End of School Year Laugh

One of my favorite quotes!

 

 

Coffee how I love thee!  Please keep me alive through finals

and end-of-the-school-year projects!

I pray you all have a safe and happy weekend!

Enjoy!

Pausing To Give Thanks

Hello.  It's been awhile.  I hope we can still be friends. 

I go days with nothing to say.  Yet so much goes unsaid. 

Some of it is the normal craziness of life, celebrating Patrick's friend party (yes, two months late!),

 

and keeping up with the normal busyness of life. 

Most of it is deep sadness over cancer ravaging my parents' lives.  No words.  One sweet memory that will always be etched in my memory.  Look down the path and you will see Mei Mei pushing my father's wheelchair.

Will came home to see his Papa.  Bittersweet.  And only two days with my son left me aching for more.  I loved having him near and hearing him laugh while teasing his siblings.  And I was I thrilled to see our grandbaby. I miss her.  More than words can ever convey.

I did force a family photo out of Will's few precious hours.  I forgot how absolutely agonizing family pictures are!!!  Ugh!  Working to find coordinating outfits is a form of human torture!

 

The professional version coming soon to a blog near you!

On a positive note Kim is recovering quite well!  We finally have our smiling, happy girl back!  And we are so thankful for friends who brought dinner or sent money to buy dinner--thank you!!!

The past few months have been a roller-coaster. I try to remember to focus on Christ and take one day at a time.  Some days I don't do that so well--like this morning.  But I came downstairs and saw this--compliments of Mei Mei.

And I walked into the boys' room and saw this.

And I was reminded to slow down and smile, and give thanks to God for all His goodness--even in the midst of sorrow. 

Must Read For Adoptive Parents!

Realistic Expectations The First Year Home is an amazing compilation of helpful articles for adoptive parents and it is FREE from EMK Press.

Did you hear that?  FREE!!!

And free is a very good price!

It includes one of my all-time favorite advice from Deborah Gray, Top Ten Tips for Successful First Year Parenting, plus over 20 other articles on attachment, dealing with anger and power struggles, overcoming sleep issues, and help for parent burn-out.

Did I mention it's FREE!!!

It is great reading for beyond the first year too.  I loved 10 Keys to Healing Trauma in the Adopted Child, by Bryan Post, and I've been practicing it with great results. 

Affection Prescription 10-20-10

"Give a child 10 minutes of quality time and attention first thing in the morning, 20 minutes in the afternoon, and 10 in the evening.  Following this prescription of time has proven to have a great impact on the most negative  behavior." 

Just click on the link above, scroll down, and download the pdf.

This should be required reading for all adoptive parents.  Yes, it's that good.  And FREE! 

Poetry Night

Mei Mei recently celebrated her school poetry night. 

I often feel teary eyed at children's events and this was no exception.  I cannot believe how far this little girl has come in just one year!

Last year at this time I couldn't even imagine her in a classroom, let alone standing up in front of an audience reciting a poem from memory!  Amazing! 





The Little Turtle

By Vachel Lindsay

 

There was a little turtle.

He lived in a box.

He swam in a puddle.

He climbed on the rocks.

 

He snapped at a mosquito.

He snapped at a flea.

He snapped at a minnow.

And he snapped at me.

 

He caught the mosquito.

He caught the flea.

He caught the minnow.

But he didn't catch me.

 

What Do You Feed All Those Kids? Classic Chicken Pot Pie

Hubby's been out of town, so that calls for easy-meals (including make-your-own-bowl-of-cereal-for dinner), lots of Disney movies, and plenty of bed-partners, both on the bed and on the floor.

It also calls for chicken pot pie since it's a family favorite (minus the big daddy-o!).   

This recipe is a drop-dead-gorgeous-palate-lovers-delight, from my sister Amber.  It makes one pie, so double for two.  It calls for store-bought pie crust (hello easy!), but if you feel like torturing yourself make homemade crust, which is especially yummy!

Classic Chicken Pot Pie

1 (15oz) package Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust
1/3 C. butter
1/3 C. four
1/3 C. onion (I use onion powder)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 C. chicken broth
2/3 C. milk
2-3 C. cooked chicken
2 1/2 C. frozen mixed vegetables

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Prepare pie crust and place in pie pan.  In medium sauce pan melt butter over medium heat.  Add onion, cook 2 minutes or until tender.  Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended, stirring constantly.  Gradually stir in broth and milk, cook, stirring constantly until bubbly and thickened.  Add chicken and vegetables, mix well.  Spoon into crust, place second crust on top, flute edges together, cut slits in several places on top crust.  Bake 425 for 28-38 minutes, until crust is golden.  Eat and enjoy!

Patrick's Weather Forecast

Someday, I will have to make a book of Patrick's quotable quotes.  Maybe I'll title it, Patrick's Quotable Quotes.  That's catchy, huh?  And creative? 

A couple days ago I went to class and there was beautiful sun.  SUN!  I had on a short-sleeve shirt and sandals.  It was LOVELY!  We soak up the sun in this part of the world like a Chinese noodle soaks up soy sauce!

Did you like that little analogy?  I made that up all my myself.  Could you tell?

Compare and contrast

PNW woman : sun   as   Chinese noodle : soy sauce

But I digress.

As I came out of the social work building it was pouring rain and COLD.  Ugh!  I had no jacket!  And of course I didn't have an umbrella because nobody in the Pacific Northwest uses them--go figure!  So, I did the mom-jog to my car (parked on the other side of campus because it's cheaper!), while simultaneously trying to balance my backpack over my head.  It wasn't pretty. 

Patrick's latest quotable quote rang out loud and clear through my mind:

"There's no such thing as bad weather. There's just such thing as being inappropriately dressed."

 



Warning: The Following Post Contains Graphic Images

Kim went to her post-op today.  She is still struggling with headaches, but the doctor said it's normal and we have to remember she is only two weeks post surgery. 

I am so, so thankful to be on this side of the operating room and to hear her laugh and see her smile! 

I had promised some war wounds for those perverts out there who love blood and gore.

You know who you are.

If you do not love blood and gore you might just want to leave this blog while you still can. 

Go ahead.  I don't blame you.

And for you other weirdos . . .

Tell me, do you think this nurse might need some additional training in placing an IV?

Ouch!  That is FIVE pokes later peoples!  Luckily, she was already under anesthesia. 

On a cool note tho, when she went to the emergency room they had this quick-burst-shot-thing that instantly numbed the skin.  Or at least it was supposed to.  Kim wasn't so sure.

Anyhoo.  On to what you all really want to see.

The war wound.

Yup.  I warned you.  It isn't pretty, but she will have a great scar to brag about if she decides to put her hair up in pony tails.

We will now move on to posts beyond hospitals, surgical suites, and the ER! 

Updates on the other kiddos and a new life quote by Patrick, along with crazy thoughts and blurry thinking and random pictures.  Like this.  I do not even know what this is supposed to be, but apparently it was picture-worthy since it ended up on my phone. 

Any guesses?  I know, I know.  It looks like a penis to me to! 

What?  You weren't thinking that?  I guess that's just one more example of my perverted mind . . . doesn't it make you wonder how I have any friends at all?  I'm glad you are all my friends.  Even if you only exist in the blog-o-sphere!

I love you all!  Thanks again for the love, support and prayers these past few weeks!