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Monday, December 15, 2008

One test done

Today I had my final test at the University. I didn't really get any Survivor questions which I studied hard last night !!! Bummer. I finished the three hours test in about 16 minutes, and I was leaving the first one. Totally embarassing, lol.

But to my defence, out of 80 questions I have heard of maybe 18 issues. So I made my best guess. The test was hard !!!

So now i have one more test for my second class left on Thursday (for that one I have to study hard) And then I'm done, so let the fun begin again in the Spring.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

The Leap to Cloth Diapering

I was always very vocal about using cloth diapers as opposed to disposable ones. Few days ago I visited my former co-worker who had a new baby born in the spring. She was telling me how her baby boy had always the bum rashers and she started to show me all kind of stuff she was putting on him and how nothing helped. I looked at few labels to see the ingredients and all I could do is to roll my eyes.

I am always amazed, how many parents are so concerned about all kind of stuff but exclude the diapers. No-one really cares that they contain in them traces of various toxic chemical substances which come from the processing of the paper and plastic used in their manufacture, to specific chemicals intentionally added to them. Then they go and take all kind of more chemicals and just add to the issue. Are they insane? Are people today really so very convenient that they don't really care to expose their newborns to these cancerous chemicals?

There is a few great articles, but I'd like to mention one with the same name, written by Virginia Blanco, "The Leap to Cloth Diapering" In there, she mentiones "that from the bleaching process to make the diapers super white disposable diapers are riddled with traces of byproducts such as dioxins and furans (organochlorines), which are “extremely persistent and toxic."

"Dioxins and furans have also been linked to learning disorders, autism [3], birth defects such as spinal bifida shortened lactation periods in nursing mothers, and various diseases such as endometriosis and diabetes. Dioxins have been targeted for elimination under the Stockholm Convention."

So parents, if you have a newborn or a toddler in diappers, please do some research and then decide whether it's really worth to just be convenient and use the disposable diapers, or whether it's worth to take that little extra effort and use the cloth ones. If you invest in your children today, it will benefit them tomorrow. It's not only expensive and not ecological, but also the health of our children is at stake.

The full article with great references to other sources can be found here.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Adopting next summer

Someone I know had a baby in June. I met with her today for a quick coffee, and she told me that she would like to adopt a baby from China. How great !! But....

Her baby will be one year old in the summer. And that's when she would like to get her China baby so they are the same age. Oh boy is she in for a surprise !!!

These days, the wait for China is set up for 3-5 years (with people already thinking/saying it will increase to 7) I personally think that because of the bad economy some people may drop out from the program for various reasons, and becuase of the bad economy and long wait times many families will look into other countries. I already know of two families who dropped (they both had LID with expected referral sometimes next year) One family lost the house due to bankrupcy, the other one they both lost jobs and face bankrupcy. So they will no longer qualify. Very heartbreaking.

So we are still goin on. It was never a question to look into other country or drop from the program. We know the wait, and we know what we are in for. We'll be fine !!! The only thing is that we cannot get a referral within 12 monts from getting a new baby to our household and that will not happen. The wait, although heartbreaking, will be over in no time and then we will get our sweet daughter.

Friday, November 21, 2008

A Thousand Splendid Suns

I have always been interested in far places. When I was 10 or something, an Afghan family moved to our appartment house. The father, Mahmood Shaw, worked for Ariana Afghan Airlines when they were still flying to Prague. They had three kids: Elaj (Hilly), Usej (Hossy) and Walid. I quickly befriended the kids and I learnt Dari quite fluently from them. There I was, 10 years old little Czech girl, speaking fluently Dari. We were such close friends, that I seriously thought that I can go to Kabul with them for vacation and buy the shoes who blink when you walk.

That of course never happened and instead I went along one Monday evening to the airport to see them for the last time ever. I cried so hard I didn't go to school for few days. Few years later I got a Christmas card from them from somewhere in Germany and that was it.

