Blessed...

You'll be blessed... I promise you that.

~

Blessed.. we certainly have been.

The day we found Tamara. The day we received an email from a friend that said ..

"Didn't you say you wanted a 3 year old?" with a contact number attached.

That was January 19, of this year 2008.

Tamara's placement agency was looking for a family for her. They wanted to give her a family for her 3rd Birthday.. the 21st. Ironically we received our court date and orders to travel on my birthday. So both our Birthday wishes came true this year. ;o)

Blessed? Hum.. what does that mean to you?

Is it Health? Family? Money?

What does it take to make you feel Blessed?

For me it means being healthy enough and having the means to do what I know in my heart is the right thing to do. For us it was bringing our daughter home and being able to help some of the many children who were left behind. Yes.. alone we could have made a difference in those childrens lives however temporary but with the help of friends and family we were able to do so much more. Read "We are the world" post.

Why am I bringing this up now you may wonder?

As you know Russia has invaded The Republic of Georgia and they're still lingering about despite the many broken promises they've made to the rest of the world. As a result the baby house we visited and brought a truck load of diapers and supplies to is in trouble. Food has become incredibly expensive in Georgia. The supplies we brought them have run out and as a result several of the children have become seriously ill. As I look at my pictures I can't help but wonder which ones. Is it the little girl who came to me for help with her over alls? The little boy who called me Dada (mama in Georgian)? Is it the sweet little girl that I thought would make a good sister for Tamara? Is it the little girl who needed to go to Germany for medical treatment? I'm pretty sure she didn't get to go before the war broke out.

I'm bringing this up in case any of you would like to help.

Our agency has sent out an emergency relief request to all the families who have adopted from Georgia through them. I'm sure you're thinking that's alot of people but actually it isn't. ROG (Republic of Georgia) doesn't grant many international adoptions.

These are the most recent stats from the US government site.

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PATTERNS OF IMMIGRATION OF ADOPTED CHILDREN TO THE U.S. : Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics reflect the following pattern for visa issuance to Georgian orphans:
Fiscal Year
Number of Immigrant Visas Issued
FY 2007
4
FY 2006
9
FY 2005
12
FY 2004
20
FY 2003
55

~

Our agency will be sending a staff member over in a few weeks to bring whatever funds we are able to collect for the baby house. As soon as they have a total the Georgian staff will get to work to make sure no valuable time is wasted in bringing food and much needed supplies to the children ages zero through 5.

I've copied and pasted the emails into my Blog.

Kathy J. wrote:> Hi All,> First for the good news, the war never got to Tbilisi so the orphanage > and most of the people we know are safe! Now the bad news, food is > harder to get than ever and even more expensive. There is food available > so I don't think they'll get any of the American aid but the orphanage > doesn't have money to buy food for the babies (and getting them food or > money isn't a huge priority for the government right now). Our team in > Georgia would like to buy food and take it to the orphanage but they > need money for this project. Irina is planning on being there in about 2 > weeks but if we can collect some money the team will start before she > arrives. Any amount you can give would be greatly appreciated. If you > send checks to me I'll transfer the money to Georgia.> > Please make checks out to Kathy Johnson and send them to:> > Kathy J ( will provide to those who are interested)..Thanks so much.> Kathy for ADORE> > PS: We'll try to get a few pictures of the food being delivered to the > orphanage.

~

The following email came from Irina who will be traveling to Georgia.

Yes, I am on my way to Tbilisi. Time is short and I have not had time to contact anyone. The situation there is down right critical. Besides food, the baby house needs diapers and medicine. Quite a few kids got critically ill in the last week, most likely due to the poor sanitary conditions.

We do not usually solicit donations, but I hope at least some of you could contribute this time around - even a small amount goes a long way there. I am leaving this Sunday (first to Baku, Azerbaijan), so please contact Kathy if you have any questions or suggestions.Best to all,Irina

~

Anyone who would like to make a donation please email me leek@primeisp.net ASAP for the address and contact information to send checks to. Flag your email high priority please so I find you.

