle has started talking in her sleep. It is mostly baby babble but one word caught my ear that she kept repeating while I was listening to her through the baby monitor. She was happily exclaiming Shoes! in her sleep. Ahhh, I love that girl.

This weekend marked Dreamsicle's first time on the floating playpen. I have pictures to prove it but I can't find my blasted camera plug in thingy-ma-do to upload them to my computer so you will have to take my word for it until I find it or buy a new one. She was pretty timid at first but soon got her sea legs. She's not a big fan of the life jacket but does love her water shoes (imagine that). Anyway, we had a literal feast on the water with friends of ours. Shrimp scampi, ribs, corn on the cob~a great way to usher in the summer season. Let the fun begin!

Fun Interview

Sooo, my friend Susan picked me to interview. If you would like to get in on this, please do the following...

1. Leave me a comment saying "interview me"-yes all of you lurkers who never, never comment, this means you.
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions-but I get to pick the questions!
3. You will update your blog with the answers to those questions.
4. You have to include this explanation and the offer to interview others
5. When other people comment asking to be interviewed you will ask them five questions of your own choosing.

Now-on to the fun!

1. In the last 6 months what single purchase has been the most important in your life?

This one was easy-the airline tickets that flew us out to California so that we could see Chester off when he left for the sandbox.

2. Do you change your bedding/curtains with the season?

Are you kidding me? Do people really do that? McGyver is lucky if the bottom and top sheet match most days!

3. If a movie was made based on your life who would play you and your husband and why

This one took a little thinking but I would have to say the Meg Ryan would be me. Most of the characters she plays are a little quirky but flawed which is true of me in real life. Clint Eastwood would have to play McGyver. Remember when he uttered the phrase-"Go ahead-make my day"? Enough said.

4. A close friend of yours is getting ready to walk out the door and the outfit she has on is totally hideous and looks awful. Do you tell her or pretend she looks great?

I totally would tell her. That's what friends do. If I didn't tell her I would be afraid that Karma would come around and smack me in the face one day. Something would happen-like I would have something hanging out of my nose and she would let me walk around knowing that I had a waver.

5. If you were to take a week long car trip with your family or friends what complaint are you most likely to hear from your fellow travelers? What complaint are they most likey to hear from you?

If I was traveling with my family they would beg me not to drink any liquid since I tend to have to visit the restroom alot and my biggest complaint about them would be to stop passing gas!

Happy Mothers Day!

Cabela's -- Tailgator Gas-Powered Blender


I know that I should probably write about the significance of this day now that Dreamsicle is in our lives. I should say something heartfelt about her first mom and the incredible gift she gave us but it is still too new and too personal to share with everyone out in Blogistan.

Instead I wanted to share my gifts.

From X*Boy I received a very nice card and a half gallon of Moose Tracks Ice Cream (my fave)

From Chester I received a 5:00 am wake up call from the Sandbox wishing me a happy mother's day.

From U*Haul and Pixie I received a singing card that Dreamsicle insists on carrying around, opening up and getting her groove on to, a full length mirror and a hanging planter.

But Dreamsicle knew that her mommy needed just the right thing for the floating playpen and got me the gas powered blender shown at the top of this post. This babe knows her mommy well.

Not All Sunshine and Rainbows

We have had a fairly easy time with Dreamsicle and her transition into our family. We've hit our first major bump in the road and it is tearing my heart out. There have been some changes at her day care providers home and I think they have rocked her world. Her favorite friend had to have a tonsillectomy so she was gone for two weeks. The very first day her friend wasn't at day care a brand new baby was added to the daycare fold. Our Dreamsicle loves order and has a hard time with change. Being not yet two, I'm not sure what she processed when one day she went to daycare and her *friend wasn't there but there was a new baby in her place. Did it trigger something from her past? Since that time she has had a difficult time sleeping at night. She wakes up multiple times and cries big my -heart- is -breaking sobs which require me to actually pick her up and rock her to get her to calm down. She has also started to be too friendly. Which of course has me convinced that all of the work we have done to promote attachment has failed and I. am. the. worst. mother. in. the. world. therefore she cannot attach. The right side of my brain knows this is not the truth, she certainly knows who her parents are. Attachment is an ongoing process. It doesn't happen over night, or even over the course of months. But the left side of my brain cringes every time she waves hi at every stranger she sees, asks to be picked UP by random people in the grocery store and will blow kisses to anyone who looks her way. Dudes, that bothers the heck out of me. The two of us are hunkering down this weekend, spending a very low key weekend at home. We can just gaze dreamily into each other's eyes, have ticklefests and feed each other cheerios while reading books. And if that doesn't help her to feel more secure I just may **tie her arms to her side when out in public to help her resist the urge to want to please those she doesn't know.

