The Great Juggling Act

In the midst dealing with two highly dramatic and energetic, yet adorable, boys (which means going to parks,

building complex and large train towns,

and going to school),


I have lots of other stuff going on. We are toying with the idea of moving. That means meeting with realtors, internet research, driving neighborhoods, conversations with banks, going to open houses, etc. It's been both exciting to think about the possibilities and depressing to come to grips with the realities.

Then there are the adoptions...I'm expending a lot of time and energy and all I'm really doing is spinning my wheels. Besides being obsessed with reading adoption blogs and forums (and checking them an embarrassing number of times a day), I've taken up working on the blog for one of my adoption agencies where I've posted 6 days a week for the last four weeks.

All this is my explanation as to why by blog (and the friendships I had formed with other bloggers) has suffered. It's not really much of an excuse though...

Life is a juggling act, especially for mamas. But I've been letting some of the balls drop.

I'm hoping to get back into the blogging (and photography) swing of things

Since this blog is a photo album and journal for my family I would really like to do a Christmas recap (how late is too late?), more posts about the boys (especially some Who's Who? posts) and photos of me and the boys (otherwise known as 52 weeks or Shoot Me). Sense I'm so far behind on Christmas recap, maybe this isn't too late for a New Year's resolution...to start carrying my camera more and documenting our life through blogging a photography again.

Meanwhile, in the several days it took me to actually finish this post, we've moved up another spot!


Here's to the great juggling act and moms everywhere!

The Idiot's Guide to Gardening

I'm quite sure that if I head over to Amazon and do a search for "Idiot's Guide" and "fruit and vegetable gardening," I'd find a book (or two or three) that would mention my husband and I by name.

Months and months ago, maybe even a year ago, Scott built two 4x2 foot raised containers so we could do some square foot gardening. Without doing any research about what would grow in our area and when, we set out with the boys and purchased seeds. To keep a short story short, I'll just say that possums, squirrels, our dog, the boys and myself contributed to the garden's demise. Sorry Scott...

After Logan recently decided that some chopped peanuts were really watermelon seeds and was desperate to plant them, did we decide to revive the garden. Once again without any research we set out with the boys and purchased seeds and seedlings. We spent one morning planting basil, peppers, lettuce, cantaloupe, broccoli, carrots, strawberries and a few others. The next day the boys made their own watering cans.

This was an activity I was planning on writing a Summer Survival post about. I'm a couple of months late but here it is:

Homemade watering cans:

This is a project that I like for a couple of reasons...it reuses trash and saves me money because I didn't have to buy new. The watering cans are made from plastic milk jugs. After cleaning them well, you'll need to use a hammer and nail to poke holes in the lids.

Then the kids can get their hands on them to decorate them. We used markers and foam stickers.


Fill them with water and the they are ready to go!

After a little less than two weeks (and some watering help from Papa), this is what our garden now looks like:

100 Things About Me - Installment #8

I enjoy reading bloggers' 100-things-about-me posts. However, by the 32nd thing I usually have forgotten who's blog I'm reading. (Who am I kidding? By #11 I've forgotten!)
I thought it might be fun to try and write one but in the interest of anybody-who-might-actually-read-its sanity I was thoughtful enough to break up the list. In 10 easy installments you can learn everything you ever wanted to know, didn't want to know and could careless about regarding me.

I think it's customary to do this list as your 100th post. My 10th and last installment will be my 100th post (if I can remember).

Here is the eighth installment (#71-80):
71. I am a world class procrastinator.

72. I have hiked the world's most beautiful trek, the Milford Track; 35 miles in New Zealand.

73. I'm very organized but...

74. My house is messy.

75. One of my toes doesn't touch the ground so I only leave a four-toe footprint.

76. I wish I liked to exercise.

77. I am so thankful that my family eats dinner together every night.

78. I inherited my blue eyes from both my grandmothers.

79. I love, love, love Mexican food.

80. Though she isn't born yet (or even conceived), I think of our daughter everyday.


If you are interesting in reading more:
Installment #1
Installment #2
Installment #3
Installment #4
Follow-up to questions from #3 and #4
Installment #5
Installment #6
Installment #7

Private Investigator Needed...

