I can hardly believe that Halloween has been here and gone, let alone Thanksgiving. This year, like so many others, I have so much to be thankful for, and Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on all of our many blessings. Thanksgiving also holds a special place in my heart because two years ago my Mom and I left the Saturday after Thanksgiving to go to Russia and meet RP for the first time. Naturally, every Thanksgiving I remember this, and am oh-so thankful that everything worked out and I am officially her Mommy (yes, even on the days that she has tested my patience to the limits!).
I have been blessed not only with a wonderful daughter, but an amazing family and phenomenal friends. This year truly has been a test, and one of considerable change. After being unexpectedly laid off for eight and a half months, I moved into a new job, one which for the most part I enjoy, although the commute is already wearing on me. To take the job, I had to take a considerable pay cut, and find myself re-evaluating everything from where I live, to the car I drive, to my future career plans. Adding to the challenge of the year, both my Mom and my best friend have experienced health challenges, and I feel helpless standing by and watching as the two women closest to me in this life show courage and strength as they fight to regain their health, and (at the risk of sounding dramatic), their lives.
Yes, there have been the positives as well. RP continues to be the light of my life, and is thriving at home and at school. Yes, she can be a handful at times, but I wouldn't have her any other way. I am an aunt again to a niece, so my parents now are grandparents to three boys and three girls, and I can't wait to hold Baby A and get in some serious auntie-baby snuggles! I would also be woefully remiss in identifying the positives if I didn't add in the latest addition to my menagerie - RP's kitten "Baby Chloe" whom she adores, and who keeps the puppies and Cassie on their toes (literally!). Finally, the love and support I received the entire year from family and friends was truly overwhelming, and really helped to keep me focused and moving forward, despite many days of just wanting to hide under the covers and never come out!
As the year draws to a close and we get ready to celebrate Christmas, I hope everyone takes time to reflect on the year - the good and the bad - and takes time to celebrate with those dearest to you. I certainly can never truly put into words how thankful I am for my family and friends, and can never pay back everything they have given me, but this holiday season I am committed to letting each and every one of them know how special they are to me, and how much they mean to both RP and I. Isn't that what the holidays are all about???
Lilypie Trying to Conceive Event tickers
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Officially a pageant family???
Okay, not really. Well, maybe so. Kinda. Sorta. Hmmm...
Let me back up. RP participated in her first "pageant" on Saturday and seemed to LOVE it. I wasn't too sure about leaving the decision to do this up to a three-year old, but what the heck - it was a natural pageant at a local mall, not too expensive, and outside of the entry fees our investment was the $6.00 hair clips I found to match her Easter dress. Why not?
We showed up at the mall 10 minutes before it opened because the registration rules stated that we had to register an hour before the even started, and it was scheduled to start at 11 a.m. - one hour after the mall opened. I was third in line for registration and somewhat surprised that it wasn't more chaotic. Clearly in this neck of the woods people aren't clamouring to parade their children around on stage at 11:00 on a Saturday morning. After registration I had an hour to kill with an active three-year old who was dressed up, hair done, and looking to do more than stand around and preserve this look until AFTER the judging had taken place.
I try to think of myself as a good mom, and I had reservations about doing this from the start. RP gets compliments on her looks all the time, and I have really been working hard to let her know that while it is great to be beautiful on the outside, it's what inside that truly matters. Looks don't last forever - personality, and how we treat others does. I think she gets it. I hope she gets it. Then I ask myself if I am a complete study in contradiction for entering her into something where she says not a word but dresses up, stands on stage, and is encouraged to smile and blow kisses to three people she has never met before, clearly being "judged" only by how she looks??? Hmmm....
She wanted to do it - to the point that she actually took time (all of about five minutes most days, but at her age, five minutes is a LIFETIME) to practice walking all alone, pretending to be on-stage. She told me she wanted to be a princess (not to be confused with those days she wants to be a superhero, or a rock star, or a doctor...) and win a crown and a trophy. Okee dokee - seals it for me. She doesn't need to know that EVERYONE who enters wins a crown, right?
