Raising a Diva

You might have gay parents if…


Tod posted this on his Facebook and I thought it was worth sharing. Not sure how this came to be, but the conversation over dinner last night went something like this:

Anna: "What is the most beautiful name you have ever heard?"

Daddy and Papa, in perfect harmony: "Maria."

And… scene.

Rachael has 2 daddies too.

Yup, we're those parents. Each week when I watch “Glee” I wonder if we are raising our own little Rachael Berry by subjecting her to our love of musical theatre. The finale of the first season had Rachael saving the day with a showstopper from Babs. When asked if she was ready, Rachael replied, “I’ve been rehearsing this since I was three.”

A dramatic moment on the sidewalks of Ann Arbor. Everyday is Drama Club for Anna.

I take comfort in the fact that Anna can’t carry a tune in a bucket. She may have a Diva-like personality, she can’t sing to save her life. Eli however is a great singer and can sing a tune after hearing it once or twice. Having sat through a decade worth of high school graduations while I taught at CCHS, I knew the horrors of the Diva + no talent + current pop ballad combination. We would sit on stage with our faces frozen in place while our ear drums committed suicide in our skulls each year as Polly McPopular belted out the song with much gusto and little talent.

We’ll send head shots and samples of Anna’s dramatic skills to Nick or Disney, and we’ll groom Eli for American Idol. While some pundits may feel that we are subjecting these two to our Wicked lifestyle in our Little Shop of Horrors the truth is, there are worse things we could do.

Your moment of cute

After two weeks of craziness, a rainy Sunday afternoon was the purrfect time to take a nap with my buddy Edwin.

Our apologies to any diabetics out there.

Happy Birthday to Eli

Today my little man turns 3. We've been told that 3 is the new 2 and that the really crazy behavior comes out this year. We'll see. He's talking more, he's able to express himself more, and he's growing like a weed. Here's hoping that this will be a great year, another one with positive developments and growth, for all of us.

Wise words

It does Paula, it does. But we don't want to disrespect our friends Dan and Terry's work with "It gets better" Project. We met Dan, Terry, and DJ several years ago at the Rainbow Families Great Lakes Family Week. Dan came in with his family from Chicago each year and  took part in the festivities. They have stopped coming, but their work remains.

Please think about buying their book, or maybe two and donate one to your local school or library. We need to keep this message going strong.
Keep up the good work guys, and come back to Saugatuck. Phil's isn't the same without you.
The official site is here: http://www.itgetsbetter.org/

Mizz'N My Kidz! Mother's Day Edition

Eli's brother, in utero. I thought he was going to be safe in there, but apparently not.

Eli’s birth Mom, a candidate for Mother of the Year, has given birth to Eli's full brother. Here are some more ramblings from her Facebook page. She has no privacy settings on her page so we can glean this info without her knowing.


♥ Bitches Hate Me Cuz I Got What They Want ♥ ::She Tried To Be Me, But Didnt Work:: *Ha Ha Hoe, I Win Once Again*

Im 22 I Have 3 Kids! 2 Boys && 1 Girl! I Have A Fab Boyfriend, Who I Love 2 Death! I Used To Be A Trouble Maker But Now I Am Tryin To Turn My Life Around, My Family Comes First! Im Married To A Fab Women Named B (WIFEY) And I Have A BayB Daddy Named T Who I Miss Soo Much! I Love My Lyfe And Where Im At Rite Now! I Have 3 Sisters And 1 Brother, Im Closest To My Brother, He Is 18 And My Best Friend, I Love Youh J!
Stepping back a few weeks:

• Pissed The Fucc Off! UGH, 200 DOLLARS IN MAKE-UP GONE! My Wallet Is Gone, And My State Fone Is Gone!! Can This Shit Get Any Worse?? Now I Need To Figure A Way To Get More Make-Up And The Shit That Was In My Wallet!! UgH, Bouts To Juss Go INSANE...FUCC

• Sooo Pissed, My FoodStamp Card Shoulve Been Here Yesterday, And Its Still Not Here! I Really Think SomeOne Already Got It! And If He Or She Has It, Imma Punch Them In Their Face¡ This Shit Totally Sucks! UGH!! People Piss Me Off

• Bitch Is Boutz To Get Smacked In Her Shyt...Real Talk, I Dont Give A Damn If Im Pregnant Or Not...Cuz Theres Only Gonna Be 2 Hits...Me Hittin Her And Her Hittin The Damn Floor! Bitch Betta Watch Her Bacc, Hangin Out Wit Nasty Hoes, And Trifflin Ass Niggahz! All Ya'll Can Go To Hell! Bitch Say Another Word To Me And See What Happens Hoe!

• Ugh! Imma Merke This Nasty Hoe! Bitch Needs To Be Smacked...Bitch Yours Is Commin...I PROMISE YOUH THAT...

