Adoption News

So...I finally spoke with my social worker today for the first time in a very long time. He said that all I need to do is complete my training and my home study will be complete! You know that training I swore I would do over the Christmas holiday! Okay, I'm going to do it this weekend. Okay, I'm going to try! (Big Smile!) Then I will be Home Study Complete! Wish Me Luck and Limited ADD or ABD (adult boredom disorder)!

Suburban Rat

My neighbor knocked on my door over the weekend to tell me I had a dead possum under my front steps.

Huh, 'cuse me?

Oh yea, it's sticking it's head out. Come look.

ARGGGGGGHHHHHHH. Grossssssssss!

Do, you think I was going to get that thing myself? No way! I called my brother to come get it for me.

Geezzzz. I don't have to worry about Baby I being snatched in my yard by strangers but, maybe I should worry about those big ass possum (suburban rats) eating my baby! Does anyone know how to get rid of possum? I think I would like for them to find another yard to frequent.

Common Ground

On Sunday, my friend and I went to a fundraiser for Obama. Afterwards we spoke with a very nice woman from England. She was in the country on a work visa (and could not vote) and up until recently she was certain she would go back to England. She said Americans were not very friendly, too consumed by money, not very family oriented and frankly she just did not think she could live the rest of her life like that. She said when she tried to speak to people, they were not responsive, treated her unfairly, and looked at her like she was crazy. She went on for a little bit albeit, she was very pleasant. When she got finished my friend's comment (who is also Black) to her was: "Now you see how we feel." She stopped, looked at him, smiled and said I guess I do.

The great ending to this conversation was, she said that now since the Presidential Race she feels like the country can change and she feels it. She feels hopeful and is thinking about staying in the US, she wants to be a part of the new US.

Save Their Hair

I don’t like to get into the hair care discussion much but, I just found a great hair tool, called Tomekos Twists, that I wanted to share. Yes, this was when I should have been writing my proposal, that didn’t go so well today…sighhhhh. Now, for those of us (and many of your little babes) that have/will have curly hair and locs, rubber bands will never work. They pull our hair out and the hairbands with the balls work but they aren’t that cute and they can also hurt. Oh yes, we have scunchi (spelling) but the problem with those things is I can’t get a big poof on my head. Now, I know you are thinking why would I want a big poof? I’ll tell you why because when I wear my hair curly I think like I’m a Texan. You know everything in Texas is bigger…the bigger the better. You remember in the 80s when you used to have the big feathered hair? Well, I like my curls big. Many people with curly hair (and black) like to wear their hair styled on their head but the little rubber bands that are sold in CVS don’t work for us so this new hair tool is made just for us! It’s cute and easy to use. I’m ordering mine this weekend. Okay, I promise not to do it today because that would mean more time away from this proposal that I need to do but I’m going to order it this weekend! Check it out, it may let you or your little one create some new, cute hair styles too! Now, say thanks Tami! LOL

Babies at Work?

Time ran an article last month about whether it is feasible or not to bring your baby to work. But, indeed some companies are establishing work programs that allow mothers to bring their children to work with them (home away from home?). How far we have come and yet how far we have to go. Some companies let mothers bring their children to work while others still don't give mothers paid maternity leave or pay for reproductive assistance if she is not married. Uh oh...I'm about to get on my Tide box here so, let me go back to the issue at hand...babies at work... I think it's great if it works for you. For me, it would work maybe 30% of the time. When I'm out shopping for clients yes. But, I can't imagine going to a meeting with Baby I on my hip. Heck, I can't even imagine having Baby I home all day and I'm trying to get focused to write a proposal or do some other major work. Uhhhh case in point, I've been trying to write a proposal all day and you see what I'm doing now! Writing this post about why having my baby at work wouldn't work for me!

