Building a Family

Saying goodbye

2010-05-06T16:51:00.001-08:00

Today we said goodbye to our sweet puppy. We adopted Carrie (smile) from the humane society 2 months after we got married. She was a scrawny and scared 4 month old pup who was opposed to playing... a trait she never outgrew. She would eat the drywall when left home alone and we quickly learned the advantages of crating. She made the big move with us to Alaska, helped us move into our first house,

Doctor Day for Zboy

2010-02-24T15:49:00.000-09:00

Zboy had his yearly well child check this morning and it went well. He is in the 50% for height and the 75% for weight... down from 90% for both last year. I fully credit this to no longer being stuffed like a rabbit at he old childcare. I delayed the HEP A and MMR so we got off with no shots this go around... always a plus! After the appointment I took him to work with me for a while and he

Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T15:14:00.000-09:00

Zman and I celebrate a special anniversary on February 12 and since I gave some really lame gifts this year for Christmas and our wedding anniversary, I decided to go all out and really surprise him this time. To celebrate, every year we have dinner at the nicest restaurant in town and this year I also arranged for a fancy hotel suit, champaign, chocolate truffles, rose petals, and, umm...

Zboy is three!

2010-02-12T10:17:00.000-09:00

Things I want to remember about my 3 year old boyHe has to get dressed as soon as he gets up for the day. Not getting dressed immediately is cause for a meltdown. He has to have socks on at all times. He loves oatmeal and eats a huge bowl every morning. He loves his duplo blocks and can sit at the table for hours making huge towers and "robots" and then knocking them down. He LOVES to be outside.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-16T07:47:00.000-08:00

My new niece 9/15/09

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-09T12:06:00.000-08:00

2 years ago...

2009-06-21T15:22:00.000-08:00

This is what we were doing 2 years ago today...My how times flys!I sometimes wonder how we lucked out by getting the best boy in the world and obviously the most handsome one too! We are truly blessed by having been given the opportunity to know him and be his parents.

Sunday Swimming

2009-06-08T07:20:00.001-08:00

The fabulous weather continues and we have been having record high temps. We were outdoors pretty much all weekend. Here are some pictures from our trip out to the glacier Sunday evening. The kids just had to go wading and then some...

Too much fun...

2009-06-06T15:04:00.005-08:00

The weather has been too nice to blog. Record high temps have us all out side playing in the sunshine. Wish you were here!

Hard week (or three)

2009-05-22T09:48:00.002-08:00

The last month has been a doozy! It started off with my mother-in-law visiting for a week on the first. She was supposed to arrive on May 1st and stay through the 8th, leaving before Mother's Day and allowing us to go to the local adoption camping retreat on Mother's Day weekend. We found out 3 days before she was expected that she had decided to change her trip dates (months ago) and was really

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-20T22:15:00.000-08:00

8.5.08

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-22T20:41:00.002-08:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-01T11:32:00.003-08:00

Blast from the Past - Zman and Carrie 1994

Two

2009-03-29T18:35:00.005-08:00

This is my third trip down the 2 year old toddler road and while nothing is new or surprising, it's not getting any easier with repetition. Zboy is the KING of contrariness right now. When he gets upset because I won't let him bite his sister or run with knives, he screams for me to pick him up and then when I do he pushes me away and wants down. Of course, as soon as I put him down he wants back

I live!

2009-03-25T11:15:00.002-08:00

After an impromptu blog break, I think I'm about ready to pick up the threads of this blog again. See you all soon!

It's Christmas. Again!

2009-01-07T10:08:00.002-09:00

Today is Ghenna or Ethiopian Christmas.The Ethiopian Christmas, known locally as Ganna after a hockey-like game the shepherds played when Jesus was born, usually falls on the old Julian calendar date of 7 January. The celebration has a gently festive air, especially on Christmas Eve in Addis, where people gather to eat, drink and dance.Though we aren't celebrating Ghenna this year, we are working

New year... already?

2009-01-04T11:01:00.003-09:00

As usual, December was a crazy month around here and I rarely had time for the computer and this poor neglected blog. This year, January seems likely to be even crazier than December was! Zman has been away on business and returns late Tuesday. He is here for 2 full days and then we are off, next Friday, for a weekend trip to Seattle in celebration of our 13th anniversary. (Lucky 13... I can

Happy Holidays

2008-12-25T06:50:00.000-09:00

From our family to yours.And a very merry new year!

