Running Down Dreams

Just a few more photos...

2011-09-29T20:31:00.000-04:00

Scarlett on Appalachian Trailhead

Mommy and her baby girl

Clingman's Dome - Great Smoky Mountain National Park

Cool barn/shed in Smokies

Jackson and his Pappaw

Mom and Pat

Great Smoky Mountain Railroad

2011-09-26T20:17:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, my mom treated our family to a weekend at the Fryemont Inn in Bryson City, NC. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit with Mom and Pat in NC.

Saturday, we took a train ride on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. Our tour was four hours long, and wound through the Eastern Carolina mountains up to the Natahala Gorge.

The scenery was breathtaking and the company sublime.

Can you believe Scarlett took this photo? She is quite the little photographer at 7 years old. This is at Clingman's Dome, Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Jackson is getting so big.

The fireplace in the Fryemont Inn is huge. Scarlett looks dwarfed next to it.

All in all, it was the perfect way to spend a weekend.

Kicking cans

2011-09-05T11:36:00.000-04:00

I've been working hard the last few days trying to get things ready for a yard sale with everyone on my mom's circle. I would love to get rid of a lot more things, but find I am getting push-back from everyone in the house. Apparently, I do not put the same value on their "prized possessions".

I would sell everything we owned and start from scratch if I could. I suppose it is a good thing I can't. I suppose.

I told my husband the other day that I was beginning to feel bitter about using up the best of me at an office and having little left to offer the children and him once I came home. I feel like if I could simplify my household, I would have more time for the people and things I want to send my on - family, friends, writing, crafts, GOD.

My mom always tells me that I just need to kick a few cans down the road - just keep kicking them until they are where they need to be. I might have to kick some more than others, but they will all eventually get to their destinations. I need to keep reminding myself that life is not a race, but a marathon.

So, I am off to kick few cans. Wish me luck.

Currently...-

2011-09-02T22:07:00.000-04:00

1. listening to the sound of doggie nails on the floor.

2. eating some red hot candies that my thoughtful husband brought home to me.

3. wishing that I had more time to spend with my family and less doing "drudge" work.

4. wearing my Columbia cargo shorts, Skechers, and sea foam green tank top.

5. feeling excited about moving some items out of our house.

6. weather is humid, warm and partly cloudy with temps in the upper 80's.

7. wanting to be a stay at home mom.

8. needing to work because right now we need the funds.

9. thinking about a young couple who recently lost their baby girl.

10. thankful that God is merciful and still in control.

From giant glass sculpture at Indianapolis Children's Museum. No reason for it being here other than I like it.

2011-08-29T21:45:00.001-04:00

I want to go back here again. Time seemed to stand still.

Someday...

2011-07-27T10:38:00.001-04:00

Wow. I just realized it has been almost a month since I last posted anything to my blog. Hmm. Well, let me fix that right now.

July has been a very busy month. My husband and I celebrated 17 years of marriage (I don't know he has managed living with me that long without killing me!), attempted to go on a family camping trip (note: you are suppose to spend the night on those - not just show up, eat and leave - which is what we did...honest!), took a trip to Indianapolis to meet with some dear friends who traveled to China at the same time we did in 2005 to meet their daughters for the first time, and on top of all that, had out-of-state family staying with us for 3 weeks.

I've been a little busy.

On top of all that madness, I had to go to work. Or I wouldn't get paid.

On the upside, our little garden is producing tomatoes like crazy, we have three tiny watermelons that have popped up, and our dog has kept the backyard squirrel-free for almost an entire month. Except for when the varmints sneak in under cover of darkness. Oh, and getting ready for school to begin in two weeks. Aahhh! I am not ready for that!

So that has been our summer thus far. I hope to have some photos soon of some of our summer shenanigans. Hope yours has been great!

Getting stronger

2011-06-26T20:17:00.000-04:00

I have decided that I want to live a healthier lifestyle. I guess part of the impetus is that I have two kids under the age of ten that I would dearly love to see grow up, marry and have children of their own. I have never been over weight, but I am definitely far from "in shape".

I intend to change that.

I don't believe that fad diets work, but I do believe that eating foods that are not so far from their natural state (i.e not processed to death!) is better for me. So I put myself on a detox diet - no starchy foods like potatoes, pasta, white bread - no chocolate, colas or other high fat foods.

Instead, I am going to focus on lean proteins, more green veggies, low sugar fruits, cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir and eggs/egg whites.

I have already lost five pounds from changing out what I eat. I feel that I have more energy now. My mood is more upbeat as a result. A win-win in my opinion.

I look forward to continuing this lifestyle!

Staying Orgaznized

2011-06-03T07:11:00.001-04:00

As anyone who knows me knows (because I blather on and on about it) that I am attempting to follow the 31 Days to Clean challenge that can be found here.

One of this week's challenges was to have a plan, develop a schedule that works for you, and use it to stay organized. Probably my biggest challenge is staying organized. Like many people, I am a pile-it-up-and-figure-it-where-to-put-it-later person. Not the best plan for an organized life.

Just this week, I jumped the gun (again!) on a home project, and James had to pick up a lot of slack. In an earlier post, I decided to tear out all of the wallpaper in the master bath. I had not planned this very well, and we have had to use the hall bathroom for all four of us. Not the best arrangement, to be sure.

That said, I suppose I am on track for the bathroom challenges this week - reorganize the bathroom closets and clean the baths. I guess my master bath is just getting a major face lift in the process. We should have it complete this weekend.

Anyway, James suggested that we sit down and organize and plan out what projects we want to do in our home, when we will do them, and also make a general schedule of how the household should run. Notice I wrote should run. As everyone knows, schedules need to be flexible when you have a family.

We are working on the schedule(s) now. I hope to post once we get them nailed down. Organizing is HARD!

How do you stay organized?

Potty Training Boot Camp

2011-05-28T23:03:00.002-04:00

Yes. Your eyes are not deceiving you. I have placed Jackson in Potty Training Boot Camp at our house. And, it is kinda fun, but a lot of work! I don't remember having the struggles with potty training our daughter Scarlett. She was basically trained in day using a popular book by the same name. Here is a link to it if you're interested in learning more: LINK!

I have often heard that boys are tougher to potty train than girls, and I am finding that, at least for me, this is the case. I planned out my boot camp attack early. I went to Walmart at purchased a few items to act as enticements (read: bribes) to using the potty seat regularly. I picked up some Cars flushable wipes, fun liquid soap (the kind that changes colors!), Elmo and Thomas the Train pajamas, a Thomas the Train shorts outfit, Thomas the Train briefs, a water gun, a dinosaur egg bath fizzy, and a Thomas the Train DVD set. Oh yeah, and a bag of M&Ms for me.

I took off work Friday so I could have a full day head's start working with Jackson. He did really well the first few hours. Only had one boo-boo all day. We blew through a lot of the goodies quickly.

Which is why I had to get James to make an emergency trip out with Scarlett for more provisions. They picked up some puzzles, Pez dispenser (Thomas the Train!), water cannon, a couple of books, some Ring Pops, coloring books, a yellow visor and yellow sand pail. I am hopeful that these will get us through Monday, when Potty Boot Camp officially ends.

Today we had a couple of accidents - it is hard to remember to go potty when you are having such a good time playing at a sand/water table. I am hopeful that tomorrow will be as good, if not better!

Off to throw in another load of laundry. Potty training tends to increase the amount of laundry to be done!

What day is this again?

2011-05-27T19:28:00.002-04:00

I am working on the 31 Days to Clean challenge. I am really not sure what day I am on - I think the challenge is on Day 19. I think I fell off the wagon on Day 4. Anyway, today's challenge is all about the self-disciplined life. You can read all about it here.

Day 19 exhorts us to commit to goals, complete these goals, but more importantly, to never give up. I like that. Just because I failed to keep up with the challenge goals, I am giving myself permission to try, try again. Just because I am behind doesn't mean that I should quit. The turtle in the story of the "Turtle and the Hare" was slow and behind. But as the moral of the fable goes, slow and steady wins the race. So I am not giving up. Slowly and surely I will meet all of the goals in the Challenge. I am encouraged by reading the blogs of other like-minded ladies who are similarly struggling and refusing to give up. We are a sisterhood of turtles!

Today's challenge: Clean out and organize my bathroom closet and update my first-aid kit. I can start anew there.

Latest Home Improvement Project - Anything but clean!

2011-05-21T20:02:00.001-04:00

I am excited about the latest home improvement project we have going. So excited, that I have embraced it over cleaning on my 31 Days schedule right now. Which is fine, because sometimes you just have to do something else to keep from going insane. Learn about the 31 Day Challenge (that I am behind on) here.

We live in a nice, unassuming brick rancher in a nice, suburban neighborhood. We bought it several years ago as a fixer-upper, and we have been fixing up ever since - new roof, new HVAC - you get the idea.

Now we are to the fun part - decorating. I decided to start on the master bathroom. I decided that was the place to start for two reasons:

It was small and could be completed quickly, giving me the mental boost to continue in other rooms; and,
while I was sitting there watching 3 year old Jackson play in the tub, I started absent-mindedly picking at the outdated wallpaper. Half an hour later, I was into full blown wallpaper removal before I knew it. So I kinda had to finish it.

Here is a photo of the bathroom before:

Pretty bland, huh?

Of course, being the Type A, bull dog personality that I am, I of course had to purchase some new things for the bath: rug, shower curtain, towels, and new light fixture. I drew the line at the toilet cozy, because, well, I really don't like them.

Here are the goodies I bought:

Yes, the pink poodle is mine. What of it?

I am really pumped about the new light fixture. After seeing the old one, wouldn't you agree a change is in order?

I am keeping an eye out for a good deal on a vanity. All of our old vanities are the 1970's Formica-type. Utilitarian, but definitely not beautiful.

I do plan to get back on my 31 Days to Clean. Honest! Just not today.

Distractions

2011-05-09T15:31:00.000-04:00

My sister-in-law and I have this on-going joke. Whenever we start to do something and it seems to inevitably not get done, our go-to excuse is, "I got distracted." In my case, it usually is a child wanting something, the phone ringing, or just walking out of one room into another and forgetting why I am there.

I get distracted. A lot.

Which is why I like to make lists. Lots of lists. I even have an app for my lists on my iPad. I call it my list of lists. (Let me go on record as saying, iPads are AWESOME!).

Sorry. I got distracted.

My inability to focus on things make the Challenge a challenge. That is why I particularly got excited about the List of Six in the Martha/Mary Challenge for Day 6. Prioritize the top six things you need to accomplish on any given day. Put them in order of importance. Only list six things. If you don't finish one, put it at the top of tomorrow's list. Easy peasy, huh? You can read more about it here.

My list for today (and I had to revise it already) is:

Get my hair cut (may throw in an eyebrow wax and totally get pampered).
Find my old resume or create a new one (I want to make some extra income by becoming an adjunct professor at a local college).
Write a new blog post.
Sit in the sun.
Do my Martha/Mary Challenge
Clip 3 year old's toenails.

I have had #6 on my to-do list for about 3 days - I keep forgetting! So far, I have completed 1 - 4. Feeling pretty good about my progress!

Do you keep a to-do list? What would your list of Six Things be?

Already behind

2011-05-05T22:07:00.001-04:00

I started this 31 day challenge to gain a clean house and not lose my soul to it last Sunday. I can honestly say: I. Am. Behind. BIG TIME. You can read about the Challenge on Joyful Mothering.

Obviously the challenges were made more for stay-at-home moms and not moms who have jobs outside the home. I am finding it nearly impossible (not impossible, just nearly so) to meet the Martha challenges. For those of you who are not aware of what the Martha Challenge is, it is basically a chore assignment for each of the 31 days. For instance, the first day was to clean your 'fridge.

Anyway, when I come home from work the last thing I want to do is housework. I want to play with my two kids. I want to have a real conversation with my husband. But failure to do housework makes my home chaotic. And I've already determined that chaotic makes me anxious - anxious does not a fun wife/mama make.

So I try to do everything that I can to keep up, but still miss the mark. Is this failure? No, I don't think so. I just consider it a revised plan. While some followers of the Challenge may do all of the challenges on schedule, this girl is making up her own schedule. A lot of my work will, by necessity, be done late in the evening after kids are in bed or on the weekend. Either way, I will come out ahead. As long as there is improvement, I am content. And isn't that all we really need? Contentment?

Praying for contentment for you!

Thirty-One Days to Clean - a Challenge

2011-05-03T08:08:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was reading through a friend's Facebook page. She had read that a new eBook about house-cleaning was about to be published called, Thirty-One Days to Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way, by Sarah Rae. The premise of the book intrigued me. You can check it out here.

It bring to my mind the story of Martha and her sister Mary from the Bible in Luke 10:38-42. Jesus and his disciples were traveling among several towns when they came to the village of Martha and Mary. I can just imagine how the story would read in modern times: Martha invites Jesus into her and Mary's home. It is a mess! How could she let Jesus see her home in such disarray? She immediately sets to work cleaning, fluffing pillows, picking up Mary's shoes (she always just seemed to walk out of them the minute she came through the door - was it too much to ask for her to put them away?). Meanwhile, Mary is sitting in the living room listening to Jesus teach.

When Martha complains to Jesus about Mary sitting there while she did all the work, Jesus replies: "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:41-42)

This gets me thinking. Why I am so anxious about my house being clean and neat, or more aptly, not being clean and neat? Was I going about this all the wrong way? Why do I snap at my family when they mess things up or don't help out as much as I think they should? Moreover, why is it so important to me that I keep our house neat and clean?

I feel like I put a lot of undue pressure on myself when it comes to home and family. I cannot seem to balance these as well as I would like. I started searching out others who seemed to have found that balance. In my search, I found Christin's blog, Joyful Mothering. She is farther along in her journey to find that balance. Her blog is inspiring, uplifting and, most of all, hopeful. I highly recommend it.