I hate housework. It's not like I kind of sort of dislike doing it. I hate it. And quite frankly I'm not very good at it.

Besides the usual picking up, lately I've had to deal with some additional and rather unusual housework tasks...

Yesterday, I had to clean up bird poop off the floor. Have I mentioned that we don't have a bird? But, yes, really, it was bird poop!

Then today, I found this:
(My foot is in the photo to offer a little size perspective.)

1. Whose muddy footprints are these? (They are way too small to be our dog's.)

2. On a sunny 75 degree day, how did our mystery critter find mud to step in?

Any personal investigators willing to take the case? Or maybe we need an animal tracker?

By photographing and blogging about it, I managed to avoid cleaning it. How else can I procrastinate? Ooh...I need to leave it so Scott can see it in person when he gets home!

100 Things About Me

In honor of my 100th post, I put together a list of 100, mostly quirky, things about me. In it's original form, it was 10 installments. The final installment was my 100th post, published on April 9, 2009. Here, I have recompiled the list and sorted it into a couple of different categories.

Here you can learn everything you ever wanted to know, didn't want to know and could careless about regarding me.


Regarding my feet:
1. I have ridiculously small feet. In length my feet are a children's size 2 1/2. Honestly, its a miracle I don't fall over.
2. I have ridiculously wide feet.
3. Which is why I ALWAYS wear flip-flops.
4. So it's a good thing I live in sunny Southern California.
75. One of my toes doesn't touch the ground so I only leave a four-toe footprint.


Regarding my mind and the rest of my body:
29. I have a congenital heart defect.
38. I am directionally challenged.
54. I had laser eye surgery several years ago...
55. And can't imagine my life without it.
60. I have a horrible memory.
65. I have asthma.
71. I am a world class procrastinator.
76. I wish I liked to exercise.
78. I inherited my blue eyes from both my grandmothers.
85. I'm all about efficiency (cost efficiency, time efficiency, etc.).


Regarding my husband, Scott:
7. I not so secretly love my husband.
77. I am so thankful that my family eats dinner together every night.
91. My husband and I were best friends...
92. And then roommates...
93. Before we were ever a couple.


Regarding Jack and Logan:
9. I secretly play with my boys' Legos.
16. I think Matchbox cars are one of the best inventions of the 20th century.
21. Nothing makes me happier than my two boys being sweet to each other.
37. I love the smell of sunscreen on the warm shoulders of my nearly-nekked babies.
44. The piece of furniture that I've racked up the most hours in is probably the huge wingback leather rocking chair in my boys' room.
52. I was in labor for 65 hours with Jack.
53. Luckily, Logan's labor was much shorter.
58. I wish I had more time (and more agreeable subjects) to study photography.
61. The only lullaby I sing the boys is Slumber Boat.
81. My sons are 15 months apart to the day.
87. I taught both my boys some sign language when they were little. I still use the sign for "potty" when I don't want to embarrass them (or myself).
90. I "wore" both my boys when they were babies (and I still wear Logan sometimes when he's sick). I plan on being cremated with my sling.


Regarding travel:
10. I've swum with sharks in Belize.
15. I've never giggled as hard as when I zorbed in New Zealand.
25. I thought I lost my eyesight while snorkling in the Cook Islands. (Read the story here.)
40. I've been taken OUT of a Vietnamese hospital by ambulance. (Read the story here.)
45. I love to travel to exotic places because...
46. I love to soak up different sounds, tastes, smells, customs, art.
50. I've slept under the stars on the sands of the Sahara.
51. I have petted a rhino on the Kenyan savanna.
59. I totaled a moped on the island of Naxos and luckily walked away without any major injuries.
66. I lived in Salzburg, Austria for several months.
72. I have hiked the world's most beautiful trek, the Milford Track; 35 miles in New Zealand.
83. In Guatemala, I've climbed Temple IV and the Pyramid of the Lost World at the Tikal ruins.
95. I have chewed on cinnamon bark straight from a tree in Zanzibar.


