Just the 3 of us

I Underestimated Them Apparently

2012-02-15T11:06:00.000-08:00

They are capable of much more than banana peel hearts it would appear.

It was quite a valentine feast I returned home to last evening and the duo could not have been prouder of their efforts. (They had some help) it was a great night.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T10:03:00.000-08:00

I surprised the duo this morning with donuts (bonus for me in that I really dislike the powdered sugared donuts) and a valentine mad lib. We are all about the mad libs around here these days and what a good way to figure out what plural nouns and adjectives are all about. The duo was pleasantly surprised by the donuts and in return when I left the room for a minute they took their banana peels and formed a heart for me. Now that is love.... banana peels in the form of a heart - I'm sad I didn't get a picture.

But, I did have a rather introspective thought this morning while preparing the donuts. I used to dream that I would be that Mom that made heart shaped red velvet pancakes and, truth be told, I was a little bit of that Mom when they were small but no more. Now I'm the box of donut kind of Mom because I'm busy, their busy, life is happening, and that's really just as ok.

I am still a little unhappy at myself that Chinese New Year did not happen in any way shape or form around these parts this year. And, I promised myself that will not happen again but, really, I'm going to try to give myself a break and focus on what I can do.. not on what I'm not doing.

Happy Valentine’s Day to us all!

Curse You

2012-02-11T08:48:00.001-08:00

Pinterest and your fabulous crafts that caused me to spend my snowy Saturday making valentines when I could have just bought those cartoon valentines at the store.

It’s a Thankless Job Sometimes

2012-02-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

Did I just say that the things my kids say amuse me? Yesterday I left work 2 hours early to be the volunteer Mom at Brownies. So Riley was asked to introduce me to the troop and tell them two things about me. Did she pick any of the following:
She runs a company with about 500 employees.
She has worked hard to lose weight and run 5k’s with me.
She let me ditch school last Friday to go tubing.
She likes to take pictures
She makes elbeskivers with me every Saturday morning
She likes Taylor Switft.
She’s traveled all over the world

No. No she did not.

She instead chose to go with:
My Mom likes to read
She likes to sleep in on Saturday morning and you aren’t supposed to wake her up.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Ok Then

2012-02-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

obviously I stink at a picture a day seeing we are on day 7 and I've missed two days! All I can say is.. Thank goodness I didn't set a goal for a whole year of pictures for a day and last 5 days!! I'm still working on it... I think.

In the meantime here is a hilarious video of Daniel. I think I will entitle it... "Yes there really are no more toddlers living in my house" or, maybe,
"Daniel's version of Joy to the World".

You think you hate that purple dinosaur when they love it and then one day they are flushing him down the toilet and you realize you miss that big purple goof.

The Day I lost Daniel

2012-02-06T10:17:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post my picture yesterday which is very unfortunate becuase I had one I wanted to post as soon as the kids were in bed and...well... it didn't happen.

But, we were gone for the weekend to the poconos which was kind of interesting. Friends from school have a place outside of Big Boulder and we were lucky enough to win a weekend at the fundfest auction at school last spring. We took our older cousinns with us who had never been skiing before and we had a really good time together. Riley especially enjoyed sharing a room with the older girls and being allowed to stay up with them till 11pm or later. She was terribly grumpy Sunday morning but she has talked about hanging with the big girls quite a bit since we got back home so I'm glad I swallowed my desire to force her to bed in my room Saturday night when it looked like it would be a late one.

Daniel, on the other hand, is sporting a memory of the weekend that he is not that happy with and neither is the Mom. We had ourselves a bit of scare Saturday afternoon.

Daniel loves tubing. LOVES IT. So after tubing most of Friday afternoon and evening everyone else was ready to move on to some skiing on Saturday. Daniel was not and since the Utah trip looms over the horizon I decided that I wouldn't force him but instead took him back to the tubing place while everyone else skied and snowboarded Saturday. Daniel and I had a great time for a couple of hours hanging out together and after a quick bit of lunch decided to head across the resort to the ski area and check on everyone else. A few of the skiers were ready to pack it in for tubing Riley included (much to my shock) and so we turned in their gear, upgraded their tickets to include tubing and went back across the resort. Riley and my neice Reina now ready to tube but before tubing they were hungry. Daniel had eaten so his anxiety level to be back on the hill was crazy high and I agreed to let him go ahead and start up the hill while I fed the girls.

Well, it had gotten crazy busy by that time of day and, well, through a series of events that followed it was 2 (almost 3) hours until Daniel was located again. 2 (almost 3) hours which included about 1 hour of pure frantic by his Mom. Somehow he got himself back across the ski resort to the skiers where my SIL found him so while I had every one on the tubing hill looking for him he was over a couple of ridges. My neice Reina finally ran back to the ski lodge and found them for me. When she came running back and told me that he was with my SIL on a bench I immediately started to tear up.

It's a horrible thing to think one of your children is missing. I can't imagine the pain when it goes on for longer than an hour.

Suffice it to say.. Daniel was in a great deal of trouble, was a little scared himself, and will not be allowed too far from sight for a very long time.

Ski Pa

2012-02-04T11:18:00.001-08:00

Or the weekend Riley learned she doesn't love snowboarding.....yet.

If There is No Snow Where you are

2012-02-03T15:29:00.001-08:00

Find some even if you have to go where they make it.

Ground Hog Day

2012-02-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

We made our own ground hogs last night after dinner. Riley was imagining more snow than we currently have... either that or she really likes whipped cream!

6 more weeks of winter... so says our famous groundhog.

Hello February

2012-02-01T08:25:00.000-08:00

I have several bloggy buddies (you know who you are) who set a goal to post one picture a day for an entire year. I knew there was no way that was ever going to happen here but I have enjoyed their less than usual photos for a whole month now and have decided to give it a go for the month of February. It should be interesting as we will be traveling some this month

Today's photo's are entitled the view from my desk (where I spend 9 hours of my life every day).

Thoughts on a Friday in January

2012-01-20T05:39:00.000-08:00

My kids crack me up sometimes.

Just recently I’ve read or been told the following:

“Riley, Mom has Beiber fever!” (and some cool dance moves the boy failed to mention that at all. I don't know why.)

And on a recent test that Riley took she was asked the question – Would you like to run for President one day? Explain. Riley’s answer – I wouldn’t because you would have to do A LOT of work. (as opposed to the work the rest of us do in our jobs which apparently is not so much)

And my personal favorite at the moment – Daniel calls frost in the morning frosting. It makes me smile the whole way to work as I look at it.

Riley has made it official. She will not run cross country in the spring. Insert frowny face by the Mom. She will instead play Lacrosse. I’m sad because I love to watch Riley run. And I love the cross country season of all practices right after school with one big run at the end. Now I’m going to have to figure out not only practices after school but games every Saturday. Games on Saturday which would be the same day the boy has soccer games…. In another town… and there is only one of me. We’ll see how this works out. Damn that purple stick.

We’re expecting our first semi real winter storm of 2012. It could be snow, it could be ice, and it could be rain. I’m thinking our forecast for our Saturday is valentine crafts in the basement. The weather can do what it likes. I did, however, get all the ingredients for tator tot casserole because while I personally think it will be an all rain event I would not like to be caught empty handed if I’m proved wrong.

Heaven knows what the duo would have to say about that.

Ebelskivers

2012-01-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

because we are not all about the ww around here all the time. (hmm, that may be why I haven't reached my goal just yet) Anyway...

I have a friend, Andrea, who lives in Virginia and does high powered stuff for the state department. That's not why we love her. What we do love is that every time she came to visit she would bring her pan and make us ebelskivers. My children called them pancake pops when they were little which annoyed Andrea just a bit as ebelskivers are part of her Danish heritage and are MOST DEFINITELY NOT PANCAKE POPS. But, anyway, she used to come up every couple of months and spend a weekend with us. Once I would announce she was coming my kids would dance around the house singing "We're getting pancake pops". Those weekends are few and far between these days as her job takes her to places like women's prisons in Turkey and the like. I'm completely jealous because my job never takes me anywhere... except to maybe Reading.. and that is really not the same thing.

But, we have often lamented the fact that Andrea isn't able to visit as often and my children have always mentioned they miss the ebelskivers too. So, for Christmas this year I decided to gift the house with an ebelskiver pan of our own. Riley and I have enjoyed learning how to make them together. And, trust me it's tricky learning how to flip those little suckers. We lose Daniel in the making before you even mix dry ingredients to wet but he always reappears when the first batch needs powdered sugar - it's a gift he has I think.

Ebelskivers are the new Saturday mornings around these parts. And, while I dislike the cold and the wet of winter, I love the pj's and baking of a Saturday morning devoid of sports. We used the pan quite a lot over Christmas and we've made ebelskivers jelly filled and honey covered. We're branching out in our ebelskiver knowledge and Riley and I have a great time working together, singing out loud to Taylor Swift, and giggling our heads off.

That girl Riley she may make a baker out of me yet. This past Saturday morning there were no ebilskivers as Riley was at her cousin's house for a b-day sleep over but we baked anyway later that evening and made some really delicious lower fat apple muffins I found on pinterest. (Ok, Riley and Pinterest maybe turning me into a baker!)

Weight Watchers Update

2012-01-10T09:48:00.000-08:00

Remember when I told what I had learned over the summer and how I hoped to get another 25 lb. lost medallion before the end of the year?

Yeah, that didn't happen and I was kind of bummed about it but then I remembered that I did lose 38 1/2 pounds and that was pretty close to my goal and I was happy again.

And then, I decided to eat what I wanted to over the holidays and, well, I'm a little further away from my 50lb goal then I was before.

No worries, the holidays are behind us and I was able to get right back into it on January 3rd when our lives went back to normal.

I have found that the key for me with my kidney disease and everything is the water. That is rather unfortunate because I HATE water and I know I shouldn't, that it has absolutly no taste to it at all but still..... HATE IT. Always will. And, while I can choke it down in the summer when it's hot the winter is a whole nother story. I think i've finally found my answer in herbal tea. I've been drinking 12 oz cups of herbal tea (no honey more points for that) morning and evening combined with a 2 20oz bottles of water during the day (I prefer smart water, I think that makes me kind of dumb) I can meet my daily requirement of water. And, my water has to be room temperature I cannot drink it cold. Strange right?

Funny thing about that water, the more water I drink the less I want diet coke in my life. Sigh, diet coke and I we have a longer term relationship than almost any other relationship in my life. I miss it and, while I've always maintained that drinking diet coke never had any effect on my sleeping abilities all of sudden I'm going to bed at 9pm and sleeping till the alarm at 5:30am (who would have guessed?). That's another relationship I'm currently missing me and midnight. I used to do some great things around that hour of the night.

But, anyway, I'm still here and I'm still plugging away at all of this and suprisingly enough I've actually had two more friends join weight watchers as well that's kind of fun and motivating as I don't want to fall off the wagon and then watch others reach their goal and leave me behind... that would be disappointing.

One of the wives of one of men I work with offered to train me for a 5k run and I'm just so desperate to be able to run with my girl that I'm thinking about doing it. As I pointed out to another co-worker very familar with this particular wife "she would probably make a great coach if I didn't kill her". Hmm, so we will see.

And, in looking back over the last 6 months of all these changes I'm not where I want to be yet but I'm certainly a long way from where I came from and that really should be the point.

Plus I think all of the many compliments and the "Oh, you look so terrific" at our company Christmas party really went to my head. I told my Mom if I start getting my nails done and going to the tanning salon someone is really going to have to knock my vanity down a peg or two.

I'm sure traing for the 5K will definitely cure the vanity. No doubt about that.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T17:05:00.001-08:00

and we welcome 2012. I don't do resolutions any more.. to much pressure not enough time..... but I do have some things I will be working on this year. May 2012 be a wonderful year for you and yours as well.

Disney on Ice

2011-12-31T16:37:00.000-08:00

We ended our Christmas celebrations and turned our thoughts to New Years after a visit to see Disney on Ice with some of our favorite cousins. Getting to spend time together as a family is the best Christmas present we could get. It's so much fun to see all of these close in age cousins together. And, it is a much less stressful experience for the outnumbered 2 to 1 ratio of adults that we are lucky enough to have a company box we can use for these events - it makes life a lot easier. Containment is a good thing.

Of course, being in a box has an added benefit.... more room to perfect your disney dance moves!

Christmas Day 2011

2011-12-29T07:22:00.000-08:00

The biggest gifts were two of the smallest and biggest boxes under the tree. I think Daniel finally gets my oft repeated phrase that "bigs things sometimes come in small packages". Daniel was very happy to get his own little ipod. His music requests? Johnny Cash and Justin Bieber. He has spent almost every minute since Christmas with ear plugs in his ear dancing around my house singing Oh baby, baby at the top of his lungs.

And Riley got her very own laptop (purple lid as requested) the laptop was really a small present for the Mom who nows gets to use her laptop when she wants to.

Harry Potter also was very big under our tree this year in both lego's and with Daniel getting his very own Harry Potter wand. It was the one thing he really wanted.

Each stocking held a package of Bertie's Bots candy but they each think they got the ear wax flavored one first and they stopped eating them. We have been enjoying reading the Harry Potter books each evening so Harry Potter is a big subject around here these days.

And last but not least the duo received snowboards. Now if we just could get some snow... doesn't look good. The duo also received along with the snowboards 3 days of snowboarding lessons when we get to Utah this year. Riley is very excited. Daniel cautious. I would have expected nothing less!

This year it truely was the best Christmas ever. After opening our gifts we got ready and went to church. It was pretty great to have Christmas on a Sunday this year. Riley and Daniel had been asked to sing a duet during the Christmas service. They sang a beautiful duet entitled The Friendly Beast about the animals watching over Christ on the night of his birth. They did a fabulous job. I hope to get it on tape one day. Daniel had a little trouble with when to come in after the intro of each verse so Riley and I devised a system to kind of tap him on the leg when he needed to start singing. It was pretty cute.

We finally finished our Christmas celebrations on the 30th. There's been a lot of visiting, a lot of gifts, and a whole lot of love this Christmas. Oh, and health, lots and lots of good health this Christmas which was the best gift for this Mom.

The Days before the Big Day

2011-12-29T05:36:00.000-08:00

We started our Christmas weekend at about noon on Friday when the Mom finally finished up at the office. Our first order of business was, of course, the gingerbread houses. Jennifer - these pictures are for you and MC because, we ALWAYS make the gingerbread houses just like you guys. Although this year I seemed to get a different brand and we missed the little plastic groves that help the houses stand so kinda straight.

