Saturday, March 31, 2007

ORGANIZE FOR A CLUTTERED MIND

I have figured out how much time I have to do stuff around here. Each week work monopolizes 56 hours..... there is 168 hours in a week. This gives me 112 hours a week to do Mesa time, sleep, clean, relax, socialize and get my multiple projects done. During my awake time, I seem to just tread water. I find myself getting up to get something done, walk into a room and forget what I was doing only to get sidetracked with something else. Common??? Age??? The wait??? Whatever, this is not getting my "stuff" done for me to be ready for Tate.

On one hand I keep thinking that things have got to be perfect for Tate. I have got to create the perfect Kingdom for my Princess to explore, crawl and walk in. On the other hand, I think that Tate will not know the difference, and I am just doing for myself. All my life I have wanted a child. All my life I have been driven to create and design a home. As I have said before, I am a frustrated artist who cannot do the typical artist stuff like paint. I have accepted this inability to paint and have embraced my artistic side by creating in other ways. This life I have envisioned for Tate is one way that I can create. Oh crap, this sounds like I will be creating who I want Tate to be. NOT this at all. I just want to create a life that Tate can be who she is and the best she can become. My Tate does not need the perfect shade of periwinkle/sky blue on her Kingdom walls.... but I do. I need to create a place that I have always wanted for a child of mine.


So once again I have a plan to approach my "projects"...... Aside from the daily grind of cleaning, shopping and the joy of spending time with the snuggle pup, Mesa, I have decide to make my projects more of a game. Into a large box I will put all the projects... the 100 wish quilt, the start of Tate's life book, scrapping pages of Mom's 70th birthday, two knitting projects, my list of one day projects, and oh so many more. Out of a smaller box I will place the projects on paper and pull the name of a project out to be completed. Also, today I will compile a list of each room in Tate's Kingdom and the things that I would like to get done. I will separate it into Needs and Wants..... Tate does not need a new couch in the family room.... I want one. This is the stuff I am talking about.....


ORGANIZATION for a CLUTTER MIND!!!

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

HELP.....

SOMEBODY STOP ME .........




PLEASE!!???
I just bought this pink polka dot lovely today..... Sadly (and thankfully) they were out of the 12-18 month hat. When is this shopping frenzy going to STOP????

Saturday, March 24, 2007

A BLESSING??!!!

This has been in my heart for the past month.... Although I have never experience this first hand, I have witnessed this many a times.....

Into a family a child is born with a disability. There is a difference in that child that is perceived as an inconvenience to the family. Others around them pity the family and wonder how life will be affected for this family. But somehow this family deals and they learn to live with the disability. Life goes one and as it goes on, this child, this disabled child who was an inconvenience to the family now brings so much love and joy and spiritual growth to the family. What is a family but love and support for one another. And as we face our trials we grow from the experiences and the sacrifices that we make for one another.

A month or so ago, I witness such a family. I work in a hospital and as I was leaving that day after a long 13 hour shift, I watched this scene play out in the elevator for 7 floors worth of enlightening viewing. As the elevator opened on the 7th floor, in enters a family of a Mom in a wheelchair, three adult kids and one teenage child with Down Syndrome who just happened to be the one pushing the Mom in the wheelchair into the elevator. Such joy was on this child's face as she was able to assist her Mom and push her into the elevator. Pure giggles eluded from her the whole way down the 7 floors as she was being cheered on by her siblings. I looked at the faces of the adult children and could see the pure love they felt for this "disabled" sister. Looks that showed such approval and love and joy. As the door opened onto the busy lobby, the child saw the waiting crowd and a look of worry showed on her face. One of the brothers said sweetly to go ahead he would keep the doors open and turned to the entering crowd and asked everyone to give her a minute. How simple it would have been to step in and relieve this child of the task of maneuvering through the crowds. How quickly the joy of the accomplishment of helping Mom would have left this child. As the family wheeled away from my sight, I could hear the giggles of the child and see the love of the siblings as they exited the hospital.


For what if is worth, I think that this child is a blessing to this family.

LADY BUG SIGHTING

Some people think that I am sending out the Lady Bug Sightings......



I will not deny or confirm this.....


What can I say, when you see a Lady Bug....

It is Magical!!!

Friday, March 23, 2007

UPDATE

Twinkle Toes did it!!! I am sitting her listening to my Ip*d..... I have downloaded a bunch of my own CD's and even ventured to i tunes to download Lenny Kr*vitz "I Belong to You". I am not real familiar with this Kr*vitz gut, but I saw this music video "I belong to you"..... and LOVED IT so thought I would splurge the 99 cents and learn to download off of itunes. I feel like such a tech suave woman!!!