It was on Joyful Mothering that I discovered Christin's 31 Day Challenge using Sarah Rae's book. You can read about Christin's challenge on her blog. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain by taking the challenge. A good friend from church is taking the challenge as well, although she won't be blogging about it.

The challenges are relatively simple. Perhaps the most difficult challenge is the very first one: deciding why it is important to me to keep a clean and neat home; I thought a lot about it, and came to this conclusion:

I need order around me so that I have a sense of calm. If my surroundings are chaotic, messy and disorganized, I am anxious and unable to focus.

My friend that I mentioned above, Debbie, did her "Mission Statement" so to speak. I liked it so much, that I asked if I could include it in this post.

Debbie's Mission Statement

I have begun my mission. May those of you embarking on similar missions have success!

The Easter Bunny came!

2011-04-24T07:40:00.000-04:00

2011-04-21T22:08:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about the paths that I have chosen and whether or not I want to continue down these same paths. Some paths have been perfect just the way I've travelled them: For instance, I would definitely choose my husband and kids all over again. I would choose the narrow way and not the wide path. I would not choose the convertible car, but I would choose the minivan (even though it is SO non-sexy!). I would choose the English/journalism major again. I would not the law degree. Do you get the idea?

The cool thing about paths is that you can always deviate from them. Just be sure that in your trailblazing you keep you eye on the final destination. In my case, I am not sure of the path, but I AM sure of the final destination: that place where I am able to give my God and my family the best me that I can give. I can see that place. I am not sure of its name, though.

I am not on the right path yet, but I have my maps, books and a good GPS. I have every intention of finding my way. And I am looking forward to it! Happy Trails to you!

Change of Direction

2011-04-19T12:07:00.000-04:00

I have decided that I need a change of direction. I have felt the gentle (and sometimes, not so gentle) nudge in my spirit to simplify, declutter, and toss things that are draining to me and my family. In doing so, I hope to get myself and family to a healthier place.

A big part of getting there involves reworking this blog. I am not the speediest person on earth - I tend to move slowly on techno stuff. BUT, with that said, stay tuned for changes...'cause they are a'coming!

I didn't expect that!

2011-03-16T20:49:00.000-04:00

I am about 3 weeks into Project 333. It has not been as difficult coming up with 33 pieces as I had first thought. I didn't expect that. I discovered that I actually have fewer than 33 pieces that I regularly wear. I also found that I need to add some key pieces to my wardrobe in order to have some variety. I didn't expect that, either.

I also did not expect that I would have such fun coming up with outfits! I have stretched my comfort zone in some of the outfits I concocted. Some were hits and some, well, not so much. Probably my biggest fashion mistake (according to my fashionista friend, Debbie) is wearing extremely casual khakis with a nicer blouse. But that is a minor faux pax. I can live with that. And I did expect that!

I am enjoying the process of finding my style. It is not something that I will discover overnight, but over time. Maybe I will get the nerve up soon to post some outfits - but I expect that will be a long time coming.

Project 333

2011-02-28T16:17:00.000-05:00

Project 333 - It sounds mysterious, doesn't it? But it isn't a nefarious plan by aliens to overtake the world. It is really a lesson in simplicity. Simplicity in dressing. (More can be found on Project 333 by clicking --http://www.theproject333.com/)

Several have taken the challenge to make do with fewer number of garments. I admit that less is not a word normally found in my lexicon. I am a "more" kinda girl. If one is good, two are surely better. It has taken me quite some time to rethink my idea of what a well thought out closet should look like. Used to be that I thought I had to have a different outfit for every possible event. Three to four outfits for church - ten different outfits for work - clothes to work out in - clothes to knock around the house in. You get the idea.

In comes Courtney with her Project 333. Three months wearing 33 items of clothing. Not 33 outfits but 33 items of clothing. The idea of winnowing my clothing choices down to just 33 items seems daunting, if not plain impossible. Thirty three

I started making a mental checklist of my closet. The number of slacks I had. How many blouses, tops and shirts were hanging in there. Belts, scarves, jackets and what-nots. There were items in that closet that I had not worn in months, if not years. I also discovered treasures I had long ago forgotten - like my cowboy boots!

I am taking stock now to determine by 33 pieces over the next three months. If you should decide to join me in doing the same, I would love to hear how it is working for you!

It's a Brand New Year

2011-01-01T09:52:00.000-05:00

Every January 1, I reflect on the previous year. A lot has happened in our family in just 12 short months - some really small changes, some really big changes, some really small things that WERE big changes. Here is 2010 in review:

Received news that our family had been approved to adopt Jackson. We were so happy!
Celebrated being a family with our dear Scarlett and preparing to become a family of four.
Welcomed our son Jackson into the family. Having two children is something I always wanted but never dreamed that would come true. We are complete.
Learned about cleft lips and palates - as well as the obstacles that Jackson would encounter along the way.
Saw our daughter off to First Grade. Our little girl is getting so big!
Crossed the biggest hurdle of palate surgery. Glad that is behind us.
Celebrated Jackson being able to use a straw for the first time! So happy!
Hearing TWO children laugh and play - priceless!
Added a small Yorkie to the mix. Sarita is such a fun dog!
Celebrated Scarlett's 7th Birthday with several parties given by friends- she is so loved!
Saw Halloween in with two kids more interested in giving OUT candy than going Trick or Treating.
Thanksgiving - so much to be thankful for.
Mourned with our brother-in-law, who lost his mother 3 days after Thanksgiving.
Mourned with my step mom and sister, who lost their mother/grandmother a few days later.
Rejoiced remembering the Christ Child who was born so that He could die and pay my debt.
Enjoyed a rare Christmas snow. Magical!
Ate way too many cookies. But man, the were good!
Enjoyed spending time with family and friends. God has been good to us!

I am looking forward to 2011. I generally don't make resolutions - I never like to see them broken! :) But I do want to try to be more organized and write more. I hope to spend more time having fun with my children - they grow up way too fast! I hope to grow even closer to God.
But most of all, I hope that my friends and family remain healthy and have a wonderful 2011!

Santa sent some helpers!

2010-12-01T11:57:00.001-05:00

Yesterday when we finally made it home in the torrential rainstorm, we noticed that something was slightly amiss about our Christmas tree. It had gained a couple of small elves! They were quite friendly, and came with a letter of introduction from Santa himself. Santa had sent them to make sure Scarlett and Jackson were not naughty, but were nice!

The note Santa left stated that the elves were youngsters and needed to be named. So, Scarlett named her elf Caroline, and Jackson named his Alex. The kids played with them until bedtime, when they promptly forgot about them. That is, until this morning.

Those elves are quite the mischievous pair! I've been told that there could be another elf show up to watch Alex and Caroline. We shall have to wait and see, I suppose.

Can't wait to see what happens next!

Thanksgiving - I am so thankful for...

2010-11-23T16:43:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving will be here in just two days! It is hard to believe that this year is flying by so fast. In all the hubbub of everyday life, sometimes I forget to thank God for all that He has given me. I know that I should never take these blessing for granted. I am so thankful for

my salvation. It is the most valuable thing that I have. And to think that God gave His only Son to die for my sins so that I might live.
my family. My husband and children keep my life interesting and fun!
my friends. I have some of the most wonderful friends that a person could ever hope to have. They have helped out during times of sickness and during times of celebration.
my Church. A lot of my friends are also part of my church. I don't know where I would be without the encouragement and sometimes admonition of my church family.
my job. I am fortunate to have a job during a time when so many are without work. I am even more fortunate that I work for such an honorable man and with such fun coworkers.
my health. I still have good health and plan to do all that I can to remain healthy for as long as I can.
my cars. They are paid for and reliable. They get us where we need to go.
my sense of humor. Because without it, life would be dull!

I am also thankful for those of you who take the time to read my thoughts and opinions. Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

Just more of the same strangeness

2010-10-20T14:38:00.002-04:00

Being the mother of a six year old girl and a two and a half year old boy, my days are full of strangeness. Take for instance, this morning. We like to listen to talk radio as we drive in the mornings. This morning was no different. As we were traveling, we heard the news story of a 300 lb chimpanzee that had escaped a home and was wandering around a neighborhood causing all kinds of mischief. The newscaster stated that at one point, the chimpanzee opened a lady's car door (I assume the woman was still in the car) and put its hand on the seat. At that point, Scarlett asked me, "If a chimpanzee ever crawled in our car, what would you do?" I told her I had no idea. Then she said, "Well, what if we were in the driveway at the Git N Go to buy Bug Juice (a kids' drink), and it got in the car?"

I replied, "Then I guess that chimp better have its own money, 'cause I am NOT buying it any Bug Juice."

Strangely, this seemed to satisfy her.

Yesterday morning, I was left to my own devices on getting both kids, a dog and myself ready for the day (Hubby was away on a business trip). I honestly have no idea how you single parents do this every day! I am simply in awe of you folks. Anyway, I was trying my best to get the littler kid up. Jackson is usually my Mr. Sunshine morning, noon and night. But not yesterday - he was all out of sorts and grumpy. He cried when I pulled his pj bottoms off. He cried when I put his jeans on. He LOST IT when I tried to take off his Thomas the Train pj top. So I did what every other harried parent would do. I left him in it. The child wore his pj top to daycare. I know I am not the first mama to do this, and I am sure I will not be the last! Thing is, he looked adorable in it. He was happy. I was happy.

Days like these always make me smile and wonder: What's next? Stay tuned...

Precious Pup

2010-09-28T11:36:00.000-04:00

Please allow me to introduce the newest member of our household: Sarita Marie!

Sarita is a four year old Yorkshire Terrier and has retired from birthing puppies. Miss Scarlett has asked for a dog for awhile. We think she is ready. And even if she is not, her Mama is! (I've just wanted a dog forever).

She is currently being "fixed", so we won't get to pick her up until October 8th. Thank you, Susan of Mystic Mountain Kennels for this absolutely precious dog!

We are looking forward to many years with this little girl!

My "Explosive Child"

2010-09-23T10:38:00.002-04:00

Our daughter Scarlett is a very smart, kind and loving girl. She rarely causes trouble and is an all-around wonderful kid. Like everyone else, she sometimes gets frustrated. However, that is where things get a little different.

Sometimes she becomes so frustrated that she quite literally loses all capacity to think clearly. She will scream, kick, hit and, for lack of a better term, lose her mind. She will continue on in this manner for up to an hour before she comes to her senses again. These episodes seem to occur when she is particularly tired or hungry, but not always. Thankfully, she seems to only have this trouble when we are at home. We were not sure if she was having this trouble as an "anxious attachment" problem, discipline problem or something else.

While desperately searching for something to make sense of this behavior, I recently ran across a book written by Ross W. Greene called, "Explosive Child". In this book, Greene explains how children are sometimes deficient in the areas of frustration tolerance and flexibility. In other words, these children are unable to handle and verbalize their frustrations in a manner which is both constructive and acceptable.

By teaching caretakers and children how to use Collaborative Problem Solving (sometimes referred to as CPS), these "explosions" may be diminished, shortened, and many times stopped altogether.

My own parents just told me what they expected of me, and I did it. But here is what happens with an "explosive" child -

Child: "I don't want to go to school!"

Parent: "Well, you 're going. Get in the car."

Child: KABOOM!

Laying down the law is not necessarily a bad thing, but then, most kids don't have trouble with frustration tolerance and flexibility. As a child, even I became frustrated at times and stomped off to my room, but never to the extent of hitting, screaming, etc. Other parents take the laid back approach of giving in whenever the child demands something.

Child: "I don't want to go to school!"

Parent: "So don't go. No biggie."

Again, not always bad - depending on the circumstances.

The CPS model starts with empathy and parroting back the child's concern. Then you put two concerns out for discussion - the child's and yours. Finally, you ask for solutions from the child and hopefully come up with one that is mutually agreeable. If not, then you go back to square one.

For example,

Child: "I don't want to go to school!"

Parent: "You don't want to got to school? You usually love going to school. What's up?"

Child: "It's boring."

Parent: "It's boring? What about it is boring?"

Child: "I'm tired and don't want to go! I'm just tired!"

Parent: "You're tired. I see. I don't want you to feel tired. Is it safe to say you don't want to be tired?"

Child: "Uh huh."

Parent: "Well, how can we solve this problem? You don't want to feel tired, and neither do I. What do you suggest?"

Child: "Sleep later!"

Parent: "Well, that is one idea. However, sleeping late would make you tardy to school. That would make the school and your parents unhappy. Can you think of another solution?"

Child: "Maybe go to bed earlier?"

Parent: "That sounds like a good idea. Shall we give that a try?"

Child: "OK."

These are oversimplified examples, but you get the idea.

We have started working on this with Scarlett just recently. It is too early to see if this will work in the big scheme of things, but already I think that I can see a difference in being able to head off explosions. There is hope. And that is enough for right now.

September already - I can't believe it!

2010-09-13T14:15:00.000-04:00

I simply cannot wrap my head around the thought that it is already September! Football season is upon us (Go Vols!) and the kids are all back in school. Before you know it, we will be barrelling into October!

September has always been my favorite month. I love all the "back to school" sales, the excitement of football season starting, and the anticipation of cooler weather.

Some of the things that I hope to do during this month include...

visiting my sister-in-law and her family over Labor Day weekend and checking out their new kitten.
buying a Nook! I am an avid book reader and being able to put a TON of books on one device is exciting to me.
getting Jackson's speech therapy started.
getting matching shirts for the office to wear on "casual Fridays".
changing out closets from summer to fall wardrobe.
preparing for a yard sale - need to get rid of a lot of things.
decorating our front porch for the fall season.
getting my house "fall cleaned" for the upcoming Holidays.

Yes. You read it correctly. I said it. Holidays! Holidays, holidays, holidays!

I bought a Cinnamon Apple scented candle today. Lit it at my desk, and it has infused our office with the fresh, autumn scent of apples. Mmmmm!

