Showing posts with label La Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label La Family. Show all posts
Monday, August 01, 2011
Gabe Playing the Harmonica
He's dancing too, mostly tapping his foot, but for the first time playing it, it's pretty good, huh?
Friday, July 22, 2011
Jul. 2011, Gabe Update - Gabe, al día
*En castellano abajo de las fotos*
Gabe's been walking for about six months, babbling and saying a few words for a little while, most in English, some in Spanish. His most recurrent words and things like that:
- Ball
- Shoes
- Agua
- Auto
- Wow
- All done
- Baba, and when I'm lucky, leche (both stand for milk. One's a made up word, one's Spanish)
- No
- Banana
- Daddy
- Doggy
- Grrrrrhhhaaaww (that's his pig noise he learned from Peppa Pig)
And ocassionally, apple, mommy, up, at (that means TV).
He can high five and give me a terrorist bump, or like liberals like to call it, a fist bump. We're trying to get him out of his binky, but as soon as he sees it, he pops it in his mouth. He likes to watch Signing Time, Yo Gabba Gabba, and when there's nothing left, Peppa Pig. Peppa Pig is OUR favorite, though, so while we laugh our heads off watching that, he is running around destroying the house.
He's usually the smallest kid in the playground, so other kids either push him around, to which he reacts getting all tense and yelling at them, or they look at him weird, as if he had leprecy or something worse when he comes and stands in front of them. He is way social, and he likes to get in the faces of other kids. He things that's a way of saying "Hey, I'm Gabe, and I would very much like to play with you for a little while. I hope you don't mind." If the other kids have food, they move it away like an angry dog protecting his lunch. If not, they just walk away. I think Gabe hasn't made the connection yet and realized that he needs a new strategy.
He loves water, and he went swimming twice this week. The first time it started thundering two minutes after we got in the water, so he was disconsolate when we pulled him out. The second time he stayed for longer, but it was a little colder, so he was happy when, forty minutes later, he was finally wrapped in his towel.
Gabriel ha estado caminando por unos seis meses, hablando en su propio idioma y diciendo algunas palabras en castellano e inglés. Sus palabras más comunes:
- Ball
- Shoes
- Agua
- Auto
- Wow
- All done
- Baba, y cuando tengo suerte, leche
- No
- Banana
- Daddy
- Doggy
- Grrrrrhhhaaaww (ese es el ruido que hacen los chanchos según con Gabe)
y a veces apple, mami, up, at (eso significa "tele").
Puede darme cinco, pero solamente levanta la mano y espera que uno se la choque. Estamos tratando de sacarle el chupete, pero en cuanto lo ve, lo agarra y se lo pone en la boca. Si encuentra dos chupetes, se pone uno en la boca, y al ratito se lo saca para ponerse el otro. Le gusta mirar Signing Time, un programa que le enseña a hablar por señas, pero hasta ahora no aprendió ninguna. Le gusta Yo Gabba Gabba, un programa que parece haber sido escrito por un grupo de adolescentes fumando marihuana, y Peppa Pig, un dibujito de una chanchita y su familia. Peppa Pig es el favorito mío y de Megan, pero no de Gabe, asi que cuando miramos eso, Megan y yo nos matamos de risa, el está por ahí destruyendo la casa.
Gabe is generalmente el más chiquito en el parque, asi que los otros chicos o lo empujan, a lo cual reacciona poniendose tenso y gritandoles, o lo miran raro, somo si tuviera lepra o algo peor cuando Gabe se les para al frente y los mira con su sonrisita. Es muy social, y se les acerca demasiado a los otros chicos, en su "espacio personal", o su "burbuja" como les dicen aca. Esa es su manera de decir, "buenas tardes. Yo me llamo Gabriel, y me gustaría mucho jugar con vos por un ratito, si no es mucha molestia". Si los chicos tienen comida, la esconden como un perro enojado al que le tratan de quitar el almuerzo, y si no tienen nada, simplemente se las toman. Me parece que Gabriel todavía no se dio cuenta que necesita una estrategia nueva.
Signing Time - Yo Gabba Gabba - Peppa Pig
Gabe's been walking for about six months, babbling and saying a few words for a little while, most in English, some in Spanish. His most recurrent words and things like that:
- Ball
- Shoes
- Agua
- Auto
- Wow
- All done
- Baba, and when I'm lucky, leche (both stand for milk. One's a made up word, one's Spanish)
- No
- Banana
- Daddy
- Doggy
- Grrrrrhhhaaaww (that's his pig noise he learned from Peppa Pig)
And ocassionally, apple, mommy, up, at (that means TV).
He can high five and give me a terrorist bump, or like liberals like to call it, a fist bump. We're trying to get him out of his binky, but as soon as he sees it, he pops it in his mouth. He likes to watch Signing Time, Yo Gabba Gabba, and when there's nothing left, Peppa Pig. Peppa Pig is OUR favorite, though, so while we laugh our heads off watching that, he is running around destroying the house.
He's usually the smallest kid in the playground, so other kids either push him around, to which he reacts getting all tense and yelling at them, or they look at him weird, as if he had leprecy or something worse when he comes and stands in front of them. He is way social, and he likes to get in the faces of other kids. He things that's a way of saying "Hey, I'm Gabe, and I would very much like to play with you for a little while. I hope you don't mind." If the other kids have food, they move it away like an angry dog protecting his lunch. If not, they just walk away. I think Gabe hasn't made the connection yet and realized that he needs a new strategy.
He loves water, and he went swimming twice this week. The first time it started thundering two minutes after we got in the water, so he was disconsolate when we pulled him out. The second time he stayed for longer, but it was a little colder, so he was happy when, forty minutes later, he was finally wrapped in his towel.
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| Gabe REALLY likes bread |
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| For what I understand, Gabe's part Irish, so he can wear this all year long! |
Gabriel ha estado caminando por unos seis meses, hablando en su propio idioma y diciendo algunas palabras en castellano e inglés. Sus palabras más comunes:
- Ball
- Shoes
- Agua
- Auto
- Wow
- All done
- Baba, y cuando tengo suerte, leche
- No
- Banana
- Daddy
- Doggy
- Grrrrrhhhaaaww (ese es el ruido que hacen los chanchos según con Gabe)
y a veces apple, mami, up, at (eso significa "tele").
Puede darme cinco, pero solamente levanta la mano y espera que uno se la choque. Estamos tratando de sacarle el chupete, pero en cuanto lo ve, lo agarra y se lo pone en la boca. Si encuentra dos chupetes, se pone uno en la boca, y al ratito se lo saca para ponerse el otro. Le gusta mirar Signing Time, un programa que le enseña a hablar por señas, pero hasta ahora no aprendió ninguna. Le gusta Yo Gabba Gabba, un programa que parece haber sido escrito por un grupo de adolescentes fumando marihuana, y Peppa Pig, un dibujito de una chanchita y su familia. Peppa Pig es el favorito mío y de Megan, pero no de Gabe, asi que cuando miramos eso, Megan y yo nos matamos de risa, el está por ahí destruyendo la casa.