My Gift

is making me INSANE!!! This is the gift I got for the big birthday.... I am pulling me hair out over how to load songs into this one ounce of pure torture device. If one more person tell me how "EASY" it is to load, I will literally scream at decibles that will be heard around the world.



Happily if I can last only 5 more hours, to the rescue will be my 7 year old niece, Twinkle Toes to guide me lovingly into this new Techy world of IP*D. Oh how I hope she has had a great day today in Second grade and will have the patience of a Saint to show me!!!!

Monday, March 19, 2007

MONEY RAISING

Have you noticed the people standing by the side of the road or store with the signs that basically says a variety of reasons but the true meaning is.... GIVE ME MONEY, BECAUSE I WANT MONEY AND YOU KNOW YOU HAVE SOME TO GIVE ME.... stuff???? I have decided after seeing pictures of me, that this is a way I will be able to finance some serious flaws that age is afflicting on me......




If you can take your eyes off of that gorgeous babe for one second.....Just take a look at my eyes. Age has decided to play a trick, a very evil bad trick on me. What used to be hollow eyelids, gravity is now pulling them down over my eyes soon blinding me. And the bags????? If intervention does not happen, I will be tripping over them as I walk. I thought gravity was doing a number on my "girls", but the bags are definitely taking first place in this gravity pull.

So tonight I will be making a sign that will say....

"Desperately in need of your help to fund a life saving surgery, before I become blind and unable to walk"

I'm thinking this just might be the answer to plastic surgery needs.

***If this is your means of income, this post is not meant to demean you.... It is posted as a tongue in cheek funny kind of post...

Sunday, March 18, 2007

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

It doesn't get any better than this!!! Yesterday was my 50th birthday and NOW I can be a card carrying member of AARP. I will be able to get discounts on all sorts of things for me and my gal, Tate. Just look what was in the mail on friday..... just in time for the big birthday.



And the back of the invitation ...



Now really AARP, how comfortable is 5o going to be for me???? Maybe not typically comfortable, but oh the shear joy of a child. Who says that I cannot bask in the sun on some beach while Tate is splashing in the waves and digging in the sand??? Much more joy than being alone on that beach.






I wonder if AARP offers discounts on day care and diapers???

Did I buy a gift for myself???? I had Gymbucks, so off I went in search of some amazing outfits in size 3T..... Shopping for Tate is just more fun than buying something for myself......

These of course are for Tate...

For Me...... I am buying an IP*D so I can have music while I get into shape to lug a baby around China. I am coming up with a "plan" which will involve a baby carrier and a 10lb bag of flour. Something I am sure I will be working myself up to also. I am pathetically OUT OF SHAPE- Damn the Wintertime!!!!

Thursday, March 15, 2007

PICTURES...

This is the front of the house with snow and the old windows......




Of the new windows minus the snow .......

I am almost too embarrassed to show this picture!!! I just see how much Spring cleaning and planting I have in store for me.... YIKES!!! Please remember that I am showing the new windows and not the house.



Now that the new windows are in, I really need to get going on the repainting of the front porch and all the trim around the sides of all the windows!!! As you can see by the reflection on the window, I live in BUNGALOW HEAVEN!!!! I think my house was the first one built in this neighborhood when it was new and being developed.



Kind of cool picture.... You can see the new side windows thru the front window.... The side windows are two sliders and one picture window like the ones above..... I think we are DONE with the snow shoveling this year so I will get rid of the shovel and salt bucket on the porch!!!!

I am getting a lot of neighbors asking about the windows.... I think I should get a commission for all the new clients I am sending this window guy!!!!

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

THIS LITTLE PIGGY...

came this morning for Tate.... c/o Tate's Mommie!!!!

with a cute poem that said......

This little piggy went to Utah...

The Divine Miss "T"

is destined to be

one pretty piglet.

What a fun surprise!!! A big THANK YOU to the thoughtful person who sent this!!!! You made my week!!!

Friday, March 09, 2007

WHAT DID YOU DO???

