Yup...it has now really become a reality that I am moving. Rob left today with his parents with a full trailer to Ohio. So where we moving?? Well it will be the Cleveland area for sure, just not too sure which house yet. Rob is going this weekend to look at two houses and possibly a third. Yay!!
The house is looking more like a house full of boxes and less like the house that is lived in. I really hate packing. Like really hate packing. But I don't know what is worse...Packing or Unpacking. If I had the money I would pay for people to come in pack up my stuff, move it to the new house, and then unpack it for me. But I live in the real world, I guess. hahaha
I am going to enjoy these next four days though, since Rob is gone. While trying to pack, I am going to enjoy the quiet that comes with just being in the house alone. I do have Sparky and Casey as Cindy went to Ohio with Rob and his parents. Friday will be my last day at AMC. Last days are so bittersweet sometimes, and I know this one will be the same.
We will be in the Cleveland area for the next year, though. Rob will be a visiting professor at Cleveland State University. He is still on the job market and he is looking everyday at the job boards to see if the schools have started posting job ads for the Fall of 2011 yet. The big schools will probably start posting in August or September. Hopefully something will come out...and we will know something in the spring of next year where we are going rather than playing this super late waiting game. :)
This is where we are at right now. Once I have a new address I will let people know so that they can update their address labels.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Change of Blog topic from moving to Adoption
I was going tell you all about how Rob accepted a visiting professor position at Cleveland State, but I ran across an article that is worth sharing. I can not remember where I found this article but it must have been from another blog that I was reading tonight. If I can remember which blog it was I will include it in with this blog to thank the blogger for bringing this article to my own attention.
Anyways, back in May of this year Newsweek featured an article called, "Why Birth Moms Deserve Respect". Click on the title to read the article. I am always ready to bite when I see titles like this. I didn't know where this article was going to go but hey...I didn't have much to do since I am sitting here listening to the hum from the computers in the sever room here at home. Ok...back to topic here. hahaha.
The article starts off saying how today's society really focus' on two parts of the Adoption Triad which being the adoptive parents and then the children, but tends to leave out the most important part of the triad, us birth mother's. When society thinks or even refers to us birth mothers they depict us as drug users, unfit mothers, or teens who don't have the maturity to care for the child on their own. But for those of us who are in the adoption world, we know that there are more of us every day people out there who thought that placing our child into another woman's arms was the best choice at the time for our child.
Society has recently brought the adoption themes into movies, books, and even television shows. The article as talks about this. In movies such as Juno or Knocked-Up it shows unmarried women as either some opinionated teenager or as cutesy blonde woman who is freaking out about being pregnant. Now don't get me wrong, I truly love both of these movies and Knocked-Up is not for the young eyes to see or really revolve around the adoption world...but it shows what we think when it comes to Birth moms. The article brings up the adoption plots in television shows as well. Glee, Brothers & Sisters, and even Friends have all had adoption themes, where only the child is the one involved.
By still making fun of the adoption world...people in real life still tend to look down at adoption. Even six years after placement, I get the odd looks and "oh's" when I tell people that I placed my daughter into an Open Adoption. I often wonder what they think about, but I know what they are thinking. "How could she just give up on her child?" But these people are the ones who are not willing to open their minds and see the whole picture.
I like a part of the article that says, “Our society has lifted much of the stigma of single motherhood, but still finds it difficult to support a woman who is, as they see it, abandoning her child. These women are told: ‘How can you possibly give up your child? What kind of person could do that?’ So while adoption is listed as viable option, it’s a choice that’s rarely made.” I believe this is a very true statement.
I would hope that Adoption thoughts would become more real and not so taboo in today's society. If we look back in ages...we see open adoption but just not in full form with the name adoption. When a mother was unable to care for her child her family would step in and take care of the child and gain custody if needed. How is that not adoption? It is in my eyes. Even now with the majority of families being now "blended" families how is that any more normal or ok than adoption?
So think about your thoughts and feelings about adoption verses some of the thoughts I have placed in here. I bet you have thought some of these yourself without even knowing it. You think adoption when Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie adopt a new baby, or when another celebrity adopts because it is the "cool thing to do" right now. You think of these movies and television shows that poke fun of pregnant woman who has to decide whether to parent her child or place it into a family. But what you really should think about if you were in the same situation or if you were an infertile married couple who would love to adopt a child and know how it feels to love a child. You should really think about the emotions that the Natural mother or Birth mother feels when every holiday, mother's day, or birthday comes around.
So like the article says...Birth mother's deserve some respect in today's society.
Anyways, back in May of this year Newsweek featured an article called, "Why Birth Moms Deserve Respect". Click on the title to read the article. I am always ready to bite when I see titles like this. I didn't know where this article was going to go but hey...I didn't have much to do since I am sitting here listening to the hum from the computers in the sever room here at home. Ok...back to topic here. hahaha.
