Last day of January

One of the things on my list was two blog posts a month. Here it is the last day of January... and I truly have nothing to say. Last week was a tough one, just too many things to do and not enough hours in the day to get it all done.

I have thought about my list. I have a few more things to add. I am not sure if I am going to just add them to the list or replace. Here are the additional things that I would like to do:
- Host a cookie exchange
- Find a fragrance that I like, and start wearing it.
- Buy 6 new pairs of shoes. Currently I am down to two pairs, and one of those is a pair of tennis shoes.
- Find some new make-up... out side the neutral brown family. I am thinking a nice shade of plum.

Hmmmm, just reread this post and the first paragraph certainly doesn't go with the second. Doesn't make much sense to add to my list when I feel like my days are too full as it is. So, I think that I am going to edit my list down to 40.

Forty things in 2010...

Here is my list... oh my that was not easy. Would have been easier if I had remembered that I was going for 40 things and not 50. I worked hard to come up with 50 things. I am not taking any of them off, but I may only get 40 of them done.

1. Be able to park my car in the garage.
2. Organize the paper clutter in my house.
3. Go on a girl's weekend away... that is with friends, not my children :)
4. Begin reading the Bible through... not necessarily finish.
5. Put up Christmas lights on my house.
6. Lose 20 pounds.
7. Lose another 20 pounds.
8. Use what I have (for the most part) to decorate my bedroom... this mama needs a retreat.
9. Paint the 3 chairs that are sitting in my garage, and if I don't paint them get rid of them.
10. Paint the girls' rooms.
11. Organize my pantry.
12. Teach my girls to ride their bikes.
13. Make a change a work, could be a change in location, change in grade level or just a change in attitude.
14. Attend a conference, webinar, class or just read a book that gets me excited about teaching.
15. Organize my closet.
16. Install shelves in my laundry closet.
17. Get a pedicure or facial...or both.
18. Host a dinner party.
19. Go to lunch/dinner with good friends.
20. Reconnect with an old friend. Thank goodness for Facebook.
21. Complete Adoption Journey Photobooks for each of my girls.
22. Plant a tomato plant, and hopefully harvest a few tomatoes.
23. Can peaches or jam... or both.
24. Take my girls to the waterslides. I will go down the waterslide with them if I can cross off #6 & #7... otherwise we will need to take a teenage cousin or two.
25. Have a garage sale.
26. Take a trip to the coast, hopefully with grandma.
27. Make a loaf of homemade bread.
28. Memorize my cell phone number.
29. Overcome one of my driving issues... haven't picked yet, could be merging on the highway or left hand turns.
30. Memorize 12 scriptures.
31. Complete Beth Moore's Esther Bible study.
32. Update my blog twice a month.
33. Upload a profile pic. on my blog.
34. Comment on 6 blogs... of people that I do not know.
35. Read a few "just for fun" books.
36. Take Meigan out for an evening alone.
37. Take Kate out for an evening alone.
38. Attend a Chinese cultural event... learn more about the Chinese culture.
39. Make a new friend.
40. Make sundresses for my girls.
41. Make Sunday evenings "family night"... and make it meaningful.
42. Drink more water... cut back on Diet Coke.
43. Exercise 3 times a week... really want to say be able to run 3 miles, again. Just afraid that might not happen.
44. Create a budget and live by it.
45. Clean the carpets.
46. Take more picutures of my family. Seems like I only take pics of the girls.
47. Read Charlotte's Web to my girls.
48. Begin to jounal, again.
49. Spend more time in pray...keep a written record of God's answers.
50. Stop using.... when I write.

So there you have it... it should be a fun filled, if not busy year.

I am playing along... eight things.

I am playing along with Jill and Jamie... enjoy, my next post should be published sometime in early August.

8 things I am looking forward to:
1. Summer... I have decided not to work this year.
2. Saturday morning, sleeping in... just a little... past 5:30, anyway.
3. Spending time more time with good friends.
4. A huge garage sale this summer... I want this junk out of my house!
5. Taking my girls to swimming lessons.
6. Having a clean house... will that ever happen.
7. Reading more... without falling asleep.
8. The day my girls no longer need me to help them brush their teeth.

