Life Happened

New Home

2007-09-16T22:08:00.000-04:00

Please come see us at our new home
I'll be updating there from now on.

Growing Up

2007-08-15T20:48:00.000-04:00

Time keeps marching on. Today we received the orientation packet for the co-op school Little Guy will attend this year. It's for the 2 yr old parent-child class (I go with him), 1 day a week for 2 hours, but we feel it will be a gentle intro into the world of schooling. It will be so fun to see how he grows in a group setting, beyond the music classes and playgroups. He needs a totebag! and an art smock! and we'll go on field trips!
It's interesting to be looking at this from the parenting side of the coin after 12 years from the teacher's point of view.

Happy Family Day

2007-08-12T20:58:00.001-04:00

first smile
Originally uploaded by pottergrrl

We love you, sweet boy! You have changed our lives for the better in the last 2 years. It's so much fun to see you grow and change.

Because Jane is So Trendy Right Now...

2007-08-09T15:11:00.000-04:00

Take the Quiz here!

Too Hot

2007-08-08T13:36:00.000-04:00

I stuck my arm and head outside to get the mail and burst into flames; it is just so ridiculously hot! We do love to complain about the weather around here but this just borders on the insane. Try explaining to a 2 year old that we can't go "outshide" because we might spontaneously combust.
Can't wait for fall.

Vermont

2007-07-23T21:44:00.000-04:00

The Witching Hour

2007-07-20T20:57:00.000-04:00

Almost time for HP 7 to be released. I am on tenterhooks wondering how it will end. I know what I want, but will it be what JKR envisioned?
P graciously offered to give me several hours of alone reading time tomorrow, what a sweetie!

Lame

2007-07-09T20:45:00.000-04:00

We're leaving on our second summer trip and I haven't posted since before our first! Oops-2 year old lfe keeps me hopping.

Summer Reading

2007-06-05T09:08:00.000-04:00

We all went to the library yesterday to stock up on books for our beach vacation next week, and we signed Little Guy up for the summer reading club! I was so excited to do it. We read everyday, several times a day, so having to read with him for the club is no problem. He liked the sticker that came with the sign-up pack-that's all he cares about right now!

Still Life with Toilet

2007-06-01T21:31:00.000-04:00

Part 1 of a new art installation Little guy has been working on; for reasons known only to him, he has started placing objects on the toilet right before bed. It's fun to see what things make the cut each night.

Sticker Love

2007-05-29T18:12:00.000-04:00

Amen

2007-05-22T14:07:00.000-04:00

Some houses try to hide that fact

That children shelter there.

Ours boasts of it quite openly--

The signs are everywhere.

For smears are on the windows,

Little smudges on the doors.

I should apologize, I guess,

For toys strewn on the floor.

But I sat down with the children

And we played and laughed and read.

And if the bathtub doesn't shine

Their eyes will shine instead.

For when, at times, I'm forced to choose

The one job or the other,I want to have a lovely house,

But first I'll be a mother.

--Author Unknown

Great News!!

2007-05-21T20:13:00.000-04:00

Today a friend received her Travel Authorization to go get her daughter in China! I am so over the moon with happiness for them all-another forever family soon to be united.

Belated

2007-05-02T20:46:00.000-04:00

Our Little Guy is not so little any longer-he turned 2 on the 18th. We had a busy week of birthday fun with meals out, first Build-A-Bear excursion and family parties. It was so fun to hear him sing "happy to you" to himself! He was quite into blowing out his candles and did very well with it. Two is a really fun age, despite its nasty reputation.

I Got Fooled...

2007-04-02T16:10:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was supposed to be daylight savings time, according to our ancient vcr. I know this because when Little Guy woke up and I looked at the clock on the vcr, it said 7:45. How great-he slept late!! No, not really, it was 6:45 and the damn thing had reset itself during the night, sigh.
Our playgroup had an Easter egg hunt and it was a lot of fun. Since it was on the weekend all the dads came too, which gave all the adults a chance to talk with each other and take turns watching the kidlets. Little Guy is the youngest but his older pals very kindly shared some of their extra eggs.

Happy First Day of Spring!

2007-03-20T20:27:00.000-04:00

Thursday Shuffle

2007-03-08T20:25:00.000-05:00

Haven't done one of these in ages, so while I have iTunes up...
for your listening pleasure:

1. Existentialism on Prom Night-Straylight Run
2. Polar Bear-Ride
3. We'll Let You Know-Morrissey
4. Alphabet of Nations-TMBG
5. In Your Eyes-Jeffrey Gaines
6. White Lies-Book of Love
7. Same-Snow Patrol
8. Love Will Tear Us Apart-Joy Division
9. Explode-Frente!
10. Twist-Tones on Tail

only 3 songs are post-2000; failry typical of my music!

