Sunday, May 30, 2010

Happy Things 151-190

151. Mom Owens' enchiladas
152. having your Letter to the Editor published in the paper
153. real mashed potatoes (and knowing when you're being served flakes)
154. stained glass items made by your mom
155. singing to your favorite music
156. stretching out on the carpet with games and puzzles
157. getting silly on just one alcoholic drink
158. burying the hatchet with an old friend with whom you had a falling out
159. a 3-year-olds imagination
160. extroverts
161. giving thanks for what we have
162. having a picnic on the living room floor
163. learning a new dance
164. Italian salad dressing shaken in a cruet
165. playhouses
166. going hoarse from yelling at games
167. tucking something special into a lunch box or jacket pocket
168. big kids and their video games
169. meeting someone at the airport
170. garlic biscuits from Red Lobster
171. cleaning jewelry with an old electric toothbrush
172. starting a savings account for your child
173. Friday night football games
174. doing something that you know will put a smile on your face
175. collapsing in bed and cuddling
176. going to 3 movies in one day
177. remembering when kids used to want to be President
178. "Monday's child is fair of face"
179. campfires
180. large scrapbooks
181. chocolate milkshakes
182. haunted restaurants
183. fried pickles
184. anything crocheted by Mamber
185. 2 or more cats curled up together
186. watermelon eaten outside where you can just spit the seeds away
187. a trip to the old neighborhood (and how everything looks so much smaller)
188. courtrooms
189. Coke with limes
190. trying to play the harmonica

Show Us Your Life-Things You Love

Over at Kelly's Korner, she is having us tell about things we love or that make us happy. These are the 2 things that make me the most happy. Of course, if you've followed this blog, you've seen my lists of things that make me happy. I started that list when we hit the 1000th day of waiting for our adoption to go through (we are adopting from China). I am trying to do one happy thing for each day since then. I am hoping that I don't have to come up with 1000 things. That would make me really happy!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

New Couches

One of the things I really wanted to do this year is get new living room furniture. Our old stuff is almost 6 years old, and I didn't put a lot of thought into it when it was purchased. It had definitely taken a beating from Wrangler and the Kitty Krew.

Paul and I couldn't entirely agree on what we wanted, but I was adamant that I wanted microfiber fabric, so I gave in and let him get the overstuffed sized. (I prefer a smaller scale.) The red is probably bolder than either of us would have preferred but the other colors were too light. And red has always been the accent color in the living room anyway, guess there is an upside to not painting the walls already. They help tone down the room.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Show Us Your Life-Favorite Books

Even though I may not get to link to Kelly's Korner, please go there and check out all the others (especially if you are looking for something new to read).


As a preschool director, I get to read a lot of children's books all the time. I have a few favorites, but I really love finding books that have special meanings. My all time favorite books are the "If You Give" by Laura Numeroff.

I have a nephew who only lived 7 weeks. After he died, I started hunting for books that had characters with his name. As it happens he was born the year before the tsunami hit Africa. There is a wonderful story about a baby hippo orphaned because of the tsunami and a very old tortoise who became his friend. The hippo's name is Owen, the same as my nephew. They have published several books about these two. I can't read A Mama for Owen without crying.

There was a wonderful gentleman at my home church who recently passed away. Anyone who was asked would always say how they remembered Tom's reply of "I am blessed!" whenever someone asked how he was. The day of his funeral I happened to glance at a book rack in the grocery store (of all places), and there was a book titled I Am Blessed! Of course I had to get it, and I think of Tom every time I read it to Sophie.

Because of the adoption, I'm always on the look out for adoption stories, especially about those from China. My favorite is I Love You Like Crazy Cakes. I would really like to find one that talks about an older boy who gets adopted and ends up with a baby sister. I may have to write my own for that, though!

Awesome Cake


One of the moms at the preschool made this cake for Teacher Appreciation Week. Thanks!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Show Us Your Life-Kids Names

So if you want some suggestions for children's names or are curious how people choose the ones they do head over to Kelly's Korner.

Paul actually chose Sophie, and I don't think there is really any special meaning behind it. He just really liked the name. He hates tricked out names, either just unusual or because of some crazy spelling. He wanted a nice, normal name. I would describe it as "classic". The Rose for her middle name is a family name. It is my mom's middle name, too. Plus, I was born in the Rose Capital of the World, Tyler, Texas.

I had already come up with a name for our child we are adopting from China if it was a girl...Michaela. Since we call the China baby MIC this name kept that part. Of course, my dad and our pastor are both named Michael, so I'm sure they would read more into the name than we did.

Now that it looks like we are getting boy from China, we are really stuck. Paul has decided he wants to name him after his dad, George Bernard. I hate having close family members with the same name (it gets too confusing trying to determine who you are speaking about so people become Big this or Little that). So I am fine to use George as a middle name. I tried to come up with a name that would allow us to keep the MIC, but Paul hasn't liked my suggestion of Micah. He also doesn't refer to him as MIC much because in his mind MIC was a girl.

So, now we are on a quest to find a name that goes with George that we both like!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

65 in 365 Month 4 Update

This will be a list of 65 things I want to accomplish in the next 365 days. (No, I didn't come up with this idea myself, I borrowed it from this Foster Mama, along with some of her items.) I'll update the list once a month (that's the first thing on the list). Completed items are in italics.

1. Update the 65 in 365 once a month (4/12)
2. Come up with 65 goals for the year (35/65)
3. Complete Sophie's baby album
4. Complete 2009 annual album
5. Attend at least 5 StrollerStrides classes a month (17/60)
6. Girls Night Out (or Mom's Night Out) at least 4 times (3/4)
7. Go to the movies every other month (4/6)
8. Finish reading 6 books (0/6)
9. Try 26 new recipes (0/26)
10. Make our wills
11. Come up with a system for backing up digital photos
12. Make bed everyday; complete after 30 days, will restart counter when I miss a day (30/30)
13. Have date night once a month (2/12)
14. Build a snowman
15. Join a moms group
16. Set up a cleaning schedule and follow it; complete after 3 months (0/3)
17. Have lawn guys come on a regular basis
18. Take Wrangler to Kady the groomer 6 times (1/6)
19. Purchase a jogging stroller for Paul to use
20. Put items in JBF Consignment sales, 2 sales each sales season (2/4)
21. Make and stick to a weekly menu and grocery list; complete after 5 weeks (0/5)
22. Decorate the tabletop tree for each holiday or season (snowflakes, hearts, green and gold beads, eggs, flowers, red and blue stars, apples, Halloween, fall leaves, Christmas)
23. Update a blog everyday or at least average one new post each day (104/365)
24. Go on a scrapbooking retreat
25. Attend a scrapbooking crop every other month (4/6)
26. Complete 150 scrapbook pages (66/150)
27. Sign Sophie up for swim lessons
28. Attend one playgroup event each month (6/12)
29. Take Sophie to library storytime each month (3/12)
30. Attend a local Chinese New Year event
31. Have teeth cleaned twice a year (1/2)
32. Have Sophie’s picture taken with the Easter Bunny
33. Take Sophie to see a fireworks display
34. Attend Living Last Supper at church
35. Plan Sophie’s first birthday party