I am starting to think about getting my Christmas Notebook updated and ready. I have my receipes, gift ideas, gift list, Christmas card list, decorating ideas, etc. all in this three ring binder. My friend Debbie got me started by showing hers to me a few years back, and I have been a devoted fan ever since.

I just love September!

Busy month...but all went well

2010-08-28T08:34:00.000-04:00

August has been one very busy month for our family. A lot has happened (some planned, some unplanned), but everything worked out exactly as God planned it - all for the best.

Here we go....

My sweet husband celebrated another birthday, along with our nephew's adorable girlfriend Caroline. Had a wonderful party at my sister-in-law's house.
Met with Early Intervention teacher for Jackson.
Scarlett started First Grade. She loves her teacher and was quite relieved that she was able to remain in that class, as five students were moved to a new classroom due to overcrowding.
Jackson's cleft palate repair went extremely well, and he continues to heal. Thank God for skilled doctors and nurses!
Even though I was completely out of leave time, my wonderful boss allowed me to take a week off to stay home with our son after surgery.
We refinanced our house from a 30 year to a 15 year fixed and got an even lower rate that we first thought thanks to a loan officer who was continually looking out for us.
We were able to put a new roof on our house, rewire our electrical box, and cut down five trees.
Family, friends and neighbors all pitched in to help out with meals, shuttle service and general support during Jackson's hospital stay and convalescence.
Scarlett brought home her very first homework paper - she had completed it while in after-school care, and did it perfectly!
Jackson discovered the joy of choo-choo trains.

August is not quite finished yet, but it has been a good, albeit busy, month. Here is hoping that September is not quite so hectic, but just as good!

Surgery for Jackson

2010-08-16T11:39:00.000-04:00

From the day the China Center for Adoption Affairs first made aware of our son Jackson's existence, we knew that a few surgeries would be in his future. That did not deter us - he was our son, and we loved him. Jackson was born with a severe cleft lip and palate. Jackson's lip was successfully repaired in China before he came home to us, but his palate was not. The cleft palate keeps Jackson from being able to drink from a straw or talk where people can understand him.

So his first cleft palate surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning. We are holding near to our heart Phillippians 4:6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." We are praying for Jackson's physicians' hands to be guided by God, for the surgery to be a complete success, for Jackson's pain to be minimal, and for a speedy recovery. Not too much, eh?

If you would be so kind, please pray the same for our sweet boy Jackson. Thank you, and God Bless!

Supper with Helen and Steve

2010-08-10T16:50:00.000-04:00

The other evening, our family had the privilege of dining at the home of two of our friends, Helen and her husband Steve. Helen and Steve are newlyweds that have just recently been reunited after a few months of waiting for Steve's student visa to be issued. They met in Beijing as students. We met Helen when we were looking for a native Chinese speaker to teach our daughter Chinese. We've been friends ever since.
Anyway, Helen and Steve wanted to treat our family to an authentic Chinese family-style supper. We had no idea what to expect, only that we were excited to see what they would serve us. We just knew that it would be wonderful - and we were NOT disappointed!
Steve had been working in the kitchen washing fruits and vegetables, slicing, dicing and cooking since 2:00 p.m. When Helen came home from University at 4:00 p.m., she joined him in the kitchen. The results of their combined efforts were tasty indeed. We had the staple Chinese sides of noodles (long and moderately wide like fettuccine) and steamed rice. A savory sauce made from olive oil, sesame see oil, teriyaki sauce and scallions added some flavor to the rice and noodles.
Steve made a tofu dish using "a pepper jam" as Steve called it. The remnants left in the jar it came from looked less like a jam and more like a thick sauce. Anyway, it gave a creamy tomato soup like consistency. It did not taste tomato-y - just looked like it. The tofu was soft and creamy.
The second main dish was pepper beef. Quarter-inch thin slices of beef and hot peppers made up this spicy entree. You did not notice the hotness until after you swallowed. It was delicious. They also made a chicken and potato dish. It was exactly that - chicken with potatoes. 'Nuff said. The final dish was a beef, broccoli and carrot dish. It had a savory brown sauce with it that added a lot of flavor. I only wish I had thought to take my camera to show you how wonderful these dishes looked!
We had a terrific evening discussing their upcoming move to Boston where Helen would be working on her Divinity Degree; how they felt babies in China were not as happy as babies in the States(babies in China cry all the time); and who has the best muffins. Yes, muffins. And the answer is Sam's Club. The muffins there are huge.
We are saddened that Helen and Steve are leaving our area, but we wish them all the best of luck in Boston, and pray that God's hand protects them. Godspeed, Helen and Steve! Thank you for a wonderful evening.

How to relax - if you can

2010-08-02T13:19:00.002-04:00

I generally find it difficult to make myself just relax and enjoy the quiet. I mean, I am one of those people who is not happy unless I am doing something. Put it down to the old saying that idle hands are the devil's plaything. This weekend, I found myself forced to be still and relax. Having surgery kind of makes you do that.

Friday morning, I had what I like to call "a minor major" surgery. Major in the fact that I was put to sleep and my belly was cut, but minor in the fact that it was laproscopic and didn't really hurt at all. But anyway, I was told to get plenty of rest, eat light meals, and generally just veg. I am not a good vegger.

Friday afternoon, I was standing in my Mom's kitchen, leaning against the kitchen counter having an in-depth discussion with my stepfather's home health nurse about surgeries. We compared surgery scars, recovery times, and the like. After awhile, Mom and the nurse were telling me to go lie down somewhere. I shouldn't be up wandering around. So, like a dutiful patient, I flopped on the little bed that Mom had set up in her front room to read.

By the way, I do not suggest that right after having a minor major surgery your read "Mennonite in a Little Black Dress". I can tell you from painful experience that it hurts to laugh, and giggles just don't cut it for this book. What was my friend Debbie thinking? Maybe she thought laughter really was the best medicine.

Anyway, I read awhile and slept awhile. Read some more, then got up to see if there was anything good to eat. I was told in no uncertain terms that I should have a bland diet (i.e. potato soup) and not eat anything too exciting. After eating, I slept some more. (By now I bet you are wishing that you had moved on to the next blog - go ahead - I don't blame you. Relaxing is pretty boring sometimes)

Saturday was more of the same. The only difference was hearing the somewhat desperate tone to my husband's voice when I asked how things were going at home with the two small fry: "Good. Great. How are you feeling?" he asked, somewhat like a person who was trying to ascertain if the parole board had voted in favor of early release.

Sunday dawned hot and clear. I was feeling the benefits of a lot of sleep, a lot of reading and a lot of potato soup. I decided to take a walk down Mom's long driveway through the woods to the little street that runs by her house. Mom has done a lot of work over the years fine-tuning her home into something I like to call Modern Forties Vintage Only Better. I stepped down the front porch to see an old blue car putter by. For a moment I thought I was in some time warp. I shook my head and proceeded down the drive, swatting at the mosquitoes all the way.

I had just reached the end of the drive when I spied a tiny spotted fawn nibbling the neighbor's front shrubs. Its mama was nowhere to be seen. It delicately munched its way across the front beds and stopped at the edge of the neighbor's driveway, looking back over its shoulder. That is when I saw mama step from the woods. She ambled toward her baby, not stopping until the "poot poot" of a bright yellow Studebaker (convertible!) motored past. She and I looked at each other in disbelief, as if simultaneously saying, "A Studebaker out here? Seriously?" Then she was gone.

This is kind of what Mama Deer and I saw, only envision the top to be white and down.
Once Hubby and the children arrived, the relaxation was over. Pandemonium reigned and things were back to normal. I was ready for it, thanks to the tender care of my Mom and lots of rest and relaxation. Which is a good thing, because my house is a wreck after a weekend of mayhem without mama!

Weighty Matters

2010-07-07T13:54:00.001-04:00

There are some that weigh heavy on one's mind. Things like: Should we refinance now? or What was I thinking by eating that second butter biscuit? Sometimes I lie awake at night worrying about things that might possibly happen, but generally never do. Like thermonuclear Armageddon.

Our daughter Scarlett, however, ponders weightier things.

As we were dining on some of the best crab legs to be found this side of the Mississippi River (you must really try Mayflower Restaurants in North Carolina), Scarlett pipes up with the following:

"So what exactly do crabs eat?"

I look at my husband - he looks at me.

"Um, algae and other sea critters, I think," James replied giving me one of those you can step in and help me anytime looks.

"Well, who first decided to eat a crab, anyway? They look scary - kind of like a spider," Scarlett proclaims.

Exactly. What kind of person would ever consider trying something hard, with pinchers, no less, to eat? I mean, seriously! So being the hard-hitting, investigative reporter type person that I am, I did a little research. This is what I discovered:

According to the website http://www.foodtimeline.org/, crabs were used for food as far back as ancient Greek and Roman times. As foods go, literature and art from those periods seem to suggest that crabs were not really enjoyed as a source of food to those ancients. Why? My guess is that someone had not yet discovered drawn butter. Everyone knows that drawn butter could make even a soccer ball taste delicious.

So it comes down to the fact that no one really knows who ate the first crab. Probably some Greek housewife was scrambling to come up with something exotic for dinner because her husband sent a message that he was bringing his boss home for dinner. In the sort of move born from desperation, she ran down to the docks where the only offering were some freaky, spidery-looking shellfish. She grabbed a few (squealing each time a pincher came near) and quickly tossed them in a pot of boiling water. I can just imagine the husband and boss' face when she served up a platter of steaming crab. I bet her husband never let her live that down!

Oh yeah, and crabs eat carrion (dead things - if tuna is Chicken of the Sea, consider crabs the Vultures of the Sea), algae and worms. I looked it up on Wikipedia.

Now that I am armed with the answers to these questions, I feel ready to handle truly hard ones. So, why did I eat that second butter biscuit?

Nothing more American than...

2010-07-06T21:26:00.002-04:00

Watermelon!

(I think the photo says it all. Don't you?)

We spent the Fourth of July celebrating our freedom and remembering those who had fought and died for that freedom. But not only that, we celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary by watching fireworks, eating more watermelon than Cas Walker (look him up!) ever dreamed of eating, and being with family.

Hope yours was fantastic in every way!

Third Kid?

2010-07-01T13:17:00.001-04:00

The other day, Scarlett, Jackson and I were on the way home from work and daycare when the following conversation took place:

Scarlett: "I can't wait until we get the third kid."

Me: "What third kid?"

Scarlett: "The third kid from China. You know, we need another kid."

Me: "We can't get another child, honey. We have all we can handle now."

Scarlett: " Oh. That's too bad."

Honestly. Where does she come up with this stuff? I would love to adopt again - from China or anywhere, for that matter. Unfortunately, since Hubby and I being are of the "older" rank and file and are as broke as Potter's goat, kind of precludes that from ever happening. But I still think about it. And obviously, I am not alone in that.

The best decision she'll ever make

2010-06-22T15:48:00.000-04:00

This week was a busy but fun week for the kids. It was Vacation Bible School at our church, and lots of fun was to be had, as well as some teaching about Jesus. The theme for the week was The Victory Train. Basically the children learned about the story of Joshua where he and the Children of Israel marched around Jericho and God had the walls tumble down.

Wednesday night,Scarlett was intently listening to our youth pastor, Brother Joel, explain how we were all sinners and that the price for sin was death and eternal separation from God. However, because God loved us so much, He sent His only Son to pay that price for us. And we don't have to do a thing but accept the Gift of Grace.

After Joel explained all of this (and I so wish I had been in the sanctuary and not in the nursery), he asked if any of the kids wanted to give their hearts to Jesus. I am so happy to say that our sweet, precious Scarlett went forward!

After the evening was over, Scarlett came bouncing out of her class absolutely giddy and wearing a sticker that said, "Ask me about my decision!" When we asked her about her sticker, she just smiled kind of shyly and asked, "Were you in the sanctuary this evening? Did you hear Brother Joel ask if anyone wanted to ask Jesus into their heart? Well, Mommy, I did! I asked Jesus into my heart."

Please join us as we celebrate the best decision Scarlett will ever make!

How to occupy a small boy...

2010-06-12T12:03:00.001-04:00

Just in case you ever need something to occupy a small boy's time for awhile - get him a Hot Wheels storage case and a few Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars. He will spend hours arranging and rearranging cars in the thing. Case and point:

First you hand the boy the Hot Wheels storage case. The wheel case is especially nice because it also spins! Bonus! We have the Cook Family to thank for this ingenious gift. It is one of Jackson's favorite things.

After spinning the wheel case for awhile, the small boy carefully inserts each and every car, truck, motorcycle, and construction vehicle he owns into the slots. One must be deliberate in the placement of each item. Some slots are bigger than others, and some vehicles are longer or higher profile than others.

Turn the case around and do the same thing. Note that the slots on the other side are different. Hmm. Does this mean that he needs to rethink the earlier arrangement on the other side?

You dump them all out and start over. After all, a boy's cars have to be perfect! Jackson spent a good two hours arranging and rearranging his car collection in his new storage case. And Mama spent a good two hours alternately cleaning and reading a book! SWEET!

A recipe for adventure

2010-06-09T14:37:00.001-04:00

I have been an avid reader all my life. Starting with my first favorite book, "Whoa, Joey! Whoa!" (about a kangaroo who could never aim his jumps quite right) and graduating to the entire Nancy Drew series. I am embarrassed to admit that I even went through a time in high school reading Harlequin Romances (Yes, I can't believe I did it, either). I am now interested in books on food (think cookbooks, food memoirs - you get the idea). I just finished reading "Too Many Cooks: Kitchen Adventures with 1 Mom, 4 Kids, and 102 Recipes" by Emily Franklin.

Emily Franklin makes me want to move to Connecticut, become a stay-at-home mom and experiment with cooking. Ms. Franklin is a young mother of four whose culinary adventures are warmly amusing. From jaunts to her father's and step-mother's home in Italy to visits to farmers' markets in the Midwest, we are swept along with Ms. Franklin and her family as they discover delicious and sometimes exotic foods. Her storytelling includes sweet anecdotes of her family life - typical of many homes.

