Staying Warm

Staying Warm...

was never really something I gave much thought to before.. before having Tamara that is. Staying warm physically and emotionally 24 / 7 . Wow... really.

Physically not so tough.. raise the heat.. put on another sweater.

Emotionally it can take a lot of cookies and milk when the weather is really cold and down right too dangerous to venture out just for the sake of going out.

The hardest was the school cancellations as she really enjoys preschool and all her friends there.

During a snow storm we had a breach in our deer fencing. Luckily the gardens were still sleeping and covered in snow.
Tamara's play house in the snow.

We have to get creative so we play beauty parlor.

Pretty cute no?

Yeah... she thinks it's pretty funny.

Notice there are no picture of Mom's hair ;o) Yeah.. it was that good. lol

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I'm Alive.. Really

I'm Alive.. Really I am

Yes.. we're still here. I'll try to bring you all up to speed. Perhaps by the time I update this blog my absence will make sense?

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First of all Tamara is great. She's a fully bonded happy, healthy little girl. We were at the pediatrician today for a shot and she's gained a total of 10 lbs and grown 5 inches since last June. That's a pound a month and an inch every two months. She is now caught up according to the growth charts. Still small for her age but age appropriate. She wears a 4T now. Mind you last June her 18 month clothing was dripping off of her. If you remember we had issues keeping the 18 month pants up. My little girl is growing up sooo quickly. It's like watching your kid grow in time lapse photography.

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After Tamara's Birthday we like many in the north east and around the USA had to deal with all the lovely winter weather. It seemed to snow just enough to ruin plans and keep us from venturing outside. Numerous ice storms resulted in cancelled preschool sessions and rescheduling fun events. But in the midst of all the ice and snow we did manage to have fun with our little girl.

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Below Tamara feeds her My Twinn doll breakfast.

Mommy reminding Tamara that she too has to eat breakfast.
Such a kill joy... I know. Tamara colors with her doll.Tamara feeds her Dolly
Motion no sound

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February also brought about change... perhaps not the type of change many Americans had hoped for. But change is what we got. I guess it's true what they say.. be careful what you wish for.. you might just get it. The stock market became a roller coaster ride. Unfortunately a few friends are facing hard times financially due to the job market changes and the housing crisis. It's hard when people you care about struggle. It does suck the wind out of you. So while I attempt to keep up with current events world wide. Yes I still do that. I find you really need to.. to understand it all. I find myself torn. How could they mess it all up so badly in our life time? And I'm frustrated as I see mistakes being made on a daily basis and there's nothing I can do about it. Oh if only I found a trillion dollars in my mailbox. Honestly I think I could have fixed it with a TV remote and a laptop. Anyway... I don't mean to depress anyone but I thought I should mention it in my blog as someday Tamara will wonder why her generation will be dealing with a multi-trillion dollar deficit. At least now she'll know that we personally didn't contribute to it but yes we will be paying for it for years to come.

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On a brighter note.. my friend Sandi is in Kazakhstan to adopt her daughter Finley. They met today for the very first time. Finley faith is a beautiful 7 month old with sandy blond hair, pretty blue eyes and eye lashes that can touch the sky.

I met Sandi through our Kaz agency. We started at the same time with them. It was our 5th agency. Sandi's 1st. We dropped Kazakhstan because of adoption law changes in that country that restricted adoptions to parents over 50. Sandy being somewhat younger..ok significantly younger.. lol.. kept going. She traveled this time last year and returned within a week without a child. The agency soon went out of business. Sandi after a short break to regroup retained yet another agency and yes persistence does pay off. She held her Finley in her arms today. I am so proud of her. The inner strength she has shown this past year has been absolutely inspirational to so many adoptive parents. And through out this past year Sandi has cheered so many of us on as we managed to complete our families. Which I'm sure was not always easy for her but she did it. I know she will make an excellent mom. A wonderful role model for her Finley Faith.

Congratulations Sandi ... are you out there yet? Sandi will be in Kaz for a very long time. I imagine if she gets bored enough she'll start reading blogs.

Don't forget Sandi .. play date at Disney. Lucky kid ... Finley will practically live down the street. "Welcome to America.. Oh yeah your new neighbor is Micky" LOL Hope you have a season pass. Talk about a play date. ;o)

See Ya Soon

OH.. So that's why I can't find the Chapstick.

