3-Month LID Anniversary

Just a pat on my own back - tomorrow 6-28-06 will mark the day that we have made it to our 3-month Log In Date Anniversary.

We happily leave behind three months that we will never have to repeat again. Couldn't be happier about that...no matter what the time frame at the end of this wait looks like.

Mommy and Daddy are coming, baby!

Land of the Rich, Famous, and my Mom...

Well, we're off to visit family and friends in sunny California. Our plane leaves Wednesday afternoon and we're looking forward to some fun in the sun and relaxation. Well, at least, relaxation. I hate the heat and it's been in the 100's there lately. (blech) At least Mom has a really nice pool we can lounge by. Both of my parents, maternal grandparents, younger sister, little brother, and several extended family members all live there and so we get to visit with quite a few of them. I'll be sure to post from there and let you all know how we're fairing - pics included if I can get it to work. I fully expect to do some Keira shopping...because that and scrapbooking are what my mother and I do best! And don't I miss the heck out of her during this adoption process. Thank God for e-mail and the phone. Love you Ma! Well, anyhoo - petsitter is set. Tickets and clothes are packed. House is clean. Ride to and from the airport is reserved. Rental car upon arrival is arranged (thank you Dad)...and we're off. Whew - Vacation is hard work!

Do a little dance...

That's right ladies - doing a little happy dance over here at La Casa Bucher. After a year of praying for a golden ticket opportunity to transition from my full-time corporate job to something that would enable me to stay home (and still make the same $$) with Keira - WOOT WOOT!!! Doing my little dance from my computer chair - the opportunity has arrived and I have accepted a position with a very stable company. I will be a business manager working from home part-time - same $$. How amazingly cool is that?!? I have resigned from my corporate gig - goodbye to bad rubbish - hello stay-at-home mom life! (still doing a jig) I can't even contain how happy I am. And I get to work closely with someone who is very dear to me, which makes it all the better.

No more worrying about unpaid FMLA. No more stressing if I need time off for a Doctor appointment. No more missing out on Mom's Who Lunch Friday's (hint hint Erin and gang) and no more CORPORATE NONSENSE! (uh huh...shake it baby) It's make my own hours time, gals. I'm outtie...last day is 7-14 and my first day at my new job 7-17. Even better than all that...I'm being sent to NYC for a huge company bash at the end of July - it's their annual thank you to all the employees and I got in by the skin of my teeth. What better way to start my new job than to go somewhere I have always wanted to visit? More about New York in another post. Gotta spread the love out so my addicted blogger peeps have goodies to read when they religiously check in here.

More to come about this...

"Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards and in high heels." ~anonymous

The Queen and Her Loyal Subjects

This is the look that got cats their bad reputation. That "come...worship and bow down before me" look. And who could really blame people for being a little weirded out when a cat gives you this stare. It commands respect and demands attention.

I, for one, find myself looking away...doing anything to avoid the "stare", lest I turn to stone or the flesh peels off my bones. Seriously, you try walking in a room with a cat that eyeballs you like this? See how you feel!

Well, the truth is - this chubby beauty is my one and only remaining feline companion, aptly named "Her Royal Highness, The Queen - Chloe". Chloe for short. Ok..."Chlo"...sometimes "mama cat" and even "Shlow" as Anton likes to refer to her. She's short...low to the ground and slow...it's a three in one name. I say 'only remaining' feline because my other darling kitty, Meggie, has run off and left us to wonder what has become of her. She's been gone over two weeks and we've seen neither hide nor hair of her. I pray she's ok. She's old and I picture her lost and possibly wounded, crying for me. Anton pictures her off with the alley cat to sow her wild oats before she's too old. Hmph! Men...husbands and alley cats.

Regardless, this striking, dare I say, gorgeous putty tat above is the love of my feline life. She was my first cat ever, and I've had her since I was 19. I'm not going into details people...I'm in my thirties...you do the vicinity math. Anyway, she is just the cat's meow...and I'm not just saying that. That fur is the softest thing you've ever touched...and she loves to chat with me at the end of my day, following me from room to room to tell all about the two dogs she's forced to endure and the antics they put her through while we're gone. To top it all off, she purrs like a maniac, and loves to sleep at the head of our bead and clean our heads while we sleep. She's a good mama-cat - keeping her peeps clean.

Well, I just love the heck out of her and had to share her lovely pic. She usually doesn't have that puss on...so I'm including a sweet one too.




T.T.F.N. (as Chloe would say...)

What temperment are you?

You Have a Melancholic Temperament

Introspective and reflective, you think about everything and anything.You are a soft-hearted daydreamer. You long for your ideal life.You love silence and solitude. Everyday life is usually too chaotic for you. Given enough time alone, it's easy for you to find inner peace.You tend to be spiritual, having found your own meaning of life.Wise and patient, you can help people through difficult times. At your worst, you brood and sulk. Your negative thoughts can trap you.You are reserved and withdrawn. This makes it hard to connect to others.You tend to over think small things, making decisions difficult.

What Temperment Are You?

Truer words were never spoken...what more can I say...besides this: Honey, if you don't believe me now, how can I convince you that you really did marry an introvert?

cb

Say it ain't so...

WARNING: Too Much Info up ahead...stop now if you're T.M.I.'d out...

Oh man...does this picture not say it all? Let me just say - it's that time and I feel like I need to be in the fetal position under the desk with all lights and sound turned off, and a big warm comforter on top of me. Oh, and a heating pad..and a bottle of Aleve. Oh forget it! Just get me home and put me to bed. I'm in misery. I hate having to go to work when I feel like this. I'm no good to anyone and I'm just sitting here dreaming of going home and cocooning on my couch for about eight hours straight - so much so that I decided to write about it. How pathetic is that? I don't know about you, but when it's that time, I get very cranky and usually end up in quite a bit of pain and discomfort. It's been this way as long as I can remember - since I was twelve and...well, you know.

