If you didn't see my New Year's Resolution you might want to read that so you know what I'm talking about. Of course, I believe all my followers to be of the utmost intelligence so if you don't want to read it I'm sure you'll be able to catch on pretty quickly.
This is going to be harder than I thought. I went to the library the other day and got five books. They would all fall into Category B of "Resource Reading". Then I got another book today, "Thank God I'm Natural" which falls into the same category. Then I have about umpteen Category A "Easy Read" books that I could read. Plus, I do have shelves full of Category C "Actual Literature" books that I could read.
Doesn't sound so hard does it? I have plenty of books, which is generally the case. I might only have one pair of jeans, but I have a LOTS and LOTS of books. :) So, what's my problem? I want to do what I always want to do and pick up an Easy Read and dive in and then pick up another one after that and so on and so forth. I don't even want to decide which books I'm reading. I have an Easy Read that I got from the used bookstore that I've *already* read (from my favorite series) and I just want to read that one again because I know I like. You know you're pushing the limits of sanity when it's too much pressure to read a new book....
However, I will press on! Cue music "I will survive" by Gloria Gaynor. I'd put the song on the blog, but a) I don't know how and b) I don't like blogs with music. THERE I SAID IT! Do you know what I do when I open a blog and it has music playing? I MUTE it as fast as I can. Music slows everything down, and maybe we don't like the same songs, and even if we do, it's not going to take me that long to read your blog and so then I've just heard this little snippet of a song which doesn't do me any good, and it's not like I'm sitting around just waiting to hear what song you're feeling at the moment (sorry). I'm doing things like listening to my own music or watching tv or mothering my children (sure). AND if I do happen to read a blog without anything going on in the background then it means that I'm probably hidden away somewhere and savoring the quiet! ....and now I'm collecting myself, apologizing for my outburst and getting back on track....
I've decided that my Resolution Round 1 books will be:
Easy Read: "Witness in Death" by JD Robb (yes, I've already read this)
Resource Reading: "The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers" by Elizabeth Pantley (because my three year old is killing me)
Actual Literature: "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte (because I started this in June, I think, and haven't finished yet and I was actually enjoying it)
So, really, Round 1 shouldn't be too hard for me so I figure it's a good way to start myself off with almost guaranteed success. A book I've already read, a book that is more for skimming than reading, and a book I'm halfway done with.
Anyone else want to take up my Resolution Reading? :)
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
No homestudy yet
Well, no homestudy in my sad little hands yet. I thought we were going to have it today. No homestudy, no sweet little girl, bummer bummer. Really, the fact that our worker is working on it at all (and I know she is) is good because her office has been closed since Dec 24 and until this coming Monday, whatever day that is. So, really I am happy that we're almost done with it (very happy), but a little sad because in an email she said she thought we'd have it by the end of the week.
We're four months away from my unrealistic goal of being in Ethiopia with Little Miss for her 2nd birthday (or at least close to it).
Tick, tock, tick, tock.
We're four months away from my unrealistic goal of being in Ethiopia with Little Miss for her 2nd birthday (or at least close to it).
Tick, tock, tick, tock.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
I like resolutions
I am a resolution kind of girl. I am married to a non-resolution kind of man. I accept this as one of his shortcomings and he deals with this as another reason to roll his eyes at me. See how open and understanding we are? We also aren't threatened by celebrity love interests. For example, my husband recently remarked that Jessica Alba should be in every movie. I'm okay with that. He understands that I need my Shemar Moore fix weekly via Criminal Minds and that I want him to be the voice of my GPS (note, I don't actually have a GPS, but if I did and if I could have his voice on it I would). My husband is okay with this. We are a model of marital health, right? :)
I am not a model of staying on topic....back to resolutions...
I love new beginnings, fresh starts, blank slates, do-overs, all of it. It's such a great idea. New year, new season, new morning, new week, new month, all of it is good.
"His mercies are new every morning"--- I love that. As a mother, I NEED that. And so I know I don't have to wait for a new year to start over because every morning (every moment really) my God is right there for me all over again. I love that. As a person prone to messing up, I NEED that. God will give me my clean slate back whenever I ask him. Isn't that just amazing?
My 2010 resolution has to do with reading.
I, Jamey, hereby resolve to be a more well-rounded reader.
