As if...

I don't have 3 million other things to be doing right now but instead I made this. Thanks Sonja for the good laugh. I needed it today. Now showing...the Womble 4 dancing to a peppy rendition of "Jingle Bells". :-)

Go here. Watch this...

"This is the best birthday ever"

Those were the words out of J's mouth when asked about his birthday. Party #2 (with our family) was on his real birthday. He is officially 5 years old now and quick to tell you if you ask.



and the newly crowned birthday Princess, sash and all...

Happy 5th Birthday to our little man...

Our little man turns five years old today. Wasn't it just yesterday we held our little blue eyed wonder for the first time? Daddy's eyes, Mommy's nose and head full of the darkest hair you have ever seen. Wasn't it just yesterday our whole world changed in an instant. Five years has flown by so quickly...so many stories...so many memories...so many hearts filled with love for one amazing little boy. This month has been full of Debbie Downer posts so I'll spare you any more. Happy Birthday little man. You are strong. You are sweet. You are smart. You are brave. You are loved...today, tomorrow and always.






My little son and I
--author unknown

I took his eager little hand-
I let him lead the way
I didn't do the laundry
There's more important things today.
The wall has tiny handprints
From jam and butter toast,
Instead of tidying up a bit
We took the path he chose.
We had a grand adventure,
My little son and I,
We built a fort of sticks and stones
With windows to the sky.
We watched the clouds make sheep and bears
and a giant dinosaur.
To him the world's a playground
to wander and explore.
We waded in a bubbling brook
where minnows swim with ease.
We watched a robin feed her young,
then she floated on the breeze.
We found a glade down in the woods
And now my small son knows
How mama squirrel hides her nest
Where the mighty oak tree grows.
You see he is the oak tree
Just a sappling on its way,
to grander, greater, nobler things
A King he'll be someday.
My dishes went unwashed today,
I didn't make the bed,
And if my windows do not shine
His eyes will shine instead.
I didn't sweep the floors,
there are cobwebs on the stair,
In twenty years, no one around will know
or even care.
But I have helped my tiny boy
To a handsome young man grow,
and those who knew him as a child
Will look, and see, and know.

Daredevil...

I guess it seemed like a good idea when she was climbing up. Once she got up there, it was a different story.

Happy Thankful Thanksgiving Thursday...

May we all take time today and be thankful for the many blessings we enjoy. I have decided that if you make this effort you will be rewarded with a Calorie Free Day! So, eat that last piece of pie and be thankful for it. It will never make it to your thighs. :-) Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family...

"Give thanks in all circumstances...." ~1 Thessalonians 5:18

Public Service Announcement: Birthday Cake...

One should never assume that just because Publix has the cake you want on their website that they have it in your local store. J wanted this cake (in boy colors of course)...I show up to Publix on Friday to order J's cake and all they have is a pink, purple and teal ice cream cake for girls in their book. None of their cakes can be changed to boy colors due to copyright policies so that was not going to work. They can order the Scooby Doo and Shaggy Mystery Machine kit from another store but it won't arrive until Tuesday. That's three days too late...

What does a desperate Momma do when all else fails? She goes to WalMart. Honestly, I despise Walmart and try hard not to EVER shop there. I won't say I NEVER go there but we deliberately try not to if we can find it elsewhere (that's another post in itself). So, I schlepped it over to Wally World to order my son's cake and gave them all the specifics. They were EVEN going to make it boy colors AND a pull-a-part cupcake cake at no extra charge. Copyright...schnopyright...Woohoooo...maybe Walmart isn't so bad after all? Ha.

I show up an hour before his party to pick up the birthday cake. OK, it looks OK, a little sloppy and it's certainly no Rebekah Lacy but it will do. Off to the checkout...HEY, wait a minute...they forgot the Happy Birthday J!!! It's just a blank cake!

