First Steps

Our agency, AAI, requires all adoptive parents to take at least one adoption class. So, after our children are snug in their beds, after they've asked permission for their last trip to the potty or their last ice water refill, or been told to stop talking for the last time, Mr. Smarty and I snuggle in for another adoptive parenting DVD. We are going through a series called Because They Waited, which discusses the needs of children who are mildly to moderately affected by their early life-like living in an orphanage or any less than optimal condition. In the last dvd we watched, the intstructor made the statement, "There are no good orphanages."

But I wanted to blurt out: "But ours is!...our agency hires only carefully trained caregivers. They assure us that all infants are held while bottle-feeding, the children play in the outside courtyard every morning, the staff to child ratio is as good as it as childcare facility, etc." But I didn't interrupt the dvd and instead, waited for the instructor to explain herself.

But she didn't really have to. Her comment came right to mind this past weekend when Baby took his first series of steps. I squeeled! I clapped! I cheered! I would get speechless but still beamed so he knew I was pleased and proud. Yet through my smiles and cheers, my mind was divided thinking of our future children who may learn to walk in an orphanage. I wondered how excited the carefully trained caregivers would get. And even the most attentive caregiver is only a shift caregiver. They may not even be aware that this is my child's FIRST step. And its not just about MY child..but every child in an orphanage or less than optimal care. Every child deserves a cheerleader for their first step, don't they?

Paper Doll Family Portrait

Everyone loved the extra time we had this weekend with Daddy home and their auntie visiting. We filled our relaxed weekend with two trips to the pool, a tea party (with raspberries and chocolate milk) and a lunch at a Jason's Jelly (aka Jason's Deli). Yet Belle still begged for a project. So here's what she & I worked on with our extra free time.

Celebrate & Support

As we near a day where we celebrate our country, I am very aware of how well we live here. And I am very thankful for all the freedom we have as well as all the comforts we so often take for granted. But this year I have become much more aware of how unbalanced the standard of living is in the world. Specifically, as I've researched international adoption, I have learned startling facts on the African AIDS crisis. Can I give you a few statistics from my blog friend, Jennifer's site From HIV to Home?

Today, 6,500 people will die of AIDS.

6,000 of those people will leave behind children.

Those children will join the already 15 million children who have lost parents to this treatable disease.

2.3 million children are infected with HIV world-wide.

Most pediatric infection occurs in mother-to-child transmission - the virus infects while the immune system is immature, making it easy for the virus to disseminate through the body.

It is estimated that, without treatment, 50% of HIV+ children in resource-poor settings will die by the age of two.

Sounds pretty hopeless, but please let me tell you about a wonderful non-profit organization called AHOPE. Their mission is to serve the children of Ethiopia, with a primary emphasis on caring for orphans infected with HIV.

AHOPE is very dear to my heart because they operate two Children's Homes in Addis Ababa, that are sister homes to the the ones our children will come from. However, AHOPE cares exclusively for orphans who are HIV+ who have no extended family to care for them. And the amazingly encouraging news: many of these children are now finding their forever families through adoption!

And now there's a really easy, cool way to support AHOPE:

AHOPE t-shirts are now available with 100% of the proceeds benefit the children of AHOPE. Click on the link below for more information on AHOPE and these great tee's! (These models are 3 of Lisa's 11 children from A Bushel and a Peck)



(By the way, those beautiful babes on the right are children waiting for families...)

Thanks for reading,

SUMMER'S HERE!

So here's the pretty picture of my taste of summer. And they taste even better in these depression glasses handed down to me via my mother.

And here's the ugly picture...this is the view from my fridge after my second trip to Kroger in three days during their CRAZY raspberry sale. Why was I the only one trying to stockpile these summer staples?

Scary Stranger Update

Okay, so I met up with the group of a dozen runners from Plano Pacers yesterday morning. And truely as everyone was arriving, my anxiety was calmed. Even under the street lamps, I could tell everyone was very friendly. And everyone who knew Mr. Smarty told me very nice things about him like, "Oh, he's so fast!" And complimenting my hubby is a sure way to win my liking. No one even laughed when I told them I was only going to run half the distance they planned to run. One runner even ran back with me when it was time for me to turn around.

And get this: I got home before anyone was up! I spent all this time the night before getting everyone's rightly colored sippy-cups with their rightly colored lids filled and ready in the fridge and their bowls and cereal out and on the island. The coffee maker was all set so all Mr. Smarty had to do was hit the "ON" button. But my efforts weren't wasted. I took a longer than usual shower, knowing everything was all ready to start the day. What a great way to start the week!

Runner's Ready, GO!