Regardless, my interest in Arabic and Persian places was awoken. I loved the mystery of those places I've never heard of, and hoped to go to places I knew I will never go. I did live in Tunisia for quite some time, but Tunisia is a very different arabic country, very liberal and not hard to go to.

Marjan was a lion living in Kabul zoo, given them as a gift from a zoo in Germany as a cute little cub. When the war started, he suffered a horrible incident, when a member of Taliban wanted to prove his manliness so he climbed in his cage. He got of course killed. The next day his brother came back and threw a granate in his cage. The hungry lion bit in it and it exploded.

He lived through with severe injuries to his mouth, disabled and deaf. Once the war ended, people in the world lined up to help him, collected money so he can be treated, bought proper food and vitamins. But Marjan instead died just few days after the rescue workers arrived to Kabul zoo to start the relief mission. I still remember the day I learnt about his death, I don't think anything could ever hit me harder and he will forever remain in my heart as symbol of war, suffering, torture, bravery and hope.

Few days ago I got a book from eBay "A Thousand Splendid Suns". I've seen a Kite Runner through a river of tears, but I wanted to read the book now. That book is totally amazing and very well written. I feel like I am there, like I know the village Mariam is from, or the street she lives in. I feel her fear and loniless. That book puts me in an absolute perspective. Here I am with all my little worries and trouble and I can now see how lucky I actually am for what I have and where and how I live.

I've seen around the blogs I follow people expressing their 8 wishes for the upcoming holiday of Hanukkah. They often wish for things like new boots, vacation in Caribbean, winning the lottery etc. I also have 8 wishes, but they are little different:

1. Have a baby
2 - 8. End the suffering and bring peace and stability to Afghanistan and other war torn countries

P.S. If you by any chance ever come across an idea where my friends can be, can you please let me know ?

If you want to read more about his live, this is from wiki:
Marjan (1976 – January 25, 2002) was the most famous resident of the rundown Kabul Zoo. He witnessed Afghanistan’s turbulent history, from the 1978 murder of King Zahir Shah’s brother-in-law, Sardar Mohammed Daoud and his entire family, arrival of the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan that launched another coup, Great Saur Revolution, USSR invasion, state of warlordism, and the Taliban’s fall. Once the western forces moved into the country, devastating conditions in Kabul’s, once well kept, Zoo were revealed. Marjan, the one-eyed lion, became an instant celebrity.

Marjan, which in Pashto means Coral, was born in 1976 and was given as a gift to Kabul in 1978 by the Zoo in Cologne, Germany. He arrived in Kabul and soon afterwards, a lioness by the name of Chucha joined him. During the USSR invasion, the city of Kabul was somewhat spared from the total destruction of the city. However, once the Russians left the country, the civil war that ensued, along with the state of total chaos, enveloped the city of Kabul in the middle of a battlefield. The zoo was shelled on many occasions, even destroying its medical supply facility, leaving zoo personnel helpless and unable to help wounded animals.

In 1993 one Afghan wanting to prove his manliness to the rest of his friends, sneaked into the lion’s den. The Afghan stroked Chucha, the lioness, who did not react, but Marjan the lion attacked the man and killed him within minutes. The following day, the man’s brother came and threw a hand grenade into the lion’s den, rendering Marjan blind in one eye (which had to be removed), deaf, and permanently disabled. Despite several surgeries, neither Marjan’s eyesight nor his mouth could be saved. He lost all of his teeth, making it impossible for him to eat boned meat. A ramp was also built for him to get back into his den, as he was seen a few times falling down before making it back into the den.

With the arrival of the US led coalition, the western media quickly picked up the story of Marjan, the one-eyed lion. As the news spread, many animal rights organizations, such as the World Society for the Protection of Animals, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and many zoos around the world lent a helping hand in form of money, medical supplies, as well as personnel that included vets and nurses. Despite overwhelming response, Marjan succumbed to old age and died in January of 2002. Both private and public funeral ceremonies were held for the lion that was buried in the zoo. His grave has a post in English that says Marjan and in Pashto “He was about 23. He was the most famous lion in the world.”

