I was thinking about some of my favorite tv shows from when I was a child...when my dad was still alive and I would occasionally get to stay up a little later to watch something while sitting in his lap. Like Family Affair or Hazel or That Girl. How about Flipper, Rin Tin Tin, Lassie, Leave it to Beaver, Ozzie and Harriet, I Dream of Jeannie, Petticoat Junction, Beverly Hillbillies, Gomer Pyle, Andy What-was-His-Name?, Mr. Ed, F Troop, Hogan's Heroes.
Then later on, junior high-ish?, watching The Partridge Family and The Brady Bunch on Friday nights. Or Love: American Style, Laugh-In, All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Mary Tyler Moore, The (original) Bob Newhart Show, M*A*S*H, Happy Days.
I went to Amazon.com and checked out what is available now on DVD. At least a season or two is available for most of these shows! I was in heaven just looking around (while my coffee wears of so I can go to bed!).
Mind you, I already have 2 seasons of Bewitched--one of my old favorites and Munchkin even loves watching an episode with me now and then. In fact, when she was an infant, BikeBoy was away for a weekend visiting his terminally ill mom and Munchkin and I were both really sick. Nick-at-night was running all the episodes of Bewitched in order for an entire weekend. My sick little Munchkin and I snuggled practically all weekend on the couch, watching episode after episode of Bewitched. Even today, if I put in the DVD and she hears that theme song ("dah dum, dah dum, dah dah dah dah dah dum...") she comes running from the hinterlands to check it out! How funny that she remembers that!
And last weekend an old Lassie movie was on the TMC on cable and BikeBoy, Munchkin and I caught the last 30 minutes after coming home from the park. We all loved it! I forgot how much I loved that sweet show. TV back then was so different from current shows...so naive and protected. Maybe it brings back feelings in me of a time when I was naive and protected...especially those very early shows when my dad was alive and I had not a care in my tiny world. Then I remembered that, after he died, I watched Family Affair with a new mindset--that I was half an orphan and that I knew a little bit of how Buffy, Jody, and Cissy must have felt.
And, on that note...goodnight!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
That's what I'm talkin' 'bout...
http://notsocalm.wordpress.com/
Adoptive parents wearing hanboks. I don't like it. I won't ever do it. I think it is wrong, personally, although some of my friends obviously don't think that it is since they do it.
Thank goodness for Mee Hee Park's comment and Sang-Shil's response to it on 1/12 and 1/13 (see the post from 1/11 "Who's Your Appa?"). I've never voiced my opinion on this before (other than here!)--too embarrassed that my opinion will offend/hurt my friends but I never thought about the act of wearing the hanbok as being truly offensive to Korean adoptees themselves. I have thought that they might think it was odd but I never imagined that it might go deeper than that. How timely is this, too, since when we were asked by one of the local Korean Adoptee/Family organizations (which runs the Lunar New Year celebration and a summer camp program) to attend a ceremony for Korean-American Day at the State Capitol Building last weekend (which we missed, unfortunately) we were told that adults should basically wear-em-if-you've-got-em (regarding hanboks, that is)...so they wanted the adoptive families in their hanboks, too.
I always think that much of Munchkin's culture is to be shared...Korean art, Korean music, Korean traditions, Korean food. But I feel so uncomfortable at the thought of wearing Korean traditional dress--I feel that privilege is hers and hers alone and that it is almost irreverent for me to even think of it.
OTOH, I do have a necklace which says "mom" in Korean on it...I wear it often and love it. I never ever thought that this made me Munchkin's Korean Mom or that I somehow replaced her Korean Mom by wearing the necklace with the word on it. It makes me think twice about that now. I may still wear it but at least I'm mindfully wearing it now when I do. We don't call Munchkin's birthmom Umma we refer to her as Birth Mama or Korean Mom and sometimes First Mom.
