Tag blankets

So my mom and I have decided that since she has so much fabric (really - she has tons of it) that she is going to use the fabric to 'make stuff' for me to sell to help with the adoption costs. So our first project is 'tag blankets'. She made up 15 of them to start and I'll going to see how we do before she makes any more. I'm just going to list them on eBay and hope of the best. I'm going to try and keep the prices cheap - I'd rather sell them cheap then have them not sell. Here's what the first batch looks like.

The blue and green 'bug' ones are my favorites (I'm keeping one of each). They are about 20 x 20 and have 5 ribbon tags on each side - plus some have one and some have two plastic rings attached to pieces of the ribbon. You know to hang them by or to nibble on or to drag them by....fun things like that. Mom did a great job in coordinating all the ribbons to go with one of the colors in the fabric. Plus, these ones are a super soft flannel. They'd be great in the car as a tiny blanket. I was thinking about selling these ones for $8.00.

The santa ones are about 14 x 14 and also have coordinating ribbons and one plastic ring. I was thinking $5.00 for these.

And there is only one out of the Sesame Street one - also flannel - and it's about 11 x 20. I was thinking $5.00 for this one too.

Any one have any thoughts or idea for me on these or the pricing?

Oh, and if any one want one just email me and I'll sell you one - that way you don't have to go though eBay. I'm sure I can ship them in an envelope for about $2.00 without insurance.

Referral guesses and mind wandering thoughts

It seems that my blog has turned into a gift 'thank you' blog. That wasn't the intend of the blog but there really hasn't been much adoption news to report. The last batch of referrals that came out was on 9/25/06 and went through 8/09/05. The next batch is due out any day now and is rumored to go though 8/23/05 or 8/24/05. If it goes through the 24th then that would be huge - from everything that I read that's a day A LOT of dossiers got logged in. I know our agency had three weeks (they mail them every Friday to China) worth of dossiers logged in on the 24th. Sometimes I think the CCAA will only get through the 23rd. Then 20 minutes later I think it will be the 24th. I really do believe that the CCAA will start referring whole months again I just don't know when. I'd really like to believe that this is the month we start to see them turn the corner on getting more referrals out. Why not - it's got to happen at some point.....right?!?!

So here is an example of how my mind wanders and I can work any subject in an adoption topic:
I was thinking last night as we watched the Tiger game (Detroit's baseball team who is playing in the World Series - for anyone not into sports) that this is a month for come backs. The Tigers were in like last place last season - no one would have ever thought at the beginning of this season that they would make the playoffs let alone the World Series. So maybe this is the month of - beating the odds - making dreams come true - shocking the world - turning your luck around. So I guess I have high hopes this month for the Tigers and for referrals getting back on track to whole months so that this time next year I will at least know what my baby's face will look like. Who knows maybe this is the month that my baby is being born. I just feel good vibes this month and maybe that is why.

And more wandering:
Plus, I have another theory - the Tigers WILL win the World Series this year, the last time they won was in 1984 and the time before that was in 1968. So my theory is that not only will the Tigers win this year but that my baby will be born this year - because when they won in 1984 I graduated from high school that year, and when they won in 1968 Sonny was born. This all makes perfect sense in my world - too bad it's not the year of the Tiger.

But I have another theory on why my baby will be born this year - the year of the dog:
Our dogs are our 'four-legged babies'. Some people or most people think we are nuts but Thunder and Tehya get treated like our children. They mean the world to us and I can't image my life without them. My only worry about going to China to pick up my baby is that I have to leave the dogs for 2 whole weeks. (I even tried talking Sonny into staying home with them - he just looked at me like I had lost my mind.) It is just going to kill me inside to leave my 'babies'. We have never left them for longer that 5 days. Anyways - about my other theory - it is that my baby will have to born the year of the dog - just because it all makes sense......in my little world. Because dogs and babies just go together. Right?

So anyone want to guess on what day referrals with go through this month?

More October gifts to post.......

Ok - so a couple of posts ago I talked about my wonderful Great Wall Secret Pal and that she mailed me mooncakes that were delivered on a Saturday and then I got a wonderful book ('We See the Moon') about the 'Moon Festival' delivered the next Wednesday. And she shipped it next day mail so I would have it before the Moon Festival on Friday the 6th. She's just the sweetest for going out of her way to make my days a little bit better.






So here's a picture of the book and card - plus the adorable bug mailer.









