Summer 2011

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Last day of the first year of preschool

Thursday was the last day of preschool. My intention was to write and publish this entry on Thursday night so that I could participate in the We are not the Cleavers movement that occurred this past Friday. Alas my best intentions were dashed. My hope is to be a week late and post something about this this Friday.

I still have not gotten a picture of the elusive Aunt Jenny even though she has been through here a couple of times in the last couple of weeks. She is pretty much my exact opposite so when La-La and Me-Me hang out with her they are always amazed that we are even related. I think it is funny. Aunt Jenny thinks I am boring and I guess maybe I am. Compared to my sisters I am the one who is the most tame. Funny I do not think of myself as boring.

Yesterday marked the half-way point of my two classes. I am on the downward slide and it feels great. I could not imagine taking both of these classes without Gerard's help. I am pretty sure it could never have happened well if he were still working. What a blessing.

Back in September I was so torn about sending Anna to preschool. Her speech was so limited. I worried how she was going to be perceived by her peers. I worried about how upset she would be when I left her there. Would she make it to her classroom? I worried about everything. Then we decided sending her would benefit her so the decision was made.
I think sending her was a good decision. Her speech has exploded. I will admit those first couple of weeks were difficult. On a couple of occasions when I greeted her at the door she would run up to me, I would pick her up, you know expected a kiss and hug but instead I received a cold hot slap across my face. The teacher's face flushed and she tried to make the situation better but I knew it was just that she was upset and did not have the words to tell me.

As time went on and I learned the names of some of the kids we would talk about them on the way to school. I would tell her that Gerard or I would be picking her up. I would tell her she was just going to play for a little bit. Getting out the door in the morning got easier. Towards the end of the year we even started to make it there on time. For the first half of the year I insisted she was to be picked up at the door by an adult and walked to class. Then I became comfortable with her walking down with a friend from her class.

For the last two months we allowed Anna to walk to the classroom alone, I was assured that adults were posted throughout the hall way to direct her. The funny thing is the first couple of times she went alone she had this look on her face of "I'm getting away with something here." I am so proud of how she has blossoming.

Anna will be going to the summer session of special education preschool due to her speech delay but we have decided to keep her home this week. We are still deciding on what our baby sitting arrangements will be for when I am sleeping during the day so that Gerard has time to interview and job search. I feel like everything is just starting to fall in place.


Here are the pictures from her end of the school year party




Now to the before and after pictures. I was surprised I was the only one taking pictures of the last day of school.

September 2010

June 2011


Here are two funny pictures from this week. The first was taken after a swim in her kiddie pool. She came in told me she was cold and put on a hat.


This one was taken as she got ready to give Gerard his Father's day kiss.

Airfare booked!

Booked! What a deal I got on airfare. A couple months back Gerard and I decided we would take Anna to Disney for her birthday again this year. She has asked everyday since we came home to go back. We also decided to open the trip up to her Grandparents which has made it more exciting for her in my opinion. Every time she sees Papa she tells him "Go Florida, Mickey house" then she runs down the list of people who are going.

I had booked the hotel then I picked out the resturants which are also all booked. We are able to use points from one of Gerard's reward programs to book the van for the week. Yes, Gerard will be driving a van which goes against his personality which makes me laugh everyday. I was thinking maybe he will like it and we can trade my car in for one, sigh I am pretty sure that will not happen.

I have been watching the airfare everyday 2 and 3 times a day waiting for the right deal. Like magic yesterday I found airfare for are you ready, drum roll please...55 dollars per person, round trip, direct flight. I scrambled to book the flights, could not find my credit card in the process, thank goodness I have those numbers memorized. I know that makes me sound like a freak but success, 6 flights booked!

I have been fighting the urge to pack up and take a quick vacation but I am trying to practice self control and delayed gradification. I have started saving for our spending money and would like to save like that for all my future vacations too. The excitement here about our trip is amazing.

I did splurge on a new dress for Anna. Gerard thinks it is perfect for the plane. Anna has now decided that pig tails or as she calls them puppy dog ears are her new favortive way to wear her hair. This morning to celebrate my victory with the airfare Anna decided Mickey Mouse ears were in order.

Now I think I want to find a photographer to have professional beach pictures take of Anna with her grandparents while we are there. I also have one more big expense that I am trying to save for but only time will tell if I can make it happen.

Has it been a week? Really? Potty talk!

