Seeing Clearly

Having lost all of my vision in my left eye for months at a time on numerous occasions I do not take seeing clearly for granted. I started wearing glasses a year ago and noticed a couple of months ago that all was not well as I couldn't see squat.....yet again.

Lily was also squinting to see anything further than arms length all of a sudden so I made appointments for everyone to see their favourite eye man.

Rosie; to quote the DR., has dodged a bullet for another year. Her congenital birth defect has also affected her eyes so it is just a matter of time before the opaque film in her eyes makes glasses a necessity for her. He is really hoping she will make it to about 12 before this happens and perhaps it never will but he says don't hold your breath.

Lily; well if you have a read for a while you know she is as blind as a bat without glasses. Her vision has deteriorated again but not by an alarming rate. She is at an age where changes like this are normal and he isn't even the slightest bit concerned and expects it to level off a little now...gawd I hope so. Kidlet truly cannot see.

Me; something about my age was mentioned but  I am sure that was just a misunderstanding. Nothing was mentioned about mine levelling off? Must be the different end of the age spectrum. LOL.

So in the last 2 weeks I've  been handed 2 prescriptions for glasses. I chose my frames, nothing fancy and very reasonably priced and then we started with the lenses. All of a sudden I thought I was single handedly paying off the national debt. What the hell is with eye glass lenses people? Holy cow! It's not enough that I have to have glasses but I also have to have very dark sunglasses because my left pupil no longer moves very well or very fast and living here in Fl the sunlight just sears right into my brain causing a very sharp pain. So I got the pleasure of not one but 2 pairs of specs...yay me.

Moving along to yesterday. Lily is getting to big for kiddies frames so we moved to the next section. She chose her frames, a little pricey but in all fairness to her she has never even scratched her glasses let alone broken or lost a pair in 3 years.  I can only think of one occasion when she couldn't find them before school and she called me and they were in my bag, with me, at work. (ooppps) She was torn between to pairs but they were buy one get one 50% off so I told her to get both. She has to wear them ALL the time. It wasn't just the lenses but the whole dealio for that price. Of course her lenses also cost the same as it costs to feed a small country for a year because her vision sucks and her lenses are crazy but that folks is not her fault!

The doc suggested contacts for Lily but she has no interest at all yet. When she does we will attempt them. He thinks she is at an age where she can start wearing them. This kid loves her glasses though so I don't see it happening. She also pointed out to the doc that it would be a pain in the neck for swimming.....I don't know why she thinks it will be. Andie, you swim in yours don't you?

So now we are all seeing clearly and I can see very clearly why we won't be taking any extravagant vaca's this summer........

Sorry, that was just a little rant and normal programming will resume tomorrow.

This is the colour of one of Lily's choices.

Update* Flashbacks, setbacks and backing out the door

*Update.
Jakie was bitten as she was prying the jaws of the dogs apart and the same thing happened that night with her friend. At no point did the dogs try to bite them. Yes, a stupid move, we all know better than this but when you panic you don't think. The dog repositioned her mouth on Jakies hand but IT WAS NOT intentional. The dogs are border collie with shepherd mix one is quite a bit smaller than the other, but she is the alpha dog. She is starting the fights but losing them due to size. TO anonymous thank you for your insight, this is exactly what she is doing. At no point has she even considered putting either one to sleep. WON'T HAPPEN. The absolute worst case, last resort will be finding a new home for one. Right now they are in separate parts of the house which is an impossible situation.

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This happened yesterday and even though it happened on my birthday I didn't want it written down and documented on my birthday. Hey it's my birthday and my blog and my scaredy cat brain and body.

Yesterday morning I went to work at my friend Jakies house. Jakie has 2 dogs who have featured prominently over the years on here. We all met Gypsy the day Jakie bought her home and then we met Julia about 2 days after she bought her home. I purposely met them both as soon as possible due to my fear of dogs. Gypsy was just a tiny puppy and became very attached to me and we noticed that when I went to the house with the girls she was jealous of them and would growl at them from a distance as if to say, Hey, what are you doing with her, she belongs to me? I will admit that it made me a little uncomfortable  as my girls are still so little.

