Don't tell me I need to slow down

There is a blog post that I read this past summer. I have been meaning to write a response to it for a while, but never really got around to it. Yet, I still think about it every now and then, so obviously, it had a big impact on me.

The synopsis of the post was that the mom writing it vowed to never tell her children to hurry up. NEVER. the post is from Hands Free Mama. She saw how much she needed to let her children set the pace, how much it hurt them to be hurried along. When I first read this, I was all like YES! I need to be more like this! I need to let my children explore more. Take time to listen to them and see what they see. Of course, it was summer vacation at the time, and it seemed like a good idea. No. It was a good idea. It IS a good idea. I don't want to bash this mama, I do make an effort to slow down and let my children explore in their own way. I let them splash in puddles and look at bugs. I marvel over every rock they find in the yard. I build sand castles and snowmen. I pick flowers and let them wash their own hands. But here is the deal. I don't do this ALL THE TIME. I can't. And honestly, I don't think that I should.

If I NEVER told my children to hurry up, it would be teaching them really bad manners. As much as I love my children, they are not the center of the the universe. They need to understand that other people, and other peoples' time, is important too. If my child were late for school every day (which she would be, if I never told her to hurry up) we would inconvenience an entire class. There would be less time for her teacher to teach. It would be rude to be late to play dates. If we never hurried to make an appointment on time, our pediatrician would probably refuse to see us. We would miss flights, movies, reservations. In fact, if I never told my children to hurry up, then, quite likely, we would miss out on more than we would actually get to enjoy. Sure, it might be fun to run up and down the driveway, poke a stick in a hole, re-arrange the ponies or cars for the millionth time, but what about vacations? Family dinners? Plays? Train rides?

While living in the now has its place, and I definitely can always use to slow down and let my children live life at their own pace, I believe that I would be a bad mom if I did not hurry them along, at least some of the time.

Also, chances are, my kids would always have wet pants, judging by the number of times I tell them to "hurry to the potty" every single day! 

Are we really raising safer kids?

Today, parents seem to be obsessed with safety.

I let my kids play in the (fenced) backyard by themselves. They are 5, 3, 2 and 6 months. Of course, I am outside when the baby is. But I have even left him in the bouncy chair to run inside for something ( like taking brother or sister on an emergency potty break). I keep the doors open, and check on them frequently. We live on a cul-du-sac, and the kids don't ever venture out of the gate. Yet there are parents, even friends of mine, who I know who see this as neglect. 

When we are playing in the front yard, I let my 3 year old ride his bike on the sidewalk all the way around the cul-du-sac. That's right. All by himself. And guess what? He knows that he needs to stay on the sidewalk, and knows at what driveway he needs to turn around. 

My 2 year old is allowed to play on all the playground equipment with her siblings. And I don't follow her. And she has never gotten (seriously) hurt. 

I feel like every time I turn around, there are more rules and inventions to keep kids safe. Some of these are great. Car seats? Awesome. Putting soft material under play structures? Super. Banning lead paint? No problem. But knee pads and helmets for crawling babies? Banning playground games? Labeling every toy with a million warnings? Does this really keep our kids safer? Have kids really eve been seriously injured, or is this just a result of a paranoid, sue-happy world? 

A middle school on Long Island recently banned all balls (other than Nerf) as well as tag, cartwheels, and other activities on the playground, citing "safety concerns."

In an age where obesity can and does cause major health problems and even death, does this really keep our kids safer? 

I remember playing Red Rover and Dodge Ball at recess, now games that are virtually unheard of. Yes, kids got hurt. I think once someone even broke their arm. But we had fun, and we ran around, we interacted with each other and got excercise. The sad thing is, that with the number of electronics the average middle schooler possesses, I doubt the kids will really care all that much that kick ball has gone the way of the dinosaur. But are we doing a disservice to our kids? I think so. I don't think we are really keeping them safer. I think we are limiting their development. I taught elementary school, and honestly, the most common injuries occurred because kids tripped. Should we outlaw running? Pad the walls and floor? 

I actually believe in the free range child. Would I let my child take the subway alone? No. But I live in Kansas. If we lived in NYC, you better believe my kids would learn to navigate public transit. I don't always hold my kids' hands. They cross the street next to me. And guess what? They are learning how to be safe without me. Because that is the ultimate goal of the parent, is it not? 