I am generally an escapist reader. Life gets stressful and I escape with mystery book to the bathtub. Life is suddenly sexy and exciting. The biggest problem that I'll have to deal with is my bath water getting cold. I am the protaganist and life is good. Alternately, I do a lot of parenting resource reading and I really enjoy that as well, but in a completely different way. I do read other books, but those are my vices. So here are my rules.
1. I will not cheat except under extreme duress. :)
2. These are my categories:
a) Easy Read Fiction
b) Resource Reading (adoption, parenting, self-help, etc)
c) Actual Literature
3. I am allowed to read more than one category at a time, but if I finish an Easy Read I can't start another one until I've completed both the Resource Reading and the Actual Literature book.
4. I'm allowed one BLECH book a month that I can stop reading and find another one in the same category.
5. If one of the books that I'm reading is over 500 pages and I have finished BOTH of the books from the other categories then I am allowed to start new books from those categories at that time, but I have to finish the longer one during the second round of reading or declare it a Blech book.
6. I will finish at least one complete round of reading each month.
Any other resolution people out there?
I am not a model of staying on topic....back to resolutions...
I love new beginnings, fresh starts, blank slates, do-overs, all of it. It's such a great idea. New year, new season, new morning, new week, new month, all of it is good.
"His mercies are new every morning"--- I love that. As a mother, I NEED that. And so I know I don't have to wait for a new year to start over because every morning (every moment really) my God is right there for me all over again. I love that. As a person prone to messing up, I NEED that. God will give me my clean slate back whenever I ask him. Isn't that just amazing?
My 2010 resolution has to do with reading.
I, Jamey, hereby resolve to be a more well-rounded reader.
I am generally an escapist reader. Life gets stressful and I escape with mystery book to the bathtub. Life is suddenly sexy and exciting. The biggest problem that I'll have to deal with is my bath water getting cold. I am the protaganist and life is good. Alternately, I do a lot of parenting resource reading and I really enjoy that as well, but in a completely different way. I do read other books, but those are my vices. So here are my rules.
1. I will not cheat except under extreme duress. :)
2. These are my categories:
a) Easy Read Fiction
b) Resource Reading (adoption, parenting, self-help, etc)
c) Actual Literature
3. I am allowed to read more than one category at a time, but if I finish an Easy Read I can't start another one until I've completed both the Resource Reading and the Actual Literature book.
4. I'm allowed one BLECH book a month that I can stop reading and find another one in the same category.
5. If one of the books that I'm reading is over 500 pages and I have finished BOTH of the books from the other categories then I am allowed to start new books from those categories at that time, but I have to finish the longer one during the second round of reading or declare it a Blech book.
6. I will finish at least one complete round of reading each month.
Any other resolution people out there?
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Let's Bring Our Babies Home!!
Okay, my blogging friends. This is what I want. I want my Little Miss home. I want this bloggy friend's Little Man home. I want all of these babies who are sitting in orphanages (nice as they may be) while their forever families are at home blogging about them to be home. I want every baby to have a forever family...biological/permanent foster/kinship care/adoption...I don't care. I want every child everywhere to know that they are precious to God and precious to parents. I want their faces kissed, their hair lovingly touched, their tears dried, their dreams heard, their futures dreamed of, their mistakes forgiven, their hopes cherished, their hands held, all of it. I want it all for every child born onto this planet.
I can't do that for all of them. I can do that for a precious few. I can help other likeminded people to do that for a precious few more. YOU can help do that for a precious few more. Call me idealistic, call me unrealistic, call me a liberal bleeding heart, call me a fool, but I do honestly believe that individual people can change the world for the better.
Five dollars. Do you know what the last thing that you spent five dollars on was? Probably not because to most of us five dollars is NOTHING. We'll spend five dollars on just about anything. How about this? Take a minute and read this family's blog about their desire to bring home a child and restore them to the love of a family that we all take for granted. Five bucks, you'll help a child, help a family, help yourself and maybe even win a great vacation. And guess what, you'll never even miss that five dollars. Try it and see. (Frankly I'm still hoping to win that vacation, but I'm willing to pit my luck against yours!)
I can't do that for all of them. I can do that for a precious few. I can help other likeminded people to do that for a precious few more. YOU can help do that for a precious few more. Call me idealistic, call me unrealistic, call me a liberal bleeding heart, call me a fool, but I do honestly believe that individual people can change the world for the better.