8 things I did yesterday:
1. Taught a classroom full of children who have apparently been stricken with an acute case of Spring Fever.
2. A load and a half of laundry.
3. Unsuccessfully tried to figure out why my sprinkler system is not working...ugh!
4. Made dinner.
5. Bathed my girls.
6. Cleaned a bathroom.
7. Read stories.
8. Worked on next weeks Sunday School lesson.

8 things I wish I could do: In no particular order....
1. Work less
2. Play more
3. Be free of driving anxiety.
4. Enjoy yard work... I would love to have a garden.
5. Find the perfect, stylish, low maintenance hair style.
6. Decorate my bedroom... stole this one from you Jamie. I would love to have a bedroom that looked like a grown up room.
7. Have more patience with my own children... too many days I feel like all my patience is spent on other peoples children.
8. Lose thirty pounds.

8 shows I watch:
1. John and Kate Plus Eight
2. American Idol
3. Those really are the only shows that I watch consistently... but, I also watch
4. other random shows on TLC, Animal Planet, HGTV. I just never can remember what
5. comes on when.
6.
7.
8.

8 people I tag:
1. Meme
2. stops
3. here...
4. no one
5. reads
6. my
7. blog.
8. :)

Welcome 2009!

While 2008 was a great year, it is not one that I am sad to see come to a close. It brought with it great joy, along with tremendous struggle. Most of the year was spent in survival mode... just trying to make it to the next day. Sounds a bit dramatic, but emotionally that was were I was at. Well, I made it through ... and I think that I may have even grown a little from the whole experience. Now I am ready for 2009! I am praying for a year where I live life more thoughtfully and peacefully. I have let my role as single working mom rule my life... not working so well, as I am exhausted, worried, and frustrated most of the time. I am ready to focus more on my role as daughter, daughter of the King. I am ready to turn in exhaustion, worry and frustration for things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. It is going to be a good year!

Can you believe that this post has taken me an hour to write? I wrote and wrote and deleted and deleted... then wrote and wrote and deleted and deleted. Hmmmm... that is how I blog. I process lots of thought and then delete or store them in a draft file. Most of my thoughts never make it public... and it is probably better that way.

Playing games

Well, since I am at such a loss for words these days I thought that I would play along.





The Rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following questions.
* They have to be real places, names, things. nothing made up!
* You can’t use your name for the boy/girl name question.
* Tag at least 5 people to play along

1. What is your name... Beth
2. A four letter word... Burp
3. A boy's name... Brian
4. A girl's name... Beatrice
5. An occupation... Banker
6. A color... Blue
7. Something you wear... Bandana
8. A beverage... Bloody Mary, of course I don't drink these, but it is a drink nonetheless.
9. A food...Burgers
10. Something found in the bathroom...Bubbles
11. A place...Beijing
12. A reason for being late... Broken clock

I am not even going to say Tag... since the only two people who are still checking this sadly inactive blog have already played along.

Can't Load Pictures!!!

I am so frustrated with Blogger... I can't load pictures. Has anyone had this trouble? Any suggestions?

Growing up

Bare with me while I share a few things about my eldest. It has been a big couple of weeks for Meigan.

She is enjoying school very much. I am watching her blossom right before my eyes. One of her teachers even said that she is becoming quite the "social butterfly"...if you know my girl, this is big.

Last week Meigan spoke her first prayer. I really thought that this would never come. I have been asking her for more than two years, twice a day, if she would like to pray. Imagine my surprise last week when she answered yes.

My girl also decided that she wants her own room last week. I have been sitting with the girls while they go to sleep for several month (since Kate came home, actually). I have tried several times to get the girls to go to sleep without me. I just have not had the strength to work through the tears and guilt. I had almost resigned myself to sitting with them forever when Meigan out of the blue gathered her pillow and lovey and headed off to the playroom. There is a twin bed in the playroom and she has been sleeping there ever since. Kate did have a few tearful nights. They were pretty intense, but shortlived. It is wonderful to have a little more time in the evenings to get things done.