This lion is mention in Khaled Hosseini's novel "The Kite Runner".

Marjan was given the nickname Bobby and made an honorary member of the coalition by US soldiers as he had killed a taliban and given his all in the war on terror

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Start of our homestudy

We are finally starting our homestudy !! All our references, medicals and everything else came in. We are meeting with our social worker D. for the first time on November 19th. It's exciting !! I am looking forward to meet her and tell her how much we want our baby from China. I'm also excited for her to see our lolcats !! (hopefully they will be good and not climb on the dining table in her presence) I am excited for her to see my crafty organized mess, and tell her, that for the baby it's great to grow up in a messy environment with all those little treasures to explore lying around (as you know, I'm a crafter so I have craft supplies everywhere, on every table, in every drawer and under every bed) I know though that we will have to clean up little bit before she comes !!!

To celebrate the next step in our adoption, I have set up a free shipping section in my Etsy store, so please feel free to visit and see if you like something. I have some great stuff for sale with free shipping !

Also if you are reading my blog regularly, can you please let me know by leaving a comment? I'd like to meet our kind visitors !!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The health question

Today, I asked in one of my online groups, when can we specify the health issues we would be able to accept at our adopted baby. I got bunch of very nice responses, which were very helpful, except one. The lady in that response plainly told me, that if we are not willing to welcome a child with serious health issues, we should reconsider adoption.

That hurts.

Not everyone is able to adopt a child with very serious health issues. Kudos to those who can !!! We can't, for various reasons. First, my whole family is so far away (7000 miles), my husband's parents are not that well. We both have to work to pay our bills, even though I would love to stay at home, we can't do that. I don't feel that we would get too much support around, if we would be looking for a very ill child. I also travel a lot to Europe, to be with my family at least once a year, and that could make it impossible.

But should we reconsider adoption? I don't think so. We can actually apply for a healthy baby. Not everyone who is not able to care for seriously handicaped child is inelibible to adopt a healthy child. We could accept certain issues, but not a very seirous one. I am so sorry to admit it, but it's true.

The author of that email went on, and mixed apples and bananas, asking, that we cannot know if our own child would have serious issues. But that is very true... we couldn't. However, we wouldn't ask upfront to have a child with a serious illness, or seek to create one. Unlike adoption, that you cannot choose.

One question in the questionnaire asked, if we would be able to accept a child with a short life expectancy. I don't know... it would really seem odd to me to wait for a baby 5 years, and spend thousands of $$$ and only have the baby for a very short while, then start the whole process again. It probably didn't apply to China, though.

So back to that question, no, because we are not seeking to adopt a child with very serious illness or health issues known upfront, doesn't make us bad people and we are not going to reconsider our adoption. If that happens, it happens, and we will deal with everything, but we are not going to plan this.

And I would like for this lady to talk to someone about her anger and jealousy, because it's not helping anyone.

Friday, October 10, 2008

TB test negative !!!

We got our results, yay !! I was freaking out cause since Im from Czech(oslovakia) we all immunize our children over there and apparently you can get a reaction looking like a positive result, resulting in extra tests, and x-rays which is nothing something I can have right now. But, even though I was watching my hand whole 48 hours (including when I was sleeping I'm sure), I didn't react at all !! Huge relieve. And we even met Carissa there, what a coincidence !!! So now we have to send the paper work in, all we have left is a photo of us, questionnaire and the medicals, and we can start our homestudy. How exciting....

Monday, September 15, 2008

Are we almost done ?

Today, I realized, that we only have to do the medical checks and the Ministry of children prior check (and then wait for the references) before we can start the homestudy. Yay !!! I even contacted our facilicator. We're so close now !!!

Oh well, not really, but definitely on our way.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Meg Ryan on CBB

Yesterday, there was a nice arcticle about Meg's Daisy. I left a comment and someone answered me back:

MOLLY: Hang in there! The Chinese adoption process now, as opposed to how it was just 3 years ago, is so tedious and frustrating. I got my daughter exactly a year after I filled out the paperwork. Now, people in my original adoption group who are trying to adopt a second child from China, are saying it is taking years for the process to be completed. Good luck and hang in there. It is SO worth it!