*her friend came back to daycare last Wednesday

**no, I really don't intend to tie her arms down

Fun, fun, fun!

I had to go to DC this past weekend for work. While there I met up with one my of blogging buddies. Can I just tell you that I had an absolutely marvelous time? You know how when you meet someone for the first time your half afraid that they will end up being a freak? I'm happy to say that meeting S was probably one of my most non freakiest encounters ever. She totally rocks! We stayed up late, ate good food, did all of the touristy DC things and had a splendid time. There was one little problem though-it had been a long time since S had been to DC. I was great at being able to show her the landmarks most of the time. Some of the buildings just completely escaped me. I could not for the life of me remember what some of the buildings were. So I'd tell her to take a picture because I knew it was something of historical importance and hoped that her husband W would be able to identify them. We joked that she could post the pictures on her blog and do a "Where in the world is S" just to see who could tell us what the names of the buildings are. That would be fun. I'm hoping to get her and her fabulous family up to the mitten state sometime this summer so she can experience the "floating playpen" for herself. Can't wait!

I'm Not A Gunslinger, really

McGyver loves to watch old western movies. You know the kind-with the showdown on the one street that runs through town and the crazy music in the background. I'm getting a little worried about myself. I can actually hear some of that music in my head now. You see, since Chester left my Blackberry is attached at my hip. Literally. I carry it with me every where I go since I'm never going to know when or where he will call (please God, don't let it be while I'm using the restroom, I would have no choice but to answer it!). Anyway, having the darn device attached to my hip makes me feel like I'm packing some heat. Instead of drawing my gun, I'll be drawing my phone out of its holster. Ready to fire by pushing the answer button. Oy it's going to be a long 7 months.

I sent his first care package out today. That was pretty fun. I actually giggled a little at the things I put in there because he will think they are funny and I know he will be comforted.

In Dreamsicle news...she was an absolute dream on our trip. She ate like a big girl, slept great and was a happy, happy little girl. The way she pronounces Chester's real name would melt even the coldest heart. They bonded so strongly during this trip. Chester kept asking her to please remember him which broke my heart. We went to Disneyland where she thought riding in the stroller people watching and listening to the music was much more fun then having her daddy and mommy put her on the carousel. We got a few pictures of her with characters but she wasn't too thrilled with the whole idea of having a couple of large mice next to her. She did go crazy over Donald Duck and Chip and Dale though. She thought they rocked the house and kept yelling Chip! Chip! Chip (which ticked Dale off since she kept calling him Chip! too). I think she wants to marry Donald. That's how enamoured our girl was with the crazy duck.

Please don't say you're sorry

We just returned home today from California. The purpose of the trip was to see Chester off. Our son is a Marine. A very proud Marine. He enlisted into the Marine Corps with his eyes wide open about the Iraqi conflict. He knew that he would be called to serve over there at some point in his career and this is the time. As much as this mother's heart hurts for the danger that he will face, it pales in comparison to the pride that fills my chest over the man that he has become.

Our family and friends were alerted to the fact that the time had come for Chester to go and many offered words of encouragement. Some, however, did not. They offered their sympathy instead. To the parents of a Marine, Soldier, Airman or Sailor who is serving their country~telling them you are sorry that their child has chosen to serve is much like slapping them in the face. If not for these brave men and women, where would our country be? I gladly passed along the well wishes from back home, told Chester of the many, many people that asked us to convey their thanks for his service, but kept the offers of condolensce to myself.

So our countdown begins. Every day that he is gone is one day closer to his return. We will pray for his safety, load him up with as many comforts from home as we can along the way and be there to grab him when he lands back on US soil. At that time I hope the only thing he ever hears is "Thank you and Welcome Home".

Once A Klutz Always A Klutz...

