Hmmm...not sure I like!

Which Grey's Anatomy Character Are You?

You are Meredith Grey. You relate easily to people, though you have a hard time letting people in, and though are a an amazing person, you have a hard time seeing that yourself
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OMG! What have I done....

...I highlighted my hair! The problem with the last statement is "I". The last two times I did it, I left it on for 20 minutes and you could barely see it, so, I left it on 25 minutes this time!!! What the hell happened in that additional 5 minutes I'll never know. I will try to get a photo and post it. Thankfully it's only hair color and not a bad cut. I can always dye it for a quick fix. Don't know what I'll do...

Okay, so it doesn't look too bad in a photo. Why is that??? Yeah, but I got the giggles from a co-worker!! I have this pasty white/pink/red toned skin with platinum highlights! It just doesn't work with my skin tone, not even a little. Maybe I will find a true picture to capture the tragedy! :(

Update: I have been told that it doesn't look that bad and that it will mellow out after a day or two. So, I guess I will hold off on the brown hair dye...for today. :(

More Yard Sales

Well, I found some more Disney Movies this weekend. $1 each and two of them still had their shrink wrap on them...crazy! Anyway, I still haven't been successful at finding Mulan but I think that is the one the I will want on DVD instead of VHS. Hmmm. I'll keep trying. :)

There is Aladdin-King of Thieves, The Return of Jafar, The Prince of Egypt, Sound of Music, Magic Voyage, and Sing along songs. I also got (not pictured) 2 Sesame Street Videos: The Alphabet Jungle Game and The Great Numbers Game, and Elmo's World: Springtime Fun, Wakeup with Elmo, Birthdays*Games*and More.

I also found the cutest ladybug blanket! It is actually cuter in person!

Just a few of the outfits that I found. (All $1 or Less)

Travel Tips

Air Freshener (the pump type)!!! The diapers can really stink up a hotel room & you never know who will be ahead of you in the airplane bathroom!Take pens on the plane. Lots of forms to fill out prior to landing.

Aerosol cans are prohibited on all flights in China - none in check-in or carry-on.

Travel Alarm Clock. White Swan doesn't have clocks in the rooms.

Gift Bags, Tissue Paper & Tape. Do not wrap anything, the airport could make you unwrap.

Ziploc Bags (quart & gallon sizes). Awesome for so many things!

Toiletries - ziploc all toiletries, lotions, etc. "just in case". Air pressure changes alone has made some containers leak. Plastic is safer than dealing with glass in luggage - put in ziplock bags, let out the air. if somehow the luggage gets smooshed enough to break the plastic - hopefully the ziplock will contain it all.

Laundry in China, always remove it from the bags ASAP!!! It is usually still damp!!

Keys For Your Luggage! Don’t forget your luggage keys!

Inflatable Beach Ball. fun and takes no room.

2'x2' piece of a picnic tablecloth, the plastic kind with felt backing (makes a great and easily washable diaper changing place)

"White-out" Marker. It’s easy to correct mistakes on the forms. Hard to get new copies.

Passport Photos. Obvious reasons

COPIES of: driver's licenses, passport page 1 and birth certificates. These will make it easier to obtain a replacement passport on the off chance yours is stolen or lost.

This tips have all been from adoptive parents that have made the trip to China and have been gracious enough to post on my yahoo groups. So a big thanks to all of them. Check back because I will be continually updating this list!

Pepto Bismal daily. Take two in the morning and two in the evening. The bismuth in them "has antibacterial qualities" according to doctors, and they are good for much more than just heartburn. They can actually help nip in the bud any Montezuma's Revenge type "bugs" that make it into your system before they reproduce enough to become problematic.

Thank you SP!

Thank you so much for my May SP gift. I have been feeling very under the weather this past week and this just brightened my day! This is my first Mother's Day Card! How great.

My grapefruit scented candle. This is great. I have been soaking in the tub everynight trying to make the pain go away and I have to tell you that I have been lighting this candle as I soak and it's been truely theraputic! :)

I also got the cutest "adoption" neclace and a little ladybug clip-on watch. The wings open up. It's just too cute. Thank you Secret Pal. You were the best thing about my week!!!

Lifebook & Birthparents

I belong to a yahoo group on China Lifebooks for our daughters. It's an awesome site and very helpful in creating a Lifebook. This latest topic is on Birthparents. It's very thought provoking and a section that I am definately struggling with. One of the questions was "what are your feelings about the Birthparents?" Here is a portion of what I wrote:

"... I am so grateful to my daughter-to-be’s birthparents. Because of them, I will have a daughter, be a mommy, and have the life that I always dreamed of. Because of them I will be able see her eyes light up when I (Me, Mommy) picks her up from daycare, to sing songs to her in the car, hang her artwork on the fridge, hold her tight when she is grieving, kiss her goodnight, and watch her sleep. Grateful is such an understatement.

