No allergies

On the Tuesdays I teach (every other), Ted and Sam go to Sunflower Farms Camp. Last time, Ted had what we thought was an allergic reaction to the farm, the animals, hay, whatever. His cheeks remained bright red for about a week and he coughed constantly. Needless to say, we were worried that it would happen again yesterday. It didn't! On Monday he slept very late and we didn't have time to neb him before preschool. His teacher said he coughed all day long (I'm sure she was annoyed at me for sending him...but he wasn't sick!!) We made sure to neb him on Tuesday before the farm and today before preschool and no coughing! So I think we finally respect the fact that he needs that treatment...even if he's going to be late because of it, it's worth it. He needs it. We are just happy he was able to be at camp all day with no reaction. Hooray! He and Sam go one more time and then we will see about next semester. I don't want to commit (and pay!) when I'm not sure when I'll be in China/when the boys will be at the JCC full-time. But they love it and I'd love them to go when they can. We'll just play it by ear.
Last night and tonight Sam had to be put in his crib. Bummer! He was doing so well when he was sick and too weak to care! Hmmm...
I went to my former voice teacher's recital last night. She sang Schubert's "Winterreise" and Dr. Moteki accompanied her. Dr. Moteki (not actually a doctor, but that's what we always called her!) is from Tokyo, Japan and it got me thinking. Maybe I should fill my time before Mae arrives with music. Maybe I should find some Chinese songs and do a little recital. It would certainly help keep me busy as well as help me learn some songs to sing to her when she comes home. Dr. Moteki didn't know any, but she said there are two Chinese piano faculty who would probably know, so we are going to try to hook up. Since I'll have Monday and Wednesday mornings free, I might be able to have time for a voice lesson or coaching. That would be fun! It's still just a thought...but it might be a really exciting project.

successful night

Last night Sam slept in his bed all night long...no coming out at all. He's started out in his bed since last Friday but he's been put back in his crib at some point during the night. Last night was great! Let's hope it continues. Naps continue to be a problem, probably because Ted isn't in there with him. Soon enough!

great news!

On the CCAA website, they added a section detailing where documents are in the process and it reads:

"The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application
documents registered with our office in May 2005.

The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office in March 2005."

Our documents were logged into their system on May 23. This means that they have 'finished the review of our documents.' This probably means we are IN THE MATCHING ROOM! We may experience a significant delay in referral but the idea that someone is matching us with our child RIGHT NOW is incredibly exciting!!

tough guys

Just to cheer us up, after the latest rumors.

serious slow down

This was posted on our May/June DTC board today by a friend who just returned from adopting her daughter. This is not our agency, but another reputable one.

I can't verify the veracity of the below letter, but saw this posted somewhere else. It is allegedly a letter from the Harrah agency to its clients about the slowdown. Again, CCAI has not confirmed this (nor have I asked them). So, take this with a grain of salt. It's a bit of a bummer but at least it provides some information (if true).
-----------------

Dear Friends,

Our Beijing representative has spoken with several of the directors at CCAA about the slowdown rumors. He confirms that CCAA will be slowing down the LID to Referral timeframe in the near future. There are several reasons for this including the new, greater responsibilities given to CCAA, the internal restructuring of CCAA, the preference of social welfare institutes for finding domestic families to adopt children (it is easier for the orphanage to complete a domestic adoption since it involves only the local Civil Affairs office and not Beijing or a foreign country) thereby reducing the number of children who can be adopted internationally, the greater number of dossiers being submitted to CCAA by US families and other foreign countries, the reluctance of the Chinese government to increase the total number of adoptions yearly, and other factors.

It can be expected that CCAA will continue to refer half-months' worth of dossiers until the time is expanded to ten to twelve months from Login to Referral. This lengthening of the overall process will be done gradually and will apply to all non-Waiting Child families. As far as anyone knows currently, there will be no similar slowdown for Waiting Children.

Reluctant bearer of bad news,

Jackie Harrah

quote of the day

"I wuv you Mommy, when you get a blanket for me when I don't have any pants on." -Ted.

thoughts and nesting

I have been day dreaming a lot lately. Today I took a 4 mile walk around our neighborhood and spent the whole time imagining what the Referral Call day would be like. Crazy! I've been on a "Flylady" kick for about 2 months now, keeping the house running smoothly, while normally it is completely chaotic. I know it's nesting and I suppose it's normal...it's just unusual. Referrals for the April group should be out in the next 2 weeks or so. I just can hardly wait to see her little face.

still sick...