We went out to dinner with friends this past weekend. I was wearing some cute spiky heeled pumps and thought I was "all it". Right up until the time the hostess was seating us at our table and my heel got caught in the floor register. Yep, sashaying through the restaurant, me leading our party of four and McGyver in the back and I get stopped by the evil vent in the register. Thinking that I could save face if I could get my shoe out quickly, I tugged on my foot, hard. The shoe didn't budge but I did manage to pull the register vent right out of the floor! Still stuck to my heel I might add. I realized the gravity of the situation and did what any one with my past history would do-yelled at McGyver to "get it off me!!" McGyver came to my rescue once again, dislodged the evil vent from my shoe and we proceeded to our table, where I promptly turned 7 shades of red and my husband just sat and shook his head. When I asked him why he was shaking his head he told me that when he noticed the hole in the floor (where the vent used to be) he knew he had better look for me, I must be the one wearing the vent.

The Pretty, Pretty Princess

Dreamsicle had a ball this past weekend with all of the girls that came over for Chester's Sandbox Sendoff party. She had received quite a few dress up outfits for Christmas that she has shown absolutely no interest in until now. She was the bell of the ball to about 8 twenty something girls and 6 little girls. Here's proof of her in all of her glory, and proof that a girl can only stand so much attention.....

New Pic's Because It Has Just Been Too Long...

Picture one is Dreamsicle and McGyver in Texas on the beach, Picture two-Uncle Butch and Dreamsicle in Texas, Picture three-Dreamsicle enjoying some IPOD music, Dreamsicle being a country girl, reading with Daddy

Aahhhh Sleep...

It is amazing to me how much I worry about my kids. In ways that I don't even realize. Chester is home and is sleeping under our roof for the next week. Last night X*Boy decided to spend the night as well. I have all of my kids here, the first time in an awful long time that everyone is here at the same time, and I slept. like. a. rock.

I am the first one awake this morning and have spent my time going from room to room with my cup of coffee and just staring at my children as they lay there sleeping.

I am so blessed.

Jumbled Thoughts

I have so much stuff running around inside this ol head of mine that it is hard to get it out in writing. Wierd stuff. Stuff like-I had a few blouses that had an asian style to them that I used to wear back in the day. I like that style. Now I feel funny wearing them. I feel like I'm trying to hard to be asian since I adopted if I wear that style clothing. Told ya it was wierd.

And-Chester is coming home for his predeployment leave soon. He has requested that we throw him a going away party. I have decided to call it the Sandbox Sendoff party. With a name like that, what kind of decorations would be appropriate? Do I buy a bunch of little sand pails and have people drink out of those instead of glasses? Do I really want to see a bunch of grown men drinking out of plastic sand pails?

And-watching the weather report, hoping furiously that we would get slammed so hard with ice that I could take the day off just to spend it with her.

And-worrying constantly that I'm scarring her for life every time I have to go out of town on business and she stays home with McGyver. (Not because McGyver doesn't do a great job with her but because I'm leaving her)Last week it was Vegas. McGyver didn't feel Dreamsicle was old enough to appreciate all that Vegas has to offer so he stayed home with her. Once again I was met with the cold shoulder for a few minutes when they picked me up from the airport.

And-we have it so easy with Dreamsicle. I read other people's blogs and read about the challenges they face and tend to question our happy little existence. Some bloggers seem to think that those of us that write only good things must either be in denial or lying. But really. It has been so easy with her. I'm not sure if it is because we raised 3 boys each a year apart from each other so I've known the meaning of chaos and utter exhaustion. And that after that experience having one wee lil' non demanding girl is a piece of cake. Part of me tends to panic in the middle of the night though. What if we do have it too easy? What if she is really still so shut down that she doesn't feel comfortable enough yet to give us her opinion? But then she will do something like start crying in the middle of dinner because she wants "dat" while pointing to a pickle and I am somehow strangely reassured.

Dreamsicle will be 19 months old tomorrow! 19 months! Wow. Her vocabulary is still growing. I love, love, love it when I ask her what sound a horse makes and she neighs. It is hysterical. She has begun this week to take our hands or pull on our pants to get us to go where she wants us to go. And she does not take no for an answer. Last night I had a pair of yoga pants on (relax people I didn't go out in them, just wearing them in the house) and she wanted me to go with her. She grabbed hold of my pants and started walking. Since we have a slight height difference while she was pulling I could feel my pants slipping further and further down my waist. Glad we didn't have company!