And, JFTR, I do consider our family unit to be Korean now. Just as --when BikeBoy and I married-- I considered our family to be Irish/Native American (both via BikeBoy) as well as French-Canadian/English/Scottish (all via me)...we are now partly Korean as a family, too. But that does not make ME a Korean-American, nor does it make Munchkin a Korean-American-French-Canadian-Irishman. She is Korean by birth, American by citizenship so she is, therefore, Korean-American now. That's it.
So, a big thank you to Sang-Shil and Mee Hee Park for their thoughts which I had the opportunity to read today! I have Sang-Shil's blog on my feeds list now--hoping to learn more (or at least open my eyes more!).
Adoptive parents wearing hanboks. I don't like it. I won't ever do it. I think it is wrong, personally, although some of my friends obviously don't think that it is since they do it.
Thank goodness for Mee Hee Park's comment and Sang-Shil's response to it on 1/12 and 1/13 (see the post from 1/11 "Who's Your Appa?"). I've never voiced my opinion on this before (other than here!)--too embarrassed that my opinion will offend/hurt my friends but I never thought about the act of wearing the hanbok as being truly offensive to Korean adoptees themselves. I have thought that they might think it was odd but I never imagined that it might go deeper than that. How timely is this, too, since when we were asked by one of the local Korean Adoptee/Family organizations (which runs the Lunar New Year celebration and a summer camp program) to attend a ceremony for Korean-American Day at the State Capitol Building last weekend (which we missed, unfortunately) we were told that adults should basically wear-em-if-you've-got-em (regarding hanboks, that is)...so they wanted the adoptive families in their hanboks, too.
I always think that much of Munchkin's culture is to be shared...Korean art, Korean music, Korean traditions, Korean food. But I feel so uncomfortable at the thought of wearing Korean traditional dress--I feel that privilege is hers and hers alone and that it is almost irreverent for me to even think of it.
OTOH, I do have a necklace which says "mom" in Korean on it...I wear it often and love it. I never ever thought that this made me Munchkin's Korean Mom or that I somehow replaced her Korean Mom by wearing the necklace with the word on it. It makes me think twice about that now. I may still wear it but at least I'm mindfully wearing it now when I do. We don't call Munchkin's birthmom Umma we refer to her as Birth Mama or Korean Mom and sometimes First Mom.
And, JFTR, I do consider our family unit to be Korean now. Just as --when BikeBoy and I married-- I considered our family to be Irish/Native American (both via BikeBoy) as well as French-Canadian/English/Scottish (all via me)...we are now partly Korean as a family, too. But that does not make ME a Korean-American, nor does it make Munchkin a Korean-American-French-Canadian-Irishman. She is Korean by birth, American by citizenship so she is, therefore, Korean-American now. That's it.
So, a big thank you to Sang-Shil and Mee Hee Park for their thoughts which I had the opportunity to read today! I have Sang-Shil's blog on my feeds list now--hoping to learn more (or at least open my eyes more!).
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Ethiopia is looking more and more promising...
BikeBoy and I have been talking a lot this week about the adoption of child #2. I think we will end up pursuing an older child (like maybe 4 years old, another girl) from Ethiopia. I am trying to do a bit of research while we wait (wait to decide if/when we're moving back East to help out my mom more; wait to decide to totally rule out our planned China adoption secondary to the 4-5 yr expected waits).
I have asked my friend B about her experiences due to my worries about safe travels in/out of Ethiopia. It's a little scary to me since the country is surrounded by other countries which are in turmoil...it is within 500 miles of Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Uganda and only a couple of thousand miles from Afganistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran... Not that 2K miles or even 500 miles is very close but it is close enough to be within the same country if we were here in the US, KWIM? And the fact that there doesn't seem to be a friendly border at all with Ethiopia (and no way out via water either) makes me a little claustrophobic.