Milestone

2007-03-08T14:20:00.000-05:00

We did it. We turned Little Guy's car seat around; he's now front-facing. Oh how I agonized over this! All the research now states how much safer children are rear-facing, but he was up against the top limit for his car seat, and it's not in the budget to go buy 2 new seats to keep him rear-facing for 5 more pounds. He went for 22 1/2 months, which is 10 months longer than a lot of children.
He seems to enjoy it so far, lots of commenting on the view he sees. What a change to see things coming toward you rather than away!

Cling Monster

2007-02-27T10:14:00.000-05:00

Little Guy's going through a patch where he must be thisclose to mommy at all times. I don't mind but it would be nice to be able to shower alone! Sometimes I can get one when Blue's Clues is on-he loves Blue. No preferences yet on Joe vs. Steve :-)

Simple Gifts

2007-02-14T20:34:00.000-05:00

I didn't get flowers, candy or jewelry for Valentine's Day, but I did get something that means so much more than all of those things. P made me a little movie in Fireworks with some video, photos, and sounds of Little Guy saying his name, "hi mommy","I love you", "hello", "Happy Valentine's Day" and "bye bye". It was just so wonderful because someday he will be all grown up and I will have a way to hear his sweet little voice. It may not seem like a big deal but it was one of the best things I have ever received.

I love you, P!

21 Months

2007-01-22T20:56:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe how fast time is flying. Little Guy is 21 months old now and such a toddler! His language continues to just explode, so the tantrums he was having are pretty much over. Every day he pops out many new words, and it's just so fun to listen to how he pronounces things.
Some examples:
blanket="blanet"
cookie="coodie"
water="wahee"
He loves to hear/see airplanes in the sky, and has such a good ear for them. When he hears it from the house he says "airpane!", then "see it?" when I say we can't he always says "outside".
I could go on and on!

Happy New Year

2006-12-31T20:48:00.000-05:00

May your 2006 end with a bang!

Christmas 2006

2006-12-22T23:31:00.001-05:00

Christmas 2006
Originally uploaded by pottergrrl.

high-five for Santa

Toddlerhood

2006-12-20T22:36:00.000-05:00

Well, for some reason my last 2 photos haven't shown up....
Anyway, Little Guy is now 20 months old and wow, the terrible two's actually start before age 2. Meltdown city! At least they only last about 10 seconds, but still. He is talking up a storm and starting to form simple sentences but so many things are frustrating! It's hard not to laugh at him sometimes, he's so dramatic. We need to capture it on film. It's so very hard to be almost-two!

Mmmm, Pizza is Good!

2006-11-28T20:17:00.000-05:00

Joy

2006-11-09T13:16:00.000-05:00

Today is one of those lovely Autumn days;bright sunshine and slightly warm,perfect weather for exploring. While examining the remains of the garden, we found a ladybug on a flower stem, and Little Guy was just thrilled! He managed to pick it up, and laughed and laughed as it walked from finger to finger. I wish I'd had my camera to capture the joy on his face, but this moment like so many others will just have to live in my memory. It was just a lovely slice of time.

Pumpkin Tossing

2006-10-26T21:07:00.000-04:00

pumpkin tossing
Originally uploaded by pottergrrl.

At the pumpkin patch, Little Guy seemed to think he had a field full of orange balls to throw!

18 Months

2006-10-18T15:02:00.000-04:00

In what seems like the blink of an eye, Little Guy is now 18 months old. This time last year he was a tiny little guy, and now he's running, jumping, and talking up a storm! It's just a delight and an honor to watch him grow. Happy Half-Birthday!

Beware of Dragons!!

2006-10-09T22:45:00.000-04:00

A Late Update

2006-08-30T15:42:00.000-04:00

finally finalized!!!
Originally uploaded by pottergrrl.

We finalized Little Guy's adoption on August 11, 364 days after he came home!! It was short ceremony but fantastic to have the decree in hand. Granny, PopPop, Grandma and Auntie came with us to share our big day.

I Want My MTV

2006-08-01T20:58:00.000-04:00

Man, does it make me feel really old that MTV turns 25 today!! I remember when we got it from the very beginning, it was like what the heck is this? and man it's cool! Echo and the Bunnymen videos followed by Pat Benetar followed by The Cure followed by Rod Stewart. Now MTV is just full of crap.

