Monday, November 20, 2006
Birthday Celebration at Nanny and Pa's
As always, we are spending Thanksgiving week with my parents in Savannah. The rest of the family is arriving tomorrow, but today was spent focused on Maddie, the Birthday Girl. In the grand Ford tradition, the day began with Birthday Pancakes. Maddie was more impressed that I knew how to cook as she has never seen me in the kitchen doing anything more than dishes! Pa took her to get pinestraw for the yard, which turned into a big adventure. Dad gave her all kinds of toys to play with in the driveway. He is even building the grandchildren a giant swingset in the backyard. We all went on a walk, pulling Maddie in the wagon. Dad collected pine cones, which we stored in the wagon. Maddie would bend down to pick up hands full of sand on the side of the road to sprinkle the pine cones as if she were seasoning a dish. Can you tell Kim watches the Food Channel 24/7? God I love that baby!
Happy Birthday, Maddie!
My baby turned 4 today. How could 4 years have passed since she came into my life? When did she go from being the tiniest baby I had ever seen to this amazing little person with likes and dislikes and habits and quirks? She amazes me every single day and I am so incredibly proud of who she is. I am blessed to be this child's mommy! And it seems only fitting that we celebrate her birthday at Thanksgiving for I am so incredibly grateful!
On Saturday, November 18 we celebrated the birthday with her friends at our favorite park. We had so much and the day was absolutely perfect for an outdoor party! Her friends from school and church came, along with her favorite aunts - Becky, Janean, Lisa, and Karen.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Hair
Before we cruised in October, I had Maddie's hair braided. She picked out purple beads to put in the braids. Maddie loves her hair braided because the beads make a clicking noise when she moves her head. I love her hair braided because I don't have to comb it every day, which is a chore. White women have had it so easy for too long. In order for my family to truly appreciate the amount of hair my child has, I give you Madison - unleashed! It took 2 1/2 hours to take down the braids after 4 weeks. I think we're looking at a future Patti LaBelle!
Monday, November 13, 2006
Maddie's Latest Dance
On December 9, Maddie will have another recital. This is the dance she will be performing. I think these teachers have their work cut out for them. Be sure to turn it up! Maddie is in the pink skirt with buddy, Savannah, on her right.
15th High School Reunion
2006 marks 15 years since I graduated from high school in Hattiesburg, MS. It seems like a lifetime ago that I was in high school. There were a lot of people who were nervous about the reunion, but not me. I like myself so much better now than I ever did then. I hear on TV shows all the time that high school is the best time of your life. Not for me. I've gotten better with time, in my opinion. I was so excited about seeing old friends and believe it or not, I made some new ones! I spent so much time planning the reunion and got in touch with 2 ladies I never knew in high school, but have totally loved getting to know as adults. Leading up to the reunion, we talked every week or so. It was surprising to see how little people had changed. Except for a few. Kenneth Yarrow and Allison Prescott got married after high school and they look like rock stars now. And don't get me started on Casie Gotro, who I didn't get a picture of! She looks like someone off the cover of a magazine! Everyone else looked the same. We had a great weekend and I wouldn't have changed a thing. We danced and laughed and played and got to know each other's children. There are some gorgeous kids from the Class of '91!
Carnival Conquest
On October 15, I escorted a group of 200 from our church, MCC Austin. This is an annual fundraiser for the church and we have so much fun. To date, the church has raised over $60,000. This year, we sailed from Galveston to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. The ship is gorgeous! This was a working vacation, if there is a such a thing. Kim and Maddie had a great time and I thoroughly enjoyed being with my clients and my family.
The cruise aboard the Conquest marks Maddie's 5th cruise. It was the first time she really got into Camp Carnival, a program about which I cannot say enough. She had so much fun! And we got to have some fun too. Every day, there was a different theme in Camp Carnival. One day she was a pirate and another day a butterfly. Maddie made several friends, but couldn't remember their names. So she would shout Hey Friend when she would see them on the ship.
I think our favorite port was Grand Cayman. We visited the turtle farm, which was amazing! Kim really connected with the turtles and I totally thought we were coming home with one. Maddie was afraid of them at first because they are huge! She eventually came around. Lisa and Karen came with us and we loved it. Next, we went to Hell, which is the remaining lava that formed the island. So cool. Next, we swam with the stingrays. I did this excursion in '96 and thought it was a spiritual experience. I was so excited to share this experience with Kim and Maddie. While Kim loved it, Maddie hated it. I spent the rest of the afternoon with Maddie on the boat. Fortunately, Kim had Lisa and Karen to play in the water with.
I tried some new things on the cruise. I actually sang karaoke. The plan was to sing with Madison. As a mom, you can do anything with your kid and it's cute. So we picked the song Car Wash and went up on the stage. That little buger turned tail and ran off the stage, leaving me alone with a spot light. I could have died! I didn't have much choice but to start singing, if you can call it that. Let's just say I got a lot of "Ada Girl!" I also did an impromtu stand up comedy routine in an open mike situation. I have decided I want to be a comic when I grow up. I loved every one of the 3 minutes I was on stage making people laugh. I strung together stories about being a mom and being a travel agent that had them rolling in the aisles. Of course, these were my clients. Maybe they were just being nice. Who knows! I still had fun!
The cruise aboard the Conquest marks Maddie's 5th cruise. It was the first time she really got into Camp Carnival, a program about which I cannot say enough. She had so much fun! And we got to have some fun too. Every day, there was a different theme in Camp Carnival. One day she was a pirate and another day a butterfly. Maddie made several friends, but couldn't remember their names. So she would shout Hey Friend when she would see them on the ship.