I've also mentioned before that I'm also doing a monthly 'Cyber Shower' with the 'June Bug' yahoo group and Octobers theme was hats, socks, and hair things. I got all this stuff from Bridget!!!!! An adorable pack of white socks with lace around the cuffs, all kinds of hair pretties and I super soft winter hat and mitten set. And she threw in a cute little ladybug luggage tag - that I just love. Thanks again Bridget.

Our 4 Month Anniversary!!!!

We were officially logged in with the CCAA on June 19th. So today is our 4 month anniversary on being logged in and our 10 month anniversary of when we officially signed and mailed our application to Great Wall.

So another month behind us and one month closer to our baby or babies!!!

So now I wonder if she/they have already been born. Somedays I feel like they are already born and waiting for me and other days I just don't know. I think it would be cool if they were born in the 'Year of the Dog' - which we are in right now. Just because our dogs mean so much to us and it would just be another family connection. Thunder and Tehya will just love the babies - they love all kids. Especially ones with food in hand or on their faces. Tehya will be the official face licker. I'm sure the babies with just 'love' that --- not.
:)

I'll have to take some new pictures of my 'babies' and pos them this weekend.

Sherry

Gifts the girls got!!!!

Ok- so I'm really behind in post pictures of the wonderful gift we've received from our on-line friends. My on-line friends and 'secret pals' really keep me going and make everyday during this wait I little bit better. Their support, gifts and emails always come when I need them the most. I can't wait to have my babies meet these wonderful people. I have a feeling we are going to get to see a lot more of the US and Canada after we are home from China just so I can finally meet everyone. They are now part of the family.



These are two adorable little outfits I got from my 'June Bug' secret pal for the month of September. Pink and purple - my two favorite colors. They are little onesies with matching pants.









These gift I got from my GWCA secret pal for September. In this package I got a really nice diaper bag, two wipe-off bibs and three children's board books. The were 'The Grouchy Ladybug', 'Five Little Monkeys' and the Belly Button Book'. I read all three of them twice - they are just so much fun to read. I can't wait to read bedtime stories.




Chinese Moon Festival was October 6th. And my GWCA secret pal mailed me authentic moon cakes!!!! This was just so very thoughtful of her. We had one moon cake with my parents, and my niece Emma the weekend before the 6th - the day they came in the mail. Then on the 6th I had another moon cake with my two Aunts and my two cousins (really 2nd cousins) that my one Aunt is raising. They are Tom and Felicity. I still have two left - for this weekend. Sonny was in India for the 6th and he was home last weekend but was very sick - got a really bad cold in India. We will be spacing out the celebration for the month of October. My GWCA pal also mailed me another package that I got on the 4th - it was the book 'We See The Moon' - about the tradition of the Moon Festival. She is just so sweet and thoughtful - I know someday I just have to meet her. Since she's with the same agency and is logged in the same month as us I really hope we'll travel together. Oh, and not only did she mail the book to me - she shipped it 'next day' so I would have it in time for the 6th. How sweet and generous was that?!?!?!?

Until later - more pictures to take and post this weekend. I'm off the bed.
Plus, info on a little 'fund raiser' I'm going to do with my mom coming soon. But this is a cute, fun and cheap one.
:)

Sherry

I'm back!!!

I haven't forgotten about my blog or the adoption ---- really. I've been trying to keep busy to take my mind off of the wait times and of course doing lots more shopping. I've also been busy emailing some wonderful people I have met from the adoption boards I'm on. They are all wonderful and the make the best support system -- and they have great shopping/sale tips. I'm also loving the shopping I get to do for my two Secret Pal exchanges and my monthly Cyber Shower exchange. It is so nice to come home from a long day at work and find a package on the porch. I promise to post picture this week of all my wonderful gifts.

Things have been stressful for both Sonny and me with our jobs lately --- and he's in India again. This time we only have about a week and half notice that he was going. Plus, he found out he was going to have to go to India 4 days before his appt. to get 4 teeth pulled for his braces. He still got his teeth pulled. He wasn't happy about the timing but he did keep the appt. so there is no turning back now. This trip is for 12 days -- but he's seems to be having a good time when he's not working and he hasn't got sick this time.....yet. So hopefully on Thursday when I pick him up he'll be healthy and carrying lots of gifts for his wife. I keep checking the visa bill on-line to track his shopping trips but he spends mostly cash there and it takes about 4 days for the store names to show up on-line. And even with the store name I really don't know much - since it's not like that have Macy's or Targets over there. So I have no idea even what kind of store it even is.

Well the dogs are whining to go outside so I'll write more later --- promise.
Sherry