OH.. So that's why I can't find the Chapstick.

This is a cute story about Motherhood that my sister sent me. Apparently a true story written by one of her cyber buddies.

Thanks Jay... this is cute ;o)

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We had this great 10-year-old cat named Jack who just recently died.Jack was a great cat, and the kids would carry him around and sit on him and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day long on the mat in our bathroom.We have three kids, and at the time of this story, they were 4 years old, 3 years old, and 1 year old. The middle one is Eli. Eli really loved Chapstick. LOVED it. He kept asking to use my Chapstick and then would lose it. Finally one day I showed him where in the bathroom I keep my Chapstick and explained he could use it whenever he wanted to, but he needed to put it right back in the drawer after he finished.That year on Mother's Day, we were having the typical rush around and try to get ready for church with everyone crying and carrying on. My two boys were fighting over the toy in the cereal box. I was trying to nurse my little one at the same time I was putting on my make-up. Everything was a mess, and everyone had long forgotten that this was a wonderful day to honor me and the amazing job that is motherhood.We finally had the older one and the baby loaded in the car and I was looking for Eli. I searched everywhere and I finally went into the bathroom. There was Eli. He was applying my Chapstick very carefully to Jack's ... rear end. Eli looked right into my eyes and said, "Chapped." Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right -- their little bottoms do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack didn't seem to mind. The only question to ask at that point was whether it was the FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat's behind or the hundredth!?!And THAT is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever because it reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they've been using your Chapstick on the cat's butt.

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Still busy here but I just had to share this cute story with all the Moms out there.

Be back soon. ;o)

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A Royal Georgian Wedding

A Royal Georgian Wedding

Keeping with the Royal theme I just had to post this.

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I don't have very much spare time to be creative this weekend as I'm trying to finish a post adoption report for the government of Georgia and our little Tamara has the sniffles today :o(.

So far she's called me 3 times and the night is still young.

Anyway... I've been waiting for the pictures and they have finally been released.

I'm doing a copy and paste on the wedding info as I really don't have time right now to flower it up for you all.

OK... ready... grab a glass of bubbly and enjoy!

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Posted By: Sarah Marcus at Feb 8, 2009 at 11:22:43 [General]
Posted in: Foreign Correspondents
Tags:
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David Bagration, Jorge de Bagration y de Mukhrani, Juan Carlos of Spain, Mikheil Saakashvili, Patriarch Ilia II f Georgia, Prince David Bagrationi-Mukhraneli , Princess Anna Bagrationi-Gruzinsky

Sunday the eighth of February has dawned sunny and mild in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, the skies are clear, the breeze is gentle. A perfect day for a royal wedding.
And that is what will take place today in the city's Trinity Cathedral. Sort of.
Today's wedding between Prince David Bagrationi-Mukhraneli and Princess Anna Bagrationi-Gruzinsky will unite two strands of the ancient family who once ruled Georgia. Both the Mukhraneli and the Gruzinsky branch have claimed to be the rightful heirs to the monarchy.
But it is believed that through their union from this day forth there shall no longer be internal strife in the royal house of Georgia.
Furthermore, there are rumours that the beloved and influential Orthodox patriarch of the country, Ilia II, who a couple of years ago voiced his belief that it was time for Georgia to consider a restoration of the monarchy, hopes that any son this couple might have may one day be the first post-Soviet king of Georgia.
However, a spokesperson for the patriarch denied there was any truth in this rumour.
The Bagrationi family ruled a large part of Georgia from around the 9th century until the country was annexed by tsarist Russia in the 19th century. As an aristocratic family of imperial Russia they then fled at the time of the Bolshevik revolution and members of the family ended up dotted around Europe.
The family of Prince David's (the groom's) father, Jorge de Bagration y de Mukhrani eventually settled in Spain after the second world war. Jorge de Bagration y de Mukhrani was a second cousin of Spain's King Juan Carlos and became a famous racing driver. He returned to settle in Tbilisi in 2006 and died there last year, at only 63.
His son David, although born and brought up in Spain, settled here in 2003 and evidently harbours a deep attachment to his native land.
'I think that I am Bagrationi, and Georgian, and this is where I have to live. Life is full of comfort in Spain, but my homeland is Georgia,' he said in an interview with a Georgian paper.
But it's doubtful that the restoration of the monarchy will become anything more than a fantasy in the foreseeable future. While one of the opposition parties, the Christian Democrats, has made some noise in support of Georgia becoming a constitutional monarchy, no one really appears to be taking the issue seriously enough to do much about it.
Although the wedding has received a considerable amount of attention here and 40% of callers to a television show discussing the marriage said they that supported the idea of a constitutional monarchy for the country, many people I've talked to seem to regard the idea as an entertaining diversion from the real issues dogging this country.
Two of Georgia's most revered historical figures, King David the Builder (upon whose tomb Saakashvili took the oath of office when he was inaugurated as president after the Rose Revolution) and Queen Tamar were of the Bagrationi dynasty.
They both managed to bring the country unity and prosperity, probably the two things that many ordinary Georgians long to see in their country above all else today.
In some ways the dream of a restoration of the Bagrationis is a dream of instant escape from today's complex problems into an era when Georgia's glory days might live again.

