It has finally happened…..

After almost five years as an assistant…..

I have scratched and clawed and worked my bootie off….

To be promoted to….

 

Human Resources Management Specialist, Recruitment and Advertising!!!!!

 

I DID IT!  This is HUGE!  Really, really HUGE!

 

I got the job.  Months of preparation have now paid off, including turning down another position that I had wanted, because I knew this one was coming soon!

 

Not only is it going to be an exciting job with lots of traveling (that is a downfall for me because I hate to fly, but I will go to many cool cities); but the pay and grade will be way up there!  I mean way up there from where I am now!  One step down from what my boss gets paid.

 

Now, my kids may just have that college fund after all (I had to invest in their adoptions rather than college for now.)  In fact, maybe I will have a little left over for one more adoption…..

 

Just maybe…

I am home from work.  Last night I woke up with a major asthma attack and high pitched cough.  It seriously felt like I was being strangled.  Luckily, I took some of my meds and the asthma subsided, but not the cough.  So, I am staying home.  That is very very rare for me!  I never call in sick.

 

Over the weekend I finally tossed in the towel....I signed up for weight watchers. When I went to the meeting, I looked around and thought is this what my life has come too?  Sitting in a cold room, with lots of other middle aged women needing to shed a few pounds.  I just couldnt believe I was doing it.  Either way I will give it a try for awhile.  Maybe, it will be the push I need. 

 

Thanks for the color ideas for the bathroom.   The major problem I am having is trying to keep the colors balanced with my Yellow Kitchen, Maroon Living area and Dark blue dining room!  My house is like a little rainbow!  I am leaning towards a tannish brown but who knows.  

 

Now back to bed for me, after I call my boss....

We have been busy!  Over the weekend I decided that we would remodel!  Hey a three day weekend and what better time to begin.  First up…the half bathroom on the first floor!  So, I told Larry we were going to tear down the wallpaper (only house with wallpaper when we bought it a few years ago) and paint and get rid of the “old” accessories and lighting.  Anyone who knows me is pretty aware I am not a hands-on kind of girl.  I would rather hire someone then do it myself.

 

Stripping the wallpaper was not as bad as I thought it might be.  The store stripper was not worth the cost, so I mixed two parts water to distilled vinegar and it worked great!  No fancy tools or machines, just hard work.  Larry removed the toilet, mirror, lights and left the sink.   I am actually looking forward to completing this project!

 

I still need ideas for a color scheme.  I want something modern, soft and light.  I am open to any ideas! 

 

Tuesday, I took Oksana to Cincinnati for her yearly cleft review at the Children’s Hospital and Shriner’s.  She had everyone wrapped around her little finger with her amazing personality and smile!  Unfortunately, the verdict we expected was agreed upon by the team.  She is going to need pharyngeal flap surgery

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharyngeal_flap_surgery

 

Her speech is very nasal like and soft.  Her vocabulary is above average but she still cannot say certain sounds.  She talks and talks about everything, it is so cute!

 

The team has decided doing the revision will give her better control. She is being seen by the same Doctor that does the cleft repairs at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.  The process is a hard recovery and she will be in the hospital, for at least three days.  My poor little girl will need lots of love and prayers.  The amazing and wonderful thing about Shriner’s Hospitals, the surgery and recovery will not cost us anything!  What a blessing they are for us and those they help.

 

Please support the Shriner’s in your area.  They do great things for so many children! 

It is cold, icy and snowy, and all sorts of miserable things outside.  Good old Ohio winter weather has really put a damper on my excercise program!! 

 

I have posted some pictures of the kids from January/February.

 

Just an assortment of playing around and having fun.  One series is Vitaly with his first pancakes.  We were so proud of him. We also have the kids at the park with a huge metal slide, left over from 1977!

 

Speaking of other firsts, Vitaly scored his first basket during his game.  His team score was something like 25 (visitor) to their 7, but he got two of those seven!!  Way to go Vitaly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other night we were watching American Idol and this girl came on : 

 A wonderful sixteen year old girl with a big heart!

My boys were watching it with me, when V exclaimed “Mom that girl is really TAN!”

 

I nodded and said “yes, honey she is!”

 

Which made me think how race and prejudice and skin color is not something my children judge others on.   My children come from a diverse family, including second cousins that are bi-racial.   They do not have pre-conceived notions of the hatred or wars that have been fought over something so stupid, as the color of skin or the ethnicity of a person.  Or do they…?

 

So, what is the Color of a Family?

 

When we met Nikolai, his look reminded me of snow white, with his dark hair, red puffy lips and pale pale skin not yet marred by the sun. 

 

The summer came and I slathered on the sunscreen, but my little baby tanned fast, deep and dark with the slightest ray of the sun.  Soon, he was the color of a deep dark brown.  In contrast, the rest of the family was freckled, and pale.

 

Summer after summer, his skin no longer returned to the pale orphanage baby, instead it began to hold a brown beautiful hue. 

 

Well one day, he got out of the bathtub, looked in the mirror, then turned to me and declared, in a sad tone filled with dread, mom I am getting browner.  It took me by complete surprise!

 

 I said yes honey you are getting tan.  He said I don’t want to get browner.

 

 Mommy why are you not brown, V is not brown, daddy is not brown…?  I don’t want to be brown.

 

I told him that his mommy in Ukraine probably looked like him.  I told him how beautiful his olive skin and dark eyes were and that we usually looked like our birth mom and dad.  Then, I gently explained that I looked like my dad, daddy looked like his dad, V probably looked like his birth mom, and O hers.  He seemed okay with this and left.

 

It just came up again, while we were watching V playing basketball.  Nik said to me

“Mom I want to be peach like you.  I don’t want to be brown.”    I told him to look around and see all of the beautiful colors people were.  He said, “Yeah, but I want to be peach!  I hate being brown.”    I  remind him just like the song says "Jesus Loves the Little Children"   

  

I want him to know it is okay to be different.  I want him to understand that the color of skin does not make a person better or worse.  I don’t want him to feel prejudice.  I don’t want him to feel sad.   I want him to rise above and show the world it is okay to be brown, black, peach, red, yellow, green, blue or rainbow.  But, I cannot change others perceptions, comments or words, that may pull him down or hurt him, all because of his beautiful skin.