The original artical can be found here: Meg Ryan Calls Adoption a Metaphysical Labor

Saturday, August 30, 2008

New in my fundraising store



I have listed several great new items for this fall, my own design and all handknit. Here is a teaser. All the sales are helping us getting closer to our dream of adopting a baby girl from China. Today, I sent out our application and we have done the crim recs already, yay !!! Now we only have about million papers left. Happy Saturday, everyone !!!

l

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Day 2 and 3 of the seminar

We attended the last two day of the seminar. It was very interesting, we got an information overload !!!

Day 2

The most emotional event of the day was the birth grandfather. He spoke about his experience and he was very emotional, yet full of love and understanding of his daughter. During his speech, I thought I'd love to meet his daughter. Imagine my surprise that it was actually Christene, who was one of the main people in our seminar. She is so lovely and kind and nice, I really admire and adore her.

Day 3

I had a sleepless night (absolutely sleepless) Apparantly I pulled a muscle in the pool on Thursday. It didn't hurt but it caused me something I called unrest. It just wouldn't rest my left arm and my legs. I kept moving and trying to fall asleep, and nothing worked. How happy I was it was morning !!! I was going through crisis the whole day though !!

When we got to the seminar, the first thing I noticed is that there is a box of tissues on every table. I thought it's kind of cool, and that I didn't notice them yesterday. And the reason? We were watching the Reunion in Vietnam movie. That was absolutely incredible and very well done. I read a book a while ago, Message from Nam, and it actually ends with the days of chaos and evacuation. Even though that's a fiction, I still remember crying. And now we were watching someone else's story. In this movie, a father has to leave three children behind while he was moving other three children to safety. By the time he can get back, it was so late and the children were taking elsewhere. One of them got really sick so the decision was made she will be flown to the U.S. and other two siblings join and are eventually adopted. The father comes back and cannot find his children (I cried openly at that point) They are growing up in the U.S. and when they are adult, the oldest sister searched for the parents. She went there with her husband and younger brother, but she no longer speaks the language, and cannot communicate with her parents and sisters.
Another thing I recall is that her mother was absolutely beautiful. She did age, but so incredibly ... It was just amazing. She was just stunning. She had the most beautiful face I have ever seen in an elder woman even after decades of hard work and minimal nutrition.
Later in the day, another family came with their newly adopted girls from Haiti, Maddy and Olivia. They were just so adorable !!! Mom was holding the younger girl, and her other daughter was taking care of the older one, like a little mommy. Then she even lifted her up as her mommy did the other girl. It was just adorable.
So now the paperwork begins and then the wait for our own baby !!! B bought me today a book about China, as it's my Birthday. I was so glad to see that he actually thought of what to get me and got something so important for our journey !!!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Seminar, day 1

We attended the first day of the seminar. I met some nice people from the last time and some new ones. The seminar is held in a nice church in Abbotsford. There were lots of things we learnt, but I'd like to mention two.

The first one was that we played a small game, you all know it, just switch the tables (and meet others) With a twist. We left our things behind and yeah, I did feel that unease of leaving my things and not taking them with me. Only then I realized what's the point of the game. The unknown the baby will be facing, and all the familiarity she will be leaving behind.

I seriously thought that we'll just fly her home, put her into her pretty bedroom and she will immediately like it. I am so glad that I realized, that she will not and that she will miss her orphanage for probably quite some time !! I am so glad I know this and I can prepare and do some more research(and mind you, I am doing TONS of research) and m so they we will be ready to face it and help her transition.

The second was a presentation by a very lovely lady and her adopted son Cole. He was from Thailand, and he spoke so openly about being adopted (he was only ten) He was the cutest child ever and you could seriously see, what a great job his mom did, the love for him, the apprecitation for the adoption itself, and the admiration for the culture her child came from. He was so cute that I had tears in my eyes, it was very moving. She said that he came to her family very well behaved at a very young age, even bowing when he wanted something, and that's just adorable.