This year the Mom got a little wiser, either that or worn down by time, (let's go with wiser shall we?) and instead of constantly saying, "No you can't eat your gingerbread houses" and then throwing the whole thing away after Christmas I, immediately upon the houses being done, allowed them to have at them which made Daniel extremely happy, caused me less fussing, and resulted in me throwing almost as much of the house away at the end of Christmas as every other year which proves my point that nobody really eats those things!

Oh well, they are still fun to make. While I toy with the idea of making our gingerbread from scratch one year alas I fear that that will probably NEVER happen. Well, until Riley our baker is ready to attempt it. I admire those that do. I really do.

And on Christmas Eve we were busy again. This time I was hale and hearty so we made the round of Christmas Eve gatherings at my brother's houses spreading good cheer and lots of squeals. The cousin love is strong around here. We eventually made our way back home where my two prepared the small snack for Santa as he passed on through.

And then the annual reading of the Christmas story and the stockings were hung by the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there... and, oh man, did he deliver.

Santa's Visit

2011-12-21T07:50:00.000-08:00

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exists, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.

editorial in the New York Sun, 1897, responding to a letter from 8-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon

Merry Christmas, from our house to yours.

PS - We have it on good authority that Blitzen is a little under the weather these days. We will be tracking him Saturday on the computer as he begins his trek towards our home and yours. And Daniel has big plans to leave Blitzen a stash of cough drops besides the usual carrots and reindeer food!

A big thank you to Santa Claus for taking a break from his many responsibilities this time of year to visit with us for a few minutes. He saved me a trip to the crowded mall... again.

Hello Christmas break

2011-12-19T15:16:00.001-08:00

We've been looking forward to the Christmas break from school for quite awhile. As the mom I looked forward to an extra 30 mins. Sleeping in instead of trying to get everyone out the door with a smile.

Still when I saw them all cozy on the couch as I prepared to leave this morning what I really wanted to do was throw on my flannels and join them.

Happy Christmas break!

Call of the Wild

2011-12-17T04:32:00.001-08:00

My boy is so my child. You know, sometimes I've wondered. But lately every time I turn around I find him with a book in his hands head bent low over it. Last night when I sat in my moms car for a moment when she dropped us off the duo ran on ahead but when I opened the back door to come inside there was my Daniel criss cross apple sauce reading while he waited for me. And, then again this morning as I struggled to come fully awake he was more than happy to climb into my bed beside me and read for awhile.

And then I heard the pages turning faster and I realized he's like me in another way too - we both like to skip ahead and find out how it all turns out.

Happy Saturday. We have one of the rarest of all Saturdays a free day!

(Call of the Wild is the book Daniels reading. He got all excited when he found out I read it in school too and he wants to know if Buck is the ghost dog because he thinks he is. I honestly don't remember the story. In my defense it was probably 4th or 5th grade)

Weekend with Family

2011-12-11T16:46:00.001-08:00

My Mom's annual Christmas dinner weekend. We spend alot of time together as a family but it's rare for all us to be together at the same time. The oldest cousins are teenagers now so their free time is so much more limited these days with school concerts, dances, and friends so we enjoy this annual gathering for a few hours. We also enjoy my Mom's pork roast dinner and mashed potatoes - yum.

We decided next year all of these boys need a game of flag football the afternoon of grandma's dinner. Now that should be interesting!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas

2011-12-05T11:22:00.000-08:00

all over our house. Our house was on the holiday home tour for our small town Saturday. I'll take some pictures soon. I had professional help with the decorating and while its very pretty.... Riley and I have decided next year we are doing it ourselves. It just lacks our personal touch.

But, buddy the elf decided to delay his arrival until after all the crazy people went away (and Mom calmed the heck down truth be told) so he made his appearance Saturday night. Apparently this year he is making friends around the house or as Daniel put it when he saw him this morning, "Buddy's dating Barbie!!". It caused a great deal of excitement around our house. Riley was concerned because Buddy is most obviously NOT wearing his seat belt.

Stay tuned I think that little elf is going to be quite entertaining this year as he prances around our house in the night time hours.

Bittersweet Thanksgiving

2011-11-30T05:30:00.000-08:00

with absolutely no pictures to go with it. I think the camera got broken again this year. Crazy.

We spent our Thanksgiving in New York City again. We love it there (on a very limited basis as I couldn't take that many people for more than 3 days at a time - this I know!). This year we were lucky enough to see 2 broadway shows. Wicked - because I have wanted to see it for years and Spider Man - because I knew my musical loving boy would absolutly love it. I had no idea when Spider Man started that we would all love it but we sure did, it was quite simply amazing from the sets to the music, and especially the actors and their voices. Daniel turned to me with an awe struck face as it ended and said, "I can't wait to tell my friends about this.". I feel kind of the same way actually.

But, our Thanksgiving was also clouded by sadness. One of Riley's classmates lost his Mom to cancer on Thanksgiving day. It was horrible and fast moving and one of Riley's worst nightmares come to life. She worries alot about what will happen to her and Daniel if something happens to me and while I've showed her and told her over and over again the plans I have put in place for both her and Daniel... still she worries... She needs me... I am the center of her whole world and while I'm also the center of Dan's world its different for her. I don't know why that is exactly but it just is who Riley is and so for her to watch a friend lose his mother it was and is very upsetting for her on a very deep level. She's not ready to talk about it yet, she needs more time to process it all. I think we both do. It came as quite a shock to us both. I stood beside that Mom the last Saturday in August at a birthday party laughing and joking and I don't for one minute think she knew she was sick in any way and now she is gone. I've said it before during this year and I'll say it again.. Cancer sucks.

But, the holidays are upon us and we'll find lots to make us smile again. This Saturday our house will be on the holiday open house tour for our town (don't ask me why I agreed to it I really do not know how I get myself into these things)

Happy thanksgiving one and all. I hope you take the time to count your blessings this season. I certainly have.

American girls in real life

2011-11-29T18:32:00.001-08:00

The fashion show has come and gone and we are glad it's over but man did Riley enjoy it. She got to meet alot of new friends and strut the cat walk for an entire afternoon. She actually ended up modeling Ivy as intended and also one of the bitty baby models who got stage freight at the last moment. She was the only model able to wear the smaller clothes and the clothes picked for her originally. That was kind of funny.

Two of her friends pictured here (Ava and Alison) were able to join us for the last show of the day and then we had a girls night out for dinner. The girls were a hoot that night and very entertaining especially for my friend Heather who joined us and who only has sons. She enjoyed the glimpse into the girls world and was probably pretty happy to return to her boys camp.

There was a whole lot of giggling, some under the table nonsense I'm not sure I still understand, and lots of pasta eaten. Riley ate her dinner and then when Alison didn't like her pasta Riley ate hers as well. Alison ate this bread basket which we all found quite humorous.

The fashion show benefited the local hands on house and was a huge success. Riley would love to do it again next year if she is still a size 10. (guess she should monitor the pasta)

Dan was off doing boy things with his cousins most of the day for one of their birthdays.

Riley's 3rd 5K in her 8th year of life

2011-11-11T07:29:00.000-08:00

The cross country team makes it way from the school to the field with Riley right in the middle of them. The team is much bigger this 2nd year in.

Riley finally got a friend to run with her. Miss A and Riley have become good running buddies this cross country season and occasionally Miss A's Mom runs with them.

The stretch before the run.

Cheecky girls. You girls can run.. you can run fast... We can't... We get it...

Riley one final stretch before the horn belows. Wait a minute, when did her legs get that long?

And their off... talking.. pacing themselves... talking... whatever you want to call it.

Meanwhile the boy will always find the blonde in the crowd. ALWAYS.

Right on pace and right together by the 2nd loop the girls are no longer chatting as they run.

Riley's final time: 31 minutes 41 seconds. Her new personal best. She has knocked another minute and a half off her time and she is very happy. As am I. The numbers don't excite her as much as the fact that she beat 5th and 6th graders to the finish line. I was away for the rescheduled run (dang snow storm) but I waited anxiously by my phone for the numbers to come in Thursday afternoon and even though I wasn't present in body, in spirit I was on the field cheering my girl on and I still cried a little when the phone call came. I am so incredibly proud of her. I'm so proud of what she has accomplished in such a short amount of time. It seems like last week that I brought her home from China on those weak little legs and that sad frowny face. She is a fighter, she always has been. Sometimes we butt heads over it, but, always I admire her spirit and her will. They will take her far in life one day. I'm just extremely grateful I get to be a part of it with her.

We also love and thank Miss Molly Mae. She has taught Riley how to run and given her a life skill that I hope will always stay with Riley. Riley needs running. She is a perfectionist and a very detail driven individual and sometimes, as I've tried to teach Riley, life isn't going to be perfect in every way nor will she always be the best at everything she does. It is my hope that running, even if she never runs for another cross country team, will always help Riley release the pressure she puts on herself. I'm grateful to a gym coach who called me one day and said, "Hey, this girl is a runner you should put her in cross country at school". And I'm grateful for Miss Molley Mae who loved on my girl and listened to her, and ran beside her. She will always be a hero in our home. We will be sad to see her graduate next spring and leave the team behind.

Will Riley run again in the spring? Only time will tell. Riley's school starts girls lacrosse in the spring of 3rd grade. You can imagine how badly the lacrosse coach wants her with her running abilities. Riley was not at all interested in lacrosse and turned down an opportunity to attend lacrosse camp over the summer. But, then, one of her friends told her that you can actually have a lacrosse stick in any color that you want so Riley is reconsidering the sport.

We'll see what the spring brings.

(photos courtesy of Amanda who was a big help with Mom out of town)

For Grandma and Amanda

2011-11-09T07:22:00.000-08:00

The piano recital, November 7th, 2011. We missed you!

Back soon with a fall sports update! The girl, she is very fast both on the keyboard and the track.

Snowtober

2011-10-31T12:46:00.001-07:00

Holy Halloween - talk about frost on the pumpkins! We got that and then some over the weekend for our first ever Halloween snow. And when not playing in it we did enjoy a activity free weekend at home sipping hot chocolate, watching our favorite Halloween movies (Hocus Pocus anyone?) and enjoying the falling snow.

Tonight I'll be trick or treating with my favorite Anakin Skywalker and Minnie Mouse and then I'm headed south for an adult only vacation for a few days. The duo will be in good hands and filled up with so much chocolate they probably won't even miss me.

Happy Halloween to us all!

Appearing on billboards soon.

2011-10-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

Recognize anyone you know? Or maybe two anybodies that you know?

I'm afraid all of this modeling & photography work is going to go to their little heads and even more scary it is not like we're trying to solicit work of this kind and yet the dynamic duo keep popping up every where it seems.

My American Girl Doll

2011-10-24T16:40:00.001-07:00

Riley has been chosen to model for the local hands on house in their upcoming American girl doll fashion show. Surprisingly enough she is very excited about it. Usually it's Daniel who likes the modeling stuff.
Tonight we had the fitting of the two outfits and the first lesson on the cat walk. Riley will be wearing and modeling Ivy.
Truth be told I always thought Ivy's 70's look was kind of ugly but Riley makes it look good.
Two more rehearsals before the big show. Riley will need to practice walking with the doll and with keeping her head up. Tonight I noticed she tended to look at her feet while walking.

Daniel, Daniel, Daniel

2011-10-19T17:03:00.001-07:00

I say that a lot actually.

Like this morning when Daniel appeared at the breakfast counter while I was making lunches and in our quiet one on one time (rare) he proceeded to tell me that he is "double dating" at the moment because he is dating both Lea and Pipper and then he followed that with Lea and I "made out" yesterday. Well, I about dropped the peanut butter knife until he explained his definition of "making out". Seems to Daniel that means him and Lea made plans to be boyfriend and girl friend which is still not all that acceptable to me but is better than my definition of making out.... I'm just saying.

But, I also said Daniel, Daniel, Daniel this afternoon at parent teacher conference when I learned he's reading on a 4th grade level and is, on the words of his teacher, everyone's best friend. She wanted to know if there was anything she could do for me with Daniel and my plea was, "could you keep him away from the girls?" I have very little hope of that I'm afraid.

But, still, girls aside, my boy, reading wonder. I'm very proud.... But those girls? That's a problem.

Tonight we had a 4 year old come to visit while Riley went to a church activity with his Mom and sisters... I totally forgot what 4 year old boys were like.... Even Daniel was frustrated with his attention level and focus.

Daniel, Daniel, Daniel I sure do love ya!

How did you spend your Weekend?

2011-10-16T14:00:00.001-07:00

Because this is how we spent ours. Shame too, it looked beautiful out there.

Wasn't I just saying something about how my kids are never sick? Ha, ha, jokes on me.

To say Daniel is bouncing off the walls is an understatement but I did get a lot of scrap booking done.

And we watched a great many movies. Zoo keeper - did not think it was funny but my kids sure did, even the sick one.

Things I learned this weekend? I'm so not ready for winter and being stuck inside. I can't wait to go back to work tomorrow.

School Pictures

2011-10-15T05:28:00.000-07:00

Favorite Class of the Year: Art
Favorite Color: Lavender
Career Goal: Art Teacher or Dophin Trainer
Goal for the School Year: would like to learn how to draw a Hippo or a Penguin.

Favorite Class of the Year: Math and Science
Favorite Color: Blue
Career Goal: Missionary for our Church
Goal for the School Year: Would like to try Chemistry

Riley may be all about the art at school but I learned yesterday at parent teacher conferences that she scored in the 99 percentile in the nation for her vocabulary, composition, and writing and in the 83 percentile for Math and Science. I am very proud of her.

Daniel's parent teacher conference is this coming Weds. I expect to hear great things.

Growing Pains

2011-10-13T06:07:00.001-07:00

While in the shower this morning I was visited by a crying Riley. She said her whole body hurt and Amanda had told her she was probably in pain because she was growing. (I'm sure that is not exactly what Amanda meant and who knows when Amanda may have said that). The truth is Riley is running a fever and complaining of an ear ache. We've been here before - another souvenir from Disney? I guess the doctor will let us know when we see her this afternoon at 1:40pm.

But, truthfully, we are experiencing growing pains around here. Those pesky changes I mentioned a week or so ago.