The real bonus is that the book is filled with the recipes of the many foods she has cooked (or sometimes attempted to cook) - from Apricot Almond Bread to Celeriac Mash. All the recipes entice one to try them out, or better yet, make up something of your own! Experimenting and improvisation are encouraged.

The book does not read as a cookbook. Rather, it reads as a memoir of life, parenting, travel and food. I highly recommend it both for the good read and for the yummy recipes included.

This book has left me feeling like I can have something good come out of my kitchen and that in so doing, my life might be a little more enriched. My life. As in The Girl Who Is a Non-cook. I think I will try.

So with what recipe will I begin? Will it be Buttery Apricot Bars or Crunchy Sesame Tofu? Maybe I will choose Polenta or Roasted Broccoli Rabe and Baby Greens. I will let you know. But whatever I choose, it will be an adventure for me!

Relay for Life

2010-06-07T20:37:00.001-04:00

Scarlett, Megan & Jackson

Part of the team - My WonderTwin and Wonder Woman!

Laura, Lexi & Debbie - Lexi won best dressed dog!

This past weekend, our office participated in the Relay for Life to help raise money to defeat cancer for good! While I have been fortunate enough to not have the specter of cancer follow me, several family members have not been. My sweet grandfather passed away from lung cancer. I have an aunt, mother-in-law, step-father and niece who have all survived various types of cancer. It is for them and others who are always listening for the footsteps of cancer behind them that we walked.

The day was oppressively hot and humid, but that did nothing to dampen our spirits! We arrived at the track bright and early - ready to walk and raise money for cancer research. A mother/daughter on our team entered their pup in the Dog Parade. Miss Lexi won Best Dressed. She was adorable in her Little Miss Perfect outfit on her float.

I am happy to report that the event was a success. We are all looking forward to next year!

Surprised, but pleasantly so...

2010-06-02T15:13:00.000-04:00

I am not really sure why I decided to chronical a portion of our lives on this blog instead of writing it down in a diary like I used to do as a young girl. I suppose that I wanted to embrace the latest technology of a diary blog. I love surfing the blogosphere and reading all kinds of blogs. I have discovered some gems: One of a husband to a a woman suffering wtih MS. Another touting the simple delights of daily life. Blogs about music, special needs, photography, spirituality, travel, scrapbooking and cooking. But I also found blogs that were extremely depressing or just downright disturbing - causing me to immediately stop and pray for the authors. I suppose that I am not alone in the voyeuristic pursuit of finding entertaining and useful blogs. I was delighted and pleasantly surprised to discover that there are people "out there" commenting on and following Running Down Dreams.

I am not really sure what the purpose of this post is, other than to say thank you for your supporting and encouraging words. It is nice to know sometimes that someone - somewhere - is listening.

Blessings!

What once was lost...

2010-05-26T14:07:00.002-04:00

now is found!

Two days before we left for China to adopt Jackson, I lost our camera. I was devastated. Not due to the loss of the camera, per se, (although I was upset about that) but because of the photos that were on the camera.

I am happy to report that the camera (and photos on it) was found in the bottom of my closet. Amidst a pile of shoes. My shoes. Man, am I ever embarrassed. So what do I do? Tell the world! I am so relieved. This is yet another answered prayer. I am still puzzled as to how the camera ended up where it did. My husband says he believes it had "help".

So now my thought is: now that we have two cameras, I can take the old one with me everywhere and catch those pictures I always seem to be missing. Like the other day, when Jackson walked into the den in my high-heeled shoes, wearing a pull-up and a smile, waving his sister's foam sword around. I mean, come on, we are talking teenage blackmail photos of the future here!

Here's to having two cameras. So, smile and say, "cheese!"

Busy times

2010-05-20T12:22:00.000-04:00

I cannot believe that it has been so long since I was able to write on the blog! Our lives have been so incredibly hectic with doctors' appointments, school (it's winding down, folks!) and just transitioning into a family of four. The biggest hurdle has been taking care of Jackson's medical appointments.

It is no secret that Jackson came to us with an unrepaired cleft palate. However, we have discovered some other issues that will need to be addressed. I think I mentioned in an earlier post that Jackson had a positive TB skin test. We are currently undergoing INH therapy to lessen the chances of him ever contracting TB to less than 1%. Modern medicine is a marval.

Our family anticipated possible speech therapy and ear tubes being necessary as part of the cleft diagnosis. We were not wrong in that. Jackson will be getting tubes placed in his ears during his cleft surgery. The speech therapy is being set up now.

The one thing we never considered was that he might come to us needing a little male-type surgery. To put it delicately, he will be having a little nipping done to his nether region at the same time his cleft is repaired. Poor baby! Usually this sort of thing is done when a boy child is a couple of days old - not over two!

Miss Scarlett's kindergarten class is about to finish out its school year. She has truly loved her first year of "Big Kid" school with Mrs. Butler (formerly known as Miss Blanton). Having a teacher who is so dedicated to sharing a love of learning with children early on is such a blessing. It will be hard for Miss Scarlett to leave Mrs. Butler.

This week has been a whirlwind of activities at her school with zoo outings, Field Day, and Awards Day. In between all of those activities, there was some learning done, I imagine!

The transition from a family to three to a family of four was not as difficult as I had thought it would be. I suppose the fact that Miss Scarlett is such a good helper with her little brother has smoothed the way a lot. She tries to put him first, even when we tell her that she needs to be first sometimes. The bond that they have together is so incredibly sweet and fierce at the same time. When he cries, she tries to comfort him. If she cries, he is patting her with an expression of such concern that it makes me catch my breath. However do we deserve such wonderful children? It has to be God's doing, that is all that I know!

Now I am back at work. At first I was so upset to leave Jackson at daycare. But after seeing his bond with Mrs. Wendy, I feel so much better. He has definitely attached to her - and her to him!

Now that things have momentarily calmed down, I will hopefully have more time to write. Fingers crossed!

But I didn't finish week one!

2010-05-06T22:53:00.000-04:00

I had such dreams of writing down our first week of home. Unfortunately, life got in the way. Let's just say that it was a good week - after we made it through all the doctors appointments. Which we are still going through, by the way.

So on to week two. And welcome to it! After yet another week of doctor appointment for both kids, we managed to get very little done other than survive the week. Jackson has completed his first week of daycare, but not without a lot of tears. Unfortunately, the tears were from both Mama and son. I HATE leaving my children in the care of someone else while I work.

Scarlett treated us all to a "Reader Cafe" at school Monday evening. The family met at her school cafeteria where she and her classmates all came out of the kitchen with their chef hats and books to read to us. Her book was "Maddie Loves to March". She did an awesome job!

Tuesday, Scarlett awoke with a nasty cough that sounded like it was deep in her little chest. We were able to get into her doctor with no trouble. Happily, she just has an upper respiratory cough due to allergies. The pediatrician gave us some samples of Singulair, so hopefully she will be soon on the mend.

My stint at Weight Watchers has continued to go well. I have now lost over 10% of my total body weight and lost two dress sizes, which thrills me. I celebrated by purchasing a Points Calculator to keep track of my points.

Today I heard Jackson call me Mama for the first time. So, so sweet to this Mama's ears. Just an early Mother's Day gift for me.

Speaking of Jackson, we will be going though yet more tests due to his positive TB skin test in China. The one here in the U.S. was negative, but the chest X-rays were unclear. The poor little fella has been in a doctor's office almost every single day since coming home from China.

My two weeks of being a stay-at-home Mom are almost over. I would have loved to taken another week off. Two weeks to transition from China to daycare/work is just not enough. Praying for a solution to my dilemma....

One Week Home - Part One

2010-05-02T16:43:00.001-04:00

I am so far behind on posting that I have divided the first week home into parts. This is the first one...

Who knew that being home would be thousands times more tiring that living out of suitcases in a hotel in China? We left China on Friday morning - an uneventful trip until we reached the Chicago-O'Hare Airport. We thought we had plenty of time to spare between flights. We had budgeted almost 2 hours. However, Immigration thought it would make life more exciting by calling in the U.S. Dept. of Health on Jackson's positive TB skin test. That phone call cost us our connecting flight home. We were fortunate enough to have the assistance of a wonderful United Airlines employee who helped us get on the next flight out (6 a.m. Saturday morning) and find an inexpensive hotel connected to eh airport.

After taking baths and getting a good night's sleep, we left Chicago for home. We had a wonderful welcoming committee of my Dad, Brenda, Leigh Ann, Lindsey, Kylie and Luke. We were thankful that Lindsey and her family came along, because we needed their big Suburban to get all our luggage home!

Upon reaching home, we were met by almost ALL (and I do mean all) of the surrounding county: sisters, brothers, mothers, cousins, friends all came to meet Jackson. Like the little politician he is, he met everyone with a smile and blowing kisses. Our family brought tons of food (which was such a blessing) and our friends: Sara, Lena, Sammy and Jack had decorated the yard with balloons and a welcome poster.

The rest of the weekend was spent trying to get acclimated to the time difference. It took the children only 3 days to get back on schedule, something for which I am extremely thankful.

James started back to work on Monday and Scarlett to school. Jackson and I went in with Scarlett so that she could show her new brother off to the class. It was a good day.

Tuesday was spent going to the pediatrician and getting shots, Jackson is not a fan of shots, but he forgave the nurse by blowing kisses.

Wednesday we went to my niece Lindsey's to play with her son Luke. Jackson and Luke had a grand time. After lunch and a short shopping trip with them, Jackson and I went to the Health Department with Jackson's chest x-rays. The nurse did a second TB skin test and told us to come back on Friday to have it read. By that time, we were all pooped out and took naps. After naps, we went to church to work in the bookstore. People I had never seen before came into the bookstore to meet Jackson and ask Scarlett how she liked being a big sister.

We will be glad when things settle in a little bit so we can get back to a normal life!

Goodnight from China!

2010-04-21T08:45:00.000-04:00

So now I am putting the blog from China to bed. I will continue the blogging once we come back home. Tomorrow is the last full day before we leave, and we want to pack up early. Some of you have asked for our flight information, and I am happy to give it to you if you will email me. I just don't want to post it publicly on our blog. Sara S., I'll email you the information.

Our trip to China was better than I could have ever imagined. Not only did we complete our family, make new friends, and show our daughter part of her birth country, but I fell deeply in love with China all over again. I cannot wait to come back. In many ways, it feels like home. In others, as alien as another planet. But I love it just the same. It has left an indelible handprint on my heart and my soul. Someday I will come back. Someday...

Red Couch and Consulate Oath

2010-04-21T08:35:00.000-04:00

Today was another laid back day. After breakfast, the kids played in the Swan Room (basically a huge room with toys in it) for a couple of hours with a break only to come upstairs and Skype with Nana and Poppie. It was so good to talk to them after having not being able to for so long.

At 10:00 a.m., the group met downstairs to take the famous "Red Couch" photos. I am sad to say I am the parent of the only child that cried for the entire photo shoot. Poor Jackson. I cannot imagine what was going through his mind. Whatever it was, he cried and was only comforted once I picked him back up. Here are photos from the couches:

And finally the photo of our entire group. It's a big group, but not as big as our last group.

I made this photo extra large so you could see all the sweet children's faces. The oldest child in our group is 10 years old - the youngest is 9 months old.

After lunch and a short nap, we all traveled about 45 minutes to the United States Consulate in order to take the oath of Citizenship on behalf of our children. Apparently, there is some sensitive areas to the Consulate, as we were not allowed to take photos. We did, however, get a picture of the sign. If you can see the small letters under the flag, that was it.

So that was our day in a nutshell. As Scarlett was singing on the way back, "One step closer to U.S.A." to some tune I cannot put my finger on. Rock on, Scarlett!

Fun day with no plans

2010-04-20T07:34:00.001-04:00

Today was the first day we had nothing planned. We did a little bit of everything. We started out as always with the huge breakfast buffet at the White Swan. We sat overlooking the Pearl River and watched the riverboats and ferries go by. Simply lovely.

After breakfast, we all took a walk around the island and yes, did some more shopping. James is now officially known as the shopper extraordinaire among the group. We bought Jackson some more 18-24 months clothes, and Scarlett a couple of dresses that she fell in love with. She has some very extravagant tastes, that girl! We picked up some souvenirs for family and friends, then James and Mom headed back to the hotel while Scarlett and I hot-footed it to the little park. There we met up with a family from Wilkesboro, NC - grandmother, mother, older daughter Olivia (6), younger daughter Lydia (2). Scarlett and Olivia played well together, as did Jackson and Lydia. We will hopefully see them around some more. They were staying at the Victory Hotel, which is just down the street. Also at the park, we met up with another Bethany family who adopted an 8 year old boy. I only remember the mother's name is Kendra, and the boy is Matthew. They are a sweet family from Michigan.

Scarlett and Jackson were hot, dirty and sweaty by the time we left an hour later, so we headed back to our hotel for baths. On the way, we saw some ladies practicing Tai Chi.

Of course, we had to dodge all the construction on the island. The streets and sidewalks are not without their perils. Some of the streets are just muddy paths, and the sidewalks are often blocked.

But at least the 7-11 was still open - business as usual!

After baths and a quick lunch at Lucy's, James, Mom and Jackson went back to the room for naps and reading. Scarlett and I headed down to the pool to try it out. IT WAS FREEZING! The water must have been in the 50s. Needless to say, we did not stay long. We ran back up to our room to warm up and take a quick nap.

After our naps we sallied forth again to further stimulate China's economy. We did a fine job, as we bought several outfits for both kids at two stores. I hope that we are almost done with the purchasing. We already had to buy another suitcase (the first we one bought in Changsha turned out to be too small, so we sold it to another family). It is my sincere hope that we will NOT fill this one up!

So that is the latest news from Guangzhou, China. Tomorrow we go take the oath at the U.S. Consulate and have the famous "Red Couch" photos with the kids in their traditional China clothing. One day closer to coming home. As our friend, Mike Coffey, said Monday, "I'd gladly pay $1,000 if I could just go home today. We love China, and her people, but there truly is "no place like home."