I'm sure a few of you may hesitate contributing and are wondering if we can trust that the children will actually get the food and supplies. Someone actually asked me this very question last week. I'll tell you what I told them. Kathy, Irina and the staff in Georgia I would trust with my life. After all I trusted them with Tamara's life and ours while we were in country. Not to mention the huge amount of cash that we sent / wired and handed over. This staff had countless opportunities to take the money and run. To mess with our heads and hearts. They never did.. not for a second. I believe they are truly in this field for the right reason. To make a difference in the life of a child. They are the fairy God Mothers of all our ROG children.

We feel so strongly about them that if you remember we named Tamara.. Tamara Katarina. Combining the two ladies. Kathy and Irina.

~

I will be working on various fund raisers for ROG children in the future.. as soon as I figure out what kind. ;o) ok.. my fund raising buddies are smiling.lol. Seriously I've been so wrapped up in my new Mommy role I haven't had a chance to get anything moving yet which makes this urgent plea from our placement agency that much more important.

PLEASE send them what ever you can. No child should ever go hungry.

Especially one that we know about.

If you still think you can't make a difference in a child's life just take a look at Tamara's before and after photos. If you could... wouldn't you like to give her a cookie? Sure you would. Well you can't so please send the cookies to her little friends in Georgia. ;o) PLEASE

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***Kathy if you would like me to add your contact information let me know.

***Our personal check is in the mail.

~~

OK... Now for the fun stuff.

It's been a hectic week around here.

We'll start with Sunday... Wake up Tamara time for church.

Below Tamara tries to sneak in a catnap before we leave.

Yup.. she still sucks her thumb.

After church she enjoys some sunshine on the back deck.

Oh.. oh.. she's thinking again. lol

~~

This was a week of pampering my little princess.

This was on our way out to the nail salon. Tamara had her first manicure / pedicure. She loved it. Sorry forgot the camera. Bad Mommy :o(

~

A spontaneous trip to Grandma and Dido's.

Knock.. knock

No one was home... Tamara was very concerned.

Where did they go Mommy?

Waiting on their porch.

Here they are... Group hug. She loves them.

A week of firsts. I took Tamara to the hair salon. I told her every day that Mommy was going to go get her hair done and would she let Karen do her hair? She kept saying "Yeah" nodding yes. So much so I started to wonder if she got it. Well after Karen finished my hair I said to Tamara "you ready?" "Yeah" she said. "You sure?" I asked. "yeah" she responded. "Tamara you're going to sit in my lap and let Karen cut your hair?" "Yeah" she responded.. "Up". Amazing little kid. I got her out of her stroller. Sat her in my lap. Karen but a cape on her and the rest.. well.. look at these pictures. Is she cute or what?

Mommy takes a picture in the mirror.

Karen starts to trim. Checking out the growth pattern, condition and color of her hair. Medium Golden Brown

We've decided to let the layers grow out so her ponytail days are not over yet.

You can see Tamara was very relaxed with Karen. She thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Tamara and Mommy pose for the camera.
When she was finished she was beaming.
Karen adds a hair accessory. Tamara checks out her hair in the mirror.

Tamara and Karen.. her 1st ever hair dresser.

Her 1st ever hair cut. Yes... Mommy came home with her first curl.

~~

OK... I'm still learning. White linen pants on a 3 year old that likes to play ball with Daddy?

OK.. who knows how to get grass stains out?

No I didn't intend on Tamara going outside to play dressed this way. I took her to pre-school to meet MS. Lisa and drop off some forms.

~

Friday.. Pre-school orientation.

Tamara is all dressed and ready to go.

We pulled in at the same time as Zach.. her neighbor and playmate. Same class .. had to get a picture.

Cute stuff no?

During the parents orientation there was a room full of toys for the kids to play with. About 20 adults in the room and probably 25+ kids. Tamara sat on my lap quietly watching the other children play. Once the presentation was over and the crowd thinned out to about half she jumped down and started to play. Smart girl... it was crazy in there.