Happy News

2006-07-31T20:47:00.000-04:00

It seems the entire internet is thrilled that Karen at The Naked Ovary received her referral for her daughter today. She is so darn adorable! It takes me back to when we first got to see Little Guy's face, what an emotional day that was. It was like "okay, so that's who you are. We've been waiting for you".

Greetings from Vermont

2006-07-02T21:48:00.000-04:00

We're quite thrilled to be on vacation #2 of the summer-in Vermont, the weather has been gorgeous. We missed most of the rain that has hit the East Coast, but we had our share before we left. Little Guy's been hiking, to a bluegrass festival where he danced and danced, met some family for the first time, visited a doggy kennel (which was a little scary since it was noisy), and did so very well on the very long drive here. We love where we're staying, at the Stone Boat Farm in Jamaica, VT-we recommend it highly!

Back from the Beach

2006-06-22T21:21:00.000-04:00

walking on the sand
Originally uploaded by pottergrrl.

We had a wonderful first family summer vacation-we want to go back! Little Guy loved the sand, and sometimes the water. His walking and climbing really took off and he is on the go all the time now. Our boy turned 14 months! amazing to think last year when we went to the beach we just had his picture, and now he's been home for 10 months.

what's New

2006-06-03T20:56:00.000-04:00

Little Guy and I are in Delaware visiting Grandma. Here he's telling Francine how much she reminds him of his Merlin kitty!

I mean to write more than I actually get online to do-living with a toddler is busy busy busy! Little Guy is walking now, it's terribly exciting. He still prefers to crawl, but #1 method of transport is still being carried by Mommy. He's interested in everything, points like crazy, and babbles with intent. Mama and Da Da Da are his main words, but we're working on some baby signs too. His faves are dog, phone and flower!
We're looking forward to our vacation down the ocean next week!

Rest in Peace

2006-05-12T20:41:00.000-04:00

Jessica is her name.
We knew her only as CancerBaby. What she went through was scary and just plain unfair in someone so young but her writing was so eloquent. I'd check for updates about every week and when none came for so long, feared the worst. It came today.
May she rest in peace, no longer in pain.

Wanting to Walk

2006-05-09T22:33:00.000-04:00

wanting to walk
Originally uploaded by pottergrrl.

He's almost there, with the walking. We've had a couple tentative steps, but it's so much faster just to crawl, or better yet just put your arms up and go 'ah ah ah' to Mommy and she'll take you where you want to go!

One Year

2006-04-19T21:47:00.000-04:00

stop making me sit here!
Originally uploaded by pottergrrl.

Little Guy's big day has come and gone, and I think also has the pictures with Bear! It's so hard now to get him to sit still for a picture, he just wants to be moving all the time. We spent his birthday at the zoo, and much fun was had. His big Tol celebration is this weekend.

We did manage to get a good Bear photo before the meltdown.

First Birthday

2006-04-17T10:36:00.000-04:00

First Birthday bike from Grandma
Originally uploaded by pottergrrl.

Tomorrow, Little Guy turns One. Unbelieveable. Last year at this time we were still waiting and dreaming about who are child would be. Little Guy is just amazing! Of course, like all parents we think he is the smartest and most gorgeous baby ever.
He got this cool bike from his Grandma, my mom. She gave it to him early since she babysat for us last weekend-turned out to be a good thing as she is now in the hospital for stroke recovery and will most likely have to miss his birthday party. I am very sad about that but thankful that she is still with us.

What A Difference A Year Makes

2006-03-20T21:24:00.000-05:00

11 months
Originally uploaded by pottergrrl.

March 18, 2005-our Homestudy was sent to Korea.
March 18, 2006-Little Guy turned 11 months old.
Amazing to be where we are one year later!

Number 4

2006-02-27T20:51:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is our fourth and final post-placment visit with our social worker. It's hard to believe that we're at that point, time really has flown. We should find out what we need to do to finalize!
While we're at the agency, Little Guy gets to do what he does best; that is, charm and delight a group of prospective parents. We were asked to speak with the current homestudy group again. He truly is the best advocate for adoption!

What's Yer 10?

2006-02-25T20:51:00.000-05:00

haven't done this in a long time-open your iTunes shuffle and tell me your first 10 songs.

1) I'm Waiting-The All-American Rejects
2) Hanging By A Moment-Lifehouse
3) The Card Cheat-The Clash
4) On Top-The Killers
5) Goodbye-The Sundays
6) 1963-Rachel Yamagata
7) I Know You Too Well-Adorable
8) It's Probably Me-Sting
9) Vienna-Ultravox
10) Freetime-Trashcan Sinatras

Hi Bear!