Poor Sam is still miserable (unless the Tylenol/Motrin combo is in effect) but he has managed to take all his naps and sleep last night and tonight in his big boy bed! He did come out of the room to pee, but that's OK. Sadly, he thought he was ready to get up for the day at 5:15 this morning...I put him in bed with us and he went back to sleep til 7:30 when Ted roared in. I don't want to get into that habit, so I hope hope hope he makes it a little later tomorrow morning. It would be great to finish the transition to his bed...that tiny bedroom is really crowded with 2 beds AND a crib. Hopefully his fever will be down tomorrow and he'll be back to normal.

I've received about 10 squares too late for the big quilt so I'm going to have a "cuddle quilt" made, with about 20 squares. It will be a smallish blanket that she can carry with her...not as huge and heavy as the main quilt. That way everyone can be included and she can have a 'travel size.' Both boys have a small square that Mindy made and still love them.

sick boy

Sadly, Sam has come down with a fever...and aches I think, judging by how he cries for no reason and can only be comforted when he's being held. It's 1:30pm and he's on his 2nd nap. Poor little guy.

Ted had a nice trip to the park with Daddy and is having a 'rest' now. On no-nap days. we get in a great half hour or so of violin practice, so I'm hoping he doesn't sleep today since he did yesterday. He is doing great with his bow holds and his "bow-like" rhythms. Tonight we're going out to eat with the Krams' to celebrate Eliot's 'real' 2nd birthday. I think Sam will stay home and go to bed early. It's a quiet Friday...and how wonderful that we have two more days to enjoy together!

Happy Thanksgiving

I thought I'd share what Ted is thankful for this year. We had T-day at our friend Randi's house. Her two kids are the same age as mine, Tara's and Heather's, so it was a nice group of people! She had a cute little craft project for them to do: tell what you're thankful for, write it on a leaf, and glue it to a tree. The whole thing is made out of foam and is a picture frame with a magnet on the back. Very cute. Ted's is drying now and we've lost the sign...tomorrow we'll fix it up and I'll replace the pic with his version. Some of the things he's thankful for are: robots, Yoda, knights, lollipops, superheroes, Star Wars, rescue heroes, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, trees and Power Rangers. Trees? Interesting one considering the rest. The others' were so sweet: mommy, daddy, soft jammies etc...and then there is Ted! After the wonderful feast Ted and I stopped off at Danna's, mostly because I wanted to meet her boyfriend of over a year. What a great guy! Anyone who will wrestle with Ted for that long is a hero in my book! I'm so glad to have met him.
So, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I know what I'm thankful for: my wonderful growing family and the beautiful place I live...I am so incredibly lucky.
The Xmas lights were turned on as we drove home...onto a hard season for us. How much to tell Ted, how much to just pass off as pretty...he still calls Santa 'the red snowman'...maybe it's time for a chat? Soon enough it will be January...and hopefully we'll FINALLY get that referral!!

holiday cards etc.

You know, it's a funny thing. When we celebrated Xmas, it was a no-brainer to take a cute family picture in front of the tree (the 'family' being Paul, me and maybe Ole...the cats were never game.) Now that we celebrate Hanukkah I always feel that we are making such a conscious CHOICE to "celebrate the holidays" while normally Hanukkah wouldn't require such attention. While the number of friends we have who celebrate Xmas is relatively small compared to the fellow Hanukkah-revelers, we still send them to everyone anyway. We use the holiday cards as a nice way to update everyone on what's going on in our lives, what we're up to, etc...the very kind of letter I used to think was incredibly egotistical (umm, reminds me of this blog, actually...) but we still do it. It is fun (now, in my domestic frame of mind) to receive others' letters and pictures of their kids. Anyway, we got the picture done today for the cards. This is not the pic (need to have a small element of surprise!) but it's one that sums up their enthusiasm about the event. I'm disappointed that our holiday letter won't include referral information, but hey! Soon soon soon