I would love to live close enough to the elementary school for my kids to walk or bike. When they are old enough (maybe 10?) my kids will be allowed to go to the park alone. The facts are (there are plenty of studies, I'm not going to link here) that kids are actually safer now than in they 70's and 80's. Crime is down. Maybe it is the media that has increased, I don't know, but I feel perfectly safe teaching my children to care for themselves, and then standing back and watching them succeed.

It really seems to me that we are causing our kids to become afraid. We are not teaching them to be safe, but instead to avoid anything that could cause upset or injury. And that isn't how the world really works. You fall. You fail. And you get right back up. I want my kids to take risks. I want them to challenge themselves. I want them to know that they will fail sometimes, and that is ok. I want them to know that they have to work hard sometimes. And that usually, it is worth it. 

Face paint!

I love the look of facepaint, but I hate paying to get my kids' faces painted when we go to events. It is pricey and doesn't last very long. I have to scrub the makeup off before bed or naptime. And, did I mention that it is expensive? Then I discovered this. Or I guess, someone at the kids' preschool discovered this.
I don't know who figured out this genius... probably a kid who decided to draw on themselves rather than paper... but no matter who discovered this, it is genius.
Here it is.
Water color pencils- they work just like facepaint. Freaking AWESOME!
Just dip the tip of the pencil in water or dampen with a sponge, then draw. Just keep the pencil damp. It lasts for a while (all evening on my kiddos) and comes right off with a wipe. And, the pencil tips make detail great.
I did this in just a few minutes. Sure, facepaint is still great for covering the whole face, and does last longer. But for the age of my kids, and their level of patience, this is fabulous.
We will absolutely be doing more face painting in the future!

Stop waiting for tomorrow

Don't ever tell yourself, your kids, your spouse that you "Can't wait" for this stage, this age, to be over. That you can't wait for them to learn or do this or that. Because you can wait. It will happen all too fast.

There are a lot of areas which I need to improve upon as a parent. The top-most on this list is that I need to spend more time with my kids. I can justify the way I spend my time ad infinitum. But really, that doesn't matter. What matters most is that my kids are growing up fast. Too fast.

My oldest is five. FIVE! How did that happen? Next fall, she will be starting kindergarten, and I am already sad about those days that I will not have with her. I am already missing her. I don't want that day to come.

My son is three! My snuggly baby can jump with two feet, talk in full sentences, dress himself, and pee standing up! He goes to school three days a week, and though I love having a little extra time while my "big" kids are at extended day on Mondays, I miss him the entire time he is gone.

                                         

My little girl is TWO! She can do everything "all by herself." She wants to be just like the big kids, and is growing up too fast. Next year, she will be in school one day a week. She wants to go this year, and tries to stay with her siblings when we take them to school. I don't want her to go to school, but I know that it is what is best for her.

My baby is 6 months. Thank goodness for my little buddy, who will hang out with me while the "big" kids are gone next year. But my baby! He has gotten so big! He can inchworm around on his belly, and is rocking on his hands and knees, ready to crawl. He sleeps all night by himself, eats oatmeal, and is learning to sit up.

                             
Every day I want to scream at them, SLOW DOWN! Stop growing up! Be my babies forever!
Yes, I love every stage. Yes, they get more fun as they get older, and can do more things. Yes, there are things I hate about babyhood- the diapers, the mess, the pacifiers, the bottles, the laundry, the night time waking. But I would never rush them through it. Because no matter how long it lasts, it doesn't last forever. No matter how many kids you have, you have to let them grow up. You have to let them go.

The reality is, no matter how much time I spend with my kids, it is gone too fast. And one day soon, I will miss it all. I already miss the newborn stage, as I watch my baby explore his world. Do I miss the midnight feedings? The crying? The spit-up? The mountains of bottles? In a sense, yes. Because I miss having a BABY.

Every time I catch myself thinking "I can't wait until..." I stop myself. And I say "I look forward to..." instead. Because I won't ever hurry my kids into growing up. Childhood is not long enough, which means parenthood is not long enough, either.