God took care of us!

2010-04-19T07:48:00.001-04:00

Today we went back to the Medical Exam Office to have Jackson's TB skin test read. His little arm looked like a wasp had stung him. The skin rash was very red and raised. As we feared, the skin test showed positive. So we had to get a chest x-ray of the little guy to be sure that there was no sign of TB in his little chest. This medical center is extremely crowded, hot and close. But I can say that the medical personnel there were all very sweet, extremely competent and we felt very well taken care of whil we were there.

I had asked another couple, Mike and Sherrie Coffey, to please pray that Jackson's test was a false positive and that we would not have any problems. They prayed with us, and God took care of the rest. We are happy to report that Jackson's chest x-rays show his lungs as completely normal.

After that little drama, James, Jackson and I did a little looking around the island. Mom and Scarlett played in the park and did some shopping of their own. As we were walking around, we saw some soldiers practicing what appeared to be riot control exercises. Since this area will be home to the Asian Games this fall, I am guessing that they are preparing for that. Although some of the drivers we have seen could use some riot control.

After lunch at Lucy's (yes, again), Mom, Scarlett and I went to the Pearl Market and Jade Market with Ann of Red Threads. Ann is this tiny little wisp of a girl who can flat out move. I tried to get a photo of her, but it just came out as a blur. Seriously. I am not kidding. But I did manage to get a photo of the loads of pearls in the market. The ladies there let you pick from what look like thousands of strings of beads to make a pearl necklace. Then, they tie knots between each pearl as you wait. It is simply amazing. We bought Scarlett a two strand pearl necklace to wear on her 16th birthday and/or wedding day, as well as Jackson one to give a future bride someday.

Choosing the pearls.

Creating the jewelry.

The cab ride to and from the jade and pearl market was not without its perils. I thought the bus ride was scary. Whew! The cab ride cost 10 yuan, but I tipped the driver an extra 10 yuan for just bringing us back alive.

Street scene from inside the death cab.

Anyway, just another way that God took care us. We made it back in one piece to the hotel, and had a blast with Ann. If anyone reading this plans on coming to China anytime soon, I hope that you consider using Ann at Red Threads. She is does a fantastic job at facilitating in the pearl and jade markets.

At night here on Shaiman Island, I believe I have mentioned that there is a light and laser show. I was able to capture some of the action last night in photos. So, until Tuesday!

Laser and light show.

Another on of James' signs he loves to collect photos of.

Two very life-like statutes we found. They kinda look familiar...

Sunday Excitement

2010-04-18T18:41:00.004-04:00

Sunday was an exciting day. Shiyan took our group to the Guangzhou Folk Art museum, also known as the Chen Family Museum. It was a series of buildings build around a common courtyard that the Chen Family used for ancestor worship and to stay at when they were in the city for important events. It had also been used as an academy. The buildings are all over 100 years old - relatively new when you think about all the history of China. This is also where our camera battery died, so enjoy the photos of the day!

These are pottery and lime sculptures on the roof ridge of the museum.

Badminton is popular here. This is in a little park adjacent to the museum.

Good outside view of the museum before the battery died.

After the museum, we went to Yuelu Park in Guangzhou. It is one of the most famous parks in all of China. The large statue of five goats is purportedly known by anyone in China. This park is where we lost one of our group members and left her behind to find here own way home. I could not believe that we left her. It really upset me. The good news is that she was able to hail a taxi and make her way back to our hotel with no problem. She is an experienced world traveler, so to her, it was no big deal. To me, and the majority of our group, it was so upsetting.

I will try to find photos of this park from my Mom's camera and add them later today.

The five goats statue that is famous country-wide.

Here are some great photos of the inside of the White Swan Hotel. There are innumerable artworks here in jade, wood, stone, etc. that we just had to take some photos.

Large jade bullfrog. Purple Rosabelle (Scarlett's African dwarf frog) has something to aspire to!

Jade ship in the lobby.

Scarlett showing Jackson the Koi in the hotel pond.

Waterfall in hotel lobby.

We did some more shopping this evening (big surprise, huh?). Scarlett is turning into a little James with the shopping. Watch out!

Adoption Paperwork, Supper at Lucy's and Shopping Crazy

2010-04-17T09:39:00.001-04:00

After the medical exam portion of the day, a group of us met in Shiyan's room to fill out our consulate paperwork and do some trading at Shiyan's free store (which was basically stuff other parents had left behind and she was giving away). We exchanged some little girl swim diapers for 5 pullups and a sippy cup. The paperwork was completed and left for Shiyan to take to the consulate.

Afterwards in the evening, our adoption group all went to Lucy's for dinner together. We enjoyed the companionship of friends and catching up on all the sweet children. The youngest child in our group is 9 months old and the oldest is 10 years old.

Our rather large group has about 11 families in total. You can see the group in its entirety down the long line of tables. Scarlett is the little pink shirt on the left about half way down.

Below is Scarlett and Jackson Xinqiang chowing down together on the fried rice. As we had more than enough rice, we shared it with our friend Kathy and her daughter. who did not like the chicken quesadillas that her Momma ordered.

After supper, some folks made a whirlwind trip to the Carrefour for some necessities of life. James purchased pull ups, wet wipes, bibs, and little girl underwear (we did not bring enough, apparently). While he was doing that, Scarlett and I left Jackson with my mom and rushed back to Jordan's for a little tea set she had seen earlier in the day. When we got to Jordan's the lights were off and it appeared he was closed. Scarlett was crushed. But then, out of nowhere like the angel he is, Jordan appeared and opened up his store so my little girl could buy her tea set. Jordan is absolutely one of the sweetest Christian men I have met in a long time.

Around 8 p.m., the hotels along the Pearl River (the White Swan is one of several) take part in some sort of laser show that lasts about a half hour. I attempted to take some pictures of the spectacle. Not sure how well they turned out.

Tomorrow we are going to the Guangzhou Provincial Museum and a park so the children can run amok. Should be fun. Hopefully, we will get some good photos. Until then, enjoy one of Jackson with his new cell phone.

First part of medical exam is over

2010-04-17T02:47:00.000-04:00

We are done with the first round of the dreaded medical exam. Jackson did very well until the doctor wanted to look in his ears. Nobody messes with his ears. He is very particular about that. Well, we can mess with them, but no one else!

We are fortunate that we are an I600 family. We only have to have a TB skin test and no shots here in China. The other children who are over two years old and under the Hague I800 have to have FIVE shots all at once. This seems very cruel to do to these children. I can tell you that this is NOT China's requirement, but our own country's requirement. Several families (mine included) are petitioning to get this practice halted.

On the way back from the medical exam, James, Jackson and I stopped at Jordan's store to see if we could find a play cell phone. We were able to find one that plays really loud, obnoxious music that Jackson loves to dance to. I am thinking the batteries could mysteriously go dead by the time we leave. We also picked up a pair of squeaky shoes, a police car, an airplane that makes noise, and a calligraphy of Jackson's name in Chinese. Jackson, in Chinese, means "Excellent Glory". Quite a moniker for such a small little dude. Jordan himself did the calligraphy. Jordan is just as wonderful now as he was five years ago. I am betting we will be visiting his shop again this week.

After Jordan's, we all went out to eat at Lucy's Bar and Grill, where some of us had hamburgers and french fries. Jackson had his noodles and fruit, Mom tomato soup and broccoli, and I had linguine with basil, parmesan and olive oil. Yummy. Oh, and real iced tea! Loving the iced tea. Haven't had that since leaving home.

So now Jackson is napping, the rest of the family are out shopping (and have my camera - hence no photos until later).

So, until later this afternoon!

Thank goodness I can access Blogger!

2010-04-16T10:37:00.000-04:00

We are finally in Guangzhou at the famous White Swan Hotel. The good news is that I can now access Blogger again. The bad news is that I am just too tired to do anything about it tonight. I want to move some of the information from the Journey to Me site over to this one as well.

Suffice it to say that we all made it to the hotel in one piece. Some adventure was to be had, but we made it through fine, thanks to our guide, Vicki. More on that tomorrow!

Until then, enjoy some photos from the past several days:

Our lovely guide, Vicki.

Ceiling of temple at Yuelu Academy

James and his peeps

How cute am I?

Some of the dishes we partook of recently: Bok Choy, watermelon, Unknown food item, Another unknown food item, rice, noodles, Scared to even ask food item.

Hutong or Bust!

2010-04-11T06:30:00.001-04:00

After the Forbidden City, James and Scarlett toured the hutong by rickshaw. Laura and Lee chose to stay on the bus as they were cold and wet. We have no idea what James and Scarlett saw, but we had a great time people watching from the bus! Garbage pickup was done on a tricycle-type thing with a box on the back. The man used some huge wooden tongs to pick up trash and place it on the box on the back. He also had a brush broom (think witch's broom and you will have the type) to sweep up trash. I'll try to get the photo from Mom.

We saw lots of interesting car models that are not available in the states: a Nissan Bluebird, a Daewoo Retard bus (no kidding!), some cute, cute mico-mini vans that Laura fell absolutely in love with (I gotta get me one of those!).

James and Scarlett came back from the hutong with a horror story of a misplaced camera - James had left it on the rickshaw but got it back. Strangely, it had a photo of their rickshaw driver on it.

My girl and my hubby.

The rickshaw driver - a most helpful fellow, according to James.

Tiannamen Square and Forbidden City

2010-04-11T06:16:00.001-04:00

Today was the tour through Tiannamen Square and the Forbidden City. We began our day at the breakfast bar again. Mom finally figured out how to get more than one cup of coffee. The trick was to tell the waitress that everyone at the table drank coffee. Even the little girl? Yep. Even the little girl. I think we counted seven cups of coffee that Mom gulped down before 7:00 a.m.

We then all loaded up the bus and headed for the tours. The day was cold and rainy. We were all frozen to the bone. The Tiannamen Square is huge. No other word for it. The Forbidden City was beautiful. It was the palace where the Emperor resided in Beijing. Our guide Joy told us that one emperor, who was only four years old, was forced (as was custom) to sit with the bodies overnight of the previous emperor and his grandma. The child was terrified. The rational was that the officials believed that the spirit of the previous emperor transferred in the night to the new one. Scary stuff - even if you are not four years old.

The above is Chairman Mao's Mausoleum. People still come to pay respects to his grave.

This is the photo of one of the temples within the Forbidden City. The stone sculpture is carved from one stone. No one was allowed to touch it - not even the emperor.

The trip back to the bus was not without some hilarity. Our driver kept trying to get the bus to us. Joy had us waiting at the pre-determined spot, but saw a police car. So we walked on down the road a piece. Well, the police car kept following us (not really, but it seemed like it), so we crossed the street on the driver's advice so he could pick us up there. Then he was followed by a police car, so we crossed the street. Again. After some Laurel and Hardy hijinx, we finally made it onto the bus.

From there, the tour of the hutong. More on that in the next post!

Great Wall and Pizza Hut

2010-04-10T19:31:00.001-04:00

I ran out of steam for posting more last night. My sincere apologies. Yesterday after the Cloisonne Factory, we visited the Great Wall of China. It was breathtaking in its beauty. We had seen it before five years ago under a blanket of snow, but yesterday was clear and bright. It seemed all of China came to see the Wall.

We rode cable cars up the mountain and were treated to spectacular views of the valleys below. The rocky pathways were uneven, so Lee, Laura and Scarlett didn't walk around too much. James did make it to the top.

The bus ride to the Great Wall was CRAZY! We must have seen at least 5 accidents (none were serious) and 100 near misses. I have to say that drivers in Beijing are some of the best drivers I have seen anywhere. They are very intent on what they are doing and not multi-tasking like we Americans tend to do. They also do not drive as fast. However, they use their horns - a lot - to let each other know they are coming through. Lanes do not seem hinder these drivers, they are merely suggestions. The Beijing driver uses the entire street - both directions.

One the way back to the hotel, our bus was blocked from turning wide into a narrow underpass from the Great Wall area. Our driver was literally centimeters from scraping the wall and a couple of totally stupid people who tried to squeeze through the underpass with us. He gained a hearty round of applause for his fine effort.

After coming back to the rooms, we ordered Pizza Hut. The best tasting food I have had since we left home. We then crashed and burned for the evening.

Beijing and Cloisonne Factory

2010-04-10T09:09:00.002-04:00

Today was a crazy, busy day! We began with the buffet breakfast in the hotel again. This one was much more to my liking with scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and jam. After a quick bite, we all met in the lobby to board the bus to the Cloisonne factory in Beijing. Along the way, we saw some sites:

The Olympic Stadium a/k/a Bird's Nest

The Dragon Building

The Beijing Jingbei Hospital

Wait a minute! How'd that get in here? The dreaded squatty potty. Yes, Scarlett and Laura both tried it out and managed to NOT fall in!

The Cloisonne Factory was on the outskirts of Beijing and the oldest cloisonne factory in China. We were treated to a tour by Stephen (who had trouble remembering his name) of the factory and process of making the cloisonne items.

The process is quite complicated. First, an artist draws up the design. Then, a copper worker glues copper strips on the metal body to create the framework of the design. After that, it goes to the painter. The painter take tiny brushes and uses minerals to make the colors. The painter chooses the colors. After that, the piece goes for firing at least two times. Then it gets cleaned and smoothed. Final touch is the glaze.

We purchased a Panda Pencil cup for Jackson. Scarlett bought herself a bracelet, some chopsticks (she is getting quite good using these) and a glass globe that is painted inside.

After leaving the factory, we went for lunch. More to follow...

Friday - grocery, acrobats, and dinner

2010-04-09T10:03:00.000-04:00

Today some of us woke up at 2:00 a.m., much to my dismay. I did manage to stay in bed until 5:30 a.m. We had breakfast in the hotel. All I can say about that is that I will not gain weight on this trip. After breakfast, we met our guide, Joy, and the other families in the lobby for a trip to the grocery store. It was a fun experience - truly! Here is a photo of us checking out from the grocery. Nothing too bizarre in this market.