So Mr. Smarty + I picked out our big race for the year. The San Antonio Marathon in November. If you do the math, to begin training 6 months prior to the race means we need to start, uh, NOW. And since I find it so much fun to run long runs by myself, oh, wait, I don't enjoy solo long runs...I decided this weekend I would run with a group. A group of scary strangers. Scary strangers who have been running longer than I've been walking. No, there's nothing wrong with these people who get up at 5 AM every Sunday morning to run 20 miles together, when they have no threat of an upcoming race, just for the pleasure of running long distances together, then sharing a bagel or two until the rest of the plano running community is cooling down in Einstein's AC. This is what makes them strangers-this weekly ritual is quite strange, wouldn't you agree?

What makes them scary is that I have never, NEVER, run with a group before. I have been running off and on for 7 years. I have stopped counting my 5K's, run a couple of 10K's, at least two 5 milers, three 15K's, one half-marathon and one full-marathon. And never have I run with a group. Or a partner, save Mr. Smarty, for that matter. I tried to convince Mr. Smarty to run with the group last week (because he has run with them before) and ask them to be nice to me. I'm forgetting that runners in general are a nice bunch of people. My main fear is that I won't be able to keep up the group's pace. But Mr. Smarty assures me that this is a good group who run for the joy of running, not for speed. They run to run for life, not to set records. That's me. I never run for speed. I never set records. So why am I so anxious?

Journaling for My Kids

I keep a journal for each of my children. Each begins as a letter to the child, where I name qualities I have seen in them that are unique and special to their relationships in the our family. For example, our middle child is very sensitive, in the best ways possible. He is gentle to his baby brother and eager to please his big sister. In his letter, I specifically mention ways he is gentle and considerate to his siblings and tell him how proud I am of the compassion I see him exhibiting already. And also in his journal, I pray that he will always act with that quality.

Entries that follow the first letter are also written to the child, but they are more to the point about whatever I am recording in that moment. Here are some entries:

what a day in their life looks like at different ages

a list of their current favorite books

their first jokes

conversations or observations too funny to let time forget

plans for the future...my daughter has wanted to be a 'princess doctor' for a few years now...I have to record that. Someday she will realize there is no major for 'princess doctors' and pick something else. But we cannot forget her first passion.

reactions to firsts...i.e., the feel of snow, or sand, or being up on stage

favorite foods, preferences of restaurants (besides Mickey D's)

tid-bits of history relating to them...What does this mean? Earlier-mentioned son made an amusing comment while we were standing in line to vote in the Primaries this past spring, so when I recorded his comment, I also gave some (very neutral, but still my own) commentary on the interesting race we were facing.


I bought these books on the outdoor clearance stands at Big Chain Bookstore for very little money, but they are nice enough to be able to be proud of them enough to give to my children when they are older. At the time I bought them, I made no rules for myself about writing in them on a regular basis. I don't write every week, or even every month. However, I do leave out sticky notes to quickly jot down something I will want to record later when I have more time, when I've had time to process it, or when the kids aren't around.

This journal is not meant to replace a scrapbook or baby album. It just fills in those details that we would love to remember about our own childhood. I often wonder...what did I do all day before I started school? Did I play with dolls or blocks on the floor with my mom? I remember a few childhood books, but which ones were my favorite? How did my brother and I get along at different ages? When did we become friends? When did we stop? When did we start again? What did I eat for breakfast? Did I eat breakfast? I bet my parents remember a few of these answers but I would love it in their own words and handwriting, written in the moment. Recorded moments with all of the emotions of the day and season.

I enjoy keeping these books and look forward to filling pages and pages with more wonderful, amusing, and ordinary but personal memories. And I hope it blesses them to know how much their mother loved them to record these sometimes silly but always important details.

Oh, and one more memory that will for sure be going in my daughter's book-her love of photography! She was the one behind the camera for the shot above! Thanks, Belle!

DEALS of the WEEK

Following the theme of my last post, here are two more frugal tips for your thrifty pleasure:


Free Pedicure & Manicure from Herbal Essence. Purchase 2 bottles of specially marked shampoos/conditioners and receive 1 free manicure or pedicure from a participating salon. Two offers are allowed per household (so one pedi, one mani, if you wish). I have looked for participating bottles in every store and only found them at a particular store that starts with a W and rhymes with Ralmart. Save your receipt, then go to the linkage I provided above and enter in your UPC codes. It will give you unique redemption form to mail in with your receipt. And in 4-6 weeks, you can look for a voucher in your mailbox. (This is good until supplies last at Ralmart or 12/31/08.)

Two 6"x8" color hard-bound photo books from CVS for a grand total of $0.99. All photo books are Buy One Get One Free this week. The 6"x8" size is $6.99. There are $3 off Kodak photo coupons floating around out there right now. If you can find 2 (sorry, I've already given away/used mine), both will be accepted on the 2 photo books, bringing the grand total for 2 books to a single buck. These are the photo books you make instantly at the kiosks in the store, then they put them together while you wait. The paper is photo paper, but you have many choices for backgrounds/themes. I just made 2 for my in-laws to take to Jordan to give to the family back there. Wish I had taken a picture to give you an idea of the finished product, but they are already on the other side of the world.


Happy Savings!