She loved her pageant experience. Me? Well, the judge and jury are still out? I love dressing her up and having Mommy/daughter time with her, and Nana and Papa came out and showed their support (with Nana encouraging her from the crowd by cheering and blowing kisses at her, and Papa acting as chief photographer of the big event), and I have to say that watching her step onstage and have fun with it, instead of being scared or timid was great. She's NOT shy, which is something I have struggled with my entire life, and she loved being the center of attention in the big crowd, although I don't think the judges were as impressed with her onstage spins as Mommy was!
There were two parts I did not enjoy. First off, the fact that I found myself sizing up the "competition" (there was ONE other little girl in RP's age division. One. I didn't even see her until we had to line up to go onstage, so my "sizing up" was of the wrong little girls in the first place!) and even being somewhat catty about what some of these kids were wearing (FYI - in my defense, I found it wrong and Saturday, and still find it wrong today that a mother put her five-year old in light make-up, a short dress, and 3-inch zip-up gold lame' heels - and no, I'm not even exaggerating here!). Being catty about kids just felt wrong, and made for an "icky" feeling before the even even started! Secondly, after the event I found myself mad that RP didn't win the overall queen title for her age division. Now, she won FIVE medals (I can't even tell you what they were for), a trophy for Most Photogenic, and then first-runner up for her age group while the little girl that won only won one other medal, then queen for the division. Let me say for the record that the other little girl and her mother were very sweet, and I was happy to see her so excited to win. I just didn't get how this scoring system worked, and to me it just didn't seem to add up. That being said, perhaps "mad" was the wrong word to use here - I was confused by the whole thing and frustrated that I couldnt' figure it out, but RP didn't know or care about any of this - she got her trophy (and a bonus one to boot!) AND she got her princess crown that she had been talking about all week, which made it all worthwhile. If that weren't enough, RP, who normally goes by her initials and not her full name, insisted the entire day that she be referred to by her full name only, as it was a princess name and she was a princess for the day.
Will we do it again? Honestly - dunno. I have asked RP a few times since yesterday if she wants to do it again and sometimes the answer is "yes," and sometimes it's "no." What I do know is that if she wants to do it again we will, but in the same type of event - low key, no make-up, no tanning, no fake hair, etc. etc. etc. I'm fine with big poufy dresses and curly-que hair, but that's where we draw the line. As long as she is happy with it, wants to do it, and has fun with it, we can try just about anything. They always say that you never know about something until you've tried it, and this is something that we can say we tried... and the smile on her face at the end of it was worth it all!
Let me back up. RP participated in her first "pageant" on Saturday and seemed to LOVE it. I wasn't too sure about leaving the decision to do this up to a three-year old, but what the heck - it was a natural pageant at a local mall, not too expensive, and outside of the entry fees our investment was the $6.00 hair clips I found to match her Easter dress. Why not?
We showed up at the mall 10 minutes before it opened because the registration rules stated that we had to register an hour before the even started, and it was scheduled to start at 11 a.m. - one hour after the mall opened. I was third in line for registration and somewhat surprised that it wasn't more chaotic. Clearly in this neck of the woods people aren't clamouring to parade their children around on stage at 11:00 on a Saturday morning. After registration I had an hour to kill with an active three-year old who was dressed up, hair done, and looking to do more than stand around and preserve this look until AFTER the judging had taken place.
I try to think of myself as a good mom, and I had reservations about doing this from the start. RP gets compliments on her looks all the time, and I have really been working hard to let her know that while it is great to be beautiful on the outside, it's what inside that truly matters. Looks don't last forever - personality, and how we treat others does. I think she gets it. I hope she gets it. Then I ask myself if I am a complete study in contradiction for entering her into something where she says not a word but dresses up, stands on stage, and is encouraged to smile and blow kisses to three people she has never met before, clearly being "judged" only by how she looks??? Hmmm....
She wanted to do it - to the point that she actually took time (all of about five minutes most days, but at her age, five minutes is a LIFETIME) to practice walking all alone, pretending to be on-stage. She told me she wanted to be a princess (not to be confused with those days she wants to be a superhero, or a rock star, or a doctor...) and win a crown and a trophy. Okee dokee - seals it for me. She doesn't need to know that EVERYONE who enters wins a crown, right?
