Hovering...

I had seriously considered homeschooling the boys after they completed their time in preschool. But after the very difficult summer I/we had, I now know that homeschooling is not in the immidiate future for us.

At the start of this summer, when the difficulties began, I had attributed it to the boys being creatures of habit...the lack of a strict daily routine...not as much active play...and not as much social interaction with their friends. But now, I wonder how much of it was me...

It took me a couple of months to realize that when the boys are in school, I'm a pretty different person. I eat better (usually a salad for lunch versus, during the summer, nothing at all or their lunch leftovers). I get 9 hours during the school week by myself (versus none during the summer). And I get way more adult conversation with other moms of preschoolers (as I work at their school 2 days a week with other moms and several of us stay on the playground every day afterschool with our kids).

Because their preschool is a co-op (with lots of parent participation) and because I'm the type of mama to consider homeschooling, it seems natural for me to want to be very involved in the boys elementary school.

At first I thought this made me a helicopter mom, hovering around my kiddos. Then I remembered that I was doing it for selfish reasons.

So now, I'm on the hunt for alternative elementary schools...ones that want (and even need) lots of parent particpation. I'm not interested in being on the PTA or fundraising but being in the classroom and knowing the other kids and parents.

Sorry boys! Expect to see me hovering for the next couple of years...

Oh yeah, and...only 13 days, 22 hours, 34 minutes and 56 seconds until school starts...but who's counting, right?

Calling all cooks!

HELP!

I'm a vegetarian. The rest of my family...not so much, though Jack has had an aversion to hamburgers for awhile.

I'm the primary cook in the house but I won't cook meat. (Ocassionally Scott will cook meat but for the most part it's what Scott and Logan order when we go out.)

My question it this...do you know of any substitues for meat? I'm not talkng about tofu hot dogs or other products that pretend to look and taste like meat. (I love a good veggie burger but only the ones with black beans and real veggies...ones that no one could ever mistake for meat.)

I like watching a Food Network cooking shows...Rachael Ray, Melissa d'Arabian...but frequently their recipe calls for ground beef or turkey. Is there someway to make my own non-meat version? Maybe ground chickpeas or another bean? Does anyone have any experience with this?

I appreciate the help...Thanks!

Random Tip #39

While running out the door I noticed that I had a strange looking bleach stain on my black yoga-style pants (which is really strange because I don't use bleach and furthermore, I don't do yoga). I didn't have time to change (heck I barely had time to put on the unattractive outfit I was already wearing) so...

I used a black permanent marker to color over the unsightly stain making it look like a much more acceptable wet spot.

50 Rocks

A year has come and gone since we began the wait for our daughter.

When we sent our dossier (a 3 inch stack of papers that took us a year to compile) to China, the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) logged it in as recieved on August 13, 2008. Adoptions in China are primarily handled first-come/first-serve based on a family's log in date (LID).

On our actual LID the CCAA had matched perspective adoptive families who had LIDs before January 31, 2006 to their children. Yep, that’s right...the CCAA had a backlog of 2 ½ years. 925 days to be exact.

The boys are too young to understand any of this now but I wanted to have a visual to get the kids excited when we finally (one day far, far in the future) would get close to recieving our referral. I decided to fill a vase with 925 rocks. Every month as the CCAA would match families and children I would take out the number of rocks for the number of LIDs they had gotten through. The boys would be able to see the level of rocks drop and drop each month as we got closer to being matched to our daughter.

This is what 925 rocks looks like.

In the past 365 days, the CCAA has only gotten through 50 LIDs. This is what the vase looks like with 50 rocks removed.

Notice the difference? Yeah, I didn't think so. ;)

The CCAA might have only gotten through 50 LIDs in the past year. But our family has gone on living life and so far while waiting for our daughter:

• Jack turned 4
• Logan turned 3
• Scott and I both got...older
• I started a blog
• The boys visited Disneyland for the first (and last?) time
• Logan started preschool
• We went to Monterey three times
• Jack finally let us cut his hair (yea!)
• Scott & I celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary
• I ditched my diaper bag (woohoo!)
• The boys tried ice skating for the first (and last?) time
• We spent a lot of family time at the beach
• The boys went fishing for their first and second (and not last) time

I can only imagine what milestones our family will encounter before we meet our daughter in 5? / 7? / 10? years.