We got a task to see how we will be dealing with the cultural differences and denial. My response was: we will not be asking the child to totally adjust to us. We will want to take some of her rituals and customs she will come with (she will have spent quite some time in the orphanage by the time we will be able to take her home) and implement them into our own lifes !!! We are so excited and can't wait !!

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Step 3 coming up !!!

This week, we are going to the adoption agency for a three day seminar. We are so excited !!! After this, we can submit our application, start the homestudy and then wait for our little baby. Now with the olympic games going on, there is lots of coverage of amazing and fascinating culture. I love to learn all about it, every new thing, every new song I hear, fascinates me. I see how little I know about the chinese culture (I know lots about Africa, cause I lived there, Europe and Americas, but not much about Asia) and I'm catching up fast !!!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Bridges


The recent fuel mayhem got us what we didn't bargain for: another BC ferries fuel surcharge increase. I think partially, that they just want to make a big profit instead of a smaller one. We all, though, are making smaller profits already (after all the stuff increased in prices, but the salaries didn't, we get to bring home and keep little less then we used to)

So now, there is time for some brainstorming. People should bring up ideas, what to do next.

Here is mine: they should finally build bridges. There are several advantages: the bridges will be "running" all night (in fact, all the time) The drive will be spectacular (as is the sail) and shorter (than is the sail) It will eventually be cheaper (that's for sure, with the fuel on rise) Only actual fuel (in cars) will be used (as opposed to a ferry running regardless of its capacity) And there are probably some more.

One of the arguments I've heard recently, is that building bridges would damage the marine life in the gulf and fjords. While I agree, that such a construction (and there were may similar bridges built around the world, even in environment-consious Scandinavia) would require a very sensitive handling, what does 120.000.000 litres of fuel monthly (sorry if I got the number wrong, but that's what I caught on the radio) do to our waters?

Saturday, July 19, 2008

The sweetest message ever

I got this beautiful message from another member through my Etsy fundraising store. I got her permission to post it (without a name) It brought tears in my eyes when I read it.

I have been thinking of many creative ways to raise money
to find my 21 year old son's father,
whom he has never met.We reached the mark, yesterday.

I think that he would agree,
that a small bit of money should go your way,
for your amazing cause.

I will look, more closely, and, pick a pair of your lovely, fingerless gloves.

So many babies need love,
so that they can become the men and women that they want to be.

How could I not want to weave my support into the grace, that you are knitting?

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Mommy I'm riding away !!!

Today I went to a grocery store. When I was about to leave, I saw a girl sitting in a shopping cart, screaming: "Mommy I'm riding away !!!" as she really did !!! The shopping cart just started rolling, with the little girl inside. Her mother was half in the minivan, organizing some bags (I assume) She yelled at her: "Shut up don't you see I'm busy? "

A nice man caught the cart with the girl and stopped it. When her mother noticed, she got angry at him: "Don't touch it, who do you think you are !!"

So why aren't these parents questioned so much as the prospective (and most likely way better) adoptive parents?

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Congratulations to my brother !!!

Oh wow, look he placed second in the 7th Slovakia Open in Bratislava, my brother !!! He's the one on the right, with that huge watermelon (his prize or his bowling ball ...???) in his hand.

Brunswick Bowling Aupark in Bratislava, Slovakia (July 3-6, 2008)

Thomas Gross from Austria won the title in the 7th Slovakia Open at Brunswick Bowling Aupark in Bratislava, Slovakia and the 2.500 Euro top prize. The European champion in Doubles averaged 238-plus in round robin to hold a 150-pin lead before the final position round.

Though he fell to #2 Miroslav Cifra, Czech Republic, 248-201, and #3 Peter Smits, Netherlands, posted a huge 276 game, Gross (center) cruised to victory with 2028 pinfall total.