Five dollars. Do you know what the last thing that you spent five dollars on was? Probably not because to most of us five dollars is NOTHING. We'll spend five dollars on just about anything. How about this? Take a minute and read this family's blog about their desire to bring home a child and restore them to the love of a family that we all take for granted. Five bucks, you'll help a child, help a family, help yourself and maybe even win a great vacation. And guess what, you'll never even miss that five dollars. Try it and see. (Frankly I'm still hoping to win that vacation, but I'm willing to pit my luck against yours!)
Lazy daydreaming day
I had several posts I planned to write today, well I wasn't going to write all them just one, or maybe two and save one for later. Instead I am TIRED and still sore from exercising the other day and so I have not done much of anything productive.
I've drank all the coffee immediately available to me. There is more that I could make, but that just seems like too much work. So, I sit on the couch and... (this is me looking furtively around for my husband, just to be sure he's at work because someone in this family should work! lol) ...plan our next vacation! :)
My husband and I have big plans to vacation and travel. They have mostly been pot dreams (minus the pot). We've never spent big money on a vacation and most of the time since we're in the military when we have time away we end up going home to see family.
We had our honeymoon: a cabin in Tennessee for a week, a weekend in San Diego (before we had kids), an overnight trip to Myrtle Beach with friends when I was barely pregnant the first time, a weekend at the beach with my parents and a bunch of their friends when Peanut was 10 months old, a weekend at the beach with two of my sisters, two nephews and Peanut, a weekend in San Francisco (with both kids) and that's it. Seriously. We've talked about doing other things, but something always comes up: generally time and money. :)
Anyway, we determined to travel (I think Ethiopia is a GREAT start) and I've got my sights set on Summer 2011. :) Little Miss will have been home for just over a year and all the kids will be 4, 3, and 2. Little, but old enough to do fun things with as long as we keep it pretty mellow. I'm thinking we can invite my parents along so we can still have some family fun, but free babysitting too :).
We could do a week in a rented beach house somewhere within driving range, maybe we could save enough and do a cruise. My mom is a Disney-holic my kids are pretty well-immersed in all things Disney so that could be fun for kids and adults alike. We'd have to save more, but hey, I'm just dreaming right now.
In later years, I'd like to do a Beaches resort, I want to do some RVing with my kids, I want to see Egypt, I want to see the town where my grandparents were born in Italy, and of course there's England, Germany, Australia, France, and return trips to Africa!!! I need to start playing the lottery I think. :)
So, how about you? Where do you want to take your family? Dream for awhile and just forget reality. :) Oh, and could someone bring me another cup of coffee? Please?
I've drank all the coffee immediately available to me. There is more that I could make, but that just seems like too much work. So, I sit on the couch and... (this is me looking furtively around for my husband, just to be sure he's at work because someone in this family should work! lol) ...plan our next vacation! :)
My husband and I have big plans to vacation and travel. They have mostly been pot dreams (minus the pot). We've never spent big money on a vacation and most of the time since we're in the military when we have time away we end up going home to see family.
We had our honeymoon: a cabin in Tennessee for a week, a weekend in San Diego (before we had kids), an overnight trip to Myrtle Beach with friends when I was barely pregnant the first time, a weekend at the beach with my parents and a bunch of their friends when Peanut was 10 months old, a weekend at the beach with two of my sisters, two nephews and Peanut, a weekend in San Francisco (with both kids) and that's it. Seriously. We've talked about doing other things, but something always comes up: generally time and money. :)
Anyway, we determined to travel (I think Ethiopia is a GREAT start) and I've got my sights set on Summer 2011. :) Little Miss will have been home for just over a year and all the kids will be 4, 3, and 2. Little, but old enough to do fun things with as long as we keep it pretty mellow. I'm thinking we can invite my parents along so we can still have some family fun, but free babysitting too :).
We could do a week in a rented beach house somewhere within driving range, maybe we could save enough and do a cruise. My mom is a Disney-holic my kids are pretty well-immersed in all things Disney so that could be fun for kids and adults alike. We'd have to save more, but hey, I'm just dreaming right now.
In later years, I'd like to do a Beaches resort, I want to do some RVing with my kids, I want to see Egypt, I want to see the town where my grandparents were born in Italy, and of course there's England, Germany, Australia, France, and return trips to Africa!!! I need to start playing the lottery I think. :)
So, how about you? Where do you want to take your family? Dream for awhile and just forget reality. :) Oh, and could someone bring me another cup of coffee? Please?