As of today we have lost Amanda. Disney was our last hurrah together. This morning we welcomed Lydia.

We will miss Amanda. She was with us for two years and became part of our family. We hope to see her occasionally around our place again or maybe on vacation again?

My kids are handling the change fairly well. Their worried, mostly on whether Lydia can find their school - which I think is just code for worried but they are not upset which makes me happy.

This is a form of growing pains. We will grow and change and look back later and know this was a good thing.

Did I mention I'm not really fond of change? Last night I ate two chocolate bars. Maybe I'm worried about Lydia finding her way to school as well.

Mickey's Halloween Party

2011-10-09T06:43:00.001-07:00

Magic Kingdom Part 1

2011-10-09T06:14:00.001-07:00

Our Disney escape is coming to an end. And just in time to it's raining buckets down here and I hear the sun is shining at home so we are excited to get back. Plus, a Disney vacation is alot of work.

It's also alot of fun. We spent most of Thursday at Magic Kingdom arriving as the gates opened and we enjoyed a mostly unhurried morning around tomorrow land and fantasy land before retreating to main street for lunch. We had lunch at Tony's Italian place fir lunch and it was one of the best places we've eaten at so far at Disney. Then a quick chat with the princesses and we went back to the room for a quick nap.

Epcot Day #2

2011-10-05T16:14:00.001-07:00

We up and out early again today our destination was Epcot. I always love Epcot. There are so many different kinds of things to find and do. We started our day at Soarin which we all enjoy and then a calming ride under the sea with Nemo. We also happened upon a small line to see Mickey and Minnie and a few of their friends.

We went around Soarin for the first time ever and discovered a new world of imagination and invention and a very funny 3D show called "Captain EO" which stars Michael Jackson post nose job pre skin bleaching. I thought it was the funniest show I've seen in forever! I loved it.

Then we headed out into the worlds of Epcot. It was a fabulous day to be exploring. We had lunch in China which was very good. And, then, dessert in France.

Then we made our way back to the future and eventually back to our rooms.

It was a pretty good day although Riley started off with a little bit of an attitude. Her Minnie ears weren't fitting just right. Still, a good day and tomorrow we're looking for a magic kingdom to explore.

Animal Kingdom

2011-10-04T15:05:00.001-07:00

Well after a slight delay in take off from Philadelphia last night we finally arrived in our Disney room about 11pm. Note to self ALWAYS take the afternoon flight. We are staying at Saratoga Springs this time which is very nice and spacious and close to the bus stop which is wonderful.

We were up and out early considering our late night and we spent 8 plus hours at Animal Kingdom. We rode Everest a bunch of times (well most of us. Daniel wouldn't ride it for anything). Riley, however, was in heaven and never put her arms down. She wanted to ride one more time before leaving but neither Amanda or I were up for any more. There is really only so much a grown up's stomach can take.

Kali River Rapids was another ride we did more than once. Poor Amanda and Riley got totally soaked the second time through!

Dan may not be about the "big" rides but he always loves the shows and Animal Kingdom delivers in the show department with both the Nemo show and The Lion King show. They are both so impressive. I'm always in awe that someone can think up those creative costumes and shows.

The weather was just about perfect today especially considering what we left behind in Pennsylvania.

On Our Way

2011-10-03T13:24:00.001-07:00

Why do we have to show up at the airport so early? That's what I want to know.

The iPads were a great idea. It gives the duo movies and games in one slim electronic. It makes security so much better. Although today I forgot and wore my lace up sneakers. Bad move.

We are lucky again this year to have Amanda along with us. Riley has a go to plan as Daniel wants to once again chicken out of the "scary" rides - she is hip to the ride share program and wants us to use it thus allowing her to ride twice. We will see. In the meantime Amanda makes herself useful beating various levels on planets vs zombies for the kids. I suggested she add that particular skill to her resume.

Scenes from Our Saturday

2011-10-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

Ability to hear my son yell "Focus Guys" at his teammates? Priceless.

Thoughts on Disney

2011-09-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

because we are headed out in a few days. There is much excitement at our house as the dynamic duo prep their halloween wear. This year Riley will be Minnie Mouse and Daniel will be Anakin Luke Skywalker. (May the Force by with You)

But, if I had a choice, this is the trip we would be embarking on this Fall:
http://twoheartsforhope.blogspot.com/

If only Daniel was 12.... which he will be one day and then we'll leave disney in the dust for opportunities like these.

I can't wait. It breaks my heart to read those blog posts and hear about the conditions some of those children are in especially as some of those kids look a lot like Daniel. It mkaes me want to bring them all home and dress them in halloween costumes and love on them.

But I can't. So we'll do what we can to help out from here, and we'll go to Disney, and we'll wait until Daniel is old enough to join a trip like this.

Thoughts on September

2011-09-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

September is almost over. October is around the corner. October brings the winds of change to our house once again. (sigh) I'm so not good with change I've decided. My daughter and I just one of the many things we have in common.

So I'll put off thinking about it for a few more days. This weekend is general conference so besides soccer Saturday morning it will be a weekend spent at home regrouping, listening to our church leaders, and, getting ready for the changes. (and prepping for a short trip to Disney slated for next week - get ready for a huge halloween party Mickey because here we come!).

Stay tuned October should be really interesting.

She (and He)

2011-09-27T09:55:00.001-07:00

is on a one girl mission to teach the world to crochet. And "she" would be winning. Everyone she comes across wants to learn these days even the boys. I'm not exactly sure what my brother thought when his son arrived home Saturday night covered in mud from 4 wheeling and holding a 2 inch long green crocheted piece. I'm sure he wasn't exactly happy about it and I don't mean the mud.

We enjoyed a long Saturday at the farm with out of town friends. Originally we were to have to spent Friday night there but it was raining so hard we stayed put at our "real" house and waited to see what would happen next. Saturday the skies cleared and we headed out. It was sloppy muddy, very damp, and lots of fun.

And our friends brought their own bag of tricks to share. ARCHERY. Daniel has fallen in love with it and stood for over an hour shooting the target. He is now begging for a bow and arrow of his very own and I temporarily lost my mind seeing how cute he looked doing it and I told him to ask Santa in a few months. And then I woke up this morning and remembered back to my older brother shooting my little brother in the butt with his new beebee gun and I flashed to a vision of Daniel "forgetting" he was only supposed to shoot arrows at a target and not his sister.

I may ask Santa to reconsider and besides, as my brother pointed out yesterday, what am I going to do when he actually kills something and brings it home as a prize?

I have no earthly idea but I think I better figure it out. I believe its only a matter of time before it happens.

You know, unless she covers the world in crochet first.

Well Child Visits...again

2011-09-26T11:55:00.001-07:00

It’s been a year since we’ve been to the pediatrician’s office. NO ONE (but the Mom) was sick last winter (or the winter before that either incidentally) which means that when we arrived at the doctor’s office we were a little surprised to find a completely new set up. It was a little disconcerting at first to be sure but then we found the little ½ wall that separates the sick children from the healthy children and we knew we were in the right place. I mean Seriously? I’m no doctor but even I know that little ½ wall is doing nothing for those of us with healthy immune systems at the moment. It always kind of irks me to see the wall which is just one of my many odd ticks. But, I digress, the point was we were back for well check ups and it had been a while and this is what we learned:

Riley – height of 49.5 inches and a weight of 62 lbs.
Last Year's Stats - height 46.8 inches and a weight of 51 lbs

Daniel – height of 51.5 inches and a weight of 57 lbs.
Last Year's Stats - height of 47.8 inches and a weight of 50 lbs.

Ability to get the required serving of 5 fruits or vegetables a day - Fair but improved slightly.

They are healthy and growing and within the normal percentages on the American growth charts. Although Daniel tops the 98% in the height chart. Everyone comments on his height but I honestly don’t see him being all that tall compared to his peers. (Of course I see them mostly sitting down so maybe that’s the factor I’m missing.) And, drumroll please, for the first time ever Daniel passed the little eye exam which means no return trip to the ophthalmologist which is a recurring nightmare we usually get to endure on a yearly basis. Yeah Daniel – you learned to follow the directions!

Riley is trying her hardest to stay competitive in the height department with Daniel and the fact that she out weighs him means almost nothing as the boy is skin and bones. Seriously people think I put a rash guard on him to protect him from the sun but in reality it is to protect the stares he would get for his protruding bones. It’s not pretty and he can sometimes eat like a horse I tell you. He has been known to routinely ask for two peanut and butter and jelly sandwiches on any given Saturday.

I have however noticed lately that Daniel, skinny though he is, has recently really grown into his body. His coordination level on the soccer field is a relatively new development and really quite impressive. The boy can control the ball in a way I never dreamed possible all those seasons where I watched him fall all over the field tripping over his feet, his teammates feet, and sometimes just the grass.

And on a slightly funny note – Riley had quite a growth spurt the first season she ran cross country. She fully believes that running makes her taller. I do not argue this fact with her. She runs, she grew, it works for us.

The fall schedule is indeed kicking my butt. I don’t think there is one free Saturday between here and Thanksgiving and, alas, another camera seems to have bitten the dust. This one was dropped at Daniel’s carnival party. I’m so sad.

But we're healthy and knock on wood but maybe we can go another whole year without visiting the peds office again.

I Guess She Told Me

2011-09-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

Riley has had to correct Daniel and I quite a bit lately.

First the other night Dan was upset because he had been to the mall with Amanda and he saw a homeless man along the road. He was pretty upset about it being the sensitive soul he is. (Just lately his teacher told me he was like a great big labrador retriever puppy all big paws but so lovable and sensitive and it is so true) But I digress, Dan was worried about this man and thought we should go make sure he was taken care of etc., etc.. Not the Riley girl, she immediately went on the offensive with "How do you know we was homeless?", "How could he make a sign where would he get markers or even cardboard?" She had a valid point but the whole argument kind of capsulated their personalities I thought.

The Riley girl got me again this morning with her logic. I went to Parents night at school last night and got the dress uniform lecture blah, blah, blah, followed by an overview of their schedules and goals for the year. Riley's teachers did a fancy power point production of it all and at the end they showed pictures of the 3 new students in the classroom. One of them obviously chinese looking so when I sat down at Riley's desk to answer her letter left for me I noticed that this girl, Sarah, had the desk directly opposite of Riley and then imagine my suprise when a woman as blond as myself sat down at it. How cool would that be if Riley had another adoptive girl in her class? Thats what I was thinking but the events of the night got away from me and I didn't get a chance to meet the new parent. Bummer for me. This morning I casually, ok maybe not so casually, asked Riley what she knew about Sarah to which I was told, "Mom that is personal information and it's rude to ask people about their personal information". I guess she told me.

Daniel's teacher last night was quick to tell me how special it is to see how much Daniel loves his big sister and its true his face lights up when she comes around and Mrs. H said he always wants to say Hi to her in the hallway when they pass. Unfortunately, Riley can sometimes be rather rude to him in return to which Mrs. H said she had noticed that as well. I thought about it last night and this morning. Riley really does love him just as much. Every morning she makes sure he has his breakfast stuff and fills his water bottle for him (even when he doesn't want her help). I think she just prefers the quiet acts of love and not Daniel's crazy labrador retriever love in public.

She is, after all, careful about keeping personal information personal.

Finally, the Best Birthday of His Whole Life!

2011-09-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

It may have been just over two months late but we made up for it in bounce houses and dunk tanks. The dunk tank being the big winner of the day. Well, the dunk tank, his boys, and the cotton candy.

It was a Good Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

and we spent it doing anything but laboring. It sure was fun. There were a lot of hot dogs and a lot of playing. The kids got 4wheelers as birthday presents this year. I could have predicted what happened after that. Riley was wild about it and she begs before every ride that I adjust it so it will go faster. (I currently have the engines set so they can't go above 20 mph). Daniel was more cautious but he has reached the point that he's not going to to let Riley do something without doing it as well and, it helps that the boy cousins are totally drooling over it.

The boy cousins came in handy this weekend as Riley had a friend down to the farm for the day on Saturday. I thought it was humorous to over hear the following as they played in the creek:

Daniel - Hey, do you guys want to be princesses and I'll be the prince?"
Kaki - "We ARE princesses, and you can be the butler if you want to".
Daniel - "Okay".

Seriously?

I decided enough was enough and I called him out to play with Mom for awhile. I make him do alot of things he isn't always thrilled about but I don't make him be my butler!

With all this learning over the Summer

2011-09-02T07:49:00.001-07:00

What did I learn?
Well, I’ve been pretty busy myself in between trips to Texas and days at the beach. I took my health scare this past winter pretty seriously. I spent a lot of time debating what needed to be done and in the end I convinced my friend Chris to join weight watchers with me. We started the beginning of May and it’s been pretty great to have a friend counting on you for meetings and since we work together someone to have lunch with and compare notes with on a daily basis. Although it can be a tad frustrating to have a guy as a weight loss buddy. ( He loses so much faster and he gets to eat a lot more points than I do.)
I started out May and June pretty strong. I’ve come to believe it’s as much mental as it is anything and mentally the first two months I was on my game. And then came two weeks in Texas and while I came back to find that hadn’t gained anything back and had, in fact, gotten the scale to move down 1 or 2 it wasn’t the results I was used to having. I blame the friend catfish, and the okra, and the heat because did I mention it was hot in Texas? Yeah, I thought maybe I had. But, after returning from Texas I had a few really good weeks and I felt like I was still on track and people were really starting to notice plus my clothes fit so much better. (Except for these white pants I’ve had forever that got so big my Mom begged me stop wearing them).
And then we went to Kiawah and I had really good intentions but I was blinded by the nightly brownies, and the ice cream, and the private chef with his goodies but I rode the bike every day and I was active so I came home and reluctantly returned to the meetings to find that once again I had pretty much maintained without gaining anything back.

It was a miracle because remember there were brownies almost every night. I thought I could stay on track and refocus and get back to the business of losing.
Except I couldn’t shake the brownies. I hit some kind of mental plateau and I struggled to maintain and then I started gaining some of it back and I figured I could chalk it in as a huge failure. I decided to give up but my buddy wouldn’t let me. He dragged me to the meeting where the scale showed me my failure in a big round number which in another life would have sent me into a tail spin of failure.
But, I busted through the mental plateau for the first time ever. I started small one healthy meal at a time until I was back on track.
And I am back on track – look what I got last night

now I want one more of these little medallions. I’m hoping by the holidays. That would be a great Christmas present especially considering how I spent last Christmas so down and out.