Finally, Meigan cracked me up tonight while I was giving her a bath. Her hair had been washed and I was busy rinsing it with warm water when I heard her say, "This is the life." She cracks me up!

This could have been the scene at my house this weekend.

Yes... I had a frog in my back yard and mice in my garage. Yuck! Not much I can do about the frog. They are a problem with the irragation canal so close. The mouse (turned out to be mice) on the other hand are another story. I think that the mice showed up this weekend, as I have seen no traces of them and saw only a few "indications" of their presence on Sunday. It was Sunday morning when I was going out to feed the dogs when I flipped on the light and saw the gray furry hind end of the little rodent scampering away. EEEEK! Well, traps were set (thanks to my stepdad, who so kindly gave up Monday Night Football) and mice were caught.

Unfortunately, the seal at the bottom of my garage door has an opening at one end. As the nights are getting colder I am afraid that more mice will try and find refuge in my garage. My hope is that word has spread among the mouse community that while entry may be easy you may never come out... at least not on your own four feet. Traps will remain set, and the garage door company may be called to replace the seal. I just can't live with mice.

T'was the night before preschool....

UPDATE: The day went great. Meigan was a little hesitant in the beginning. By the end of the preschool day she gave her stamp of approval by saying, "I want to come to school tomorrow." Kate was excited beyond words from the moment she saw her backpack sitting by the door. I had bus duty this morning, so the girls had to stand outside with me as the kids filed off the busses. Kate was so excited when she saw the busses that she turned and waved at me and wanted to load the closest one.


I wish that I could say that not a creature was stirring. But no, Meigan is tossing and turning and telling me how very hard it is to go to sleep when you are so bored.

Well, tomorrow starts a new phase in life, as well as a new routine. Both of my girls will be attending preschool, and so ends the journey to Grandma's each morning. Seems hard to believe, wasn't it just yesterday that I was carrying Meigan around on my hip... oh, wait a minute, that was yesterday. But it does seem like just yesterday that I brought her home. Now she is heading off to school, and I am already missing the "baby" days. Kate has been home only 9 months, and it doesn't seem nearly as strange to be sending her off. She came to be my daughter as an older toddler, ready for school when we first met. So while my heart is not sad about how quickly the years have flown, it is very sad for the years that I missed with her.

God has been good to us. A month ago I had plans in place... girls enrolled in separate preschools and a Friday daycare lined up. Well, at the last minute, and in a matter of a few short days those plans were totally turned upside down. Neither girl will be attending the preschool they were enrolled in last Spring, and our Friday arrangement have changed, as well. I worried so much last Spring, trying to get everything in order. God had other plans, better plans. The girls will now be able to come with me each morning, and go to preschool in the same building where I teach. I can't even begin to tell you what a blessing this is. Just to have them in the same building with me make my heart happy. This means they come with me to work, and on some days I might even get to see them after their preschool session ends. My mom will pick them up each day, and have them in the afternoons. On Fridays, they will go to a neighborhood daycare that is unbelievable. It will be nice for my mom to have a day to help my grandma and just catch up around her house. I know that daycare is not ideal, but what this woman is doing is amazing. The girls will be well fed, cared for, played with, and taught about God's word.

Well, we are moving on... whether I am ready or not. Tomorrow the first day of preschool, and before I know it the first day of high school. So, for now I will let that little ache in my heart serve as a reminder to make the most of each day that I have with my sweet little ones.

P.S. Stay tuned... cute first day of school pictures to come soon.