A work bench. Just like Daddy's.

"Mommy what is this?"

"No idea Baby Girl... looks like a boy toy?"

Playing in a play kitchen. Gotta get one of those.

Tamara and I stayed after. Since I know most of the staff and they were all excited about not only meeting Tamara but having her as a student. Here she is with her teacher "Mrs. Peachtree" as the children call her. ;o)

They had a tea party and colored.By the end of our visit Tamara gave her teacher a hug goodbye. When asked if she liked school she says "yeah" .. she also says she likes Mrs. Peachtree and wants to come back next Tuesday. Her first official day. The day Mommy is supposed to leave her there. Sniff.. Sniff.. hey where are my tissues?

~~~

Brown Bear.. Brown Bear

Brown Bear.. Brown Bear...

.. what do you see?

Tamara watching cartoons with her Brown Bear.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? written by Bill Martin Jr, 1967.

The book is old enough to be in my kindergarten class library. A children's classic illustration / design by Eric Carle.

She fell in love with Brown Bear during our recent trip to Kohl's. A wonderful fund raiser just $5.00 all of which went to children's educational services.

They are not alone.

My little DIVA. Looking stylish.. ready for a road trip with Mommy

Mama.. are we ready?

Taking one of her many dolls for a stroll. She loves it when her clothes match her babies.

Playing at her Grandparents house. Grandma has a secret stash of toys. Shhh.... look in the sewing studio. Shhh... it's under the large pattern cutting table. Shhh... Lift the table skirt.

Here Tamara plays with a truck. Something you won't find in her toy chest at home.

Give Grandma a kiss. As we leave to go home. Grandma smothers her with kisses as cousin Katie peeks in beaming. I'd say these girls have definitely bonded.

On the way home we stopped to watch the cows at a local farm. Tamara loves animals. Cows are interesting but she really seems to have a passion for horses?

Daddy... A pony for Christmas? .. Hum? Nah!

~~

OK... I have a lot.. to add.. but Tamara is about to wake up from her nap. So stay tuned... It's coming.... it's coming. ;o)

~~~

Wind Beneath My Wings...

Wind Beneath My Wings...

You are.

How do you capture a Butterfly on film?

You take a lot of photos.

Tamara loves her new wings.

Fly.. baby fly

Wing adjustment
Pant adjustment. Her 2T's are still slipping.

Fly... Fly




Daddy gives flying lessons. Really he does. Read "oh Ducky" post ;o)










Fly...


Too cute no?

~~



Well it's official we're giving Pre-school a try. About 3 years ago I joined the local Pre-school committee. My mission was to make sure the closest pre-school was one of the best. So I joined the committee and helped them get out of the red and into the black. Helped with fund raising when needed. Attended their Holiday concerts and even helped out with their end of year class trip to a local amusement park. Today I am happy to report their enrollment is up. Financially they're fine. Many of the building upgrades have been made. They're in great shape.

They are ready for Tamara.

Other then having a wonderful staff .. there will be perks for Mommy as well.

First off I've gotten to know the teachers and especially the Director very well. And I am confident they will do their best and keep a close eye on my baby girl.

2nd being on the committee does give me the inside scoop so should there ever be an issue at the school I will know early on and will be able to help with the solution rather then just react after the fact. I prefer to be proactive rather then reactive.

And lastly this year when I attend the holiday concert Tamara will be there singing. When I help out with their class trip... Tamara will be there! ;o) Yay!!!



I was going to wait for the Child Study Team to evaluate her but as it turns out they have been away for the summer and could take 60 to 90 days by law to get their results. So I will have them evaluate her... the public school is supposed to have a great speech therapist should she need one? I'm thinking not but hey.. I'm her Mommy. What do I know?

Anyway.. I didn't want her to miss out on 3 months worth of pre-school waiting for the Board of Ed to do their thing. If Tamara really likes school we will probably have her attend both public early intervention pre-school as well as the private one she's starting next week. Sounds like a lot doesn't it? Actually not that bad. 2-1/2 hrs twice a week per school. We'll see.. it's really up to her at this point. I'm thinking she 'll enjoy it once she realizes Mommy is really coming back to get her. It is possible that she may think at first that it's an orphanage? Eeek!