Speaking of the holidays – my kids and my Mom have convinced me to return to NYC for another Thanksgiving. We are way excited about it.

Riley Learned some New Tricks this Summer Too!

2011-08-31T10:03:00.000-07:00

Besides the surfing, and really the surfing tops it all doesn't it? Riley has been busy with needles.

In June the American girl magazine came and with it were directions on how to learn to crochet. Riley sat down one night and following the directions taught herself how to do it. I was extremely impressed at her ability because I'm not a self teacher. If you show me something I can usually pick it up but I almost always have to have someone show me. Soon after Riley self taught herself her and I made a trip to the craft store to purchase some yarn and a more in depth beginner book but the lady at the store told us we could watch a how to video on youtube. Who would have guessed? I would never have even thought of that (shows you what I know right?). So, as soon as school let out Riley got right on that and figured out all sorts of crocheting stuff and proceeded to start churning out some little crocheted clothing for her stuffed animals. (not to mention leashes, muzzles, lead ropes, and whatever else a stuffed beanie boo could need in this world!)

And then we went to Texas where she got the Grandma going and they bought a whole bunch more of supplies and then Riley proceeded to teach every girl cousin or relative under the age of 11. One day in Texas I walked into my Aunt's living room to find Riley in the center of a circle that included about 5 others and they were all crocheting their little hearts out. It warmed my heart it really did. My grandmother was a huge sewer and even worked in a sewing factory and made probably about a million quilts in her life time as did my Mom and my Aunt. I think those skills skipped a generation but it was inspiring to see the tradition coming back into our family.

When we got to Kiawah on vacation I saw that there was a learn to knit class at the art center so one morning Riley and her cousin and me and my sister-in-law treked up there and took the class. It was a lot of fun although I didn't really think I was going to get it in the beginning. Riley and I have been knitting a little bit ever since although Riley prefers the crocheting.

Last Saturday when Riley had her pottery party I stopped into the knitting store right beside it. The colors of wool are really beautiful and it made me want to knit even more and maybe take a class and get even more skilled.

And then last night I went downstairs to look for something in the scrapbook room... the neglected scrapbook room.... and I remembered I already have a hobby I just don't get around to it very much.

Monday Nights

2011-08-30T05:06:00.000-07:00

Monday nights are a special night in our house. It's the night we have family home evening which is a time for us to have a small gospel based lesson, play a game together, and usually have a special snack. There is absolutely no TV on a family home evening night. We're usually pretty good about having family home evening but we have been known to miss one or two because of outside forces and we almost never have them over the summer which I kind of feel guilty about but its so hard to maintain any type of routine over the summer in our house - I'm not really sure why.

Lately I've noticed that we seem to spend alot of time fussing at each other or fussing about each other. Daniel and Riley especially seem to take issue with everything that the other is doing, saying, acting.... well just about anything if it involves the sibling so last night I thought was the perfect time to talk about those issues and talk about the importance of family. It was a great first lesson to start off the new year for us. I think some of it sunk in for the duo. Riley was quick this morning to make her brother breakfast (toaster strudel) and walk the dog for us now if she would just be nice to him on the ride to school..... Well, baby steps I suppose.

We ended our evening with a homemade snack - birds nests with the jelly beans representing our family. The kids had a blast making them and they were really easy and as an added bonus I'm not really fond of the butterscoth and so will leave them for the kids to eat all week without the guilt of consuming something I shouldn't. I ate one - it was an object lesson so that was a given.

The lesson to the little bird nests - just like a momma bird watches over her nest so should we watch over our little nest of a family. I found a scripture that I really liked that I'm pretty sure is something I'm going to use as a theme for most of the year and really try to remember myself when I get frustrated or angry with them.

D&C 64:33 - Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.

I have lately been extremely weary in well doing and I do need to step back and look at the big picture more closely and remember to take baby steps.

It's an important lesson that I don't want to forget in the day to day living.

One more routine we are going to be glad to welcome back to the new school year this week is Friday night movie night. We can't wait.

Daniel's been Busy

2011-08-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

Because a busy Daniel keeps the Mom very, very happy usually.

Daniel was invited by one of the supers at my office to visit jobs with him one day before school started. Daniel was very excited until he realized Mom wasn't going out on the road with him. Ken said it took him about 30 mins to come out of his shell (I'm a little suprised it took that long actually).

They had a great day hanging out together, eating fast food, looking over jobsites. Ken told Daniel that all of the equipment in the company belonged to him (which was a mistake as I'm afraid Daniel wants to bring it all home and play with it all in the back yard now!) and I fielded a few phone calls from job foremans after Daniel had made his visits. They wanted to know why he went straight to the white management hat and didn't start with one of the newbie red hats and I very nicely explained, "I'm not above pulling strings for my boy". He had a great day even if he was vague on the specifics of it all (I'm afraid they swore him to secrecy out there in the field) but he did have a great day and I am feeling especially blessed that Ken made the offer to take him. He certainly didn't have to and it meant the world to Daniel and I that he was not only willing but eager to pal around with Daniel for the day and show Daniel the boys view of construction.

Of course I decided he needed another perspective so when I happened upon a healthy cooking class near our home I decided it would be a great date night for Daniel and I.

We had a blast cooking up healthy foods. We were given the assignment to make these Thai Chicken wraps which were so yummy and so good. I, at least, thought the chicken wraps were good, Daniel not so much. he did however have second and third helpings of the potato soup. We also made these really good granola bars with dried figs and pumpkin seeds and it was way yummy.

Daniel loved getting his fingers dirty and mixing everything together and, suprisingly enough, he really loved using a peeler on the carrot sticks to make carrot ribbons for the wraps and I learned that I really need to let go a little and let the kids help me more with dinner prep - although watching Daniel wield a knife was certainly cringe worthy!

*****Irene Update****
We lost power for about 6 hours
I got almost no sleep the night of the storm
We were lucky and I'm very thankful - I have friends who are still without power.

and as an additional aside - how loud is the electric hum when it comes back after several hours of being off? That's crazy that I don't even notice the hum every other day of my life.

Prepping for Irene's Visit

2011-08-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

There was a time when a big storm was a chance for me to swing by the local store and buy a book and a bag of popped corn and then I had kids.... so now we prepare.

We've filled the waste buckets and the tub with water so that we can flush the toilets if the electric goes out. We have two cases of water for drinking and brushing our teeth.

Mom's bedside table has flashlights and candles.

And what better time for a sleep over in Mom's room than tonight when the winds are projected to be 20 to 30 miles per min?

We're ready.....We think.

We started the day in kind of a panic. I had had Amanda move in the patio furniture at the house but I woke up at 7am remembering all the furniture out at the farm. So we made a mad dash to the farm and put all of that stuff away. Then it was a mad dash back to town for party girl Riley. Riley had two birthday parties today first a pottery party and then a roller skaing party. Daniel and I messed around and stayed out the local stores as it was a mad house.

And now we are safely nestled down in Mom's bedroom and we'll hope for the best as Irene pushes through and past us.

As a funny side note - Riley saw surfers along the coast surfing in Irene's storm waves (over 10 ft the news said). Riley thought that would be pretty cool.

Now that thought is almost as scary as Irene to this Mom! For this particular storm she will have to be content with winning the limbo prize at the roller rink.

And she is... very content.... for now.

Start Your Engines..

2011-08-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

It's the First Day of School!

I am quite honestly a little afraid of the Fall schedule - it may kick my butt.

On the plus side the duo are back in school. Daniel has a Mrs. H this year for 1st grade and I'm feeling pretty confident as we've already done this grade in this school and I sort of know what to expect. On the other hand, Miss Riley has a Mrs. H too for 3rd grade and I'm a little worried. She is perfectly nice but she taught Riley's math class last year and Riley went from loving math to being very frustrated by the end of the year. We will see what happens this year.

But, yes, school has started and the Mom shed no tears this year after dropping them off (it was close but I held it together the entire way to work). The duo were perfectly happy to have me walk them in the first day and gave me a hug and kiss goodbye (they are still my babies after all).

But, we are off and running and with the fall schedule. Tomorrow I'm to serve lunch in the cafeteria and so it begins... another year of school.

Surfing Kiawah

2011-08-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

My kids loved it - every minute of it. How cool is it that they got do it with their cousins as well? And, if they hadn't taught my children these hand gestures that go with the phrase "What Ever Major Loser" I would think they had the best instructors ever. Daniel and his instructor bonded over surfing, and guitar playing and it was way cute as he was leaving after the lessons he hugged Daniel and said, "Keep surfing and keep practicing the guitar little man".

My kids are already plotting another trip somewhere where the waves are even bigger. Alas, I may have just lost my beloved Turks and Caicos trip forever!

Kiawah Island Week #1

2011-08-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

Remember when we were supposed to go to China and then that didn't work out the way I wanted to and the girl decided the beach would be a nice substitute?

It SO was. Two weeks in Kiawah was heaven on earth. A house with a pool right on the beach meant there was plenty for everyone and the hardest decision of the day was whether to go to the beach or the pool first.

The first week in Kiawah we were lucky enough to have two of my favorite families join us. College friends some I had seen recently and some I hadn't seen for almost 5 years. It was amazing how our kids just blended together for a week. Everyone got along there were very few problems and lots and lots of laughing. And lots and lots of boogie boarding. Here are some of them waiting to catch the next wave.

Daniel and his trademark happy grin.

The girl and her sand bucket which you never knew what was going to appear around the chairs. One day the boys played with a very friendly crab for quite a while. He led them on a merry chase across the beach and into the grassy sand dunes.

Just a girl and her board waiting for a wave.

Did I mention my kids liked to boogie board? Just checking because they really loved the boogie boards.

So much so that when the chair guy told me he had a couple of young guys trying to get surf lessons going... well.. you know we were all over that.
Those pictures tomorrow.

The Salad Days of Summer

2011-07-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

We planted our first garden this summer. It is growing out of control at the moment but we did find out that Miss Riley loves to garden. She has taken on all the watering and cutting back duties and has been a big help with it. She seems to really enjoy it and Daniel always loves digging in the dirt so no problem there.

We planted two different kind of tomato plants Plum and Cherry and they are starting to explode. The plants themselves got so big they've knocked over their wire cages. The lesson we learned there was that we need to cut those suckers back very very hard as they grow. But we are beginning to reap the tomato harvest. Daniel and I especially like them just cut in bite size pieces and then we pour some Italian salad dressing over them.

I'm not really sure how I did it but somehow I manged to buy zucchini plants that grow round instead of oblong and while they taste the same they definitely look different. Riley in looking them over this weekend said they look exactly like Cinderella's carriage and they really do!

We are also beginning to harvest the peppers. We grew both bananna peppers and Jalapeno peppers. We use the Jalapenos for making salsa but the bananna peppers I grow just because I think they are pretty. That and they make me very popular at work when I bring in the bounty.

We also this year had a salad table (pictured below) a friend of mine was extremely nice when he made it for me in the spring and I eagerly set out several different kind of lettuces and a little parsley. Well, apparently salad tables come with quite a learning curve because I didn't know how fragile the table was and we had some 90 degree days the end of May. My salad table wilted fast and I found out once it wilts the plants aren't any good that even if they produced again the lettuce would be to bitter to eat.

I was sorely disappointed but it was our first effort and we'll try the salad table again. Its really cool because it is on 4 wheels so I can wheel it around to the sun or the shade depending on what the weather is like.
I am anxious to get it right the next time and, you know, maybe get a salad or two out of it!
In the meantime.. if your looking for peppers... please give me a shout.

And Now He is 7

2011-07-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow, Daniel had a birthday while we were in Texas. Holy cow is sort of our family joke now. One night in Texas when we were all sleep deprived (and hot did I mention it was hot?) we were sitting at the DQ having ice cream cones. I ordered Daniel and Celeste’s 4-year old Taft a kiddie cone and my Mom ordered a medium in the same kind. The boys were happily licking away on theirs when my Mom’s was delivered to the table and Taft took one look at it and his little voice exclaimed loudly, “Holy Cow that’s a big one”. We laughed until we cried and we’ve been Holy Cowing everything since.

But, turn 7 Daniel did while in the lone star state. He did it without fanfare, or a cake, or even a present from his Mom but it is official Daniel is 7 and we are rapidly approaching the 6th anniversary of our meeting.

And, I want him to know that the bond he and I share is as strong today as it was that first day when he reached for me - maybe stronger - I sure do love that kid. The love between a Mother and a Son is something special and I am especially lucky that I got him. His guitar teacher said it best a few months ago when he called me on the phone to tell me, “Daniel is an exceptional little Dude".

Daniel just has this innate coolness about him – almost everyone says that about him. He can make me laugh harder than anyone I know with his crazy jokes and comments and he can touch my heart with his sweetness and his nightly prayers. His prayers are a thing of beauty. And, if I could just get him to stop belching at my dinner table I really think he would be close to perfect. Well, maybe he could give up the underarm farting with his hand thing as well. But still and all he's a keeper that boy of mine. It never even fazed him that his birthday was somewhat overlooked it really didn't.

One day soon he is going to have the birthday that he deserves. I promise him that. But in the meantime He is still SEVEN.

Happy Birthday my little man.

God Bless Texas and My Aunt Gail

2011-07-14T11:06:00.001-07:00

So, school ended and life was peaceful for a few days. No camps, no sports, no agenda.

And then, life went really crazy when we got word that my Aunt Gail was rapidly losing her battle with cancer. She was my Mom’s only sister and since I consider her daughter Celeste my sister, well, there were a lot of people who needed my support.

We flew to Texas or I believe it should more aptly be referred to as the surface of the sun. Oh my gosh, the heat, the heat was beyond unbearable and I’ve heard it has only gotten hotter since I left there. Seriously, I could not figure out how people lived there until I discovered limeaids and Sonic’s happy hour prices. Still and all, surface of the sun hot people I kid you not.

But, endure it we did for twelve long days. My Aunt was an inspiration to me. Not only for the memories I will always remember about her but for her louder than life living. She was always going 200 miles per hour talking at the top of her voice and usually laughing or spitting fire. She used to embarrass me to death in a store when she would yell across the entire store for me to come right now she had found something she was sure I needed. But I loved her. I really did. So it was hard to watch cancer shut her down. Really hard. She would not have gone out that way given a choice.