Send me your links
I'm compiling a list of shopping sites that benefit orphans, support adoptions, and do other good works around the world. If you'd like your site or your favorite shopping site listed send me a message and then I'll check it out and add it to the lovely list on the left hand column.
Cheers!
Cheers!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Hold You in our Hearts
Hello Little Miss,
I just wanted to say that we missed you dearly this Christmas season. We did enjoy having Christmas with our family here and with Peanut and Pickle, but I would lying (and remiss) if I didn't tell you that we celebrated this Christmas with our eyes already on next Christmas when you will be here with us.
Since we couldn't hold you in arms this year we just held you in our hearts. We're almost finished with the home study sweetheart. We should have it all done THIS WEEK. During our Christms celebration and travels Daddy and I did all our adoptive parent classes online. We have a tradition of buying your brothers a "classic" book every year for Christmas and you got one this year too. :)
It wasn't just your immediate family thinking about you either. It was your great big extended family and our friends as well. We had several donations to help bring you home, mommy sold some more blankets, and Africa was big theme in gift giving this year.
These gifts weren't all for you some were for your brothers, some for mommy, some for daddy, and some that mommy bought because I have an addiction to the used bookstore where Nonna and Pop-pop live. Mommy (and Daddy) go out of control buying books there and I can't wait to teach you to do the same! :) I do have to say though that you received presents directed to you from both sets of grandparents and all your aunts. I might have even shed a few tears when I saw your name on the gift tags.
Here are the gifts/items bought this Christmas because we were thinking about you:
"I Love My Hair" by Natasha Tarpley
"Whoever You Are" by Mem Fox
Princess Tiana shirt that says "Love Always Finds a Way"
A snuggly soft baby doll
Sparkly snap barrettes
Girly scrapbooking accessories
"The Color of Water" by James McBride
Family Time CD by Ziggy Marley
"Does Anybody Else Look Like Me?" by Donna Nakazawa
A collection of stories by Zora Neale Hurston
A bag of Teff
"I Lost My Tooth in Africa" by Penda Diakite
"One Hundred is a Family" by Pam Munoz Ryan
"Abeba Goes to Bed" by Fitsame Teferra
"Kaldi and the Dancing Goats" by Sauda Mdahoma
"Sing Along Song" by JoAnn Macken
We love you, Little Miss!
Love,
Mommy
I just wanted to say that we missed you dearly this Christmas season. We did enjoy having Christmas with our family here and with Peanut and Pickle, but I would lying (and remiss) if I didn't tell you that we celebrated this Christmas with our eyes already on next Christmas when you will be here with us.
Since we couldn't hold you in arms this year we just held you in our hearts. We're almost finished with the home study sweetheart. We should have it all done THIS WEEK. During our Christms celebration and travels Daddy and I did all our adoptive parent classes online. We have a tradition of buying your brothers a "classic" book every year for Christmas and you got one this year too. :)
It wasn't just your immediate family thinking about you either. It was your great big extended family and our friends as well. We had several donations to help bring you home, mommy sold some more blankets, and Africa was big theme in gift giving this year.
These gifts weren't all for you some were for your brothers, some for mommy, some for daddy, and some that mommy bought because I have an addiction to the used bookstore where Nonna and Pop-pop live. Mommy (and Daddy) go out of control buying books there and I can't wait to teach you to do the same! :) I do have to say though that you received presents directed to you from both sets of grandparents and all your aunts. I might have even shed a few tears when I saw your name on the gift tags.
Here are the gifts/items bought this Christmas because we were thinking about you:
"I Love My Hair" by Natasha Tarpley
"Whoever You Are" by Mem Fox
Princess Tiana shirt that says "Love Always Finds a Way"
A snuggly soft baby doll
Sparkly snap barrettes
Girly scrapbooking accessories
"The Color of Water" by James McBride
Family Time CD by Ziggy Marley
"Does Anybody Else Look Like Me?" by Donna Nakazawa
A collection of stories by Zora Neale Hurston
A bag of Teff
"I Lost My Tooth in Africa" by Penda Diakite
"One Hundred is a Family" by Pam Munoz Ryan
"Abeba Goes to Bed" by Fitsame Teferra
"Kaldi and the Dancing Goats" by Sauda Mdahoma
"Sing Along Song" by JoAnn Macken
We love you, Little Miss!
Love,
Mommy
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