Still busy...

2008-12-16T19:48:00.003-09:00

This week has been full of baking Christmas cookies, wrapping gifts, and planning a 5th birthday party for my big girl. All things that keep me busy and away from my computer, (my dear computer, oh how I miss you!)but not far enough away that the kids can't watch their favorite youtube videos 10,000 times.Here is their current favorite.

Christmas Traditions

2008-12-10T11:26:00.000-09:00

I've always loved the fall and winter holiday season. I love the cooler weather, the cozy darkness, the music, and the yummy smells of baking. Nothing is cozier to me than spending a snowy evening by a warm fire with a book and a cup of tea! But... somewhere along the way I lost all that holiday love. Maybe it was because of the stress of pulling off a "magical" holiday for the kids, or the

Long time, no post...

2008-12-08T16:33:00.010-09:00

My son turns 2 in February but I don't think he got that memo; he is taking the terrible two role and running with it. It would be worse if we hadn't already done the two thing twice already and if he wasn't so darn cute that killing him isn't an option! He's at the stage where if you are not watching him every second, you will inevitably find him on top of the piano or hanging from the

A closet case

2008-12-01T19:35:00.006-09:00

Zboy has discovered the coat closet. Well, that statement is a little misleading, he actually has been depositing "treasures" in there for a while now. Every time I go to get the vacuum I find all the socks, gloves, papers, and toys that have gone missing since the last time I vacuumed. It's a whole new ball game now though; he has discovered that he can get in the closet and close the door

Shoes...

2008-11-24T10:42:00.004-09:00

I'm not one of THOSE kind of women... you know, the ones that have more shoes than sense closet space, but as I've gotten older, my feet have stopped growing, and I have some discretionary money, I have developed a small but growing shoe collection. Now, you have to understand that I live in Alaska and therefor have no use for shoes like this... even if I had somewhere to wear them. (Formal here

ok then...

2008-11-20T13:46:00.002-09:00

This falls under the category of "People with too much time on their hands!"And because I have too much time on my hands today, I also watched the longer version of how they did it... Definitely more entertaining than typing up meeting minutes, which is what I'm supposed to be doing right now.

Send more chocolate please...

2008-11-17T10:47:00.004-09:00

You know you are going to have a bad day when you wake up, turn on your computer, and get a blue screen of death! Yup, complete hard drive failure. Thankfully, everything that was REALLY important was backed up to the network - I did learn that lesson at least. Everything that was lost is replaceable, but the whole thing is highly inconvenient and irritating! Zman did a recovery on the drive and

Chocolate sooths soul

2008-11-13T12:05:00.005-09:00

Thanks for the virtual hugs everyone. I knew that YOU would understand what a huge loss this is for me and my son. My uncle, the data recovery specialist, has had the laptop for a week now and we are pretty sure the pictures and video are well and truly gone! (Sob) Jenny, who used the same agency we did, has offered us some of her photos of the orphanage and guest house. I will be nice to at

Crushed!

2008-11-10T11:43:00.003-09:00

They are ALL gone! Everyone of my photos and videos from our adoption trip to Ethiopia are lost and gone forever! I can't even type that without crying.I had them all stored on my laptop and was sure that I had backed them up onto our large network hard drive... the one that gets backed up regularly. I remember doing it! Then, I got a new laptop and gave my old one away, after Zman

Thank you!

2008-11-05T07:53:00.001-09:00

Thank you America for believing and working for change. Now the really hard part starts! I'd like to reach out a hand to those who had differing opinions on the best person to effect change in this country and come together to work for a future we call ALL be proud of. Just electing a man, any man, is not enough - we have to be the change we want to see in the world. "we will remember that there

Vote? Check!

2008-11-04T17:04:00.003-09:00

It feels good to have the madness behind us... for the most part. Expectation is running high around here and I'm tempted to turn off a media and forget about the election until tomorrow morning when we will know definitively one way or the other the outcome of the election! (unless we have another 2000 chad type issue) Somehow, I don't think that is going happen though, do you?So, while we all

Talking about Race

2008-11-02T09:29:00.000-09:00

As a multi-racial family, finding reasons to talk about racial issues is not hard but sometimes finding the right words can be. This is a great piece on ways to talk to kids (of all colors) about race issues in America in light of the current presidential election.Explaining Race-Tinged Presidential Bid To Kids

Thank You SBP!

