The blog in my brain...

...gets updated every day.  But this one is neglected at times.

There are so many things I want to say!  So again, you are subjected to a random list of happenings...
- The adopted baby in our extended family gets to stay in our extended family!  There was a moment there where his birth father came forward and things were shaky, but all is well now.
- Friends from college met their 3 soon-to-be-adopted daughters this weekend.  They will be bringing them home forever in 2 weeks!
- Friends from high school found out they are approved/matched/whatever the appropriate word is to adopt an infant, coming in June!  All this adoption news is making me itch.  =)
- Turned down a foster care placement.  The kids were older and that's just not what we're ready for right now.  That itch just got bigger.
- Spring has come and gone a few times - today it's here.  My hot hubby is working on the garage while my sweet son follows him around, swaggering...toolbelt around his waist, cap on his head, pencil behind his ear...
- In a mere 6 days, I will participate in my first 5K in over a decade.  No, I'm not ready.  But who cares?  Ready enough!  I may not accomplish this task on the first try, but if I don't try, then I most certainly never will.  I saw a cool motivational poster - it said, "Yesterday you said tomorrow."
- Mo is looking forward to summer t-ball.  He has been going to 'gym and swim' at the Y and plays sports outside all the time!  He yells at me when I ask him to practice riding the 2 wheeled bike (no trainers!) but then when he actually gets on he likes it.  No falls yet, no blood, but I still hold on most of the time.  We'll get there...
- Colleen is going to need orthotic foot braces again.  =(  And one of her huge IEP goals for next year is to work on her attention.  It's not getting any better, and the tasks in school are getting longer and harder. I have a lot of emotions attached to issues like these...there seems to be no way we can help.  You can't do exercises or activities to change a kid's brain.  Can you?  If you know of some, please, do tell!  But it seems more and more like there's not much we can do to help this.  I'm still wrapping my brain around it all and I think that's good.  The more I process it before we take the next step the better, right?
- Everyone keeps talking about camping!  Dave brought the camper home for the day and we got it ready...now everyone wants to go!  It's still too cold for the momma to allow it yet.  SOON!!!
- I should be cleaning.
- I realized I haven't bought new clothes for a long time, for anyone really, but mostly myself.  I may need new jeans and khakis soon.  If I start now I might have some by 2012!
- A few weeks ago we went out to the syrup farm =)  We got to learn all about how they make syrup!  I love visiting the farms and letting the kids see where our food comes from.  The barn was open, they called us in and kept working while we talked.  Needless to say, I won't need to hunt for maple syrup this year!  We are set!
- That makes me think of the farmer's market...can't wait!!
- I need to get outside and enjoy the sun.  I will post more this week...

Read any good books lately?

We have, and we haven't!  We have some good ones that we have been reading but it's been sporadic....
(...continuing our list of 100 books...)

58. The Once Upon a Time Map Book by B. G. Hennessy  -  This is a pretty sweet book that teaches kids how to use a rose compass, simple representations of latitude and longitude, how to identify routes and distances and just simply follow directions.  Mo and Colleen have been on a map kick lately so I figured, why not?  It looked hard but was perfect for Mo at 5 years of age!
59. Music Over Manhattan by Mark Karlins  -  There will always be music books in our house!
60. Jake the Philharmonic Dog by Karen LeFrak  -  Another super educational book!  This one teaches about the different musical groups in an orchestra, as well as some musical 'lingo'.  It's a cute story!

Running late! (March goals update)

Twelve days into April already!  I have been busy trying to train my old body into doing new tricks, i. e. preparing for a 5k!  But I promised myself I would keep updated on my goals, so here we go...
(I hope to recap my goals and why I am or why I am not achieving them each month.)


Physical: Drink 5 mugs a day, get 8 hours of sleep and run a 5K.  Drinking - So fantastically better!  I'm running 4 days a week and I feel like I'm floating those days but it is so good for me!  As for the 8 hours of sleep, I give myself a B.  It happens at times, but not consistently.  And like I said, I actually signed up for a 5K.  MAY SEVENTH, people, I have until May SEVENTH!!  The calendar is ticking...or something...Today I really felt good, like this is a goal I can do.  Maybe not super-well or fast or anything, but the fact that I can do it is pretty good!