Gabe is generalmente el más chiquito en el parque, asi que los otros chicos o lo empujan, a lo cual reacciona poniendose tenso y gritandoles, o lo miran raro, somo si tuviera lepra o algo peor cuando Gabe se les para al frente y los mira con su sonrisita. Es muy social, y se les acerca demasiado a los otros chicos, en su "espacio personal", o su "burbuja" como les dicen aca. Esa es su manera de decir, "buenas tardes. Yo me llamo Gabriel, y me gustaría mucho jugar con vos por un ratito, si no es mucha molestia". Si los chicos tienen comida, la esconden como un perro enojado al que le tratan de quitar el almuerzo, y si no tienen nada, simplemente se las toman. Me parece que Gabriel todavía no se dio cuenta que necesita una estrategia nueva.
Signing Time - Yo Gabba Gabba - Peppa Pig
Friday, March 25, 2011
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Awesomes Christmas Ever?
The fact that so many people gave me so many awesome presents makes me feel really bad because I didn't buy anything for anybody, except the kids. It's true that we're more broke than we've ever been, but I also decided that we shouldn't worry, since we drew names with Geoff, so that part of the family was taken care of (I thought), and Meg made cute aprons for all the ladies in the family, which is a better present that I could have bought anyway, because I'm the crapiest present giver ever (awkward sentence). Also, last year was so crappy when it came to presents that I didn't worry. I mean, I got like a wind up worm, and stuff like that.
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Gabe Crawling / Gabriel gateando
That cable is really unplugged! He just likes cables, and that seems to be the main motivation to make him crawl these days, so we have to unplug everything. I think that if he hadn't been wearing those sack looking pajamas, and if the flash hadn't been distracting, he could have done a better job :)
Ese cable esta desenchufado. Parece que los cables son la única motivación para hacerlo gatear, así que tenemos que desenchufar todo (por éso la etapa del gateo no es algo que esperaba ansiosamente). Si no hubiera estado usando ese piyama en forma de bolsa, y si el flash no lo hubiera distraído tanto, capaz que hubiera ido mas rapido. Capaz...
Ese cable esta desenchufado. Parece que los cables son la única motivación para hacerlo gatear, así que tenemos que desenchufar todo (por éso la etapa del gateo no es algo que esperaba ansiosamente). Si no hubiera estado usando ese piyama en forma de bolsa, y si el flash no lo hubiera distraído tanto, capaz que hubiera ido mas rapido. Capaz...
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Gabe Laughing His Head Off
When Gabe was about two months old, we thought the kid might be autistic because he never laughed or smiled. Now, he won't stop doing either. He will smile at random people, and today, as we were driving back home, he randomly started laughing while looking out of the window. This are videos of Gabe laughing during Thanksgiving, from mild to uncontrolable laugh.
Gabe laughing with Maura
Gabe laughing with uncle Matias
Gabe laughing histerically with Santi, Matias's dog
Gabe laughing with Maura
Gabe laughing with uncle Matias
Gabe laughing histerically with Santi, Matias's dog
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Finalizacion de la adopcion + Halloween
Después de 8 meses de traerlo a casa, pudimos finalizar la adopción de Gabriel. De acuerdo con el calendario en la puerta de la corte, nuestro caso duraría 1 minuto:
Duro más de un minuto. De hecho, el juez no llegó hasta las nueve y cuarto. Nuestra trabajadora, Melissa, social estuvo ahí (tuvo que testificar que eramos buenos padres, bla, bla, bla), y justo un fotografo del diario estaba ahí sacando fotos para un artículo sobre Melissa.
El juez no parecía entender mucho la situación, porque hizo varias preguntas que me parecieron raras. Por ejemplo, cuando uno está esperando adoptar por medio de una agencia, la trabajadora social tiene que hacer una visita cada seis meses, y el juez estaba preguntando por qué nos habían hecho tantas visitas, como diciendo que capaz que eramos peligrosos o algo así. Pero al final terminó todo bien, y el juez hasta posó para un par de fotos con nosotros.
Cuando salimos de la corte y fui a buscar el auto, un hombre en una gorra y un piloto me empezó a seguir, lo que me asustó un poco, siendo que estabamos en Ogden... pero el hombre este me paró y me preguntó "¿Disculpe, es usted un abogado?" "No", respondí, a lo cual el hombre este me dijo "Uh, disculpe. Espero que no lo haya ofendido" :)
Después de la corte fuimos a desayunar, y comimos un cinnamon roll del tamaño de mi cabeza.
__________________________________
Para Halloween fuimos a la casa de nuestros amigos, los Muñoz, y nos prestaron un disfraz de pollo para Gabriel.
Gabriel con su amiga Emma Muñoz
Gabriel con el botín de esa noche
Duro más de un minuto. De hecho, el juez no llegó hasta las nueve y cuarto. Nuestra trabajadora, Melissa, social estuvo ahí (tuvo que testificar que eramos buenos padres, bla, bla, bla), y justo un fotografo del diario estaba ahí sacando fotos para un artículo sobre Melissa.
El juez no parecía entender mucho la situación, porque hizo varias preguntas que me parecieron raras. Por ejemplo, cuando uno está esperando adoptar por medio de una agencia, la trabajadora social tiene que hacer una visita cada seis meses, y el juez estaba preguntando por qué nos habían hecho tantas visitas, como diciendo que capaz que eramos peligrosos o algo así. Pero al final terminó todo bien, y el juez hasta posó para un par de fotos con nosotros.
Cuando salimos de la corte y fui a buscar el auto, un hombre en una gorra y un piloto me empezó a seguir, lo que me asustó un poco, siendo que estabamos en Ogden... pero el hombre este me paró y me preguntó "¿Disculpe, es usted un abogado?" "No", respondí, a lo cual el hombre este me dijo "Uh, disculpe. Espero que no lo haya ofendido" :)
Después de la corte fuimos a desayunar, y comimos un cinnamon roll del tamaño de mi cabeza.
__________________________________
Para Halloween fuimos a la casa de nuestros amigos, los Muñoz, y nos prestaron un disfraz de pollo para Gabriel.
Gabriel con su amiga Emma Muñoz
Gabriel con el botín de esa noche
Sunday, May 09, 2010
On How I got Really Mad at a Poor, Nice Blind Guy
Yesterday we went to have lunch with Meg and Pat to celebrate mother's day. Of course, it was Gabe's diaper changing and feeding time (it's always Gabe's feeding time). I then cavalierly volunteered to change him, hoping the bathroom would have a changing station. Well, it did, but it was inside the handicap's stall, which was occupied, but not only that, the door was wide open, and the guy inside was on the phone loudly setting up an appointment for something or another. I didn't see crutches or a wheelchair, although I didn't really look very intently (it was pretty awkward as it was), so I thought "Well, I've done this same thing enough times. After all, handicap stalls are spacious and comfortable. I'm sure that when he sees me out here waiting with a baby to be changed, he will hurry." But no luck; the guy was really taking his time.
After some five minutes of waiting, and listening to the details of the appointment setting, I decided to unroll the diaper bag's changing pad and change Gabe on the floor, all the while shaking my head and mumbling to myself how horrible and unfair the world was. By the way, the bathroom was pretty small, and I decided to locate myself in a spot where the guy in the stall could see me, but I couldn't see him (again, it was quite awkward already!). "This poor baby crying and my fervid head shaking should show him!" I said to myself. Once I was done, I huffed and puffed out of the bathroom.