Me: "Excuse me, but could you please have someone put his name on it?" (You know, the name I wrote down and clarified the correct spelling twice before I left?)
Walmart girl: "Oh, I wonder why they didn't do that? I'm so sorry but there's noone here that can do that right now."
Me: "Noone?"
Walmart girl: "Noone. I mean, you know, I could TRY to do it for you" (shrugging her shoulders)
Me: "Ummmmmmmm...no thanks"

What to do? What to do? What to do? I've got it! I'll call Rebekah. Rebekah, my sweet wonderful friend who usually makes all of our birthday cakes but happens to be cookin' a little baby in her belly right now and cake making is on the back burner this year, you know THAT Rebekah. "Rebekah! Could you PAAAALLLLEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZ help me? blah blah blah I hate Walmart blah blah blah. Yes, you can? Oh, thank you my friend, you are awesome" Click. So, what does my sweet and talented friend Rebekah whip up at a last minutes notice...Could it be the niftiest last minute HB sign in all the world? I think it is the cutest part of what I now lovingly refer to as "the ghetto cake". Ghetto cake=cheap, a bit sloppy, relatively tasty but made by someone who forgot the most important part of a birthday cake...the HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY ______!

So, in true Public Service Announcement form, what did I learn from all of this?

1. Do not wait to the last minute to order a birthday cake.
2. Do not assume you are OK to wait until the last minute because the picture is online.
3. Do not order a cake from Walmart (unless you are OK with the risks)
4. Do not meander through everyday life without great friends who can save your tush at a moments notice. (Thanks for saving the day Rebekah!)

Scooby Dooby Doooooooo Par-tay!

This year we (by we I mean Daddy) decided we needed to have two separate parties for J.'s 5th birthday...one for his pals and one for his family. After much discussion and wishy-washy decision making, the party boy finally decided upon an afternoon of indoor play gym and a jumpy house. To our four year old, no party is complete without a jumpy house. Since he has a late November birthday a jumpy house has never been an option. Well, until we found out our local YMCA does an INDOOR jumpy house party. Supposedly, they take care of everything. :-)Indoor play gym...cake...ice cream...CapriSuns...presents. Then we were off to the jumpy house. All the big kids were having a great time in the jumpy house. Hair was flying, smiles were plastered on little faces and happy screaming was heard for miles. We discovered there was an issue pretty quickly after all eight of them were inside. Two holes in the floor of the jumpy house...hmmmm...not good for the one thing your son has been looking forward to. Two to three at a time was not the plan but was necessary to keep the jumpy house afloat. Thankfully there were balls in the gym to help keep them occupied until it was their turn to jump.Overall I think J had a fun Scooby Dooby Doooooo Party. 10 little people had a great time including one baby sister who was not up for the group photo op. Special thanks to all of our pals who were able to make it. It was great to see you and we hope you had a grand 'ole time. Unfortunately, several of his pals were sick, out of town or celebrating Thanksgiving a bit early today. Either way, I think J had a wonderful time and he's looking forward to par-tay #2 on his "real" birthday.

And just to prove she really was present at ZsaZsa's birthday...


Does anyone else hear whistling and thoughts of boredom here?

the Womble juice box stealer strikes again...

They are home...

safe and sound. There has been a fund established for Hannah at a bank in their hometown of Lansing, MI. If you would like to forego your Starbucks coffee stop this month or the new pair of boots you've been eyeing, send your checks to:

Hope For Hannah
Fifth Third Bank
6446 S. Cedar St.
Lansing, MI 48911

This Mother works part-time at Wal-mart and her husband was head custodian at a Magnet School in Lansing. They tried to have children for 12 years before deciding to adopt Hannah. I am sure any contribution would be welcomed. My check will be in the mail tomorrow. Will you join me?

Update on family in China and Thankful Thursday...

Very late tonight, it was confirmed that Sandi Sheldon and her daughter Hannah are on their way home to the United States. The offices listed along with many others were inundated with calls and emails from friends, family and adoptive parents from all over the world in support of this Mother and her daughter. I read that the office of both the Senator and Congressman received over 1000 phone calls by lunch time yesterday. I have to say I was very disappointed in the actions of the US Embassy in Guangzhou though I know they were only following the rules. Yes, there are rules and yesterday we saw that some rules are made to be broken. Congressman Mike Rogers and Senator Debbie Stabenow, both from Sandi's home state, along with our very own Secretary of State Condolezza Rice were instrumental in making this happen. They were the hands and feet that God used to resolve such a terrible situation.

