Adventures in Childproofing part 1

Cara has decided to help a friend out by babysitting their 18 month old boy a couple days out of the week. So this has prompted us to child proof the house earlier than we had expected.

So, instalation of baby gate at top of stairs, no problems there, and it actually seems to work, a miracle, from someone who makes Tim the Tool Man Taylor look like a genius...

Then I got down on my knees and crawled around the house to see what it looked like from that perspective. I put protector plugs in the elctrical sockets, I moved hanging cords, moved the cactus collection up higher, and we made decisions about what drawers we will lock and which we will keep unlocked, we put the door knob protectors on the bathroom and our bedroom. We were set...or so I thought.

First day with the little guy, he is behaving great, then early afternoon I get a frantic call from Cara..." He has locked himself in our bedroom, where is the key..."

Randy:That door knob has a lock on it????
Cara: Where is the key?!
Randy:That door knob has a lock on it????
Cara:(says something I would get in trouble for writing).... JOKING!

As a side note, she had the car so I am unable to get home.

Cara: How do I get the door open?
Randy: Is the bedroom window open, you could use the ladder and get in that way...
Cara: Of course the window isn't open, you hate having light in there so it is boarded up tighter than Fort Knox!!!
Randy: How come this is suddenly my fault?
Cara:(says something I would get in trouble for writing).... JOKING!

*Okay the last 2 lines were never said, some creative license please :)

Cara: It is pitch black in there, the plugs are exposed, the humidifier is at his level...ARRRRHHHH he just turned the radio on... I hear diaper rubbing...ee is dancing in there!!!

I then seek to instruct her how to pop the edging off the door frame and slide a knife in and pop the knob so the door will open.

Cara: I can't get it...
Randy:I can't get there, you have the car...
Cara: (says something I would get in trouble for writing).... JOKING!

While I am trying to find a ride from work, a friend pops by the house and they get the door open.

The little guy is happy as can be.
The wife is as relieved as can be.
This blogger has as fun story to tell.

May in Review Room

It has been confirmed that at least SOME May dossiers are in the review room stage, this is good news, and will be a relief when we are through the review room knowing there isn't more stuff we will have to do or redo in order to move on in the process.

Rumors have it that CCAA has done around 2 weeks worth of November dossiers, that would be nice, ANYthing would be better than the 2 days worth that was done recently. November is a huge month with lots of dossiers in it. March 2006 is also a large month, the other months are smaller, so hopefully that will work out to no more than a 2 year wait, we are still hoping it will fall closer to an 18-21 month wait...but as always time will tell.

1 year LID!

Well a couple days late, but we have hit the magical 1 year mark. In some regards the year has flown by and hasn't seemed that long, I attribute that only to the busy world we are in, 365 days without our daughter is still 365 days too long.

However, we know God is in control and has the right time planned, we can't know all the reasons, but something that seems to be an indicator is that when we first logged in we were told, "Ehhh, it could be around a year wait". So we were thinking that in the summer we could be preparing to go to China.

It didn't take too long to realize that wasn't going to happen...and a "bright side" of this, is that my Senior Pastor has just resigned(that is most definately not the bright side...hang in there I am getting to it!) and is likely leaving the start of July...IF the original adoption timeline had been in effect, that would have been chaos trying to transition and sustain ministry at my church as my role is going to change, in some way shape or form, for some time now and for the future, until we see who God has lined up next to come on board. If we were trying to prep for baby right now, I would be a nut(nuttier) case. This way(here is the bright side ;) ) we can be here for our church family and do what we can, and so when OUR time to transition comes(with the arrival of baby) THEY can be there for us, like we know they want and desire to be.

So those are the main thoughts going though my brain as we look at this 1 year mark. Speculation is 18-24 months total Logged in Time, but only One really knows, and He is good, and His timing perfect, even if we can't fully see it at the time.

Sometimes, as time passes we see the wisdom He has shown in His timing, other times it requires some faith to trust that His character is true and He hasn't changed. He hasn't, He won't. THAT is always worth celebrating!

White swan

White Swan renovations article

Why is this interesting? well the White swan is famous for being THE place adoptive families reside in during their final leg of the adoption journey. The famous red chair pictures occur here(where everyone in your travel group puts their child on the couch with all theother smiliing happy content babies for a perfect picture...