A few minutes later, as I was sitting at my table telling Meg and Pat about the rudeness of this stall user, I saw a blind man walking out of the bathroom being guided by a waiter to his table.
Needless to say, I felt like a total jerk and rapidly changed the subject.
.
After some five minutes of waiting, and listening to the details of the appointment setting, I decided to unroll the diaper bag's changing pad and change Gabe on the floor, all the while shaking my head and mumbling to myself how horrible and unfair the world was. By the way, the bathroom was pretty small, and I decided to locate myself in a spot where the guy in the stall could see me, but I couldn't see him (again, it was quite awkward already!). "This poor baby crying and my fervid head shaking should show him!" I said to myself. Once I was done, I huffed and puffed out of the bathroom.
A few minutes later, as I was sitting at my table telling Meg and Pat about the rudeness of this stall user, I saw a blind man walking out of the bathroom being guided by a waiter to his table.
Needless to say, I felt like a total jerk and rapidly changed the subject.
.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
New Job + Vacations
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Narcissism alert: This post is all about me, and me alone.
NEW JOB: I didn't find a job at XYZ School after all (names were changed to protect the innocent, namely ME). It was a really weird situation. After a long and really nice interview (the principal and I talked for over an hour), I was told that I would be let know by the following Thursday if I got the job, that I was a very strong candidate, yada, yada, yada. Thursday came and went, and i didn't hear anything from them. The next Tuesday I called because the waiting was killing me. The principal said that she had talked to someone at my old school, and that they had told her that I was not a very good disciplinarian (that was a horrible sounding sentence, isn't it? Too many T's I think). She then proceeded to interview me for 30 more minutes on the phone. "Thank you." She said. "I feel much better after talking to you. I'll let you know by next Monday." That was like four weeks ago. She never called, emailed, or even texted me. I think it was for the better. Who wants to work for someone so unprofessional anyway? Besides, it was a 4th grade position, which would have meant going back to school for a couple of years just so I could get my elementary certification. Now, instead, I can finish the one class I need for my English endorsement, and then I can start my masters.
I found a job, though. I don't want to write the name of the school in the same post as where I wrote that stuff about XYZ. I don't want to sound all bickering and what not, although that was my precise intention.
VACATIONS: We are in California with my parents, Jonatan, Brea and Megan right now. They came to renew their passport, and we came along for the trip. Last week we had a super amazing 4th of July weekend with Brea's parents. We have tons of pictures from the parade, which I might just upload to my Facebook pretty soon. The weekend was so awesome that the jet ski collision incident doesn't even seem to have been so terrible, although it did kinda ruin half the day, especially for me because I felt so guilty for damaging Bob's nice jet ski, and for hitting Jonatan in the butt. All I got was a quarter size bruise in my leg. It doesn't seem fair!
Narcissism alert: This post is all about me, and me alone.
NEW JOB: I didn't find a job at XYZ School after all (names were changed to protect the innocent, namely ME). It was a really weird situation. After a long and really nice interview (the principal and I talked for over an hour), I was told that I would be let know by the following Thursday if I got the job, that I was a very strong candidate, yada, yada, yada. Thursday came and went, and i didn't hear anything from them. The next Tuesday I called because the waiting was killing me. The principal said that she had talked to someone at my old school, and that they had told her that I was not a very good disciplinarian (that was a horrible sounding sentence, isn't it? Too many T's I think). She then proceeded to interview me for 30 more minutes on the phone. "Thank you." She said. "I feel much better after talking to you. I'll let you know by next Monday." That was like four weeks ago. She never called, emailed, or even texted me. I think it was for the better. Who wants to work for someone so unprofessional anyway? Besides, it was a 4th grade position, which would have meant going back to school for a couple of years just so I could get my elementary certification. Now, instead, I can finish the one class I need for my English endorsement, and then I can start my masters.
I found a job, though. I don't want to write the name of the school in the same post as where I wrote that stuff about XYZ. I don't want to sound all bickering and what not, although that was my precise intention.
VACATIONS: We are in California with my parents, Jonatan, Brea and Megan right now. They came to renew their passport, and we came along for the trip. Last week we had a super amazing 4th of July weekend with Brea's parents. We have tons of pictures from the parade, which I might just upload to my Facebook pretty soon. The weekend was so awesome that the jet ski collision incident doesn't even seem to have been so terrible, although it did kinda ruin half the day, especially for me because I felt so guilty for damaging Bob's nice jet ski, and for hitting Jonatan in the butt. All I got was a quarter size bruise in my leg. It doesn't seem fair!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Top Ten of Being in Church During Mother's or Father's Day + What We've Learned
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10. Meg's back from her relay
9. No super early morning meetings
8. When I say "Happy father's day," people start saying it back to me and suddenly stop, with a confused look in their eyes.
7. Meg still gets flowers and chocolate during mother's day
6. Brother S's daughter reminds us why we're probably better off childless
5. Barbara Bush quoted at the pulpit
4. Top 5 of Good Parents according to Bro. H's 6 year old daughter includes: "Plays video games"
3. Bro. B. (app. 70 years old) days we can be his parents
2. There's no license for being parents (unless, like us, you can't have your own children)
1. "Being parents is the best calling you can possibly have" (ouch)
10. Meg's back from her relay
9. No super early morning meetings
8. When I say "Happy father's day," people start saying it back to me and suddenly stop, with a confused look in their eyes.
7. Meg still gets flowers and chocolate during mother's day
6. Brother S's daughter reminds us why we're probably better off childless
5. Barbara Bush quoted at the pulpit
4. Top 5 of Good Parents according to Bro. H's 6 year old daughter includes: "Plays video games"
3. Bro. B. (app. 70 years old) days we can be his parents
2. There's no license for being parents (unless, like us, you can't have your own children)
1. "Being parents is the best calling you can possibly have" (ouch)
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Living Traditions
Living Traditions Festival last night! It was pretty cool. We got there after 6:00, and the featured artists started playing at 7:00. First, they had this cool brass band from Luisiana (Rebirth Brass Band). During their show, some girls started fighting right next to us. First, Curly Hair Girl grabbed Very Fat Girl's hair, and some guy grabbed Curly Hair Girl and carried her away. Very Fat Girl then stuck her tongue to the other girl and shook her hips giving her attitude. It wasn't a pretty picture. Curly Hair Girl then came with Mildly Fat Girl (went to get reinforcements, I guess) and tried to get Very Fat Girl, but the little guy who carried Curly Hair Girl before tried to carry Mildly Fat Girl, and was doing pretty well until the girl fell over him. She then started yelling at him and sput on his head. Ten minutes after that, security came.
The band was great, though, and most people were up and dancing. After them they had a hip-hop band called Lifesavas. They were awesome too. Even the old ladies in front of us were up and shaking their arms in the air.
Lifesavas. Sorry the video's crappiness doesn't give the band credit. The rappers were good, but the rest of the band was just amazing.
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The band was great, though, and most people were up and dancing. After them they had a hip-hop band called Lifesavas. They were awesome too. Even the old ladies in front of us were up and shaking their arms in the air.