2006-02-20T14:05:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the month again! Nice to see you. So what have you been doing since I saw you last?

10 Months

2006-02-19T21:58:00.000-05:00

Little Guy had his 10 month Mirthday yesterday-it's so hard to believe he is that old! What will it be like when he's 13 years old, I wonder. The time he's been home has just gone by in the blink of an eye. P remarked that when LG came home we were all "wow, he can roll over to his tummy!" and now he's babbling up a storm and starting to stand alone for a few seconds. This first year goes by so fast, we are just so thankful that we've been able to see so much of it.

9 Months

2006-01-30T21:02:00.000-05:00

Little Guy's stats at his check-up today are:
weight-19 pounds, 3 ounces
height-29 and a half inches
This explains why he outgrowing some of his pants, and the next size up doesn't fit in the waist while they do for the length!
Since he also got 4 vax, as a treat we walke dto the ice cream shop nearby and gave him his first taste of ice cream-it was a hit! I imagine someday he'll be old enough to demand we get ice cream after doctor's visits.

Busyness

2006-01-10T19:27:00.000-05:00

Originally uploaded by pottergrrl.

A very good shot of how Little Guy is outgrowing all his cute rompers-now it's just regular pants for him!

Happy New Year!!

2006-01-01T20:23:00.000-05:00

8 months!

2005-12-20T11:37:00.000-05:00

All I Want for Christmas....

2005-12-05T08:57:00.000-05:00

Luke and mommy
Originally uploaded by pottergrrl.

is in my arms

Man the Gates!!

2005-11-16T20:36:00.000-05:00

on hands
Originally uploaded by pottergrrl.

Little Guy is now mobile. What started as some type of crawling hybrid of inchworm-commando crawl is now progressing to the more classical hands and knees crawl. Either way, he moves pretty darn fast! Baby gates are going up this weekend.

The Stats

2005-10-20T10:18:00.000-04:00

6 months
17 pounds
4 ounces
27 inches long

what a big boy!

6 Months!

2005-10-18T21:58:00.000-04:00

Happy Half-Birthday, Little Guy! Don't grow up too soon, okay?

Happiness

2005-10-09T20:45:00.000-04:00

Originally uploaded by pottergrrl.

Little Guy is such a delight, even through the pain of teething when he turns into Cranky Baby. It's hard to believe he's been home for almost 2 months; almost can't remember how things were without him.

Update

2005-09-14T15:18:00.000-04:00

Little Guy's new name should be Busy Guy, we've had a lot to do lately. Introduced him at the September PIPS meeting, we spoke at our agency's most recent adoption orientation (he was not thrilled at all the people looking at him!), had his first playdate with other babies from Korea, first visit to his paternal grandparents house, and visited my work. He's lovely when we take him out though, we're lucky. He likes to just look look look at everything and decide if it's something he needs to be scared of; usually it's not.
Amazing to think he's been home for a month now, he is so firmly in our hearts!

Yea I can roll over now, so what?

2005-08-30T14:51:00.000-04:00

Rolling over has improved to the point where LG no longer lands on his face but can prop himself up on his elbows. Of course this means he now wants to sit upright and gets frustrated when he can't. Everyday it seems he can do something new.

Happy Family

2005-08-30T14:49:00.000-04:00

my sister came to visit which meant someone else got to take pictures!

1 Week Down!

2005-08-19T17:36:00.000-04:00

Little Guy rolled over this morning, it was terribly exciting!! You'd think we were at a sporting event the way we carried on and cheered. Of course we tell him all the time that never before in the History of Babydom has there been a baby so adorable and advanced! I guess all parents feel that way too.
Sleeps getting better-in a week we've gone from a 7am bedtime to 12:30 am last night; hoping this means his body clock is getting closer to EDT.
We have also learned that most children's music is absolute crap-1 free cd we received immediately went into the giveaway bag once we heard the cheesy version of "Daddy's Little Girl". LG does have 2 cds of children's songs that was given to him by his foster family, and some nice quiet time cds but we need recommendations for some cool kids tunes. We're set with TMBG's "Here Come the ABC's" but would like to get more music for him.

Gotcha Day

2005-08-16T21:58:00.000-04:00

Happy Family
Originally uploaded by pottergrrl.

Without a doubt, one of the most amazing moments in our lives. We are just besotted with our little guy!