cows

I am on a quest. Before kids, Paul and I were vegetarian and then vegan (no eggs, milk, leather etc). We went back to eggs and milk (and eventually fish too-we are such cheaters!) while I was pregnant with Sam, because I couldn't keep anything down but Lucky Charms and skim milk (seriously!!). Now that the boys are older we are ready to recommit to the ethical treatment of animals-dairy farms are notoriously terrible. I've found 2 local companies that sound good on paper, but I want to visit to be sure. It's hard to visit Horizons, since they receive milk from different farmers. Everyone is so gung ho on organic, and it's great and all, but I'm more interested in the cows' living conditions than I am their feed; i.e. have these animals EVER seen the light of day, or are they in their stalls hooked up to milking machines all day long? That's what matters to me. Anyway, here are the 2 statements from these 2 dairies. I'm leaning towards Organic Valley, although Horizons is easier to find. We'll see.

Horizons Organic
And, of course, our organic farmer partners are also committed to the humane treatment of animals. Horizon Organic farmer partners do not give their cows antibiotics or added growth hormones; rather they allow the cows to make milk according to their natural cycles. And they keep them in good health by giving them certified organic feed, fresh air and access to pasture. In return, the cows give us delicious organic milk, which is the foundation for our great-tasting organic dairy products.

Organic Valley
Meg and Arden adjust and manage their seasonal rotational grazing system, which will ensure that by Spring 2005, their cows, which graze primarily in the summer months, will have access to pasture year-round and will only be confined to buildings in extreme weather. In the summer, the herd will graze on sorghum and alfalfa and then move to native perennial grass in fall and spring, and to fields of wheat, rye or triticale in winter.
"If we take care of cows and feed them correctly, they are healthier and so are the consumers of their dairy products," Meg explained.

And in non-cow news, I DID chat with the folks at my credit card company. Wouldn't you know that they don't allow you to redeem miles for an upgrade? Of course not. So, we are now hoping that someone we know has frequent flyer miles they might be generous enough to donate. We can hope, right?

nope

This amazes me...the life of a stay-at-home mom. Perhaps if I worked every day outside the home I would be more efficient. At 9 Sarah & Erin came over to swap out baby stuff. At 10:15 Sam and I went to the preschool to do pizza. We got home at noon and had lunch, then I spent the next hour working on the video of Ted's violin recital. Sam woke after only an hour and we walked to Zachie's house, where Ted was playing...what a hike! Played there for an hour or so, walked home, and then it was dinner/bath/bed time. Paul and I just watched Fahrenheit 911. It's 10:15 and I didn't get the ONE thing done I wanted to. "What do you do all day?"...I have no idea!

1 chore

I have only ONE job to do tomorrow...call my credit card company (a miles one) and see if/how I can use my miles to upgrade my China-San Fran. flight to First Class. I just want to see if it can be done. I know I don't have enough miles for a free flight, but I just might have enough for an upgrade. Worth a try, I figure!

shabbat shalom!

Tonight we had to choose between a Shabbat potluck with our playgroup or Tot Shabbat. We hadn't yet had a successful Tot Shabbat...one or both boys always melted down in the middle...embarrassing and frustrating. But we decided to give it a go tonight and they did great! Sam did spend a good deal of time in the bathroom (*sigh*) but Ted was SO well-behaved I couldn't believe it. I think NOT having friends near him helped. Most of our chavurah was there so that was fun afterwards. Cathy and I got to light the Shabbat candles-I've done that once before with our whole chavurah, but it was really special for it to be just us. All in all, it was a wonderful evening. Hooray for well-behaved children!
Tomorrow, we have our LAST Parent Training class...yippee!

It's here!

Here it is. It is so beautiful and so meaningful. Thank you to everyone who contributed. It's a bit overwhelming to think of all of you who thought about our daughter before she arrived. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! If you can't locate your square, it may be on the edge which was cut off of the pic. Never fear-they are all on there...each and every one. It is wonderful.

Today was the First Snow of the winter. Fitting...our Yahoo! group is the Snowbabies. Happy first snow!

The First Comment!

I'm so excited-I finally got my first comment on this blog! Hee hee. Thanks go to Chuck Tanowitz (of Shoshi's Blog). I feel like I should award him a medal! The ice has been broken-please feel free to comment, just be nice!