Friday, July 11, 2008

China's Stolen Children

I got this message through one of my online groups:

Prior to and during the upcoming Olympic games, the media will bedevoting an abundance of attention to China, and as part of this newscoverage we anticipate that some reporting will be done about situations involving China's one-child policy and the allegations that some families are being paid to give up their children, who arebeing "trafficked" through the orphanage system.

HBO has scheduled its broadcast of a documentary entitled "China'sStolen Children" for Monday, July 14. (See Web link provided below for more information about this film.)

Other stories about child trafficking in China andelsewhere have been released recently in Europe, with increasing frequency during the last few months. Articles about trafficking touch on topics that include the sale of babies for adoption and older children into factory labor and/or prostitution.

For our children to hear or see such stories -- or to be told about them by friends who have seen them -- can cause them pain and possibly result in confusion about their own circumstances. Adopted children have a range of thoughts about their origins and their natural tendency to wonder about their lives before they joined our families. This means that stories about trafficking will almost certainly have an impact on them that we, as their parents, need to understand what is prompting these stories to be reported and be able to respond to our children's questions and concerns in appropriate ways.

To prepare ourselves for this possibility, we are passing along to you the following resources:

To learn more about "China's Stolen Children" go to:
http://www.truevisiontv.com/china/index.htm

For two articles that can help us in explaining trafficking tochildren we recommend that you go to the EMK Press Web site(
http://www.emkpress.com/ugdownload.html).

Scroll down to the bottom of the screen to "The Impact of IllegalAdoption on One Family" by Julia Rowlings and "Telling AboutTrafficking" by Sheena Macrae.Or use your search engine to go to the EMKPress Web site, click onthe "Resources" tab, click on "Parent Resources" and scroll down tothe subsection entitled "Toolbox for Talking about Tough Topics withYour Child." You will see the titles of these two articles on thatscreen.

We hope that you find it useful to have access to these resourcesbefore these stories appear.

S Fry
FCC-NE

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Baby's ponchette

It's no secret I'm very crafty and always create something. What is not known though is that I am on many, many craft mailing lists. Today, I got a letter from ePatterns central for an offer to purchase this supercute baby's ponchette's pattern. The email said:

"When the air is crisp, the baby will be hugged in in the warmth of this clever poncho. "

Well, if the air is crisp, the baby won't be in the bathing suit !!!

The ponchette is cool, though, and the pattern can be ordered here.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Second adoption step

We have passed second adoption step. I went to the seminar meeting and I learnt lots of very interesting things and even got more ideas. I met some really nice people. One couple, learnt they can adopt a baby with a month notice. That's pretty amazing !! Any more babies out there?

I also realized that I already have experience with adoption. That's our pretty munchkin's baby picture above !!!


Friday, July 4, 2008

One llama, please

I love these !!! They are so cute. I wish I'd have one and then I could just shave its yarn and make more mittens.

I asked my friend what's the difference between llama and alpaca. And she said: "What's the difference between cat and a dog? Llama is llama and alpaca is alpaca."

Who knew ....

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

I want a baby. She doesn't.

I learnt today that one of my friends' sister is pregnant. She is, though, going to have an abortion as she doesn't want to have a baby *right now*. How frustating is this !!!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

I am more fascinated

I am more fascinated with the adoption. I hope the papers are arriving soon so we can start with the homestudy. I would never ever dream of going to China, but now it seems so real !!! Although I want her now, I think that this gives me time to finish school, that would be awesome. I feel that this adoption idea is giving me lots of peace, and there will definitely be at least one girl from China added to my family (so I can make that fascinating trip !!! lol)

Or maybe two, or three? Oops, who's going to pay for all of this?

Life ends with kids

My sil today told me that life ends when the kids are born (as in no more $, no more time, no more fun). I tried to tell her that it's not true, that when kids are born that's when the life really starts but to no avail. So if that's true why do I feel so empty now and I don't enjoy life without kids? Why these people get kids so easily but those who really want them don't?

Just for the record, the life really starts when the kids are born.

One funny for late Monday evening

From the school test (needless to say I've heard the student failed):




Monday, June 30, 2008

Why China?