Google + is kinda Awesome

I don't use Google + for much socializing, it will never take the place of Facebook for the social networking site. But Google has something, quite literally, awesome that everyone should check out.
Google automatically uploads my photos from my phone. Only I can see them unless I decide to share. Lots of sites do that. That is not awesome.
This is Awesome.

Ellie dancing on her "stage"

Slip n Slide fun

Greg, painting a circle

Jacob eating oatmeal.

So why exactly are these so awesome? And why do I keep using that word? Because, that is quite literally what this is. Google + has a feature called "Auto Awesome." If you upload a group of pictures that go together, it is smart enough to make them into a little movie or a collage, all by itself. 

That's right, I just log into Google and find my pictures like this. 

AWESOME! 

Jacob's Story, Part 3

Check out part one and part two.

Jacob was born about three weeks early, at 37 or 38 weeks, which is still considered full term. His mother smoked during his pregnancy, and was in a drug treatment program, both of which led to low birth weight. He was being monitored closely for any possible side effects, but at the time was behaving normally. 

I was at the hospital meeting the social worker, the birth mother, and, finally, Jacob. Meanwhile, Brian was getting us checked in to a hotel and dealing with three children who had not had much sleep in the past 24 hours. After I got things straightened out at the hospital and settled in with Jacob (the hospital was a little confused about what was going on, since the birth mother kept saying that we were coming, and we didn't know when we were going to get there, and the delivery was unexpected, and no one knew out last name) Brian was able to join us up in the maternity ward. The hospital was very accommodating and gave us a room so that we could stay with Jacob. 

The kids were able to meet Jacob for the first time, and Brian was able to meet Jacob's BM. It wasn't until Brian arrived that I was able to finally take in all that was going on, and at that point I nearly had a breakdown, realizing that we were ten hours from home, staying in a hotel with three kids, and splitting our time between a newborn in the hospital. Thankfully Brian has an amazing family. He was able to call his sister, who dropped everything to come to KY to help us out. She rented a car from the airport, and came out to join us. Day one for Jacob was that of a typical newborn. 

Day two everything started to change. 

We knew there could be complications due to the drug treatment. A normal newborn goes home on day three. This means that day two was critical for Jacob. If he was discharged, he could not be readmitted to the NICU. For a non-adoptive family, this would not be an issue. The infant would be readmitted to a nearby hospital and cared or there. But in Jacob's case, this could not happen. He could not be readmitted to this nearby hospital, because though it was only 15 minutes away, it was across state lines. An adopted child cannot be taken across state line until the ICPC (adoption agreement) was signed by both states. This could take 5-10 days. So if Jacob was discharged, then needed follow-up care, we would have to drive several hours to Louisville to get treatment for him. Thus, the decision to discharge was critical. The nurses all felt he should stay, but the dr had plans to discharge as normal. The dr and the nurses were aware of our situation, and that we would be staying in a hotel for up to 10 days. I told them that I was uncomfortable with him being discharged unless they were sure that he was not going to go through withdraw. 

The night of day two was when Jacob crashed. He was up the entire night, only calm when he was being held. He was not eating, and his scores were rising. By the morning, it was clear that we were not being discharged that day. By that evening, Jacob had been admitted to the NICU and it was clear that we were not leaving any time soon. 

After he was evaluated by the NICU and had been there for a night, he was doing much better. He was put on medication and was being monitored. We were told to expect a stay of anywhere from two weeks to two months. Getting the ICPC signed quickly was suddenly not so important. It was looking like the ICPC would come through before Jacob was even ready to be discharged. 

Though we would have loved for Jacob to be discharged, his being in the NICU actually made our stay easier. We no longer had a room on the maternity floor, which made it possible for both of us to stay the night in the hotel, which was better for the older kids. Visiting hours were limited, so we spend a little free time in the hotel pool, the mall, and the park. And, of course, spent lots of time talking with lawyers and the social worker. 

After a few days it became clear that while Jacob was baking great progress, and his meds were being lowered every day, it could be a month before he was discharged. And we had three kids who really needed to be back on a regular schedule, eating and sleeping at home, and going to school. We decided thatched best choice for our family would be for me to head back home with the older kiddos while Brian stayed behind with Jacob. The hospital had a hospitality house where Brian could stay (but there were no children allowed there) and his job would allow him to work remotely and do half time FMLA. Not the first time I have been grateful for how pro-family Brian's work is. Peggy would return with me, then fly home from there. We had no idea how long it would be before our family would be reunited again.