This story, this MOTHER, has weighed heavy on my heart the past two days. I'm not sure how your heart can feel pure joy and overwhelming heartache in unison. Becoming a first time Mother and a widow at the same time? I can't really process that. I am imagining it. She is living it. So, tonight, my heart is heavy and raw and aching for a woman that I do not even know living circumstances that I hope and pray I never have to live. It is Thankful Thursday today. I have missed the past two weeks because I have been busy. Too busy to take the time to be thankful which is the very reason I started Thankful Thursday to begin with. Pathetic, I know it is.

--Today I am thankful that I have an amazing husband who loves our children without condition
--Today I am thankful that he is healthy, hard-working and a determined provider for our family
--Today I am thankful that he loves the Lord and desperately wants to be someone that his children will view as a good example in which to model
--Today I am thankful that God has given me the opportunity to be his wife and their Mother
--Today I am thankful that someday in the near future we will grow our family with a little girl who may have never known the love of a Father or the joy of a family
--Today I am thankful that God has given me a passion for adoption.
--Today I am thankful He has blessed me with a husband who has a heart the size of Texas. He may not share my eating-sleeping-breathing-overwhelming PASSION for all things adoption. However, he does share with me the desire to open his heart to a little girl who will some day find herself without the love and guidance of an earthly Father.
--Today I am thankful that God has made it possible for Sandi Sheldon to bring her daughter home. Home to the love of a Mother and the stories of a Father who wanted her and loved her despite the circumstances. I hope and pray that someday her Mother will tell her the story of her Father. I pray that someday she will know that the six days he spent with her as her Daddy were his dream come true.

Urgent Prayers Needed for family in China...

Please please please join me in prayer on behalf of Sandi Sheldon and her daughter Hannah who are currently in China. Sandi and her husband Dennis left for China at the end of October with a Bethany group to meet their children and finalize the adoptions of those precious children. This is their first baby. After being united with their daughter Hannah, Dennis suffered from diabetic shock and passed away (while in China). Now Sandi may be forced to leave China without her new daughter. Please read the following message posted on the Bethany boards and in addition to prayer, please call Sandi's representatives in Michigan to help get this situation straightened out.

{message}
The US Consulate in Guangzhou, China has denied Sandi Sheldon permission to proceed with the adoption of Hannah. They want her to fill out a new I-171 and are making no guarantees after that. Sandi, of course does not want to leave China and leave Hannah here because she has no where to go. Sandi needs our help desparately! Please start a massive campaign of calling to her US Congressman and US Senator and urge them to intervene on Sandi's behalf. We have discussed this with Sandi and she wants our help. Please pressure these elected officials to contact the State Department and straighten this out. Sandi should not be denied Hannah's adoption because her husband passed away unexpectedly. The adoption has been finalized here in China.

Sandi's congressman is Mike Rogers. His Washington office number is 202 225 4872. His Michigan office number is 517 702 8000, he also has a toll free number 1-877-333-MIKE. He can be contacted through is website at http://www.mikerogers.house.gov/Contact.aspx

Sandi's US Senator is Debbie Stabenow. Her Washington DC number is 202 224 4822 and her Michigan office number is 517 203 1760. Her email address is senator@stabenow.senate.gov

Everyone should try to help and call these people until they get final approval. We should continue to pray that her adoption is finalized quickly and that Sandi can return home to Michigan with Hannah as soon as possible.
{end message}

If you feel so inclined, and I personally ask that you take the time to do this, please send a quick email or phone call to anyone you think might be able to help this Mother. Your Congressman, Senator, Representative, our Secretary of State, our PRESIDENT! Whoever. The mere thought of this woman losing her husband AND her daughter of only two weeks just brings me to tears. Below is the email I sent. Feel free to copy and paste.