Five Days Down

Yep, 5 days down and 175 to go. School had a very good start, probably the least stressful in 5 years. I am back to 1st grade(no more combination classes for this teacher), at the school I love and have no plans of adopting... should be a piece of cake, right? I am grateful to have a job that provides for us, and allows me more vacation time than most. I am also grateful for an administrator that is "family friendly" and supports and encourages me not only as a teacher, but as a mother. But after a nice long weekend with my girls, I was really not very excited about returning to work this morning. I have never really minded working outside of my home. As a single mom it is just something that must be done. In fact, much of the time I really do like the structure that getting up and going to work brings to my life. This year feels different, I wish I could be home with the girls more. I try to make our evenings meaningful family time, but it is hard to do when you only have 4 hours to work with. I am not sure why this year feels different... maybe it is that this is the last year before my girls enter Kindergarten and it feels like they are growing up too fast. Maybe it is that I have seen such growth and change in Kate over the last week and know that much of that is simply because we had more time together. Maybe I am just sad that my girls get my last few hours of the day rather than my first... and that saying about saving the best for last doesn't always happen. Whatever the reason, my heart feels torn and a little bit sad. Lots of prayer needed here.

On the brighter side, my girls will be starting preschool next week. This will allow them to come to school with me four mornings a week, and they are able to attend the preschool that is housed at my school, what a blessing. I hope that just having with me more in the morning and in the same building will help.

Every wonder what the first week of 1st grade looks like from the teachers perspective?

This really is what it feels like at times. Soooo, if a cat happens to cross your path next week remember to pray for me. Thanks

First day back...not bad at all.

Today was the first day back to school for teachers. I have been trying for a couple of weeks to get back into the early morning routine...seems silly, since I really had only three weeks off between summer school and today. All and all the day went fairly well. We got out of the door on time, although it did look like a tornado had cut right through my house. The girls went to Grandma's with no problems at all (Kate has been a little teary lately, so I was a little worried). My day at work was good, but I did way to much visiting... I love catching up after a busy summer.
What I was most proud of today, was our evening routine. The last 9 months have felt terribly disorganized, and I very much did not want that to become a way of life at our house. I been reading a lot of stuff written by the FlyLady , especially about not living in a state of CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome). Anyway, she is big on routine. I don't think that I will every be as over the top regimented as she promotes, but I have certainly gleaned some worthwhile things. So, tonight we tried out our new routine, goes something like this...

• Arrive home, get dinner started.
• Bath girls while things are cooking.
• Sit down for dinner.
• Girls read on the couch for 10 minutes quietly, while mom picks up dinner dishes and throws in a load of laundry. I really set the timer for 7 minutes with the hopes of building up to 10. I was quite pleased when the timer went off and Meigan asked if they could PLEASE!!! read some more.
• Fifteen to twenty minutes of chores with mom... girl helped me fold laundry and clean up the playroom.
• Reading books.
• Brushing teeth.
• Off to bed... at 7:30 on the dot.

No TV... just family time. The girls had a good evening, and I feel less stressed. Now, if only I could get my girls to go to sleep without having to have me sit in their room. Although, I do make good use of this time sitting in the dark, it has become my time to check blogs and make posts.

Meigan is worried!

Tonight while reading books Meigan began playing with my hair. She so lovingly announced, "You have gray hair mom." Jamie, you missed a spot near my ear :) I didn't pay much attention to her comment until I heard her begin to whimper. I asked her what was the matter. She began to cry and said, "I don't want to be a mom." Meigan has had a small obsession with me becoming a grandma lately. She is making connections... she knows her grandma has gray hair, and she knows that she has to be a mommy in order for me to be a grandma. So of course, if mommy has gray hair she must be becoming a mommy soon. My poor baby!

All went well

Kate's implant was successfully activated Monday afternoon. The only real problem of the day was that our appointment was not really scheduled until Wednesday. The office staff was great, and knowing that we had driven in from out of town and stayed in a hotel worked very hard to accomadate us.
The actual activation was a lot different than I expected. Kate had very little response to sound, except for some tears here and there. Although you could tell by the look in her eyes that she was hearing something.
Since coming home, I have already been able to move her volume level up a few notches very comfortably. She has also pointed to her ear several times to indicate that she has heard something. She also seemed to have found her own voice last night. She had been doing a little crying, I was watching her and all of a sudden her eyes got a little puzzled look and then she began to play with the sound of her voice. She had a little grin on her face the whole time. It was fun to watch.
The only trouble she has had has been when the device is first turned on, or when it falls off and needs to be reattached. There have been some tears, but even that is getting less and less. In fact, this afternoon it fell off, and she reached right around and reattached it herself. She looked pretty proud of herself. I have been surprised at how quickly she has gotten used to all the things that are now attached to her... something on her ear, her head, and her shirt. She has not seemed bothered by any of this at all. She has also been very tired, even though we have tried to play it very low key. Her little brain has got to be on sensory overload.
I am so proud of my girl... she has been such a trooper through all of this. I am so excited to see what the coming month and years hold for her. It will not be easy, but this little girl has got lots of fight in her.

