My nephews are visiting for a bit this summer. They have done this every summer since they were very little - long before we had kids of our own. For many years we were the cool, childless aunt and uncle that just got to spoil the two of them when they visited. But now we get the adventure of trying out being a family of six.I have to say, aside from issue of not fitting in one car, that four kids is treating me pretty well. I think the key here is SPACING. Austin and Derek are 9 and 13, and . . .
Shared Passions
One of the things I love about parenting is introducing things I am passionate about to my kids. If you know me at all, you know that I am crazy about musical theater. Fortunately, after years of mind-control schemes, my husband is a fan, too. I watched a lot of musicals growing up. (thank you, mom). I especially loved Annie, and it's been fun to see my kids singing and dancing along the movie the way I used to. Today, I showed the kids The Pirates of Penzance, and Jafta really liked it (or . . .
Mommy, look at the brown boy!
As a transracial family in a vanilla county, we hear these kind of comments every now and then, especially from other preschool-aged kids. This week, we heard on two different occasions. No biggie: it is perfectly normal for a child of that age to notice color. I mean, they are just learning colors and pointing it out is just an observation. I am NEVER offended by children making such comments. In fact, it can open up great learning opportunities for kids to understand adoption, difference, . . .
Top Ten Cruise Highlights
1. Getting away from the kids for three whole nights (as much as we love our children), and not being on a mission trip! (as much as we love missions)2. Having fun with awesome friends who made a good time of whatever activity we did3. Watching my husband sing "Summer of 69" in a karoake bar, and then display his savant knowledge of 1970's song lyrics at the piano bar4. Observing lots of drunk people hit on each other and thanking my lucky stars I'm out of that whole game5. Getting to know . . .
Three Years Ago . . .
Three years ago today, Mark and I woke up early in the morning with a brand new carseat, and drove up to Department of Children and Family Services. Three years ago today, we nervously buckled a six-month-old little boy into our car, and drove him home, stealing glances the whole way. Three years ago today, we placed a sleeping child in a crib in our home, and watched him sleep, still in shock that he was ours. Three years ago today, we lay on the floor with our new son, and got to see his . . .
Affording Adoption
I am participating in the Red Letters Campaign, a cause dedicated to educating and inspiring others to take action in the fight against poverty. A part of that is raising awareness about adoption issues, by answering a weekly "blogger buzz" question. This week's question is: “How do I do this, moneywise? I want to adopt, but it seems so overwhelming. We don’t really have $20,000 in the bank, ya know!” There are many ways to make adoption more affordable. There are many roads to adoption, . . .
Cruisin’ to 12 Years!
Mark and I will be celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary this weekend! We are going to be taking a cruise - which we haven't done since our honeymoon. I am really excited! It's hard to believe we are such an old married couple. I mean, I think we look exactly the same:Oh wait. Jafta just pointed to the photo and asked who those peeople are. . . .
Lazy Mama’s Artichoke
I like a salty snack in the evening hours, while I read classic literature watch So You Think You Can Dance. Unfortunately, most salty snacks come with a few extra calories I don't need, not to mention transfats, preservatives, and bleached flour. Enter the artichoke - which always seemed like a daunting treat to make. However, I have found that if I prepare this while I'm making our family dinner and pop it in the crockpot around 5pm, I have a perfect artichoke waiting for me when I ready to . . .
Cousins
Caleb and Alex were visiting last week, so all the cousins got to hang out. They had so much fun together! We are looking forward to visiting them in Seattle next month. . . .
Balsamic Minted Strawberries
I have seen balsamic vinegar used with strawberries before, and I was always curious to try it. Today I had a huge crate of strawberries and came up with a refreshing treat. 2 cups fresh sliced strawberries 1/2 cup balasamic vinegar 1/3 cup water 3 tbsp agave nectar 1/2 cup fresh mint Place all the ingredients (except strawberries) into a blender or food processor. Pulse until mint is finely chopped. Pour all the ingredients ove the strawberries and try not to eat the whole bowl in one . . .
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