Right Now....

Right Now....

The Fourth of July is happening all over America....Hope everyone has a happy safe holiday. We are sitting home doing nothing...while poor Lucie dog is terrified by all the noise of fireworks and is barking like crazy...Nothing we do consoles her....and amazingly Isaac is sleeping through it. No picnics or parties for us....we spent the day running a couple errands, and re-arranging our living room. Had a bite at Applebees for dinner...Woopty-Doo!

I have a cold and cannot breathe through my nose. I hate summer colds!

Today marks exactly 3 months that Isaac has been home from Seoul, South Korea. I cannot believe how far he's come in every way. He's starting to walk, is trying so hard to talk (says about 5 words that I understand), is so happy and active. He now gives great hugs, sloppy wet kisses, and is very expressive. He's grown like a weed! His 1 year doctor appointment is Tues. - I can't wait to find out his exact weight and growth.

We have a tent in our living room. Really, it's hilarious to me, Miss OCD anti-clutter...But yes, we have a small dome tent with a tunnel in our living room...for Isaac. heheh. Amazing how having a child can help you tolerate clutter. He totally loves crawling in and out of the tunnel and playing in the tent. He can even say 'tent' (Sounds like Dent). So cute!!

Our noisy neighbor moved away. The house is now vacant, and the weeds and grass are getting tall...*ughhhh* and we're awaiting the arrival of new neighbors. We saw a couple with inspectors there a week or so ago...they looked nice. Can't wait to meet some new folks.

Had a mole removed from my thigh....that turned out to have pre-cancerous cells. Went for a routine skin check and skin cancer screening...and glad I did. The doc felt one mole was suspicious and ran a biopsy. It had pre-cancerous cells, so now I have to go back and have a little more cut off and frozen with nitrogen to make sure it doesn't come back. He told me to wear spf 50 or higher on my body anytime I leave the house, and spf 70-100 on my face, every day. I am doing it, right now.

What are you doing right now?

Join my Twibe? (Deleted)

UPDATE: I decided to totally delete these Twibe group pages due to lack of activity or interest. We've all got too many things to keep up with I guess....So ignore the information and links below...


If anyone out there uses Twitter and would like to join a Twibe (group) - here is a link for Korean adoptive moms

http://www.twibes.com/group/Korean_Adoptive_Moms

When you post Tweets to the group - check "Post to Twibe - not openly to Twitter" - so that your tweets are seen within the group only....

I also started a group for 40-something First Time moms (not sure how many of us there are out there...but hey, thought I'd give it a try...I can't be the only one, huh?)

http://www.twibes.com/group/40-Something-Moms

My twitter nickname is retrogirl66I like using twitter because it's fast and easy from my mobile phone and lets me stay in touch with friends, family and make new connections with people of similar interests.

Do you Tweet?

Too Close for Comfort

Just read that there was indeed a tornado Friday morning...in the neighboring town (where I used to work) less than 10 miles away. Apparently an F-1 tornado hit a strip mall and several businesses, ripping off roofs, uprooting signs, damaging cars, etc...and according to residents of that area---they heard absolutely no emergency sirens. That's disturbing!!

After I'd made that post Friday morning about the bad weather....the weather calmed down for awhile...and our social worker came for her visit. The visit went really well and when she left, we dashed out for a quick bite to eat at the local I-Hop. As we got ready to leave the restaurant, the skies turned black as night in a matter of minutes and it starting raining like a monsoon again, thundering and the winds grew very strong again. We got soaked getting in our car and tried to drive home. It was almost impossible to see...the roads were instantly getting flooded. We saw trees down everywhere, the power went out...but somehow we got home safely. Yikes!!! Our power was out for a couple hours...long enough for our sump pump to stop and water started backing up into our basement. Fortunately the power came back on before it got worse and everything was okay....but Whewwww!

Turns out many areas had no power until late Saturday. Many nearby homes and properties had wind/water damage We were very fortunate. Very fortunate.....

The House Began to Pitch....

There was a tornado warning this morning. Yikes! Sirens going off, the emergency weather service beeping on the TV saying to take shelter...and hubby texting me to get to the basement. Sheesh!