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Yup... that Queen Tamar is actually what the Georgians refer to as King Tamara.

OK time for pictures.

The Happy Couple

Glad she finally cracked a smile in the 2nd photo. I was getting worried.

Must be the Maid of Honor?


King Tamara. If you look closely you'll see the family resemblance.

OK.. I'm getting punchy... perhaps another round of caffeine?

I'll be back soon... just have to get some stuff done first. ;o)

Special Thanks to Sarah.. great article a real time saver for me.

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Happy Birthday Princess Tamara

Happy Birthday Princess Tamara

Princess Party of course. There are a few days in a girl's life when she can get away with being a Princess in public. The most obvious is probably her wedding day. Then there's the sweet 16 party or Debutant Ball. And of course her 4th Birthday Party. :o)

Since Tamara was named after King Tamara of Georgia I thought it was only natural to celebrate her Royal roots. King Tamara was actually a woman. Her dad the king declared her a king as he realized the King title would command more respect from neighboring kingdoms. She was I believe the only female king in history. Anyway.. King Tamara was an amazingly, brilliant ruler who fought off numerous enemies over her life time. She also banished her 1st husband for lack of performance, remarried and produced two ares to the throne. She brought literacy to Georgia and if I'm not mistaken Christianity? A busy lady filled with compassion, great leadership skills, intelligence and bravery. Just the kind of princess we all hope to raise.

~

Tuesday before her Birthday.

Cupcake day at school. Tamara had a wonderful time at her pre-school party.

Here she is about to eat breakfast.

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Wednesday was her official Birthday.

Tamara blows out her Birthday candle sitting on her pancakes.

Make a wish!

A stack of gifts for her to open after breakfast.

Lily can't wait.

Daddy shows Tamara her Birthday gifts. Tamara seems a little unsure at first.

She wanted to open the large one first but we explained she had to open the smaller ones first.

Video below.. Tamara opens her BIG gift.

A new home for Barbie.


How much fun would this have been when we were kids?


Barbie has to go potty... yeah.. really she does. ;o)

After dinner.. it's cake time.

How old are you now?

Tamara cuts the cake with her baby fork.

Oh... YUM

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A peak inside the dining room. Getting ready for Sunday's BIG Bash.

Tamara's dress arrived from Hong Kong in less then a week?

Her Tiara took almost 2 weeks from Colorado?

Go figure..lol

Our princess loves it.

When the guests started to arrive Tamara and I were upstairs putting the finishing touches on our Royal outfits. Every time the door bell rang.. Tamara would run to the balcony and wave, throw kisses and yell "HI". Just like a real little princess.

Let the games begin... Lisa and Denise chat

Cousin Katie came dressed in costume... that's the spirit!

Princess Tamara beaming

Princess Katie and Princess Tamara

Princes Joseph and Zachary

Wardrobe malfunction in the kitchen.

Princess Morgan shows off her star power

Cousin Amanda and Tamara playing

Love this picture. Amanda my God Daughter with my Daughter.

Too cute!

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Playing "Pin the Tiara on the Princess"

Cousin Nicky takes a turn.

Prince Braydon nails it.

Tamara takes another turn

Tamara watching

Prince Joseph checks out the doll house

The adults enjoying some appetizers

Princess Amanda gets a lesson in chopping.