At the same time, though, I am getting very interested in this beautiful country and it's people. I wish BikeBoy and Munchkin could go with me but--assuming we do continue with this process--it's doubtful that we can all go (too much money, too hard a trip for Munchkin, etc.). It will be weird to meet our new child by myself. I may see if one of my close cousins or friends can travel with me if we can't go as a family.
And, I need to familiarize myself with the adoption of older children and with the care of African hair! Munchkin's hair is so thick, straight and smooth...very different from my hair and very different from her future sister's hair! What a journey this may be! Please keep your fingers crossed. We probably will not make a firm decision until mid-2008.
I have asked my friend B about her experiences due to my worries about safe travels in/out of Ethiopia. It's a little scary to me since the country is surrounded by other countries which are in turmoil...it is within 500 miles of Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Uganda and only a couple of thousand miles from Afganistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran... Not that 2K miles or even 500 miles is very close but it is close enough to be within the same country if we were here in the US, KWIM? And the fact that there doesn't seem to be a friendly border at all with Ethiopia (and no way out via water either) makes me a little claustrophobic.
At the same time, though, I am getting very interested in this beautiful country and it's people. I wish BikeBoy and Munchkin could go with me but--assuming we do continue with this process--it's doubtful that we can all go (too much money, too hard a trip for Munchkin, etc.). It will be weird to meet our new child by myself. I may see if one of my close cousins or friends can travel with me if we can't go as a family.
And, I need to familiarize myself with the adoption of older children and with the care of African hair! Munchkin's hair is so thick, straight and smooth...very different from my hair and very different from her future sister's hair! What a journey this may be! Please keep your fingers crossed. We probably will not make a firm decision until mid-2008.
Los Santos Reyes Festival...
A belated post to say how fun this festival was! We attended at the invitation of another family (family whose daughter takes piano lessons w/Munchkin) and it was such a neat time! It started with an hour-long show featuring a play about "Los Santos Reyes"...kind of a second Christmas that Hispanic people celebrate--the Three Kings bring gifts for the children. That was cute (it was performed by students from the local elementary school) and was followed by dancers in Mexican costumes performing to recorded Mariachi music...beautifully done! Then there was a Mexican dinner...beans and rice, soft shredded pork tacos, spicy chicken pasta, churros and cookies. THEN...all the children in attendance had been given a raffle number as they entered...when we walked into the cafeteria to eat our food we saw that one whole wall of the room was packed with wrapped gifts! Well, the called out numbers until every child in the room went home with a wrapped present! Most gifts were reasonably small (like Munchkin's: a few pieces of candy, some Dora the Exploratrice holiday ornaments, and a tennis ball) but there were a few huge boxes and several big pinatas! At any rate the entertainment was fun, the food was yummy, the company was nice...the whole thing was free. Unbelievable how generous the town was to put this event on for the children. Very cool.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
I am Gumdee, damnit! and thoughts on infertility and atheism, while we're at it...
Munchkin found BikeBoy's and my old Gumby doll and asked what it was. I youtubed some old episodes of "Gumby and Pokey" and she liked them (made me watch 4 of them in a row...heck, they weren't nearly as neat as my memory recalled!). She cannot remember Gumby's name, though...usually calls him Gumdee or Dumdee or Dundee! It is cracking us up! Almost as funny as "hang-gerber" for hamburger!
Now, onto infertility and atheism. Not that they are connect whatsoever except for the fact that people like to admit neither. IMHO, as someone who experienced infertility to the nth degree, it is something to be talked about, discussed even. I mean, I'm not advocating yacking on and on endlessly about it as many pregnant women will about their expanding girths (bitter? Me? Nah!) but it is not something to be ashamed of and maybe if we all talked about it a bit more openly it might help someone else, KWIM? There are options...treatment options, options to become a parent, etc. There are options...if you want to be a parent there is almost always a way.