I have started this type of post many times, but somehow have either not posted it, or have gotten off topic. Maybe I should be asking my Yahoo DTC groups this as well. I would love to hear thoughts and ideas of others either in the process or those veterans that I count on to guide me through this process.

~~~~~QUESTIONS~~~~~
~~~ I plan on celebrating each year my Metcha/Gotcha/Family Day. What are some of the ideas people have to buy when in China???? I plan on getting pearls for when she is older, but what are some ideas for when she is two, three, etc......
~~~ What are people planning on bring to the Nannies for gifts???
~~~ What are people planning on sending in the gift to the baby??? What has worked for those who have traveled already? What do you wish you would have send? What would you have not send????
~~~ What question do you plan on asking for the nannies and the director???
Suddenly I feel like I need to start organizing and get the things I can do before referral done like the pictures book to the baby and the questions to the orphanage. I feel a real spurt to take the steps to get the nursery done and organize my house. Anyone else feeling the same way???

WINDOWS

Right now as I type this, I am getting NEW WINDOWS for my front area on my old 100 yr old house!!!! I am TRYING to stay out of the way so decided to take the time to post. These last two rooms are the last of all the windows in this old house. These windows are huge, drafty and face NORTH..... plenty cold in the Wintertime!!! At some time in the history of this house, the glass was replaced. I am clueless as to the original look of the windows. So in my creative state, I have decided to custom the windows add a design element that I hope is reminiscent of a 1900 Arts and Craft Bungalow. I will post pictures after they are done. So far, I love what I see.

I am so relieved to hear all my emotional stuff is common with everyone. I guess what I am going through is normal. Thanks for the comments with support and love.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

EMOTIONS

I'm a kind of gal that you know exactly where you stand with me.... I cannot hide my emotions either joyful or dislike to anyone. What you see is definitely what you get!!!! So I am surprised with this feeling about myself.....

I never thought I was emotinally void..... I have always been able to express unconditional love towards others, however I find it difficult to recieve this same kind of love back. I think that perhaps life with all it's many twists and turns has slowly made me cautious with my emotions. So I have kind of put up a little armour of protection so that I would not get hurt totally.

At this point of this post, I am wondering where this is going.... As I am sure you are. I have just recently been together with others who have gotten their gals here in their arms. I see the joy that these new mommas have. I hear the stories. I see the faces. I see the Gotcha moments on other blogs and see the intensive emotion that is expressed. I just worry that I cannot handle such joy... such emotion. This raw emotions just frigthens me. Will I be able to handle this emotion. Do I want to feel so intensely for another. Am I just freaking out due to drug induced cold medications. Is it because in a few days fifty is breathing down my neck and I am looking at my mortality straight in the face. I have no answers to these questions. I think I just need to take a deep breath and hope that March blows by fast. That way I will have made it through a majorly bad cold, a majorly BIG birthday, and be one month closer to facing my raw emotional fears.

I'VE BEEN

LID FOR ..........




MONTHS
ALSO KNOWN AS THE

YEAR MARK

FOR LID....

Sunday, March 04, 2007

THE PARTY'S OVER,

Let's call it a day......




All of us...l-r Tiffany and Eliza, Marque, Kimi, Leanne, Yvette and Charlee, Me (Lisa) and Liza (Marque's gal)....


Actually, it is the day after our SWAC gathering and I am sitting back thinking about the time we spent together. Who would have guessed that there would have been such love in one room. All of us rolling around on the dining room floor... A kiddo, two babies, mommas and future mommas. Low key I tell you, everyone casual feeling.... just like family. Enjoy pics...










Charlee and Eliza are one day apart in age, comparing the height.










Our two Z girls.... LiZa and EliZa...






Tiffany (r) totally shocked that Eliza was awake and HAPPY at 1100pm!!! Leanne is waiting for her very own baby.... "Li".


Why is it that the toy someone else is playing with is way more fun than what you have???







I'm off to nap just trying to get rid of this sickness before my week starts once again in full force....

Friday, March 02, 2007

COMEDY OF ERRORS???


I called in sick today at work cause I AM SICK!!! Really I am. Tomorrow I will be hosting the monthly meeting of the SWAC (Single Women Adopt China). This is such a low key group and we just love to hang out, talk, and enjoy the new babies, ELIZA (l) and CHARLEE (r), and the delightful 6 yr old eye candy LIZA.
(picture at airport when Charlee came home)

I have the menu planned, the shopping list made and all planned while I am under a down throw on my couch. I muster up some energy and decide that I needed to at least clean the bathroom for this gathering..... This is when the comedy of errors all began. Off to the back closet to get out the bucket. WHAT??? Inside are tell tale signs of the mouse in my house. FREAK.... decided I needed to pull out everything in that closet and de-mouse-ize the closet. I started pulling out stuff.... a bag full of rags in need of washed!!! Suddenly there is a noise above me, and all the coats hanging in that closet come crashing down on top of me. WHY ME??? All I wanted to do was clean my bathroom. After an hour of exhausting (remember now, I am sick) cleaning, I am once again under my down throw and sprawled on my couch....

Kind of aggravating but still kind of funny!