She loved her pageant experience. Me? Well, the judge and jury are still out? I love dressing her up and having Mommy/daughter time with her, and Nana and Papa came out and showed their support (with Nana encouraging her from the crowd by cheering and blowing kisses at her, and Papa acting as chief photographer of the big event), and I have to say that watching her step onstage and have fun with it, instead of being scared or timid was great. She's NOT shy, which is something I have struggled with my entire life, and she loved being the center of attention in the big crowd, although I don't think the judges were as impressed with her onstage spins as Mommy was!
There were two parts I did not enjoy. First off, the fact that I found myself sizing up the "competition" (there was ONE other little girl in RP's age division. One. I didn't even see her until we had to line up to go onstage, so my "sizing up" was of the wrong little girls in the first place!) and even being somewhat catty about what some of these kids were wearing (FYI - in my defense, I found it wrong and Saturday, and still find it wrong today that a mother put her five-year old in light make-up, a short dress, and 3-inch zip-up gold lame' heels - and no, I'm not even exaggerating here!). Being catty about kids just felt wrong, and made for an "icky" feeling before the even even started! Secondly, after the event I found myself mad that RP didn't win the overall queen title for her age division. Now, she won FIVE medals (I can't even tell you what they were for), a trophy for Most Photogenic, and then first-runner up for her age group while the little girl that won only won one other medal, then queen for the division. Let me say for the record that the other little girl and her mother were very sweet, and I was happy to see her so excited to win. I just didn't get how this scoring system worked, and to me it just didn't seem to add up. That being said, perhaps "mad" was the wrong word to use here - I was confused by the whole thing and frustrated that I couldnt' figure it out, but RP didn't know or care about any of this - she got her trophy (and a bonus one to boot!) AND she got her princess crown that she had been talking about all week, which made it all worthwhile. If that weren't enough, RP, who normally goes by her initials and not her full name, insisted the entire day that she be referred to by her full name only, as it was a princess name and she was a princess for the day.
Will we do it again? Honestly - dunno. I have asked RP a few times since yesterday if she wants to do it again and sometimes the answer is "yes," and sometimes it's "no." What I do know is that if she wants to do it again we will, but in the same type of event - low key, no make-up, no tanning, no fake hair, etc. etc. etc. I'm fine with big poufy dresses and curly-que hair, but that's where we draw the line. As long as she is happy with it, wants to do it, and has fun with it, we can try just about anything. They always say that you never know about something until you've tried it, and this is something that we can say we tried... and the smile on her face at the end of it was worth it all!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Updates - finally!!!
Yes, I know - my last two posts have been about being a slacker at keeping this blog updated, so I won't say it, even though that is what has happened. I can't believe we are already into November - a mere three weeks from Thanksgiving and SEVEN weeks from Christmas! Where has the year gone? They say time gets away from you the older you get, and "they" (whoever "they" are anyway!) weren't lying!
Where to start? RP is doing fantastic, despite a few rough patches over these last several weeks. She has completed her second session of gymnastics and already started her third, and still loves the rough-and-tumble time it allows her, although she now runs and jumps through the house repeatedly, which is fine for now but keeps me up at night thinking about when she actually learns how to do flips and watching her do them through the house - ugh. I will be an utter basketcase! She also has started ballet class, and absolutely loves it! It's just through the park district, but it's a perfect intro for her and she has a friend in the class as the daughter of one of my high school classmates is in her class, so she loves playing with Sami after class every week. She has a couple of weeks off between sessions, but will be in her first dance recital in January and I already can't wait - although, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I was disappointed to find out that the kids don't get actual costumes for the recital but rather wear their normal class attire. Good thing we purchased the "Ballerina in a Box" costume set from Danskin - she is set with her own tutu already! RP has also expressed an interest in taking figure skating classes, but that is going to have to wait a bit - she is already at pre-school two days a week, ballet one day a week, and gymnastics one day a week. Maybe it's me, but that seems like plenty for a three-year old!