That brings me to atheism. Why will no one admit to that either? Are they afraid of the wrath of a G/god they don't even believe exists? Are they afraid that the religious majority will somehow brand them with a virtual red "A" on their foreheads? There are lots of us out there and probably more and more every day. It's not a bad way to live...being skeptical of something of which there is absolutely (!) no certainty. I like to think that each of us has our own beliefs and that that is okay...whatever soothes our souls and comforts us in time of need (and some people need nothing and that is okay, too). I think atheism should be discussed more openly so that more atheists, agnostics, humanists, etc. would come out of the closet. Where are you, fellow disbelievers and questioners? On that note, head on over to the PBB website where Dale McGowan is now offering "webinars" that sound totally cool!
Now, onto infertility and atheism. Not that they are connect whatsoever except for the fact that people like to admit neither. IMHO, as someone who experienced infertility to the nth degree, it is something to be talked about, discussed even. I mean, I'm not advocating yacking on and on endlessly about it as many pregnant women will about their expanding girths (bitter? Me? Nah!) but it is not something to be ashamed of and maybe if we all talked about it a bit more openly it might help someone else, KWIM? There are options...treatment options, options to become a parent, etc. There are options...if you want to be a parent there is almost always a way.
That brings me to atheism. Why will no one admit to that either? Are they afraid of the wrath of a G/god they don't even believe exists? Are they afraid that the religious majority will somehow brand them with a virtual red "A" on their foreheads? There are lots of us out there and probably more and more every day. It's not a bad way to live...being skeptical of something of which there is absolutely (!) no certainty. I like to think that each of us has our own beliefs and that that is okay...whatever soothes our souls and comforts us in time of need (and some people need nothing and that is okay, too). I think atheism should be discussed more openly so that more atheists, agnostics, humanists, etc. would come out of the closet. Where are you, fellow disbelievers and questioners? On that note, head on over to the PBB website where Dale McGowan is now offering "webinars" that sound totally cool!
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
My own personal Salmon...
I keep forgetting to write about this. Back in October the salmon are swimming upstream around here, trying to get back to their birthplaces to spawn. In a nearby town there is an information center with a "fish ladder" with underwater viewing so that you can see the salmon as they climb the ladder and it is, probably obviously, right next to the river where you can also see them swimming up the stream...slapping into the water as they jump over and over again.
Well, this year it made quite an impression on Munchkin. It was cool to watch her watching the salmon. We had gone to the small zoo near us that day, earlier, and she said the salmon watching was even more fun!
Now she likes to pretend she's a "strong" salmon (as opposed to the weak, dead salmon we saw floating amongst the rocks at the edge of the stream!!), swimming up the fish ladder, when she finishes her bath. She "climbs," splashing like crazy, as I cheer her on (literally...I am making up cheers like that duo on the SNL re-runs and acting like a complete idiot, usually). This has been going on for weeks. Enter Gram this past weekend. Munchkin asked her to watch her bathtime. So...as usual, she pretends to be a salmon for a few minutes before she gets out of the tub. Gram--not understanding the whole routine and being a farmgirl from Maine, no less--pretends to cast a line and reel in the salmon! YIKES! The salmon freaked!!! So then Gram had to pretend that the salmon escaped. Phew...
Poor Gram...she had no idea that her granddaughter was such a little fish!
Well, this year it made quite an impression on Munchkin. It was cool to watch her watching the salmon. We had gone to the small zoo near us that day, earlier, and she said the salmon watching was even more fun!
Now she likes to pretend she's a "strong" salmon (as opposed to the weak, dead salmon we saw floating amongst the rocks at the edge of the stream!!), swimming up the fish ladder, when she finishes her bath. She "climbs," splashing like crazy, as I cheer her on (literally...I am making up cheers like that duo on the SNL re-runs and acting like a complete idiot, usually). This has been going on for weeks. Enter Gram this past weekend. Munchkin asked her to watch her bathtime. So...as usual, she pretends to be a salmon for a few minutes before she gets out of the tub. Gram--not understanding the whole routine and being a farmgirl from Maine, no less--pretends to cast a line and reel in the salmon! YIKES! The salmon freaked!!! So then Gram had to pretend that the salmon escaped. Phew...