So I grabbed little Isaac, the diaper bag and my purse, called for the dog and headed down the basement. Then I realized...ok if this is "The Big One" - we have no water or food down here....so I grabbed Isaac and headed upstairs one more time. I threw bottles of water downstairs...grabbed the first things I saw in the way of food---a box of baby oatmeal, saltines and granola bars---and pitched 'em down the steps, and grabbed the baby walker and headed back downstairs. I think Isaac thought I was insane, lol, throwing stuff down the steps. The look on his face was priceless...heheheh!!

I put Isaac in the walker and gathered up my supplies and turned on the old TV that is beside the treadmill and sat down and watched the weather channel. We could hear the wind howling and the rain blowing, and thunder rattling the windows! Lucie dog was getting nervous and pacing. Apparently a tornado or something close to it touched down town that's about 15 miles away! Yikes!

After awhile, they cancelled the tornado warning, but changed it to a severe thunderstorm warning for the rest of the day. So I gathered up the crap I hauled down there, and the baby and headed back upstairs. Figures! I realized through all of this, though, that we have no emergency kit down there....we should really throw together a rubbermaid container with some water, non-perishable snacks, candles, matches, blanket, pillows, first aid kit, etc. and just keep it down there.

All this, on the day our Social Worker is coming for the 2nd of the 4 post-adoption visits too...lots to get done and now all this, throwing off my schedule. S0, as I headed back upstairs, and could still hear thunder and blowing rain, I got a vision..heheheh...Shame on me...but I pictured our Social Worker, riding through the sky on Margaret Hamilton's bicycle, cackling that wicked witch laugh..."heeeehheeeehhheee! I'll get you my pretty! And your little boy too!" I could hear the munchkins singing that song too...."The House Began to Pitch"....lol yes, I've finally lost it!

Since I started this post, the weather got really bad again for a bit, I thought I'd better get off this computer.....but in the last minute or two, suddenly it's cleared up and is sorta partly sunny! The weather here in Illinois really is crazy! (I can still hear rumbles of thunder in the distance, so I don't think it's over yet...but sheesh!)

Mini Blessings

Whew....went to the MINI dealer this morning for my regular annual oil change (Yes, the car that needs an oil change only once a year! Not only is it great on gas, but it only needs service once a year!) Found out that my thermostat had conked out, there was a leak and the fan would keep running, to compensate. Fortunately, my visit today was 1 week before the extended warranty ran out! That's the only real issue I've ever had in 4 years, and that is something fairly minor, so I'm not complaining. Hopefully nothing else will happen...

Isaac did pretty well, considering they kept us 2 hours while they worked on the car. Fortunately they had Dish Network and a flat panel TV, so he could watch Handy Manny and Wonder Pets...heheh. It was pouring rain, so we couldn't go walking. We did take him to lunch after, and to ToysRUs to buy him a birthday present. We got him a walking toy that he can push and walk behind. He is so close to walking! He will stand by himself and take a step or two...it won't be long now! He has two teeth coming in on the bottom too! I can't believe he's growing so fast!

So glad to have hubby back from China...but poor guy, he's totally jet lagged and nappy, trying to adjust back to the Chicago time zone.

For now, I think we're just going to do a little family party for Isaac tomorrow. We are going to figure out the mechanics of having the Toljabee Korean 1-year birthday celebration later....

Isaac & I met a friend, Judy, at the park yesterday. She's another adoptive mommy from our same agency, who has a little girl, MeeNa who will be 1 yr old on the 20th---the same as my birthday! She also has two biological boys, 7 & 10 yrs. We had a great time playing, swinging, walking. Hope to see them again for another play-date soon!

Oh well....computer time is over! Time to get Isaac up from his late afternoon nap....get a bottle going and some yummy baked whole wheat mac-n-cheese cooking for dinner. (it's a low-fat recipe..but it's awesome!)

How's your weekend going?

Staying Busy...30 Hours & Counting

Well, so far I've somehow survived hubby's two week trip to China. He'll be home tomorrow nite---in 30 Hours!! It feels like 100 years since I've seen him.