Even before six Gosselins (ok they are Korean and only 1/4 part), I always loved little chinese girls. They are so supercute !!! Another cute baby I can think of is Meg Ryan's Daisy (pictured on the left), she is such a cutie. They are so lovable. I always wanted one (or two) and there is so much known about chinese adoptions it almost looks familiar.

I am also fascinated by the idea of taking a trip to China. I am fascinated by pretty much everything, but right at this time, this trip tops it all. I am fascinated by a vision of taking that long flight, land in the city with signs I will not be able to read, by the lights at night, tons of people rushing from here and there, taking a bus or train or plane to another provice where my daughter will be waiting, meeting her for the first time and fall in love instantly, taking her to Beijing, work out all the papers with the embassy and take her home.

I am just fascinated.

I am, though, worried about prejudices, something I lack myself. I already touched that subject with sil, and she was horrified, even asking not to bring another asian to this country (sorry that's unfortunately her exact words). I was hurt. On top of that, one thing I really despise, are the prejudices. No child is better then other, and it doesn't matter whether she comes from Russia, China or Mars. She will be ours and our daughter. We are not going to adopt a child depending what others like, but what we like and what we want. And we will love her regardless what others think and I really hope for their own sake they will like her too and accept our decision without any prejudices.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Widgeon Creek

It's really hot here. I am a huge no-fan of summer and I am really suffering (here, add the frustration I was going through plus a period cramps and pain) I was in north Alberta in February with -37. What's wrong with that !!!

We squeezed in a little kayaking trip to Widgeon Creek on Saturday, just to relax little bit and get some break. It was nice.


Saturday, June 28, 2008

So we will be adopting a baby !!

We have finally decide to try and adopt a baby. My husband finally agreed and now he's as excited as I am !! It was not an option for him but finally he saw how heartbroken I am and started seeing the good side of this. Now, the thing is that I want to have a little Chinese girl (I always wanted, even before Six Gosselins!) He says that I never wanted, cause I never told him.

But, since he wouldn't hear of adoption in general, why would I go to details ? It doesn't mean I didn't want one. I really do and I always wanted.

I am really fascinated by the idea of hopping on the plane, fly to China overnight, pick up our daughter, spend some fascinating time in there getting to know her, her country and do the paperwork and then bring home the most beautiful baby girl ever and grow a really good person out of her. So I am going to start looking into it and hey, if you want to help, I have lots of really nice handknit accessories and scrapbook albums for sale in my stores !

Given it takes about three years, she is not even on the way, but my daughter may be born in October 2010 !!! (they adopt 10 months old babies out the earliest)

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Farmer wants a wife


I don't know if anyone watched this show, but it's pretty much like a Joe Millionaire, except the girls know upfront. I only watched the first and last episode and I have a very strong feeling I haven't missed a thing. He is presented with a bunch of city girls, gives them tasks like collect eggs and catch the pigglets and whoever impresses him, is safe for tonight's elimination and cannot be voted off the farm island. At the end, there is one lucky bachelorette who this handsome bachelor anounces his love via a flag dragged by a an airplane over the what seemed like gathering place for the village people in the middle of the corn field (it could the the village downtown, too) with hundreds of neighbours watching. Very romantic.

What really got me though was the Editor's spotlight in the TV week. I rarely read those, but this one I couldn't resist. It says: Who will farm-hunk Matt choose a bride now that he's whittled down the bevy of the city gals to the final two? And more importantly, why would anyone possibly care?


Monday, June 23, 2008

Breastfeeding? You're disabled.

When doing some research, I just came accross a website, which has different cases which were brought to court. One of the cases was about a lady in Ontario (I believe), who asked her work to accomodate her to be able to breastfeed her baby. Although this case happened in early 90' and lots of things has changed since, it still includes some very present issues.