The other side of the camera - Lazy day

I'm participating in what I think is a really smart weekly challenge hosted by Carin at Forever in Blue Jeans. It seems like mamas spend an awful lot of time behind the camera. The idea of this challenge is for mamas to get on the other side of the camera in at least one photo a week.

When my boys grow up they'll inherit hundreds of thousands of photos taken from their childhood, but how many of those will show their mama? At least for this year I can answer 52!

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It is extremely rare for the boys and I to stay home all day. For whatever reason, they are usually much better behaved out in public than in the house. So every morning, I come up with something for us to do out of the house.

But today, I woke with a migraine and really needed a lazy morning. And luckily, the boys played really well together and separately all morning long at home...though they probably watched a bit to much TV. Okay, well, a lot too much TV.

This picture was taken at about 1PM. The boys are both still in their pjs and I've got wet hair and no makeup because I'd just gotten out of the shower. Definately a much needed lazy day...

Who's who?

Which little monkey:

• Replied "yes" when Scott asked if he wanted to have one of his mini burgers. Once it was placed before him he scooted back in his seat, made a scared face and cried, "But I'm a vegetarian!" which was a surprize to us...
  
• When asked by a cousin to pose for a photo, he did a yoga pose
• Said, "Mama, because it's your birthday, I'm not going to throw anything at you."

Which little love bug:

• Came into the room wearing a baseball hat and annouced that he had "apples in his hat." Um, excuse me? He had placed his apple slices on his head and put a hat on so he wouldn't lose his snack...
• Wakes up often in the middle of the night begging for apple juice and string cheese but was consoled last night with my singing of The Slumber Boat while rubbing his belly
• Said to his brother, "You are my pit crew and best friend."

While I was away...

I wish I could say that my month absence from blogging was due to a fabulous trip around the world or even something scandulous yet interesting like a stint in the state penn. But no...I was just living life...putting one foot in front of the other and trying to survive one day at a time.

Because my blog serves as a record for my family (and because I have a horrible, horrible memory) this post will be a photographic record of the past month. But don't worry...in addition to not blogging I barely took any photos over the past month.

Jack insisted on making "chicken soup" based on a recipe he invented. He listed out all the ingredients for me to write down: peppers, carrotts, zuchini, broccoli, corn and peas. You'll notice that the title ingredient is missing. Apparently in Jack's Chicken Soup there is no chicken. Go figure...

The boys had fun cutting up the veggies...

And using the mini processor.

We took a trip to visit my parents in Monterey. It's a full family affair...dog and all. Here are the boys and Marley on the road trip north...
Once there we rode the narrow gauge railway through the beautiful pine forest.

Scott and the boys...

My dad (AKA Granddad) and Logan...

Scott, Jack and my dad...
We also took a trip to a nearby farm where we got to sample some watermelon and take a hayride through the fields.

Jack, my mom (AKA Nana), and Logan...

We also spent a lot of time just relaxing at Nana and Granddad's house...

I even managed to get a half-way decent pic of the boys with my parents...
After heading home we needed some unique ideas to fill those long summer days. One day the boys spent time playing and lunching in their own private hideaway...a tent in our backyard. (Thanks for the idea Ryan Ashley!)

They even watched a movie in their pjs out there before coming in to sleep in their comfy beds.

Then it was out of town again. This time to the mountains with all of Scott's family...all 25 of us!
Logan converses with the koi...

Jack goofin' off...

We also went to a local butterfly festival and took a nature walk...




The boys tried their hand at fishing again...this time with their very own poles...
And that's about it folks. Nothing too exciting...just life.

I've come to realize...

I've come to realize that stealing Facebook posts for my blog...is a good thing.

I've got a couple of posts in the works but they require me to sit down and think or edit a bunch of photos. And I don't quite have that in me just yet...

But I wanted to get something up so here is a quick and easy Q&A that is making the rounds on Facebook though it was a bit too long so I've taken a couple of questions out. (And if you are like me and wanting a quick post, feel free to steal this one.)

1. I've come to realize that my chest-size...

is not as big as I once thought it was (prebabies).

2. I've come to realize that my job...

is the hardest thing I've ever done but also the most important thing too.