Because of them, my daughter might struggle with her identity. Because of them, my daughter will always wonder why they are not her mommy or daddy, but her birthparents. This breaks my heart. How can I be so grateful and so sad/angry. I cannot imagine their world, although I try. I cannot imagine how one cannot raise their own child. I try, but I cannot see clearly.

Fear. This is a small emotion I feel but a powerful one. I fear that a small part of my daughter might resent me for taking her away from her birthparents and China. I hope to show her all the respect for her Heritage and Birthparents that I can.

In my head I imagine next Mother’s Day. I imagine that I find a way to honor her birthparents by doing something special. Am I doing this for me or am I doing this for my daughter? I hope the answer is that I am doing it for both of us! I know for me it will be my way of saying “Thank You” for making me a mom every year!!

I am struggling with how I tell my daughter in her lifebook and then verbally about her birthparents. Do I assume? Do I tell her that her birthparents loved her and placed her to be found for a better life? Do I leave out the “loved” part? How do you explain to your child that you were loved but then abandoned? Love is a powerful and wonderful thing and how can I assure myself that Love & Abandonment never get intertwined. As an adult, it is easier to see the difference. But to a child, how clear is it? I promise that I will try my very hardest to raise her with self esteem and a great sense of self worth. I am just asking for guidance.

I don’t have the words yet but I am working on it!....."

Disney Movies & Others

I love movies and especially all of the Disney Movies. I am now starting a "Disney Movie" collection. I am collecting all of them in VHS (ya know...the "new" 8-track) in those large covers. I have a pretty good start. Listed below are the movies that I already had, gifts from friends, or from yard sales. I hope to have lots!

Should I or Shouldn't I?

So, on a few of my yahoo groups there seems to be the topic of whether or not one adoptive-parent-to-be should/shouldn't approach families that appear to have adopted. I am an Asian Baby Magnet. In such a small state, I have been seeing more and more of these families. I don't have an FCC that I am aware of here in Delaware. So, what do I do. NOTHING.

I am not alone in the world or anything but I just so much want to be friends with someone who has adopted. Please don't get me wrong...I LOVE MY CYBER FRIENDS. You all are my rock... I am sure you know what I mean. (that in person contact) Anyway, most of the families on my yahoo groups just dislike being approached even if it is in a nice way. There are a few members that say they don't mind but most do not want to be bothered but tolerate it. I don't want to bother anyone. So, this weekend at a yardsale...there is a little Asian girl with Caucasian Parents. They looked like such a sweet and happy family. Did I want to just blurt out that she was beautiful and I too am adopting...YES. What did I do?...NOTHING.

Yesterday, I am in a department store on my lunch break and I see a Caucasian Mom with a little Asian Girl carrying around a little plastic photo album of her family. I bet she was adopted, and recently too. Do I do NOTHING again? I must come up with a plan. Ok...I got it. We're both shopping for little girls clothing and I asked what size she was buying for her daughter cause I am wondering what size I might want to buy. If she asked how old is the child I am buying for, I will mention a small size but that I am not totally sure and that I was LID in February. I figured that if she wanted to open up a dialog, it was her call. Sound like a good plan?

Oops. She had no idea what LID was. Now I was totally confused. I'm an idiot. So much for my plan. Once she figured out what the heck I was trying to say, she was chatty kathy. Her daughter had been adopted one month ago from Korea. She did not have to travel, they escorted her daughter to the States. Both mom and daughter were very sweet. We chatted for a while, wished each other well and then said our goodbyes.

A few minutes later she came back and said that she just want to let me know that I will be amazed at how much I will love my daughter and that in the shortest time I will feel as though she had been with me forever. She said that it was amazing how much love she had for her daughter and would die for her and that it would be the best thing I've ever done. She was so emotional and it took my breath away. I had a good cry on the way back to work.

Anyway, I am so glad I bugged her in the store. I guess I just got lucky. Will I approach other in the future. I don't know. But I hope so.

Freshly Bathed

So this is the weekend for cleaning. All of Pirate's toys that have made it into Giorgia's Room have just gotten washed. Pirate got a bath too. Thought this would be a cute photo op! To bad this doesn't even show the HUGE amount of doggie toys! I keep trying to cute down on the amount but he is just so attached. Especially the ones in the crib!

My Clean Tribute

My Tribute is thanking me sorry much for the drive thru car wash tonight. It was just begging to be cleaned!!! Look at that sparkle. Hey, you can even see Pirate at my door. Hi Pirate!! Love you baby! Maybe tomorrow I'll tackle the inside!! :) You all have a great weekend!

Thank you SP!

Look what my SP sent! They are beautiful tulips! They are in on my desk at my office and I am getting more comments!! "April showers bring Mei Flowers!" Yup, they sure do. Thanks so much for the flowers, they are beautiful! :)

Alexus' First Communion