Life is good

Right now, I'm at Borders (by myself!) with a large coffee and my new (to me) laptop. Ahhh...Nice way to spend a snowy Sunday afternoon:) Elizabeth is at a music concert with our friend Maria, so I've got a couple of hours to myself. I'm loving this "new" laptop. It was my Dad's, he just bought himself a new one and gave his old one to me. I haven't had a laptop since Sept. '09 when mine got stolen :(...So it is AWESOME to have one again. Thanks Dad!!!!!!!!!!
Things are good with Miss E and me. She seems to be getting taller and more grown up by the minute. No new pictures right now, because I sent my camera in for repairs last week. The little orange tab that held in the battery broke. I'm very glad I purchased the warrenty! Anyway, I should be getting my camera back in the next week or so. Can't wait! I need some new pics of my wild child :)

What would you do?

Watch this video. It's from ABC's "What Would You Do?" It shows a scenario where a woman in a restaurant is criticized by her "friend" for adopting a child of a different race. The two women and child in the video are actors. The idea of the show is to see how the other people in the restaurant will react to the situation, and what they will do/say, if anything.

Yeah, my favorite was the woman who said "blackbirds stay with blackbirds and doves stay with doves." Uggg....

About her birth certificate...

So, Elizabeth's adoption was finalized almost 2 years ago, in March of '09. About 7-8 months after that, I recieved her new birth certificate in the mail. On it, it listed me as the mother, and under father, it was blank. When Elizabeth first came to me in 11/07, I was given a copy of her original birth certificate, which of course listed her birth parents J and K under mother and father. Now, I admit, I get a huge thrill out of looking at her new birth certificate and seeing my name listed under "mother." Because I AM her mother. But...I did not give birth to her. On Wednesday, July 11, 2007, I worked all day, and then went to an evening class I was taking at the time. I was not, however, in a hospital near downtown San Diego delivering a baby. It seems like they (whoever "they"is) could could/should come up with a better legal document. My opinion- they should keep they original birth certificate and attach an adendum denoting the adoption, and naming the adoptive parents. But it seems like a lie to list me as E's mother on 7/11/07. I wasn't her mother then. Why can't E's biological parents be kept on the birth certificate, instead of being erased like they never existed? They are part of Elizabeth, and always will be. I thank God every day for E's birthparents. Without them, this beautiful, smart funny little girl, my daughter, would not exist.
It's late, and I'm kind of tired, so I hope this made any sense. I feel like I'm rambling so I guess I'll say good night for now :)

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Happy Valentines Day!

Should I be more of a Tiger Mother?

Ok, late to the party as always, but I wanted to write a little about "Tiger Mothers." By now, just about everyone has heard of Amy Chua, the so-called "Tiger Mother." If you haven't, you can read about her in this article. When I first read about Ms. Chua, I thought, omg, she is awful!! The meanest mother ever!! No play dates? No sleep overs? Forced piano or violin practice for

3 + hours every day?? Throwing away a birthday card that your child hand made for you because it wasn't "good enough"? Unbelievable. But...after reading a little more about her and her comments following that controversial WSJ article, I started thinking about her style of parenting versus "western" parenting. By "western parenting", Chua means heaping on the praise, not encouraging competiveness, not requiring straight A's or much of anything else from one's children.

Many aspects of Chua's parenting style are off putting to me. In many ways, as a parent, I am her polar opposite. I could no more be a "Tiger Mother" than I could grow another nose. It just isn't in me to be a drill sargeant, to deny my child play time with her friends or to refuse a card she's made me (even if I sensed she'd just "dashed it off").

However...I think I have to guard against going too far in the other direction with my daughter. Guard against being too much of that "western parent" that Chua maligns. I do have a tendency to over-praise Elizabeth (good job! good job!). I don't want to be a hard ass, but there is something to be said for saving the praise for when something really merits it. As Elizabeth gets older, I want her to be happy, of course. But I hope I won't forget also, to expect certain things of her. Things like trying her best at school, doing certain chores at home. I hope I won't be so laid back, or soft, that she won't ever learn to push herself, or to work hard at something. I want her to have high expectations of herself, and not settle for sliding by with C's at school if she can do better. I want my daughter to have a happy, fun childhood. So of course I will let her have play dates, and sleep overs, and be in the school play if she wants. But if she's going to be in that school play, I want her to be the best she can be in it.

(Another) snow day...:)

Had fun at home today with my girl, making Play Dough cookies, playing "Dance Party", and watching some Dora :)

My little chef

Helping me cook the rice for dinner :)

Elizabeth funnies

Elizabeth is very talkative and is always coming out with things that crack me up. I want to make sure I write them down before I forget them. Here are a few that come to mind:

Upon getting into the car one morning: "Mommy, it smells kind of funky in here."

Elizabeth: Mommy, you are a poop!
Me: Oh, I don't like that, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth: Hey, I know what will cheer you up, Mama, a lollipop!

Me: Thank you for picking up your toys, sweetie
Elizabeth: It was my pleasure!

Me: Would you like a little piece of this Sni*ckers Bar, Elizabeth?
Elizabeth: Thank you, Mommy, that's very helpful!

Funny girl! :)