Survivor

My favorite didn't win, Yau-man made fourth, if he was final three he would have won, as shown in the reunion show. That sucked.Sure showed a lot about the words and character of Dreamz, yes, it is a game, and Dreamz played it but that game betrayal sucked... oh well...but did you all see where the next Survivor will take place? Yup, in CHINA!

Let the "Survivor in China" to "Adoption from China" comparisions begin! lol! Feel free to post any here, you know I will be as time and inspiration hits!

Interview me...

Snagged this from Janet, who snagged it from someone...here is a link to her blog
Janet's blog


If you want to participate:
1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me”, or words to that effect.
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions, but I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You have to include this explanation, and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

1) If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world (assuming that you
already have your little one), where would you go?

I would love to go back to China, or some other Asian country. I think Vietnam would be my next choice. I admire a lot of Asian culture and think it would be a wonderful shared experience with Julia. Other than that I would love to go to one of the big Comic Book Conventions, like in New York or Chicago, take that in as well as some of the local touristy stuff they offer. However the most recent vacation Cara and I talked about is doing a Garden Tour Vacation, visiting different places that have botanical gardens, butterfly gardens that kind of thing.

2) What is your fondest wish for your future child?

That she will grow up to love the Lord and serve Him faithfully.

3) Are you an organized, "list" kind of person, or a "fly by the seat
of
your pants" kind of person?

Organized list person, with the ability to fly by the seat of my pants, although I prefer the risk of death by paper cut(lists) over crashing high speed into a wall.

4) If you could see any river in the world, which one would you see?

Mississippi, because it is fun to say the word and spell it. :)

5) What was your favourite subject in school?

English. Enjoyed creative writing, just don't have the time these days to really focus on it, so most of the writing I do is fairly basic and to the point, making anyone who reads it(like the poor souls who visit this blog) shake their head that this is my answer to this question! :)

11 month LID

Well here we are again, another LIDversary.Exciting things planned. It is my day off. I will be shortly going to sit in a doctors office with tons of sick people to get a prescription refill, where I will then make another appointment so that I can actually get in to see the doctor at a reasonable time when I get sick from the germs found while waiting in his office for too long.

Cara is going to help clean up a friends house as their little baby girl has been really sick and hospitalized for the last couple of weeks. She then has a craft party to teach at.

I am warming up leftovers for supper.Break out the party hats and streamers :)

We cleaned behind the washer and dryer at our house and I fought with the dryers vent tubing for 15 minutes to try to get it to stay on vent extensions that the house builder cut off WAAAAAY too short. Only banged my head on the shelving once. Party on!

I think the hilight of the day will be killing the Ruppie monster on the Neopets Playstation game I just bought the other day.Food, festivities and games, this is a rockin party...

Oh, it started to snow again, heh, I am okay with that, I raked the front lawn yesterday and put down some fertilizer, so this will save me money, I won't have to water it in and pay for that on the water bill, GIFTS at this party too! WOW!

The hedge took a beating over the winter, not sure if it was from the tons of snow or the neighbor girl running over the hedge with her boots when it was covered with snow, but a bunch of busted off branches, likely have to replace 3 or 4 of them. Perhaps I can salvage the broken ones and start training them as bonsai...this party even has challenges to it.

So I now wish my wife and myself a Happy 11th month LID! The month that had it all...except a referral...bummer way to end a party...ahh but what a party it will be when that referral finally comes...THAT will be THE BEST PARTY ever!

twenty things...

This is not new, seen it around, but since busy at work, and not in a mindset to blog yet, here is some other person's wise ramblings...



Twenty Things I Wish Adoptive Parents Knew
(an excerpt from the book by Sherri SHerrie Eldridge)

1. I suffered a profound loss before I was adopted. You are not
responsible.

2. I need to be taught that I have special needs arising from
adoption loss, of which I need not be ashamed.

3. If I don't grieve my loss, my ability to receive love from you
and others will be hindered.

4. My unresolved grief may surface in anger toward you.

5. I need your help in grieving my loss. Teach me to get in touch
with my feelings about my adoption and then validate them.