To whom it may concern:

It has come to my attention that the US Consulate in Guangzhou, China has denied Michigan resident, Sandi Sheldon, permission to proceed with the adoption of her daughter in China due to the recent and unexpected death of her husband. I urge your office to intervene on Sandi Sheldon's behalf. Sandi should not be denied by the US government the adoption of her daughter because her husband passed away unexpectedly. More than ever, she deserves to continue the legacy that she and her husband began together.

Sincerely,
your name here
city, state

to our Dr. Anna...

Nearly five years ago, four weeks before J's birth, Daddy and I spent an entire day interviewing local Pediatricians. That seemed like such a monumental task at the time and I was thoroughly prepared. I spent weeks contemplating all of the questions I would ask: education, background, experience, immunizations, antibiotics, breast feeding, blah blah blah. I had a list and, believe me, I had checked it more than twice. Armed with my little notebook, we paraded into each office with the intention of finding the right person for us.

Enter Dr. Anna...a young, intelligent, extremely personable Pediatrician who was, like me, expecting her first child. She answered all of our questions the way we had hoped and we left with her at the top of our list. I was hesitant in the beginning because I wanted to be sure I wasn't choosing her based on personality. I loved her from the first minute I met her so I didn't want that to jade our decision. Daddy was certain she was THE ONE regardless of her nice factor; so, we went with it. Little did we know how important that decision would prove to be over the next few years.

We spent a lot of time with Dr. Anna after J's arrival, much more than we ever dreamed we would on that first afternoon meeting. Those first few months we talked almost daily, either in the office or on the phone. Some days I called her. Some days she called me. Many days she called to check on J. Many days she called to check on me. It didn't take long to discover she was not JUST our Pediatrician, she was our friend.

Each and every time J was admitted to our nearby Children's Hospital, she was on the phone with hospital staff every single day, sometimes more than once. When she hung up the phone with them, she was on the phone with us. She was J's #1 advocate and OUR #1 resource. In those first few months, we experienced some of the toughest days of our life with her by our side. Three months after J was born, she took some time off for the birth of her son. It was during this time that J's specialist decided he needed to do surgery. We were scared. to. death. but did not want to bother her on maternity leave. She deserved time to spend with her baby just like everyone else. Although, I did ask her partner to inform her of what was going on when he spoke with her. He agreed (though I secretly doubted he would pass it on). Both Daddy and I vividly remember the phone call we received in the Recovery Room immediately after surgery...it was Anna. She was at home with her two week old son but still found the time to call about J. I had never been so happy to hear her sweet voice on the other end. There was something so comforting in knowing that, even while at home taking care of HER newborn son, she was still thinking of OURS.The next few years brought a few more ups and downs with our little man. Though we knew she had many little people to care for, it always seemed as if our J. was her only patient. I think she has the ability to make everyone feel that way. She always had the time for whatever question or concern at any given moment. She always answered honestly, even if it wasn't what we wanted to hear at the time. While on maternity leave with her second child, she spent an entire morning with us at J's much anticipated (and dreaded) appointment with another specialist. We had anticipated this appointment for months. It meant so much to us to have her by our side on such a big scary day. It was even more special to celebrate the "end of an era" so to speak when we received the good news we had been praying for. I bet she needed a little extra oxygen after I tackled her with the biggest bear hug known to man two steps out the office door. Who better to celebrate such a big day than with the person who held our hand every step of the way?

Fast forward a couple years, add another baby to the Womble mix, and she is still one of our favorite people on the planet. MG brought with her a new set of fears and anxieties for us. We were quickly reminded that MG was her own little person. God makes all of our babies different for a reason and we can not confuse or compare them with each other.

So, are you wondering why in the world I am posting this yet? Well, as of today, our friend Anna will no longer be "our Dr. Anna", as J calls her. She will still be a phone call or a playdate away; but for now, the Womble charts will have to find a new home. Much to our dismay, "our Dr. Anna" has moved on to bigger and better things. Bigger and better things equals a new job title, a new address and a new zip code. A new zip code for her equals the need for a new Pediatrician for us. Are we thrilled about that? Ummm, NO. Are we thrilled for her? Well, OF COURSE we are!! It is bittersweet.

