Mortimer's Mom

4 years of Dumpling Love

It was 4 years ago today, in Nanning, China, that a very scared and shocked Dumpling was placed in my arms. There was no crying, the water in her eyes never formed into a tear, she was just in shock.

Fast Forward and she is now a stunning 5 year-old. In the first year after she was home, she would watch the video I had made of the adoption trip. Then, somewhere after the first anniversary, she didn't want to watch it anymore and we didn't push it. But there have been issues lately that made me thing she might want to see it again. So as a way to commemorate the 4th anniversary of our Family Day, she got to pick the dinner menu (chicken stir fry with rice, confetti cupcake with icing AND sprinkles) and after dinner, we snuggled on the couch and watch the movie.

This time, she was ready. She was cuddly and asked questions and kept hugging and kissing me. And when I put her to bed, I gave her an old Chinese coin I had bought on the trip and accidentally found today in a major fit of decluttering (more on that saga tomorrow). It seemed too coincidental that I found it today, so I gave it to her. And for the first time in a very long time, her response was truly genuine. She gave men the warmest hug and thanked me, then she tucked it in a special drawer so her sister wouldn't get to it.

4 years. Where does the time go?

Gal Pals

I have blogged in the past about having a hard time making friends. I used to have a few very good friends in college, but we all studied languages, and when you are fluent in many languages, you end up quite mobile. I was gone from my city for many years, and by the time I settled back here, most of my friends were gone, with one or two exceptions. But then, I became the married one, the one with a kid, and again, it seemed hard to keep friendships alive when people are at different stages in their professional/family life.

I tried several times to begin new friendships, only to find it was very hard. The one exception was the Amazing D and her husband A. We became friends over the soup chapter of the charity cookbook and they were the closest people to us when Dumpling arrived. But again, work/family took them to another city and we keep in touch electronically, but it's just not the same.

As a mom, I tried playgroups. There were mostly a disaster. I did know a couple of other moms who were fun, easy going and low maintenance, but the rest of the moms around here are very much cut from the Yummy Mummy mold. I am not. So either they get on my nerves or I irritate them. Either way, it doesn't work.

When Dumpling started school, I did meet several great moms. Some of them I definitely consider friends.  We get together on occasion, but our bond is mostly our children, we don't have much in common as far as interests and likes.

Then, there are my bloggy friends. Clearly, it's easier to make friends online, because you become close to people who you get along with, who are like you or think like you or don't think like you but challenge you in some way. And then, even those friendships sometimes don't work out, and somehow, that hurts even more. But some friendships are real, and solid. And you go on trips with those gals.

Anyhow.... a few months ago, L, this super-cute-bubbly mom at BB's nursery school and asked me if I had heard about R's knitting group on Wednesday mornings. I happen to know R, we have older kids in the same class and she is SUPER crafty so we have crossed paths before. I told L, whom I had never spoken to before, that I hadn't heard of the knitting group but would in fact be interested. I hadn't knitted in a while, but the thought of getting together with other moms and knitting was interesting to me. I must admit, I was nervous beyond belief. Would they like me? Would I like them?

I went a couple of times and I have to say, I liked them right away. Eventually, we decided to stop meeting at R's house and move to a coffee house, so make the logistics simpler: so matter what, on Wednesday morning, we would meet up at the spot from 9 to 11 and knit. I haven't missed a week, except when I went to Texas. They are great. Every one is a little different. But they are all fascinating. And definitely low maintenance and crafty and intelligent. I look forward to Wednesday mornings. I work my schedule around it, to make sure I am not needed at work, at school, etc. Nothing comes in the way of the knitting group. I'm even knitting a nice sweater! But that's just a by product.

Catching Up

Oy. On day 4, the antibiotics kicked in and I was doing much better. So much so, that on Saturday night, we went to dinner at Susan and Gord's house and I even allowed myself to have a glass of wine (it's Susan's fault). But now, on Day 8, the pain is sort of coming back. The good news is that I found out on Sunday that one of my new knitting pals happens to have a urologist for a husband and she's given me his direct number, so when I pop the last pill on day 10, if I'm not better, I'm going to make use of this new connection.

