As Happy as I Choose to Be

Lesson Plans

I'm taking an online scrapbooking class right now and it is called the Mother LOAD with LOAD meaning creating a LayOut A Day for 26 days (yes, I'm insane).  So far have made all but 2 days and have actually made those up on another day. 

The prompt for today's layout was Ritual.  I had had this picture of Dad and Bailee reading the bible in a hotel room in Colorado printed for more than a year and just hadn't scrapped it yet.  The ritual prompt indeed prompted me to think about Dad and his Sunday School lessons.  The work he put into them in the front bedroom.  Sitting.  Poring over reference books so he could elaborate all the points he wanted/needed to.  Lisa and I used to joke that he should have been a preacher.  (Except he wouldn't have ended in time for the Cowboy games and would have frustrated his congregation!)

  
 
Dad always had a great memory.  He could repeat any joke he ever heard. The words to goofy country songs.  And of course, an appropriate scripture when the situation called for it. When I put together the 100 Wishes Quilt for Bailee, Dad provided fabric (ok, Mom did that part) but he provided the scripture.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb; I praise you because I'm fearfully and wonderfully made;

Your works are wonderful, I know that full well;

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139: 13-16

Another one of his lessons.

Knock knock

For her reading homework tonight Bailee is reading from a knock knock joke book. My favorite so far is:

    Knock Knock

    Who's there?

    Interrupting cow

    Interrupting cow who?

    Moooo   (there are instructions explaining that when the other person was saying moo that you are to interrupt them)

My favorite part was Bailee reading the instructions about when to interrupt as part of the joke. Any reading is good.

Two hours later...As I was saying good night to Bailee I had told her I couldn't give her a kiss goodnight because I had had a headache all day and was now getting a scratchy throat.  A minute later she says:

    Knock Knock

    Who's there?

    Hope

    Hope who?

    Hope you feel better

Awwww....that's my sweet girl.

RIP Lola (squeak squeak)

We were a little late with the funeral (the mouse has been in a box in our freezer for a month) but finally laid Lola to rest yesterday. Bailee made the "headstone" at her after school program and I love the #2 best mouse in the world part. the #1 mouse, Brownie, is still alive and stinking up Bailee's bedroom.

RIP Lola!

Her blue period (kind of like Picasso)

Today was the first day of 4th grade. She's so into sky blue lately as her favorite color...as you can see. She was also rather blue in spirit unfortunately.

She has been so anxious and nervous about starting 4th grade. Not so much about being one of the smallest kids in her grade (though that bothers her too) and not over not having all her friends in class with her but about not keeping up. About not knowing her times tables. Not doing well in her classes. It's hard to comfort your child completely when you know there is a basis to her fears...school isn't easy for Bailee and likely never will be. But here's hoping her blue period is just a color phase.

Happy Mother's Day again...

I got a bookmark and two cards from Bailee PLUS 3 coupons, good for:

• Laundry (which she specified at 19 days...pretty cool, huh?!)
• Doing homework
• and a 3rd I can't remember right now

We also bought a self-portrait kit at Michael's yesterday while shopping for birthday presenters for the THREE upcoming b-day parties (oh my).  Bailee painted it right after we got back from the store.  Here's her masterpiece and a wonderful Mother's Day present.

 

Happy Mother's Day

 
Today is National Scrapbooking Day and I treated myself to an early Mother's Day present to myself...and I scrapbooked for a while.  First time in months.  Felt good.

This photo on this layout is probably close to Mother's Day 1962 where I was the baby in my mother's arms.  Mom is still kicking and an amazing 86 year old who gardens for several hours a day, is on the town library committee, drives a woman my age to her chemo treatments 40 miles away every other week or so, cooks meals and desserts for those who are sick or bereaved in her church and basically is a wonderfully alive woman!  How lucky am I to have her for a mom!!!

Speaking of mom's...when I was saying goodnight to Bailee just now, she told me she had a wish for me.  She wished I was married, had two girls - one from my tummy and one from China.  She said I would stay home and my husband would bring home dinner (how cool is that, married, stay-at-home mom and I still don't cook?!).  He would make lots of money ($1000) and he would kill possums.  He would go around the world killing things people didn't want.  (Not sure how to take that or if she saw some exterminator show on TV).  Anyway...it was a sweet thought, and I'm as likely to get this wish as she is to fulfill the mother's day coupon she gave me tonight for doing laundry for 19 days. 

