It has finally arrived-today is Luke's 1st Birthday!!!!
The official birthday party isn't until tomorrow afternoon though, but have no fear we have already begun partying. Our calendar is overflowing this weekend it seems! :) Last night, we all went to my sister's house to celebrate Luke's cousin's 1st birthday (that's right-she's only 2 days older than him-which has made for some very special times over the past year). It was fun to watch her open all of her presents too. She was very excited by some of them, but about 1/2 way through she really didn't care anymore so her big sister (age 2) took over for her. :)
On today's agenda is Luke's uncle's graduation party at the in-law's. He has graduated from pharmacy school & is officially a full-fledged pharmacist (a little scary that we can now call him "doctor") :) so we will be at Grandma & Grandpa's house all day (& I need to get baking-Yikes!!!) celebrating with them.
Which brings us to tomorrow & Luke's party. Am I completely ready? No, not quite yet, there are still several things that need to be done, but I'm going to try to make the time to get them done without feeling way overstressed about it. As long as everyone (especially Luke) enjoys themselves, I will consider it a success & I just keep thinking that if I can make it to Monday-at least I can rest then! Thank goodness for national holidays & a clear schedule (for one day anyway)!!! Enjoy your weekend, however you choose to celebrate!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Tuesday's Ten: Favorite Games
I'm always up for a game be it cards or a board game, so here are some of my favorites.
1. Pinochle (look out for marathon sessions of this card game when celebrating holidays with my mom's sisters & my cousins!
2. Euchre (makes for some fun card parties over those long winter months)
3. Sequence (great combo of strategy & cards!)
4. Cranium (I always like games that combine "smarts" with silliness)
5. Trivial Pursuit (this has been one of my faves ever since I guessed "Toilet Paper" as an answer to a question in college & it was RIGHT!) :)
6. Phase 10 (I LOVE this game & it's 2-3 hour rollar coaster sessions-if you play it how the directions say to!)
7. Uno Attack (gotta love a game with a machine that might spit cards out at you)
8. Up & Down the River (kind of a long card game, but my Grandma & Grandpa taught it to me so it's always been special to me)
9. Bullsh*t (I haven't played this in years, but I always loved trying to pull one over on somebody in this card game)
10. Mad Gab (It's kind of fun listening to people talk like they're drunk & then trying to figure out what they're saying to you)
Feel free to list any games you like that I don't have on my list. I always like checking them out-they can make great gift ideas! :)
1. Pinochle (look out for marathon sessions of this card game when celebrating holidays with my mom's sisters & my cousins!
2. Euchre (makes for some fun card parties over those long winter months)
3. Sequence (great combo of strategy & cards!)
4. Cranium (I always like games that combine "smarts" with silliness)
5. Trivial Pursuit (this has been one of my faves ever since I guessed "Toilet Paper" as an answer to a question in college & it was RIGHT!) :)
6. Phase 10 (I LOVE this game & it's 2-3 hour rollar coaster sessions-if you play it how the directions say to!)
7. Uno Attack (gotta love a game with a machine that might spit cards out at you)
8. Up & Down the River (kind of a long card game, but my Grandma & Grandpa taught it to me so it's always been special to me)
9. Bullsh*t (I haven't played this in years, but I always loved trying to pull one over on somebody in this card game)
10. Mad Gab (It's kind of fun listening to people talk like they're drunk & then trying to figure out what they're saying to you)
Feel free to list any games you like that I don't have on my list. I always like checking them out-they can make great gift ideas! :)
Friday, August 22, 2008
What NOT to say
Recently, I learned that a couple I know just found out that they were expecting a baby (pregnant) after just having adopted a baby the previous month. Their children will only be 10 months apart. This is the second couple I know from around the same area who have had this happen to them. They had both dealt with inferility (the first couple I mentioned were dealing with secondary infertility, in their case-they had already had 2 children biologically & were having trouble trying to become pregnant a third time) so they both may continue to deal with infertilty in the future even though they did happen to get pregnant once before. Having been through infertility & adoption, I've learned that a big part of both of these issues is EDUCATION! So today's lesson is about a couple of things not to say to people when you've learned they're adopting/have adopted a child.
#1: "Now that you've adopted, you'll probably get pregnant!"
That would be a big N-O, NO! Many people think that this is a true statement because it has happened to someone that they know. This is why I mentioned the people above. I know them-that is 2 couples I know that this has happened to. How many couples/people do I know altogether? LOTS!!! I read somewhere one time that this statement is actually only true in about 5% of cases, so think about all of the people who have adopted & then think about how many 5% of them would be-it's not very many people. Now think about all of the people who probably know those same 2 couples that I know-when they make the comment above-they are all probably thinking of these very same 2 couples. That's why people think it happens all of the time-because they know someone who it has happened to, but they are all probably thinking of the same couple! Makes sense once you think about it, doesn't it. :)
Another reason I think that this statement is so ridiculous is because their are also many other types of people who adopt & someone would never even think to say it to them. For instance, I have 3 aunts who have all adopted their children (via the foster care system) & no one has ever said to them "Watch out! You might just get pregnant now that you have adopted!" Why? Because each one of them is SINGLE! It would be a very inappropriate statement to make to them & it falls into that same category for the rest of us too.
