My name is Campbell and I'm an adoptee

Yep, I'm adopted. If you aren't you've likely wondered if (perhaps even hoped) you are. It's a funny thing being adopted. It kinda makes you special. Think about it. Someone is talking about adoption and you can say, "oh, I'm adopted". The reaction is always one of interest. "You are?! I didn't know that!"

I love talking about it, telling my story, what I know and what I don't know. I am from a family of three kids with two of us being adopted so I not only get to talk about the fact that I'm adopted but also about my older sibling's adoption story which is an even more interesting story than my own. See, my older sibling has actually met her birth mother and two full siblings. In fact, my whole family has met older sibling's birth mother, right in our family home! What an experience to see this woman who was very much like my older sibling. So interesting to observe the different reactions of our mom and dad, how my mom was threatened and my dad, well, not threatened in the slightest. "Hell, it's been our kid for all this time so if this changes anything, so be it". He was right. Nothing changed. Older sibling just acquired 3 new family members to be concerned with, perhaps be disappointed by, but suffice to say all curiosity was satisfied.

Another reason being adopted made me feel like I was special is that I was told so. Right from the beginning I've been aware that I'm adopted. My mom has told me it was a story they started telling me as early as I was able to understand. So, as early as I was able to tell people that I'm adopted, I did. It was around grade three that I have a memory of telling other kids and getting the predictable reaction of "your parents didn't want you!" and "that means your sister isn't your real sister because you don't have the same mom". WHAT?!?!?!?!

Hey, what's goin on around here?!?

Just finished reading and commenting on a parenting blog. It talked about canceling Christmas to straighten out unmanageable kids. Huh?!?!?! I'm a firm believer in creating consequences for bad behavior that are in no way shape or form a consequence to the parent. Whatever happened to a piece of coal in the stocking?

Okay, so coal isn't easy to come by and if it was is way too messy but a small raw potato in the bottom of the stocking had the desired effect on my little Vincent. I can still picture his face (so maybe I wouldn't be able to if I didn't have it on video) when he got to the bottom and discovered the telling spud.

Christmas with the family....the ENTIRE family

I spend a bit of time reading blogs on step moms. After reading and commenting on one rather pertinent post I decided to share some of my thoughts on our Christmas plans. My husband, my son and his girlfriend, my mother and I will be going to Christmas dinner at my stepson and his wife's home. All of my husband's family will be there as per usual, something I treasure
because my own family has become so small and because I truly enjoy my in-laws and getting together with them. The twist this year is that my husband's ex family (including his ex wife) will also be with us.

All I want for Christmas

Well, I won't be ready for Christmas. I'll be ready ready, like with decorating, baking, shopping but I won't have my idea in place to sell as Christmas gifts. To be honest, I'm a little bummed. I guess I was naive in thinking a few months would be enough time to have all my reindeer in order what with working a full time job, being at the mercy of other people's time restrictions, my own financial considerations, and of course I can't miss watching the Olympic curling trials! So for now I'll keep watching Dragon's Den, working on my own idea when I can, and just enjoy the holiday season with my amazing family who've been so supportive of my dream.

Yikes...what if they read this

Had a great visit with my oldest and dearest friend the other night. I mentioned I was writing this blog and was in the final stages of developing a product to sell to the world. Of course she was interested and asked where the blog was so she could give it a read. As I told her, "it's Campbell Scoup, yeah, like soup but with a c" I got a slight feeling of panic. Oh man, is there something I've written that will upset her? And if not yet, will I in the future? Will I be able to write honestly and candidly with the knowledge someone I know and care about is reading what I write? So far the only person reading this blog that knows who I am is my son and while he's very helpful in pointing out grammatical errors and possible misuses of words nothing I've written or will write in the future will hurt his feelings or come as a shock to him and if it does, we'll just discuss it. No big deal.
So I mentioned this concern to my friend and told her if she disagreed with something I'd said that I hoped she would comment. That I hoped anyone with an opinion would.

One can hardly espouse parenting without ego and not do the same with blogging...right?

decision .... daycare, not!

 I had a surprise visit today from friends who brought their beautiful new baby for a visit. I'm mentioning this because they told me something I hadn't heard in a while, if ever. They told me that it's important to them to not put their child in daycare. Huh?!?!?!

What's in a name....oh just EVERYTHING!!!

Another road block. No big deal, that only makes like 6 big walls in the way of my idea. See, I need a name. A name that would make for a strong trademark. Had a bit of fun brainstorming, and I use that term loosely, with my son ahem...my son Vincent. There was no pile of crushed paper coffee cups, crumpled up pieces of paper spilling out of the garbage, pencils worn down to the eraser from endless scribbling. Nope, none of that just me and the boy making fun of each other's ideas, trying to steal stuff off the internet and having a few laughs. There was no plethora of ideas, never mind a panoply, but it was just one of those moments of serendipity that I wouldn't trade that for anything. Not even for onomatopoeia.

I hate to impose, but...

Played with the address again. That's likely common. So for now, Campbell Scoup will do the trick.

For years now I've trained myself to keep my ideas and thoughts on many things, most importantly parenting, to myself unless specifically asked for them. I'm not talking about things like racism or injustices of any kind. In situations like that I allow my strong sense of fairness to take over and I will speak up, albeit toned down to some degree with an effort to be tactful and attempt to educate rather than be outright contemptuous.

It's not that I don't think that I have nothing to offer in the way of ideas. I do! The problem is the trouble I've gotten myself into trying to share them. In fact, if you were to ask the lucky recipients with whom I've shared my ideas with in the past they'd be more apt to use the word "imposed" than shared. This is never more likely than with the topic of parenting so that's what I shall start out of the gate with in this blog. If you're starting to feel imposed upon, I suggest you stop reading.

whoa ... lots to absorb

Having trouble finding myself. Online, that is. Played with address and added an "eh". Now THAT'S Canadian!

Now off to watch curling. Seriously..

I just couldn't wait

Okay so I'm a total novice. I don't know exactly what I'm doing, but I know way more than I did 3 weeks ago. And this is all a very slow process, too slow for me. Part of my desire to create my own business is to have control of the pace, reap the rewards of my passion and efforts. Fortunately I do have a patient nature so as long as I'm able to do something, any little thing, to make progress, I stay excited.

Actually, it's a weird thing to be excited about something that you can't really talk about...yet. In a way it may be more fun than the alternative, alternative being telling everyone. Putting myself out there, my idea out there, for all to either say "yay!" or "huh?!?!?!". Mmhm scary.

Back to this blog. Although for now being vague is a must (I think) it's at least a start. I need time to figure out web hosts, SEO's, domains, drop shipping, shopping carts, e commerce. I need time to determine who is and who isn't a shyster, how long it should take to design and create a decent website, learn about patents, packaging, and the list goes on. So, since I just couldn't wait, here I am.

For now, just the thoughts, with the ideas dying to get out!