Gotcha Day/Adoption Day/Mother's Day/Birthmothers Day...Shimmy Shimmy

The Lord has blessed us with a sweet time together this weekend. On Friday, Sophie's official Gotcha Day, I spent most of the day with Sophie. Katie, Jane and Stephen met us for lunch at McD's and then went with us to Davis Kidd bookstore to buy Sophie a present. It was so good to have our friends with us on this special day. When Poppa got home Sophie got to open her gifts. She got some trainer chop sticks that we had bought for her while we were in China. She also got the sweet adoption book I Love you Like Crazy Cakes. Later in the evening, Sophie got some one on one time with Poppa Bear. Momma had already signed up for cooking classes with Patty sooo... I decided to go, even though it was a really special day. (Patty was going to teach how to make her delicious BBQ shrimp, Sophie will thank me someday) Anyway, Steve and Soph wet to Pei Wei and ate LOTS of noodles. Steve took Sophie to Target and let her pick out a special toy for her present from him. She picked out a big pack of Matchbox cars!

Saturday was Sophie's official Adoption Day. We started the day all crammed into our bed trying not to wake up! When we finally drug out of bed, we did errands, which included some special plant shopping. Steve surprised me with two Forsythia bushes! We also let Sophie pick out a hanging pot of flowers in honor of her birth mother. We hung them on her little swing set in the back yard.

My Mother's Day treat to myself was renting Becoming Jane and sitting in my quiet chair and enjoying every minute of it.

Finally I had some energy to make Sophie's Gotcha Day cake, a couple of days late, but who's counting. I made it in a very special heart shaped mold that was used by my mother when I was a child. I got it from her to make Sophie's birthday cakes with, and I did use it for Sophie's first birthday. I have come to realize this wouldn't make a great tradition because nowadays children like to pick out their own cake every year. So, I have decided it will be used on Gotcha Days or Adoption Days every year. That way, we can use it for all of our children! Of course, it may find itself filled with red batter on Valentines day, but it will be remembered for the love of my mother to me that I now have to give to my children.

This should be on my Shimmy Shimmy blog, but it fits here. As women we are, in general in charge of making things traditions. I fear that we aren't putting energy into making special things, umm, well special. We claim we don't want all the fuss, but I am here to proclaim that you can have your cake and eat it to. Celebrate the days, make a tradition, but, always leave room for a little Shimmy Shimmy to keep everyone wanting to participate year after year. Here's my example of Shimmy Shimmy. The cake is supposed to be made on Sophie's actual Gotcha Day...we didn't cut into it until Sunday after church. Who cares?? It was made when I had time and we all loved it. I am the one who sets the standards for household traditions, might as well give myself a little wiggle room.