Odds 'n ends...

So, I'm still a blog slacker. I'm not reading many and I'm not writing too many of my own. But there are a couple of things I should bring up...

I haven't really written anything about Denise's (from There is Always Room for One More) visit. I guess since she was the mama running away from home I felt like it was her story to tell more than mine. But since she is having computer difficulties and is off on another adventure currently, maybe I could dish just a little.

Scott was a little concerned about having a perfect stranger stay with us. But we figured Denise wouldn't brave a several hour flight with her youngest, Emma, just to kill us.

Once we met her it was clear that our family had nothing to worry about. Denise is funny, easy-going and so fun to be around. Emma is such a sweet charismatic little girl.

Since we had my crazy boys with us most of the time, we kept it low-key and kid-friendly...the beach, the playground, window shopping. I had a great time hanging out with her and getting to know her better. I consider myself lucky to have made a friend through blogging...a friend that I was able to meet in real life and will hopefully continue to know.

I wish I had written this post yesterday so I could easily post some pics...but, as you'll read below, I'm having a bit of computer trouble.

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Angel at Starting Over is hosting a giveaway...$50 of Avon products! She is going to draw the winner on the 4th of July because it's her favorite holiday...and mine too. Be sure to stop by her site soon to enter this generous giveaway.

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Just a reminder that I host Tuesday's Tips for Summer Survival. Every week I share a kid-friendly tip and ask others to link up their crafts, outdoor fun, cooking, outings, etc. The goal is to end up on the other side of this summer with what little sanity we had when we started. So far we've had some amazing ideas and we are only a third of the way through summer. Soon, I hope to get a recap post up of what we've got so far...

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But, my little HP Mini is being sent back to HP because something is wrong with the speaker...quite honestly, I think the boys did something to it...but don't tell HP that. So I'm using my old enormous laptop which was replaced by the Mini because it would randomly turn itself off. (And the laptop knows I'm speaking ill of it because it just crashed AGAIN!) This does not bode well for my blog slacking...

Thank goodness for autosave on Blogger...my laptop just crashed again! I guess the fact that I'm actually posting this speaks to my persistence...

Also, I am...

In my last post, I ran through a list of all the things I am. I should have added this:

I am a slacker.

Why? Well, you probably know why, my friends. I haven't read or commented on your blog. And I've barely posted on mine.

But I have two good excuses.

1. It's Denise's fault. She is a bad influence.
2. Facebook. It's an even worse influence that Denise.

See, Denise of There is Always Room for One More is visiting. We are having a great time and not left with much time during the day to blog. And at night I am beat! (That has more to do though with my, of late, poorly behaved boys...)

And this week I joined the wonderful addictive world of Facebook. I'm unsure if life will ever be the same.

But my blog will be the same...eventually.

I am...just taking a nap!

What's up with that?

Doesn't this look like the perfect start to summer? Sunny skies, blue water and warm happy kids...

Opps...that was the wrong photo. That was taken in JANUARY!

This is what our start to summer looks like:
(Those little black specs in the water are surfers patiently waiting for a wave. They didn't seem to mind the gray skies.)


Crazy June gloom in Southern California! What's up with that?

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In way more exciting news...Denise and Emma of There's Always Room for One More are coming to visit...THIS WEEK! I'm so excited!

I've never met another blom (blogging mom) in real life. And when we decided to do it, we decided to do it big...Denise and her youngest is flying 1357 miles to stay with my family for 4 days this week! I'm so excited! (Oh, did I already mention that?)

The bloggity blog blog tag

So you are sitting in front of your computer wanting to post something...anything. But nothing comes to mind.

Have no fear! Carey at Life in the Carpool Lane is starting the easiest blog tag about blogging. Answer the following questions on your own site when you've got nothing better to blog about. In 10 easy answers you've got yourself a post! (Don't want to post on your site? Then feel free to answer a couple in my comments.)

1. Where are you blogging right now?
2. How many unpublished posts do you have in your 'draft' box?
3. Whose blog inspired you to start your own?
4. When do you usually publish your posts?
5. In your guesstimation, how many blogs do you read?
6. How long have you been blogging for?
7. Why did you start blogging?
8. Why do you keep blogging?
9. If you could only recommend one blog to a friend, which one would it be?
   
10. If the internet was "turned off" for one month, what you you do with all the time you used to spend blogging?
    

Looking forward to seeing everyone's answers so make sure you let me know if you've grabbed this.

Here are my answers:

1. Where are you blogging right now? On my bed (with my mini computer)
   
   
2. How many unpublished posts do you have in your 'draft' box? 25
   
   
3. Whose blog inspired you to start your own? Denise of There is Always Room for One More, I found her blog through reading others' adoption blogs and was immediately drawn to her family. I read all of her posts and then slowly started leaving comments. At some point, I thought, "well, if she (with 6 kids) can find time to do it, then so can I!"
   