Regarding sleep:
8. I have to sleep in a bra. (TMI?)
22. I love my bed.
23. I love to sleep.
24. I love pajamas. (Are you sensing a theme?)
30. My husband and I sleep European style (no flat sheet or blanket, just a fitted sheet and a duvet). (TMI?)


Regarding animals:
5. I hate bats.
31. We have a cute mutt named Marley...
32. Whom I wish didn't drive me so insane.
88. I'm not afraid of snakes, spiders or sharks.
89. But I'm terrified of bats because one flew into my hair in the Philippines when I was little.


Regarding books, music, movies and TV:
11. I cry when I hear patriotic music.
12. I wish Gilmore Girls never went off air.
39. Oh, The Places You'll Go is my favorite book.
42. The Goonies might just be my favorite movie of all time.
43. I love to read books.
70. I watch TV every night to unwind.


Regarding food:
18. I am a vegetarian...
19. And have been since I was 8 years old.
20. Chili's makes the best veggie burgers, in my opinion.
26. Coke Zero is my drink of choice.
28. Kiwi makes my lips and tongue go numb.
36. I love potatoes.
56. I don't like the taste of coffee...
57. Or beer.
79. I love, love, love Mexican food.
84. I scream for ice cream.
86. I could eat air-popped popcorn for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
94. I have to have something sweet to eat in the evening.


Regarding my previous life:
33. In a previous life, I worked in advertising.
67. I was a practicing Buddhist for a year...
68. But in typical fashion, I rarely stick with anything.
82. When I was young, I wanted to be a Navy Blue Angel when I grew up.
96. In a previous life, I used to go the movies a lot.
97. I was born in California...
98. And though I grew up living in various places...
99. I always considered myself a California girl.


Regarding everything else:
6. I secretly love my Honda Odyssey minivan.
13. I wear t-shirts...
14. And capri pants everyday.
17. I've been skydiving.
27. My parents are my greatest role models.
34. I had a younger brother...
35. Who I miss very much.
41. I can't stand cleaning my kitchen. If I never saw it again, I'd be perfectly happy.
47. I rarely wear makeup because I usually forget.
48. I never wear perfume because I always forget.
49. I've been know to crochet but can only do blankets and scarves.
62. I hate to admit that I'm not a very good friend.
63. Being a military brat, I prided myself on being able to make friends easily as a kid.
64. But I'm not very good at maintaining the relationships that I form.
69. If I do say so myself, I'm a great party-planner.
73. I'm very organized but...
74. My house is messy.
80. Though she isn't born yet (or even conceived), I think of our daughter everyday.
100. I can't believe that I stuck with blogging long enough to make it to my 100th post.


These were the original 10 installments:
Installment #1
Installment #2
Installment #3
Installment #4
Follow-up to questions from #3 and #4
Installment #5
Installment #6
Installment #7
Installment #8
Installment #9
Installment #10

Christmas Tour of Homes 2008

Welcome! Come on in and make yourself at home. Grab a drink...there's no need to use a coaster. Go ahead and put your feet on the coffee table. We're casual here.

Here is our tree. Notice the breakable ornaments on top and the soft ones at the bottom. We have two young boys...enough said.



We keep Christmas-themed kids books on the table. The red box has our Santa photos from previous Christmases.

Yes, that ridiculously long thing is our advent calendar. I kind-of sort-of made it.

Can I offer you a chocolate and coconut covered clementine? They are pretty scrumptious if I do say so myself.

Oh, sure. I don't mind sharing the recipe. It's a bit time intensive (to peel all the clementines) but it's easy.
You'll need to peel and section a couple of clementines (sometimes referred to as an Algerian or seedless tangerine). Melt some semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips in a glass bowl in the microwave. Just nuke it for 15 seconds at a time (to ensure it doesn't burn) and stir. Dip each clementine section in the melted chocolate and then in a bowl of shaved coconut. Put the pieces on wax paper in the fridge to dry.

Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to come by any time.
Happy holidays!