Personal: Weekly planning time, bi-weekly date w/Dave, 2 hours me time and attend a women's retreat.  Ugh - can I just cut and paste the part from the February recap?  Still not accomplishing much in this category.  I don't know what is going on w/me, I love to make lists and plan, but I haven't been doing much more than scraping by here.  I need some action steps - write a meal plan out, bug Dave to get a sitter more often, stake out some weekend time for me and look into the women's ministry conference day at my church.


Spiritual: Track Bible reading, family devos, and a missions trip - Pretty stagnant here.  Still doing some good reading in the Purple Book class, stealing a few nights to read w/the kids and not really researching a missions trip.  We need to bump it up, I know...ideas??
I think this month's theme is a plateau....

Dry mud meet Earth.

I ran outside today!  I have 1 month until I run my first 5K in 10+ years and today I finally got outside...I wrote about it on the other blog =)

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue...

This saying has been running through my head lately.  I don't know why.  However, I decided to let it shape the framework for this random blog post...
Something old.  Me.  The laundry pile is getting old.  Hanging wash in the spare room too.  The running indoors on a treadmill is getting old.
Something new.  My swim suit.  I love it even more than the last one I had.  Rain.  I really don't like it.  I'd like the snow back please.  That or just fast forward to the sun and brown grass!  I've got a new mini-greenhouse.  I plan to get that set up this week w/seeds in little pots...can't wait to garden!!
Something borrowed.  Inspiration from many sources: music, posters, blogs, the Purple Book class...I'm 'borrowing' a book from the library and actually reading.
Something blue.  Apparently my attitude has been a little blue lately.  It seems random strangers and friends alike are all suddenly interested in us having more kids.  Over the past week so many people have been asking and I would be lying if I said it didn't bug me.  I guess I also had a blue moment when we went back home for the first time since my grandpa passed away.  It was the first time in a long time that I was home but didn't stop by his house.    I'm sure most of you have had a moment like that too.  It stinks, doesn't it?  Anyway - I'm better now, but it was a blue week...
Since that saying had been running through my head, I of course have been thinking of our wedding =)  This year we will have been married 12 years (!!) and I am reminded of all the things we have done together.  There are so many things that wouldn't have been possible for me if it weren't for Dave.  Right now he is supporting me to finish credits to renew my teaching license, he is working w/me so I can go to the Y and get ready for a 5K, he works outside of the home so I can be here for our kids and maintain the house, he comes along side me to do things I think we 'need' to do...Sometimes I wonder how life got to be this good and then I remember I have Dave.  I love Dave!  I am very blessed to have a husband who loves God and seeks to lead our family in a manner that pleases Him!

Family Photo Fun

I love this goofy family!  They look like they are having a lot of fun on vacation...=)!

Sometimes we take pictures w/the camera upside down.  Because we can!*

"Dad, willoopweasecarryme?  Carrymepwease, Daddy?"

*I have never in all my 30+ years owned or worn sunglasses.  They just don't fit me properly!  Apparently, the span from my face to behind my ears is smaller than most adults.  I have tried kids' sizes - to no avail!  But for some reason everyone else in the family was buying new sunglasses for vacation and I felt pressured into getting some.  UV rays, no more squinting, looking so cool...yeah.  I bought some.  They were also too big and fit me crooked, but who cares!  I felt all weird wearing them, I think I even tripped a few times!  And I realized there is like a culture of sunglass wearing.  What do you people do w/them when you are not wearing them??  Dave kept putting his in his shirt collar but I didn't like that.  Then they fell out when I did stuff...at any rate, they are in the drawer right now.  I haven't worn them since.  But I think I will this summer....if it ever gets here!  Vacation was really fun and I promise I didn't obsess about the sunglasses the whole time =)  It's good to be back - minus the freezing temps, of course!  I'm so glad we got to see family and some dear friends!!  I see a return trip in our future...

A house of books!

(...continuing our list of 100 books...)
54. Cornelius P. Mud, Are you Ready For Bed?  by Barney Saltzberg (HE READ THIS WHOLE BOOK BY HIMSELF AND HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW I WAS THERE!!!   Simply awesome...)
55. Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
56. Chief Rhino to the Rescue by Sam Lloyd
57. Curious George the movie adapted by Jasmine Jones