Monday is the Big Day

The big day is just around the corner. Kate's implant will be activated Monday morning. This is one of those thing that it feels like you wait forever for, and yet I can't believe that it is already hear. I am very excited, the nervous stomach started earlier today.
I am trying to keep my expectations in check. Every kid is different, and every kid responds differently. If the implant is successful I think that Kate will respond very positively. She does have some sound awareness, and gets quite excited when she hears something. She loves to babble away at us, so I think that she is going to love hearing us talk. Of course, this is just what I think...she may react completely differently.
One thing that I know for sure, the implant activation is no the end of the process... it is really the beginning. There is a lot of hard work ahead, for both myself and Kate. Kate is not only very bright, but very strong-willed. That strong-will has left me exhausted and exasperated at times, but in this case I think that strong-will is going to serve her well.
Please keep her in your prayers... and check back Monday evening or Tuesday morning.

A New Drama Queen Has Been Crowned

UPDATE: Bandaid removal did not go well, oh the crying. A minute or so after things calmed down she showed me her hand that seemed to be wet. I ask her what that was and she said, "It's okay mom, it's just tears."

From the day that I met Kate I knew that she was to be the reigning Drama Queen in our little family... and until yesterday she was.
This picture was taken almost 24 hours after Meigan's injuries occurred, and she is still unable to walk. In that 24 hours there has been much whining, crying and even sobbing. All of this over a pair of skinned knees, oh my! Granted, Meigan has been a pretty much injury free girl (this is actually the worst owee that she has had, and the only injury that really merited a band aid), but this reaction has gone a bit far.
I just don't know if this house is big enough for two queens.

I learned a lot from Summer School

Today was the last day of Summer School, yippee! I really did enjoy my stint on the administration part of things. I know that the job I did really was nothing in comparison to what happens during the regular school year, but nonetheless I learned a lot. I learned a lot about the behind the scenes working of a school, but I also learned a lot about me. Had you asked me 10 years ago if I would have ever tried my hand at something like this I would have said absolutely not... had you asked me 20 years ago if I would become a teacher I would have said no way... had you asked me only 5 years ago if I would be the single mom to two 4 year olds I would have said impossible. I am so glad that God has gently guided me in directions that I would never have dreamed possible. I just didn't have the confidence in myself. But, come to think of it confidence in myself probably wasn't going to get me far... it was all by faith in God that these "accomplishments" came to be. In Ephesians 3:20 God says that He is able to immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine... and that is certainly true in my life.

Ephesians 3:20-21
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

My girl did great!

Friday was the big day, Kate's first cochlear implant surgery. My sister went up to Spokane with us on Thursday evening. I felt a little bad because Kate was so excited to be treated to a couple of days away. When we drove up to Grandma's house she just looked at Meigan and waved. She did not even want to get out of the car to drop Meigan off.

The day of the surgery went great, that is until she saw the hospital dressing gown. That is her cue that they are going to take her away from mommy, and she really doesn't like that. The nurses were kind enough to set the gown aside until she was asleep. While things were going great with Kate, I was not faring so well. Some kind of bug hit me hard about 30 minutes after they took her into surgery. The nurses let me stay in one of the pediatric pre-op rooms, and from there my sister took over with Kate's care. Jamie was such a lifesaver, I am so glad that she was there. I felt so badly that I could do nothing, but I was really sick. We finally got back to the hotel sometime after five. I laid as still as possible while Jamie worked hard to keep Kate still. Kate's pain medication seemed to wind her up rather than settle her down. Finally about ten she was off to sleep, and sleep she did... like a rock.