Lifesavas. Sorry the video's crappiness doesn't give the band credit. The rappers were good, but the rest of the band was just amazing.
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Sunday, March 22, 2009
The Truth about Our "Almost Adoption"
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This is going to be long, but I'm royally pissed, so I'll just indulge.
Last year, right around my birthday, our neighbor C. came and told us that her friend Debbie was pregnant and that she wanted to give her baby for adoption. She was 8 months along and a family from New York that was going to adopt the baby just got cold feet, so she was desperately looking for a family for her baby. C. brought Debbie home and introduced us to her, and things got rolling. We took Debbie to the agency, and after we offered to help her with anything she needed, she told us that she just needed help with the deposit for her new apartment, because she really wanted to move closer to her dad. We didn't end up helping her with that, but we said that we would help her with whatever she needed through the agency. So she finally went to LDS Family Services and filled up the paperwork.
Everything was way fast after that. One Saturday night we were told that Debbie was on labor, so we got there and the baby came pretty late at night. Debbie wanted us to be in the room, and she even asked me to cut the umbilical cord. It was awkward as heck, but I figured that we might as well humor her, since she was giving us her baby!
The morning after the baby was born we went to the hospital to finish all the paperwork, and Bobby's (the birth father) mom came and gave us the evilest look I've ever seen and closed the room's door, leaving us outside. Geoff was with us, and when we entered the room to get our bags, Geoff said to her "nice to meet you," and she replied "well, it's not nice to meet you." After that everything went down. Our neighbor C. sent us a text message that afternoon telling us that Debbie had changed her mind and that she didn't want us to hate her, that she wanted to give our presents back (which were worth over $300, and which she never did give back!).
We felt bad, we cried, cursed, felt better, and eventually got over it. We saw Debbie at Walmart once, and it was tough. We walked the other way, fast, and I felt pretty crappy for a little while. We though, "well, she's the mom, and it must be dang hard to depart with a child. If it was hard for us, imagine how hard it must have been for her."
Well, that was six months ago, and it seems that Debbie is pregnant again. Our case worker sent us an email today, and this is what it says:
In part, it did bring closure, because now I don't feel so guilty for hating her guts, and now I know that we never had a chance of having that baby. Her purpose all along was to scam us. She was good though. There were some weird things going on, but we never suspected anything. For instance, I never understood why Bobby's mom waited until after the baby was born to come and talk them out of giving away the baby. I never understood how it could be that while Debbie was in labor, and Bobby knew that she was going to give his baby away, he was just sitting all relaxed playing with his PSP. That's why she was asking for money even before we took her to the agency. Fortunately, we told her that we would give her the money through the agency, because that was the right procedure, and that saved us hundreds. Maybe the New York adopting couple never actually existed. Or if it did, she scammed them too and went on to the next suckers.
The crappiest thing about this whole deal was that, when Debbie changed her mind, she didn't even tell us, but she made her friend C. text us with the news. There was a lot of back and forth messages between the family, and this is something I compiled from my cell phone back then and that Meg never felt comfortable with me sharing, mostly because she was concerned about Debbie, even though I wasn't going to post her name. Now who cares, right? I called it "A Text Message Ordeal," after that classic "An Ordeal by Check."
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We met Debbie through our neighbour C*. Debbie came home the same day that C* told us about it, and we had a great time talking to her. She told us that she wanted to place her baby for adoption since she learned that she was pregnant, because with a baby already, it was very hard for her to go to school and to hopefully get a job. Her boyfriend works at the air bag factory and they can't even afford to pay the rent. He has an amazing PSP collection though. She found a family in New York that was going to adopt her baby, but when they found out that her family had history of depresion, they decided that they didn't want the baby after all. One month before giving birth, she felt very stressed and almost desperate thinking what she could do with her baby. After meeting us, she told our neighbor C* that she really liked us, and that with us, the baby would have oportunities that he would never have otherwise. (In other words: she came to us and basically told us that she needed us to take her baby). Last Thursday Debbie called and said that the baby was coming two weeks early, either Thursday night or Friday morning. This is the series of messages between us, C* and our friends and family.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
Debbie: The birth mother who was going to let us adopt her baby.
C*: The neighbor who introduced us to Debbie
F*: Friends
Martha, Heather, Matias, Jonatan, Cory: Family
M&M: Us
_____________________
F1: Is your baby being born? (8:30pm 9/18/18)
M&M: Any moment now.
F1: Really? :) Are you happy? (8:41pm 9/18/18)
M&M: Well Yeah!
F1: Is everything arranged with the adoption? (8:42pm 9/18/18)
M&M: Yes, everything's ready.
Heather: Got baby? (4:17am 9/19/18)
M&M: Not yet
Martha: I have the crib at home. As soon as you tell us to, we'll take it there. (4:42pm 9/19/18)
M&M: Thanks. My sister in law will loan us a bassinet for now, so we could wait a week.
Martha: Ok
______
M&M: No news yet.
Matias: Shoot! Keep me posted. (12:24pm 9/20/18)
M&M: He's coming!!!
Matias: Coming out of the belly, or coming home? (9:30pm 9/20/18)
M&M: Out of the belly
Jonatan: Really?????? Yeeeeeeeeeeeah, man !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (9:31pm 9/20/18)
Matias: Way to go! Are you in the hospital now? (9:32pm 9/20/18)
M&M: Yes, the family of the girl is here as well.
Jonatan: You have to tell me when it's a good moment to call you!!! Or to go to your house to greet little Anthony!!! :) (9:34pm 9/20/18)
M&M: Sure thing
Matias: Are you going to cut the cord? Will they let you? I didn't dare! (10:11pm 9/20/18)
M&M: We are still waiting. The nurse says that he might come before 1am. About the cord, I have no idea. The girl's boyfriend is here, so it would be weird... (She eventually asked me to please cut the cord, so I did. It was awkward as heck.)
Matias: Yes, it would be weird. Well, whenever Anthony comes call me so we can talk. We are very happy for you. (11:09pm 9/20/18)
______
Manuel: He was born! He's beautiful! Like the adoptive dad! (In Spanish)
Megan: We are mommy and daddy now. He is beautiful and happy and healthy!
Martha: Congratulations! And welcome Anthony. What time was he borh? How much did he weigh? (1:59am 9/21/18)
F1: Yay! (2:08am 9/21/18)
F2: I have been praying for you all including Anthony! When do you get him? (2:09am 9/21/18)
Jonatan: I'm sure!!!!!!!! Congratulations, man, we love you a lot and you'll always be in our hearts!!! At what time was he born? (2:13am 9/21/18)
M&M: At 1:30. He weighs 1.91 kg and he's 17 inches long.
F1: Give him a good squish for me!! Haha. (3:07am 9/21/18)
M&M: Will do!
Heather: Congrats! (3:20am 9/21/18)
Matias: Congratulations. Did they confirm that you will get him? Can we go visit you today? Sorry I didn't reply sooner, but my text messages don't make a sound. (7:27am 9/21/18)
M&M: So far, the girl seems pretty set into giving the baby for adoption, but until she doesn't sign the papers I won't be able to breathe calmly... We don't get the baby until Monday, so if you want you could come Wednesday when mom and dad come. I'll call you later and I'll explain more.