3. I've come to realize that when I'm driving...
I like the windows down and the boys singing in the backseat.

4. I've come to realize that I need...
something for just me...but I don't know what that is yet.

5. I've come to realize that I have lost...
my sanity.

6. I've come to realize that I hate it when...
I scream and cry.

7. I've come to realize that when I'm drunk...
well, I'm never drunk...unfortunately.

8. I've come to realize that money...
would be nice but certainly isn't as important as others believe.

9. I've come to realize that I will always...
need a shower.

10. I've come to realize that my cell phone...

is a must have when the boys are at school as I unfortunately get frequent calls from their teacher.

11. I've come to realize that right now I am thinking...
that I ought to be doing something more productive than this quiz, like maybe a shower.

12. I've come to realize that when I get on Facebook...

time will slowly get sucked away until I realize that I've spent way too much time on the computer.

13. I've come to realize that today...
is not over yet.

14. I've come to realize that tonight...
I've got to figure a way to get out of making dinner.

15. I've come to realize that tomorrow...
is a new day, a day to do better.

16. I've come to realize that I really want to...
take a nap.

17. I've realized the best music to listen to when I am upset...

nothing because I relish the quiet.

18. I've come to realize that my friends...
are few and far between.

19. I've come to realize that this year...
like all years with young kids is going by too fast...even if the days are so long.

20. I've come to realize that I love...
my husband in a very understated yet deep way.

21. I've come to realize that I don't understand...
just about everything.

22. I've come to realize my past...
is behind me and it does no good having regrets.

23. I've come to realize that parties...
aren't really my scene.

24. I've come to realize that I'm totally terrified...
of something happening to a family member.

25. I've come to realize that my life...

is basically good and I am lucky.

One year down...

Today was our one year LID* anniversary. And I wanted to be more in the moment and dwell on it. I wanted to dream about our daughter-to-be and read a novel set in China and have Chinese take-out. I wanted to have something profound to say about the year that has passed.

But life got in the way. And I'm tired. Really, really tired.

Maybe tomorrow...

* LID stands for log-in-date. This is the date that the governmental adoption agency in China receives your adoption paperwork. Adoptions are handled on a first-come, first serve basis based on this date.

She's having an affair!

Hi! This is Carey's computer. Shhhh...don't tell her I've hijacked Life in the Carpool Lane.

Carey has been avoiding her blog and I know why. I almost hate to admit it because she's a rather nice girl but Carey was having an affair!

See, she joined Facebook. I think she was looking for a less serious relationship for a bit. The blog took so much time and energy. It was draining. But now, even her fling with Facebook seems to be running it's course. She hasn't posted on it in 2 weeks. I think she might be getting serious about her blog again. Only time will tell for those two star-crossed lovers...

Anyway, I thought I'd copy some of the stuff she's posted on Facebook to kind of get everyone up to speed (and serve as a record) as to what has been going on.

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Carey: thinks it stinks when one of the kiddos is already climbing in my bed and I don't even have my PJs on yet...

July 13 at 11:33pm

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Carey: Naptime and the living is easy...

July 17 at 2:12pm

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Carey: is a waffle-makin' fool!

July 20 at 8:43am

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Carey: should be packing for Monterey but is a world class procrastinator! (We hope to leave at 6AM!)

July 21 at 10:15pm

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Carey: Logan has essentially been pull-up free for 2 weeks! Sorry if he peed on your lawn...

July 25 at 9:22pm

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Carey: As if things aren't complicated enough, one kiddo has the flu (possibly swine!) and the other doesn't have it...yet! That means we are confined to the house and I have to keep them separate!?!?!?!?!?!

July 27 at 7:03pm

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Carey: Woohoo! The fever broke last night!

July 28 at 8:01am

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Carey: Scott likens our house to a fraternity house...you never know who's bed you'll wake up in!

July 28 at 8:30am

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Carey: Yes, that weird little boy taking an after dinner walk around the block with no shirt, socks pulled up to his knees, wearing construction goggles and carrying a rolling pin was Logan. Feel free to point and giggle...

July 28 at 8:05pm

Hopefully, Carey will be back soon. I hate sneaking around behind her back. I think she was getting suspicious of the clickity-clack of the keyboard when no one was 'using' the computer.

Peace out!

- Carey's computer, AKA The Mini