Maybe for those that are a little more disciplined it would work but, for those with Adult Boredom/Attention Disorder it wouldn't work so well. So, while I plan to have Baby I home with me for 3 days a week, the other 4 days the kid has to go to that expensive daycare/preschool if we are to keep a roof over our heads! And I really don't look good in cardboard! Tell me, would it work for you?

More Love Letters For Me?!

I just love when I get love mail (ie. commments) from anonymous (code name for chicken and spineless people…only when you are being evil)! Look at what I got today regarding the More Babies for Brangelina Post:

Why is it ok for you to adopt from Ethiopia, but not her? Because she's famous she doesn't get to make the same choices you do? I hope other people don't judge you the way you judge people you don't know. And I hope you teach your child to be compassionate instead of catty.

Hey Lady,

If you came to my blog you would know that I like Angelina, see My Hollywood Mom Match. Even in this post particular comment section I said I like Angelina. In my blog I just look for things that may spark conversation and a little controversy. Then I get to say, I like Angelina. ROTFL As I always say, I’m glad it worked (the controversy) and WELCOME to my world! LOL Oh, and thanks for giving me something to blog about today!

Tami

Making Up Words

I was watching the NBA Slam-Dunk contest this weekend and Daryl Dawkins made a comment about Dwight Howard’s dunk saying “he's got power and imagistration..." What the hell is IMAGISTRATION??????? Wow! I finally get to say it, I’m a tad disturbed by people making up words! I’ve been in meetings with “big time money making executives” who use IRREGARDLESS. I cringe every time I hear this word. I want to raise my hand in the meeting and say “excuse me the word is regardless.” Of course, I’m such a smart a$# I always make it my business to use the right word in a sentence. I know this isn’t right but, I just can’t help it, I just can’t stand made-up words.

I just had a conversation the other day about AGGREANCE. Webster’s says this is not a word. It has also been called a bastardization of the word agreement. I like that! Uhhh…it may be a word in Australia but, in America we haven’t used it since the 1700s so, no, it isn’t a word. The word is agreement.

Now, my biggest made-up word peeve…CONVERSATE!!!!!!! I have been known to meet a man who was attractive and seemingly had it going on but, in a conversation he said CONVERSATE…nextttttttt!!!!!!!

What is it with these made up words? Are people trying to sound smarter than they are? What about the dictionary? I remember growing up when I didn’t know what a word meant or how to spell a word my mother would say “go look it up.” I thought that was so stupid. How could I go look up a word I didn’t know how to spell? If I didn’t know what a word meant or if I used it wrong my mother made me look it up. Man she made me mad! But, I was good friends with the dictionary. Poor Baby I, she has nothing coming when she says Mommy, how do I spell xxxx or Mommy, what does xxx mean??? Look It Up! This is one of those things that I swore I would never do but, now I know I will! Too bad my mother didn’t have a better remedy for my math skills. I guess I did okay (maybe it’s age more than anything because I did take calculus in high school) but somehow I never have enough fingers in the grocery store to calculate my bill.

More Babies For Brangelina?

Angelina Jolie Set To Adopt Bazillionth Child
January 22nd, 2008 at 19:00 by Stuart Heritage (Heckler Spray.com)

Angelina Jolie is losing her touch - she hasn't adopted a third-world orphan for almost ten months now. The old Angelina Jolie we know wouldn't be nearly as tardy - give her ten months a couple of years ago and she'd have absorbed a country the size of Chad into her bulging rainbow-coloured multicultural orphanarium - but at least Angelina's making up for lost time by preparing to adopt another Ethiopian baby.

Yes, we know that Angelina Jolie has got an Ethiopian baby already, but getting another one is a strategic move to prise David Banda out of Madonna's claws come the next round of high-stakes pro-am celebrity adoption baby-swapsies. Angelina Jolie might only star in films that make people roll their eyes and avoid them at all costs, but at least she's a good mother. Did we say good? We meant prolific. Angelina Jolie is a prolific mother, and has babies from Cambodia, Ethiopia, Vietnam and up her own mary. But that's not enough. Because Angelina Jolie knows that having four babies is frankly rubbish - it's nowhere near enough for her to break the world record for fastest journey to the North Pole on a sled using babies instead of huskies - and that's why she's angling for number five.