Agi, Omma and Appa

2005-08-16T21:56:00.000-04:00

Agi, Omma and Appa
Originally uploaded by pottergrrl.

Baby, Momma and Daddy

This is the First Day of the Rest of Our Lives

2005-08-12T13:14:00.000-04:00

Today, at 7:30 pm, United flight 862 is due to touch down in DC. Shortly thereafter, our lives will change forever as Little Guy is placed in our arms. The poor babe will have been on two planes and endured about 16 hours in the air, not to mention leaving the only home he has ever known. It's a lot to ask of anyone, much less a 3 month old baby who has no idea of what's going on.
Little Guy, we promise to love you, take care of you to the best of our abilities, and make you feel loved and secure in your new family. Merlin, Gus, Tabby, your Daddy, and I can't wait for you to fill our home with joy.

The Call

2005-08-05T22:29:00.000-04:00

The Time: 8:30 am
The Place: my house
The Players: me and our social worker M
The Scene: I'm laying in bed, cuddling with Merlin and watching crappy morning tv when the phone rings...yikes! the phone with Caller ID is in the kitchen, so I run into the room to get it. Ohmygodit'sM'shomenumberwhywouldshecallfirstthingonaFriday? I answer the phone and hear those 4 lovely words: This is The Call
Little Guy is coming home next Friday, August 12th into DC. We can't wait to hold him in our arms and see how much he's changed from his referral picture. He'll be home before his 4 month birthday. We are so blessed!

2005-07-29T18:05:00.000-04:00

Gus expresses his dismay at the ending of HP 6

Almost There

2005-07-28T17:23:00.000-04:00

We received our I600 approval for Little Guy-now it's in the hands of the Korean Ministry to issue his Emigration Permit and Exit Visa. We're at the point now where all that's left is The Phone Call telling us when he'll arrive! Please please please be soon.

In the meantime we're being thrown an apparently huge baby shower this weekend-bring on the loot!!

A Bed for Little Guy

2005-07-18T19:49:00.000-04:00

My aunt crocheted the blue afghan hanging over the edge-it says "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" and it's so sweet! Thanks Aunt Mary!

Nursery Under Construction

2005-07-18T19:43:00.001-04:00

a view of the crib

The Green Room

2005-07-18T19:43:00.000-04:00

well, it's a work in progress so don't mind the mess.

Stuff

2005-07-07T16:13:00.000-04:00

So, we have a nice green room. With a crib. A nice green room with a crib for the baby that will live there someday (hopefully soon).
We spent the holiday weekend setting up Little Guy's room, and I must admit a tear came to my eye seeing it all there. It really is going to happen, after years of heartache.
In other news, my baby shower is getting out of hand. P says to just register for lots of stuff and let the loot roll in! It will be interesting, no doubt!

Happiness

2005-06-10T15:01:00.000-04:00

If we are this excited now, what's it going to be like when Little Guy comes home? It's been so wonderful this week to get all the congratulations from family and friends (real and Internet!); I plan to print them all out for his scrapbook so he can see someday just how many people loved him even before he came home.
We're off for 9 days at the beach-our last vacation as DINKs ;-) His picture is coming with us and we will thinking of him the whole time.

Introducing Little Guy

2005-06-07T16:25:00.000-04:00

Just when we really needed it, we received the best news ever!! Yup, that's our boy.

January 1968

2005-06-01T22:51:00.000-04:00

I got his features, beautiful blue eyes that change color dependent upon what I wear, a love of reading and the knowledge that as a twin, I was pretty special. I can't pass any physical atrtributes to our baby, but the best way to honor his memory is to share the intangible things I got from Dad.

2005-05-30T23:04:00.000-04:00

Thomas Walter Smith, Jr., 83, of Newark, DE passed away Friday May 27, 2005 at Christiana Hospital. Mr. Smith was born on August 19,1921, the son of the late Thomas Walter and Clara Burney Smith. He worked for the City of Newark and retired from there in 1986. He served in the United States Navy in the Pacific Theatre during the Second World War. Mr. Smith was an avid reader who especially enjoyed Westerns. In addition he was a fan of NASCAR and the Atlanta Braves. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. Mr. Smith is survived by his wife of 39 years, Helene Smith of Newark; a son Thomas W. Smith III and his wife Ann of Manchester Center, VT; 2 daughters Karen Booth and her husband Joseph of Newark and Patricia Kellermann and her husband Paul of Catonsville, MD and 8 grandchildren, Joshua, Jason, Molly and Samantha Smith, Chris Megonigal and Jason, Alexis and Jessica Booth.