First off thank you all for your comments about where or not to be tested. I am strongly leaning towards being tested because I am one of those people who really does not like a surprise. What a busy week we have had. I was waiting to post because I wanted to put in some new pictures of Anna but I just have not had time to up take or upload them.

We are starting to fall into a routine now that I am back to school. Gerard has been wonderful to me by taking Anna with him pretty much all the time so that I can figure out this new school. I can see that two classes is one class too many for me. Thankfully I had already decided that I only wanted to take one at a time from this point out.


Working hard in my office
(I wish I was one of those people who take a neat picture of myself)

Going to school this time around brings back so many memories of the first time I went to college. Gerard was so supportive then as he is now. I have always said without him I would never have finished my first degree.

Gerard has been on a interview that we are praying about. If you could say a little one for him I would appreciate it.

Other BIG news is I think Anna may be done with diapers! We have been working on this since about April. I am sad and happy to see my baby grow up so fast. Last August Anna had decided she was wanted to start to potty train by going into the bathroom and using the potty occasionally. Once pre-school started she wanted nothing to do with potty training. She would cry anytime I would ask so I let it go.

I have never seen the reason why so many parents rush to potty train. In honesty I believe Anna was bowel and bladder trained before she came home from the baby home which is different then being potty trained. Last August Anna did not have the speech to tell me she had to use the potty which made it more difficult. Anna had less then 50 words at 3 years of age with very little speech that was spontaneous.

Okay so back to last week, I started to put underwear on over her diaper. If she were home with me then it was just underwear. Rather then setting a timer I took her to the bathroom every time I had to go. Towards the end of the week I could see when she was starting to feel like she had to go potty so I would take her in and she would go. She has had only one accident with Gerard at his parent's house. They both decided a bath would fix the problem, then dressed and straight home to tell me about it.

Last night was the first night Anna slept without a diaper! I am so proud of her. For now she is only using the potty for my Mother, La-La, Me-Me and myself. She still refuses at school but that will come with time. Thank goodness my Mother was able to find tiny underwear.

Would you want to know?

In my last post I hinted that we were given some new information about my Mother. Well it seems that because she has had three completely separate types of cancer in addition to both my parent's strong family history of cancer we were referred to a genetiasis so that my Mother can be tested for the presence of the cancer gene as the doctor put it to us.

I have been told that there only two types of cancers which are hereditary to date colon cancer and one type of breast cancer which is not the type of breast cancer that my Mother had. My Mother had dual carcinomia in situ. Here is the tricky part my Father's Mother died at 34 of bilateral breast cancer. When I told my Mother's oncologist this I could see the measure of concern that he had for me and my sisters come across his face.

The conversation went from light hearted to sober in a hot second. What I did not tell him was I have a spot that we have been watching on one of my breast for the past two years. I was not recommended at the time to see a breast surgeon but just to have follow up checks. I am sure that this is all nothing but it makes you wonder? If you could find out if you have a genetic predispostion to a type of cancer would you want to know?

If the gene is there nothing really changes I would continue on with the same screening that I normally would have done. My job now is to officially ask my sisters if they want to be screened. So far I have gotten a solid no from one sister and two "I have to think about" from other sisters. I have two more to ask and then I have to decide for myself. I have wavered back and forth about whether or not I want to be tested. Everytime I think I do not want to know I can picture the doctor's face in my head as he slowly turned around when I was reminding him of our family history and that look of concern.

He is a research oncologist so I have to wonder if he knows more then is published about the relationship of these cancer genes and certain other cancers. I suppose I will take time out of my schedule this week and make a few appointments I have been putting off. I also plan to do a little bit of research about the subject too. I believe there is also new legislation on the topic so that if I do find out and have this gene, I believe I am protected from discrimination.

Which brings me right back to my original question would you want to know if you have the cancer gene?

I felt like I was in Moscow for a minute

I know that in the past 2 weeks I talked about telling others that Anna is adopted and how it sometimes upsets me. I have to say I am guilty too of telling others so I must learn to be more tolerant of my family. Lesson learned.

I have the unique opportunity to take my Mother to and from her appointments in NYC. Tuesday was one of those appointments. Just for her vaccine, these are long days from start to finish. I have never taken Anna for one of these days because for a little child the wait can be long and boring. Do to the holiday weekend the wait was longer then usual, we waited 3 hours to just see the doctor.