Not literally angling - she's not going to just pull up alongside Africa in a boat and dangle food over a primary school from a string until some starving idiot falls for her plan - but Angelina Jolie's brother James Haven has let slip that Angelina Jolie has plans to adopt another baby from Ethiopia. According to Now:

'They are creating one big family and will keep adopting as long as they are able to,' says James… They want to open their arms to another little girl from the same country as Zahara, who was born in Ethiopia. 'Angie and Brad talk about how much they have been taught by their kids,' James tells the Daily Mirror. 'In many respects Angie saved Zahara's life and there are so many more children whose lives she could save and she talks about that constantly.'

However, if this is true, then Angelina Jolie is playing a dangerous game by adopting another Ethiopian - along with Zahara there'll be two Ethiopians, who could easily gang up on the Vietnamese boy, the Cambodian boy and the biological Jolie-Pitt. Then the others would have to form an alliance and start some kind of bloody massacre to overrun their Ethiopian oppressors, perhaps using Shiloh as a human shield. It won't be pretty, and Angelina Jolie should really think about investing in a Swiss orphan to act as the neutral middle ground.

Either that or this new Ethiopian baby won't be properly adopted by Angelina Jolie, and this is all just phase one of her back-up program to keep understudies for each of her kids to mine for organs in case anything goes wrong with her real adopted kids.

Whatever, if Angelina Jolie really is planning to adopt another child, then maybe number six should be a sheepdog. They're cheaper than nannies, you see. And they chase sticks. Honestly, have you ever tried to make a nanny chase a stick? It's bloody impossible.

Lets Have Txt

I found out about this new website called LetsHaveTxt.com . Yup, it is just like it sounds. So you know me, I had to go there and see what it was all about. Following is my dialogue with someone from the site.

Sexy Cowboy- What can a cowboy do for you today?

Me- I'm not sure. What can you do?

Sexy Cowboy- What would you like me to do?

Me- Hmmm

Sexy Cowboy- You like horses?

Me- Yes

Sexy Cowboy- Would you like to ride mine?

Me- Actually no I don't have time, I'm going through an adoption...can you help me out with that?

Blank Air...

Me- Hello

Me- Not so Sexy huh?

Sexy Cowboy- But you are beauty.

Me- Thanks

Sexy Cowboy - Well, if you ever need a sexy cowboy let me know.

Hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I guess adoption is not so sexy huh?

They have a sexy plumber and robot, try it out and let me know what you get! Oh, maybe I should put a warning in front of this video for some people so...WARNING. LOL

Girlfriends

I don't know how many of you watch Girlfriends but for the most part I love that show. Now, the operative words here are "for the most part". I love that show because I can relate to it. I mean they took Sex in the City off so this is the next best thing and hey, they even have the same skin color as I, so the jokes even make sense to me (hee hee). But, after watching Girlfriends this week I decided that I was still fuming about the episode from last week.

Last week there was an episode about adoption. I was extra excited until the show began and Maya (not Toni...Thanks Tasha, obviously no one else watches or caught that) who is black and a regular cast member was taken aback by a new neighbor (who was white) who came by with a black baby. She immediately assumed the baby was not hers then she assumed that the baby was from some African country. The white neighbor immediately corrected her and told her the baby was hers (which I thought was great). The neighbor then went on to say adamantly that she would not adopt from Africa when there are so many needy children here in the United States. Maya then gave her the “yeah girl” and then they said a few more words, then the rest of the show basically focused on a newborn child.

