Can't believe it.....

I'm not even sure when my last post was....a while ago I'm sure. We had a great, crazy, busy, fun, wonderful summer. Back at "work" since late August and gettingready for Tgiving break - I love my job! My students are different this year and I'm still just heartbroken over losing my students from last year.

Eric is doing well, same old same old. His mom is living near us right now but her quality of life stinks! Fortunately, I suppose, we get to see more of her as does Julia. My mom is doing well. And, we just had Julia baptised a week ago - which brough both brothers up and dad in from Vegas. It was nice.

Julia will be four in a little more than a week - I can hardly believe it. Yesterday we went shopping for her party stuff - her first "friend" party! I though it was going to be ALL Spongebob, or even Princesses, but she went "Puppy" for the theme...we still have the Spongebob piniata though. Sounds like many of her friends from school will be coming - including her "boyfriend" Sonny.

I can't help but think every year at this time about Julia's birthmother. I can't imagine what she thinks - maybe she doesn't think about it at all, or maybe Julia's birthday is a permanent, painful reminder of a terrible day in her life and a horrible choice she was forced into. I hope that she doens't suffer any pain - I wish there were a way to let her know Julia is doing great - but that may break her heart, too. Over the weekend, we watched the Spongebob "Truth Or Square" movie. In one scene, Spongebob is in his mom's tummy - Julia asked if she was (in some manner of asking) in mine. I told her she wasn't, but that she was in her birth mother's. She told me she didn't want a birth mother (again, something very close in wording). It made me happy and sad - sad that she had to even have a moment in her life that she wasn't with me, but happy that she would choose me as her mother. What a strange conversation that will be one day. She couldn't be more my daughter if I did carry her in my tummy! She'll just never understand that.

Anyway....just had to post quickly. Julia is just phenomenal - as always. She plays video games, including on her new DSI that Gma Nettie bought her. Loves to pretend she's driving. Plays with her mermaids - went out as one for Halloween - was scared of the "scary" decorations this year (wouldn't even go back into a Kmart until halloween was over)...loves to cook, watch tv, eat popcorn and watch movies, Bob Evans is her favorite restaurant, loves gymnastics with Ava, is best friends with Maggie and Kayla, says the dardest things - out of the blue says I love you - is so happy and energetic - have to fight with her to go to sleep. Is starting to recognize words alot - reading can't be too far behind. She pretends to be a mommy and a teacher, loves wearing dresses that twirl and can climb a kid's rock wall. You should see her on the bars at gymnatsics - fabulous. Is polite and sweet, kind and generous - shares everything but hippo. Hasn't hardly touched her Halloween candy but is really getting into powdered donuts. Helped make basagna (yep - lasagna)...and got her ears pierced...very funny story - I'll include:

Went to visit a friend in Delaware (surprise Bday party)...actually, Julia's godmother, Connie. We were buying Julia's baptism dress. After we parted with my friend, we passed a jewelry store and I asked Julia if she wanted her ears pierced...she said YES. I was shocked. I've asked repeatedly and been given a resounding NO...but today - she says YES! I asked several times, yes, yes, yes. I fill out the paperwork - heart pounding in mythroat - what could I expect...she would surely change her mind at the last minute....are you sure, "YES!" Here we go - wish I had a drink at this moment. Lady asked both at once or one at a time (thanks god, both at the same time). Picked earrings, marked ear, etc.....here we go, 1,2,3 - I thought I would cry - my baby screamed and screamed...not the fake scream when they bump their knee - the full blown, break your heart, definitely need a shot scream. She settled down after 2 or 3 minutes, but it seemed like hours! She says, "mommy, it's not like when you do it." Hunh? Oh right, now it comes together.....I put clip on earrings on her 2 weeks prior - that's why she said yes, that why it wasn't like when mommy does it - she thought she was getting clip ons!!!! OMG! Bounced back quickly, went shopping. Headed over to Connie's bday and I thought we'd say a quick hello and head home, but the kid wanted to stay. She did so great - even ate calamari! What a kid! I just love her so damn much - I can't stand it! I truly hope everyone has the opportunity to love something this much at least once in their lifetime!!!!

Okay - that's it - pictures will follow again soon. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

It's Been a Long Long....

Don't ask why I haven't posted. Mostly it's because I found facebook and have been posting some there...actually not really posting as much as reading. But, it made me think that I was posting and doing something like a blog and so I have been distracted. Isn't it interesting to go back and see that all that time we were waiting for Julia, we were posting lots. And then we brought her home we were posting regularly. And last year, I pretty much was able to post (and tried hard to) at least once a month....and now...I can barely get to it.

Julia has grown so much. Sh eis so funny. Her manners are excellent. She tells knock knock jokes like, Know knock, who's there, boo, boo hoo, don't cry baby it's just a joke....but then she changes the words and THINKS she telling a joke and will command us to laugh - which we do anyway...

