My Forever Family

Snow Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Candis) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 03:49:00 +0000

We headed north last weekend to have fun in the man-made snow. The girls and I rode down snow-filled hills on inner tubes and had a blast! I have to admit, the girls did this a lot more than I did while I did manage to help them lug their inner tubes up to the top of the hill each time. Needless to say, I was exhausted by the end of our time there! They were troopers and helped lug their own inner tubes up the hill several times. Of course, my inner tube went flying down the hillside without me a time or two! And once, my shoe flew off my foot as I was flying down the hill ... but other than that, it was fun.

Later that day, we went to the hotel and enjoyed their indoor heated pool. The girls and their two friends swam for 3½ hours and were exhausted when their heads hit their pillows that night. And let me assure you ... Mommy was tired too!

My Sweet Treasures

noreply@blogger.com (Candis) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 18:59:00 +0000

The tooth fairy has a new friend

noreply@blogger.com (Candis) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 18:36:00 +0000

Miss Treasure #2 has lost her first tooth and is well on her way to losing her second one! A couple of weeks before she turned 5 years old, she lost her first tooth. She was SO excited that the tooth fairy was going to visit her.

Treaure #1 had other ideas. Here's the conversation:

T#1: Mommy, I'm going to stay up late and capture the tooth fairy when she comes for my sister's tooth ... and I am going to MAKE. A. FORTUNE.

Me (thinking that she imagines that the tooth fairy has a lot of cash on her) : How are you going to make a fortune?

T#1: I'm going to sell her! The zoo might want to buy the tooth fairy for a lot of money!

I thought this was hilarious! Who would think about selling the tooth fairy?!

The tooth fairy did visit Treasure #2 that night and left her $5.00 for her first tooth. And Treasure #1 was fast asleep when the tooth fairy made her visit!

Parenting Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Candis) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 15:31:00 +0000

I frequently visit this site. It is written by a woman who describes herself as a "South Korean-born / American-raised, mother of two hapa kids, a late-bloomer, graduate student, self-described outdoor cat and all-around truth-seeker."

She posted a list of "Parenting Tips for White Parents with Adopted Children of Color" that I thought was very good. The list was actually written by Sun Yung Shin. As I read the list, I was particularly inspired (yet again) to bring more people of color into our lives. Don't get me wrong ... we have friends of color in our lives now .... friends I really enjoy. I want more friends of color in my life. I want to learn. I want to provide mentors of color for my children. How am I suppose to teach my children how to recognize and respond to racial situations that I have never experienced? It is likely that I don't even recognize some racial incidences. I am more aware than I have been in the past, though.

What do you think about the list?

Encouragement

noreply@blogger.com (Candis) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:13:00 +0000

A friend of mine emailed me a verse that is encouraging to me.

Genesis 18:13-14

"Then the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."

This is cool. Sometimes I do feel like I'm too old to be adding to my family, but I keep reminding myself that I am adopting a 4 year old ... not an infant!

I found this little boy who is precious. Take some time to read his story here. I would adopt him in a heartbeat ... but China will not allow singles to adopt anymore. Please pray for Joey to find a family soon.

10/03/2007 update: Joey's file has been placed on hold, which means that a family is now pursuing him as their son!

I've been tagged ...

noreply@blogger.com (Candis) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 20:36:00 +0000

I have been tagged by a friend of mine via email, but I thought it would be fun to do this on the blog. Below are four things about me that you may not know ...

Four jobs I have had in my life:
- professional clown
- news broadcaster at local radio station
- pharmacy cashier (first official high school job)
- salad lady (at the college cafeteria)

Four places I have lived:
- Savannah, GA
- Statesboro, GA
- Brunswick, GA
- Stone Mountain, GA

Four places I have been on vacation:
- Switzerland
- Puerto Rico
- Colorado
- Disney World

Four of my favorite foods:
- chocolate milk (does that count as "food"?)
- my mom's homemade pumpkin pie
- key lime pie
- most any breakfast food

Binky and his new sister

noreply@blogger.com (Candis) — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 01:58:00 +0000

The Treasures and I watched the special episode of Arthur where Binky's family adopts a baby sister from China. It was so good! I didn't even delete it from my TiVo, so we can watch it again. Wow ... the writers really did their homework on adoption. It was pretty accurately portrayed.

Bravo! Marc Brown - for doing a great job on this one!

Bad Mom award

noreply@blogger.com (Candis) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 12:38:00 +0000

In an effort to keep this blog real, this past week I could have been awarded the ultimate Bad Mom award. Do you ever have those days when everything just doesn't go the way you planned? Or there is so much crammed into one day that by the end of the day, you're totally exhausted and can't even think of being nice to anyone?