Sadness

2005-05-26T08:56:00.000-04:00

My father is dying. He is currently in the ICU with terminal lung cancer that has spread to his liver and brain. We knew he hadn't been feeling well but as a stubborn old man he never told us how bad it was. He will not live to see our referral, most likely; nor the 2 great-grandchildren due this summer to my brother's sons. When you are 83, the resources you can draw on to fight an illness just aren't there. Soon we will have to say goodbye to another member of the Greatest Generation that fought for us in WWII.

Better Now

2005-05-19T20:49:00.000-04:00

We're healthy now! Trying to do fun things we won't be able to do in the future quite so easily, like leave for a beach weekend at the drop of a hat, or see Star Wars at midnight. Wait, wait; that's the last movie so we won't be able to do that again anyway!!

Beware of Germs

2005-05-04T17:15:00.000-04:00

Do not come to my house unless you are dressed like crazy MJ with a surgical mask and armed with your own Lysol wipes. P has been sick with pneumonia and I followed right along with a bad chest cold. Fun times in the House of K, yes indeedy!
Otherwise, another PIPS meeting was last night. It's our third one so we are starting to see familiar faces and network with other waiting parents. Also trying so hard not to think about the last 3 referrals Catholic Charities have received were all around 3 months after the homestudies went to Korea...that puts us around mid-June if we are to be so lucky.

Great News!!

2005-04-21T16:26:00.000-04:00

Kendra has a baby boy!

Fun!

2005-04-20T20:51:00.000-04:00

You Know You're From Delaware When...

You know where, what and when the Hummers Parade is held.

"Vacation" means going to Rehoboth or Cape "Cantaloupe" Henlopen.

You know the best subs come from Capriotti's.

You used to play in the wooder in the crick, and caught fraugs.

Your school classes were canceled because of 3 snowflakes.

The whole state panics and uses all of their road salt for those 3 snowflakes.

You love the beach but hate the tourists.

You know about punkin-chunkin and you have your favorite chunker.

You know someone who went to school with one of the Capano's.

You've eaten scrapple sandwiches.

You can identify all the major types of manure by smell (especially chicken!)

If it takes more than an hour to drive to, you're not going.

You know what a "slippery" dumpling is.

You know who YouDee is.

Somebody in your family has worked for the DuPont Company.

You think the "Apple Scrapple Festival" is perfectly normal, except for all those granola types running in the 5K race.

You think, maybe, just maybe, you might get a White Christmas. Then
it rains.

The highest point in the state is a rise on the golf course.

The state has one hill. You've been sledding on it.

You remember WAMS and WCAU (BARSKY in the morning!).

You know NewERK is in New Jersey, but NewARK is in Delaware.

You know how to carefully pronounce the name Foulk Road.

You talk of Northern Delaware and the entire Eastern Seaboard as "above the canal."

You know if another Delawarean is from southern, middle or northern Delaware as soon as they open their mouth.

You know the name of every street in Delaware, but have no idea what the route number is.

When you want to go out for a nice dinner, you have to switch states.

You can remember when Maryland Bank (MBNA) swallowed up Ogletown and Putt-Putt.

Everywhere you go, you always run into someone you know or went to school with.

You know what Newark Night and First Night are.

You know exactly which roads to avoid due to the CONSTANT road
construction.

You love Dollie's salt water taffy and Grotto's Pizza.

You know where all of the late-night 24-hour rest stops and restaurants are.

You can remember when Christiana Hospital was a field with cows.

You remember when Christiana Mall had a Galaxy arcade.

When you go out of state to shop or eat, you are always surprised about the tax

You know the differences in housing in Elsmere, Pike Creek, and Greenville.

You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Delaware.

Get Your Own "You Know You're From" Meme Here

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A Must-Read

2005-04-18T19:14:00.000-04:00

Brilliantly said

Next Step: Referral

2005-04-12T19:31:00.000-04:00

Today we got our I 797C in the mail!! The US government "has determined that we are able to furnish proper care to an orphan..." Even though our babe is not technically an orphan, in beaurocratic-speak s/he will be. On the long checklist from our agency, we've completed everything in the preparation phase: next stop? Referral!! It's feeling more real now.

While We Wait

2005-03-26T22:49:00.000-05:00

Trying to keep busy, waiting for the phone to ring with a referral in the months ahead; some things to look forward to:

4/21 Trashcan Sinatras at the Rams Head in Annapolis

4/26 Waiting For the Sirens' Call , first studio release in 4 years from New Order. Listen to the single "Krafty", it encompasses all the things that make this band so fantastic. I cannot wait for this album.