So I'm lamenting. See what I mean, when I said there would be stuff I just couldn't post on keirajoy.com? This is what I meant. Don't say I didn't warn ya...

Gulp...

Scrappin Fool

Everyone keeps asking me what I've been doing to occupy my time since Anton's been gone - and the truth is that I've turned our living room into a workshop for my crafty ways. I've been trying to get into scrapbook mode and lately I've had the bug to create Keira's albums in advance. Also I'm in a scrap-swap with some fabulous people who are also adopting over at The Ladybug Hunters Scrapbooking Club. I had to send off my very first layout this week to Donna (yikes! hope she liked it?) Anywhoo, I've had this idea that I can make several albums in advance for Little Miss Keira and that way I will only have to add the pictures when the time comes. Wha-laa! Instant scrapbooks/ brag books - all different sizes! I figure I won't be able to find the time to do this right after coming home from China, and this way all the hard part is done in advance and all it takes is a great picture of her to make each page perfect.

Now, a lot of my buddies, even those who scrapbook, cannot understand how I can make a page without knowing in advance the pictures that will go on it. It's simple as pie. I just make cute little pages about bedtime, storytime, princess, bathtime, birthday, cutie-patootie stuff...I know that she will fit right into all those themes, so I'm not worried about whether or not I'll have the pictures to fit the layout - the question is when will I have the child to fit the pictures that go in the layout? Anyone? Didn't think so...ah well...what else do you expect me to do with all this time on my hands.

By the way - don't forget to check out the new link to Keira's Nursery pictures. They aren't all there, but you can at least get the idea... hope you like it!

Until tomorrow (Oh man...I'm so addicted)

What kind of soda are you?

You Are Coke

A true original and classic, you represent the best of everything you can offer.Just the right amount of sweet, just the right amount of energy... you're the life of the party. Your best soda match: Mountain Dew Stay away from:Dr Pepper

What Kind of Soda Are You?

Yes! Now, I could have told you that I'm a "coke" and so could my mother who is the same. Heh, like motha like daughta. What can I say? I'm a coke addict. Hahahah! Even blogger knew...now that's amazing. Seriously, what is wrong with you Pepsi drinkers? Doesn't the ever present taste of "flat soda" get to you? (wink)

Miss you like Crazy...

This is my favorite picture of Anton and I. It's from 2000 - six years ago. His hair is really long on top and messed up...love that. Sigh....

People...it's been five days. Five days of what, you ask? Five days since I've seen my darling and four to go. Who made up that stupid "absence makes the heart grow fonder" bull crap. Absence makes the heart lonely, that's what it does. Anton and I have spent many nights apart due to traveling, work, etc. but for some reason I'm just so bummed this time around that he's not there at the end of the day. I'm so used to having him in my everyday life and I guess I just thought when he left that it would be "all good" and I'd just get some much needed alone time and catch up on the scrapbooking/reading/snore free sleep/and juicy TV shows that have been on my PVR for a month. But nope. No can do. Get up...go to work...go home...feel lonely...don't eat dinner because it's too much trouble and my honey isn't here to make his wonderful dishes (he's the family cook)...then it's off to the big bed with the two dogs.

For the record, he's away on business in Arizona where the temperature is 107 on average a day. He's exhausted when we talk (from the heat alone) and he is ready to come home. He just has a job to do and he has to finish it - which won't be until Sunday afternoon.

I know we all say we could do better at being a better wife, partner, friend, sister, daughter, etc. But these are the times that we remember why. Because without those we love, there would be little to celebrate and not much to enjoy. No one to call, or come home to, shop with, or co-miserate with. No one to argue opinions with, and no one to lay your legs across on the couch. No one to chat with until the wee hours and no one to hold when it's dark and lonely.

And in my case apparently...nothing to eat.

Miss you baby...come home

H.B.O.

What's Your Blogging Personality?

Your Blogging Type is Kind and Harmonious

You're an approachable blogger who tends to have many online friends.People new to your blogging circle know they can count on you for support.You tend to mediate fighting and drama. You set a cooperative tone.You have a great eye for design - and your blog tends to be the best looking on the block!

What's" Your Blogging Personality?

Ok, well...pretty accurate except for the part about "best looking blog on the block"! You need to check out Donna's site for that award - too cute! Well, blogging is coming a little too natural for me and I think this is a bad sign. I wonder if they have a quiz for that, that I could post?

(It's a sickness...I know)

Lady Bugs Make Me Happy!

ONE MORE TIME, AGAIN

Ok, I'm giving this another go...

I've exhausted myself trying to build a blog...(whew! building a website was so much easier - www.keirajoy.com) and I had to finally just delete the last one I was making and start all over from scratch. I need help, though. Any of you out there who really know how to work this thing - pass the tips along. I am so confused by all this HTML and writing in web lingo. So confusing!

Well, the point of this site, because I do have another website that I update regularly, is so that I can have a place to vent. I frequently find myself wanting to rant and rave about one thing or another and I really don't have a good outlet for that, because keirajoy.com is not the place for that in my mind. (hypocrite that I am...) I just need to be able to talk about stupid stuff and have a couple (or more) temper tantrums, or post silly pics, and so HERE I AM trying make this blogger work for me. I swear...if I experience any of the complications that I did before I might have to permanently throw my computer through the window. - See? This is why I need a place to vent...I'm saying!

- Christie