Yesterday as I worked the dogs did what they always do and found a place around the table to sleep. At some point they went off and played together and then came back and slept. Once I was all packed up we followed out usual routine. I grabbed my table and purse and Jakie got her smokes. We both noticed that the dogs were casing each other and that Gypsy's hackles were up. Jakie told them to stop it. She rubbed Gypsys back and I commented on it. Gyp's proceeded to put them up again so I said something to her and stroked her. I then headed to the door and out of the corner of my saw Jakie pick up her lighter. The next thing I know the dogs growled and attacked each other. I know dogs do this sometimes so I just moved out of the way and let Jakie take over.

This wasn't a little spat. It became obvious very quickly that this was a "death fight". Out of nowhere these otherwise loving dogs were going for blood. I ran to the door. My "phobia" of dogs came rushing back. In a split second I panicked. I was shaking from head to toe, my heart was racing, and I was terrified. My rational brain was telling me to do something for Jakie who was watching her "babies" try to kill each other. I stood with my hand on the door handle, I had already put the key in the lock, (Julia can open the door so it has to be locked) and my massage table in front of me. I watched in horror as the dogs ripped into each other. jakie was screaming at them but they would not stop. I tried to yell over her to whack them with a chair,( yes I know it sounds awful but it is all that was there and something had to be done) but she couldn't hear me. I finally saw a golf umbrella and tossed it to her but not before she was bitten. That really scared me. I saw her hand and ran outside. Once I regained a little composure I went back in and once again kept my table in front of me. If you have never been terrified in your life then you are probably laughing at me. Jakie was beating both dogs but nothing was happening. There was blood and fur everywhere. She finally pried Julias, jaws off of Gypsy neck and Gypsy ran to me as if to say, help. I truly didn't know where to put her plus I was scared poopless of her. I knew if I put her in any of the rooms Julia could open the door. I looked back at Jakie who was struggling so hard to keep a hold of Ju Ju.

Finally she got her corralled in the laundry room and locked the door. Jakie ran and locked a bleeding Gypsy in her bedroom just as we were coming back into the main part of the house Julia appeared, she had opened a locked door, yet again I ran. Once Jakie said it was OK I came back in and together we both fled the scene. We literally fell on the ground outside the house shaking. I looked at my best friend, crying, bleeding, shaking and realised we needed help. I wanted to call Jacob but she wouldn't let me cos he would have to bring the girls and there was no way she wanted the girls anywhere near the dogs. Me either. I emptied my water bottle on her hand, and mopped it up with my towel. We phoned a friend and tried to work out what happened.

She is OK. Her hand is fine. She kept the dogs separated all day and then late last night a friend went over who looks after the dogs when she goes away and he let the dogs into the same room. It happened again and this time he got bitten, quite badly.

If anyone has any advice please leave it in the comments. No nasty comments please.  Both dogs are spayed, both are female. She went to the vet today to have them checked out and he says sometimes it just happens with females and now they will always have to be separated. He suggested prozac for them. She is contacting the trainer that she used when they were puppies but other than that is at a loss.

As for me: I am never going to be around a dog again in my life. People say when they have a near death experience that their whole life flashes in front of their eyes, now I believe it. (not that this was near death) Yesterday I relived every second of the dog biting me. I saw the whole thing. It was surreal. I could even see the house I was in, every little detail. The dogs teeth, the blood spurting out, the lady talking to me and telling me a story as she applied pressure to my leg and put on a bandage and tied the knot and told me those were the bunny's ears and begging me to stop crying. I even remembered my Dad's blue Marina Van that he used for work, he drove me to the Dr's in it. I haven't given a moments thought to any of it in years but yesterday it literally flashed in movie form right in front of my eyes.

I had just got to the point where I was ready to get a dog. Now it's not going to happen. I know that Ju Ju Bean didn't mean to bite Jakies hand but it happened and I saw it happen and something set them off and there was no reason for it. None. I can't get past the what if''s. What if that happens to one of my girls? I have the scars that prove it happens and I never want them to have them. The emotional scars are a whole lot worse than the physical scars, I'd really moved mountains with those too but i think I have gone all the way back to zero.

Heading to my clients houses for the next few days is going to be difficult. Heading to my best friends house is going to be impossible. I told Jakie that I didn't think I would be ever be able to go into her house again with the dogs and she said she already knew that. Arghhh, this stinks.