Matias: Ok, I'll wait for your call. (7:32am 9/21/18)
Jonatan: Send me a picture :o) (9:42am 9/21/18)
F2: When do you get to bring him home? (10:29am 9/21/18)
M&M: Probably on Monday. He has to stay at the hospital for a couple of days.
Cory: Congratulations..! (11:15am 9/21/18)
F2: How exciting a new baby and citizenship tomorrow! (11:29am 9/21/18)
F2: I cannot believe you are a mom and dad now! CONGRATS! That little boy is the luckiest ever and I have never been happier for new parents (11:42am 9/21/18)
M&M: Thanks so much you're so sweet believe me we're both in a daze!
(We sent a cell picture of the baby to some friends and relatives.)
F1: He has a perfect little head! When does he go home with mom and dad? (1:05pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Tomorrow morning!
F1: Yay!!! (1:07pm 9/21/18)
Jonatan: You're right. He looks just like you! So you say that the best day to visit you is Wednesday? (1:09pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Yes, because the baby won't come home until tomorrow or Tuesday.
Cory: What a bundle of joy! (1:09pm 9/21/18)
______
C*: Debbie is having second thoughts. (2:54pm 9/21/18)
M&M: The boyfriend's mother's doing?
C*: Family came in and I think is pushing her to keep. I am so sorry. (2:56pm 9/21/18)
C*: I truly think so. She is in tears she is so worried about hurting you guys. She has called b* (her case worker). (2:58pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Did she just tell you that?
C*: Yes, I am here now (2:58pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Should we step back for now? I knew that woman was up to no good. We felt a horrible feeling when she showed up. (We didn't get a reply from C* for the longest time.)
M&M: The boyfriend's mother came and started putting things in her head.
Martha: Didn't the case worker visit her? (3:09pm 9/21/18)
M&M: She called her, but she can't do anything if the girl changes her mind.
Martha: What did she tell you? (3:11pm 9/21/18)
M&M: She hasn't told us anything yet. We'll try to visit her later and see what happens.
Matias: Didn't she sign yet? What happens if she changes her mind? (3:29pm 9/21/18)
M&M: If she does we have to find another baby and start all over again.
M&M (To everybody): Just a heads up. Debbie is having second thoughts.
C*: Debbie wants me to bring the gift basket back to you. She is so sick to her stomach. And so afraid you will hate her. (3:46pm 9/21/18)
M&M: I don't care about the gifts and we don't hate her. Does this mean that she changed her mind for sure?
C*: Yes she has and her family is now rushing around to find her stuff for the baby. (2:55pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Ok
C*: I am so sorry. (3:57pm 9/21/18)
Megan: This is really their decision to make and although we are heartbroken we trust in what is meant to be.
C*: I feel the same. (4:01pm 9/21/18)
C*: Part of the decision came from her seeing how hard boyfriend was trying to be brave. He was only giving up the baby because that is what he thought she wanted. (4:04pm 9/21/18)
Megan: We could definitely tell how hard it was for him and admire how brave he was.
____
M&M: Debbie changed her mind but we feel okay about it.
F1: What? (4:13pm 9/21/18)
F1: She is keeping the baby? (4:15pm 9/21/18)
M&M: She is. Can you believe it? That's ok though. Nothing we can do about it. We're hurt but we'll survive :). Thanks for all you've done. You're so awesome!
F1: I am so sorry. Your baby will come soon! (4:35pm 9/21/18)
Manuel: The girl changed her mind and she will keep the baby. It seems that in half an hour she realized of a lot of things that she didn't in ninth months of pregnancy... We're ok. Just a little mad, but we'll be ok.
Martha: God knows why... (4:38pm 9/21/18)
F1: Maybe u could talk to her. she seemed set on the idea. (4:48pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Yes, the agency is still dealing with her, but there's not much hope. She's pretty set on keeping him.
F2: Oh wow I do not know what to say. I am praying for you and Megan. What is meant to be will always find its way. All my love is with you both. (5:56pm 9/21/18)
F2: We are here for you and I know heavenly father will bless you both. I love you both so very much. We will come to Ogden this weekend and celebrate Megan's birthday and your citizenship! Xoxo hugs and kisses! (6:42pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Thank u, we really believe that too but what can i say. This really sucks. It's been a roller coaster experience, we just hope we can gain the faith to try it again sometime. This whole thing was just so rushed and it felt weird too. We are forever grateful for your support.
Jonatan: I love you both. I'm so sorry for what happened! I guess our Lord has plans for each one of us. He loves you so much that He probably has something better for you. I love you and you're in my prayers. (6:48pm 9/21/18)
M&M: True. Someday it will happen for us...
F4: I'm so sorry. Is there something I can do? (6:57pm 9/21/18)
F4: Sure thing. Hang in there we love you! (7:31pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Thanks. We are incredibly disappointed but this is God's will for us now. Just pray for us. Thanks.
F1: How is your night going? Do u need anything? (7:35pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Thank you. We're ok, thanks for thinking of us. We have an outpouring of support and we really believe that things will eventually work out
Martha: My heart aches because I can't calm this pain. But know that we are praying as a family for you. May God give you the consolation and the strength. We love you. (7:59pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Thank you. After crying for a couple of hours we feel better. We have options, and I know that things will be ok eventually, but this was a huge pain. Thanks for being with us and for worrying so much. We love you too.
C*: How are you doing? (9:50pm 9/22/18)
Megan: We are ok, really. Our only concern is for Debbie and the baby. We hope both are okay, but we hope we never have to go through anything like that again. But really, we will be fine, and we're going to keep trying
C*: Ok. Debbie is doing better and the baby is fine. I hope you never go though it either. I kinds feel responsible. I am so sorry. (10:06pm 9/22/18)
Manuel: C*, this is Manuel. I'm glad Debbie is fine and the baby too, but I really don't want to hear anymore about this. I feel that what we've been through was extremely cruel, and I don't blame anybody, it just had to happen I guess, and we were supposed to learn something from this, but right now I'm trying not to think about it anymore. Thanks for your concern though, you've been nothing but supportive and I appreciate and will never forget that.
C*: K
This is going to be long, but I'm royally pissed, so I'll just indulge.
Last year, right around my birthday, our neighbor C. came and told us that her friend Debbie was pregnant and that she wanted to give her baby for adoption. She was 8 months along and a family from New York that was going to adopt the baby just got cold feet, so she was desperately looking for a family for her baby. C. brought Debbie home and introduced us to her, and things got rolling. We took Debbie to the agency, and after we offered to help her with anything she needed, she told us that she just needed help with the deposit for her new apartment, because she really wanted to move closer to her dad. We didn't end up helping her with that, but we said that we would help her with whatever she needed through the agency. So she finally went to LDS Family Services and filled up the paperwork.
Everything was way fast after that. One Saturday night we were told that Debbie was on labor, so we got there and the baby came pretty late at night. Debbie wanted us to be in the room, and she even asked me to cut the umbilical cord. It was awkward as heck, but I figured that we might as well humor her, since she was giving us her baby!