I think our favorite port was Grand Cayman. We visited the turtle farm, which was amazing! Kim really connected with the turtles and I totally thought we were coming home with one. Maddie was afraid of them at first because they are huge! She eventually came around. Lisa and Karen came with us and we loved it. Next, we went to Hell, which is the remaining lava that formed the island. So cool. Next, we swam with the stingrays. I did this excursion in '96 and thought it was a spiritual experience. I was so excited to share this experience with Kim and Maddie. While Kim loved it, Maddie hated it. I spent the rest of the afternoon with Maddie on the boat. Fortunately, Kim had Lisa and Karen to play in the water with.
I tried some new things on the cruise. I actually sang karaoke. The plan was to sing with Madison. As a mom, you can do anything with your kid and it's cute. So we picked the song Car Wash and went up on the stage. That little buger turned tail and ran off the stage, leaving me alone with a spot light. I could have died! I didn't have much choice but to start singing, if you can call it that. Let's just say I got a lot of "Ada Girl!" I also did an impromtu stand up comedy routine in an open mike situation. I have decided I want to be a comic when I grow up. I loved every one of the 3 minutes I was on stage making people laugh. I strung together stories about being a mom and being a travel agent that had them rolling in the aisles. Of course, these were my clients. Maybe they were just being nice. Who knows! I still had fun!
Halloween 2006
Halloween was so much fun! Madison loved her costume and had a ball wearing it to school. Kim and I took Maddie and Hailey to see Becky and Janean, which is an annual tradition. We had planned to trick-or-treat in their neighborhood, but no one was home! As we left their house, we passed the home of my hair dresser and one of my favorite people in the world - Cheryl Godfrey. Well, Cheryl lives on Trick-or-Treat alley and we worked the street for about an hour. So much fun! We came home and hit the homes of our neighbor's before calling it a night. Thankfully, Maddie has already forgotten about the candy. Maybe next year I can introduce her to the UNICEF tradition. I used to have so much fun doing that with Gayla, Margo and Julie. And it's much better than candy!
Hailey
The month of October was a blur for me. When November 1 finally rolled around, I felt like I had post traumatic stress disorder. On September 25, we welcomed Hailey into our family. All of us fell in love with her and were heart broken that she couldn't come with us on the cruise we had planned for over a year. We left her with another foster family in Round Rock while we were away. When we came back from the cruise, it was evident how much all of us had missed her.
Of course, Maddie loved her but didn't like the amount of attention she received. Kim and I went through an emotional and physical transformation in having a second child. We have wondered for years how we could love another person as much as we love Madison. Through Hailey, we discovered we could. Maddie did the normal stuff when a new kid comes along. There was some acting out and her ears stopped working, but all in all we did ok. Maddie thought Hailey was the greatest baby doll. She "mothered" her a lot and was very protective. It was so cute to watch them together. And Hailey was totally captivated by Madison. She sit and watch her every move.
Personally, I adored Hailey's gummy grin. I remember crying when Maddie's first tooth came in because I would never see those gums again. Hailey was such a happy baby. She only cried when she had gas, which is understandable. I would cry too if I couldn't relieve myself. Despite all the changes in her short life, she was happy. I learned a lot from Hailey. She reminded me what joy looked like and how it feels. We would sit together and talk and coo and smile every morning before day care. Hailey was so special to our family.
Hailey went with us on our big road trip to Mississippi for my high school reunion. I was dreading the 10 hour drive with a 4 year old and a 4 month old, but it went really well. I was so proud of Hailey, who wasn't too fond of the car. Now she is. 20 hours round trip!
Hailey left us last Monday. She has gone to live with her aunt and uncle and while we are sad to lose her, I am so happy for Hailey. She will grow up in a family who loves her and who is willing to go the distance to help her mom. We all pray for her daily. I miss her smile and giggles the most. We had a wonderful time with Hailey and none of us will forget her. Here are some of my latest Hailey pictures. She is quite a little girl! Her mother is very lucky to have such a bright light in her life.
Of course, Maddie loved her but didn't like the amount of attention she received. Kim and I went through an emotional and physical transformation in having a second child. We have wondered for years how we could love another person as much as we love Madison. Through Hailey, we discovered we could. Maddie did the normal stuff when a new kid comes along. There was some acting out and her ears stopped working, but all in all we did ok. Maddie thought Hailey was the greatest baby doll. She "mothered" her a lot and was very protective. It was so cute to watch them together. And Hailey was totally captivated by Madison. She sit and watch her every move.
Personally, I adored Hailey's gummy grin. I remember crying when Maddie's first tooth came in because I would never see those gums again. Hailey was such a happy baby. She only cried when she had gas, which is understandable. I would cry too if I couldn't relieve myself. Despite all the changes in her short life, she was happy. I learned a lot from Hailey. She reminded me what joy looked like and how it feels. We would sit together and talk and coo and smile every morning before day care. Hailey was so special to our family.
Hailey went with us on our big road trip to Mississippi for my high school reunion. I was dreading the 10 hour drive with a 4 year old and a 4 month old, but it went really well. I was so proud of Hailey, who wasn't too fond of the car. Now she is. 20 hours round trip!
Hailey left us last Monday. She has gone to live with her aunt and uncle and while we are sad to lose her, I am so happy for Hailey. She will grow up in a family who loves her and who is willing to go the distance to help her mom. We all pray for her daily. I miss her smile and giggles the most. We had a wonderful time with Hailey and none of us will forget her. Here are some of my latest Hailey pictures. She is quite a little girl! Her mother is very lucky to have such a bright light in her life.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Sisters
Hailey has been part of our family for 1 week now. Maddie is definitely in love with Hailey and is going through some transition now that there is someone else in the house. Kim and I have worried about this leading up to the arrival of a new baby. And here we are. It is 100% clear that Maddie loves Hailey and she is a huge help. I didn't count on her being able to help so much. See what you think!
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