2008-10-30T16:30:00.003-08:00

Several weeks ago I received a lovely book from my Secret Blog Pal and didn't post it here.... Sorry, what can I say - I'm lame! It's a great pictorial book called "Flying above the New England Coast." I've always wanted to travel to New England so it is wonderful to be able to have such a wonderful guild to that region. The pictures are gorgeous and I never knew that New England was so FLAT! I

Fighting off the Flu and Knife-wielding Toddlers

2008-10-28T09:54:00.008-08:00

I had a tough weekend - I think the post title says it all. What? You need more details? OK, ok...Zman and Princess were both sick with the flu all weekend; technically, Zman is STILL sick though the fever has finally gone down. I've said before that Princess is not a fun person to be around when she's under the weather and she didn't make an exception this time! The whining, the fussing, the

Loved this...

2008-10-24T11:00:00.002-08:00

This is a great video clip addressing transracial adoption issues. I love the interaction between the mom and son and I hope that when Zboy is grown we can share the same easy, open kind of relationship.Thanks to Ted and Lori for the link!

Wow. Just wow.

2008-10-23T09:43:00.004-08:00

Just when you think a campaign can't sink any lower...The fact that the RNC would stoop to invoking the tragic images of 9/11 and then imply that Obama is a terrorist in the same camp as those who killed so many Americans... I have no words! OK, that's not true; I have words, just none that I feel fit with the "family friendly" tone of this blog. I don't have a problem with hard hitting debates

Overheard on the Bus

2008-10-19T08:59:00.001-08:00

I've been taking the bus home from work everyday since June and have found it to be quite an experience sometimes. It's often a wet and cold experience that can try your patience; especially since I catch the bus around the same time the kids get out of high school. (Who knew that sharing IPod headphones was the promise ring of the 2000!) I find the demographic of the riders on the bus

All Pooh, All the Time

2008-10-09T09:09:00.001-08:00

I think that every family has things that are very important to them; things that you take a stand on every time. Seat belts, for instance, are a huge deal around here; my very small 8 year old will probably be in a booster seat until High School at the rate she's growing. But what is very important to one family may not be important to others. I'm thinking about this today because of a recent

I just can't help myself...

2008-10-06T09:19:00.001-08:00

This had me rolling, especially the Palin crack about marriage being defined as between two non-consenting teens! So, so funny!

My name...

2008-10-05T10:15:00.000-08:00

What My Name MeansYou are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality.You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated.You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want.You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And

My LAST Palin post

2008-10-01T08:00:00.003-08:00

I can get away with posting something about Palin every other day because I'm an Alaskan... right? OK, so it's getting tedious for me too but this is my last post about this topic for a while.I don't usually talk about politics on my blog, though I've been known to post a good video or link now and then, because I tend to be pretty private about my political leanings, religious associations, etc.

It's just SAD!

2008-09-30T16:19:00.002-08:00

SNL Sara Palin Interview vs Real Sara Palin

Facebook?

2008-09-30T09:49:00.002-08:00

OK, OK. I have finally caved to peer pressure and signed up on facebook... Now I have to ask, "What the hell is this?" What am I supposed to do here? I put up a photo and a link to this blog but have stalled from there. Maybe I've past the "coolness curve" and am finally too old to understand the point of this new fangled technology. So, if any of you are Facebookers(?), can you give me some tips

Anti-Palin

2008-09-26T09:11:00.006-08:00

I don't think it made national news, but this week in Anchorage some women got together to hold a Women against Palin Protest and it quickly became the Biggest Rally in Alaskan History.Alaska Women Reject Palin rally was to be held outside on the lawn in front of the Loussac Library in midtown Anchorage . Home made signs were encouraged, and the idea was to make a statement that Sarah Palin does

Wonders never cease

2008-09-22T21:38:00.005-08:00

My Princess has always been a VERY cautious little girl. From the time she first started talking one of her favorite sentences was, "That doesn't look very safe," said with a worried look and a dubious tone. The daredevil in question may have been climbing the monkey bars, roller skating, or, as in the case of her much younger cousin, playing on grandma's elliptical machine. She was a watcher,

Palin and Clinton

2008-09-20T15:32:00.002-08:00

As an Alaskan, a woman, and an Obama supporter, this SNL skit had me rolling!