We drove home Saturday morning, all feeling a bit healthier. Kate has done wonderfully, she is off of any pain meds and taking a little Tylenol. She and her sister have played like crazy, and then had a good night sleep. I will be taking the dressing off today, yikes! They actually said I could wash her hair... I am going to have to wait and see how things look. If all goes well we may even head out to church this evening. Too many days confined to home can make all three of us a little crazy.

God was good to us this weekend! My prayers were answered... the operation was successful and Kate is health. Next step, activation! This will happen in about a month. I am so excited to see Kate's face when she first hears clear sound.

A Grateful Heart

Life is good, but oh so busy! I have tried to post several times in the last week, but everytime I do it sounds like one long laundry lists of complaints and poor-me's. As I was washing the dishes this afternoon this verse came to mind, In all things give thanks. 1 Thes. 5:18 So here it goes...

Thank you for...
Dirty dishes, because dirty dishes usually means full tummies.

Bickering girls, because if you wait 2o minutes almost assuredly you will have giggling girls.

The never empty dirty clothes hamper, while I may not have the latest fashion I always have something clean to wear.

Yardwork, because my girls have space to run and play.

Working in the summer, because I am able to provide for my family... and maybe even take them for a fun weekend away.

Hornet's nest under the eves of my house, because I get the chance to show that I can be a brave momma.

Outrageously priced gasoline, because I am staying home with my girls more than ever.

Bills to pay, because of those bills we have things like water, air-contitioning, heat and electricity.

Housework, because I am cleaning a more beautiful home than I could have ever imagined owning.

So these are a few things that I sometimes have trouble being thankful for, but there are also many things that I say thank you for quite easily...my family, my friends and most importantly my salvation.

Hmmm... that feels better. I think I have a few dishes to wash.

Look who is turning 4!

June 24th is Kate's special day... she turns 4 years old. She has been in our home for only 7 months, but in our hearts for much longer. I have said before that when I left China three and a half years ago with Meigan I felt that I was leaving part of my heart behind. When I left China last November that missing part of my heart came home with me. She is an absolutely amazing little girl, and in so many ways I feel like I am just getting to know her. We have made much progress in the last seven months... I can't wait to see where we are this time next year. So in honor of her 4th...
Four Fun Photos...

Four of My Favorite Things....

- Kate is an amazingly resilient child. She has been through so much in her four years, and she has come through it with a spring in her step and a smile on her face. She was given Chinese name Kai, which means "victorious." The Lord has certainly had His hand on her, and because of that she is certainly "victorious."

-Kate lets nothing hold her back. She may not hear, but she has not let that be an obstacle to her in any way. She is outgoing and fun loving. She plays hard and loves to learn.

-Kate is so expressive. She shows the spectrum of feeling on her face. When she is excited her eyes light up like no child I have ever seen, and you can't help but be excited. When she pouts her eyes certainly tell all, and the lip... oh, my the lip. She also uses her facial expressions to get you to laugh, she loves to make people laugh.

-Kate is the ultimate girly girl. She loves her dresses, heels and jewels. She watches me carefully and imitates precisely. The other day she was shaving her legs with the ladder to her doll's playground set... she was so careful.

Four prayers for the coming year(s)...

-I pray that Kate's implant surgery will be successful and she will receive the gift of hearing. I pray that the transition to the world of sound will be smooth and without fear. I pray that she would enjoy the world of sound and spoken language and that she would make quick and steady growth in understanding as well as verbalizing language. I can't wait to hear words like: mom, Meigan, and Jesus. She works to say "I love you," and I can't wait for her to hear me say "I love you."

-I pray that she will begin to understand who Jesus is, that she will receive Him as her Savior, and that she will love Him with all her heart and be passionately devoted to Him for all her life.
-I pray that she will understand that she is wonderfully made by God and be content and confident in the way that He has made her- physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
-I pray that she grows spiritually as quickly as she does physically and mentally.

Kate has been a part of our family for just seven months, but she has been loved by us for much longer. We love you kiddo! Happy Birthday, Kate!