#2 "Once you get that baby home you'll probably relax & get pregnant" or in the scenarios above "They probably relaxed after adopting that baby & got pregnant"
Again another N-O, NO! All I have to say about this one is-who in their right mine is "relaxed" with a newborn at home! Between sleep deprivation, worrying about when they're going to sleep/eat/poop/wake up, if you're making the right choices, extra laundry, etc (the list could go on & on) who is relaxed. I certainly wasn't! Relieved to finally have our baby home with us after years of waiting-certainly! Relaxed-not quite so much! Plus, I've never ever learned in any of my biology classes that 'relief' equals easier conception. Sorry folks-it just doesn't work that way.
So the next time you hear of someone adopting or adopting & then becoming pregnant, just say "Congratulations!" or "Wow! What a wonderful event!" & keep in mind that the above statements although well intentioned I'm sure-are not accurate (& may not be appreciated either.) If you slip up every once in awhile though, that's okay-it happens-just smile & move on! ;)
#1: "Now that you've adopted, you'll probably get pregnant!"
That would be a big N-O, NO! Many people think that this is a true statement because it has happened to someone that they know. This is why I mentioned the people above. I know them-that is 2 couples I know that this has happened to. How many couples/people do I know altogether? LOTS!!! I read somewhere one time that this statement is actually only true in about 5% of cases, so think about all of the people who have adopted & then think about how many 5% of them would be-it's not very many people. Now think about all of the people who probably know those same 2 couples that I know-when they make the comment above-they are all probably thinking of these very same 2 couples. That's why people think it happens all of the time-because they know someone who it has happened to, but they are all probably thinking of the same couple! Makes sense once you think about it, doesn't it. :)
Another reason I think that this statement is so ridiculous is because their are also many other types of people who adopt & someone would never even think to say it to them. For instance, I have 3 aunts who have all adopted their children (via the foster care system) & no one has ever said to them "Watch out! You might just get pregnant now that you have adopted!" Why? Because each one of them is SINGLE! It would be a very inappropriate statement to make to them & it falls into that same category for the rest of us too.
#2 "Once you get that baby home you'll probably relax & get pregnant" or in the scenarios above "They probably relaxed after adopting that baby & got pregnant"
Again another N-O, NO! All I have to say about this one is-who in their right mine is "relaxed" with a newborn at home! Between sleep deprivation, worrying about when they're going to sleep/eat/poop/wake up, if you're making the right choices, extra laundry, etc (the list could go on & on) who is relaxed. I certainly wasn't! Relieved to finally have our baby home with us after years of waiting-certainly! Relaxed-not quite so much! Plus, I've never ever learned in any of my biology classes that 'relief' equals easier conception. Sorry folks-it just doesn't work that way.
So the next time you hear of someone adopting or adopting & then becoming pregnant, just say "Congratulations!" or "Wow! What a wonderful event!" & keep in mind that the above statements although well intentioned I'm sure-are not accurate (& may not be appreciated either.) If you slip up every once in awhile though, that's okay-it happens-just smile & move on! ;)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
I just can't fight those frizzies anymore!
I have been blessed with hair that will curl beautifully on it's own (when it's long enough) &/or easily when using a curling iron. It can hold it's curl all day long without missing a beat if I ask it to, but when it comes to straightening it-now that's a whole other ordeal! I love wearing my hair straight, but it used to be such a hassle to get it looking okay. Oh yes, the hair would straighten, but then of course I was left with walking around looking like I was wearing a bush on my head because of all the frizziness. This would inevitably lead to me pulling it back into a ponytail or disguising it is some other fashion. Until the past year or so, I can easily say that "my hair was not my friend!" Then came the discovery of affordable 'curling hair gel' that actually kept my hair from frizzing when I would let it air dry/be curly. This helped alot & made for easy hair days, but it still did not solve the problem of straightening my hair. I can thank my sister for turning me on to a thing called 'hair wax'. I LOVE it! (Disclaimer: I always tell my friends that I am like a middle school kid when it comes to doing my hair. Why? Because for some reason there are alot of these products that I have never heard of or have never really learned how to use so when I do figure them out-I get very excited now at age 27! My mom never really had to use any & doesn't wear makeup so I missed out on learning these things from her & when I did 'experiment' with hair products on my own-somehow I just never got the hang of them until now!) :) I have also recently finally gotten to a hair length that I find managable to work with & really like (except it does need to be longer if I ever want to go back to wearing it naturally curly all of the time). It is just the perfect length to straighten quickly (with my hair wax & flat iron for that nice "smooth" look) & not feel like I am spending alot of time messing with it. That is until today! I have been straightening my hair faithfully each morning since school started back up (during the summer time-I could really care less if I mess with my hair much) & it has been going well, but then this morning I got up & looked out the window. RAIN!!! I didn't even try to put up a fight! I just scrunched in the faithful curling gel & headed out the door. I wasn't going to waste my time & effort just to walk outside & watch my hair slowly explode into a massive ball of frizz!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Where, Oh Where Has My Little Baby Gone?
