Got Milk???

O.k....there are a few things I can guarantee at any given time in our house. One...that the clean clothes probably need to get folded (really...it's a never-ending cycle), two...that the dishwasher is probably running (again...the cook-eat-wash dishes cycle doesn't stop) and three...we have 5 - 6 gallons of milk in our refrigerator. Anyone who knows us can attest to this...we love milk! We go through a gallon of milk everyday.

Now, this does pose a problem every week regarding recycling (with the little green box they give to us here). We have to smash, crush and ultimately disassemble all the milk jugs in order to fit them all in the box (as well as all of our cardboard stuff). That being said...we about jumped for joy when my daughter's preschool teacher asked the class for milk jugs in order to build a milk gallon jug igloo. Hot diggity dog for us!!!

Well, there are a few things we do well as a family...and drinking milk is one of them. We like to say that we single-handily built the classroom igloo. Too bad you can't put that on a resume...

What exactly is a biometric anyway...?

Well, this morning was our scheduled appointment for fingerprints (AGAIN) for the adoption process. I find this quite funny though because we had to be fingerprinted once for the home study and this time it was for a different form...the I-600. Now...here's where in the land of adoption paperwork nothing makes sense. I wonder why both branches of the government just can't cross reference the fingerprints. Really...it can't be that difficult. I mean, you can go to Target and they can pull up what you have purchased without even a receipt. Amazing!

That aside...I saw on the form for the fingerprints that they needed to take my "biometrics". For the life of me, I had no clue as to what this was (but remember...my world is pretty small). My thoughts were racing...could it be some new weight loss do-hickey thingy...or maybe they wanted to take a sample of my genius ability to send to science. Nope! Sometimes it's better to not ask. For when I gleamed and told the security officer that I was here to take my "biometrics"....I only received a slight grunt and a "ninth floor". O.k...upon entering I realized that this is the place where people who don't like their job go. Still, I wanted to do this "biometric" thing. I went in, filled out the needed paperwork and waited to be called. I got to the room, and they proceeded to take my fingerprints. After the lady was finished, I stood and waited. "You're all done", she said. "But what about my biometrics?...don't you need it for science?" She laughed and smiled and said..."have a great day".

So I walked out still wondering...what exactly is a biometric anyway?

Anybody need any beans?

The kids and I decided this year that for an extra science experiment, we would try and grow some flowers and vegetables. So we bought the necessary lights and materials needed and the kids went wild with planting seeds. I mean they picked whatever they were in the mood for at the time...so we have watermelons, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, pumpkins, strawberries...you name it we're probably growing it.

Now, here's where I should probably mention that I've never grown anything from seeds before...thus, the problem. Apparently, there are different months/times that you should plant certain seeds for them to come up...at the appropriate time...so that you can move them outside...and not have a garden growing in your basement. Well, I guess I won't make that mistake again next year...but I just have one question...

Anybody need any beans??

Tag...You're it Ethiopia!

Wait...wait...Can you hear it?? Listen...I believe it's the Hallelujah chorus singing. Our dossier is on it's way to Ethiopia. Yep...pretty sure that's them all right. Oh yeah...the dossier has finally left the building.

O.k. now, we have our game face on and we're ready to play the "wait for a referral game". Are you ready?? Get set...So here goes...

Tag...you're it Ethiopia!

Our little girl turned 5...

This week our little girl turned five and the world of Disney Princess and Care Bears collided in our house to produce what she called "the perfect birthday". There were balloons and presents and lots of squealing. Personally, I can't believe that it's been five years...but I say that about all of the kids. It just seems that they grow up so very fast. Our little girl is such a joy. She has a laugh that puts a smile on everyone's face and she loves to move...We are crazy about our little wild one!

This same time every year...

About this same time every year...I lose my husband. No, I know where he is location wise. And believe it or not...it's not far. It's in front of our TV watching basketball. You see, my husband LOVES college basketball. He lives and breathes for this time of year. He can simultaneously keep up with all of the games being played on TV as well as the umpteen brackets he has filled out. This to me is an unbelievable feat...since he has trouble understanding how to change the roll of toilet paper (but that's another story).

We've been married for over 16 years so I came to terms with this obsession years ago and because I am crazy in love with him I make the best of it every year and not complain. So this year (while I'm a "basketball widow" for a few weeks) I decided that I would try my hand at making pies. So far I've made a Lemon pie, Kentucky pie and tonight I made a Strawberry pie. When that's gone...I've got my eye on a Peach Cream pie.

So ladies...if you happen to be in the same boat as me and you lose your husbands this same time every year...try pies. While it can't get you the remote control back, you can at least see your husband for a second while he grabs a slice of pie.

A really cool thing...

My husband's co-worker gave us a really cool thing the other day. They are EXTREMELY LARGE laminated maps of Africa. They're way cool! Apparently this co-worker had taken several African safaris and no longer needed these maps he had. He, of course, knows that we are adopting from Ethiopia and asked if we would like to have them. Whoo-hoo for us!

I only sew for love...

If it's once, then it's a thousand times that I have heard those words from my mom..."I only sew for love". My mother is a wonderful seamstress and to be honest, I never really understood those words when she told me...over and over...as she dragged me through yet another fabric store growing up. I only knew that she could whip up an Easter dress or a curtain or a beautiful blanket. She bugged me again and again to "let me teach you to sew". I was definitely much too active as a child to stop long enough for her to teach me.

Fast forward...almost forty years. Now I am the one dragging my kids through "yet another fabric store". I'm the one who creates the creative costumes my kids can come up with and I'm the one whose telling my children...over and over...while I sew late into the night, that "I only sew for love".

Funny, how things can come full circle. Today, I'm working on making curtains for one of my daughter's rooms and I can't help thinking about my mom. There are so many times I wish I had listened to her advice on sewing. While my mom is still alive, she lives about as far as you can think of from me (without falling in the ocean) -- not by her choice, of course. It would be so nice to have her sewing with me today...doing nothing special...just "sewing for love". I miss you mom!

Can we please mom...can we????

I looked at the clock and it said 1:30. Outside, the sky was bright blue with a few clouds. The weather was calling the kids...I could tell. I repeated..."focus, kids"...but it was no use. They begged me again for the umpteenth time. Can we please mom...can we???

To be honest, this day was a reprieve from the cold, snowy weather we have been having...and it was calling me too. So we stopped school and grabbed our bikes and rode until our hearts were content. It was a great day!






It's rainy and cold again today...I'm so glad we had that day. It's nice to know that spring is just around the corner (mind you, for us it's a real LONG corner...but it's coming). I just know it.