We purchased bottled water (you can't drink the tap water here - even if it says it is safe), some cheetoes-like item that, instead of cheese, had strawberry cream on the top, some flip-flops, laundry detergent, Diet Coke (called Coke Light here) and some green apple candy.

We attempted to buy some bananas, but apparently didn't handle that correctly. We were supposed to get it weighed by the weigher-girl, and didn't. So they didn't come home with us.

After the grocery run, we all went to the China Bank to exchange our U.S. currency for Chinese yuan. The currency rate of exchange for U.S. to Chinese is .675 right now, and we needed to change the money for the orphanage donation fee for Monday. The bank transaction took a bit of time. Here are a couple of street scenes from our trip to the bank and grocery store -

Street vendor for fried rice.

Apartment area.

After the bank, Joy suggested that we all come back and take a short nap before the acrobat show. Lee (Laura's mom) and Scarlett napped while Laura downloaded photos from the cameras, read, and generally relaxed. We met back in the lobby at 4:30 p.m. to ride the bus across town to the acrobat show. This was at the same place we saw the show five years ago, but the show was different. The acrobats were amazing. I wish we had been allowed to take photos.

After we got back, the Kari and Tim Rinkleberg and Kathy Schroeder and her friends Juelle and Mary Jo and James and I decided to take Joy's advice and treat ourselves to an authentic Chinese dinner out. We walked about a block (taking our lives in our hands crossing the street) and had a fantastic family style meal of prawns in sweet plum sauce, steamed pork dumplings, beef and vegetables, noodles, and tofu. We didn't eat everything - there was too much food! I'll try and post the photo later.

If anyone wants a fun job, we saw someone this morning mopping the flag pole outside our hotel. Not sure why this needed to be done, but I can assure you that we have the cleanest flag pole in all of Asia!

We enjoyed skyping this evening with family and friends. We will try again with a few others that we not on-line this evening. Love to all!

Some general observations

2010-04-08T19:35:00.001-04:00

It is 7:20 a.m. on Friday morning here in Beijing. At least I think it is Friday. I am not exactly sure. Anyway, I wanted to post some of our general observations about our trip thus far so I don't forget. so here goes:

There are no beds at this hotel Oh, there are slabs of concrete made up to look like beds, but that is just to fool you into thinking you are sleeping in a bed. Needless to say, this ain't your bed back home!
The Chinese people are very friendly and eager to please, even if they do not always understand what the silly Americans are trying to say. Patience is a virtue.
The breakfast buffet at the Chang'an Hotel is not a western buffet. No worries about over-doing they Weight Watchers points here.
The traffic in Beijing is very heavy. I don't remember it being as bad as this the last time we were here five years ago. I would not be able to handle driving in it. Helen, if you are reading this, if you can drive here, you can drive anywhere.
Internet in the lobby is free, but in-room service for internet is $6.00 a day. Skyping will be entertaining for those around us, to say the least. We will try to Skype in the next day or so from the room so we can have privacy.
The Chinese meals on board United airlines are better than the Western ones. Go for the noodles.
I wonder why a five-star hotel does not offer a massage therapist.

I will post more this evening. Joy is meeting our group in the lobby to take us to the grocery store. I am going to look for the green apple candies that Helen buys here. That and some bottled water.

Thanks for all the emails and notes! We miss you all! Lots of love,

What a day!

2010-04-08T08:20:00.001-04:00

First of all, we all made it just fine to Beijing. We were met by Joy at the airport - for those of you in our first travel group, you will remember her BIG smile. It has not changed a bit. We met up with two of the families traveling - the Rinkelbergs from Iowa, and the Dugans from Michigan. The Rinklebergs are adopting a little girl and the Dugans a 9 month old girl!

Scarlett has traveled like the trooper we hoped she would She and Mammaw are inseparable. We have connecting rooms, so we are running back and forth. No mishaps; no missed flights. All was good.

The best time we had was when we got to meet up with Lynsey and Olivia Ferris in O'Hare. Although we only got to talk an hour, it was SO good to see them again. Scarlett and I managed to thread our way through the busy airport and find them at the baggage claim. Lynsey had checked Olivia out of school so she and Scarlett could visit. The girls hit it off like they'd always known each other. Lynsey and I tried best we could to catch up in the brief our we had. Time was just too short! Here are photos of our visit -

As you can see, they are a couple of gorgeous, but silly, girls!

Here is one of their mamas acting equally silly -

Just in case Scarlett's teacher (Mrs. Butler) checks, Scarlett IS doing her homework. In fact, here is a photo of her working hard on the airplane ride over -

We had dinner in the hotel this evening. It was hilarious watching my mom try to convey that she wanted a vegetarian meal to the waitstaff. Everyone is as nice as can be, but the ability to understand "complicated orders" is just not there. I kept waiting for someone to yell, "Security! Security! These people have got to GO!" Just to be safe, I ordered a coke and nothing too complex.

So now I am sitting in the lobby of the beautiful Chang'an Hotel in Beijing. We are able to access blogger just fine. Tomorrow we head out for the grocery store and bank. Later in the afternoon, we will go to the Acrobat show. Should be a lot of fun.

So it is 8:00 p.m. here. We've been up since 5:00 a.m. on the 7th (it is the 8th now). I am going to go back to the room. James just came downstairs to collect me. Maybe tomorrow's post will make some sense. We are so tired that this one probably makes none at all.

Please email us!

Easter was marvelous! But the pictures...

2010-04-05T14:45:00.000-04:00

Our Easter was marvelous! We started the day taking our friend Helen with us to church to see mutual young friend, Gabrielle, get baptized. The fact that this sweet young one at only age seven has joined the family of God just makes me get all happy and weepy at the same time. Would that all my dear ones would take that step. We took a load of photos.

We then went to my mother-in-law's for dinner and had a big Easter egg hunt with all the littles. The kids had a blast running around the yard hiding and trying to find some 55 eggs. Sadly, we could not find 22 of them. I suppose the lawnmower will have to do that little job!

I took several photos of the kids rampaging up and down the yard searching for eggs. But the, something happened. I LOST MY CAMERA.

Losing the camera was bad enough, but the fact that I have lost the photos of our friend's baptism has broken my heart. We have searched high and low for the thing. It is gone. And the pictures with it. Right before we leave for China.

So the whirlwind search for a replacement camera has began. Pictures at 11:00 p.m. (sorry, I always wanted to say that!).

Itinerary is set

2010-04-01T19:07:00.000-04:00

We received our itinerary for our trip. Looks like we will receive Jackson on April 12th - the day we get into Changsha. Our agency has lots of fun things planned for us - rickshaw ride, tour of the hutong (old city of Beijing that is rather communal), acrobatic show, and trip to the Great Wall and the Forbidden City for the Beijing part of the trip.

For the Changsha part, we will be going to an embroidery Institution (Hunan Province is famed for the embroidery its people create), Bayi Park and the Yuelu Academy.

Finally, we will end up in Guangzhou, Shamian Island. There we will enjoy a visit to the Guangzhou Folk Art Museum and Yuexiu Park. Somewhere in all of this we will go with Ann of Red Thread China to do some shopping and visit the US Embassy. Woohoo!

So it appears that we will have a lot of fun things to do as well as (thankfully) a few days of downtime. This is not a tourist trip - this is a trip to bring home our second child. Foremost in our thoughts will be bonding with him.

Hope you will follow along!

A Busy Day and a Lazy Day

2010-03-28T08:44:00.002-04:00

Today started out to be very busy. Miss Scarlett and I went to her Chinese class with Helen, her tutor. We are excited for Helen as she is preparing to go off to Harvard Divinity School. We will miss her, but we hope that we will be able to stay in touch and visit with her someday.

After we came home, Hubby and Miss Scarlett went to the grocery store where they discovered an Easter Egg Hunt was going to be held. So after shopping, a lunch of hotdogs and soft drinks, they fled back to the Food City for the Easter Egg Hunt. Miss Scarlett did well. She brought in a basketful of eggs - most of which were purple. According to her daddy, she passed over anything that wasn't purple for awhile.

While they were having daughter/daddy time, I was weeding the front flower beds. I got a lot of work done, but not all the beds. Just too many after a long and rainy winter. I did make a HUGE dent in the weeds. The beds look much better. But we need some some mulch. That will have to wait.

Hubby mowed the yard while Miss Scarlett jump roped and filled some of her plastic eggs with treasures from the yard (Nandina berries, grape hyacinth buds, tiny pine cones, and pretty stones). I continued to weed while occasionally admiring a particularly good jump rope run or treasure.

After a light supper and baths, we all went to the Lazy Boy Store! I finally was able to purchase the Lazy Boy recliner that I had been drooling over for the last couple of years. I bought a dark chocolate brown Maverick recliner.

I spent part of the evening setting up my "kingdom". My favorite antique floor lamp with scrolled wood pole, drink stand that had been an old cigarette ashtray holder (it's tall and fits drinks perfectly) and my purple and blue pansy blanket - I was ready for some serious downtime.

I am so glad Sunday is a day of rest. I plan to be resting a lot today!

What do you think?

2010-03-27T09:28:00.000-04:00

It's been over two years since I started my blog. A few weeks ago, I was thinking I wanted something less Chinese-y and more generic. My original blog designer, Verna, of the Blog Fairy had retired from the design business. She was just too busy with her family. BUT! She turned me on to Becky, who created this awesome design. She worked with me to find something that suited my personality and tastes. In short, she did a GREAT job!

Becky, if you are reading this, you need to give yourself a plug! I will definitely go back to her when I want to mix it up again.

Approved to travel!

2010-03-19T14:27:00.000-04:00

We just received word today that we have been given travel approval! Hooray! We are less than month from seeing our son for the first time. Praise God!

Let the countdown begin!

Five Weeks on Weight Watchers

2010-03-19T08:17:00.000-04:00

A friend at work and I discovered about six weeks ago that we were going the wrong way when it came to our weight. I was at an all-time high on my weight, as was she, and we decided NOW was the time to do something about it. So we joined Weight Watchers.

It is one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Going to the WW meetings has helped me learn what a normal portion should be. In a world of supersized fries and super gigantic colas, I had forgotten what a normal portion should be. Remember years ago when a small hamberger and french fries was the normal portion? Ha! That is a thing of the past. Or is it? I am slowly rethinking how much I hsould eat.

Probably more importantly, WW has shown me how UNhealthy the junk I used to eat really was for my body. The first week's weight loss of 4.6 pounds just from cutting out the junk food (cheese burgers, fries, moon pies, etc) showed me how many empty calories I was stuffing my poor body with. I just hope my body will forgive me.

So here I am at week five of WW. I have lost 9 pounds. My goal is to lose 7 to 9 pounds more. I know I can do it now. And I am excited.

Three days is too short!

2010-03-14T21:18:00.001-04:00

This weekend has been too short. Even though I was off Friday with Miss Scarlett, and had a three day weekend, it felt too short. Three days are NOT enough.

Here is a recap of our weekend:

Friday - It was a whirlwind of activity!

Took Miss Scarlet to a new pediatrician. Really liked the new doctor. She is Indian and has such a gentle spirit about her. Loving that.
Went from there to Goodwill and dropped off a load of clothes and toys. Glad to give some things to others that can use them.
Stopped and lunched at Chik-Fil-A. Had yummy chicken and a fruit cup. LOVE Chik-Fil-A!
Blasted over the the college to meet with Helen, Miss Scarlett's Chinese tutor. There was an Chinese art exhibit going on, and Helen wanted to show us through it. We had a wonderful time visiting with her and admiring all the precious artwork there.
Stopped home long enough to grab some bottled water and head to our mother-daughter manicure. We had gift certificates and totally enjoyed being pampered.
Met some friends at Mr. Gattis and visited and caught up on everyones' children. A fun time.
Came home to an excited phone call from Helen (same one above) stating that she had been accepted to Harvard Divinity School! We are thrilled for her and cannot wait to hear more about it.
Stayed up until 1:30 a.m. washing clothes that family and friends had given us for Jackson and hanging them in his closet. Nesting. Aaaahh!

Saturday was much more mellow. If one could say that.

Slept late and hopped out of bed on the run. Went to Chinese class and heard more about Helen's acceptance to Harvard. She is SO excited.
Came home and had tacos with fresh salsa on them. I love fresh salsa.
Went to Target, Toys R Us and Home Depot. Bought some items, came home and crashed for a couple of hours.
I fell asleep on the couch while hubby and Miss Scarlett went grocery shopping. Woke up around 12:30 a.m. and watched Blue Collar Comedy. Bill Engvall still cracks me up.

Sunday - the day of rest. But that is just a suggestion, right?

Totally messed up on the time change and missed church this morning. I always feel like my week starts off badly when that happens.
Got ready for a birthday party of one of Miss Scarlett's classmates. Bowling with about 8 kindergartners is a riot!
Went to church. Miss Scarlett was singing in the Children's Choir. Her Nana and Poppi were there. All the kids were so cute and sounded very good. Our Children's Choir director and helpers ROCK!
Came home for a supper of breakfast foods. Love those winter night suppers. Cozy.

So now the weekend is almost over. I feel like I made use of every single moment. Got a lot done. Had a lot of fun, and got in a little rest as well. Wish every weekend was a three day weekend!

"Don't Talk to Strangers" & other fine tunes

2010-03-14T20:52:00.000-04:00

So back in the summer, Miss Scarlett and I went with one of my good friends to see Rick Springfield in concert. It was her first "adult" concert (Wiggles do not count, evidently), and Miss Scarlett was almost excited as my friend Sue.

We downloaded "Don't Talk to Strangers" on Miss Scarlett's ipod. Tonight has been all about singing along on the ipod. We share the earphones and sing along. "Rick Springfield, Taylor Swift, Queen, Third Day, John Meyer are some of her favorites. We sing together, acting out the songs and generally causing hubby to laugh so hard his side hurts.