But, she taught me well on her way out. She was prepared, she had no regrets, and she never looked back. My kids really fell in love with her the first 5 days we were in Texas and she laid on her hospital bed and talked to them, showed them pictures, and told them over and over again what a blessing they were to our family a blessing to her and her extended family. They felt her love, not for the first time but for the last time.

I didn’t really know how my children would handle their first loss of a loved one. I worried and I considered sending them away to a college friend in Dallas for a few days but in the end I needed them close by and, more importantly, my Mom and Celeste needed them close by.

And when the end came we were sad. Daniel especially is extremely sensitive. But, as I explained to my children, we needed to remember that while we had every right to be sad we should also think about the happy reunion my Aunt was able to have on the other side of the veil with her Mommy and Daddy and Grandma and all those who had passed on before her. It was a special moment and it was Daniel who summed it up best upon our return home the last couple of days when during his nightly prayer he said, “And please bless Aunt Gail that she is happy and having fun in Heaven”.

I totally believe with all of my heart she is. Still she will be missed.

That's my Aunt in the gray JD Eckman jacket when she visited us last Fall. I look at that picture today and I can see how sick she really was then but she never let on. That's just who she was.

I'm going to break his Guitar

2011-05-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

Because a boy that cute shouldn't have any additional tools at his disposal to make girls swoon.

His Mother's Day gift may have been two days late but I feel lucky it was for me.

Riley Runs Again

2011-05-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of our Mother’s Day weekend (besides the sunshine because thank you so much for that!) was Riley’s 2nd 5k race. Riley was scheduled to be out on the local college campus for a 9am start time. Her coach asked if we would come about 8:15am to get in some stretching. I wasn’t really sure what to expect so we showed up at 8:15am and the place was packed with 1,000 runners from all over the county. We had to park almost a mile away and walk in and then try to find Riley’s little team of 7. I was a little worried but eventually we found the team.

Riley was a little blown away by the amount of people there to run. But the coaches definitely knew their way around and how to do things. They took our little team outside of the stadium and lined them up on the starting line up away from the crowds gathered on the track. It gave Riley a chance to catch her breath I think and settle in for the run. Eventually the rest of the teams made their way to that start and I lost Riley and her group in the crowd but I watched the start and then another Mom and I wandered back over to the finish line inside the stadium.

It took the first runner about 18 mins. to cross the finish line. The first of Riley’s team mates crossed the finish at about 23 mins. 4 seconds. Riley was the last member of her team to cross the line and she is their youngest (and smallest) runner. She clocked in at 32 mins. 36 seconds.

I ‘m so proud of her. First that she runs even though her friends aren’t interested. 2nd that she pushes herself with reasonable goals. Her only goal for Saturday’s race was to run it faster than her 1st race in the fall. Goal accomplished – Riley cut her time by 4 mins. and is now running just about a 10 min. mile.

I have to admit I got a little teary at the finish line as I watched her come in because I couldn’t help but think of those weak little legs that would hardly hold her upright when I brought her home from China.

Just as a rough indicator of how well she is doing she clocked in in the 372nd place. They continued to clock people in until they reached the hour mark at which point they clocked in runner 961 at 59 mins. 58 seconds.

I’m also proud of Riley’s whole team. Each team member cut their best time by at least a couple of minutes, but, even more important each team member after crossing the line ran to the opposite side of the track to encourage the rest of the team until they all had crossed the line. That’s what their coach taught them to do.

Miss Mollly Mae is certainly a hero around our house and she has gifted Miss Riley and her team mates with stop watches of their very own. Riley’s is pink – we are now timing everything that moves in our house!

Molly Mae is quick to tell me when she sees me that she enjoys running with Riley because Riley likes to talk so much. I asked Riley if she talked during Satuday’s race and she said she only asked Molly Mae one question – “can we pick up the pace?”.

And then she did what I suspect every runner wants to do – she came home and wanted to go roller blading.

I also owe my Mom a huge shout out. Daniel had tball at 9am in one town while we needed to be at the race and since I can’t be two places at once she spent the morning watching over the baseball fields - where would we be sometimes without the loving grandma?

Happy Mother's Day to All

2011-05-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

Our Mother's Day celebration started on Friday actually. What can I say - I'm a girl who likes to celebrate and when it's for me....

Well, that's not true actually. I was invited to the Mother's Day celebration at Kindergarten on Friday morning. It was absolutely the worst timing ever I had so much going wrong at work but I knew that this was way more important as Daniel constantly reminded me all week. In an attempt to make a joke one night I pretended he had the wrong Friday and when he assured me that is was indeed this Friday I said I would be unable to attend. Well, I'm sad to say, but, I made the boy cry for which he told me I was mean not funny. Mother of the Year is not for me apparently but he did forgive me and Friday dawned bright and beautiful and besides I had two reasons to swing by the school with Riley being in charge and all.

And then he made me cry. Because as I sat their waiting for the show to begin it hit me, this is the last Kindergarten Mother's Day program I get. Next year he'll be in first grade and way to grown up and/or learning way to much important stuff to put on a show. That made me a little teary to think of. When did they get so big? And why did it have happen so fast?

Then the show started and what it was was an opportunity for each child to bring his Mother to the front of the room and read them a book they had written about them. (I was a little worried at first - see above - I'm mean) and of course there were several songs to break up the readings. But the readings? Some of them were way funny.

Daniel's book has us on the cover with him asking if he can have a lollipop please and me answering "Yes you May". He dreams big. But the book is entitled My Mom is Nice (yeah not mean, not mean) and is dedicated to the best Mom ever. (Thank you very much). And while some of the stories told how their Mom's were gorgeous and beautiful in their wedding dresses or when they wore fance clothes to go out I am apparently gorgeous and beautiful when I wear my blue penguin pj's.

I figure you can look at that two ways, either I spend way to much time in my pj's or I don't need fancy stuff to look good. Yeah, let's go with number 2 there shall we? The penguin pj's rated several mentions in the book and so I think I better keep those suckers around for awhile - apparently Daniel likes them. He also mentioned how I made oatmeal extremely well and I go slow on the 4 wheeler because he asks me to and I make him wear a helmet because I want to keep him safe.

It was a good book. And even though Principle Riley had declared it a dress down day on Friday the Kindergarten teachers asked their kids to get dressed up for the Mom's. Daniel met me at the top of the stairs Friday morning to tell me that, "He wished he had a tuxedo to wear for me". How sweet is that? I assured him that a tie would be more than enough and he was off.

And Sunday once again started with breakfast in bed. Remember last year when they were so worried about whether they could get me breakfast in bed without a Dad in the house?

Safe to say they've figured it out pretty well. Riley warned me last night at dinner as she rubbed her knife and fork together that I may hear something like that in the morning but I wasn't to come out of my room. Peanut butter waffles, lots of fruit, and a glass of OJ.

Breakfast of my dreams - although she did promise me that next year she'll make scrambled eggs. I guess Amanda and I have a deadline to teach her then don't we?

Happy Mother's day to all.

Riley plays Principle for a Day

2011-05-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

Every year the school holds an auction fund raiser and the teachers put together special packages for the kids. Last year Riley's little friend Olivia became principle of the lower school for the day and Riley thought that sounded pretty cool to her so this year I kept my eye on it at the silent auction and was victorious - so Miss Riley tried her hand at being in charge on Friday.

She made some changes that included the following:
2nd graders got an ice cream treat after lunch
2nd graders got recess instead of math
2nd Graders got to bring one personal electronic device to school for use at recess
No one in the lower school had any homework Thursday night
And it was Dress down day for all of lower school

I don't know, she may have been in charge for the day but she certainly played favorites with the 2nd grade!

In the morning as soon as school started Riley was given a special ID card to wear around her neck all day which stated her name and her position. She is very proud of it and she has covered the Head of Lower School label with duct tape and written the words student across it for Monday. She is not giving that sucker up.

Riley also helped the "old" principle organize some of the office material and was escorted through all of the school offices to meet all the administrative staff.

She had a great day and I was lucky enough to be in the school over lunch and so got to congratulate the new principle and give her hug - not for very long though. She was a girl on a mission.

Like Easter This Year...

2011-05-06T16:08:00.003-07:00

I'm late but rather late than never right?

Because Easter was so late this year I was sure the weather would be perfect for all things Easter related outside... yeah, not so much. Oh well, the rain will certainly keep us from drought conditions this year right?

The delay however did help make it so we could spend our first holiday at the farm near our family. Here it is:

I told you it had good bones!

We so enjoyed our Easter weekend hanging out at the farm with family and totally unplugged. No TV, no internet instead we amused oursleves with long walks in the woods and time spent around a campfire with family.

When I told my two they were quick to pack up their essentials to make it feel more like home:

I think Riley's got it covered with books and a stuffed animal!

Easter is still Easter so we put on our finest clothes and went to church on Sunday.

Riley's beautiful dress was made by my wonderful friend Andrea. She made it for Easter and for Riley's baptism just like she made the beautiful smocked white dress Riley wore for her blessing day.

We did see a little bit of sun!

The easter bunny delivered although I believe his days are numbered. Riley and Daniel both questioned his ability to deliver baskets into a house locked over night and with the gps ability to locate us somewhere other than our home. Riley announced it was probably Mom playing easter bunny to which my reply was, "You really think I would buy you candy when I still have Halloween candy at home?" I think my arguement worked. But, sheesh, isn't a little early for the questions?

All, and all, it was a great first weekend at the farm - despite the rain. We plan on spending alot of time at the farm this summer.

Milo, too, is smitten with the farm and loves to run and pretend he is a big dog. For a little dog of two + pounds he is fearless (he must take after Riley that way) and loves to go to the edge of the creek bank and peer over. I was a little worried he would fall into the freezing water and/or be carried off by a hawk of something but, thank goodness, he is still was us. You can kind of see the little fur ball under Riley's feet in the above picture.

Baptism Day 4/9/2011

2011-04-27T08:35:00.001-07:00

B – by immersion
A – At the age of 8
P – Priesthood Power preformed
T – Totally immersed in the water
I – In the likeness of the savior
S – Sacrament serves to remind
M - me of that day

Acoustic poem by Riley 4/26/2011

It was a glorious day surrounded by family and friends.

Riley - the Censor

2011-04-05T05:56:00.001-07:00

Daniel's teachers called yesterday and asked if I would come to school and talk about China one day this week for social studies. I, of course, said no problem.

Last night Riley and I were out shopping for her baptism day and a Mother Daughter dinner at Red Lobster. I told her about my upcoming appearance in the kindergarten room and she had some advice to offer:

"Don't tell them about the squat potties. They won't want to go to China if you tell them about that".

and

"Don't tell them when you came to get me in China and I pooped in the bath tub".

I had to pinky swear I wouldn't tell that story, which, incidentally, I've never told, but apparently her Aunt Celeste did and she still habors some resentment.

So... no squat potty talk and no poop in the bath tub stories....

whatever will I talk about?

Well Played Mother Nature, Well Played

2011-04-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

The jokes on us after we put away our winter gear in your 70 degree days.

We are your fool.

Now make it stop.

Step 3 of the 6 year Plan

2011-03-31T10:26:00.001-07:00

Don't let his smile fool you.

The last two nights since the braces went on have been filled with screaming nightmares.

I'm trying to focus on the six year plan.

I hope we survive it.

Parent Teacher Conferences and Surprises

2011-03-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

I'm going to insert a photo of Daniel into this post because he is sporting some spiffy new braces on his teeth - and they are spiffy on him - charmer that he is.

But, a few days again I had parent teacher conferences at school.

No suprises with Riley's conference. She is and remains top of her class. One thing I love about Riley is her ability to chart her own course through life. On Monday she started spring cross country and I was with her for a brief parent coach intro to start the new season. Riley tried to talk some of her friends into doing cross country with her but they all demurred (they might get sweaty one of them told her). Their refusal to particpate didn't deter my girl for one minute and she never faltered even when at the meeting she realized that of the team of 9 she is one of two girls and the other girl is a 5th grader. There is one other 2nd grader - a boy named Kent. I am very proud of her for making her own choices and not following the crowd.

But, it was Daniel who suprised me most on Monday. I always go into his parent teacher conferences a little apprehensive. I always worry they are going to tell me he is a discipline problem. Not that I should its just somehow because I find his boyish charms a little more out there then we are usually used to around our house. We did, for instance, have to have a long talk about a week ago about how he is NOT to KISS anyone in Kindergarten even if they ask him to. (Sheesh - his teenage years frighten me and you know if the braces deter some of the kissing then I'm totally okay with that). But, to my suprise Mrs. Peters proceeded to tell and show me just how well Daniel is doing in school. He is, in fact, the top reader of the group and is reading at a 2nd grade level. He works hard to be the top of the class in science and math as well.

Um, okay, but I never for one moment believed him to have an ambitious bone in his whole body so I had to ask them if they were sure they were talking about my boy and yes, yes they were, because along with the glowing praise they did tell me that the boy has trouble maintaining silence when they do independent study time which is called the silent 7 and requires Daniel to work in silence by himself for 7 long minutes. Yes, I totally believe he has trouble with that.

But still... my boy.... top reader of the class. I'm very proud of him.

And, I don't for one minute think that having Mrs. Peters hurts him one bit as she has made no secret of the fact that she wants Riley as a daughter in law one day. I think she even made Kent do cross country in an attempt to force the two of them together.

Foolish Mrs. Peters - he would have to catch her first.

Now She is 8

2011-03-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

Or she will be tomorrow... while I'm on a plane West for a work conference... Who's bright idea was that?

We celebrated early with a party filled with her BFF's or in reality with almost every single girl in the 2nd grade. Because this is Riley's first (and maybe last) friends party. I invited every girl in the class figuring most would be busy... That bright move meant we were the hostesses for 15 girls on Saturday afternoon at our house. 15 girls = a great deal of squealing just so you know.

You would think the theme for the day was purple but it was not. My Fabulous friend who lives up the street, along with her many helpers, put together a cupcake decorating party for Miss Riley and her girls. She taught them how to mix colors and work with icing bags.

They loved it and her. Each girl got to decorate 4 cupcakes to take home with her. Riley and the "cupcake lady" came up with chocolate, strawberry swirl, marble, and a vanilla cupcake. And... when the girls weren't main lining icing right out of the docorating tubes they did a really good job. Some of them have next best baker potential we decided.

Riley working hard on mixing her colors.

And the girl was happy... so happy.