The morning after the baby was born we went to the hospital to finish all the paperwork, and Bobby's (the birth father) mom came and gave us the evilest look I've ever seen and closed the room's door, leaving us outside. Geoff was with us, and when we entered the room to get our bags, Geoff said to her "nice to meet you," and she replied "well, it's not nice to meet you." After that everything went down. Our neighbor C. sent us a text message that afternoon telling us that Debbie had changed her mind and that she didn't want us to hate her, that she wanted to give our presents back (which were worth over $300, and which she never did give back!).
We felt bad, we cried, cursed, felt better, and eventually got over it. We saw Debbie at Walmart once, and it was tough. We walked the other way, fast, and I felt pretty crappy for a little while. We though, "well, she's the mom, and it must be dang hard to depart with a child. If it was hard for us, imagine how hard it must have been for her."
Well, that was six months ago, and it seems that Debbie is pregnant again. Our case worker sent us an email today, and this is what it says:
Dear Manuel and Megan,
I received an interesting email from the Salt Lake agency that might hold some interest for you two. It seems that Debbie is pregnant again and going through a Salt Lake agency to place her baby for adoption. I guess she confided in her landlord that she pretends that she is going to place her baby for adoption so that she can get her rent paid and other money and she told her landlord that she has done this twice before. Her landlord then contacted the Salt Lake agency to let them know that Debbie was scamming them and another adoptive couple. The Salt Lake agency sent out an email to all of the agencies along the Wasatch front to warn them of her in case she tries to go to another agency once they confront her. I thought I'd let you know for your own piece of mind that there was nothing you could have done because it looks like she was seeking out someone she could con in order to get money and rent. I know that knowing that doesn't take the pain away, but maybe knowing what her motives were from the beginning can give you some closure.
I hope you're doing well.
In part, it did bring closure, because now I don't feel so guilty for hating her guts, and now I know that we never had a chance of having that baby. Her purpose all along was to scam us. She was good though. There were some weird things going on, but we never suspected anything. For instance, I never understood why Bobby's mom waited until after the baby was born to come and talk them out of giving away the baby. I never understood how it could be that while Debbie was in labor, and Bobby knew that she was going to give his baby away, he was just sitting all relaxed playing with his PSP. That's why she was asking for money even before we took her to the agency. Fortunately, we told her that we would give her the money through the agency, because that was the right procedure, and that saved us hundreds. Maybe the New York adopting couple never actually existed. Or if it did, she scammed them too and went on to the next suckers.
The crappiest thing about this whole deal was that, when Debbie changed her mind, she didn't even tell us, but she made her friend C. text us with the news. There was a lot of back and forth messages between the family, and this is something I compiled from my cell phone back then and that Meg never felt comfortable with me sharing, mostly because she was concerned about Debbie, even though I wasn't going to post her name. Now who cares, right? I called it "A Text Message Ordeal," after that classic "An Ordeal by Check."
.
We met Debbie through our neighbour C*. Debbie came home the same day that C* told us about it, and we had a great time talking to her. She told us that she wanted to place her baby for adoption since she learned that she was pregnant, because with a baby already, it was very hard for her to go to school and to hopefully get a job. Her boyfriend works at the air bag factory and they can't even afford to pay the rent. He has an amazing PSP collection though. She found a family in New York that was going to adopt her baby, but when they found out that her family had history of depresion, they decided that they didn't want the baby after all. One month before giving birth, she felt very stressed and almost desperate thinking what she could do with her baby. After meeting us, she told our neighbor C* that she really liked us, and that with us, the baby would have oportunities that he would never have otherwise. (In other words: she came to us and basically told us that she needed us to take her baby). Last Thursday Debbie called and said that the baby was coming two weeks early, either Thursday night or Friday morning. This is the series of messages between us, C* and our friends and family.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
Debbie: The birth mother who was going to let us adopt her baby.
C*: The neighbor who introduced us to Debbie
F*: Friends
Martha, Heather, Matias, Jonatan, Cory: Family
M&M: Us
_____________________
F1: Is your baby being born? (8:30pm 9/18/18)
M&M: Any moment now.
F1: Really? :) Are you happy? (8:41pm 9/18/18)
M&M: Well Yeah!
F1: Is everything arranged with the adoption? (8:42pm 9/18/18)
M&M: Yes, everything's ready.
Heather: Got baby? (4:17am 9/19/18)
M&M: Not yet
Martha: I have the crib at home. As soon as you tell us to, we'll take it there. (4:42pm 9/19/18)
M&M: Thanks. My sister in law will loan us a bassinet for now, so we could wait a week.
Martha: Ok
______
M&M: No news yet.
Matias: Shoot! Keep me posted. (12:24pm 9/20/18)
M&M: He's coming!!!
Matias: Coming out of the belly, or coming home? (9:30pm 9/20/18)
M&M: Out of the belly
Jonatan: Really?????? Yeeeeeeeeeeeah, man !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (9:31pm 9/20/18)
Matias: Way to go! Are you in the hospital now? (9:32pm 9/20/18)
M&M: Yes, the family of the girl is here as well.
Jonatan: You have to tell me when it's a good moment to call you!!! Or to go to your house to greet little Anthony!!! :) (9:34pm 9/20/18)
M&M: Sure thing
Matias: Are you going to cut the cord? Will they let you? I didn't dare! (10:11pm 9/20/18)
M&M: We are still waiting. The nurse says that he might come before 1am. About the cord, I have no idea. The girl's boyfriend is here, so it would be weird... (She eventually asked me to please cut the cord, so I did. It was awkward as heck.)
Matias: Yes, it would be weird. Well, whenever Anthony comes call me so we can talk. We are very happy for you. (11:09pm 9/20/18)
______
Manuel: He was born! He's beautiful! Like the adoptive dad! (In Spanish)
Megan: We are mommy and daddy now. He is beautiful and happy and healthy!
Martha: Congratulations! And welcome Anthony. What time was he borh? How much did he weigh? (1:59am 9/21/18)
F1: Yay! (2:08am 9/21/18)
F2: I have been praying for you all including Anthony! When do you get him? (2:09am 9/21/18)
Jonatan: I'm sure!!!!!!!! Congratulations, man, we love you a lot and you'll always be in our hearts!!! At what time was he born? (2:13am 9/21/18)
M&M: At 1:30. He weighs 1.91 kg and he's 17 inches long.
F1: Give him a good squish for me!! Haha. (3:07am 9/21/18)
M&M: Will do!
Heather: Congrats! (3:20am 9/21/18)
Matias: Congratulations. Did they confirm that you will get him? Can we go visit you today? Sorry I didn't reply sooner, but my text messages don't make a sound. (7:27am 9/21/18)
M&M: So far, the girl seems pretty set into giving the baby for adoption, but until she doesn't sign the papers I won't be able to breathe calmly... We don't get the baby until Monday, so if you want you could come Wednesday when mom and dad come. I'll call you later and I'll explain more.
Matias: Ok, I'll wait for your call. (7:32am 9/21/18)
Jonatan: Send me a picture :o) (9:42am 9/21/18)
F2: When do you get to bring him home? (10:29am 9/21/18)
M&M: Probably on Monday. He has to stay at the hospital for a couple of days.