I never link to other blogs...

But... I cannot stop thinking about and adding to this amazing post. 

http://www.sowonderfulsomarvelous.com/2013/06/moms-when-are-you-going-to-learn.html

I could add a million things to this list. But when it comes down to it, I am happy with who I am. My kids are (mostly) happy with who I am. Most importantly, all of these things are things I worry about. I have a bunch of great friends. And none of them have EVER called me out on having a messy house, feeding my kids junk food, not being protective enough, needing to lose weight, wearing sweats to school events, never wearing makeup and generally being the polar opposite of stylish. And ALL of them are still my friends. 

My house is never really clean. I do try to make sure there aren't piles of dirty clothes and diapers on the floor when guests come over. 

I don't do awesome parties. Or if I do, I don't have time to take any pictures of it. But, I realized just this week, as I was stressing over Elf's fifth birthday party, this party is for four and five year olds. It doesn't matter if the cupcakes are store bought. The kids lick the icing off and throw away the cake. The parents are just glad someone else is entertaining their kids on a Sunday afternoon. 

I don't have home cooked meals every night. My husband cooks. Or we go out. Or grab fast food. 

For all of the things that I DON'T do, there are things that I do. 

I don't diet, I need to lose weight. But I am the mom who has the full fat pumpkin cream cheese in her fridge that you lusted over in the dairy isle. 

My kids don't get baths as often as they should. But they brush their teeth, get to bed on time, and have clean clothes. 

I don't work out as often as I should. But I buy myself roller skates, and fill my bike tires so that I can play with my kids. 

For everything that I am jealous of that my friends do or have, there is something else that others admire in me. No one can be everything. And while we can each try to be a better person, improve ourselves, we can't ever be EVERYTHING. 

And I am ok with that. 

I made a pillow

When we were furniture shopping recently, I saw a pillow with buttons, and succumbed to the "I could make that"
I got some pillow forms when they were 50% off at the craft store, and some sweaters from Goodwill.
This is my second one.
Turned the sweater inside out, measured, pinned at about 13x13 for a 12x12 pillow. Sewed, then cut out the square. Unbutton, turn right side out, insert pillow, button.
So easy!

Greg is super!

We had a hero themed birthday party for Greg's 3rd birthday, so I made capes for everyone. These are ridiculously cheap and easy to make!

Here's what you need:
An adult T-shirt, large. Either blank on one side, or with a picture you like.
A pair of scissors.
Snaps or Velcro (optional)

I got all the t-shirts I needed at Goodwill and Salvation Army. Check out what color is on sale that day, and then you can look for that color tag. I spent about 50 cents on each shirt. Mostly I just chose shirts with a solid color back. I did find Brenna one with a super hero logo on the front, but it wouldn't have worked for a larger child, since it was a women's medium. Ellie had an iron-on she won at a carnival, so I put that on her cape for her.

Wash the shirts, then fold in half lengthwise. (1)
Cut from the neck down to the hem in a cape shape. Make sure not to cut over the neckline. Stay inside of the seams from the arms. This will give you the shape, widening toward the bottom. Shirts that are serged or reinforced at the neck stretch the least. (2)
Lay the shirt out so that the collar makes a circle. Cut off the side that you DON'T want, following along the neck seam without cutting the seam. You may need to do a little trimming on the sides and the neck to smooth out. You should now have a basic cape shape! (3)
Cut open the neck. If you want to just tie the cape at the neck, you are now DONE! (4)
If you want some sort of fastener at the neck (highly recommended for safety, and the fact that your kids will ask you to take the cape on and off about every 3.5 seconds) then grab your kid and mark where you want the fastener to go. I used snaps, but you could sew or glue on velcro dots, or whatever you want. Cut off any extra. (5)

Take pictures! And don't plan on going anywhere capes are not allowed for the next few days. I got a lot of smiles bringing three caped kiddos to Target and Costco!

 

So I made some stuff today...