Riley posing with the gift bags and the cupcake boxes. We found the cutest boxes that held 4 cupcakes each.

It was a great day but I was pretty happy to see the boy arrive back home from the movies at 5pm having missed all the girls. I love me some girl power but this was a very concentrated dose and I would do it again given the choice but... yeah... big day.

And just because I think they are the cutest things ever here is Miss Riley, Her best friend, and a wiggling Milo (who quite frankly was mauled during the party even as I tried to protect him).

I just could not be happier in Riley's choice of friends.

And now she is 8 and it is big. No more booster seat for her and in a few weeks we will celebrate again with her family and with her baptism.

There are big things in store for my girl. We have now been a family for 7 years. I love her.

Happy Birthday Riley girl.

A Spot of Green and A Sign of Hope

2011-03-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

And I don’t mean St. Patrick’s Day but, Happy St. Patrick’s Day anyway.

It’s hands down been the worst winter of my life on a lot of fronts. Physically I’ve never been sicker, I don’t believe, collimating in surgery last Tuesday. Surgery which was moved up several weeks due to the fact that I was becoming extremely anemic. It even meant postponing our fabulous spring break in Phoenix. It was a bummer all around but, as I told someone yesterday, I don’t think I really knew how lousy I really felt because the difference a week makes is beyond amazing.

But, harder than even the physical problems that plagued me this winter, was an emotionally crippling accident at my workplace in early January. On January 4th less then 24 hours after I had undergone my biopsy to rule out cancer my brothers and I had our worst nightmare happen on one of our jobsites – a fatality - a fatality of a bright young man who was only 21. I don’t think I’ve had to do anything harder in my life than stand in front of a Mother and Father and tell them that their son would not be returning home that night from one of my jobsites. The truth is with 380 employees spread out across the state I don’t know them all by name and face but this one I did. I will always remember pulling onto a jobsite and seeing him standing there with a big loopy grin on his face standing in the pouring rain. His grandfather worked for my grandfather - he was family. They are all family even though they sometimes have to remind me of their names. The weeks after the accident are really quite a blur but I know there was a lot of tears, a lot of shoring up of those who were on that jobsite that morning, a lot of talking with grieving parents.

The last few months have changed me. I’m still working out what those changes mean on many levels.

I’ve become a more Christ like person, this I do know. If you had asked me before 2011 if I was a Christ-like person I would have answered in the affirmative, after all I take my children to church every Sunday and I certainly try hard to live up to the golden rule. But, I’ve learned so much of compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance of others in the last few months. I’ve drawn closer to my Heavenly Father. I’ve cried a great many tears and I’ve dried the tears of others a great many times.

I’ve learned the lessons I think I was meant to find in all of this and in the last few days I’ve heard my Heavenly Father whisper in my ear that the time for grieving is ending. The time to put what I’ve learned and what I’ve become in this season into real life is here and I don’t know what all that means just yet but I do know this….

On my way home from work the last couple of days I’ve noticed the first blush of green across the dirty brown grass. My Heavenly Father has sent the spring and this year I welcome it with open arms.

Hello World

2011-02-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

We've been disconnected for most of the month of February and not just from the blog. I don't know if I made the decision to cut all of our extra circular activities or if being sick over Christmas I just didn't get it all together but how ever it worked out we have been enjoying a little down time this past month. No Saturday morning athletic events, no Thursday night art classes just us, enjoying dinner at home every night and pj filled weekends.

We, especially I, have enjoyed it immensely. I think the duo have as well because not once has anyone asked me, "what about indoor soccer?" or "What happened to art class on Thursday night?". Not once.... I think that is sort of telling.

Instead I've allowed the duo a little bit more nintendo and tv time on a Saturday morning. I don't think it will cause permenant damage.

And, I have enjoyed alot of snuggle filled Saturday mornings under the covers. I wish those days could last forever.

And, oh yeah, I allowed myself to be talked into trying the dog thing one more time. I made alot of mistakes last time and I'm trying hard to learn from those mistakes this 2nd time around. Milo is our new addition and at 2 1/2 pounds there isn't much to him plus he likes to go to the bathroom in the litter box - how cool is that on a cold wet morning? Daniel is CRAZY about him. Yesterday he called Milo the brother he never had.

And it is not all TV time and nintendo's around here. Riley is actively preparing for her baptism day which is fast approaching. Riley will be baptized on April 9th and she is very excited and working hard. We suspect that there will be family arriving from Arizona and possibly Texas for her big day.

So, while we have enjoyed the down days of February like all good things it is about to come to an end.

We will be headed West very shortly to celebrate spring break with those we love the most and after that it is a free fall to spring when the season of tball, art classes, spring recitals, and such begin.

But for February we were all about hibernating and..... we were really, really good at it!

My Flying Eagle

2011-02-01T12:35:00.000-08:00

Daniel and two of his male cousins skied together most of the week. Daniel is not usually known for his adventerous spirit and you can see in this photo taken on day 1 that he wasn't entirely sure he was willing to ride the ski lift. As soon as I saw his face I knew he was having anxiety about the lift but he conquered his fear and did it anyway.

And from that point on Daniel fell in love with skiing almost as much as his big sister. He and his cousins became known around ski school as the flying eagles. I'm not really sure why Eagles but we went with it.

Daniel prefers the crowds and will never be a solitary, looking for peace on a mountain, kind of skier but.....

....given the chance to ski with his band of cousins? He is in heaven.

And he doesn't think his Mom is to bad either! Lucky me.

Of course, Daniel will always spend a great deal of time off his feet, eating the snow but he enjoys every minute of it and I'm proud of how hard he worked this past week at skiing and staying with it. His teacher told me that he had never had one that perfected the hockey stop quite like Daniel.
GO DANIEL!

My Ski Bunny and her Side Kick

2011-01-29T10:58:00.000-08:00

Riley has loved every minute of her ski vacation.. every minute

even the minutes she dangled from the ski lift! She was skiing home with her cousin Emma and her Uncle Mark and he was in charge of getting them on and off the lift. He says that he looked left and saw that Riley was on and then looked right to check Emma and then he heard screaming from below and he turned left to find Riley hanging from the rail of the lift about 8 ft off the ground. He made the split decision to let her fall as he knew he was only getting farther off the ground and the attendents ran to shut the lift off and then retrieve Riley from the ground.

Shes one tough cookie as she boarded the next chair with a couple of other skiers and they informed Mark when they got to the top that she had chatted the whole way up the lift about how she takes gymnastics and so it was all okay! She told me later that the seat was icy and she slipped. But she was and is completely unfazed by the whole experience and I'm glad I missed it.

Riley has graduated to skiing with poles this week and is doing solid double blue runs. She would love to attempt snow boarding but alas it is not offered here where we are.
Natalie herself has been working on her skiing this week under Riley's direction.

Together

2011-01-26T18:07:00.000-08:00

There is a sign in our condo that says, "The best place to be is together". We know that to be true.

We know that to be true.

Daniel yucking it up with Dallin after a run

DS Time at the end of a long day

Ski Prep and Cousin Time

2011-01-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

Day 2 started very, very late for us. Daniel and Amanda slept till after 9am which would have been about 11am at home. And even with a late start we were moving rather slowly through our day. I think we barely made it to Burger King before the breakfast time ended.
After breakfast we headed for downtown Salt Lake City to visit Temple square. It was a fun morning although my children were a little underwhelmed with all the Mormon history we were looking at.

They were instead anxiously awaiting the arrival of the cousins and the start of the ski vacation
Eventually the cousins made their arrival and we caught up with each other at which point it was time to prepare for the coming week of skiing fun. Their were shoes to measure, skis to measure, and helmets to fit.

Um, there were also bags to unpack, cousins to wrestle, american girl dolls to dress, and fun to be had.

There was alot of screaming and shrieking through the house (almost all of it the boys - go figure). We suspect that will subside once they ski for 9 hours the first day.

It is so much fun to have so many cousins in the same age range. There are 6 of them this trip ranging in age from 7 (Riley) to 3 1/2 (Nolan) and now we say bring on the skiing!

See Riley's cheesy grin? She is beyond happy at the moment anticpating her return to the slopes.

Bring It On Utah

2011-01-23T17:43:00.000-08:00

that is what Riley said as we boarded the plane for our ski vacation. Because as she pointed out to Natalie, her american girl doll, "this is what being in our family is all about". Seriously my mother's heart almost burst with pride because we are a traveling family. Never mind that Riley thought the sheets were a little scratchy last night and this morning she fussed for 10 minutes about how there was a D terminal but no R terminal. I believe she has graduated from princess to diva.

Neverthless we were on our way to the west and I don't care how bad the flight was (and it wasn't that bad) it beats the old covered wagon way.

The first stops of our trip was to visit with friends old and new. New friends first as we visited some of our adoption friends. It was alot of fun and our new friends took us to a new place a dinosaur museum and then it was on to an old friends house to catch up with their family where they fed us great food along with bread that I'm still thinking about and a chocolate cake that was pure heaven at the end of a long day.

All told our first day of vacation was a whooping 18 hours long and my kids weathered it really, really well. Oh sure, there were the ocasional whines and headaches and tearful moments but 18 hours! It is a major record for us. Thank goodness for nanny Amanda who is along to assist us and act as our navigational guide.

And at the end of it she didn't complain one bit about scratchy sheets.

On Day 2 we meet up with the cousins and prepare for ski school.

Utah Bound

2011-01-17T10:17:00.001-08:00

In light of recent events I so wish I could tell you that we were headed somewhere tropical and warm in the next couple of days.

Alas, we are headed into the artic of the mountains of Utah. And the girl... she is happy. She is counting down the minutes and hours until she is once again pointing her skis toward the top of the mountain.

Two years she has waited for this return trip. I can't wait to see what she can do.

And, um, she WILL NOT be wearing pink this time around!

Stay Warm!

Um, Who's Jed?

2011-01-11T13:30:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning I was finishing getting ready for the day when Daniel appeared in my room to tell me he had found a spider on the family room window and he thought it was dead. I prefer them dead so it wasn't a huge concern of mine although Daniel insisted that I check it out. I dutifully followed him back to the window and did indeed check it out only to discover.... the thing was not so dead after all. Daniel was jumping around the room yelling, "kill it, kill it Mom, hurry" to which I suggested he do the honors but, alas, Daniel is no spider slayer. (He's a lover not a fighter)

That is unfortunate.

Because, as Riley lay on the couch through the whole spider debacle she then calmly looked up at us and said, "Jed says that killing spiders is the way boys get girls to fall in love with them."

Okay then, although, Who's Jed exactly?

Thanksgiving

2011-01-10T13:12:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all the well wishes. I am grateful, so what better time to go back to the Thanksgiving post that was never posted.

We took the train up to the city the Tuesday night before Thanksgiving.

I think Riley's legs look extremely long in this photo. The trip up to the city was extremely hard after a long day of school and, unbeknowst to me, the day all the local colleges let out for the Holiday so the train was packed until almost the last stop of the night.

I think my kids would each tell you different things they loved best about the trip. Riley enjoyed the shopping (as did her grandma who went with us!) with a stop at American Girl being one of the best shopping moments. My kids are also crazy about Bubba Gump Shrimp it is their favorite restaurant in the city and they convinced me to go there 3 times I believe. Okay, maybe only twice its hard to remember.

Daniel's 2nd favorite thing was definitely the Charmin store with the toilets that have all the gagets and, quite frankly, the boy loves to use the potty mouth so a guy dressed like a toilet was his definition of a good time. (I hope he doesn't want to dress up like this for Halloween next year).

The balloon blow up was fabulous if not a little (ALOT) crowded and by the time we got down there we had put in a full day of walking. My kids were all but done in by the experience and it was not the high light of the trip I had hoped it would be.

But look there is shrek's hand behind Daniel and it was fun the next day to point out balloons in the prade and match them to the partially inflated balloons we had seen the day before.

One of the biggest suprises of the trip and for me a highlight was our excursion to see Mary Poppins.

I was worried that Daniel wouldn't be able to sit through a full show and was fully prepared to bail at intermission but as soon as the lights went down and the music started the boy was hooked. Not just hooked but totally in love. I don't think he moved a muscle until intermission he was that enthralled. I should have known really music has been an important to Daniel since he was a little kid. While Riley enjoys the theater I would have to say Daniel loves it. He and I will definitely put musicals and/or the theater on our date night list of things to do. It was so much fun to watch him.

And then the reason we had come to the city to begin with.....

Lucky thing for me we scored an upgraded room with a parade view. My kids were seriously beat from the day befores activities and nobody was moving at 6:30am which is when we would have had to have been out on the street to see the show. We watched from the comfort of our room running from window to window. It wasn't quite what I had planned but it was different and very entertaining to watch the TV and the street at the same time.
We could also see down the street behind the parade and watch the balloons come back around to a sort of staging area where they were being deflated and carted out on flat beds. It had never even occured to me to wonder what happens to those balloons at the end of the parade.

I tried to go two doors down from the hotel to McDonalds to get us some breakfast about 45 mins. before parade time but you couldn't get there from the hotel and we ended up snacking on crackers and anything else we could find in the room.

It was a great Thanksgiving even if it didn't pan out eactly the way I planned. That's life I suppose.

I did come away from the experience with a little insight into other well meaning plans of mine.

While I believe Riley ready and interested in going to China this coming summer it is apparent to me that Daniel is not quite ready for a trip like that. He is a bouncing 6 year old boy and, truth be told, rather insensitive sometimes especially to his much more sensitive sister.

The China trip has been postponed for a little while. Daniel isn't ready and I will not go without him. I want this to be something we do as a family. And we absolutly will.. hopefully soon.

In the meantime Riley is okay with that. Her only request was that if we weren't going to China could we please go to a beach with waves (alas not my beloved Turks). She is interested in perfecting the boogie board and she has requested two weeks.

Let's see replacing China with the Beach and the boogie board... Yep, she's an American girl now. No doubt about it.

Results

2011-01-08T04:52:00.000-08:00

Biopsy results NEGATIVE. I DO NOT have cancer

Daniel - The Flirt

2011-01-07T06:07:00.000-08:00

So, for my birthday I took my kids and went to the Eagles - Cowboy game. Yeah, way to disappoint me Eagles. Even though I've been so sick I knew I had to at least go until 1/2 time as I knew my brothers had ordered me a birthday cake. I usually take care of ordering food for our company box and when my brother appeared in my office one day before Christmas asking how he could contact catering but didn't want to tell me why I reminded him I like white cake. (As secret agents they would pretty much bomb)

But, on the day in question we made our way to Philadelphia for the big game. My kids were way excited to go to the game as the box is usually reserved for Eckman employees during the regular season and they are restricted to one pre-season game with all the cousins.