   
4. When do you usually publish your posts? Usually 10ish at night
   
   
5. In your guesstimation, how many blogs do you read? 65
   
   
6. How long have you been blogging for? Since December 2008 so 6 months
   
   
7. Why did you start blogging? I've kept a journal off and on since college. So I knew how rewarding it could be to keep track of daily life as well as special occasions and milestones. I desperately wanted to journal about our growing family but could never find the time to sit down and write. I soon realized that blogging was easier for me because I could edit my work and save it to work on at other times. It allowed me more freedom than putting pen to paper.
   
   
8. Why do you keep blogging? I enjoy keeping a record of family events and daily life. But I also love the friendships that I've developed with other bloggers. And I was really surprised and touched by the comments from the earth week posts I did. It felt like I helped to open a couple of my friends' eyes which was a very cool experience.
   
   
9. If you could only recommend one blog to a friend, which one would it be? I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote this question because its a hard one... I'd say There is Always Room for One More because without Denise's blog I might not have started this blog. However, if the friend were planning on adopting from China, I'd recommend China Adopt Talk because it has been an invaluable source of information and where I spent 99% of my time on the computer before I started blogging.
   
   
10. If the internet was "turned off" for one month, what you you do with all the time you used to spend blogging? Read? Exercise? It's hard to say because I'm often doing something else while I blog...watching TV, waiting for a pot of water to boil for dinner, blowdrying my hair, watching the boys in the tub, etc. So maybe I'd just be more in the moment...less trying to multi-task.
    

Feel free to grab this for yourself and pass it on!
Happy blogging!

I've been remiss...

Several weeks ago I received a award and was tagged. But with the craziness of Jack's birthday I was late in posting them and passing them on.

Denise, writer of my favorite blog, There is Always Room for One More, lovingly bestowed my blog with The Lovey Award.

These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find friends and be friends.They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships will be propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly- written text into the body of their award."

I am so honored to receive this award. What better title to be awarded than friend. Since I have already given out this award once before, I decided to try something different when passing it on. One of the way bloggers become friends is through comments. Who doesn't love comment love? So I have decided to pass this award on to my top 8 commenters.

Drum roll, please...
And they are:

Alicia at More Than Words
Denise at There is Always Room for One More
Mimi at He & Me + 3
JD at Infinite Adventures at the Zoo (private blog)
Keri at Life of Logan
Kristen at A Family is Forever
Orah at Mamma's Happy Hour
Veronica Lee at Of Mice and Ramen

To those above, there is a chance that I've already given you this award once before. This time around I'm passing it to you because you are loyal commenters and as such, I feel like I've gotten to know you and develop friendships. Thank you for those friendships. (And I understand if you don't want to pass it on again, especially if you just did like Denise.)

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I also got tagged by Tanya at Maya and Odessa. To play, I'm supposed to list 6 weird things about myself (oh, where to begin?) and tag 6 other bloggers.

Another drum roll, please...
1. I'm a vegetarian who doesn't eat tomatoes or mushrooms.

2. I have to "get inside the map" to figure out where I'm going.

3. I kissed a Moroccan taxi cab driver.

4. When I used to have an office job, I kept a record of what I wore each day so not to duplicate within a week (because my memory is so bad).

5. I only wear lipstick when my mom is around.

6. I lived in an old monastery in Salzburg, Austria.

For the record, this list was compiled by my husband, Scott. (Which if you read my last post, explains #3...and the fact that it's false.)

Instead of passing this one to specific mama bloggers I'm leaving it up for grabs. I think a good number of you are pretty weird so don't let me down. If you want to play along, feel free and let me know so I can read up on all your weirdness.

Is it wrong to have a favorite?

I probably shouldn't be saying this. I mean, I feel guilty even admitting it. But I have a favorite. Is that wrong?

No, not a favorite kid! A favorite blog.
I don't remember how I stumbled upon Denise's blog, There's Always Room For One More, or even how long I've been reading it but it's what inspired me to start a blog. I didn't use to read many blogs but after reading every post at There's Always Room For One More I would think to myself, "I've gotta start writing too. If my blog is half as entertaining as hers I"ll be happy."

Denise is a mom to 6 kids ranging in age from 21 to 1 (I think). Her family is a mix of adopted and biological kids (like my own will be someday). Her writing is filled with humor, grace, playfulness and strength. And in honor of her 200th post she is doing a giveaway.

If you don't read it already, I highly recommend it (obviously):