Poor Gram...she had no idea that her granddaughter was such a little fish!
Happy New Ear!!
Yes, "ear"...last year Munchkin thought it was Happy New Hair and rubbed the top of our heads while wishing that to us! At any rate, it is 2008. Where does the effing time go? Really...where does it go?
The last two weeks were a freakin' blur...my mom came out for two weeks and it was glorious to have her here. It did, however f* up Munchkin's routine and she was a bear for about the first week but, once she got used to Gram hanging with us she calmed down a bit (not to mention the excitement over Xmas and the increased sugar consumption). We did so much fun stuff while Mom was here...Reindeer Festival, A Tap Dance Christmas Carol, saw the Christmas Ships on Lake W., saw the gingerbread houses at the Sheraton, rode two carousels downtown, rode the monorail, saw The Big Friendly Giant at the children's theatre...it was so fun doing all that and having mom along.
Meanwhile while Mom was here...back on the east coast one aunt died, one aunt fell outside on the ice and had to go to the ER, and the ex-wife of my big brother was hospitalized after a severe heart attack and may not make it. I just gotta get back there with all this crap going on.
I've had so much to do lately and still so much to get done (adoption paperwork, holiday cards, prep for the winter concert at preschool...) but I feel like I can breathe tonight. I made another batch of chap chae today and it was a double batch--I got a frickin' blister on my hand from chopping the onions, the carrots, the shitake-million-$-a-pound 'shrooms...worth it, though, as the dish was good. We had a great little NYE party for a few of our friends and their kids (all KADs) tonight and I made my own crazy ball for BikeBoy to lower like in Times Square! It had rows of crystal and silver beads and some silver pipe cleaners stuck into a styrofoam ball. WTF was I thinking! It was funny anyway. And, you know, the only 12:00 a.m. which truly counts is the one that occurs in NYC's timezone so after the other families left around 8:00 our time Munchkin, BikeBoy and I watched the countdown in NYC on tv and then it was pretty much over. They are both deep in dreamland now while I shopped on itunes a while (Queensryche's "Jet City Woman," Fiction Plane's "Two Sisters," "Dig" by Incubus, "Pretty Vegas" by INXS w/JD, and "Flagpole Sitta" which is actually an old Harvey Danger song but iTunes carries an "exacta" version of it by some other cover band) and am catching up with my reading/writing.
Oh, and let me plug holiday cards for a moment...I can't tell you how much I love getting them! I so love hearing from my friends and family, especially when a little note is included or a picture of them or something. I never throw them out (honestly). I look at the pictures over and over. It amazes me how lucky I am to have these wonderful people in my life even if I never get to see them in person. And one special group of gals--most of whom I've never met IRL, though I consider them "real" friends--so cool to hold the card in my hand knowing it once rested in yours. I love all my friends all over the US and world so much--maybe the importance of friends increases when one has no siblings. I don't know. Maybe not. Maybe everyone feels this way. At any rate, a handful of you are truly like sisters to me in my heart and I may never tell you this in person and I may not have seen you in over a decade or maybe only a few months ago or somewhere in between but...oh, heck...I should just tell you in person one day but I hope you know who you are! :)
And, while we're at it, let me announce it so that I'll feel some sort of responsibility...I am going back on WW tomorrow (or today now that it is 12:30 am on January 1st, 2008). I did 30 min on the treadmill yesterday and plan to do it at least 4 days a week. I also will return to tap once the studio re-opens. I have to get this bod back into shape. I don't know why I let stress take my eating down the road-of-no-return when I feel so much better when I treat my body like the temple that it is. And my friend, C, was over here tonight and she lost 71 lbs this year and now weighs less than I do! She rocks. She looks incredible. I suck. I cannot even tell you how much crap I ate in the last week or two...it would disgust you.