Also, tomorrow I get to pick up Mae's Good Wishes Quilt (96 in our case!) I am so excited-I can hardly wait to see it. I'll take a pic and put it up right away. What a huge step in my preparation. Oh, and my authenticated Power of Attorney form arrived by FedEx this morning too. Friday I'll take our last 3 years of tax filings and xerox them (I have no idea why either, but if you don't travel with your spouse you need to lug them to China...can you say 'back to back copying'?!) All that's left to do of import is to pack the shoebox for the orphanage! Referrals came in on Nov. 11 for the expediated families so April is set for early December and us for early January or February, depending on cut-off. My stomach twists just writing that...I know it will all end up right but the thought of waiting til February when we expected Thanksgiving is hard to swallow, let alone type.

Check back for the quilt picture tomorrow!!!

Oh Happy Day!

Ladies and gentlemen, WE HAVE THE BOW!

Today was another excellent lesson, aided by his teacher's ingenious trick of 'extrinsic rewards.' I am learning a lot from her! Just like last Thursday's makeup lesson, she put out about 10 pieces of trail mix (a nut, a raisin, a M&M, then repeat!) Each time she had to tell him to do something MORE THAN ONCE, she ate one (this only happened one time today; it happened about 5 times on Thursday...he's getting it!) That was for the bow holds...and yes! He got the bow...finally. We are all elated. Then, moving on to rhythms. He's moved from using his hands on his thighs to the violin hand on his left cheek and the bow hand at his wrist, moving up and down in rhythm. Apparently, this is as close to bowing and you can get pre-bow. He needed a lot of rep on that so she brought out a fairly simple Tigger puzzle with about 10 pieces. Each time he did the rhythm correctly he got to put a new piece on. He enjoyed it and was very proud of himself for getting his bow. I'm going to try some of those tricks this week and see how it goes. He usually does well for me, once I GET him on his mat, ready to focus. It's the 'tearing him away' from another activity that is tough..and yes, I do let him finish what he's doing. He'd just rather play than practice. I don't blame him-so would I! Hooray hooray! Oh happy day!

dinner time blues

So, why is it that when parents sit down to eat dinner, one or both children completely melt down...resulting in bedtime RIGHT NOW...so that by the time the parents return to their meal, all is cold? *sigh*

slacker mom

Finally! A book that speaks to my parenting philosophy! While my kids have plenty of toys and are well-entrenched in kiddie classes, it's still true that they have and do so much less than their peers. Compared to all of our friends, we have a tiny house (HUGE compared to the 2bedroom apartment I was raised in), lack of finished basement/playroom (they have playspace-they just need to share it with us!) and the boys have to...oh horror!... share a room! This is a great book for any moms out there who are feeling slightly guilty at the amount of time their kids spend playing in an unstructured, unsupervised manner. Fun stuff!

In other news, Ted (and I) survived his first violin recital! Sadly, I forgot the digital camera but did remember the video camera. I wasn't sure he'd actually do anything at all, but he did great. He was one of three "Pre-Twinkle Demonstration" kids and it is just the cutest! Hopefully he'll actually be PLAYING the violin for the next recital! One can hope, right? Tara and Jon watched the kiddos for us for two hours tonight while we went on a quick run (it was freezing and windy) and then to Borders for coffee. That was so nice! I hope we can return the favor and maybe get into a little routine here...just a few hours away makes a huge difference. Ted, Rach and Jack are moving from Fun Friday to Stroke School in January! It will be good for them...they had a little too much free time to goof off and try to drown each other in FF...learning the strokes should be fun. Next summer will be interesting, to say the least!

snowbabies!

Here is a link to our very own store for our DTC group! There are adorable things to buy in support of our journey! Enjoy!