This lady asked to have your working hours shortened by 1 hour, which was denied even though she wouldn't get paid, and they were in constant hiring mode (which shows that hers would not be the only vacant place in the company and her leaving one hour earlier would not be the only problem this company was having). Next, she tried to ask to at least be able to finish at 4 pm the latest to get home in time (doable, but brings lots of stress, like traffic, delay at work etc) to feed her baby at 4.30 pm. For the record, he was born with a heart problem and breastfeeding was recommended as long as possible to build up his immunity.

So back to her work, instead of simply accomodating this very simple request of a breastfeeding mother, they gave her a really hard time. They advised her, that she has to get (lots of) medical notes from her doctor, and basically turned her case into disability. She had to be going to the doctor and her papers were sent to a insurance company her work had a Disability contract with.

So when brought to the court, the judge had some very smart conclusions: Breastfeeding is not a disability and such as she shouldn't be harassed and her work shouldn't demand medical notes. It was a gender discrimination, as breastfeeding only occurs with women, not the men. Then her company pointed that this lady never submitted any proof that her baby was sick and needs breastfeeding.

What does it matter if the baby is healthy or not? World Health organization has been working so hard for the last 4 decates to promote breastfeeding around the world, yet a huge company in the heart of Canada doesn't respect it? Anyone has a right to breastfeed her baby should she choose to do so, healthy or not. It really does not matter.

Unfortunately, these days, the companies demand absolute flexibility from the employees, but fail to accomodate their simplest requests. They employ incapable supervisors and managers who do not know what to do so instead they make their own rules to show their power. And that is still happening in many, many companies around the world.

If you would like to read the whole case (its very long) you can at:

http://www.canlii.org/eliisa/highlight.do?text=breastfeeding&language=en&searchTitle=Search+all+CanLII+Databases&path=/en/ca/chrt/doc/2007/2007chrt7/2007chrt7.html

Thursday, June 19, 2008

When I'm glad I'm home alone

Look at this mess !!!


We're next !!

Today, I had to go to the store. When I picked up all my stuff, I walked towards the cashier's. On the belt, there were four things already and a lady walks fast from behind me. I saw the stuff, no big deal, I assumed, that she needed to pick up something else. However, what happened next, was just weird.

She held her baby, barely 2 years old. When she saw us coming towards the cashier's, she loudly (too loudly) told to her baby: Don't worry Emily we're next !!

Emily had no idea who's next, yet alone worried. There were no other people in the store, so even if she'd have to wait, it wouldn't be a big deal, as I had one single thing. Plus I did see that she already has stuff lined up and I didn't mind wait for her till she gets to the counter and just pays for her stuff.

This lady had a very strong feeling that she was next, even though she left her place in the non-existing line up but did not nicely ask should she see that someone is threatening her civil right (noone was). Why would she tell to her baby that they are next the way those who this information was intended for, would hear, I don't know. What does it teach the little girl, though is to never talk directly to other people to let them know something, instead, find sneaky and indirect ways to do so. And all that will eventually lead to many other behavior problems.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

How Willow got her yard back

We got new neighbours. They seem nice, but they have two small dogs (don't ask me what brand, all i know is that they are white) and they bark a lot. That makes it chalenging for someone with two cats who think they should live outside !! Especially Willow, she spends her days sitting by the door and meowing unhappily. She knows her pink leash and gets so excited when I shake it, she knows what's to follow ! She is one really brave cat.
Until the dogs run out. Then, it's a whole different story. Willow used to freak out, hiss, run home. The dogs happily stood on their part of the yard, shaked their tails and barked their lungs out.
But enough is enough, she thought. So instead of defence, she adopted a brand new approach: she froze from fear and didn't move a bit. And boy did it ever work !!! The dogs shut up, stood still, and thought of what to do next. Then the neigbour came and ordered them (i hope it was them) to stop being nosy. He commented: what a good cat, she won't even move !
Duh !! How could she, she (as mentioned above) was frozen with fear. And that was it for the dogs. They lost interest and retrieved back to their home. And my cat? As soon as they were out of sight, she got up, released a very happy purr and went on to mowing the lawn.
So that's how Willow got her yard back.