Cory: Congratulations..! (11:15am 9/21/18)
F2: How exciting a new baby and citizenship tomorrow! (11:29am 9/21/18)
F2: I cannot believe you are a mom and dad now! CONGRATS! That little boy is the luckiest ever and I have never been happier for new parents (11:42am 9/21/18)
M&M: Thanks so much you're so sweet believe me we're both in a daze!
(We sent a cell picture of the baby to some friends and relatives.)
F1: He has a perfect little head! When does he go home with mom and dad? (1:05pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Tomorrow morning!
F1: Yay!!! (1:07pm 9/21/18)
Jonatan: You're right. He looks just like you! So you say that the best day to visit you is Wednesday? (1:09pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Yes, because the baby won't come home until tomorrow or Tuesday.
Cory: What a bundle of joy! (1:09pm 9/21/18)
______
C*: Debbie is having second thoughts. (2:54pm 9/21/18)
M&M: The boyfriend's mother's doing?
C*: Family came in and I think is pushing her to keep. I am so sorry. (2:56pm 9/21/18)
C*: I truly think so. She is in tears she is so worried about hurting you guys. She has called b* (her case worker). (2:58pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Did she just tell you that?
C*: Yes, I am here now (2:58pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Should we step back for now? I knew that woman was up to no good. We felt a horrible feeling when she showed up. (We didn't get a reply from C* for the longest time.)
M&M: The boyfriend's mother came and started putting things in her head.
Martha: Didn't the case worker visit her? (3:09pm 9/21/18)
M&M: She called her, but she can't do anything if the girl changes her mind.
Martha: What did she tell you? (3:11pm 9/21/18)
M&M: She hasn't told us anything yet. We'll try to visit her later and see what happens.
Matias: Didn't she sign yet? What happens if she changes her mind? (3:29pm 9/21/18)
M&M: If she does we have to find another baby and start all over again.
M&M (To everybody): Just a heads up. Debbie is having second thoughts.
C*: Debbie wants me to bring the gift basket back to you. She is so sick to her stomach. And so afraid you will hate her. (3:46pm 9/21/18)
M&M: I don't care about the gifts and we don't hate her. Does this mean that she changed her mind for sure?
C*: Yes she has and her family is now rushing around to find her stuff for the baby. (2:55pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Ok
C*: I am so sorry. (3:57pm 9/21/18)
Megan: This is really their decision to make and although we are heartbroken we trust in what is meant to be.
C*: I feel the same. (4:01pm 9/21/18)
C*: Part of the decision came from her seeing how hard boyfriend was trying to be brave. He was only giving up the baby because that is what he thought she wanted. (4:04pm 9/21/18)
Megan: We could definitely tell how hard it was for him and admire how brave he was.
____
M&M: Debbie changed her mind but we feel okay about it.
F1: What? (4:13pm 9/21/18)
F1: She is keeping the baby? (4:15pm 9/21/18)
M&M: She is. Can you believe it? That's ok though. Nothing we can do about it. We're hurt but we'll survive :). Thanks for all you've done. You're so awesome!
F1: I am so sorry. Your baby will come soon! (4:35pm 9/21/18)
Manuel: The girl changed her mind and she will keep the baby. It seems that in half an hour she realized of a lot of things that she didn't in ninth months of pregnancy... We're ok. Just a little mad, but we'll be ok.
Martha: God knows why... (4:38pm 9/21/18)
F1: Maybe u could talk to her. she seemed set on the idea. (4:48pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Yes, the agency is still dealing with her, but there's not much hope. She's pretty set on keeping him.
F2: Oh wow I do not know what to say. I am praying for you and Megan. What is meant to be will always find its way. All my love is with you both. (5:56pm 9/21/18)
F2: We are here for you and I know heavenly father will bless you both. I love you both so very much. We will come to Ogden this weekend and celebrate Megan's birthday and your citizenship! Xoxo hugs and kisses! (6:42pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Thank u, we really believe that too but what can i say. This really sucks. It's been a roller coaster experience, we just hope we can gain the faith to try it again sometime. This whole thing was just so rushed and it felt weird too. We are forever grateful for your support.
Jonatan: I love you both. I'm so sorry for what happened! I guess our Lord has plans for each one of us. He loves you so much that He probably has something better for you. I love you and you're in my prayers. (6:48pm 9/21/18)
M&M: True. Someday it will happen for us...
F4: I'm so sorry. Is there something I can do? (6:57pm 9/21/18)
F4: Sure thing. Hang in there we love you! (7:31pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Thanks. We are incredibly disappointed but this is God's will for us now. Just pray for us. Thanks.
F1: How is your night going? Do u need anything? (7:35pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Thank you. We're ok, thanks for thinking of us. We have an outpouring of support and we really believe that things will eventually work out
Martha: My heart aches because I can't calm this pain. But know that we are praying as a family for you. May God give you the consolation and the strength. We love you. (7:59pm 9/21/18)
M&M: Thank you. After crying for a couple of hours we feel better. We have options, and I know that things will be ok eventually, but this was a huge pain. Thanks for being with us and for worrying so much. We love you too.
C*: How are you doing? (9:50pm 9/22/18)
Megan: We are ok, really. Our only concern is for Debbie and the baby. We hope both are okay, but we hope we never have to go through anything like that again. But really, we will be fine, and we're going to keep trying
C*: Ok. Debbie is doing better and the baby is fine. I hope you never go though it either. I kinds feel responsible. I am so sorry. (10:06pm 9/22/18)
Manuel: C*, this is Manuel. I'm glad Debbie is fine and the baby too, but I really don't want to hear anymore about this. I feel that what we've been through was extremely cruel, and I don't blame anybody, it just had to happen I guess, and we were supposed to learn something from this, but right now I'm trying not to think about it anymore. Thanks for your concern though, you've been nothing but supportive and I appreciate and will never forget that.
C*: K
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Back from Phoenix
Last week my principal took me to a best teaching practices conference in Phoenix, along with all the new Language Arts teachers, which consist of a bunch of ladies, and me.
Anyway, Phonenix was awesome. We actually stayed in a town called Scottsdale, and the hotel was some 8 miles from the airport, which didn't stop the taxi drivers from charging us $50 for the ride!!! At least the taxi drivers who robbed me in Buenos Aires before coming to the States were honest about their intentions! Scottsdale is a really neat town, very ritzy and touristy. But the best part was that the weather never went below 80 degrees during the day!
We were there Wednesday night, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning. Some of the presentations were awesome, but it was hit and miss: some were way crappy and boring. Some guys from a school district came and told us their story of how their schools improved, and it was so boring that their sessions finished with less than half the people they started with. I felt bad because you could tell they put a lot of effort on it, but it was just soooo boring.
The hotel was pretty cool: it was more like a fancy appartment complex than a hotel, and I got my own room. There were four guys, so they could have placed two in each room, but the other three decided to bunk together, because "I didn't know one of them so it would have been awkward for me to put him in my room." It didn't matter that I knew the other two perfectly well, so they could have come to my room. Oh well. Being unpopular has its benefits: having a doble room all for yourself is just awesome!
I know this has nothing to do, but one night, while hanging out with my principal, he told me that a huge percentage of our ninth graders are on probation. And I mean, real probation. I had a student who was a felon, and midway through the first semester I never saw him again. According to him, next year we won't have nearly as many, which probably won't make any difference, but it's nice to think about...