Treasure #2 told me, "Mommy, when you get mad, you do not treat us like we are your treasures."

She's right. But feelings are feelings - not right or wrong - just feelings. It's how a person behaves in reaction to those feelings that can be right or wrong. I admit, there have been days that I have behaved badly. All I can do is apologize for yelling and try to do better.

Sorry!

noreply@blogger.com (Candis) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 04:48:00 +0000

The girls and I play games many evenings - Uno Attack, Skip-Bo. I purchased the board game, Sorry! last week and we have been having so much fun playing this game. The only problem is ... there are lots of tears when I win. Seems as though someone around here does not like to lose. I try to explain that it's fun just to play - that sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

It sure is tough being 8 years old sometimes.

Update: Tonight we played Sorry! and I won again (lucky streak!). Treasure #1 said, "Congratulations on winning, Mommy!" Ahhhh ... much improved, don't ya think?!

Don't talk to strangers

noreply@blogger.com (Candis) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 03:02:00 +0000

Tonight, we went out to eat with some good friends - two other China adoptive families. Treasure #2 was sitting at the opposite end of the table from me and she got up from the table to come tell me something. She was so proud of herself ... she said that a lady had asked her a question and she didn't say anything back to the lady because the lady was a stranger. I, of course, congratulated her in doing the right thing. Then the conversation went something like this ...

Me: So what did the lady ask you?
Treasure #2: She asked me if I would move my chair out of her way.

I think I need to better explain what I mean by not talking to strangers! I asked her if she moved her chair, and she said, "No! I wasn't suppose to because she was a stranger!"

This kid takes everything so literally!

No braces yet

noreply@blogger.com (Candis) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 05:24:00 +0000

I took Treasure #1 to a second orthodontist to get another opinion. The new orthodontist took a panoramic x-ray of her mouth and showed it to me. She still has baby teeth that need to come out. Being a conservative orthodontist, Dr. McClendon told me that unless she was having self-esteem issues because of her teeth, that he would recommend that we wait for another 18 months before getting braces on her teeth. Needless to say, there are no self-esteem issues going on over here! This will bide time for a couple more of her permanent teeth to appear, but before all of them break through in the tiny spaces that she has in her mouth. I appreciate a more conservative approach and will gladly wait to schedule and appointment in March of 2009! Anyway, I wasn't sure how I was going to pay for braces during the paperchase phase of this adoption, so this helps out a lot.

On another note, yesterday was my first home study appointment. The girls and I cleaned the house all weekend and made it spotless! When Treasure #1 got home from school yesterday, she ran upstairs to my office and said, "What did the Inspector say?!" I think she had a mental picture of a woman with a white glove going around checking for dust! Too funny.

Treasure #2 had a hard time with going to school yesterday. Not sure why, exactly, but as we sat in the parking lot at her school yesterday morning, she cried and cried, asking me to let her stay at home. So, we turned the car around and headed back home together. Being in K4, I figure it's okay to skip school once in a while. This morning, she went to school with no problems. Maybe she just needed some mommy-time, which is great for me too! I love being with my little Treasure!

Breaking the Rules ...

noreply@blogger.com (Candis) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:51:00 +0000

We have several rules in our house, one being that there should be no eating in the den. All eating needs to be in the kitchen and dining area. After school today, my two Treasures were playing in the den while I was working upstairs in my office. Lately, Treasure #2 has had trouble remembering this rule. I came downstairs and saw them playing in the den. The conversation went like this:

Me: Treasure #2, did you eat in the den anytime today?
T#2: No, Mommy.
T#1: Yes she did!
Me (with raised eyebrows): Treasure #2, did you eat in the den today?
T#2: I didn't see myself do it!

I just had to laugh at her response. Later, she confessed that she did eat in the den. Little stinker!

Arthur welcomes a new character!

noreply@blogger.com (Candis) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:32:00 +0000