As if our schedule wasn't packed enough, RP is going to compete in her first pageant on Saturday. It isn't a "Toddlers and Tiaras" pageant, which is the only reason I'm letting her do it, but she gets to wear a pretty dress and all the kids get crowns at the end. My little competative soul, however, has already told me that she is "going to winnit Mama," while "de other girls are gonna lose..." I swear I didn't teach her this, but her competative spirit fits right in with the family - we've all always been competative! I'm excited for her and think she'll do great, but I'm afraid I'm going to get more stressed out than she is, and it will be a nightmare. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
Work is going well. Being a remote employee definitely has its ups and downs, and the commute for the most part just sucks. I figured out that I put over 100 miles a day on my vehicle, and when you drive a mini-van that gets 19 mpg because your previous job had you driving less than 30 miles per day, it really adds up. I've been looking at getting a new car but just can't find one I like, or that I can truly afford right now that will give me maximum mpg. I used to love car shopping, but my last employer wiped all the fun from that experience so this has just been a chore and a half... and then some. The work is definitely more challenging on many levels than I originally gave it credit for, and mind-numbing in other areas, but it is steady income and I am enjoying it so far.
Finally, this wouldn't be a full and complete update without noting that I am an aunt again - for the FIFTH time! Baby Anna arrived Friday afternoon, four weeks early, and is headed home tonight. I can't wait to see her and hold her, but Mom and baby are doing great and that's great news for right now! She is the youngest of five, and I still can't get over the fact that I now have FIVE nieces and nephews. Five. Wow. I don't know how they do it - RP keeps me hoppin' to the point that I can't fathom taking care of one more, let alone four more of her. Guess that's why THEY have five, and I have RP - God gives us the family we were meant to have!
Whew! This was LONG, and long overdue! Hopefully it won't be as long for my next post, and I'll have exciting news to share, along with some new pictures!
Where to start? RP is doing fantastic, despite a few rough patches over these last several weeks. She has completed her second session of gymnastics and already started her third, and still loves the rough-and-tumble time it allows her, although she now runs and jumps through the house repeatedly, which is fine for now but keeps me up at night thinking about when she actually learns how to do flips and watching her do them through the house - ugh. I will be an utter basketcase! She also has started ballet class, and absolutely loves it! It's just through the park district, but it's a perfect intro for her and she has a friend in the class as the daughter of one of my high school classmates is in her class, so she loves playing with Sami after class every week. She has a couple of weeks off between sessions, but will be in her first dance recital in January and I already can't wait - although, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I was disappointed to find out that the kids don't get actual costumes for the recital but rather wear their normal class attire. Good thing we purchased the "Ballerina in a Box" costume set from Danskin - she is set with her own tutu already! RP has also expressed an interest in taking figure skating classes, but that is going to have to wait a bit - she is already at pre-school two days a week, ballet one day a week, and gymnastics one day a week. Maybe it's me, but that seems like plenty for a three-year old!
As if our schedule wasn't packed enough, RP is going to compete in her first pageant on Saturday. It isn't a "Toddlers and Tiaras" pageant, which is the only reason I'm letting her do it, but she gets to wear a pretty dress and all the kids get crowns at the end. My little competative soul, however, has already told me that she is "going to winnit Mama," while "de other girls are gonna lose..." I swear I didn't teach her this, but her competative spirit fits right in with the family - we've all always been competative! I'm excited for her and think she'll do great, but I'm afraid I'm going to get more stressed out than she is, and it will be a nightmare. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
Work is going well. Being a remote employee definitely has its ups and downs, and the commute for the most part just sucks. I figured out that I put over 100 miles a day on my vehicle, and when you drive a mini-van that gets 19 mpg because your previous job had you driving less than 30 miles per day, it really adds up. I've been looking at getting a new car but just can't find one I like, or that I can truly afford right now that will give me maximum mpg. I used to love car shopping, but my last employer wiped all the fun from that experience so this has just been a chore and a half... and then some. The work is definitely more challenging on many levels than I originally gave it credit for, and mind-numbing in other areas, but it is steady income and I am enjoying it so far.
Finally, this wouldn't be a full and complete update without noting that I am an aunt again - for the FIFTH time! Baby Anna arrived Friday afternoon, four weeks early, and is headed home tonight. I can't wait to see her and hold her, but Mom and baby are doing great and that's great news for right now! She is the youngest of five, and I still can't get over the fact that I now have FIVE nieces and nephews. Five. Wow. I don't know how they do it - RP keeps me hoppin' to the point that I can't fathom taking care of one more, let alone four more of her. Guess that's why THEY have five, and I have RP - God gives us the family we were meant to have!
Whew! This was LONG, and long overdue! Hopefully it won't be as long for my next post, and I'll have exciting news to share, along with some new pictures!
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