The article starts off saying how today's society really focus' on two parts of the Adoption Triad which being the adoptive parents and then the children, but tends to leave out the most important part of the triad, us birth mother's. When society thinks or even refers to us birth mothers they depict us as drug users, unfit mothers, or teens who don't have the maturity to care for the child on their own. But for those of us who are in the adoption world, we know that there are more of us every day people out there who thought that placing our child into another woman's arms was the best choice at the time for our child.
Society has recently brought the adoption themes into movies, books, and even television shows. The article as talks about this. In movies such as Juno or Knocked-Up it shows unmarried women as either some opinionated teenager or as cutesy blonde woman who is freaking out about being pregnant. Now don't get me wrong, I truly love both of these movies and Knocked-Up is not for the young eyes to see or really revolve around the adoption world...but it shows what we think when it comes to Birth moms. The article brings up the adoption plots in television shows as well. Glee, Brothers & Sisters, and even Friends have all had adoption themes, where only the child is the one involved.
By still making fun of the adoption world...people in real life still tend to look down at adoption. Even six years after placement, I get the odd looks and "oh's" when I tell people that I placed my daughter into an Open Adoption. I often wonder what they think about, but I know what they are thinking. "How could she just give up on her child?" But these people are the ones who are not willing to open their minds and see the whole picture.
I like a part of the article that says, “Our society has lifted much of the stigma of single motherhood, but still finds it difficult to support a woman who is, as they see it, abandoning her child. These women are told: ‘How can you possibly give up your child? What kind of person could do that?’ So while adoption is listed as viable option, it’s a choice that’s rarely made.” I believe this is a very true statement.
I would hope that Adoption thoughts would become more real and not so taboo in today's society. If we look back in ages...we see open adoption but just not in full form with the name adoption. When a mother was unable to care for her child her family would step in and take care of the child and gain custody if needed. How is that not adoption? It is in my eyes. Even now with the majority of families being now "blended" families how is that any more normal or ok than adoption?
So think about your thoughts and feelings about adoption verses some of the thoughts I have placed in here. I bet you have thought some of these yourself without even knowing it. You think adoption when Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie adopt a new baby, or when another celebrity adopts because it is the "cool thing to do" right now. You think of these movies and television shows that poke fun of pregnant woman who has to decide whether to parent her child or place it into a family. But what you really should think about if you were in the same situation or if you were an infertile married couple who would love to adopt a child and know how it feels to love a child. You should really think about the emotions that the Natural mother or Birth mother feels when every holiday, mother's day, or birthday comes around.
So like the article says...Birth mother's deserve some respect in today's society.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
21 with 9 years of Experience
Sunday was my birthday and I am finally finding some time to sit down and blog about it. I wanted to blog it yesterday but well life got in the way, and I had to upload the pictures from the camera to the computer. *I must say that I do love the digital era where you have pictures instantly!!*
Anyways...I turned the big dreaded 3-0 on Sunday. Happy Birthday to me, right?! So how does it feel to be this number?? Well it's just a number right? At least that is what us women say when it comes to a dress size. Buy what feels comfortable and if you don't like the number then rip it out. So that is what I am doing with my age. I don't like the number so I am just ripping it out until well next year. People have told me (who are well into their 30's) that my life is just beginning now that I am turning 30. What does that mean? Does it mean that I will become more wise and have the knowledge that people wished they could have?? Or is it just that I will stop caring about what people think and just be myself. I think it is the last one of all of those. Well it would be nice to be wiser and have the knowledge that most people will want, but I think that I will just be gaining the wisdom and knowledge of mindless stuff that people will say, "How do you know what?!"
My birthday was a lot of fun though. It started out a bit crappy to say the least since I came home from work after midnight to find a Cindy-dog poo surprise for Rob and I to clean up. *sigh when will she learn?!* We didn't get to bed until about 2:30am. The alarm clock on my phone rang about 5 hours later and I was wondering why I agreed to go an early breakfast. So I got up and pulled some clothes on to myself decent for the whole world could see. Andrew and Mike were going to be at the house around 9am so that we could head out to Chip's diner. Remember that old post about pancakes well that is where we were going again for breakfast. Rob was going to go but since it looked like Cindy was still not feeling well he stayed home so that we didn't come home again to a mess.
While waiting for the boys to arrive I opened my presents that were sent by my mom. Mom made the majority of the gifts which gave it the extra touch of home. Thanks mom for your thoughtfulness!! She made me some greeting cards while using some of my little brother's photography, a little note pad with the same picture on it as the cards, then she sent some fun and bright socks to wear, a fun solar powered key chain that blinks my name, one of those stainless steel canteens that people all have now with a hand cut out template of a flower and a message on it, then to top it off she sent me some new fun body wash by Philosophy.
