Happy Birthday, Nantie!!!!

Happy Birthday To You
Happy Birthday To You
Happy Birthday Dear Naaannttiieee
Happy Birthday To YOU!

AND MANY MOOOORRREEEE!!!!

We love you dearly, Nantie. Thank you for joining us on this journey.. we couldn't of done it without you!!

Things Are Movin' Right Along..

Auntie (now also known as "Nantie" for Nanny-Auntie..LOL) has been contacted by her home study worker and already received some of her info (fingerprint cards, etc). She waits to hear back from a recruiter on the date of the training class this month (the big 2 day, 16 hour, mind numbing, heart wrenching training course). "D" (her home study worker) is one of the trainers and will be getting together with her for an hour or so (during breaks) to get a head start on her home study. A weee bit bass-ackwards (which is no surprise since that's pretty much we roll anyway).

Other than that, the phone is absolutely silent (especially now that the election is over.. thank the Good Lord above!).

The weather is cccccold and really starting to feel like winter is coming. It's crazy how fast time comes and goes.. a year ago right now I was playing out how I was going to present the adoption information to DH, hoping and praying I could get him on board. At that time my thoughts were consumed by both getting pregnant AND finding the perfect Plan B (adoption). By then I was thoroughly convinced fost/adopt was the road to take and fairly sure we were not going to get pregnant. How in the WORLD was I going to find the right words to express to my DH how right this type of adoption felt in my heart?

Obviously, the words came (and were Heaven Sent).

Now I sit here with training courses under my belt, books read (yet more on the nightstand), blogs scoured, back round searches completed, home study done and a thumbs up from The Board. A little blue card placed carefully in my wallet declares I've been certified since July. I stare at the phone, daring it to ring. My how time flies.

I wonder what we'll have under our belts this time NEXT year!

:o)



Hey now.. don't forget!! You only have a few days left to win one of TWO $25 gift cards to TARGET!!!

My Mom ~ The Original Supernanny..

(Okay, that's a bit of a stretch but I thought it was a cute title)

As I previously wrote, the year after Mama passed away I found out I was adopted by a random comment written in a note from a family friend. Since then, all kinds of stories have surfaced as family and friends have been eager to fill me in on the things that went on back in the day. The flood gates were finally opened.

One story I love in particular is her going to work as a nanny for a family that lived in our town. By trade she was secretary but took time off to learn the ins and outs of working with children and raising a family. We came from a fairly affluent community and some people thought it was extreme (and maybe even a bit demeaning) to be a "household servant" but she didn't care. She was in it for the experience and always said that you can't learn everything from books.. you have to jump in and do it. She met the family through church and they would forge a friendship that would last a lifetime.

The funny part is, I grew up knowing the family she worked for and was obviously clueless to the fact she was their employee. I was under the impression they were family friends (and by all accounts they were--they adored Mama and she them). She "babysat" for them on and off throughout the years and sometimes I would get to join her. I loved when I got to tag along and had a ball with the kids.

My memories of "Mrs. T" are that she was physically stunning, gracious and very kind. They lived in a monstrous home that I actually got lost inside when I went on a solo walk-about and quickly learned to stick close to Mama and the kids. It sat high on a hillside facing east over Los Angeles. We lived on the side of the peninsula that looked out over the ocean and it was always a treat for me to get to see the mass of twinkling city lights after dark. It was a view I wasn't accustomed to and I soaked it up like a sponge - completely mesmerized. Come dusk it was a little ritual to wrap myself in a blanket, sit on the chaise lounge by the pool and watch as LA's night came to life. I remember telling dad it was bigger and better than the Main Street Electrical Parade at Disneyland (and boy howdy, that says a lot coming from a 6 year old).

She was a singer and her husband had a recording studio built in their home. She knew how much I loved to go in there and look around and she always made sure to take me through. It had the biggest, shiniest black piano I have ever seen and sometimes she would tickle the ivories for me. Her album covers adorned the walls in frames and I would have to stop and look at each one (much like a grown up would admire art at a museum). Okay, I was a kooky kid..

I'm so grateful they treated Mama with respect rather than a mere servant. I know in my heart she would have continued to work for them even if they had looked down their noses at her and would have done so with a smile. I'm told she considered it an opportunity of a lifetime to have hands on experience and enjoyed every minute of it.

On top of all the training she was required to take for her certification, she took on this job because she wanted to be the very best Mommy she could be. She always went above and beyond. Not only was my Mom a great teacher but also a willing student. That's an attribute I'm still working on.