Now let's back up a little and fill you in on the happenings around here. Saturday was a long-planned dinner at Journey to Mei Mei's House. Red was supposed to be there, but she used the sick-baby excuse and stayed home (kidding! the baby was actually quite sick and they were missed. which is why I had to have wine, because Red wasn't there to drink with Susan!)

The big girls got on like a house on fire, again. This time, they had princess make-overs (Cara-Li enjoying the "doing" and Dumpling enjoying the "being done over") They were a tiny bit naughty.... making up signs that said "No Beach Ball" and putting them on the doors, after ever so sweetly coming down and double checking the spelling of Beach Ball's name.... This might explain the sour-puss look on Beach Ball's face..... Also noteworthy: the chicken was so delicious, Dumpling asked for seconds, and after proclaiming that she did not like icecream cake and poking around at her slice, she promptly ate 2 full servings.

On Sunday, we attended the Juvenile Diabetes Walk for a Cure for the second year. You might remember that last year, I took the girls by myself (with my MIL) because Hubs was in the hospital. Well, this year, all is well and he came with us. The girls had a good time, though there was less walking and more stroller-riding this year.... Dumpling's little friend J, who has Juvenile Diabetes, has a mom who is an absolute dynamo. She manages to get sooooo many of the pre-K families involved in this event, our team was not only one of the biggest in numbers (with so many little kids!) but managed to raised a scary huge amount of money. I am so proud of how hard she works and to count her as a friend. Even after organizing such an event, she still managed to pull of a great play-date for our girls the very next afternoon and I picked up a very glittery Dumpling at the end of a long day!

Finally, yesterday was Beach Ball's visit to the farm run by the local university. It's a mighty cute dairy farm with a small sampling of cute animals for the kids to pet. But unlike most petting farms that I've been to, where the animals are skittish or hyper, these animals only see small groups of school children, no private visits, and are rotated often, so they were the most gentle, sweetest goats/sheep/pigs that we've ever had the pleasure of petting. BB had no part in letting the cows "kiss" her though!

And today (as if I'm not exhausted enough!) Dumpling's class celebrated Israel's 60th (a little belated!). Here is my Dumpling, all decked out in blue and white, manning the Israeli Souvenir Booth.... I have to command the teachers. They made a sheet for kids to write who had been to Israel and who hadn't. Then the made another sheet for who was born in Canada and who was born in Israel, but they added a 3rd column for kids who were born somewhere else. It was so nice to see that in addition to China and the USA, we had kids born in Argentina and Belgium. 

Tomorrow, I'll tell you all about my new knitting buddies.... go figure! I found some gals I enjoy seeing on a weekly basis!

Dumpling's new invention

A combination of sudoku and crosswords, which she watches me do every morning

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I'm moving into the bathroom

Well, self-diagnosis was spot on. I took my cloudy pee sample to the clinic this morning and came out with a confirmed kidney infection and a 10-day course of antibiotics. My back doens't hurt like last time, but I'm definately more tired and feverish. And I cannot concentrate. I tried to knit and I couldn't read the pattern.

So I have resumed couch surfing. Except that I have to pee every 13 minutes (yes, I'm timing it). So I have two options: move the tv into the bathroom or use the kid's potty in the tv room..... Because the walking back and forth 4/5 times per hour, it's getting old already. And I do not like Cranberry juice. I'm drinking it, but I don't like it.

ouch!

Borrowing from Mrs. Figby, I'm going to pull a Tuesday edition of hypochondriac, Google-self-diagnosis blogging and declare that I'm pretty sure I am suffering from the return of the kidney infection from last month.

When we were in Chicago, I felt nauseous a lot. I didn't think much of it, because it tends to happen when I travel: I need to eat on a regular schedule and Mortimer's Dad is able to go 12 hours without food (or a bathroom!) so sometimes, on the road, I end up not eating well and then I don't feel good.

On our last day, we were trying to hit as many of the funky stores that we wanted to visit as possible and I ended up sitting in the car desperately needing a bathroom, but unable to locate one. By the time I finally peed, I thought I was going to die.