5/6 Kingdom of Heaven, another Orlando Bloom costume piece; P's really excited to see it, and I must admit it looks pretty cool. Crusaders! Chainmaille! Liam Neeson! What's not to like?

5/19 Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, okay, so Episodes 1 and 2 pretty much sucked, and Hayden Christiansen is a pretty lame Anakin (and let's not get me started on the scrumptilicious Ewan MacGregor's nasty-ass Obi-Wan facial hair), but anyone brought up on the original trilogy is anxious to see how George Lucas ties up all the loose ends for Episode 4.

5/24 Snow Patrol returns to the 9:30 Club in D.C. They were so utterly fantastic I can't wait to see them again.

Public Service Announcements

2005-03-24T21:21:00.000-05:00

Since nothing much else is going on besides us listening to the phone message about our Homestudy going to Korea over and over...thought I'd just post some websites I find useful:

Tiny URL-people, please use this instead of posting those ginormous links that go on for days, make forum pages get all wide and make me scroll!!

Bug Me Not-no, I don't want to register at your site just to read one damn article. with this , I don't have to

ImageShack-you guessed it, they host images

And to answer some questions:
Jacks-our agency works with Holt Korea
Kendra-we aren't allowed to choose gender as first-time parents; in all likelihood we will be matched with a boy

The Best News!

2005-03-18T19:19:00.000-05:00

Exciting update-our homestudy is on its way to Korea! This means we’ll get put in the queue-still no idea of how long we will actually have to wait for a referral, but we are terribly excited. It’s happened faster than we expected, but that’s a good thing

Small World

2005-03-12T23:07:00.000-05:00

Turns out that the couple we met at the PIPS meeting who live in our town got their referral recently. The reason I know this is the husband sits next to one of P's co-workers in his church choir...We really do live in a small world!

Bask in the cuteness

2005-03-10T20:54:00.000-05:00

if only he'd do the dishes too

Relief

2005-03-07T12:29:00.000-05:00

Well, one more step to cross off our list! The home visit is complete, and went well. We also got the letter from BCIS to get our fingerprints done (again); we'll go on Wednesday. Right now a hold-up for the homestudy is we still don't have my state of MD clearance-when I called today, was told to call back in 2 weeks if I haven't received anything by then. Grrrr.
This is the part that makes me most anxious-everything from now on is out of my hands. At least I felt a sense of control when we had all our paperwork to do; now, not so much.

Pip Pip Hooray

2005-03-01T22:35:00.000-05:00

Went to our first PIPS meeting tonight-queer little acronym that stands for Parents In Progress. We met up with friends we'd made at our January classes, and also met another couple who live in our town. Their homestudy went to Korea in December so they're a little ahead of us. Nice to hear and talk to others who've been there, done that.
Our s/w was there and we're scheduled for her to come do her home visit on Sunday-yikes! What to expect? I'm glad things are moving ahead though.

2005-02-25T17:20:00.000-05:00

the pile of paperwork!

Where We Were

2005-02-16T16:19:00.000-05:00

4 years ago: 1 month away from actually getting pregnant for the first time

3 years ago: 8 months post-miscarriage; wallowing in the misery of not having our baby with us

2 years ago: HSG-check, Lap-check. IUI #1 with Clomid-check

1 year ago: RPL screen done twice-check, another HSG-check, 3 more miscarriages-check. IUI #8 with Repronex-would be successful yet ultimately result in miscarriage #5

and now?

February 2005: I 600A sent in-check; homestudy documents going to the social worker on Friday

so hopeful that in February 2006 Baby K will be home with us.

Boys and their toys

2005-02-10T20:43:00.000-05:00

P with our nephew A-fun with Erector sets!!

Hurdle cleared

2005-02-08T21:46:00.000-05:00

Home inspection was at 10:00 this morning.
Time spent cleaning: 50 hours
Time spent on inspection: 30 minutes
Knowing we passed?: Priceless

iPod shuffle

2005-01-31T21:26:00.000-05:00

The rules are:

1. Open up the music player on your computer or iPod etc.
2. Set it to play your entire music collection.
3. Hit the "shuffle" or "random" command.
4. List title of the next ten songs including artist, no matter how embarrassing.
5. If the same artist comes up twice in the list you may skip it and list the next track, but you don't have to.

here goes:

A Good Idea-Sugar
Careful-Guster
Clark Gable-The Postal Service
Kiss Me On the Bus-The Replacements
You Make Me Feel So Good-Book of Love
The Sound of Settling-Death Cab for Cutie
Blood on My Hands-The Sundays
Talk to Him-Squeeze
Christian Says-Tones on Tail
Count Me Out-Mighty Lemon Drops

Where We Stand Now

2005-01-28T19:59:00.000-05:00

Physicals complete and paperwork returned: check
MD fingerprints complete: check
MVA records: check
Health department inspection: still waiting. P got the canceled check in his bank statement today, so they have our $75; call us please, and set up the appointment so we can get this show on the road.