I think I have ADD... Or maybe this is how all crafty people are?
Anywho... I went downstairs to fix a pair of earrings, one of the rings came loose and two of the petals fell off. Luckily I found them, and was able to wire them back on.

So then, you know, because I had the jewelry pliers out and everything already, I realized that I could make earrings out of these flowers that I got on clearance at Joann's. they were from the floral section, and there were a whole bunch wired together with some crystal beads. I bought them thinking I could make a clip for Ellie, but I don't know if that is going to be possible. Thinking of a way I could make a matching necklace that doesn't look dumb. 

Then I remembered that I had told Ellie I would make some more pink flower clips, since she and Brenna fight over who gets to wear the pink camo one. I got a bunch of these flowers on clearance at Michaels for less than a dollar a piece. The buttons were also clearanced. The only issue I have with these is that they are a little heavy. They really work better with ponytails than just as a clip, but the girls like to wear them. These are the fourth and fifth ones that I have made, and I have two more flowers that I need to find buttons for. So super easy, though I did burn myself twice with the glue gun! 

Jacob's Story, pt 2

                                              

If you would like to read part one of Jacob's story, it is HERE. Jacob was born in Kentucky. We knew it would be about a 10 hour drive, but that was a better option than trying to fly, rent a car, and get to where he was born. Additionally, we would need to travel with all the kids, as my parents were out of town, and Brian's family, is, of course, in CA.
As soon as Brian got home, we packed up the car and headed out. After a quick stop to McD's, we were on our way. Neither of us had ever been to Kentucky. Jacob was to be born on the Eastern edge of the state, where Kentucky, West Virginia, and Ohio meet. In fact, it is known locally as the "tri-state area!"
Not long after we had gotten on the road, we received another call. Jacob's birth mother was in distress, and he was going to have to be delivered by emergency c-section. We had anticipated being able to be at the hospital when he was born, but this was not to be the case. As we drove through the night, I prayed the entire way.
We arrived at the hospital around 7a.m. Brian and I agreed that I would go up to the maternity ward and he would take the kids and get checked into our hotel and then come back.
Apparently, the adoption had caused some confusion in the maternity ward. Because Jacob's mom only knew our first names, and thought that we would arrive sometime in the night, the staff was not quite sure if there was an adoption plan in place, so the hospital social worker was called. I was able to meet Jacob's mom, and talk to her for a little bit, but was not allowed to see Jacob until after I had met with the social worker.
Meeting the birth mother for the first time must be one of the hardest, and also most awkward, things I have ever done. I mean, she is a complete stranger, yet she is willing to give you her child. How do you start that conversation? She was just glad that we had arrived, and happy to meet me. She was obviously tired and in a lot of pain from the c-section the night before. We didn't talk long, but she gave the nurses permission for Brian and I to see Jacob. Then it was off to meet the social worker-I was more than a little nervous about!
As it would turn out, the hospital social worker, Annie, was one of the nicest, most helpful people in the adoption process. She became our go-to whenever we needed help, particularly with anything related to the KY medical system.
Then, after all of this, I finally got to meet Jacob. Our tiny, 4lb 10oz baby, who found his way to our family by the grace of God, who completed our family unit.

                                                

You know you live with kids...

Disclaimer: if you are confused about where you are living, please note that many of these may also apply to frat houses and dorm rooms.

1. There is dirty laundry in every room of your house.
2. Just because the people in the household go to bed in one place doesn't mean that is where they will be in the morning.
3. There are m&m's, pennies, stickers, and/or toys in your bathrooms.
4. There are milk splatters on your wall, and you haven't bothered to wipe them off, because as soon as you do, they will just happen again.
5. You, a child, a pet, or a piece of furniture has gotten stuck to the kitchen floor because it is so sticky.
6. You don't even bother to close the bathroom door anymore.
7. Your pantry contains every variety of cheerios.
8. You own sparkle toothpaste.
9. You have had to clean up the entire kitchen after a mixer or blender was turned on high.
10. Hot dogs are a gourmet meal.
11. You know which restaurants have mac & cheese on their kids meal, and on what days and places kids eat free.
12. You have planned a vacation around going to the zoo.
13. Conversations about going to the bathroom are totally normal.
14. Someone in the house is screaming bloody murder, and you don't even look up from what you are doing.
15. You have eaten a lunch that consists entirely of sandwich crusts and apple peels.
16. Your son can say "I need my outer space" and you know he is looking for his water bottle.
17. Your house can look like an episode of Hoarders 15 minutes after you cleaned it.
18. You have at least one bathtub that resembles a tiny marina.
19. You know how many laundry loads you do a DAY not a WEEK.
20. You have to smuggle things out to the trash or Goodwill in the dark of night so your tiny hoarders don't find out.