Fast-forward to yesterday, I had a sharp pain in my side, and I needed to pee often, more often than usual, and trust me, that's often! But mom-duties were first, and after having been away for 4 days, I just grinned and kept going. But this morning, not so much. I spend the day on the couch, alternating between napping and drinking. I feel very thirsty, but I can't actually drink enough to satisfy the imaginary thirst. And the pain is still there. And quite possible a fever. I would have gone to the clinic this morning, but I had a dentist appointment that just couldn't be rescheduled, so the clinic will be tomorrow morning.

In the meantime, I have watched everything on the PVR and used more toilet paper in one day than I usually do in a week.

PS: thank goodness the Paris trip isn't for a couple of weeks! Mrs. Fiby and I BOTH need to recover before we get on our planes, otherwise, we'll have to get spots on a geriatric bus to show us around!

Couch, Sweet Couch

Home. On the couch. Slept in my bed, with my pillow. Nothing better.

The hotel was quite swanky and we got upgraded to a lovely suite, but their foam pillows were like rocks. I got a feather pillow the second night, but somehow, it still wasn't just right.

Some of you asked my what brought us to Chicago and whether I was serious when I mentioned real estate.... No way! not buying a house in Chicago! We went on an architectural tour of Frank Lloyd Wright and other significant houses in Oak Park. Like this:

That was the first private house we visited. (we saw the Robie house the day before at the university.) It was nice, but very dark inside. This next one however, I could have moved into right away:

We actually visited that one at the same time as a great couple we ran into who happened to be from our town and one of them is an architect. I slipped him my card at the end and told him when he was ready to draw me a Wright-inspired house that would work in our climate, with 2 kids and 2 dogs, he should email me!

On Sunday, we had Dim Sum with Chicagomama and her family. First of all, her girls... DELISH! and soooo grown up! The baby! She is a big girl! and Zelda! Oh my! She was all over Hubs! And Miss C..... What can I say? I have never met  more polite and articulate child. I remember her from almost 2 years ago, and now, she's like a 17 y.o in the body of a 7 y.o.  Sooooo smart and well spoken! Funny thing is, they were being kids. Running around the table just a little and climbing all over Hubs. And Chicagomama was asking them nicely to sit down and I was thinking: Dude! They are soooooo well behaved. If you are worried about *this* my kids should be in reform school!

So I told you I found a bag. Here it is. It's by Lucky Brand Jeans and was less than 200$, which is just what I was willing to pay:

The short handles can fit on my shoulder and make it a very long bag, but really, it's meant to be worn across the shoulders with the strap, and the top sort of flops over. It's quite roomy without being huge, and it fits the camera, wallet and guide book nicely. I even carried around one of my Envirosax and a small cardigan in there, just to test it out. The overall length of the strap is not exactly right for my body. But it has two places to adjust it, so I think I'm going to have one of the hooks moved to what I feel would be the right length for me.

And finally, just for your enjoyment, fun with Doggles!

Don't you think my Doggles accessorize my Snow White dress perfectly?

alternatives

Swe were going to do dinner and a movie, but true to form, Mortimersdad got a case of *traveler's sickness*, which basically amounts to a combo of dehydration, exhaustion and headache. He is sleeping it off and I'm waiting for my alternative diiner: take out pizza aned wine from the bar while I wait. I did score an alternative to the imaginary perfecgt bag at a different Macy's juswt before they closed It's not perfect, but just like my takeFolut, it will do.

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Not supporting the Chicago economy

Though not for lack of trying!

the mythical, hypothetical, perfect bag that I imagined in my head, it doesn't exist. I know. Because I dragged Mortimer's Dad into every department store and handbag store on the Magnificant Mile. Every one of them. I cam close at Coach. One was perfect (simple, cut ecolors, nice strap) but too small for what I want to put in it. And the other was perfect size wize, if a little flashy, but with a price of almost 800$, I just couldn't do it. I am not a 800$ handbag person. At least not yet.

So while Mortimer's Dad scored a stylish zippered sweater at Bloomingdales, some cool dog gifts including goggles for dogs (I am so not kidding) and cute gifts for the girls, my haul is a disposable razor and People magazine.....

tomorrow, we tour fancy houses build by famous architects. No bag will be found, but who knows, I jut may feel the need to put a downpayment on a Chicago Pied-a-Terre....

Think many celebs drfob in when they are in town?

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