I love sharing these little moments with my girl. They are so precious.

As I type this, she and her Daddy are doing the same, listening to Hi Hi Puffy-Ami Yumi sing the "Teen Titans" theme song. Good times, good times.

Spring has sprung...

2010-03-10T08:12:00.001-05:00

the grass has riz. I wonder where the flowers is? (Actually, the flowers are starting to poke their little heads out!)

I don't know why I like that little saying. I think it is cute. Anyway, we got our first real precursor of Spring this week, with temperatures of 60 degrees, sunny skies, warm winds. It was simply lovely. Monday I spent most of my lunch break sitting outside soaking up as much Vitamin D from sunshine as I could. It helped, because when I got home, all I wanted to do was be outside again! Miss Scarlett and I went around the block - she on her bike and me walking.

Yesterday, I basked in the sunshine again. Oh, I love this time of year!

Could this be the weeK?

2010-03-02T06:46:00.000-05:00

There is a rumor that referrals have been mailed from China. In those referral packages are also LOAs (what we had been waiting on and received 2/5) and TAs (which we are waiting on now). We are really praying that this rumor is true - not just for us to travel, but for all the families that are waiting to hear word that the child they've prayed and hoped for is found.

If our TA just happens to be in that wonderful package, so much the better!

God Speed, Fed EX!

Five Years - Already?

2010-02-18T19:54:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that it has already been five years since our precious daughter came into our lives. My prayer for her is that she continue to grow into a beautiful young woman - inside and out. That she discover the Love that surpasses all love - that of her Heavenly Father. That she lives a life full of love, joy and peace.

Scarlett Yanlian, we love you!

We have new photos!

2010-02-11T19:39:00.000-05:00

We have some new photos of Jackson, thanks to Ann at Red Thread China. She forwarded our care package to Jackson, and emailed us these photos as a nice surprise! Enjoy! Our favorite is the last one. It looks like he is blowing smoochies!

Happy Birthday, Jackson!

2010-02-10T12:52:00.000-05:00

Today is Jackson's second birthday. He is still in China waiting for his forever family. Does he know we are thinking and praying for him every day? Soon we will be there, and he will never have to wonder where his family is anymore.

Happy Birthday, Jackson Xinqiang! We love you!

Care Package for Jackson

2010-02-09T21:23:00.002-05:00

Our family is obviously quite excited about adding Jackson to the clan, but we are a little sad that we will not be able to be there for his 2nd birthday. So, we decided to send him a little care package through Ann at Red Threads. She picked out some wonderful items. Here is a photo of what we sent:

The sleeper has a teddy bear and says "My Little Bear". The candies are for Jackson to share with the nannies and kids in the orphanage. The blanket looks so soft and cuddly. We are hoping that the staff is able to take lots of photos of Jackson in the orphanage.

We can't wait to see what tomorrow brings - Ann has promised to send us some updated photos of Jackson. And it just happens to be his 2nd birthday.

It's Monday - And I wish it was Friday

2010-02-08T20:17:00.001-05:00

Today has been a really long day. Not a BAD day, per say, but a LONG day. Here is how today went:

Actually made it out the door on time this morning and was able to walk Miss Scarlett into school. She and I love it when we can do that together.
Hurried to the office for an early morning meeting. Found out that this will be a regular Monday event. I really don't mind the meetings so much, but just not on Monday mornings.
I hit the ground at a dead run this morning - one of my coworkers had to leave early for a family emergency (still not sure how the family member is doing - praying she's better soon). The morning flew by.
Ran errands at lunchtime. Went by the safe deposit box to drop off some items and pick up others, and by the accountant's office to drop off taxes. Praying that we get a refund. ANY refund.
Came home to family - WHEW! So happy when I get home. Hubby had made lasagna, salad and grecian bread. My brother-in-law had installed a Closet Made closet in Jackson's bedroom. Cool.
Spent part of the evening putting stuff in said closet.
Spent another part of the evening helping Miss Scarlett with her Valentines Day cards. That and getting a makeover. Fun times!

It is only 8:15 p.m. and I am pooped. Oh well, tomorrow is another day. I wish it was Friday!

HERE HE IS!!

2010-02-05T19:40:00.002-05:00

Well, I can officially say that Jackson Xinqiang Ayers will be our newest family member! We received the Letter of Acceptance today (surprise!). To say that we are relieved that we have passed yet another hurdle is an understatement.

Here is his precious face!

He will be two years old February 10. He is currently in Hunan Province, China. We are hoping for travel sometime in April or May.

Jackson is what is called a "special needs" child. His special need is that he once had a cleft lip and still has a cleft palate. As you can see, his lip has been beautifully repaired by the doctors in China. We will have his palate repaired once we come home.

Miss Scarlett is very excited to be a big brother. And we are very excited to become parents to a little boy!

A Day Off

2010-02-02T21:40:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow Hubby and I are taking a coveted "day off" together. No, it is not what I had envisioned, but it is going to chock full of things "to-do".

To start:

Get our fingerprints renewed for adoption - this will take a huge chunk of our day.
Pick up mother-in-law's birthday gift - we are thinking charms for her Pandora bracelet.
Keep our eye out for the Wheel of Fortune electronic game for Miss Scarlett's "Family Day" gift.
Get the remaining tax documents together for accountant.
Pick up a couple of birthday cards and wrap some presents.
Prepare for the onslaught of my great niece and daughter's sleepover. They are good girls, but man, they can destroy a house!

Oh yeah, I forgot that I am supposed to somehow prepare for Chinese New Year AND Valentines Day. So really, not all that much going on for a day off. I don't know WHY I am fussing. It'll get done when it gets done.

This is snow much fun!

2010-01-31T15:02:00.000-05:00

We had our first true snowfall of 2010 this past Friday. We had a little snow earlier in the month, but it was so scanty, we really didn't think it counted.

Miss Scarlett enjoyed every moment she could. Her favorite past-time was to try and pelt her poor Mama with as many snowballs as she could scrape together. Not to be outdone, I must say I landed a fair number of hits myself.

Take that (splat)! Not sure who won the battle, but a fun time was had by all. We had fun making some memories, that's for sure!

Fingerprints... Check.

2010-01-26T19:22:00.001-05:00

We can soon mark off one more "To Do" item from our adoption list - fingerprints. We got our letter "inviting" us to come get our fingerprints renewed. Once that little item is done next week, we can just sit back and wait for things to move. It will all be out of our hands and in God's.

That being said, we'd appreciate your prayers for a speedy revised I-171H (the document from the U.S. approving our request to adopt a foreign child, the Letter of Intent (which states that the U.S. has sent our request to China to adopt Jackson), the Letter of Acceptance (China's letter basically saying they have received our Letter of Intent) , and Travel Approval. Once we have the Travel Approval, things will move quickly.

Please join us in praying that everything moves smoothly. God Bless!

Another Hurdle Crossed!

2010-01-12T19:57:00.000-05:00

Last night our social worker came by to update our home study for Jackson's adoption. Leah got us up to date on everything that we needed to do, which is thankfully very little. We will need to update our I-171H and fingerprints. Then just wait on our Letter of Acceptance (LOA). Leah said that she was overnighting our documents to Grand Rapids so that they could send them on to China. Yay!

Today, I mailed off the letter requesting a biometric appointment (basically redoing our fingerprints) so that they'd still be good when we travel. Leah thinks a good timeline could be April or May! Of course, I am pulling for either one, but late May would mean Miss Scarlett wouldn't have to miss much school.

Tonight I worked on the letter to Immigration requesting that our I-171H be updated to include a special needs child between the ages of 0-3 years. And I did all this while helping Miss Scarlett with a scrapbook project of her own. I am becoming a pro at multi-tasking!

So, once this last letter gets mailed off, we just wait for a fingerprint appointment - then wait some more. But that is ok. I know it is all in God's hands. It's all good.

Thanks, Boo Boo!

2010-01-04T22:11:00.001-05:00

So you may remember a few weeks ago that I was highly embarrassed by the mess in our spare bedroom. If you don't then allow me the luxury of explaining:

It was a disaster. A total mess. Floor could not be seen. There was a bed in there; however, you would not easily notice it. It had become the catch-all room that we put our suitcases in, scrap booking stuff, toys that were no longer played with, hand-me-down clothes too large yet for Miss Scarlett to wear. You get the idea.

My beloved sister-in-law , Boo Boo, was in for the holidays. She has a way of cutting right to the heart of things, and before you know it, you are cheerfully tossing things in the garbage that you had sworn the day before that you could never part with. Maybe you have a person Boo Boo in your life. Maybe you are a Boo Boo person. All I can say is, Thank God for people like Boo Boo. With her help and encouragement, we managed to slough through multiple layers of junk (yes, junk) in about an hour. We found the floor! We even found (gasp!) the bed! Oh my heart!

Boo Boo set up a little staging area in the bottom of the closet for Jackson's things that we were slowly collecting. She left me with strict orders that I needed to find homes for all the scrapping stuff before she comes back in February. So now I have a goal and a deadline. Which I apparently needed.

So thanks, Boo Boo! I love you. And you know who you are :>)

Tale of Two Scarletts

2010-01-03T08:21:00.001-05:00

My daughter and my great-niece - both named Scarlett. They are the sweetest things sitting together. We were able to get the girls together for a day at my mom's. Little Scarlett instantly took to my girl and vice-versa. Enjoy!

It's a BOY!

2009-12-23T20:49:00.002-05:00

We received the phone call today from our social worker, Leah.

"Are you sitting down?" she asked.

"Do I need to?"

"YES! You have a referral for a little boy!"

I about died on the spot. Honestly. I am just so humbled and constantly amazed at how good God is to us. If you look back a couple of posts, you will see my rambling on about how I was feeling the urge to nest. That I felt God was blessing our desire to go special needs. And my, how He has blessed us!

I understand that I cannot officially post photos of our little man until we have our letter of acceptance, so I will give a brief idea of our boy:

His special need is cleft lip/cleft palate. The lip was repaired in China when he was 7 months old. The doctors there did a terrific job. His palate will be taken care of once we get him home with us.

He is almost 2 years old. He is shy, but likes to play with toy cars. (what boy doesn't?)

Miss Scarlett, upon telling her that she was about to be a big sister, was a little surprised that she wasn't getting a little sister, but readily accepted the idea of getting to hold a baby brother. She will be a wonderful big sister.

So our family of three is about to become a family of four. What bliss...

A Recurring Theme - Resolution Time?

2009-12-19T14:19:00.003-05:00

I am beginning to see a recurring theme in my posts. More often than not, I am obsessing over clutter, my body, my mind and my relationship with the Lord. It is enough to make me crazy. Not literally, but you know what I mean.

So I started thinking: What if I made some New Year's resolutions to help get me on the right track. The trick is, this time, I am going to start them today.

Here they are, in no particular order:

Fill one box a week with stuff to take to Goodwill. I don't need it; they can use it.
Commit to an exercise regimen. Not a "I'm gonna wear a bikini by summer one", just one to help get me healthier. Three to five days a week should help.
Meal plan for two weeks at a time. Try to get enough meals for 30 days so that we don't get burned out on stuff and have more variety.
Set our family up on a cleaning schedule. We can all pitch in and clean - not just me!
Work on my writing. I dream of someday writing a book. In the meantime, I need to polish my craft.
Read in the Bible every day. I have a Chronological Bible that is set up for a year.
Take a Bible study.
Play more with Scarlett - she won't be small forever!
Learn to say "No" more often. I tend to have a problem with that.

However, I draw the line at wearing a big, red hat and joining any clubs...

Nesting Frustration

2009-12-13T20:42:00.004-05:00

For some time now I've had the desire to nest. Maybe it is the time of year, or maybe it is the feeling of urgency to ready the home for another child. Whatever the reason, I am becoming frustrated in my efforts to create the restful, warm, cozy home I so desire.

In my mind, my home is clutter-free. The larder is full of all manner of goodies - both homemade and store bought. My family gathers around playing board games, working jigsaw puzzles or watching Christmas movies. My house is peaceful and virtually perfect.

I know that this is unrealistic, but every time I seem to set myself up for the unattainable. If only I could be a stay-at-home mom, I say to my husband. If only I could have an hour each day to clean. If only.

Then I get a gentle prod from my Father telling me to just be still. Be still. Because He is the perfect nest in the middle of the storm. And you know what? He is!

So while the dervish or the holidays whirl around me, I will continue to nestle into Him. My house my not be perfect, but my Nest is.

Could this be the group?

2009-12-08T22:05:00.004-05:00

Scuttlebutt is that there is a new "Camp" going on in China that our adoption agency is sole participant in. The agency says that their social workers are in China now working with 50-60 special needs children readying them for adoption by waiting parents.

Could this finally be the group our child is in? I dare not get my hopes up too high, but I admit I am allowing myself a little giddiness over the possibility. We just turned in our paperwork to switch to special needs before Thanksgiving. On top of that, we were given a surprise grant (more on this later) for a special needs child. It seems like God is giving his blessing on us. Is this His way of saying, "Yes, My children, this is it! THIS is what you were supposed to do."?

I pray it is so. For now, we continue to Wait for Mei-Mei or Di-Di.

Pecan Pies and Air Guitar

2009-11-25T20:46:00.002-05:00

There is nothing quite like cooking with your six year old daughter. Especially when she is a better cook than you. Miss Scarlett and I decided to make our pecan pies tonight for tomorrow's Thanksgiving dinner. I was pleasantly surprised how competent she was at measuring dry goods and liquids. She cracked eggs into a bowl like a professional chef. Where did she learn all this? Not from me, that is for sure!

While we waited for the pies to do their thing in the oven, Scarlett started singing "We Will Rock You" by Queen. She changed the words a little bit, but I could tell it was that song. So I told her I had the CD. Her eyes grew large. "Really?" she squealed. "Yup." I dug out the CD and played the song.