Decision

We have decided not to pursue a 2nd adoption. Although it would be wonderful for Dreamsicle to have a sibling closer to her age, the reality is that that isn't the right reason to add another person to this family. Dreamsicle sort of lives this charmed life right now where she is constantly surrounded by love. Even the few hours each week she spends in daycare are filled with harmony since the other 3 toddlers seem to be pretty mellow and she never comes home with bruises, cuts or bites.

We had our 6 month post placement homestudy done last Friday and the social worker brought her daughter who was adopted at the same time as Dreamsicle. Her daughter cold-cocked Dreamsicle with a block at one point and then pushed Dreamsicle off of my lap at another point. Seeing this behavior, which is typical toddler, really brought it home that Dreamsicle is such a happy little girl-who definately has the most loving and kind spirit of any child I have ever met-deserves to keep her "love circle" for as long as she can.

Rewind...

McGyver and I attended a charity event this past weekend. There was an auction scheduled for the evening but during the day the hall was open so that people could walk around and look at the items up for bid. We had Dreamsicle with us and she was walking in between the two of us. We had stopped to look at something and out of nowhere an Asian woman ran up to us demanding to know what country Dreamsicle was from. I asked her where she was from and she told me Korea so I told her Dreamsicle was from China. She immediately threw her arms around me and told me that I was so lucky-everybody knows that the Chinese are the. smartest. people. out. there.

Huh?

She Makes Us Laugh

This kidlet makes us laugh every single day. I know I say that often, but it is the truth. I had no idea a now (18!) month old baby could have such a sense of humor. She has a picture of McGyver and I that is in a photo frame. This past weekend I asked her to show me where mama was in the picture. She got the most impish grin on her face, pointed to McGyver and said "Mama"! She immediately started laughing and then pointed to me and said "Daddy"!.She now thinks this is the funniest thing she has ever come up and calls us by each other's name. All we can do is laugh.

So if you see a family that has the daughter calling her daddy mama-you will know it is the McGyver family.

She got a ride on car for Christmas, the seat opens up and she likes to keep all of her treasures there. She realized that not only could she keep her treasures there, but she could actually stand in there as well! Now that is the only place she will stand while she watches her Wiggles videos.

The dog was sniffing her Lovey the other morning and this caused her to become extremely indignant. Keep in mind that we have a large Rottweiler-she rarely goes near him. But! Because he was sniffering her Lovey that she had left on the floor, she marched over, pulled the Lovey away from him and made a hrrmph sound. Guess she told him.

Our travel group is in the process of making plans to get together in early 2008 at Disney. I cannot tell you how excited I am to see all of these people again! Our group really clicked and it will be a thrill to see the changes in all of the girls.

...Speaking of travel groups...I'm really starting to feel the itch to adopt again. I've broached the subject with McGyver who swears I must be smoking crack, but I'll let you all know how it all turns out. There is such a big age difference between Dreamsicle and the boys, it would be nice for her to have a sister and a companion. Time will tell.

Goosebumpy

Today is referral day. Lots of people whom I have never met are posting on various websites that they have received the referral for their daughter (or son!). I love this day of the month. When you can almost physically feel the love oozing out of the computer as people post with such excitement and joy after having waited so long. This time it is making me cry. I have no idea why but this month's posts have reduced me to a blithering idiot. I think because I am so happy for these families. The joy they feel today when they first lay eyes on their new child, is nothing compared to what lies ahead for them. It is giving me goosebumps. Congratulations to everyone!!

Dreamsicle has been sick for the past week. Runny nose, cough, fever...last night we ventured out to a restaurant for dinner, she seemed to have been on the mend. Right after she ate some of the appetizer she decided maybe it would be better if that food wasn't sitting in her stomach but rather in mama's lap. Even through all of that, I can't get over how much I love this child. She can throw up on me and I'm still smiling. I can't wait for all of these new families to experience the same thing...

Because I Need To Smile

Pictures of Dreamsicle just because. The Fisherman's brother (McGyver's uncle) passed away this weekend. 2007 has not started off on a positive note so here are some pictures of the babe just because I need to smile.
The one of Dreamsicle with the other little girl has a cute story behind it. That little girl is Dreamsicle's cousin who lives in Chicago. She was dying to meet Dreamsicle because she thought that having a cousin from China made her part Chinese.