Eric started this thing a month or two back where he tells Lael a story as he tucks her in. She has a terrible time settling down to sleep and she requires a story, a song, and a prayer (and sometimes a song-like prayer like "God Our Father"). So, he started on the basics like: Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks, Jack and the Beanstalk etc. As toddlers do, she became attached to one particular story and requested it over and over and over and over.... That particular story was The Three Little Pigs. I think she likes when Daddy tells the story because he "huffs and puffs" and blows a soft wind on her face. As I tell it, she likes that I give the pigs squeaky little voices when they say "not by the hair on my chiny chin chin!"
To keep myself sane, I foiled her plans to make me tell Three Little Pigs each and every bedtime by changing the basic story. I give you:
The Three Rabbits
by Tisra
Once upon a time, there were three rabbits- Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail. Flopsy had a burrow built out of straw. Mopsy had a burrow built out of sticks. Cottontail had a burrow built out of bricks. One day, a bear came along. He wanted to eat the rabbits and he went to Flopsy's house and said, "Little rabbit, little rabbit- let me in!" And Flopsy said, "Not by the hairs on my bunny bun buns!" "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down" And he did! So, Flopsy ran and ran and ran to his brother's house that was built out of sticks. Soon enough, the bear came along and said "Little rabbits, little rabbits- let me in!" And they said, "Not by the hairs on our bunny bun buns!" "Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down" And he did. Flopsy and Mopsy were able to run, and run, and run as fast as they could to their other brother's house where they were safe. But, again, the big bear came along and he was still hungry. So, he said loudly through the door, "Little rabbits, little rabbits- let me IN!" "Not by the hairs on our bunny bun buns", they chanted. "Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down!" And, he huffed. And, he puffed. But he couldn't blow that house down because it was built of bricks. So, the bear went away hungry and the rabbits were safe. The End.
I think the first time I told this story, Eric rolled his eyes because he knew what I was doing. But, the rabbit story was soon more requested than the pig story and we are now in the same spot.
A bit weary of the Three Little Rabbits, I asked Lael to tell *me* a story today at nap time and she came up with this:
The Three Lions
by Lael
Once 'pon time, there were "free" lions. One house built out of "bwicks". One house built out of "strawl". One house built out of pink. And, one house built out of pink "bwicks". A big bear came. It went away. The End.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
3 months waiting
Today marks 3 months that we have been on the waiting list for referral. We have yet to receive an update from our agency, so I'll assume that the wait times are the same as our original quote in April. This would mean, we may have another 9-11 months before we see a picture of our daughter, and 13-18 months before we travel to Taiwan for Gotcha Day. All can change, but this is a good guesstimate.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Etsy
This past week, I sold two items in my Etsy shop. So, I've posted a few more items that have been in inventory. I'm still trying to clear out all the old (on sale!) before posting anything new. There are a few more Pack N Play sheets in inventory, as well as more hair pretties and hand-printed lino cards that are not listed right now. Keep checking back!
Chung Yi Donations
One of the orphanages in Taiwan, Chung Yi, is in need items for the routine care of the children there. Knowing a few families online that have adopted/are in the process of adopting a child from Chung Yi really puts a face to the need. Our agency (Families for Children), and others- I'm sure-, often send donations or collect a part of their fees specifically for donations to the orphanages. But, what is being done isn't always enough and one family waiting through the court process for their daughter from Chung Yi is organizing some wonderful packages to be sent. More items are needed, and donations for the shipping to Taiwan (which is extremely expensive) would be appreciated. Details can be found on their blog. They are also trying to figure out a way to put together Christmas shipments for specific children as many of the Chung Yi orphans are older and probably have some wishes and dreams for gifts. Since this is one of the orphanages that our agency works with, our daughter may live her early life at Chung Yi. As you feel led, pray for these children and consider sending items or donations. I think Nicole has a PayPal link set up, also, for easy online donating.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Tag, I'm It.
Jenny tagged me and since Eric is on the phone with a work call and its late and I figure I can post this in a somewhat quick manner (maybe before he gets off the phone, but if not, it is easily finished up later by retrieving from my drafts....)
The rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
The facts
1. When I am eating, I like for the last bite to be of my favorite thing. If it is an all-in-one type meal, like a burrito, I make sure that the last bite has more of my favorite ingredients. Like, if its a Seven Layer burrito from Taco Bell, then I want my last bite to have more guacamole in it.
2. I have a very unrealistic dream/ fantasy about being in a place where there are secret doors and nooks and passageways to explore, and no one else knows about it, and its mine. I think that all started when I read The Secret Garden as a child and some other book [I don't remember much about] where there was a clock in the wall. Because of this, I have an urge to jump the ropes when touring castles and access the "restricted" areas.
3. When I get hurt, I'm a bit of a baby and I get hurt often because I'm a klutz. Eric has the ability to tell if I'm whiny and overreacting or if I'm truly hurt. God only knows how I was able to have three babies naturally.
4. I hate going to bed without my husband, even if I'm dead tired.
5. The first time I remember going to church was in second grade after I asked my mom if she would take me. I wore a cotton dress with puff sleeves and a ribbon belt. I loved that dress and took my second grade picture in it, too.
6. My big toes are crooked.
7. I wrote my own wedding vows. (he wrote his own, too)
8. Up until this last cleaning at the dentist, I still had a tiny spot of orthodontic glue on one of my teeth near the gum line from braces in high school. I think this hygienist was the first to enjoy the challenge and understand my frustration.
Now, I tag: Amy, Mary, Colin, Erika, Amber, Shelley, Ann, Jess
The rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
The facts
1. When I am eating, I like for the last bite to be of my favorite thing. If it is an all-in-one type meal, like a burrito, I make sure that the last bite has more of my favorite ingredients. Like, if its a Seven Layer burrito from Taco Bell, then I want my last bite to have more guacamole in it.
2. I have a very unrealistic dream/ fantasy about being in a place where there are secret doors and nooks and passageways to explore, and no one else knows about it, and its mine. I think that all started when I read The Secret Garden as a child and some other book [I don't remember much about] where there was a clock in the wall. Because of this, I have an urge to jump the ropes when touring castles and access the "restricted" areas.
3. When I get hurt, I'm a bit of a baby and I get hurt often because I'm a klutz. Eric has the ability to tell if I'm whiny and overreacting or if I'm truly hurt. God only knows how I was able to have three babies naturally.
4. I hate going to bed without my husband, even if I'm dead tired.
5. The first time I remember going to church was in second grade after I asked my mom if she would take me. I wore a cotton dress with puff sleeves and a ribbon belt. I loved that dress and took my second grade picture in it, too.
6. My big toes are crooked.
7. I wrote my own wedding vows. (he wrote his own, too)
8. Up until this last cleaning at the dentist, I still had a tiny spot of orthodontic glue on one of my teeth near the gum line from braces in high school. I think this hygienist was the first to enjoy the challenge and understand my frustration.
Now, I tag: Amy, Mary, Colin, Erika, Amber, Shelley, Ann, Jess
Summery Bits
Warm air, loose schedules, and plenty of friends leave little room for anything but a "bits" post.
- We have discovered Man vs. Wild and are eating up all of the TiVoed episodes. Educating, amusing, breathtaking- I recommend it. For a person like me who dreams of seeing every inch of this amazing Earth (forget luxury cars and huge mansions- I'd travel the world!), it further puts me in awe of God's creation. So diverse, so beautiful. It makes me wonder, though, if I would be willing to do all that this man does to survive. Specifically, the eating and drinking of things that are less than wonderful. But, even the cliff jumping or rock climbing without ropes. Yikes. I'd better not get stranded somewhere. Especially somewhere where there are snakes, or bears, or saltwater crocs, or... let's be realistic, I kind of don't want to camp in a tent ever again. On the other hand, it inspires a person to see how far they could push themselves if they had to. Like when Eric and I watched EcoChallenge a few years ago- it made me want to run a marathon or do a crazy long hike to combat the cushy/ insulated life I lead. You know, the life I like... really, its quite an internal conflict. ;-)
- There's been swimming at the YMCA.
