Last night I re-posted an old blog entry called "15 Things I'm Not Afraid to Admit". It was originally written in 2008 at the prompting of my friend Alicia. Alicia used to live close by and at the time both of us were in the China adoption program. Boy, can plans change and roads go in different directions than you expect.
Alicia ended up never adopting from China. She and her husband got pregnant and have 2 beautiful boys. Then sadly, they moved away. And we never see them anymore. We seemed to be a couple that had everything in common and we have traveled in two completely different directions, literally and figuratively.
But, through the miracles of internet I still get to stay in touch with Alicia no matter what corner of the country she may end up in. So if you're reading, Alicia, here are "15 MORE Things I'm Not Afraid to Admit", just for you! (and anyone else that wants to read them)
1. Grace is still the most amazing thing I've done in my life, but she was only a first step. Who knew? Who knew there would be four and not just one? Who knew I would take to motherhood like a fish to water?
2. Brian is a much better stay at home dad than I ever could have imagined and probably better at it than I ever would be. He gets up with Manny (who is still not sleeping through the night) every single time he cries and lets me sleep all night long because I have to get up early to work. And he gets up every morning and makes me breakfast, a cup of tea for the road, and packs my lunch. Is he amazing or what?
3. That said, I am so jealous that he gets to stay home with the kids everyday. I miss them so much when I have to leave for work each morning. Monday's are the worst. Some mornings I cry on the way to work.
4. We are saving up for our next 2 adoptions so I have become a terribly frugal person. I have not purchased a new pair of shoes, except some sandals for our trip to DRC, in two years. Luckily, I do not suffer from smelly feet.
4. Speaking of smelly--my new favorite TV show is Hoarders. We got rid of our cable last year (part of the frugal thing) so we only watch TV shows that we can see for free on the internet. Hoarders is so bizarre and creepy. Like a train wreck that you can't turn away from. And it always makes me feel like my house doesn't look so bad.
5. I used to be a vegetarian. A really serious 20 year vegetarian. Then one night in Birmingham, Alabama, I fell off the wagon and onto a rack of ribs. I would like to go back to vegetarian. I've eaten my fill of meat. But Brian does all the cooking and I don't want to make his life any harder so for now I just eat what he cooks.
6. I've written a few plays and in March one of them will get its world premier. Pretty stinkin' excited about that.
7. I hate to wear dresses, in part because I hate to shave my legs.
8. I do not like clutter in my house. I do not like knick knacks. I love real pieces of art, but not things that just gather dust.
9. I still have all four of my wisdom teeth, but my dentist says this is probably the year that I will have to have all four removed. They are shifting around and giving me fits. As you may recall from my last 15 list, I am very afraid of the dentist.
10. My very favorite cookie seems to no longer be available in stores. Has anyone see a box of Lemon Coolers lately? The lemon cookies with the powdered sugar on top. If so, pick me up a box or two. I'm sort of obsessed with finding a box.
11. I've lost a little weight. Not nearly as much as my amazing husband (I think he has lost over 40lbs so far), but enough that my pants aren't crushing my internal organs anymore.
12. I spend too much time on the internet. I love blogging and FaceBook!
13. Every night Grace and I pray for her "baby sisters". She prays that God will bring them home soon. We haven't told her yet that the twins are not coming home to us. I'm really missing our "baby sisters" whoever they may turn out to be.
14. I can't stand watching sad movies lately. In fact, I pretty much cry at the drop of hat lately. I imagine it has something to do with #13.
15. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do when I grow up, but I want it to be something that makes my kids proud and makes the world a better place.
Time for bed. See you tomorrow night!