Isaac and I have been staying super busy to pass the time....we've been on the run, doing something different just about every day, just to get out of the house. Here's the rundown:

Last week
Mon - Trip to Michael's (no art supplies...basket shopping - for toy storage)
Tues - Visited gals at my old office & Toys-R-Us
Wed - Home all day/Rained
Thurs - Massage/Isaac played at Mrs. B's.
Fri - Mall for lunch & stroll
Sat - Home all day/Cleaned
This Week:
Sun - Parents arrived/Lunched and played with Cori & her little boy Seth (also from Korea)
Mon - Walmart trip (and rest...bad storm during the nite kept us all awake for hours)
Tues- Mall & lunch out. 2 Mile walk after dinner.
Wed - Lunch out, trip to the park (Isaac enjoyed his first time on the swings!), ice cream
Thus-(Today)...Parents left for home this morning early...no plans today.
Fri- Going to meet Judy, her boys and baby Meena (also from Korea) at the park at 1pm. Then--Hubby to be home around dinner time!

I've still been having trouble sleeping...waking at 4:30 a.m. every day and not really sleeping after that. I called my doc and begged for some sleeping pills. She called in some Ambien...they knock me out great and I sleep deeply for about 4 hours, maybe 5...but I still wake too early, and am really tired. I have been doing alot of walking, thinking the exercise will help, but it hasn't really. Tonite I can't take anything - since there isn't anyone but me to listen to the baby monitor.

It was really nice to see my parents and have them here. It helped to keep me from feeling so lonely & blue. My mom helped somewhat, but there were so many things that I just had to do myself anyway like the bedtime ritual (bath, bottle, book & bed), preparing Isaac's meals, etc. They got to play with Isaac alot and visit which was great. They drove me a little nutty at times, though, but I think that's normal when you've lived away from home for so long.

The one thing that hurt my feelings is that my parents did nothing to acknowledge Isaac's first birthday which is this coming Monday 6/15, and my birthday on June 20th. No card, nothing. My mom once casually said something about "I don't know if we should celebrate your birthdays now or when you come to Cincinnati"...and that was about all. I mentioned to her we don't know when we're coming back down there, since we have a lot going on here...church commitments, hubby's work schedule, doctor's appointments, and that hubby's parents have been waiting for the OK to come visit....So I guess our birthdays were an after-thought for them? *shrug* Weird....they always give cards/gift to my nieces and my nephew...my sister, bro and the inlaw sibs. Whatever. I feel like Molly Ringwald in 16 Candles when her parents totally forgot her birthday! (I don't mean to sound petty or ungrateful that they came to visit...but it's just weird...most grandparents are bouncing off the walls when a grandchild turns 1 year old...come bearing presents, take pictures...they did none of that. They gave him a couple Happy Meal toys and that's it...)

Hubby has to travel to KY in 2-3 weeks for business. He thought of trying to take us, but we're not sure if we can pull it off...with costs of dog kennel, doing a 2nd rental car for me to visit friends, while he is working. It's looking kind of like it's not gonna happen....

Oh well...I'm just watching the clock till hubby gets home.

Ahhhh....Rub Me...

I went and got a massage this morning. Ahhhhhhh. The first one in probably 4 years. Why'd I wait so long?!

It was both relaxing and painful. My body was one gnarled, knotted, tight, mass of stress and pain. The therapist did a great job working most of it out. I felt like a new woman coming out of there, though.

It was the first time I've been apart from Isaac since we came home from Korea, almost 2 months ago. (Can you believe it's been that long already?!) It was a bit tough walking out and leaving him...but he was in THE BEST hands ever - Mrs. B. (the lady who has 4 biological kids, and 2 adopted kids from Korea. She also is a Safe House foster parent for the state of IL DCFS for at risk kids who are pulled temporarily from homes for various reasons. She is amazing!). I am so lucky to know someone so gracious and kind, who would help me out today.

Apparently it didn't phase Isaac that I left. This is good, he was happy to play with his new friend A. (the 6 yr. old girl) and Mrs. B. He had no separation anxiety issue. I am sure someday somewhere it'll happen, but I'm glad he did so well today. I was only gone about 2 hours though.

I definitely need to go again, soon. I had very sore, knotted, tight places on my body everywhere...even in places I hadn't realized. She told me to work on drinking wayyyy more water, work on sleeping, and to keep up my walking. I hope to go again in the next 30 days....

Later this afternoon...I found out Mr. B. just lost his job of 25 years, due to 'restructuring'. I'm so sad for them. They have a BIG family to feed, and they help so many. Prayers to them, that he finds something else, soon. I've been trying to not think about that happening to my hubby....*crossing my fingers* It's everywhere you turn....this world is so crazy.