He's growing up!
Yes, I knew the day was coming, but I still wasn't prepared for it even after working with him to finally get to this point. On Saturday (yes, this is the post you were supposed to have gotten that day if you've read this), Scott put Luke down for a nap, but the child decided he didn't really need a nap yet so he decided to cry instead. Well, after a few minutes, Scott went to check on him & all I heard was "Hey Anita! Come check this out." (I should have known that I was in for a rude awakening at this point, but I'm a bit slow sometimes.) Well, what should I see when I get to Luke's door-he was STANDING UP in his crib-Yikes! I was a little surprised to say the least. Now I know he has been trying to do this for a couple of weeks now, but it was still a little shocking for me to actually see him doing it. Some of you may be thinking "What is wrong with this lady?", but here's a little bit of the back story.
Luke has had some delays when it comes to some of these milestones, thus he has been receiving some therapy the past couple of weeks to help him get "jumpstarted" again you could say. Well, they told me that he would probably take off pretty quickly once they started working with him, but hearing the words is definitely A LOT different then seeing it actually happening right before my own eyes. So after 11 months of walking into his room when he's crying/waking up/playing in his crib & ALWAYS seeing him lying on his back to do these things-it's quite a change to my world walking into his room seeing him sitting up one weekend & then walking into his room seeing him standing up only a few days later. (A lady needs time to adjust!) :) Needless to say, time does not stand still (although I wish it could sometimes) & neither does Luke anymore so I'll just have to get myself ready for the next big adventure-Toddlerhood!!!
Yes, I knew the day was coming, but I still wasn't prepared for it even after working with him to finally get to this point. On Saturday (yes, this is the post you were supposed to have gotten that day if you've read this), Scott put Luke down for a nap, but the child decided he didn't really need a nap yet so he decided to cry instead. Well, after a few minutes, Scott went to check on him & all I heard was "Hey Anita! Come check this out." (I should have known that I was in for a rude awakening at this point, but I'm a bit slow sometimes.) Well, what should I see when I get to Luke's door-he was STANDING UP in his crib-Yikes! I was a little surprised to say the least. Now I know he has been trying to do this for a couple of weeks now, but it was still a little shocking for me to actually see him doing it. Some of you may be thinking "What is wrong with this lady?", but here's a little bit of the back story.
Luke has had some delays when it comes to some of these milestones, thus he has been receiving some therapy the past couple of weeks to help him get "jumpstarted" again you could say. Well, they told me that he would probably take off pretty quickly once they started working with him, but hearing the words is definitely A LOT different then seeing it actually happening right before my own eyes. So after 11 months of walking into his room when he's crying/waking up/playing in his crib & ALWAYS seeing him lying on his back to do these things-it's quite a change to my world walking into his room seeing him sitting up one weekend & then walking into his room seeing him standing up only a few days later. (A lady needs time to adjust!) :) Needless to say, time does not stand still (although I wish it could sometimes) & neither does Luke anymore so I'll just have to get myself ready for the next big adventure-Toddlerhood!!!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Tuesday's Ten: Typos
As I'm typing my posts, inevitabely, I have typos. Many times my typos are from me repeating a letter in a word too many times, so here are some words that have a totally different meaning when you misspell them by doubling up a letter that shouldn't be doubled. Feel free to add any others that you can think of & Enjoy!
1. should be "popped" not "pooped"
2. should be "as" not "as*"
3. should be "wed" not "weed"
4. should be "bob" not "boob"
5. should be "hot" not "hoot"
6. should be "fred" not "freed"
7. should be "bet" not "beet"
8. should be "ref" not "reef"
9. should be "son" not "soon"
10. should be "rot" not "root"
It's kind of fun to see what words you can come up with when you sit & think about it! :)
1. should be "popped" not "pooped"
2. should be "as" not "as*"
3. should be "wed" not "weed"
4. should be "bob" not "boob"
5. should be "hot" not "hoot"
6. should be "fred" not "freed"
7. should be "bet" not "beet"
8. should be "ref" not "reef"
9. should be "son" not "soon"
10. should be "rot" not "root"
It's kind of fun to see what words you can come up with when you sit & think about it! :)
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