Pass the Tissues

~~

And YES today is our 100 th day Anniversary of Gotcha Day!

Time does fly when you're having fun. ;o)

More about that later.

~~~

Say Aw...

Say Aw...

Today my suspicions were confirmed. "Say Aw Tamara". She has a new tooth coming through. Tamara has only 16 baby teeth so far.. 17 is on it's way. Hopefully 18,19 & 20 will follow. By 3-1/2 she should have all 20 baby teeth in. It's amazing how a little TLC jump starts her petite self.

I was relieved that she was teething as she's been a fussy eater the last week or so and has been a bit moody. She is also drooling. Very lady like? lol. She has also been giving me a hard time about brushing her teeth this week. Now it all makes sense.

~

Below Tamara and Daddy "say Aw". Cute huh?

Tamara playing ball. She has some pretty cute soccer moves.
Pretending to fly with Daddy.

My little Diva putting on lipstick.

Hold still Daddy... It's Bubble Gum flavored.

~~

Lots of catching up to do these days.

Still have 9K emails in my in box. (If you send me an email.. please flag it or mark it high priority so I find you. Thank You!) Have emails, phone calls to return. Cards / notes to write.

Have to get moving on a new fund raiser for the Georgian Orphanage in Tbilisi. Apparently the cost of food has gone up so much because of the war the Baby House is really struggling to feed the children.

Need to set a date for Tamara's Christening / party.

Tamara has her specialist visits coming up. Wish us luck.. please. ;o)

Need to get her ready for pre-school. She's excited although I don't think she understands pre-school? lol Well I know one of us will be crying. I have no idea how she'll react.

~~~

Ice

"Ice..."

"What did you say?"

"Ice!"

She now says Ice ;o)

Love those new words. We just never know what she'll say next.

Makes it kind of fun.. everyday is a surprise ... every day an adventure.

~

I walked into Tamara's room the other day. Daddy had asked if he could wake her up from her nap. A rare treat for both of them. I wasn't sure which one needed more help? Daddy who was asking Tamara where Mommy keeps her socks or Tamara who needed help getting her shoes on? Too cute.

Below Tamara sits on the floor while Daddy helps with her socks.

and giggles.

"Daddy.. we're home."

Tamara after a day at the mall. She always insists on helping with the packages.

A fun day with Mom. When Daddy has a busy schedule we head out. Try and give him some space. Usually involves shopping, lunch and more shopping.

My little Diva in training .. she's catching on quickly. ;o)

A visit to Grandma and Grandpa's ... below Cousin Katie and Tamara.. being cute.

Cousin Nicky gets in the act. What a bunch of cuties. ;o)

~~~

What a Stitch.. she is

What a Stitch.. she is.

The video below was taken several weeks ago of Tamara imitating Uncle Zoran. As you can clearly see in the video we have a little comedian on our hands. Tamara is so observant she easily imitates people.

Directed by Aunt Olga ;o)

~

One habit we will have to break her of is mimicking other children who misbehave. She will often act out after observing an unruly child in public. Today there was a mother with 6 out of control children. Four of which she kept with her the older two (7 & 9) she sent to the toy department. Tamara and I witnessed these two take a golf club and trash the department. Before this Tamara was behaving like an angel.. after she started acting out and Mommy took her home immediately.

Tamara is still trying to figure out what is expected of her. Trying to figure out how children behave in a free society. She studies children where ever we go. It's hard to shelter her from unruly behavior in public places. I wish more Mommies would remove their children immediately when they start to misbehave. Perhaps it's all those years of not having a screaming child by my side that allows me to see the difference and respect other shoppers shopping experience.

Oh... I can't wait for pre-school. Can't wait to see what bad habits we'll have to address then.

Any Advice? Always Welcome. ;o)

~~~