6. Just because I don't talk about my birth family doesn't mean I
don't think about them.

7. I want you to take the initiative in opening conversations about
my birth family

8. I need to know the truth about my conception, birth, and family
history, no matter how painful the details my be.

9. I am afraid I was given away by my birth mother because I was a
bad baby. I need you to help me dump my toxic shame.

10. I am afraid you will abandon me.

11. I may appear more whole than I actually am. I need your help to
uncover the parts of myself that I keep hidden, so I can integrate
all the elements of my identity.

12. I need to gain a sense of personal power.

13. Please don't say I look or act just like you. I need you to
acknowledge and celebrate our differences.

14. Let me be my own person but don't let me cut myself off from
you.

15. Please respect my privacy regarding my adoption. Don't tell
other people without my consent.

16. Birthdays may be difficult for me.

17. Not knowing my full medical history can be distressing at times.

18. I am afraid I will be too much for you to handle.

19. When I act out my fears in obnoxious ways, please hang in there
with me, and respond wisely

20. Even if I decide to search for my birth family, I will always
want you to be my parents.

Not even gonna mention

... that they only porcessed 2 days worth of dossiers...unreal... just can't go there...

so in random news...

Enjoyed anniversary number 5, that went well and was enjoyed by all :).

Enjoyed worshipping with our church family on Easter Sunday, it was nice not having anything to do for a change, so I could just sit and enjoy...that changes back to normal now, with me preaching the next 2 weeks while Bill is away(the senior Pastor). Got a good jump on it so I am hopeful this will be a kick butt productive week that allows me to not just catch up but get ahead on some things so I can focus on preparing for camp. Although the snow isn't gone yet, camp will be here WAAAAY too soon.

Enjoyed the first of the 2 Pretender movies, will watch the second one maybe this week.

On Sunday I was holding an 8 month old little asian/canadian baby, from a family in our church and had 2 people come up thinking we had gotten Julia already...I like the fact that I am told I look good holding and Asian baby...DON"T like the fact, it isn't ours for some time to go yet :(. Even though the wait time *IS* getting to me at times, there is no way I could see turning back, or pursuing another avenue for adoption. It was reassuring to read in another couples blog what I have been telling myself, that when the wait is finally over and we have Julia, that all the holidays and times when you feel like it is "another holiday without her" those times magically disappear. Can't wait for that magic trick :)

What's up...

Time is flying, can't beleive we are into April already, it is nice that since "the wait" is such a wait that the rest of life seems to be flying by, it is also scary. Cara mentioned to me she is filling her schedule with extra business parties etc to keep her mind off the wait, which is helpful for her. Me, on the other hand, am simply busy and thinking, "when can I make a break come in here", I WILL not be this busy when Julia comes along, come hell or high water, I don't know what has to change, but something will. I won't look back on her child hood and go"when did she suddenly grow up?"

Speaking of growing up, my mom has her B-day today, sucks we can't be there to celebrate with her in person, but Happy Birthday Mummy :)

Had another gospel magic show at a church last night.Had something happen to me that has never happened in 15 years of performing, I do a routine where I explain the Gospel and how there is punishment for our sin, but that Jesus takes it away, and have a wrist chopper,which I call a guilt detector tester, which cuts stuff, but I say when a person has a belief in Jesus HE takes their guilt and sin so they can't be hurt by it.

I put the kids wrist in it, slam it down, and SURPRIZE, no damage. Well, I have done this trick literally hundreds of times, but last night, the kid started crying before I did anything. I always whisper in their ear,"it is a trick, it won't hurt", but no go this time. NEVER had that happen before. One time I had the kid in the chopper and I sensed tension so I asked him quietly why he was nervous, he said" I have to go to the washroom,NOW!" So I let him out and he runs off the stage holding himself(he made it fortunately)

But back to last night, so I let this 11 year old go back to her seat, and she sends up her 4 year old baby brother instead! I am thinking this is gonna be a lost cause and should just scrap it, but away we went, and the little guy did awesome. Performing is unpredictable, makes it a challenge but I love it.

Easter is just upon us, as is my(our) 5th year anniversary,so lots of good stuff ahead in the next few days...