CCAI Snowbabies Store

Our group has all ordered at least one T-shirt...so we'll all be wearing them on our looong airplane trip across the world! It will be fun to 'recognize' each other by our shirts!

flu shots

After weeks of putting it off, I finally 'made the time' to get flu shots for myself and the boys. It was quite the ordeal too, may I add! Sam has soccer Wednesday mornings so after we dropped Ted and Rach off at preschool, we did the soccer thing (so cute-I MUST bring my camera...) Then we went for a nice trail run (Sam is getting very good about staying in the stroller now) and then hung out in Boulder til it was time to get Ted at 1. Then we trekked all the way to Lafayette where we discovered that only adults could get shots there. So I got mine. Sam fell asleep on the way there and actually stayed asleep through the whole thing...out of the car, into the building, paying for the shot, me GETTING the shot, back in the car...pretty funny. Then we drove BACK to North Boulder to a clinic for their shots. Ted screamed blue murder (drama, drama!) while Sam squeaked once and was instantly fascinated by his Band-Aid. Both boys were taken in by "Beauty and the Beast" playing in the clinic, so we stopped by Rachel's house on the way home to borrow it. We got home around 4pm (hello! lunch time for Mom!!!) and they had some popcorn and watched it, then dinner and bedtime at 6:30. Nary a peep since. Sam may have to return for a 2nd booster if he didn't get it last year. I think he did, but I may be wrong.

Yesterday morning I took this pic of Ted. It was about 70 degrees at 9am-ish. We were having a very mellow morning and I didn't fuss at him to get dressed before coming downstairs like I usually do. He wandered out back and played happily for over an hour. I thought it was so cute...

letters, dinos & attitude

Most of Ted's little friends can write their names and other small words (mom, dad, cat etc). Since he's at a play-based preschool, he gets little if any of the 'worksheet' mentality which I whole-heartedly endorse...after all, he'll have the next 20+ years of his life to sit in a school desk and do worksheets...But, the mom in me thinks he should at least be AWARE of the spelling of his name, LOL. He can spell it out loud, recognize it on paper and knows all of his letters by sight...but writing them...ah, there's the rub! There is a CUTE website out there with little tracer sheets with themes (dinos, fish etc). I made him one with all caps and all lower-case and another with his name (pic). I think they're cute and maybe he'll like 'em, who knows?! Luckily, with a 3-letter name, I can be fairly certain he'll be able to write it by, let's say, 8th grade? LOL.

Attitude reigned today at his violin lesson, I'm sorry to report. If he continues in this vein, we won't be signing up in January. I don't believe all the things people say, "Oh, he's too young" "Oh, it's too hard for him" "Oh, he just doesn't really want to do it" blah blah. No to all of those! He doesn't like his teacher and he needs to deal with it! Isn't part if not all of childhood learning to DEAL with things you may not like?! He practices beautifully at home and LOVES LOVES LOVES pretending to play with his toy violin. He has gone to operas and symphonies and is always fascinated. This is NOT why he is refusing to cooperate at lessons. Much of it, I'm afraid, is stubbornness. I guess, as parents, we have failed him in one respect: we must not have adaquetely impressed upon him the NECESSITY of politeness to adults. I.e., if Miss Vari tells you to do something, you better darn well do it, buster!!! Perhaps it's because of the whole "keeping children safe from predators" talk we got earlier in the year that had us telling our children NO ONE but Mommy and Daddy can tell you what to do...hmmm...maybe need to clarify that one a bit. I mean, it's all done in the best interest of the child...saying "Do what the babysitter says" is a recipe for disaster, I think. But, the result of that type of thinking has gotten us into trouble. It's mysterious too because he is so good at preschool and really quite mellow at home these days. Just at violin...I don't understand it and it is incredibly frustrating. Someday, if he's a true musician, maybe we'll look back on this and laugh. Right now, all it's done is made me cry.

a night away...

Well, it's been reserved! Paul and I are going to have a night away from the kiddos on Dec. 10. The last time we went away alone was when Sam was almost 4 months old, when bivio had a Xmas dinner party at the Flagstaff. We stayed in a B&B and it was soooo nice. I do remember pumping and dumping though, no fun! We are going to stay in the Cottonwood Suite at The Inn on Mapleton Hill, which is right near Mt. Sanitas, a trail we love, and nice restaurants on Pearl Street. We plan to have a nice dinner, enjoy the suite (the pic is of the sunroom...3 rooms-the bedroom, the bath and the sunroom! woo hoo!) and take a nice long hike in the morning after the breakfast extravaganza! I am really looking forward to it. It's been a long time!