Breakfast was fun and entertaining with Andrew and Mike. They told the server that it was my birthday and so that lead to the server bringing out my breakfast with a lit candle and a happy birthday song. It was fun as I have not had people sing happy birthday to me at an eating place for a long time.
After breakfast we went to the grocery store so that I could pick out my birthday cake (I was going to make my own but since I didn't get much sleep the night before I really didn't have the energy to bake one) and a few other things that were needed. I was just going to have the bakery put "Happy 30th, Amy" on the cake but the boys didn't think that was sufficient. So with that being said the final quote that was decided on was, "21 with 9 years experience". Hey why not?! :) While shopping for the other items, Andrew went off and bought me Happy Birthday Balloons and put them on my car before I got back out the car. I laughed at the whole ordeal. Hey at least the balloons didn't end up in my hair!
My mom called me later in the afternoon and I caught her up briefly on everything since I hadn't spoken to her in a week or so. I thanked her for the yummy smelling body wash and rest of the gifts that she sent. She asked what Rob had got me and I told her that he gave me some quirky items. One was a set of post-it notes that are in the shape of the 10 Commandments, then a cookbook that is titled 101 ideas to cook with canned biscuits, then a little book that is about everything that a woman should know about, a menu planner pad (which will come in handy!), and then a pick me up type of pad that says, "ways to make me happy" and you check off the little boxes for people to read.
Around 5pm the rest of my friends started showing up for dinner. We were going over to Kobis Japanese Steakhouse for some Hibachi! Rob and I went there once before on a date and I knew exactly from that moment that is where I wanted to celebrate my birthday at. My two other friends arrived and away we went for dinner. What a fun experience to have with some friends who are not afraid to have some fun and a little bit of crazy at dinner. I had steak and shrimp for my meats. Everything is good and so it was hard to choose what to do. I had a strawberry margarita with my dinner in celebration for this new maturity I was suppose to be gaining.
After dinner we went back to my house and pretty much hung out. We had cake and played a board game called "Would you Rather...". We didn't really use the actual board game but more passed around the cards and read the questions to one another. I found that to be more fun than trying to play some game of it. :)
So overall I had a good birthday and birthday party. Thank you for all who came out for my party and I will remember this birthday for a long time!!
Cheers to the 3-0!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
What a Wild Ride
I am finding that this summer it is hard to sit down and type out blogs. I guess I have too much going on and so when I finally find some time to sit and type out something I would rather just go to bed.
Rob and I are back in Connecticut. We got back early this week (on Tuesday) from Ohio. Our trip home was delayed by five days due to well my car getting submerged into about two feet of water while driving back to my inlaw's house from a day of rental house hunting in Cleveland. A big thunderstorm came through and flooded parts of the highway that do not normally flood. This is something I kept hearing over and over from Rob and his parents. I was kind of tired of it after awhile because it didn't help the situation of my car. The thunderstorms kept coming for close three or four days in a row and just dumping more and more water. I have included a slideshow from my Picasa album of the aftermath on my car and what the area looked like after so many days of rain and a small tornado coming through.
We finally set home on Tuesday though since I had to be back in Connecticut for a Safety & Security Seminar at work. Yes I have sat through this same meeting three times but it is mandatory for everyone to go. And hey...it was a good excuse to get back to my own house.
I have enjoyed pretty much an easy laid back week for the most part. I am just trying to get caught up on sleep and start to feel normal. I uploaded all of my Florida road trip pictures as well. Slide shows will be included as well for you to see. I just love how this is an option now on Picasa! I hope that you enjoy!!
Florida Trip Part 1
Florida Trip Part 2
Rob and I are back in Connecticut. We got back early this week (on Tuesday) from Ohio. Our trip home was delayed by five days due to well my car getting submerged into about two feet of water while driving back to my inlaw's house from a day of rental house hunting in Cleveland. A big thunderstorm came through and flooded parts of the highway that do not normally flood. This is something I kept hearing over and over from Rob and his parents. I was kind of tired of it after awhile because it didn't help the situation of my car. The thunderstorms kept coming for close three or four days in a row and just dumping more and more water. I have included a slideshow from my Picasa album of the aftermath on my car and what the area looked like after so many days of rain and a small tornado coming through.
We finally set home on Tuesday though since I had to be back in Connecticut for a Safety & Security Seminar at work. Yes I have sat through this same meeting three times but it is mandatory for everyone to go. And hey...it was a good excuse to get back to my own house.
I have enjoyed pretty much an easy laid back week for the most part. I am just trying to get caught up on sleep and start to feel normal. I uploaded all of my Florida road trip pictures as well. Slide shows will be included as well for you to see. I just love how this is an option now on Picasa! I hope that you enjoy!!
Florida Trip Part 1
Florida Trip Part 2
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