She is doing great at her new school - what a difference - night and day...no more crying and making me stay....I think that daddy taking her in during the "school" year was helpful...and now that the school I work at is off for the summer and I have summer hours, I have been taking her in and she's been great. She loves to watch Spongebob, read books, play Barbies, play in her sandbox and bake. She is taking swimming lessons - doesn't like dunking her face in the water, but will do it. She had computers during the school year about once a month and she came home and told me that a CD is software and a mouse is hardware - isn't that great! She continued with gymnastics and her friend Ava also joined (Ava was in our group from China). They had a blast - we often even went out (the 2 families) for dinner afterwards and the girls were a trip together...Julia is still hooked on the cranes - I think she's getting pretty good at them too.

This past weekend we went to Kings Dominion with my brother and his family. Julia LOVES being with lots of family. She did so well....she's also great in the car! She adores her cousin Nicole, who can't stop hugging her and touching her and is good with Joey, even though she doesn't follow him around like he would like. I'm posting som pictures of that trip. (Julia also adores her uncle Joe). She rode the merry-go-round like a bazillion times (of course, I was on with her). At first she didn't want to go on, but then she did on a horse that was a "statue" horse - that's what she called it. After one round of that, she went on an up and down horse and after that, we just kept switching horses. She also named them, one was princess, one was perch princess, one was rainbow, etc.

I could go on and on, which may be another reason I have stopped posting so much...we're so busy doing all these great new things and Julia just changes and grows in leaps and bounds...every day I am awed by her beauty and intelligence and she makes us laugh constantly...it's so hard to keep up. We're going to the beach this weekend - she loves the beach, which I love! I do still think of her birth parents and even though I know they don't know what a magnificent child she is, I am sad that they had to miss knowing her and forever grateful for the sacrifice they made that has just completed my life.

Oh yeah, Eric is ecstatic that the Pengiuns won! Two of his teams in one year - yippee!!

It's been too long...The Year of Changes

So, I do have new pictures - of course I do....I just don't have any handy. What's new. It has been a very busy year and Miss Julia is into everything. She loves getting on the computer and she loves looking at pictures, so whenever I open the computer and pictures, I have a little shadow looking over my shoulder making it very difficult to do anything.

The year of changes....well, as you know I switched jobs in July/August last year - and I just LOVE my new job. I have a group of girls from Mexico that will not be returning next year since the girls from Mexico only come to the school for 1 year....and I will miss them terribly. The are a handful but full of such life and energy. I admire their ability to speak our language so well and to be so young and so far from home. The rest of the changes - I bought a new car around Valentine's Day - a KIA...yes, I finally abandoned Saturn and was heartbroken to have to do it. They just let me down and lost their sense of customer service that I had come to expect (and we all deserve). So far the Kia is great and the company had been pretty good too.

And, the last big change is that Julia switched schools - just this Monday. She is doing fantastic-I am a nervous wreck. I know that kids are resilient but Julia is very adverse to change - especially when people are involved. But she is such a champ. I am so proud of her. And, her daddy has been handling her for the morning drop offs and he has been handling her great, too!

As always, Julia is just a fantastic joy and unbelieveable kid! She is so smart. She does "homework" at night - some pre-K and Kindergarten workbooks that have little exercises in them. She is so smart - she knows so much. And, she's doing great in gymnastics - though she still has difficulty paying attention and listening. She is so full of energy that she is exhausting! I am so thrilled with her and proud of her. She is also working on no "pull-ups" at night. We have more dry nights than accidents....maybe 2 out of the last 9 or nights.

Lastly - we just got back from a long weekend in North Carolina visiting my brother and family. Julis did great with her cousins, had no issues on the long drive down (in fact, she loves staying at hotels) and had no reservations about sleeping in a strange house without me there constantly. She especially enjoyed jumping on the trampoline and playing on the swings in their yard AND riding on the ATV with Unlce Joe - she just giggled and had the wind in her hair. I could cry justthinking about the wonderful memories we made and can't thank my brother and his family for a great time.

Oh - I almost forgot I also discovered Facebook last month - what an addiction. I have found many old friends that I had in grade school in Jersey and some from High School in Philly. It's so cool.

Okay - that's it. Pictures to come soon - I promise. Julia is just too gorgeous not to see for yourself.

Latest and Greatest.....

Yeah, yeah, yeah - I totally missed December. But in my defense - I've been sick since Thanksgiving. The holidays were great. WE had my in-laws over and Julia just adored playing with her cousins Kaylee & Ashlyn. They didn't seem to mind her too much either and all 3 of them could be the next American Idol. Santa brought Julia a Karaoke machine and you should have seen the show! Hysterical.

I'm sure I have some pics of Xmas - I'll have to dig them out. The pics have to post are from last night. Julia has just been schmoozing on us - she's going to be a master manipulator as a teenager. Today she told me I'm the greatest mommy ever....of course, in the car she also told me she was frustrated because I was driving too fast (which I wasn't - as a matter of fact, when she said it, we were stopped at a light). I just love this pic of her and her daddy.