An update on the new kid:

• Ugh! Tired, Hungry, And My Belly Hurts...L Is Soo Gonna Merke That Hoe! Been A Alrite Day For The Most Part! Find Out Thursday When C Is Gonna Be Here For Sure...AKA We Get To Schedule The C-Section Thursday! Super Excited...Will Keep EveryOne Posted...

Someone asked if she and the father were back together and this is her response:

Hell Nah! FUCC THAT NIGGAH! Dont Get Me Wrong, I Love Him To Death, Hes The Father Of Both My Boys, But Hes Not Ready To Grow Up And Commit HisSelf To One Person! And Im Doing A Hell Of ALOT Better WitOut Him

And then this:

• Bored,Tired, & Hips Hurt! Cant Wait Til May 3rd! I Gotta Be Thurr At 5:30 In The AM, Then Surgery At 7:30! Yay Cant Wait To See What C Is Gonna Look Like¡ I Kno Hes Gonna Look Like Me¡ Its Like My Boyz Look Like Me And My Princess Looks Like Her Daddy! I Love All 3 Of My BayBiiz More Then AnyThing Or AnyOne In The World!!

But apparently not enough to actually help keep it healthy:

Bouts To Go To Bed, Long Day Tomorrow! Soo Tired, Bouts To Go Smoke A Cig Finish This Pop Before Midnight Then Hittin The Hay! Love My Life && The People In It!

And then after he was born:

• YesterDay Was A Longg Day, Still Havent Been To Sleep Yet, EveryTime I Try SomeOne Is Comin In! C Weighs 7.4 Now! I Love Him 2 Pieces...He Is Juss Soo Precious! He Is Sleepin Rite Now, 4 A Minute AnyWay...Be Glad When SomeOne Gets Here Later On 2Day So I Can Sleep! Soo EFFIN Hungry! ILY Babe. Your An Awesome Daddy! And C Loves Youh!!

• Layin Here Cant Sleep, The Baby Is Doin Good, Cl Is Here For The Nite But I Still Cant Sleep! C Is Soo Precious! He Has The Kutest Lil Head Of Black Hair...Proud 2 Say That Im A Mommy! I Love All 3 Of My Babies...Elija Will Be 3 In 6 Days...WOW! Loven My Lyfe...The Babe Got Me A Flower && The Baby A Balloon! WE LOVE YOUH CL && DADDY! Glad My Lil Bro Feels Like He Can Tell Me Stuff,It Means Alot 2 Me.

I take solace in this bit in her profile: I Used To Be A Trouble Maker But Now I Am Tryin To Turn My Life Around, My Family Comes First!

While I would like to believe that statement, her postings and her behavior tell me otherwise. I am thankful that Eli was rescued from this mess, but my heart goes out to his brother and I hope he is well and safe.

Updates for the week.



Yeah, just chillin', what are you up to?



My my, how time does fly. It was two years ago this weekend that the minister at the church we were attending pulled us aside to ask about our adoption plans. She knew that we were looking to add another child, but wasn’t sure what our preferences were. She mentioned that she had a friend who was a social worker and wanted to place a one year old boy with a same-sex couple. Tod’s parents were here for Mother’s Day so we danced around them and managed to gather up all the information the social worker needed to get the process going all the while cooking a fantastic dinner and keeping Anna busy. A few days later we were meeting with the social worker and mapping out his transition from foster care to a permanent home with us. I won’t lie; those first few months were rough on all of us. But now it’s like Eli has been with us all along.

As some of you may know, we follow his birth mom on Facebook and we were a little disturbed to see that she has given birth to another child. Not sure how that is going to work out, as we are not sure where she is at this time. We think that if the baby was born here in Michigan it would be taken away by the state, so we think she may actually be in Ohio. Regardless, we fear for Eli’s brother and what kind of craziness she will bring. The good news is that his birth father is no longer in the picture even though he is the parent of this child, Eli’s full brother.

And thanks for asking, but no, we are not going to ask to raise this one.

Tod is recovering nicely from his surgery on his elbow. The numbness in his hand is gone, so the moving of the nerve seemed to help the situation. He is currently in a cast, but that comes off next week and he goes back to school the week after. It’s been nice to have him home; it gives me a taste of summer. Speaking of, when is it going to warm up? I am eager to be outside and warm, not cooped up in the house shivering.

Anna and her sister Kara at the Fairy Festival a few weeks ago.

Mother’s Day is this weekend. We have so many wonderful Moms in our lives, but one stands out, and that’s Hillary, Anna’s Mom. Our thanks to you for asking us to raise your wonderful daughter and for allowing us to be part of your life as she grows up and matures into a fine young lady. You are a great role model for her and for her sister. Much love from us all.

So, dear readers, tell us about the special Mom in your life.

A quick note

Edwin came back. Winter semester ended, spring semester began. JCC had their winter graduation. Tod had surgery on his elbow on Monday and is doing quite well in recovery. His folks were here to help out (thank you!) so life was kind of normal.

Yes, we have been busy. More later.