Another birthday

We celebrated another birthday in our house today, mine. I love my birthday just as much as any child and I get really excited about it. The girls love to celebrate any of our birthdays and they make them so much more fun.

With Rosie still being icky we laid a little low. She wanted to make a birthday cake so that is what we did. I was just the supplier of ingredients, she did the rest. She really went to town with the decorating. 

I love my cake. Well not the cake so much cos frankly it tastes bloody awful but the decorations on it. I finally figured out what is going on with my baking. My scales are shot. The girls have dropped them so many times getting them out of the cupboard that they no longer work. So when I measure things I might just as well use things like shoes and socks cos the amounts are never ever the same. It wasn't until after we were done that I realised just how messed up they are. Instead of a nice fluffy sponge cake I have 2 pieces of something that sort of resembles cookie dough crossed with cement. But in all honesty I don't really mind, I now know what the problem is and Rosie had so much fun so tell heck with the taste. 

After I had opened all of my "prizes" we went for a dip in the pool. I think the cool water and weightless helped Rosie feel better than she has for days. She even asked for a snack when we got home. She tried some of her cake but decided she'd rather have something else instead. LOL

It was a great day and I loved every minute of it. Jacob surprised me with his gifts, he apparently does listen! (or as Lily says, he can take her hints!)

Thank you all for a really lovely birthday. 

I think she has all of her bases covered, from xmas, to Mothers Day, to silly hat day.

Lily did the piping around the edges and added the candles. The icing is a blue/green colour.

Blowing out my candles with my 2 very proud bakers and decorators.

Dance in the rain

Welcome to Dancing in the Rain.

For a very long time I have wanted a blog that reflected me but I just don't have the creative genius needed to pull it off. When I started Eggrolls and Chopsticks I was waiting to bring home our second daughter from China. Back then we lived and breathed China and all things adoption related but now, 6 years later we are just us.

So much has changed in 6 years and it's only the beginning. A lot more is about to change and I am really looking forward to all that the future holds. This new design really encompasses who I am and my outlook on life. Daleea designed a blog for a freind and when I saw it I knew that I wanted her to do mine. She is about to move to Honduras on a mission trip so I wasn't even sure if she would have the time. Life has a way of putting things together. All I can say is that she is fabulous and incredibly talented.

I can't think of a better way to kick off summer than this fresh, clean, new look. Hah, Daleea has heard those words from me so much lately! Now I need to get rid of the clutter that I have laying about on the sidebar and I'll be in heaven. Oh and at this point, I'm not completely sure if it is complete or not.

Thank you Daleea, I'm dancing.

Me Time

One of my goals for the year was to actually have some, me time. Sounds rather selfish I know but that is because I need to take care of everyone else before I think of me so I put me last all the time. Not this year baby!

Now to some of you this will sound dreadful but I consider my exercise time, my time. Don't come anywhere near me when I am exercising. I make sure I get this time every single day. If I don't I am cranky. Very, very cranky.

Today I was all set to spend the morning playing with Rosie and doing whatever she wanted when I suddenly realised my friend Jakie and I needed to get together for a coffee. I was so shocked at myself for doing it but we did. I rounded Rosie into the car and off we went. Jakie and I had a great time window shopping and yipping and Rosie enjoyed her treat at the coffee house and her ride on the carousel. See, I am not totally selfish, well, not yet.
You can see by the look on her face she had no idea it was all about me!


By the end of this year I am going to find the time to get away for a weekend, just me. No kidlets allowed. I know I will be a much better Mother for some me time so that is what the goal is based on. That and the fact that due to having no family at all around sometimes I could go crazy. LOL The only time I have ever been away from Lily is for 2 nights when my Mother died and I flew back to the UK for the funeral. I arrived one day and left the following. I have never been away from Rosie.

Tonight I went for a run. Yes, for the first time in my life I went running. What is more scary than me running is the fact that I loved it. I told the girlies to get on their bicyclettes and off we went. I had to keep stopping cos Rosie found this and that to stop and peruse but for the most part it worked fabulously.

So here's to a nicer, more patient me...... cheers.