Gezer Park, Leawood

I am definitely in love with this park. Located at 133rd and Mission in Leawood, this is a really nice, well thought out park. The play structure is unique and has tunnels and a shade as well as some really nice slides. There is a sandbox with concrete shells to uncover. But the highlight is the water. There is a large "pond" and a stream that runs through the entire park. The water is only a couple of inches deep and pretty clean. The water does not go through the sandbox, which is nice for cleanliness, but not so good for building.

This is a really well designed park, however, there were a few things that were a deterrent- first is the lack of shade. We were here in July, and it was HOT. I didn't touch the slides, and the kids didn't complain, but the structure is in full sun, so maybe not the best park for a summer afternoon. Also, the rocks in the water were slippery. Nothing to be done about this, just the nature of water, but if your kids have water shoes or something like that, it might be helpful. Even some of the older kids I saw there slipped. 

 

Antioch Park, revised

The upper playground at Antioch Park was redone, so I thought I would post some new pictures.
In the trend of parks around here, they went with the modern art look. I am on the fence about what I think of these parks. Some are really well done, and some just seem more focused on looks rather than actual play factor.
The new upper playground was fairly well done. The main structure is fairly standard, with slides, steps, etc.
There is a side structure that has these large hoops to climb through, a big spider web, these circle things that spin around, and some stepping stone stone things on springs.

This side structure is a little odd to me. The web is pretty self-explanatory, but the hoops are pretty high and spread out, and seem difficult for even the bigger kids to climb through. 

Still, Antioch Park is one of my favorites, and I highly recommend the camps there through Johnson County Parks and Rec. 

You know you want another potty story!

A couple of weeks ago, we were out in the back yard playing in the kiddie pools. Newly potty trained Greg was wearing a swimsuit with no swim diaper for the first time. All three kids were happily sliding and splashing, Jacob was alternately sleeping and fussing. I was on the phone with my brother.
Greg runs up to me, yelling "I need to go potty! I need to go potty!"
Well, we were outside, and Greg, being a boy, had already learned that he could pee outside. So, since I was on the phone and dealing with Jacob, I told him, "Just go in the grass."
Greg runs off, and I finish my phone call, happy that he was able to take care of things himself.
A couple minutes later, I notice Greg is still hanging around at the edge of the grass, and hasn't gotten back in the pool. I ask him  if he is ok, if he still has to go potty. Before he can answer, I notice the smell.
Yup, he did exactly what I told him. He went and stood in the grass and pooped in his pants.
So, I pull down his pants, and he sees what is there, and, in his most shocked voice, says "Oh! No!" As if he had no idea how it got there.
At that point, I did what any good mom would do on a 90+ degree day. I sprayed down my naked son with a garden hose and put him back in the pool.

Jacob's Story pt 1

This is Jacob:

He was born on March 20th. He was 4lbs 10oz.
We adopted Jacob, he was born in Ashville, KY. He spent the first two weeks of life in the NICU there, then was transferred here for another two weeks.

I have gotten a lot of questions about his adoption, as it was rather sudden. So, I thought that I would type out his story for everyone to read!

After 3 very stressful pregnancies, and 3 babies each earlier than the last, Brian and I decided that the best choice would be for me to not get pregnant again. We had talked a lot about adoption, both before and after we had children. Being adopted myself, I have always felt called to adopt. Additionally, we have always wanted to have four children.

Almost a year ago, we started the process of adoption. We didn't tell very many people that we had started the process because we knew that it could be a long process, and we also knew that there would be a lot of questions, including numerous ones asking whether we had a placement yet. Not ready to field frequent inquiries about whether we had a placement, or how long we thought that we would wait, we made the decision to wait until we had been matched with a birthmother before making our decision public. In general, matches are made at the beginning of the third trimester, giving the adoptive parents about 3 months to prepare. Jacob's story is a little different.