Grant is swimming solo, kind of. He does the dog paddle, and isn't a strong swimmer, but he's able to go without flotation device without me worrying about him. I still wouldn't allow him out of my sight, but I'm in the water already due to Lael and Dean (I won't be the mom lounging on the side of the pool for quite some time!). The younger two wear their floaties and do very well in the shallow section. Neither have much fear and don't mind going under with their heads, so I expect them to do well with lessons when we begin. If I can get them swimming earlier than Grant has, it will give me a bit of freedom, and it would make them happier, too.
- School starts in 1 month. That went quickly. I'm now trying to do review with Grant everyday so that he is ready for 2nd grade in public school. This is a new phase for us. I got a bit anxious the other night thinking about handing my "baby" over every day. But, I've had a good prayer session about it, and the Lord has taken my fears and nervousness. I know this is the right thing for our son this year, and it is time to walk in peace and trust- even excitement over all the good that is to come!
- My garden ended up being rather pitiful. But, the lemon balm is going crazy and we have enough for, probably, 30 gallons of yummy iced tea or mojitos. Well, 30 gallons of mojitos aren't good for anyone. :-) And, my bell peppers are trying to grow, but Lael keeps "harvesting" the tiny peppers before they can mature.
(that's a penny for scale- now you see my problem)
- A tiny project turned into a bigger project this past week. I was going to paint the back door. the paint was actually peeling, rather than just being faded, so I started to scrape off the crumbly bits, intending to sand the rest a bit to rough it up, and then paint a new coat over the whole thing. Scraping revealed a bit of wood rot, which led to ripping off the molding and re-framing the door, which led to discovering a smidge more wood rot on the transition piece, which led to a whole new transition plate. I felt bad for Eric because he got involved in a project that I wanted to do entirely by myself while he relaxed. He ended up sawing metal, nailing, and overseeing the whole thing in 90+ heat and humidity. We worked as a nice team, though, and I'm proud of us for tackling it together rather quickly.
Now the only thing left is the actual painting, which I can do! I've picked a deep charcoal gray that should look sharp against the black and white striped awning and the light gray siding.
- The flooring project is nearing some resolve. I'm still awaiting one sample. This is going to be a LOT of work but will transform the entire space. I think we're excited and nervous all at once.
- I've embraced another homemaking task. Its a bit crazy, but I'm enjoying it for now- I'm hanging clothes on a line. Like, drying them OUTSIDE. Motivated by saving energy, keeping the hot dryer from running during the summer, and unnecessarily burdening the environment- we thought that the "old school" method for drying clothes was worth a go. We purchased an umbrella style line on Amazon and it is fully removable (you just have a tiny hole in the ground when its not up). It takes a bit of extra time to hang the clothes (15 min.), but I like it so far. In fact, it allows me some time to get caught up in a bit of reflection and prayer while doing a chore. It is gentler on garments and encourages me to fold the items as they come off the line, rather than dumping them in a heap and folding the overwhelming "mountain" all at once (like we do as load after load comes out of the dryer).
Of course, maybe its just the novelty that I'm enjoying right now, but time will tell if it becomes a warm weather routine.
- Fourth of July was simple and nice. I didn't take many photos, and we didn't see a fireworks show. But, good friends, loads of kids (only two families and we have that many children?!), great food, a crazy convoluted game of Scrabble (it seems ridiculous that we played that way now....), and chatting with neighbors in the warm summer night made me a thankful woman. Oh, and thank you Amy for introducing us to grilled corn- we've already used that technique again this week!
Yum.