Now, don't get me wrong, the need for adoption is tremendous in the US but the person who wrote that episode obviously doesn't know the truth about the foster care system, single parents, and why people adopt internationally. I was totally offended by the show. It made it seem as if we are adopting because we care nothing about the children in the US. It made it seem like it is so easy, like there are a million infants available. Like you can fill out paperwork today and get an infant tomorrow. They didn't say that you can't even adopt an infant (through the public system) without going through foster care, they didn't tell the horrors of parents wanting their children back, they didn't say that single mothers in many states can't adopt infants from public agencies because they "save" the babies for married couples...they didn't say all of these things but they were quick to put on the television their interpretation that WE are wrong or bad for adopting from AFRICA...I'm just sick of people judging what they don't know or understand...I'm sick of it. Yes, my baby girl (and maybe boy also) is coming from Ethiopia so what! Guess what? Do you think my skin is brown because I came from uhhhh Ohio? Can you tell I'm a little pissed off at 1 am?

Play It Forward

I won, I won! As much as I stalk others blogs, I finally won something and that was on Haze's blog I won the Play It Forward (PIF) gift. Now, it's my turn.

The first 3 people that leave a comment for me and tell me how great and wonderful I am will get a handmade gift from me within one year. Oh...I'm sorry, the first part was just a joke (the great and wonderful...lol)...just leave me your email address and I'll contact you for your snail mail address.

I forgot to say there is one little thing that you have to do to be a part of the PIF exchange. You have to agree to participate on your blog. Meaning you too must make a gift for someone. So, be honest or I will have to hunt you down and take back my fabulous handmade gift! chuckle chuckle BTW, I do have 1 year to send your gift so don't harass me about it, I can be a tad slow but I'll try to get it to you as fast as possible.

Yes We Can!!!!

It's Super Tuesday folks, so go out and VOTE! I don't vote until next Tuesday in DC in what they are calling Chesapeake Tuesday. So, no matter who you are voting for....just vote. BTW...this is my blog so I can support whomever I like! chuckle, chuckle

More Empty Crib Talk

Newsweek (Feb, 4) released an article that highlighted more of what all of us, that are adopting or have adopted, already know...it's getting pretty tight in the adoption arena. The article states that fewer international adoption are now taking place in the US dropping from 22,844 in 2004 to 19,411 last year but there are more people than ever that want to adopt. There are now so many rules put in place by countries and countries are even closing their programs. It makes perfect sense that the adoption rates would decrease. The interest hasn't declined it just takes way more perseverance to complete an international adoption these days. Countries such as Kenya, South Africa, China and Brazil have pretty strict guidelines which cuts many people out so they move to other (newer) countries like Ethiopia. Now, this has the BJezzes scared out of me because how much longer can it be before something happens to the Ethiopia program. We are running scared all the time already...be berry, berry careful. Get your ducks in a row...you never know!

Whatcha Been Doing?

Well, I cannot tell a lie. I've been cheating on you! Some people from my undergraduate alma mater (Howard University) started a social networking site similar, to MySpace called Bison Round Up, and...HELLO my name is Tami and I'm an addict! Can I tell you it was as bad as my blogging no actually worse than my blogging. Imagine catching up with friends you haven't seen in xx years! I'm not telling you how many! That would ruin my youthful image now wouldn't it! LOL But check this picture out of me (I'm on the right) from back in the day...aahhh, to be 21 again! NEVER would I want to be 21 again, 31 yes 21 NOT! LOL (and yes, I had black hair back then!)

We now affectionately call Bison Round Up the Crack House because, I swear you MUST go there every day (maybe a few times) to get your fix. You have to see who is new, who sent you a hello, or who sent your friend a hello because you two knew the same people. It's crazy! Just so you don't think it's only me the question of the week on the site is: Have we completely negatively effected the Gross Domestic Product by being on this site yet? Pretty funny right?

I guess you get the point. But alas, after a few weeks of playing with my old college friends, I guess I must learn to split my time among my other blogging activities. I really do miss you guys. Plus, I was tired of getting threatening emails from people. Just kidding, they were really nice.


Visit BisonRoundup.com