This photograph was taken at MG's last well visit before "our Dr. Anna's" last week in the office back in September. I have been working on this post for that long. I was going to do a little PhotoShop work to make everyone look camera perfect but I changed my mind. MG was not in the mood for a photo op, J was dominating the entire visit even though it was MG's appointment and there is "our Dr. Anna" smiling sweetly in the background with two squirmy Womble kiddos in her lap. I think those raised eyebrows mean something like...HURRY UP AND TAKE THE PICTURE ALREADY!

Hopefully sometime in the next few days, in the midst of boxes and moving chaos, "our Dr. Anna" is going to stumble upon this post. Anna, this is what we want you to know...

I can not find the perfect words to describe to you how precious you are to our family. If we had not been thrown onto the Womble roller coaster ride we probably wouldn't even be friends today. I imagine you would have remained just another MD in our address book and we would have remained just another family. Funny how things work, isn't it? Your insight, both professionally and personally, has been more valuable than you will ever know. I've told you 100 times over the past 5 years but you were (and still are) truly a God send to us. I know we still have many playdates and long winded Mommy catch-up conversations to go...they will just take place with a mini road trip between us. We love you and wish you the very best in your new job description. We can not wait to see what God has in store for you and your family as you begin this new chapter.

Sending you big, I mean HUGE, hugs from the Womble four...
M

A Big Girl!

A big girl in a big girl chair eating her big girl breakfast. I think she's pretty happy about it.

Weird?

**UPDATE: Looks like everything is fixed now. If you are still having trouble viewing in IE6 or IE7 please let me know. Otherwise, all links are again at your service. :-) Wooohooo!

If you are having trouble commenting OR if random posts are in all italics OR if the side bar is all italics would you send me an email and let me know. Something is up with Blogger. Email to the right. If hyperlink is not working send to jmwomble99@comcast.net Thanks.

COCK-a-DOODLE doo!

It was 6:00 PM last evening when the napless son started to BEG and PLEAD for bedtime. He NEEEEVVVVEEEERRRR does that...EVER! He hits the ground running every morning at WARP SPEED. No need to slowly work into the day. That's not a choice for our J. He is full steam ahead and doesn't wind down until he is in his room and preparing himself for either naptime or bedtime. Yesterday, he was one sleep too short. Not long after the sun went down, he was literally throwing himself in the floor and yelling "I NEED TO GO TO BED! I AM SOOOO TIRED! I NEED TO SLEEP!" blah.blah.blah.drama.drama.drama. We fought it for about 45 minutes with the "HE CAN'T GO TO BED BEFORE 7...that's crazy" routine until we had had all the drama we could stand. So, both kids in bed at 6:47 PM. That may be a Womble record. We came downstairs and caught the last 10 minutes of Funniest Videos before our Sunday night threesome began (EM-HE, DH and B&S). WOW! We ate popcorn, we talked, we just hung out. It was weird and great at the same time. About 8:20 Daddy got up to get something and the next thing I know, there was snoring coming from our room. He had fallen asleep too...at 8:20 PM! So, there I was in the midst of a silent house. I finished the Sunday night lineup and then took my pal Kim's advice and got busy on my list while the house was asleep. I hit the pillow at 1 hoping and praying the children would sleep a little longer in the morning.

COCK-a-DOODLE doo!

We awoke to the sound of the ottoman rolling across the hardwood as our son tried to scavenge the candy from the top shelf of the kitchen cabinet. It was 5:45 AM and we have no idea how long he had been up. It's safe to say it had been a while. He said "I was up watching TV but I was VERRRRRRYYY quiet so you wouldn't hear me". At least he was honest but does everyone remember what happened the last time he was up and I didn't know it. Ha. Much to my dismay, guess who else was already awake for the day? It is not abnormal for J to be up this early but it IS abnormal for BOTH of them to be up before six. Everyone say it with me...WE HATE THE TIME CHANGE...WE HATE THE TIME CHANGE...one more time...WE HATE THE TIME CHANGE!