- We have discovered Man vs. Wild and are eating up all of the TiVoed episodes. Educating, amusing, breathtaking- I recommend it. For a person like me who dreams of seeing every inch of this amazing Earth (forget luxury cars and huge mansions- I'd travel the world!), it further puts me in awe of God's creation. So diverse, so beautiful. It makes me wonder, though, if I would be willing to do all that this man does to survive. Specifically, the eating and drinking of things that are less than wonderful. But, even the cliff jumping or rock climbing without ropes. Yikes. I'd better not get stranded somewhere. Especially somewhere where there are snakes, or bears, or saltwater crocs, or... let's be realistic, I kind of don't want to camp in a tent ever again. On the other hand, it inspires a person to see how far they could push themselves if they had to. Like when Eric and I watched EcoChallenge a few years ago- it made me want to run a marathon or do a crazy long hike to combat the cushy/ insulated life I lead. You know, the life I like... really, its quite an internal conflict. ;-)
- There's been swimming at the YMCA.
Grant is swimming solo, kind of. He does the dog paddle, and isn't a strong swimmer, but he's able to go without flotation device without me worrying about him. I still wouldn't allow him out of my sight, but I'm in the water already due to Lael and Dean (I won't be the mom lounging on the side of the pool for quite some time!). The younger two wear their floaties and do very well in the shallow section. Neither have much fear and don't mind going under with their heads, so I expect them to do well with lessons when we begin. If I can get them swimming earlier than Grant has, it will give me a bit of freedom, and it would make them happier, too.- School starts in 1 month. That went quickly. I'm now trying to do review with Grant everyday so that he is ready for 2nd grade in public school. This is a new phase for us. I got a bit anxious the other night thinking about handing my "baby" over every day. But, I've had a good prayer session about it, and the Lord has taken my fears and nervousness. I know this is the right thing for our son this year, and it is time to walk in peace and trust- even excitement over all the good that is to come!
- My garden ended up being rather pitiful. But, the lemon balm is going crazy and we have enough for, probably, 30 gallons of yummy iced tea or mojitos. Well, 30 gallons of mojitos aren't good for anyone. :-) And, my bell peppers are trying to grow, but Lael keeps "harvesting" the tiny peppers before they can mature.
(that's a penny for scale- now you see my problem)- A tiny project turned into a bigger project this past week. I was going to paint the back door. the paint was actually peeling, rather than just being faded, so I started to scrape off the crumbly bits, intending to sand the rest a bit to rough it up, and then paint a new coat over the whole thing. Scraping revealed a bit of wood rot, which led to ripping off the molding and re-framing the door, which led to discovering a smidge more wood rot on the transition piece, which led to a whole new transition plate. I felt bad for Eric because he got involved in a project that I wanted to do entirely by myself while he relaxed. He ended up sawing metal, nailing, and overseeing the whole thing in 90+ heat and humidity. We worked as a nice team, though, and I'm proud of us for tackling it together rather quickly.
Now the only thing left is the actual painting, which I can do! I've picked a deep charcoal gray that should look sharp against the black and white striped awning and the light gray siding.- The flooring project is nearing some resolve. I'm still awaiting one sample. This is going to be a LOT of work but will transform the entire space. I think we're excited and nervous all at once.
- I've embraced another homemaking task. Its a bit crazy, but I'm enjoying it for now- I'm hanging clothes on a line. Like, drying them OUTSIDE. Motivated by saving energy, keeping the hot dryer from running during the summer, and unnecessarily burdening the environment- we thought that the "old school" method for drying clothes was worth a go. We purchased an umbrella style line on Amazon and it is fully removable (you just have a tiny hole in the ground when its not up). It takes a bit of extra time to hang the clothes (15 min.), but I like it so far. In fact, it allows me some time to get caught up in a bit of reflection and prayer while doing a chore. It is gentler on garments and encourages me to fold the items as they come off the line, rather than dumping them in a heap and folding the overwhelming "mountain" all at once (like we do as load after load comes out of the dryer).
Of course, maybe its just the novelty that I'm enjoying right now, but time will tell if it becomes a warm weather routine.- Fourth of July was simple and nice. I didn't take many photos, and we didn't see a fireworks show. But, good friends, loads of kids (only two families and we have that many children?!), great food, a crazy convoluted game of Scrabble (it seems ridiculous that we played that way now....), and chatting with neighbors in the warm summer night made me a thankful woman. Oh, and thank you Amy for introducing us to grilled corn- we've already used that technique again this week!
Yum.
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