Ester the Easter Bunny

OK - so it was more than a week ago, but it's too good to not take note.

I didn't know the Easter bunny took requests, but Bailee apparently thought he/she did.  Bailee wrote several notes for the Easter bunny and also asked Mom to make sure she had carrots so we could leave some out for him on Saturday night.

We did let Bailee know we needed to move the carrots and notes from the middle of the den floor and put them outside where the Easter bunny hides the eggs and fortunately she agreed. 

Turns out I had forgotten that Bailee wanted a Puffle (some sort of stuffed animal-ish thing) in her Easter basket until I read the note late that night.  Oops!

So the "Easter bunny" wrote Bailee a note and thumb-tacked it to a tree in the back yard explaining he/she wasn't giving out Puffles this year and thanking her for the carrots.

We also now refer to the Easter bunny as "she" and now officially have named the Easter bunny Ester based on Bailee's spelling on the notes.

When we got back home late Sunday night, our next door neighbor, Charles, and his wife gave Bailee a basket with Reese's peanut butter cups and this adorable brown and orange rabbit that we immediately named "Ester".

 

       



 
 

See Spot Run

Bailee must have gotten a "popper" in one of the Easter eggs at her after school program recently.  We're driving in the car last Thursday and she says "Mom, look!"  I turn around and see she has this rubber circle thingy stuck to her forehead.  Then she proceeds to stick it to her chin and her cheeck and her arm.  It really was like a suction cup that just stuck to her.  She pretended to be a wicked witch with a mole even.  Pretty funny.

Now, granted, I only discovered these poppers in the last year or so when Bailee would get one in a goody bag from a birthday company. Oriental Trading Company's website describes them as "Mini Marbleized Poppers. Flip these vinyl toys inside out, place them on a hard surface and watch them pop up! A simple yet fun activity, these colorful poppers can be used on tables, hard floors and even sidewalks."  In retrospect, I realize this states nothing about sticking it to yourself.  There's a reason for this!

 
When Bailee woke up for school on Friday, we were both horrified to realize she had basically given herself a hickey (not that I said those words out loud to her...I didn't want to have to explain that).  And the reality is, she was horrified.  I was trying desperately not to laugh out loud or even smile.  In my mind, I could just see the animal from the Dr. Seuss book "Put Me in the Zoo".   At least there was only one spot. She was so embarrassed that she asked me to explain to her teachers and ask them not to ask her about it.  I emailed them and they all got a big chuckle out of it...who wouldn't?!  Poor thing.  This picture is from Saturday - 2 days later, while getting a haircut.  It's now Tuesday night...and there is still a slightly red circle on her forehead.  Oh my... 

 

You know you're raising a girl when...

OK...doing laundry until late in the night/morning in order to pack up and drive to Mom's for Easter weekend.  I was reaching into the dryer to pull out some clothes when I saw glitter come floating out of the dryer as if it was pixie dust.  I knew before that it's a sure sign you're raising a girl when you can do an entire load of clothes that are pink.  Not red mind you...just shades of pink.  Granted, that's when she was a few years younger (just a baby, as she says now "I don't like pink now, Mom!" with a sigh and an eye roll).

Now the sign is when pixie dust comes out of the dryer to land on the floor (and all your adult clothes too plus the litter box...that's kind of fun).  It seems most young girls' clothes have a healthy dash of sparkle to them these days.  And apparently even though it sure looks like it's all still on the shirt...some of it is coming off and infecting the rest of my tiny laundry room!

Yes, congratulations...it's a girl!

Like Gerbils in a Ball

Spring Break was busy for Bailee (trip with the Woodards to Waco Zoo, Dr. Pepper Museum, Glen Rose to Dinosaur World...) and then once I was off work we went to see Dralion (Cirque du Soleil show - amazing) and then to Rodeo Austin.  Bailee loved the rodeo (horses...of course she loved it!) but the funnest part was one of the attractions.  Not really a carnival ride, more like the latest version of a bouncy ride or bungee jump.  It's called WOW!  for Walk on Water.