In other news, my mom safely delivered the Power of Attorney form to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago for authentication. Thank you!!! Hope you enjoyed a Pumpkin Spice Latte as a reward! Once that is back in my hands, it will be time to gather 3+ years of tax filings and other fun paperwork that is required since Paul isn't traveling. It's OK...it gives me something to do! Gathering the last few papers and packing "the shoebox" (filled with things for Mae that we send to the orphanage when we get the referral) are all that are left on my list! There will be many more things to do once we get the referral, but as the wait is extending a month or two, there is more and more time left to get anxious!

My Yahoo! group is starting on the Lifebook. It will be a really nice project to work on. I can't wait to have ALL the information I need....which means I'll have been to China and BACK!

The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

This afternoon was a birthday party for one of Ted's preschool friends. First we went to the new Wallace and Gromit movie, then to Red Robin for dinner and cake. Nice birthday idea! The bday boy, Coby, also has a big brother 2 years and 1 day older...so Jordy had 3 friends and Coby had 3 friends. So cute! I was sure Ted would be afraid of the movie, but with his pal Jack next to him, he was fine. Whenever there was a scary moment, Jack would convienently say something funny and the tension was gone. Phew! Dinner was fun too...it's always fun to eat with your buddies. All in all, a great idea for a bday party. Poor Ted is passed out now and Sam is screaming at the top of his lungs because he wants to sleep in his big boy bed, not his crib. No matter that he's been given 2 chances in his bed and he keeps getting out of bed! If Ted sleeps through this noise, he's REALLY tired! Tomorrow Ted goes to Jack's house after preschool so Sam and I have an entire day alone together!

I love weekends

You know, I never really thought I'd be one of those stay-at-home moms who can't wait for the weekend so they can sleep in while Dad takes the kids out. And really, that seldom happens anyway, because I tend to wake up and stay up (well, in bed but awake...so after a while, what's the point?!) But I have to say that after the week I had, I was thrilled for the weekend to arrive. Today was a nice day, spent with the chavurah at a breezy but cool park, followed by a delicious spread at the host's house. Then rest time and even a pedicure for me! That was fun. Then tonight, at bedtime, the world suddenly went crazy. Previously calm and cheerful kiddos, happily watching "Robin Hood" (a fox version...?) went ballastic when the timer went off. It was amazing. I felt like one of those bad parent families you see on Nanny 911 or something...everyone screaming and crying. Nuts! Ted is STILL awake, probably traumatized by the dramatics of the evening. What the heck?! I always wonder what exactly is going on when things go haywire like that. Oh well. I'm beat.
Here's another angle on the nursery. It's so pleasant to walk past...referrals should be out next week. Our agency will most likely not receive any (since they got all of their March families logged in early) but it's still nice to know things are still moving forward. Our Yahoo! board is hopping! We are starting a book club and a life book club (like a scrapbook but with more factual info that just pics and stories). It should be fun! I want to suggest a movie club, but we've already watched so many Chinese movies...I'm not sure I'd want to watch them again...some of them are soooo depressing! Anyway, time marches on.

Iris! Hence, away!

That is a title of a really good aria. Handel, I believe...need to learn it. Anyway, I found myself singing that line over and over while gleefully crossing out items on my To-Do List. Besides the nursery being finished, I also certified the Power of Attorney forms (and the SoS office had MOVED! of all the nerve...luckily it was only a few blocks away with a Starbucks convienently located in the same building!) I FedEx'd it to my saintly mother who will authenticate it at the Chicago Chinese Consulate and then that will be finished too! There is no rush on this, sadly, as we don't expect our referral until January, or, even worse, February if we miss the cut-off. *sigh* At least things are falling into place now, which is nice. I dropped off the squares today and we talked about allowing the squares to be their own size (some of the fabrics have designs that would have to be cut off in a 7x7 square, not to mention Epin & Scott's 'ellipse'-shaped fabric!) This way, it will look a little wackier, but allow for each fabric to stand on its own. I think it will be wonderful. It will be ready by Thanksgiving...can't wait! How neat. Thank you again to everyone who participated....we're so grateful! Here's a pic of the nursery...hard to really tell in a pic but it's a very soft look....we love it!