Right where the guitar takes off on its riff, I did some pretty awesome air guitar, if I do say so myself. Scarlett jumped right in with a mean drum beat. We were unstoppable. We were QUEEN! At least for about 2 minutes - then the song was over.

I wonder if I can find Bohemian Rhapsody?

Puzzle Time!

2009-10-25T15:29:00.002-04:00

One of my fondest memories as a little girl was sitting by my Pappaw in the living room. He had this large brown recliner that had "crackly" skin. The chair, not Pappaw. Anyway, he always was working on a jigsaw puzzle. He had cut down an old piece of paneling that he used for a board, and laid it across both arms of the chair. His Pepsi cola (glass bottles only) was on the side table within easy reach.

Pappaw always had a puzzle going in the fall and winter months. Spring and summer days were spent working in the garden, yard and flower beds. Sometimes he'd be in the basement (which he had dug out by hand!) working on some sort of project. But when the darkness came early, he brought up that panel board and started working on a Big Ben puzzle.

I was taught early on the proper way to work a puzzle. First, you lay out all the pieces, making sure that they are all face up. As you lay them out, you start to separate the edge pieces from the inside pieces. If you found two pieces (or more) stuck together, you were honor-bound to detach them. Cheating was a no-no.

Once you had all the pieces laid out and separated, you could begin on the perimeter. Corners were always a good starting place. In time, you worked your way into the middle to the last piece, hopefully not having lost any pieces.

Time goes on, but a good family tradition still remains. Hubby, Miss Scarlett and I revel in searching out really fun puzzles to work each fall and winter. We bought our first puzzles of the season just the other night: One Hundred Cats and a Fish and One Hundred Chickens and a Worm. We are still on the lookout for One Hundred Dogs and a Cat.

We don't have a big piece of paneling that we set our puzzles on. We instead use a folding table in what used to be our dining room. We drag kitchen chairs in, make a batch of homemade cookies to nibble and start working our puzzle - making sure all the while that we are laying them face up and separating the edges from the inners!

If you have a favorite family pastime or tradition, I'd love to hear about it!

Food for Thought

2009-10-10T20:58:00.003-04:00

So I just finished reading Julie/Julia. You know, about how Julie Powell went through Julia Child's cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". Anyway, being the repressed foodie that I am, I admit that I was enthralled with the notion of cooking one's way through ANY type of cookbook, even if it is a French one. (Why couldn't it have been Italian?).

It got me thinking. What is it that is so intriguing, inspiring, and (dare I say) almost sensual about cooking? You use all of your senses. (I can hear you say, "Yeah, but not sound! You don't use sound for cooking! Wrong! You always listen for the popcorn to stop popping. So there!) Touch, smell, sight and taste all play into preparing food - not matter how simple or advanced the recipe.

I started dragging out a bunch of our cookbooks last night and started reading the recipes. So far, I have not felt the desire to begin cooking my way through any of them. But I am considering trying my hand at some of the more challenging dishes.

And they will probably be Italian.

Keeping Sane with Swine 'Flu

2009-09-21T18:53:00.005-04:00

The Swine Flu has finally made it to our home. Miss Scarlett was diagnosed today with it. She is running a fever and has a nasty congested-sounding cough. All I can say is thank goodness and the Good Lord that she doesn't have the stomach problems that usually go along with the 'flu.

So, the problem is how to keep a sick five-year old entertained when she can't go anywhere. Here are some of our activities today:

Playing go Fish
Watching cartoons
Going to the doctor (ok, so this wasn't all that fun)
Taking a nap (fun for me!)
Farming on the virtual farm with Facebook
Reading books
Playing Crazy Eights
Making a fort in the den

We plan on piling up on the couch this evening to watch Dancing with the Stars. This is one of our family's favorite shows. Can't wait to see who Scarlett picks this season as her favorite.

Trying to make the best of a bad situation.

A Good Day

2009-09-05T22:22:00.002-04:00

Today was a good day. I spent all day with Miss Scarlett - mostly just the two of us. We started the morning off doing laundry. I never knew how exciting laundry was. Scarlett loved helping sort clothes, spray stains, and toss in the washer. And getting to put in the detergent, well, let me just say that she was almost as giddy as she is when she gets Chinese Potstickers.

We decided to grab a quick lunch at McDonald's. (Those Happy Meals tend to make her happy.) Then we took off for a birthday party of a little friend from church. There was a Hello Kitty, Hannah Montana theme going there. Too funny. I highly recommend partying at a children's museum. Great idea!

Hubby's alma mater had a win today. That always makes for a happy hubby. He came home from the football game glowing - both figuratively and literally, as he was sunburned. I doused him with white vinegar, and he was a happy man. Smelly, but happy.

We took Scarlett to Party City to let her peruse the Halloween costumes. So far, she will not commit. I see another Mulan Halloween in our future. Or maybe Dora the Explorer.

Today was not an exciting day, but it was fun. Sometimes it's the little things that make for memorable times.

It's Friday (Thank goodness!)

2009-09-04T21:33:00.003-04:00

I am so glad that this week is over! It has been a particularly stressful week at work and at home. Not bad, but just stressful.
Did I just figure out how to do these bullets? I've tried FOREVER to get this to work. It's working!!
Phineas and Ferb are on right now. I am thinking a platypus would make a cool pet. You know, they don't do much.
Farmville is more fun when Miss Scarlett plays it with me.
UT Football starts tomorrow. Although I am not a huge fan of football, I do enjoy all the hoop-la and pageantry.

Let the weekend begin!

Halfway through (Thank goodness!)

2009-08-19T19:55:00.002-04:00

Today marks "hump day" for the work week. As weeks go, I am glad this one is on the downhill slope.
One of Miss Scarlett's classmate fell and broke his arm yesterday - just the second day of class! Poor little fellow was back today sporting a black cast.
I worked with our young miss on her writing skills today. Not too bad, but definitely need to continue practicing her letters.
Grandparents kept Miss Scarlett yesterday afternoon. She came home with freshly manicured nails and a haircut. Nana and Poppie RULE in this child's mind.
I received a phone call from a neighbor today. She wanted to know if she could put things in our yard sale if she gave us half the income from it. As much as I didn't want to fool with another person's stuff, I told her "sure" and that she could keep all of her proceeds. How do I get into these things?
Decided I needed another moniker for Miss Scarlett besides Miss Scarlett. Getting too long to type. A friend named her girls Lightening and Thunder. I need something easy like that.
Considering "possum" for her moniker. What do you think?
Still wanting to forgo the yard sale this weekend and just haul everything to Goodwill, but hubby won't let me. BIG sigh.

Random thoughts for the day...

2009-08-15T21:59:00.003-04:00

I am glad today is over!
Decided we needed more family devotion time, so I bought the Family Devotions book by Josh McDowell. It's excellent.
Wondering why all the sudden that Miss Scarlett is afraid to be out of our sight.
Learned that her daycare teacher told her about vampires! Vampires! We will have to have a little talk with said teacher.
Floor tile is not as easy to pick out as you would think.
Neither are tennis shoes for five year old girls who think they are Stacy London.
I am hoping that I can figure out how to keep the left justification with bullets on the blog. May have to get with my friend M. on this.
Made copies of photos from a recent trip to Georgia and sent to our friends. Gosh, how we miss them!
Wishing that we were able to get together with some folks from our China group more often. Some we have not seen since China.
Thankful for the internet so that I can stay in touch with friends and family that are far away.
Ordered a chocolate malt from Sonic and it was not chocolate or malty. Went home and added Ovaltine Chocolate Malt powder and was happier.
Thankful for family that gives us hand-me-down clothes for our girl. Older cousins ROCK!

First Day of Kindergarten

2009-08-13T19:29:00.004-04:00

Monday was Miss Scarlett's first day of kindergarten. It was a bitter-sweet day for me. I was a little sad to see my girl pass yet another milestone in growing up, but at the same time excited for her.

She was absolutely a clinging vine when we first entered the school. There were loads of kids milling around. Her Daddy and I walked her into the cafeteria, where she immediately spied some friends of hers. Then it was all downhill from there.

So to the left here is her before friends are spotted.

Fast forward to getting ready to go into class. She is super excited to have an awesome young teacher, Ms. Blanton. Can life get any better for a five year old?

Maybe having a school aged child won't be so bad after all. May all your school days be good one, my dear child!

Love, Mommy

Surviving Monday

2009-08-03T20:12:00.003-04:00

I had a very emotionally draining day today. Starting with:

Sweet talking the daycare into letting Miss Scarlett's best bud, Romy, into going into class with Scarlett.
Discussing Miss Scarlett's impending kindergarten schedule with daycare instructor. I am SO not ready to see my little girl start school.
Trying to concentrate on work while dreading two major Health and Life Insurance exam looming over my head later in the afternoon. THEN...
Taking the exams one after the other. I felt like I had never seen most of the questions before in my life. Apparently, I guessed well because I passed.
If that weren't enough, I had to go back to work and finish out the day, totally drained of all energy.
On top of this, I am desperately trying to figure out the perfect birthday gift for my dear husband. He's a jewel and deserves so much more than I could ever afford to give him. I have it narrowed down to clothes (yawn), a new DVD/VCR recorder combo (still not sure about that one), or a new laptop for him to play with.

I am glad today is almost at an end. Hopefully, tomorrow will be an easier day.

Katy the Caterpillar

2009-08-02T18:36:00.002-04:00

So today as we were getting ready to get in the car to go to church, I spied this furry thing on the driveway. Upon closer examination, it turned out to be a caterpillar. Scarlett was immediately fascinated, and wanted to capture it to see what it would turn into.

We had tried this once before without success, but thought we'd give it one more try. So a hustle into the garage to find a jar while Scarlett pulled some different kinds of leaves off the trees in our front yard and found a stick for it to climb.

Scarlett named it Katy a/k/a Katy-pillar. Of course, Katy HAD to go to church with us. So off we went. I am not sure Katy got too much from Sunday School, but Scarlett said she was a good caterpillar, nonetheless.

Now Scarlett has taken Katy to see Grandmother. We will keep you posted as to what happens with Katy.

Oh, and by the way, we looked Katy up on-line to see what she is. She is an American Dagger Moth (not too exciting) and loves to eat maple leaves, which is good, because that's what we gave her.

Saturday Ramblings

2009-08-01T10:52:00.005-04:00

Got awakened by a small, giggly girl who wanted a cuddle. I love mornings like this!
I am madly studying for my Life and Health Insurance test on Monday. I think (I hope!) that I will do okay.
Thinking I'd like to do something crafty with Miss Scarlett today. Maybe look through some craft magazines to get ideas for Christmas gifts. It's never to early to plan ahead!
Need to help Miss Scarlett on her introduction letter to her kindergarten teacher. Hard to believe school starts in a little over a week!
Trying hard to get revved up to firm up some of the extra weight I am carrying around. I really would like a rowing machine.
It's cloudy and kind of gloomy today. Could be a good day to crawl on the couch with a juicy novel.
I don't have a juicy novel.
Going through the house to give it a good Pre-Fall cleaning. I can't wait until the weather starts to turn cooler!
I want to end each post with something I am thankful for... this time, it is my friends - both near and far. I love you all!

A Night Alone

2009-07-22T18:55:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I wish that I could have just one night alone. One night where I had no one to make demands of me. I could read somewhere besides locked in the bathroom, or watch a movie from beginning to end without having to check what is on Nickolodeon. I could have popcorn for supper without disapproving looks from my husband.

Or I could sit and stare at a speck. The possibilities are endless!

Don't get me wrong - I love my life and the people in it. Sometimes I just need a little decompression time alone. Must be from my being an only child.

I don't want to wish for anything permanent. Just one night alone. To refresh my soul. Is that so wrong?

Camping Fun

2009-06-29T20:53:00.004-04:00

Miss Scarlett and I went camping this past weekend with several members of my husband's family (Hubby was working). It was such a blast! Swimming, fishing, eating food cooked over a fire...aaahhh, that is the life! We came home exhausted, sunburned and sore, but we loved every minute of it. I am so thankful that my in-laws are such totally cool people.

The funniest part was that we were camping on a point at the lake while some sort of bass tournament was going on. Bass boats were flying up and down the lake at all hours of the night. One crazy boater was spotlighting (Can you say "illegal"?) and woke us up at 4 a.m.! We made the best of it by stoking our fire back up and eating marshmallows.

Here a couple of the kids' photos...

Cousins and Best Buds... Sure, I'll drive!

Her First Fish

2009-06-29T20:50:00.002-04:00

Scarlett's First Fish

How to Be a Rock Star...

2009-06-29T20:45:00.004-04:00

Miss Scarlett was invited to a Justice for Girls Rock Star Party by a little friend. All the girls had their hair done, makeup applied, and given a rocking headset to sing into.

This is what I came home with...a little rock star. Reminded me more of one of the Olympic skaters than a rock star, but as long as Miss Scarlett was happy, I was happy.

Second Adoption Rant

2009-06-16T18:49:00.003-04:00

So we are now going through our second home study update and second renewal of our I-717H (which allows us to bring home a child from China to the US). I have to tell you, I am getting discouraged. It seems like things have come to a stall. You know how boats just sit dead in the water? Well, that is what has happened to our adoption file. It is sitting dead in some file, somewhere on a desk in China.

The waiting on China isn't the worst part. It is continually being hit with more and more fees for renewal of fingerprints, arrest searches (that we aren't felons), renewal fees for everything imaginable. I mean, nothing has changed! We've aged a couple of years, but that is it.

So, I am definitely in a funk about all this. We have waited 2 1/2 years already...some folks may wait longer than we will.

I am almost to the point that I want to quit. Almost. But not quite. I try to remember that waiting is hard, and good things come to those who wait. But man, it is so hard.

So we are sending in our second renewal request of the I-171H. Hopefully, we will see our child before we have to renew again. Please pray for us that we will. Thank you, and God Bless.