ARTHUR and friends welcome a new character - a baby sister for Binky Barnes - this fall when the Emmy-Award-winning series tackles adoption from a child's perspective. On Friday, September 7th (check local listings), the series starring Marc Brown's beloved animated aardvark, captures a family's experience with adoption in a special 2-part episode. In "Big Brother Binky", Arthur's friend Binky's family adopts a baby girl from China and Binky learns not only the importance of being a big brother but that families come in all different shapes and sizes. Binky manages the joys, and sometimes difficulties, of understanding his new sister with humor and imagination and becomes the proudest big brother in Elwood City. Expanding upon the series' well-established commitment to addressing topics that children of all backgrounds can relate to, this episode undertakes a topic that affects millions of people every day in all parts of the world. By exploring the adoption process from Binky's anticipation of the baby's arrival, to the ups and downs of getting to know one another, and finally to the joy of welcoming the baby into Binky's heart and home, ARTHUR opens the doors for discussion around adoption among parents, children, and educators. According to ARTHUR creator Marc Brown, "What the series does best is reflect the lives of kids in an authentic and fun way that resonates with both viewers and their parents. Because adoption is so important to so many families, we thought it was a great opportunity for ARTHUR to explore this subject." Executive Producer Pierre Valette adds, "We put a lot of work into this episode -- including extensive research and interviews with many adoptive families. To tell this story thoroughly and well, we decided to devote both 11-minute animated stories in the episode to it --something that we rarely do. We hope that the millions of families touched by adoption in this country, and around the world, will find familiarity and accuracy in our portrayal of the experience of these characters."

Bedtime Trials

noreply@blogger.com (Candis) — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 02:02:00 +0000

This captures the trials at bedtime experienced by parents everywhere. Very cute video ....

The First Week of School

noreply@blogger.com (Candis) — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 13:44:00 +0000

This week was the first week of school. My Treasure #1 started 3rd grade. It is so hard to believe she is already in 3rd grade. Where has the time gone?! When she got off the bus Monday afternoon, the first words out of her mouth were, "Mommy, third grade rocks!" We have already started homework everyday this week. She really likes school and likes to learn, for which I am grateful.

Treasure #2 started Pre-K (or as she corrects me all the time ... "Mommy, it's Pre-Kindergarten - not Pre-K!). On the way to school on Monday, I told her that she is going to be learning all her letters and numbers this year. She replied, "Will I have to learn them all today?!"

Teachers, braces, and a new scooter

noreply@blogger.com (Candis) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 23:06:00 +0000

We went to the local elementary school today to meet Treasure #1's new 3rd grade teacher. There was a stack of papers to fill out and then the new teacher took a picture of Treasure #1. She posed for the camera and loved being the center of attention for the moment. Both of my Treasures were so excited to be at the school and can hardly wait for Monday to get here. When we got home, Treasure #1 asked if she could get her backpack out of the car so that she and Treasure #2 could play school. She absolutely loves school ... and for that, I am thankful. I'm sure Treasure #1 will be the teacher and Treasure #2 will have to do everything the teacher says. What fun!

Treasure #1 has her first orthodontist visit in two weeks to get the first treatment (whether that will be appliances or actual braces - still to see). She is excited about this too. Treasure #1 is generally an optimistic person who sees the good in everything.

I thought Treasure #2 needed something special this year for the beginning of school, since she will be entering the K-4 program. So Treasure #1 and I purchased a three-wheeler scooter. Treasure #2 had played with one over at a friend's house and loved it. I think it appeals to her because it offers more stability than a two-wheeled scooter. Treasure #2 is a more conservative and cautious person than her older sister. I can't wait to give it to her on Monday morning before school!

Letting you in ...

noreply@blogger.com (Candis) — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 07:48:00 +0000

I read about 20 blogs on a daily basis - checking in to see which ones are updated. I need to use bloglines so I can skip the ones that haven't been updated on a particular day. That sure would save me some time!

Anyway ... I feel like I "know" these bloggers and their families. However, I don't ever send them an email because I feel a little awkward talking to someone that I feel like I know, but yet they don't know even the smallest detail about my life.

So here I am ... letting people in on my life, opening up for people to get to know me. Here's an introduction:

I am a single mom to two beautiful girls, Treasure #1 and Treasure #2. My Treasure #1 is eight years old and My Treasure #2 is four and a half years old. Both of my daughters were born in China. I am starting the paperchase for Treasure #3 - most likely a boy. Because China has closed its doors to singles, I am now pursuing Vietnam. I am hoping to adopt an older child (age 4 or so).

I have sent my application to FTIA (Families Thru International Adoption) and have heard only positive feedback about them from the APV group (the Vietnam version of the APC group). This gives me a lot of comfort to know that I am with a good agency. I hope my experience lines up with all that I have heard about them. Time will tell, but I am generally a positive person and look for the good in people and situations.

I look forward to tracking my progress to Treasure #3 on this blog. I also look forward to making some new friends here. Below are some pictures of my girls. These are pictures from about a year ago. I need to locate some more current pictures. I'll add to these as I update my blog. Treasure #1 now has no bangs and her hair is shorter. Treasure #2 still has short bangs. More later ...