King Sime & King Nado discuss world affairs while Queen Radmila keeps them in line. ;o)

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The cake... the cake.

"Let them eat cake!" That is what a Queen says isn't it?

I tried to have a black jewel encrusted shirt made that said simply that.

"Let them eat cake"

I thought it might be a humorous.. casual comfy way to dress like a ROYAL.

I thought I found someone on eBay that could / would do it but at the last minute she backed out. Grrrr........

Anyway... this is Princess Tamara's 4th Birthday cake. It took the Queen Mommy about 6-8 hrs to complete. Not counting bake time and sanity break time.
It's been a while since I made one of these. So I forgot a few minor details that really matter like house temperature. Yeah... hind sight being what it is I remembered why I never liked to do these in the summer. So everyone put on an extra layer and Mommy dropped the heat about 5 degrees.

The top tier.. complete with pearl tiara.. actually a crown.

Whip cream frosting in vanilla and strawberry. Inside of crown was filled with pink butter cream roses.

Tier 2 Strawberry whip cream frosting, strawberry moose filling.

Butter cream roses.

Tier 3

Whip cream icing in strawberry and vanilla.

Chocolate moose filling.

Yum... add a cute face and.....

WaLa

A cake fit for a Princess

Tamara gets ready to blow out the candles.

She's been practicing since Daddy's Birthday.

Make a Wish baby girl.

Yay.. she got them all.

Like a true four year old she had to do it..lol

Grandma feeds Tamara some Birthday cake. Although Tamara is capable of feeding herself when Grandma or Baba is around she takes advantage.

Zach, Tamara and Morgan playing together separately.

Time for the Princess Castle pinata.

I had two choices. The first was to let the kids swing a bat in our house?

Yeah... like that's going to happen.

The 2nd was to get a PULL pianta.

I'd rather have them pull my strings then push my buttons. ;o)

Ready?

One.. Two... Two and a half ... Two and three quarters...

I sound like my mother don't I?

Three

Tamara of course wants to see where all the candy came from and figure out how it works.

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Time to open Gifts

At this point Tamara was getting a bit tired. No nap for our little Princess.

Every so often... Tamara would stop. Look up say Hi and wave. Everyone who was watching her thought she was just the cutest thing and they all said Hi and waved back. This went on for about a half hour. Lesson to be learned here. While everyone thought that Tamara was entertaining... waving saying Hi.. It did not compare to the view that Tamara and I had of some 30+ people humoring her by doing the same. Next year I keep a video camera by my side.

Too funny to miss.
Cousins Katie and Amanda helped while Mommy trys to keep track of cards.

Someone said something?

Thank You Everyone

Tamara throws a kiss

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Soft serve cupcakes were a big hit with the kids.

Princess Castle Pianta

Balloons every where

The Foyer

One Party Favor left for the Princess

Adult party favors.

A princess photo magnet for the frig. Pink M&M & Priness mints for the trip home.

The Roses

The Dining Room Royal Buffet

I made two Birthday Banners...

This one was in the Dining room. It featured photos of Tamara through the last year.

More Roses

Details... details

Banner #2

Family room mantle

Some people use guest books..

when you're 4 you get a Tiara signiture pillow for your room.

Remember Barbie?

How glamourous she looked that first day?

Well.. this is how Barbie looked after everyone went home.

Balloons

Sign at the top of the stairs on baby gate.

Worked like a charm.. like Bruce said we should have gotten a baby gate there years ago.

more balloons

Looking down in the foyer

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So the party is over... I'm no longer the proud mother of a 3 year old.. sniff.. sniff.

They grow up so fast don't they?

The party was a great success. Tamara had a blast as did everyone who attended.

Unfortunately we had to keep the guest list shorter then usual on this one. It's amazing how your house shrinks when you have to entertain children.

We are still planning / hoping to have a Spring celebration for Gotcha Day 2009 which will hopefully coninside with a Christening... Yeah .. really ... I know it's about time right?

Anyway... that should have a much more extensive guest list. So all those who live locally can get to meet our little Princess in person.

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I'd like to Thank all those who sent Birthday wishes via blog messages, Face Book post, email and snail mail.

Your thoughtfulness means a great deal to Tamara and her Mommy & Daddy.

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