I am getting better at packing things for Anna to do when we wait. I think of Stacy every time I pull out my zip lock bag of guys. At our first meeting this is what she did and I never told her how amazing I thought it was, now we do the same. I included in a couple of 100 piece puzzles. We found a spot in the waiting room where Anna had a table to play on, I had to sit on the floor that is how busy it was.

We unpacked her tiger puzzle. Anna went right to work. First she put the edge together then started to work on the middle. Anna worked intently on the puzzle. We talked about the pieces, I praised her as she found the perfect fit. We had talked about how she had to be quiet in the waiting room, so she promptly put her finger to a man talking to his son and said "shhhh, quiet please." Yes I told her that she was not allowed to do that but I did chuckle because she is really listening to me.

The couple next to us were amazed by how she loves to puzzle. They told me she is a very special little girl. I could hear the Russian accent in the woman's voice. I asked if there were any good Russian restaurants close by? She looked at me and exclaimed "I knew you were Russian!" I giggled and told her Anna was Russian to which I was corrected by the woman. She said "Funny she looks Chuvash not Russian?" Once I giggled because Anna is Chuvash.

We talked about how I adopted Anna and that she was the light of my life. I told her about how every time I hear someone speak Russian I feel like a part of me is home. We talked about pickled tomatoes and other foods I loved while I was there. I told her how I drive to Net Cost in Sheepshead bay for Russian foods. She laughed because that is where she shops. Then I saw a tears in the lady's eyes. She thanked me for adopting Anna. I was so moved by her unexpected kindness towards us. I promised her that I would always take good care of Anna.

After we saw the doctor I took Anna for a walk. I was shocked to see one of the street vendors had a fruit that I ate while I was in Russia. I bought some and for a minute I was back in Russia walking with my precious baby girl.

More about our appointment with the doctor later.


Fruit from NYC May 2011


Fruit from Moscow July 2009

I would love to know what these are called.

Yup still here

Has it really almost been a week? I feel like so much has happened. Gerard had anoher kidney stone which he passed while giving his urine sample. I am sure you are all glad that you know that...right?

This felt like this was my first real week of being back to work and going to school. I am so glad that I had scheduled the time off that I did because I was able to get used to being back in school without having to worry about work too. I have a little bit of a system now so I hope things will get easier.

One benefit of having an office in the laundry room is you never have dirty laundry. I use that as my stretch time. I can not believe how much I love my new office.

Anna went to a birthday party at a bouncy place. I walked in to find one of my dear friends from work there, yup if was her niece, who knew. We had a great time. Anna had a hard time at first getting over the wall so yup you will see pictures of me and my shocking white legs going over the wall.

My one sister is in town who I have not seen since November of 2009. She is an over he road truck driver so she can be anywhere on anyday. She is taking a small vacation for the next couple of weeks so hopefully you will get to see a picture of her and Anna. I am hoping to arrange a family group photo because the last one was 10years ago. Hard to believe it has been that long.

Gerard has taken on caring for Anna while I figure out a balance between school and work. He is amazing with her. She is thriving from his one on one attention. I did chuckle when he told me it was hard to get things done with Anna in tow. My reaction was REALLY I would not know? More on him in another post in a much more serious nature so stay tuned.

So when he is out with Anna he knows how much I feel like I am missing so I usually get 2 or 3 random pictures of what they are doing. I love it. He is no photographer but some of the pictures are so candid of our "Anna do it girl" that I just have to laugh. I was thinking about doing a picture post with some of his pictures. The quality is not great because they are from his phone but they are unique.

In the spirit of every entry to the blog is better with pictures I will end with a few of the 600 I took this week.
Trying to climb a tree

This is Anna's mad face. We are teaching her about Mad, happy, sad and angry faces. She really puts on a show if you ask her to do one.

I will admit the slide was a lot of fun. Are you blinded by my legs?


Hans on his birthday. Carring his toys like this is his new thing.

Anna was rocking the bunny and singing 'Rock a bye baby' then she told the baby "No crying, Anna got you."

Anna putting sunblock on her horse. Have to avoid a sunburn after all.

Feeding Coco candy. She thinks this is her dog but really Coco belongs to La-La. No worries Coco spit out the candy she is more of a savory eater.

Anna combing Gerard's hair


Flowers from my garden

So that is most of our week in pictures. We have been busy.