• Step 1.  Kid climbs inside a 6-8' plastic ball that has a huge zipper and an air hose used to insert air.  The instructions or warnings inform you there is sufficient air for 30 minutes.  There are approximately 6 or 8 of these large balls in a huge pool that is 20' X 30' X 3' deep.
• Step 2.  Kid tries to stand up.  No luck.
• Step 3.  Kid tries to crawl.  Only slightly better luck.
• Step 4.  Kid crawls, rolls, laughs, tries to stand up again, falls, laughs, rolls, crawls. 
• Step 5.  Repeat.  Over and over.

Eventually Bailee got pretty good.  By eventually, I mean on the 3rd and 4th times she went on this "ride".  She absolutely loved it and I did too.  It's like watching human gerbils rolling around.  Hysterical!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Bailee!

 
 
I've been slamming busy and haven't been keeping up this blog.

But I don't want to miss capturing this special Bailee moment.

We went out to dinner on Balee's bithday with the Woodards and had a great time.  Renee even bought a cake with blue frosting.  We all looked like Mastermind (dumb animated movie from last year), or at least our tongues and mouths did.  Bailee opened some presents, got a birthday spanking and we all sang.  Fun evening, especially for a school night.  The Woodards had also gotten Bailee several balloons.

In the car on the way home, Bailee asked if we could cut off one of the balloons when we got home and send it up to heaven to Papa so he would know it was her birthday.  Needless to say...yes.

 

God's telling me not to cook

So I've decided to select one habit or goal a month to focus on.  Instead of some huge list of resolutions that I won't bother with...I decided to pick one habit a month throughout the year.  January's goal was to cook more (since I don't really like to cook, we eat out way too often and hopefully this might lead to some $ savings and possibly even weight loss...we'll see about that last one).  Well, I did pretty good in January and not just because Bailee was sick for 10 days and we couldn't go out...  I really did cook and have continued to into February (thus my master plan of creating new habits that last).  Even made homemade mac-n-cheese for the first time ever last week.

And possibly the last time.  I think God is sending me a message because obviously this much use of my stove and oven after all these years was just too much!  Tonight my oven sparked out (the coil, I guess.  I actually saw the spark and it flamed and it continued to spark and burn up the coil for almost an hour before I figured out that just turning off the oven wasn't going to be enough.  So I had to call the neighbors over to help me pull out the oven and eventually find the breaker for it (outside the house...really? I was supposed to know this?).  And when I first saw the spark (while pulling out some foccacia bread that had been warming), I immediatetly set down the foil-wrapped bread (on top of a burner that was still on)...noticed that about 3 minutes later (before anything else burst into flame) so I moved it onto a cutting board...which I proceeded to place on top of another burner that was still on.  I don't react to flames well apparently.  So even though the oven was already toast (pun intended)...I proceeded to further damage the stove.  Stressful, stressful evening!

So indeed, I take this as a sign from God that I really shouldn't be cooking.  I mean, it's not as though I used my oven for Christmas ornament storage like a woman I used to work with does.  So...tomorrow I shop for a new range...and for takeout!

Merry Christmas...dolls and technology

 
Hard to keep up with how technology changes EVERYTHING! (but then again...not quite everything) Bailee got (and wanted) an ipod Touch and also an American Girl doll.  Yes...spoiled rotten, but interesting with the contrast of what kids are surrounded by these days.

    
 

My favorite things?  the simple things...

• Bailee fell in love with paste-on mustaches recently so we got one for everyone's stocking.  pretty funny.
• Mom and Bailee delivering Mom's homemade cookies and Christmas candy to several friends
• Well...my actual favorite thing was Bailee reading the words on the screens in church last night to sing "Do You Hear What I Hear?"  A year ago she couldn't have read a portion of the words but the hard work and Take Flight program and Passport to Reading program are paying off.  It was wonderful to hear her say "My favorite song" and then start singing.

 

Gotcha Day - 8 years later

December 22 - 8 year anniversary of our Gotcha Day!  (I'm a day late acknowledging but we celebrated yesterday!)

Christmas in China brought me the best present EVER 8 years ago!!!  Our adoption group's red couch photo at the White Swan (w/ mom's). 

Merry Christmas Rudolph

 
Attempting to learn new photography technique - bokeh.  I think this looks like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (as opposed to the lights we put on one of the trees in our front yard).