2005-01-24T20:53:00.000-05:00

Snowy backyard

So lovely

2005-01-24T10:39:00.000-05:00

Karen wrote so eloquently about the wait for Maya in a beautiful poem: go read it.

One more off the big list

2005-01-21T19:45:00.000-05:00

He's official! Merlin has a license, as well as the other 2-who knew? Now they can drive!

Sharing

2005-01-21T19:14:00.000-05:00

I've been reminded that I never did share my toilet story. Bathroom break during our first class, the agency has a bathroom with 2 stalls in the hallway. Go in, do my business, flush. Hmm, handle is a little weird, not completely flushing, I try to jiggle. Well, apparently I jiggle too hard because I felt a snap and oops, handles aren't' supposed to go round and round! I lifted the tank cover and there was a piece floating around; I'm no plumber but it didn't look right even to my eyes! The receptionist was on the phone, no one else was around to tell, so I just slunk back into our room like nothing had happened! Of course this week, I avoided that stall.
It was funnier when it happened!

All Done

2005-01-18T17:40:00.000-05:00

Well, we've finished with the class portion of the homestudy today, although I've grown attached to the other families! Hopefully we'll continue to stay in touch. I did not break anything this time around...
Today we spoke mainly about health issues, the child's adjustment and differences between the home country and the U.S., and role-played scenarios which we will face as a multicultural family.
Two highlights of the day:

Meeting the parents of a newly adopted Korean boy-he was so beautiful and chubby, and they were so happy
When our s/w told P she can tell from his responses during the role-play that he will be a wonderful father. I was beaming! Just confirms what I've known all along, he will be a fantastic dad

In A Nutshell

2005-01-11T22:29:00.000-05:00

Today's class went very well, much more interesting and thought-provoking than we expected. All you really need to know though is that I broke a toilet there...

Bogged Down...

2005-01-05T20:32:00.000-05:00

in paperwork. The stuff we have to sign, get filled out, checked, etc, for the homestudy is feeling a bit overwhelming. I'm trying to do a little bit each day.
We decided to wait on the Intro to Korean language class, since Baby K will be coming home later than anticipated; I might take a knitting class instead and make him a scarf!
Trying to fill my iPod keeps me busy as well ;-p

What a Year for a New Year

2004-12-31T17:35:00.000-05:00

What a year for a new year
We need it like we needed life I guess
Last one left us lying in a mess
What a year for a new year

What a night for a sunrise
And we thought the dark would never end
Reaching out to try to find a friend
What a night for a sunrise
Sunrise

What a day for new day
And our star shines like a miracle
And our world is almost beautiful again
What a day for a new day
New day

New Year
What a year for a new year
What a year for a new year
What a year for a new year
What a year for a new year

What a night for a sunrise
And we thought the dark would never end
Reaching out to try to find a friend
What a night for a sunrise
Sunrise

Soon we'll be lying in our beds
And new dreams will fill our heads
And the old ones will be ended
Hope we'll forget about this place
Let it go without a trace
Wipe the teardrops from our faces

Oh, what a year for a new year
What a year, what a year, for a new year
What a year for a new year
What a year for a new year, new year
what a year for a new year, new year, new year

Lyrics by Dan Wilson

Wake Me In Another Year

2004-12-31T15:24:00.000-05:00

So yesterday we finally met with the social worker. It was a good meeting, only took 2 hours instead of the 3-4 they said it might, so we were able to get lunch before doing the state fingerprints. We are now in possession of the World's Largest Binder and all the homestudy documents. Daunting when you look at it all, I must say. It will be worth it in the end, I know, I know.
She was very upfront from the start, letting us know that things have slowed down considerably on Korea's end, and our child will most likely not get here to us until 2006. That's One. Whole. Year. Away. Crikey.
I take solace in the fact we are both in a much better place than last New Year's, when we were still reeling from Miscarriage #4 and couldn't wait to slam the door on 2003. This year we've had sadness, but overall it's a better year than we've had lately.
Here's to a wonderful 2005, may those of us waiting for our babies to come home have them in our arms soon.