There is always a waitress in the box. She checks on the food, removes empty plates etc. etc. She was at least 10 years older than me, more Grandma then Mom in appearance, but that in no way kept Daniel from turning up the charm factor. The boy… he can lay it on thick when he chooses… and he proceeded to wrap this woman around his little finger. About ½ way through the 2nd quarter the waitress approached Daniel and I and asked him if there was anything she could get him or was he done with his root beer or something like that and after she had moved on he turned to me and said, “She likes me. It’s kind of awkward”.

His sister was more than happy to take him down a peg or to when she reminded him that that lady waited on everyone in the box and DID NOT single him out for special attention.

It was a feeble attempt to keep it real. An attempt I fear made no difference to the boy. Seriously, the boy thinks he is such a player.

January Update and Finally a Smile

2011-01-06T12:42:00.000-08:00

2011 has not been good to me so far. Aiyah, its been bad. First up we had my health which is gradually starting to improve. Monday was the biopsy and they said it would take 7 - 10 days to find out the results. A friend in nursing told me that if there was something really wrong I would know it in about 3 days and this is magic day number 3 with no phone call so things look promising. Thanks for the well wishes and prayers.

One thing about all of these tests and such, which is a worry, is that all of sudden I have incredibly high blood pressure which is strange because I've always had the opposite problem - almost dangerously low blood pressure. I have an appointment with the family doctor so we'll try to get all of these health issues resolved and life back to normal as soon as possible. I sense the theme of 2011 might be Health.

I think my kids were more aware of what was going on in our home than I previously believed. On Monday night Riley, finally, point blank asked me why I was going to the doctors so much and why people were bringing us food.

Hard to explain to a 7 year old but I have learned that being honest with all of their questions is usually the best way to go and this was no exception. I think Riley is feeling better about things and I know that seeing her Mom up and around more has helped as well. Some friend offered to take the duo away for the day on Saturday but I really think we need a family weekend. You know, a family weekend in between birthday parties and church and all the other things that take up our lives.

I did want to share a funny side note (because heavens we could use some funny around here). While I've been down and out the television has been on alot more around our house. Riley has become a HUGE fan of TLC's Cake Boss. She loves it and she loves the show "The Next Great Baker". She has decided that being a cake maker is mostly about being an artist and it just might be for her.

Break out the easy bake oven she got for Christmas last year. And, I wish her all the luck in the world because, while I have some serious talents of my own, I can't bake anything. Honestly I can't.

And, I have a really funny story about Daniel but I think I will save it for tomorrow.

Christmas..

2010-12-30T17:11:00.000-08:00

It was the Best of Times and the worst of Times.

At its best we had:

Cookies with Grandma.
Riley enjoyed a whole day alone with her grandma making more cookies then we can eat in a year! I have it on good authority that she chattered her way through the entire day. I was a little worried that she had worn the Grandmother out but at the end of the day Grandma said to me with tears in her eyes, "Thank you for bringing her into my life".

A visit from the Man in Red himself who appeared on our doorstep one evening a few days before his big day.

The kids were shocked out of their minds for about 10 mins. and then quickly got to work pointing out where the presents should go and where the stockings and cookies would be on the big night.

But, Daniel suprised me that evening, as Santa went to take his leave Daniel took him by the hand and walked to the dinning room to show him our big nativity set and they took a moment to talk together about what the real meaning of Christmas was all about. Apparently he is listening sometimes - what a gift to see it in action.

The morning after Santa's visit Daniel appeared at breakfast to exclaim, "I can't believe Santa was really in our house!"

Thank you Santa for that. (Santa played by a coworker named Gregg)

The Annual Making of the Gingerbread Houses - moved to Christmas Eve this year because we have just been so busy.

Normally on Christmas Eve the tradition has been to make a batch of cookies for Santa but, see above, we were already full up with cookies.

We love to look at the gingerbread houses and Daniel will ask every day if he can eat some of the gingerbread house (candy) but the truth is we never do seem to eat the things. Does anyone?

Reindeer Food Prep. This is another of our annual traditions. A little bit of oats, a lot of glitter, and this year we added some stale mini marshmellows to the mix just to spice it up. Word to the wise - reindeer don't really seem to like the mini marshmellows and they are easy to spot in the grass the next day!

My brother hosts Christmas eve although this year I was to sick to attend (more on that in a moment). But, Grandma gladly took over the task of getting my two to the annual bash with the cousins and a good time was had by all. Then it was back home to spread the reindeer food around

and prepare the big guys cookies.

A reading of the Christmas story and then they were off to their sugar plum dreams.

For Daniel it was "The best Christmas Ever" and, well, it should have been because it was filled with all that we love about Christmas

For me - not my best. I've been sick most of the Fall and in the days leading up to Christmas... well... it only got worse. I actually ended up in the ER Christmas night and while I prefer not to go into all the gory details I will say that on Monday I will be having a biopsy to rule out cancer and plan on the removal of an other tumor we now know to be benign.

I feel sure that I will be fine but, still, if you would keep me in your prayers.....

May the New Year find us all Happy and Healthy and Loved.

2010-12-15T12:14:00.000-08:00

Tree………. Check
Decorated……..Check
Presents………….Check, check, check
(Seriously too much stuff again this year even when I say I won’t go overboard)

Elf on the shelf moving every night…. Mostly a check. (Big improvement over last year)

Christmas is almost here. (and I still haven’t put up the pictures from our NYC Thanksgiving!)

But, bonus points for me, the holiday cards were mailed today. Today being before Christmas. (I keep my goals low for a reason people!)

Funny story about that tree: We went to the tree farm with a good friend of mine and her family. Her husband very generously offered to cut us down a tree, deliver it to my home, and set it up in the tree stand. When he pointed out this particular tree I said maybe it was a bit too tall to which Kevin vehemently protested. Who was I to argue with a man willing to do so much for us?

Actual height of our tree? Somewhere north of 10ft.

I may have been right about it being to tall but man is she pretty.

There is, also this year, a grown up version of the bobby tree. I will try to post pictures of Bobby #2 sometime soon. Remember Bobby #1 from last year that smelled like fruite loops?

Maybe before Christmas actually arrives....... I make no promises.

The Christmas Card 2010

2010-11-29T17:13:00.001-08:00

Full Of Love Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

The Orthodontic Update

2010-11-09T07:51:00.000-08:00

I’ve avoided mentioning it because I’ve been trying to block it from my mind. It was not, as I had hoped, like our yearly visit to the Ophthalmologist with Daniel where we get a yearly reminder, at the cost of $25 a pop, that Daniel really doesn’t like to follow directions. I would have been annoyed but in the end I so would have preferred that.

Alas, the Orthodontist took one look at Daniel’s mouth and ten minutes later I was being told we had to formulate a 6 year plan to fix it. A 6 year plan – for my 6 year old! But, even I, skeptic that I first was, was able to see first hand exactly what they were talking about in the x-rays as his upper jaw is way smaller than his bottom and the size of his teeth waiting to come in – well, they are roughly the size of his hands it would appear. Not good – not good at all.

So here we go – tripping lightly down the 6 year plan. The first phase, a few weeks of spacers was no trouble, the palate extender, inserted yesterday, well, it was painful for all of us. I sent him on to school with Amanda and immediately went and got myself a large coke with ice – I may want to knock his teeth out sometimes but that doesn’t mean I want to hold his hands while I watch someone else hurt him!

Next week we get to add headgear for bed to the mix. Daniel is actually fairly happy with the idea of head gear since I told him it looks like a hockey mask. The boy, he is so easy to manipulate at times.

Last night as I listened him to tell me one of the girls at school laughed at him with it (maybe I should send somebody’s mother a nasty email) and I watched him totally melt down over a balloon that got away from him I tried to concentrate on the fact that in the end he’ll be grateful for a beautiful smile. Because he will be right?

6 years – I hope we are up to the challenge of it all.

Who Needs A Life? or a Post About Turkeys

2010-11-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

Last night my phone rang at about 8:45pm and the conversation went something like this:

Friend: What are you doing?
Me: I’m making turkey wattles out of fruit roll up’s.
Friend: Seriously?
Me: Yep, pretty much. I’m making these Turkey cupcakes for the bake sale at school tomorrow.
Friend: You’re crazy.
Me: Yep, pretty much.

And then we proceeded to laugh about how I needed to get a life.

But, wait, because this is what I produced for the Unicef bake sale and I think they are pretty cute – although mine didn’t turn out to look preciously like these - I couldn’t take a photo of mine as I left my camera in my Mom’s car last night. Convenient for me in this instance, but, these are what they sort of looked like:

They are hands down easy to make – honest. They come from the family fun magazine and we’ve been making them around here for years. This batch was especially super doper easy for me as super nanny Amanda made the actual cupcakes and put the frosting on. I’m spoiled – I get it.

But I think there are others out there more in need of a life.

Like say for instance, the group I walked into at school last week. A certain dad of a certain 8 kids was standing in the hallway before the Halloween parties started – did I mention a certain famous group of sextuplet* are in Daniel’s kindergarten class? Daniel is especially taken with one named Aiden. I am not so taken with the Dad (or the Mom either actually) but there was the Dad looking smaller and skinner then he appears on TV but with his Ed H@rdy like shirt and his sun glasses on top of his head and wouldn’t you know it – there were 6 women crowded around him like giggling school girls.

I mean turkey wattle or that – who really needs to get a life?

We Survived Halloween

2010-11-03T11:14:00.000-07:00

but our recovery process was very drawn out. In fact, my children flat refused to get dressed the day after trick or treat even when I offered them McDonalds in exchange. They reminded me that we could, in fact, go through the drive through in pj's instead. Clever creatures that they are.

Here they are (in custumes not pj's):

Daniel has got to be one of the cutest Harry Potter's ever - my apologies to Daniel Radcliff but, as Amanda said, "There's a new Daniel in town!"

Riley flat refused to wear the glasses out in public at the last minute but I thought they were darling:

Daniel declared that it was his last time to actually trick or treat as he thinks he prefers to give out candy at the door - you'll notice it was cold out trick or treat night - notice the Mom huddling down in the background - I love that - I'm sure I looked like that most of the night as well - the things we do for our kids:

All and all it was a great Halloween filled with candy and love but mostly candy...

We were buried in candy. Riley weighed her candy bag and it weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs! 9 lbs of candy x 2!

I have found out that if you mix a orange tootsie roll and a chocolate tootsie roll it tastes alot like an orange cream piece of candy. I'm just saying...

Hope your Halloween's were filled with love and candy as well. Now bring on the rest of the holiday season.

I Am So Proud of Her

2010-10-29T07:12:00.001-07:00

Miss Riley ran her first 5K yesterday. 3.1 miles. Her time? 36 mins. 12 seconds.

In the words of the college student running with her the last mile: "She's a machine, she fell in the woods and she scraped up her arm but she wouldn't stop running for me to look at it."

She looked incredibly small out there on that huge course but she never quit running. I am so proud of her.

Halloween Magic is Upon Us

2010-10-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

And we've already begun to celebrate. To kick off Halloween week we made halloween pizza's at home. I read an article that said you could dye egg yolks with food coloring to make paint and so that is what we did. Then we rolled out biscuit dough to make the pizza's and another biscuit to paint and then complete the pizza pocket. Riley really got into her painting. I suspect that we will be making the edible masterpieces again for any holiday we can think of.

And then, of course, we watched Hocus Pocus in our sleeping bags. Hocus Pocus is our most favorite halloween movie ever and it doesn't even scare Daniel.

And now... bring on the candy... It's going to be a great couple of days.

To Much Political Correctness?

2010-10-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

Last night I had parent teacher conference for Daniel. I was kind of dreading it. He tells me he spends a lot of time in time out but apparently that’s not entirely true. His Kindergarten teacher loves him… LOVES HIM and the fact that her son is in Riley’s 2nd grade class works in Daniel’s benefit as well as she is also quite enamored with Riley girl, and, so, I think, inclined to give Daniel the benefit of the doubt. He is doing really really well and she sees what I’ve long suspected - the boy is bright and sometimes gets a little silly simply because he’s bored. That is not to say that he doesn’t have some difficulty with talking too much.... because he does. Shocker? Not so much.

All of that being very well and good and a surprising little pick me up at the end of an otherwise world weary Monday, but, I still came away from the meeting not feeling just quite right about something.

His teacher, Mrs. W, wanted to know how Daniel felt about not having a Dad. I explained that it was an issue a year ago but we seemed to have moved past it for now. (Apparently now he is thinking a lot about birth Mom’s but that would be a whole other post.). She expressed her concern that he not feel left out of anything or uncomfortable at school because she is thinking ahead and there is to be a Dad’s and Donut get together next spring. She wants to rename it because she doesn’t want Daniel to feel left out – remember she LOVES HIM.

I appreciate the thought, honestly I do, that she would be so considerate of Daniel’s feelings in the matter. It matters to me that she cares and knows him so well. It would be one of the many reasons that I’m convinced my children are in the right school for us.

But…. It makes me uneasy. Daniel is one of 20 kids in the Kindergarten program. Should an event be re titled specifically because of him? How fair is that to the 19 + other children who have a Dad and who would enjoy a special day to honor him? I think, maybe, we don’t always have to worry so much about being politically correct.

It is a true fact in our house that there is no Dad. But, it is just one fact of the many that defines our family. I believe we acknowledge that it makes us different but in the end it is not what defines us as a whole and I believe my children know and accept this about themselves and our family.

And, maybe, I overestimate my children’s ability to deal with this in the way I hope I’ve raised them….. in which case Daniel is more than welcome to stay home on Dad and Donut day.

Now all I have to do is figure out how to convince Mrs. W to go back to Dad's and Donuts because I don't really think I convinced her yesterday. She has alot of love for the boy!