Well, that's it for tonight. Wishing you all a happy, healthy 2008 which brings you only good things! And I promise my holiday cards will get into the mail this year. Soon. Really. I mean it.
The last two weeks were a freakin' blur...my mom came out for two weeks and it was glorious to have her here. It did, however f* up Munchkin's routine and she was a bear for about the first week but, once she got used to Gram hanging with us she calmed down a bit (not to mention the excitement over Xmas and the increased sugar consumption). We did so much fun stuff while Mom was here...Reindeer Festival, A Tap Dance Christmas Carol, saw the Christmas Ships on Lake W., saw the gingerbread houses at the Sheraton, rode two carousels downtown, rode the monorail, saw The Big Friendly Giant at the children's theatre...it was so fun doing all that and having mom along.
Meanwhile while Mom was here...back on the east coast one aunt died, one aunt fell outside on the ice and had to go to the ER, and the ex-wife of my big brother was hospitalized after a severe heart attack and may not make it. I just gotta get back there with all this crap going on.
I've had so much to do lately and still so much to get done (adoption paperwork, holiday cards, prep for the winter concert at preschool...) but I feel like I can breathe tonight. I made another batch of chap chae today and it was a double batch--I got a frickin' blister on my hand from chopping the onions, the carrots, the shitake-million-$-a-pound 'shrooms...worth it, though, as the dish was good. We had a great little NYE party for a few of our friends and their kids (all KADs) tonight and I made my own crazy ball for BikeBoy to lower like in Times Square! It had rows of crystal and silver beads and some silver pipe cleaners stuck into a styrofoam ball. WTF was I thinking! It was funny anyway. And, you know, the only 12:00 a.m. which truly counts is the one that occurs in NYC's timezone so after the other families left around 8:00 our time Munchkin, BikeBoy and I watched the countdown in NYC on tv and then it was pretty much over. They are both deep in dreamland now while I shopped on itunes a while (Queensryche's "Jet City Woman," Fiction Plane's "Two Sisters," "Dig" by Incubus, "Pretty Vegas" by INXS w/JD, and "Flagpole Sitta" which is actually an old Harvey Danger song but iTunes carries an "exacta" version of it by some other cover band) and am catching up with my reading/writing.
Oh, and let me plug holiday cards for a moment...I can't tell you how much I love getting them! I so love hearing from my friends and family, especially when a little note is included or a picture of them or something. I never throw them out (honestly). I look at the pictures over and over. It amazes me how lucky I am to have these wonderful people in my life even if I never get to see them in person. And one special group of gals--most of whom I've never met IRL, though I consider them "real" friends--so cool to hold the card in my hand knowing it once rested in yours. I love all my friends all over the US and world so much--maybe the importance of friends increases when one has no siblings. I don't know. Maybe not. Maybe everyone feels this way. At any rate, a handful of you are truly like sisters to me in my heart and I may never tell you this in person and I may not have seen you in over a decade or maybe only a few months ago or somewhere in between but...oh, heck...I should just tell you in person one day but I hope you know who you are! :)
And, while we're at it, let me announce it so that I'll feel some sort of responsibility...I am going back on WW tomorrow (or today now that it is 12:30 am on January 1st, 2008). I did 30 min on the treadmill yesterday and plan to do it at least 4 days a week. I also will return to tap once the studio re-opens. I have to get this bod back into shape. I don't know why I let stress take my eating down the road-of-no-return when I feel so much better when I treat my body like the temple that it is. And my friend, C, was over here tonight and she lost 71 lbs this year and now weighs less than I do! She rocks. She looks incredible. I suck. I cannot even tell you how much crap I ate in the last week or two...it would disgust you.
Well, that's it for tonight. Wishing you all a happy, healthy 2008 which brings you only good things! And I promise my holiday cards will get into the mail this year. Soon. Really. I mean it.
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