So, I heard that if you drive to Phoenix, you'll hate it. We flew, which was quick, but scarier than any Lagoon ride with the crazy winds we've been having. I thought that the flight was rough, but I didn't want to say anything about it for fear of souding like a wimp, but when everyone else said that it had been their roughest flight ever I didn't feel as bad. The BYU softball team was there, so we were discussing who should play our roles if we fell and they were to make a movie about it. I know it's been years since anybody told me that I looked like Enrique Iglesias, but I insisted that he should play me! People don't have to remember me fat and balding, right?
This is the only picture anyone took where I look sort of decent:
What can I say? I just don't photograph well!
Anyway, Phonenix was awesome. We actually stayed in a town called Scottsdale, and the hotel was some 8 miles from the airport, which didn't stop the taxi drivers from charging us $50 for the ride!!! At least the taxi drivers who robbed me in Buenos Aires before coming to the States were honest about their intentions! Scottsdale is a really neat town, very ritzy and touristy. But the best part was that the weather never went below 80 degrees during the day!
We were there Wednesday night, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning. Some of the presentations were awesome, but it was hit and miss: some were way crappy and boring. Some guys from a school district came and told us their story of how their schools improved, and it was so boring that their sessions finished with less than half the people they started with. I felt bad because you could tell they put a lot of effort on it, but it was just soooo boring.
The hotel was pretty cool: it was more like a fancy appartment complex than a hotel, and I got my own room. There were four guys, so they could have placed two in each room, but the other three decided to bunk together, because "I didn't know one of them so it would have been awkward for me to put him in my room." It didn't matter that I knew the other two perfectly well, so they could have come to my room. Oh well. Being unpopular has its benefits: having a doble room all for yourself is just awesome!
I know this has nothing to do, but one night, while hanging out with my principal, he told me that a huge percentage of our ninth graders are on probation. And I mean, real probation. I had a student who was a felon, and midway through the first semester I never saw him again. According to him, next year we won't have nearly as many, which probably won't make any difference, but it's nice to think about...
So, I heard that if you drive to Phoenix, you'll hate it. We flew, which was quick, but scarier than any Lagoon ride with the crazy winds we've been having. I thought that the flight was rough, but I didn't want to say anything about it for fear of souding like a wimp, but when everyone else said that it had been their roughest flight ever I didn't feel as bad. The BYU softball team was there, so we were discussing who should play our roles if we fell and they were to make a movie about it. I know it's been years since anybody told me that I looked like Enrique Iglesias, but I insisted that he should play me! People don't have to remember me fat and balding, right?
This is the only picture anyone took where I look sort of decent:
What can I say? I just don't photograph well!
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Blogger Hates Me
.
I don't know why, but Blogger hates me. Just look at those pictures from my last entry. Why? Oh why? I tried everything, hitting enter between pictures, and I even tried re uploading the pictures, and nothing. I'm sad.
Anyway, this last weekend we went to Jonatan's wedding, which was like the fanciest wedding I've been to. I had to wear a tux! First time in my life. I felt like a Batman character. The pictures are awesome, though. Here's one I stole from my mom's facebook.
Jonatan was very gracious and said very nice things about me and Matias, and about his friend Said, who was grabbing his head with a suffering face while Jonatan spoke. Said is cool though. Brea was totally in control. I mean, she knew what she was doing! Even Megan had a part: she played the piano at the beginning and during the sand ceremony. She was going to play Ave Maria with some girl doing a singing solo, but the girl never came, so that part was inconspicuously rubbed off the program.
I don't know why, but Blogger hates me. Just look at those pictures from my last entry. Why? Oh why? I tried everything, hitting enter between pictures, and I even tried re uploading the pictures, and nothing. I'm sad.
Anyway, this last weekend we went to Jonatan's wedding, which was like the fanciest wedding I've been to. I had to wear a tux! First time in my life. I felt like a Batman character. The pictures are awesome, though. Here's one I stole from my mom's facebook.
Jonatan was very gracious and said very nice things about me and Matias, and about his friend Said, who was grabbing his head with a suffering face while Jonatan spoke. Said is cool though. Brea was totally in control. I mean, she knew what she was doing! Even Megan had a part: she played the piano at the beginning and during the sand ceremony. She was going to play Ave Maria with some girl doing a singing solo, but the girl never came, so that part was inconspicuously rubbed off the program.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Nothing New + Awesome Video of Maura
What can be new on Christmas in Utah? Definitely not the snow. It snowed so much that if you don't shovel within a couple of hours, you'll be stuck for the rest of the winter. Fortunately, somebody came and shoveled our snow. No idea who did it, but it was awesome. This is how it's looking outside.
We spent Christmas night at home, and Chad and Heather were there, along with Geoff, Amy, Cory, and Lil Heather. Maura had an awesome time, and provided plenty of entertainment for absolutely free!
We spent Christmas night at home, and Chad and Heather were there, along with Geoff, Amy, Cory, and Lil Heather. Maura had an awesome time, and provided plenty of entertainment for absolutely free!
Sunday, December 07, 2008
I Suck at Photoshop
.
But not so much as you. So that makes me feel better.
So, I was watching that awesome YouTube series "You Suck at Photoshop" and I learned how to use the mask tool. It's awesome. I've never used it before, and it's cool what you can do with it. Well, not so much, but I tried it in my face (and then in Meg's), and this is what I came up with:
I guess I will not replace our adoption blog's header with this. For now. I might use it to inspire some pitty if I get desperate, though.
Meg went crazy updating her blog, and she posted a really cute video of Maura doing a 180 turn of her head to watch me. It's really touching, considering that she wouldn't look at me for like a solid month. I guess that I take some getting used to.
But not so much as you. So that makes me feel better.
So, I was watching that awesome YouTube series "You Suck at Photoshop" and I learned how to use the mask tool. It's awesome. I've never used it before, and it's cool what you can do with it. Well, not so much, but I tried it in my face (and then in Meg's), and this is what I came up with:
I guess I will not replace our adoption blog's header with this. For now. I might use it to inspire some pitty if I get desperate, though.Meg went crazy updating her blog, and she posted a really cute video of Maura doing a 180 turn of her head to watch me. It's really touching, considering that she wouldn't look at me for like a solid month. I guess that I take some getting used to.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Adoption Blog
.
Well, we've finally decided to get to work and make our adoption profile + adoption everything we could come up with. So we have our agency profile done, an adoption website, and even an adoption MySpace. We're also trying to get into adoption.com, but I always remember when I'm in school, and for some reason the website is blocked here (when here's where we need it most!!), so I can't get their phone number to contact them.
Anyway, check them out and tell us what you think. We accept suggestions.
Here's a little slideshow from the adoption website:
Well, we've finally decided to get to work and make our adoption profile + adoption everything we could come up with. So we have our agency profile done, an adoption website, and even an adoption MySpace. We're also trying to get into adoption.com, but I always remember when I'm in school, and for some reason the website is blocked here (when here's where we need it most!!), so I can't get their phone number to contact them.
Anyway, check them out and tell us what you think. We accept suggestions.
Here's a little slideshow from the adoption website:
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday, October 06, 2008
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