Just Like Every Other Day

2010-10-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

"Between the innocence of babyhood and the dignity of manhood, we find a delightful creature of a boy."
Author: - Unknown

"It used to be that I could look at you and see traces of the baby you once were. Now I look at you and instead catch glimpses of the man you will become."
Author: unknown

If I have a monument in this world, it is my son."
Author: Maya Angelou

Riley's New Self Portrait

2010-10-22T06:56:00.000-07:00

She has her smile down I think but the nose is a little off. She drew this as part of the unit the art class did on Andy Warhol. I suppose it could have looked alot different!

Of course, I'm by no means a art critic.

School Pictures

2010-10-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

Riley 2nd Grade
Favorite Class this Year: Art & Music
Favorite Color: Purple,maybe Blue, Indigo, no Magenta
Career Goal: Artist or Art Teacher
Goal for the School Year: Write in Cursive and read even harder books than last year

Daniel Kindergarten

Favorite Class this Year: Physical Education and Social Studies
Favorite Color: Blue
Career Goal: Policeman and a Daddy
Goal for the School Year: Learn to tie his shoes and learn to read

You know I have to Wonder

2010-10-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

What the world is coming to these days. Yesterday two different events caused me to shake my head and go – “What the ?????”. A phrase I have spent the last several months trying to teach my 6 year old not to say fyi. But, seriously, has the majority of the world turned into 6 year olds I’m wondering?

First off the whole Wh**pie and P@t O’Reilly thing on the View. I watched it at lunch time and I wondered, “When did we become this country where no one can state their opinion one way or the other? I mean they invited him on the show surely they knew what he would have to say? And, I’m not saying he’s right and they are wrong, and he had no right to accuse all M*slims I didn't like that one bit, but, doesn’t it seem like things have become a lot more polarizing? I have to be either right or left on all the issues – what happened to the middle? So many times I find myself pretty close to the middle - don't force me to choose and expect me to stick to that side forever.

Hmm, so it was in that frame of mind that I received the following email about 7:30 last night:

FW: HI
Bethe reported that during the art period , ( a substitute teacher) called her BETSY..and subsequently 3 boys teased her throughout the day calling her Betsy (Tommy, Aiden, and Daniel)....I feel this needs to be addressed since most of classmates have known her since PS.....I would like this to be discontinued as it hurt Bethe VERY much; as she was crying during the afternoon!!!!!

Seriously, I had to read it three times to make sure it wasn’t a joke or one of those emails that want me to click on a link to download a virus or something.

Do I think my son did this? Um, yeah, he would think it was funny. Do I think he made her cry? Absolutely not, if he had he would have been the first one to try and kiss it better (which would have garned a whole nother email with caps and multiple exclamation points I assume). But, if this child really got that upset shouldn't the teacher haven't gotten involved? And, I don't really cotton to tattling around these parts and this kind of smells like tattling to me. I could be wrong (and frequently am don't be afraid to shout it on out if you think I am).

I have absolutely no response to this woman because if I did… well, maybe I could stomp off like Wh**pie or something.

This morning I calmly asked him if was true that he teased her (yes once he said) Did he make her cry? (No, she got red and made a fist) and Daniel informed me that it was not Aiden and Tommy but two other friends involved (bummer for A & T if they took some flack for it). I suggested he say he was sorry and not do it again.

And for me it is over. Except we'll probably be hearing from BETHE'S MOM again around these parts. There are 12 more years of school after all.

Pumpkin Time

2010-10-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

I had to drag Riley kicking and screaming from the house on Saturday. I wish I could say not literally but alas.... the girl is a homebody and between sports, parties, and, well, life she isn't getting her home time lately. I was about to relent and stay in on Saturday but then I remembered the long winter and the fact that Daniel seriously needed to be able to run.... and so I forced her out into the sunshine.

And we went pumpkin hunting and corn maze wandering and it was glorious if not a little too warm out – and the girl was happy again.

And then we came home and she got her craft time in while we watched a Halloween movie that made them scream. They wanted to hear me scream so I did which made them giggle which always makes me giggle. And then they zinged me. It went something like this:

Riley: “I’ve never heard Mommy scream before.”
Daniel: “No, but she yells… she yells a lot.”

And now I'll board my flying broom and leave you.

Because We loved this Movie

2010-10-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

Big Bird in China. I can still see Big Bird saying he was on a slow boat to China.

I was thrilled to come across the Following:

By Lisa Ou (Hong Kong)

I am so delighted to see this movie finally in DVD. Feel very proud as I played the role Xiao Foo 24 years ago. Few interesting things I would like to share with people who love this movie:
- Xiao Foo didn't understand a single word of English when acting. I am local Chinese and do not start a second language until age of 9. All script was recited by memories.
- We filmed the movie in 3 cities: Beijing(the Great Wall, animal sculpture), Guilin(the Glass Chessboard, headless buffalo),Suzhou(the story teller). These are still the most beautiful tourist highlights of China.
- We had harsh time when filming the Great Wall, cause it was always packed with tourists. We eventually filmed it at 4:00am in the morning.
- China has changed a lot since then. We no longer dressed like the crowd in the movie. Major cities are well developed.
- Xiao Foo never acted in any movies after that. She grew up in Beijing, attended universities in Canada, now working for a top US investment bank in Hong Kong.
- Xiao Foo lost contact with Big Bird, Barkley and the Crew right after the movie. But to her, this movie is always the most precious memory.

Riley watched Big Bird in China every single day the winter of 2005. Here she is dancing along with Xiao Foo

I always wondered what became of Xiao Foo as it felt like she was a dear friend and dance partner for many months. I think it is so interesting that she didn't know a bit of english and memorized those lines and that now she works in finance in Hong Kong.

My Guitar Man

2010-10-06T12:39:00.001-07:00

Because he needs another reason to make the girls swoon.

Daniel has always been very interested in music and singing. He still prefers I sing to him every night before bed and singing is the only thing that will calm him during his nightmares.

Riley is taking piano lessons so I wanted Daniel to have his own instrument. I wanted him to take violin lessons but my brothers convinced me to pick a more "manly" instrument. Somehow the guitar was our answer - beats the drums I suppose.

We are vey lucky that there is a guitar teacher at school who also teaches private lessons. Daniel has now had two lessons and he is very excited. He wants to be a rock and roller guitar player. He seems to have convinced Mr. Townsend as they are currently working on learning AC/DC's Back in Black. Odd choice but I think young Mr. Townsend and Daniel are a perfect match and I'm excited to see where this can go for Daniel.

Last night while Riley took her shower I cleaned the dishes while Daniel practiced. He was strumming the guitar and making up a song about how pretty his Mommy is and how beautiful Riley was and there might have been something about Amanda in there as well.

Yep, it is obvious that he TOTALLY needed this to further his charm skills! Gah.

Let Octoberfest Begin!

2010-10-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

This weekend I watched grown men weep… over a football game! But, it was bad. Oh, so bad. But other than the colossal defeat – I had a pretty good day and a pretty great weekend. Who would have guessed a year ago that I would be so concerned about Michael Vick? But, man, did we need him yesterday.

Ah, fall weather – welcome back. It was definitely pumpkin season this weekend and the chill breezes were much admired. Fall energizes me – it always has.

That, and, for our church this weekend it was general conference broadcasted through my television set. I love these two weekends a year (one weekend every 6 months) when my children and I get to lounge around together and hear the words of our church leaders wafting through my house for two days. It brings such a sense of peace to our world.

And peace would be far fleeting these days in the mad dashes of birthday parties, baby showers, soccer games, and, oh yeah, Eagles football.

Riley and her girlie girls partied hard at a makeup party for her dear friend Wheezy on Saturday. Is it just me or does anyone else think of the Jefferson’s when I say Wheezy? Weezy (Louise) is about as blond and blue eyed and china doll looking as they come. She may be **cough, cough, a tad prissy, cough, cough***. Their other friend Khaki, aka Caroline, is a little brown curly haired girl. Three more different girls could you find anywhere and yet they proudly announced Saturday that they were “three peas in a pod”. I was thinking that that would be one very strange pod but whatever makes them happy. But, Riley’s current bff, is a little girl whose parents are from Cambodia and who run the local Asian market. Alison’s mom has started bringing Riley lunch once in awhile when she brings Alison's and Riley loves her cooking so much. Riley suggested I return the favor and make Alison lunch one day to which I replied, “Sure, if Alison would like a pb&j I’m totally there for her”. So far no word on whether she is interested so I'm guessing she is not.

Daniel, himself, had some pretty big news this weekend as a visit to the dentist’s office Friday revealed that he is going to have to see an Orthodontist post haste as the boy is having serious, serious over crowding issues in his mouth. I would never have guessed that the boys head would be too small for all of his teeth but apparently it is true.

Meanwhile, he continues to shine on the soccer field if he can remember not to get in slugging fests with his teammates and/or not trip the opposing players with his big feet. But he does love the big thumbs up from his Mom so I was sad to miss his game for the baby shower. He forgave me – he always does.

October is off and running and the candy is already beginning to pour into our home. Let Octoberfest begin.

When You Don't Always get what you Want

2010-10-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a three hour dinner with a friend (No Kids – that hasn’t happened in forever, or April, whatever you want to call it!) but it was a much needed night out for both of us. I had spent 3 hours yesterday afternoon being deposed in a court case against my family. Well, really, against my company but they are one and the same. It was hard and demoralizing and I was ready for a little affirmation that I’m really a nice (competent) person.

Heather needed the night out as well since she just found out Tuesday that her 4th and final child will be another boy. (We love boys, we do, but we had just really hoped she would get a little pink in her life).

So we met in the middle of a huge tropical storm and we ate great Italian comfort food and we had dessert – something we never do but it was either that or drink and neither the Mormon girl or the pregnant girl were that far gone.

And we talked. Oh baby, did we talk about everything but mostly about disappointments in life and whether God was punishing her for not being a good person. FYI – he doesn’t and she isn’t.

And I shared my reality of an unfulfilled life plan. Do I wish I had a husband? Sometimes – Sometimes a lot. Does it bother me every day? No, I’m way to busy. What it is, is this: There are days when everything goes wrong and I’m so tired and stressed out I just don’t want to cope with one more thing and I get angry and I say, “Hey I really shouldn’t have to do this alone!” And I may rail at the sky and even shake my fist sometimes. When my kids do it I call it a giant tantrum. I’m not really sure what I call it when I do it.

But, most days I catch myself in an unexpected moment like two days ago when I was exiting the building to go home at the end of the day and I was almost brought to my knees with the knowledge of how incredibly blessed I am in this life. I so am.

Really, I don’t think there are too many of us that don’t have some sort of unfulfilled life plan or expectations are there?

And, if I could magically wave a wand and go backwards and have the choice to do it all the same and still get Riley and Daniel in my life or instead make different choices and get the life plan I had personally charted myself? Well I would chose them – they complete me.

Doesn’t mean I’m not going to leave them home this Sunday and go the Eagles game.

Have a good weekend you all.

5 Years On.

2010-09-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

My first email from Kazakhstan announcing Daniel (Danny – good grief did I ever really think that was what I would call him?)

We arrived in Astana to the news that the 7 month old we had traveled
for had been assigned another family. I always knew this was possible
as Kaz frowns on referrals but we had gotten so close I was shocked to
say the least. I spent the next day and a half getting to know other
girls and coping with the loss but I truely knew none of those girls
were the ones meant for our family. I knew I would just know.

Finally on Weds of last week after having everyone urge me to see a boy
and me repeating constantly, "I am not here for a boy". I agreed to
see him and then thought we would made plans to leave Astana for
another area where there were more girls. Well, they brought him into
the room and he reached down for me. I took him and he wrapped his
arms around my neck, snuggled in and that was that. My Mom says my
face changed instantly. I knew he was the one meant for our family.

And what a boy he is! He was born 7/3/04 and he is almost Riley's size
although not as tall. He is happy and smily and willing goes to anyone
who will have him. (Quite different than Riley!) Riley adores him.
Every day she waits anxiously to go and visit him and packs her
backpack with toys for him to play with. He can pull himself up and
tries to stand alone with some success. He is quite the ladies man so
watch out for your daughters! There is not a visit that goes by where
some caregiver doesn't stop by during our visit to coo at him and tell
me he is their favorite.

Obviously his ladies man appeal is something that has never changed his whole entire life!

Here are some of my thoughts recorded in an email shortly have I arrived back in the states with Daniel 5 years ago this month:

I arrived in Almaty on Tuesday night. Wednesday I did some sightseeing and shopping with my translator and driver and then about 6pm Dan arrived at the airport. I had been told in the states that I would not be going out to the airport to meet him due to the closure of adoptions in Almaty but the translator saw no problem with me going. Unfortunately a guard at the airport made me put my video camera away so I don't have it on film but man was I happy to see the little guy. Dan seemed somewhat confused by everything going on around him but came willingly to me. My translator told me that in the two years she has worked for LMI Dan is the biggest baby she has ever seen! He is a solid 18 month size which Riley didn't wear until she was home almost 9 months and even now Riley is still around a 24 month somewhat 2T size. It won't take him long before he is her size. He is also walking now and very proud of himself and I swear there are a lot more teeth his mouth.......

(It’s funny how I went from Danny to Dan and now to Daniel - he has made it very clear that he prefers Daniel and so that is what we use today.)

......Thursday we went for the medical checkup and found out that Dan had some kind of chest cold. They put him on a antibiotic and cough syrup but cleared him medically to come home. Then we went to the embassy and had Dan's exit interview and to celebrate we went back to the apartment and packed it all up.

We were picked up about 12:30am for the flight home. I had hoped Dan would sleep most of the way to Frankfurt but he was awake as soon as we started moving the bags and things.

In the airport waiting area I had the good fortune to run into another single Mom I had met in Astana during the bonding period. It was nice to see her and her daughter also making their way home and have her catch me up on the news from Astana during the weeks I was away.

Soon we boarded the plane and, well, the rest of the next 30+ hours of the trip were a real nightmare. At one point in the 7+ hour layover in Frankfurt I really thought I wasn't going to make it. But, like any labor, now that it is over and we are all home it is starting to fade away

Okay, the truth of that statement is the memory has faded but I can still recall the horror that was the trip home with Daniel to this day. It was, hands down, some of the absolute worst hours of my life.

5 years later though and I can’t remember a time without him in it and I can’t imagine what my life would have been like with that 2nd girl I thought I wanted.

Quite simply he is the boy I never expected who enriches my life in ways I never thought possible and I love him – more than I ever dreamed it was possible and a little bit more almost every single day. Almost.

And just because none of our stories are complete without each other:

Geez, they were little once weren't they?