An Award For Little Ol’ Me???? Aw shucks!

Wow, I totally wasn’t expecting this….I don’t even have a speech prepared….(fumbles in pockets as if searching for something but comes out empty handed)….well, to start off, I’d like to thank the academy, my infertility for leading me down the path to adoption….uh, my husband who’s always been so supportive….who else?  My friends and family, my followers…. (blushes and giggles)….I’m just so surprised!

Okay, okay, I’ll cut the theatrics.  But I do have to send out a HUGE thank you to Stephanie at Peacock in a Robin’s Nest for the award.  I really am flattered that at such an early start point in my blogging life, someone took the time to acknowledge, follow,  and hand me a kudos for what I’ve done so far.  At times you wonder when you’re blogging if your words are really blog worthy, and to be honest, It as I’ve said before, I really want to share my experiences with infertility and adoption as we go through this process in the hopes that it helps someone else.  So I’m out of the darkness of  lurkdom, and here I am.

Thank you Stephanie.  Thank you for giving this newbie a boost by letting me know that someone out there is reading me without having the obligation of doing so because they’re family or friends.

Okay, so as a part of accepting this award, I have to list seven interesting facts about me, and a list of some of the blogs I follow.  Well, I don’t know that these are interesting facts, but they’re facts, and they’re about me, so that will have to do. Lol.

1.  I LOVE and collect pigs and have done so for years.  Not live ones, but decorative ones. Well I love both kinds, but only collect the decorative ones. 😉   But I want a miniature pig soooo badly.  Actually, I’d take a big pig too, if we had room for one….or two….

2.  I had to have the toenail on my left big toe removed when I was in highschool, and I hate it.  (Totally ruins open toed shoes and sandals.)  My cat Sadie, for some reason, is obsessed with it.  My husband “lovingly” refers to it my as my dead toe, and never fails to warn Sadie to not lick it, telling her that her tongue will fall off.  Sadie has yet to heed his warnings and continues to take her chances.  At least someone loves me and my dead toe.  Hmph!

3.  Baby corn scares me.  Yes, I literally mean it scares me.  Don’t ask me why because I really can’t tell you other than to say I find it creepy.  I can barely look at it, unless it’s in my stirfry and I need to make sure I get them all out before eating any!  Eek!  If I ever was on the reality show Fear Factor, and they told I would have to lie in a box while they dumped baby corn all over me,  that might be the thing that would make me walk away from the $50 000 prize.  That and tarantulas.  Seriously.

4.  Since I can remember, I always wanted to be a teacher.  I even entered a program that allowed me to be a teacher’s aide while I was in University.  But I stupidly chose not to go through for one, so now I am a Federal Government employee, who kicks myself everytime I think of how I should have got my BA in Education.  *kicks herself again*  Ouch!

5.  I don’t follow astrology at all, but I’m a Gemini.  And I must say that about the only part of astrology that I believe in, is when you read how Gemini’s get bored easily and are constantly going from one thing to another to prevent said boredom.  I totally see this in myself when it comes to crafting.  I am a craft whore have a love of crafting, and have gone from one form to another, to another over the years.  Luckily we live in a pretty small condo, so I can’t really take up any new crafts.  If I did, I would have to get rid of the jewelry,  scrapbooking, knitting and crocheting supplies that are currently everywhere in our house.  And I couldn’t do that!  The only good thing about my going from one to another, is that I will go back to something after a while.  I just need variety is all.

6.  I have always had exceptionally vivid dreams. Sometimes to the point that sometimes I’m not sure if I’m awake or sleeping because I can taste, smell, and physically feel what is happening.  Sometimes they continue well after I’ve woken up.