Because we have biological children, the odds of a quick placement were against us. Most birth parents are looking for a couple who either has no children, or who cannot have biological children. In fact, some adoption agencies refuse to work with couples who have the ability to have biological children. Because of this, we decided to make ourselves available for immediate placement, or what is called a "baby born" situation. This means that there is a birth mother who has delivered, or is about to, who has not chosen adoptive parents. What this means is that the adoptive parents don't have much time to prepare- they must be able to travel to where the baby is within a day usually. Since this baby would be our fourth, we knew that we were prepared for a baby at any time. There was nothing to buy or anything. As long as the distance wasn't too far, we knew we could travel with little notice, as Brian's job is somewhat flexible. We were told by our adoption agent that this type of adoption is rare, she had only handled two such cases in the past year.

On March 18th, we returned from visiting Brian's family in CA. March 19th I had my sitter come so that I could get unpacked, do laundry, run errands, etc. March 20th I had just finished putting away laundry from our trip when I got a call from our agency. There was a mother in KY who was being induced the next morning. She had planned on adoption, but thought she still had weeks to choose an adoptive family. Would we be interested? After a call to Brian, we said yes, we would. This did not mean for sure that we would be chosen, just that we would be in the running. Just to be prepared, and also to fill the time, I packed a bag for the new baby- we knew it would be a boy. Right about the same time that Brian was driving home from work, I got the call. We had been chosen as the adoptive parents.

Happy March!

I have decided that during March, I am going to focus on working on my relationship with my husband. Don't get me wrong, we have a great relationship, but nothing is great without a little bit of work! Got this idea from a few friends, though I think I have seen it around on Pinterest as well.
This is part three of a semi-successful happiness project- January I worked on diet, February was supposed to be working out, though between the flu and snow days I didn't get in quite the four days a week I wanted (probably got close due to all the shoveling, though!) I am going to try to continue with the diet and excercise (I would like to be able to actually RUN a 5k, though that is another story!)

So anyway... Got this frame at Savers for .99 then painted it with crackle nail polish and used scrapbook paper and a sharpie. Then only thing I actually bought was the frame.

I put it in our bathroom, and have a dry erase marker that I can use to write something new every day.  Since Brian leaves for work before I even get up in the morning, most likely I will have to write him a note to find in the evening. Not as romantic somehow as having something new to read when he gets up every morning, but I do what I can... 

(Oh, and it really was a coincidence that the paper inside matches the tile in our bathroom...)

Snow Days

I have really been lazy about posting, but we have been doing a lot of fun projects lately, what with the bad weather.
Here is a quick one: We made Snow Ice Cream. We have gotten about 20 some inches of snow in the past week, an unprecedented amount for our area, especially in such a short amount of time. I grew up in New England, and LOVE snow. My kids apparently enherited their dislike of being in the cold from their CA born dad. Which sucks when we have four snow days. So, I have to find things that they like to do indoors.
Apparently, snow ice cream is a mid-western thing? I had never heard of it before moving here, but there are a ton of ways to make it. Mine is quick and easy, and doesn't require anything special, good when there are two feet of snow on the ground and you can't exactly run to the store to get sweetened condensed milk, as called for by Paula Dean...

 
This is what you need:

1C Milk (I use whole milk, because we have it in the house)
1/2 C Sugar
1/2 Tbsp Vanilla
A lot of snow... (at least 5 C? I filled my largest mixing bowl)
Optional: a cute helper to stir

In a medium sized bowl, mix the milk, sugar and vanilla until the sugar dissolves.
Go outside and get a big bowl, bucket, what have you of CLEAN, NON-YELLOW snow.
Mix the snow into the liquid in large spoonfuls until it resembles ice cream. As it melts, you can always add some more snow.

Tips:
I made chocolate ice cream by mixing in a packet of hot chocolate mix to half of the ice cream.
This will not freeze well. Due to the water content of snow, you will get a block of ice. I guess it might make good popsicles?
Add sprinkles. Sprinkles make everything more festive!