I also have very lucid dreams.  Lucid dreamers as well as being aware that they’re dreaming, can at times have some degree of control over how they participate in the dream, and/or manipulate their experience within the dream.  I never seem to experience too much control, which is unfortunate because the majority of the dreams I tend to have are very violent and graphic.   I can sometimes avoid entering a building, or room, where I know something bad is about to happen, but I usually end up still meeting a violent end somewhere else.  And when the psychotic weapon wielding man finally gets a hold of me, it’s as if it’s actually happening.  Which is when the “It’s okay, relax!  You’re not actually being murdered, you’re just dreaming…  Or am I?” bit comes in.

Oddly though I very seldom wake hubby with crying, yelling or by physically attacking him.  Now if only I could teach him my dream ninja technique so that I was wasn’t waking to a full on assault, or waking disoriented wondering how this little screaming girl got into bed beside me, yet again.

7.  Further to interesting fact #5, I am a craft supply hoarder.  Not that you’re going to see me starring on an episode of “Hoarders” anytime soon or anything.  I hoard within reason (translation: my hoarding is kept in control because of my income and small condo, as mentioned above.)  But if I was rich, I’m sure my collection would put Martha Stewart to shame.  My problem is, that if I see something I love, I will buy it, but then I don’t want to use it because I sell or gift everything I make, and I can’t part with it because it’s too beautiful.  Or I need to find just the right design to showcase the pieces I’m using, and oddly enough, that never happens.  So the easy fix would be to make pieces for myself, right?  Yes, that would be the logical solution, but I don’t do that either because I’m too busy making crafts to sell or give to others.  It’s a vicious, vicious circle, and I am but a magpie in a world of pretty, shiny, things.  (Yes I think magpie sounds much nicer than whore.)

I’m a little new to this whole blogging thing (yes I know it’s 2012), and admittedly, I haven’t been an official follower of any blogs until now.  Meaning, I would just log in to check on these blogs rather than click the follow link.  So for some of you may have received this award the day I started following, but know that I have been checking in with you on a regular basis long before that.  Anyhow, here we go with the blogs I follow:

1.    Peacock in a Robin’s Nest  First off, I just want to say that this is not a token I’m-following-their-blog-because-they-follow-mine, following.  I did check hers out after she became a follower of mine, but I had to follow for a number of reasons, I loved the name of her blog, she is funny and down to earth, and has an amazing story; she’s a bio mom, adoptee, birth mother, and a surrogate mother for her best friend.  What’s not to follow???

2.    Foster Adoption- A Journey To Happily Ever After   A mom to bio kids who was fostering to adopt a brother and sister, but the adoption of the brother (due to reasons of family safety), was interrupted.  They are still heavily involved in his life and advocating for him as he stays at a residential care facility.  Her dedication to both her Foster children, is amazing and wonderful.

3.    Foster Parenting Adventures  Bio and Foster Mom and Clinical Psychologist working at school with inner city kids who have been kicked out of public schools.  Oodles of stories that are both heartbreaking and eye opening, and important to read.  Whether she`s talking about being a Foster parent or her kids at school, she is a very captivating read.

4.   I Was a Foster Kid  A heart wrenching, but definite must read about life from a former Foster Care child’s perspective.  She was never adopted, and was failed miserably by the system.  She is brutally honest and doesn’t even remotely sugar coat anything, which can make it painful to read, but her message is so important.   More kids in Foster Care need homes and need them now.  Throughout her entries she has some great tips for Foster and adoptive parents based on her personal experiences.

5.   Love Like Crazy  An adoptive mom who together with her husband has adopted a beautiful little girl via private adoption.  The difference to their story is that they actively searched for their birth mom.  Just love reading her blog.  Which makes me look really forward to reading the new book that’s coming out that she’s co-authoring called Undeniable Love: Heartfelt Adoption Stories

6.   Fosterhood   Super well written and funny, this single Foster mom is a great blogger.  I just found this blog and I haven’t read it in it’s entirety yet, but what I have, I’ve really enjoyed reading.  She is under 35, a cognitive psychologist, and has been a Foster Mom to three children.  She currently is not taking on any more Foster children because she is dedicated to remaining in the lives of the three Foster children she’s already had.  Awesome.