Sick as a dog!

2008-09-17T15:02:00.004-08:00

I've been battling a terrible stomach bug since Monday and only in the last few hours have I been FINALLY able to keep anything down. So, in lieu of anything interesting to say, here is a photo I call "The dangers of having older sisters." 9/14/08

Enkutatash

2008-09-11T08:26:00.002-08:00

Inkan Aderasachew everyone! (translation - it's good that you have another new year) Today is Ethiopian New Years and I'm really craving some yummy Doro Wat and injera right now. I have yet to try my hand at Ethiopian cooking; I should really get on the ball and just do it. Maybe for Fasika... It's all very intimidating. Anyone in the know have some Ethiopian cooking tips for me?The ethiopian New

SBP Saves the Day!

2008-09-08T18:28:00.005-08:00

I hate being sick! I'm mean I really hate it. Some people are good about sucking it up and getting things done, Zman for one, I, on the other hand, am a complete baby. It's a fault, sure, but what can I say... I did give birth 100% naturally - twice - so I can't be a total wimp right?Last week I had a bit of an ear ache which I figured was from walking home from the bus stop in the wind without

New Design

2008-09-05T16:13:00.003-08:00

I've spent way too much some time lately working on my blog design. I've been looking for a template that would allow me to have 3 columns on the new blogger platform and found some here that work great with a little tinkering. OK, Zman's making me fess up, I spent 6 stright hours at the computer last night while he, wonderful man that he is, made dinner and put the kids to bed. The man knows not

Time, oh how it flies!

2008-09-04T10:22:00.003-08:00

How can it possibly be September already? One of my favorite quotes about the passage of time is by Micky Rooney. He says " Life is like a roll of toilet paper; the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes." If this is true, then life must pass by a breakneck speed for my parents generation, cause my roll is spinning pretty quickly here! The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of

Wow!

2008-08-26T10:37:00.000-08:00

One year ago today we arrived in Africa and were whisked away to see our son for the very first time. To say we were unprepared for the tumultuous emotions of that day, that meeting, would be a huge understatement. And while it wasn't the roses and songbirds first meeting that some people have, it was a life changing, memorable day. He was stuffed into a white fleece sweat shirt and way too small

Cookie-licious

2008-08-19T11:18:00.007-08:00

While we were in Oregon I forced Zman we decided to get our first official family portraits done. It's hard to do them here in Our Town, Alaska because we have very few options and all of them require 2 arms and 3 legs in payment. Since Zman and I both like walking, we put off getting the pictures done until we either, found a pot of gold, or went on vacation. I wanted to try and find a

Riding

2008-08-13T10:43:00.003-08:00

How 'bout those gas prices, huh? I don't know about the rest of you, but here in Alaska, at the cheapest station, we are paying $4.60 a gallon - it hurts just to type that! I remember when Zman and I were newlyweds and we were paying $.99 a gallon. Oh how things change! Even back then, Zman was an alternative energy nut. Not long after we were married he talked me into purchasing a 1960

It's Here

2008-08-08T20:08:00.000-08:00

That's right! After months of endless paperwork I have finally jumped through the last bureaucratic hoop of this adoption; we received Zboy's USA passport and today I went, armed with every possible form of documentation, to the social security office to change his name and citizenship status. This part of our adoption paperwork journey began with the re-adoption last spring. When we got the

Home, home on the bay...

2008-08-07T18:03:00.004-08:00

We made it. I'm now trying to dig out my house, unpack, and go grocery shopping. It will be a few days before I can surface with an intelligible post but here is a quick synopsis.We had a great trip and I have around 500 photos to prove it but I've learned that vacationing with 3 kids is almost more work then fun... but still worth it. I'm ready to have some alone time now though.Some of the

Fun, fun, sun.

2008-07-25T19:00:00.003-08:00

Hallelujah. It's 80 degrees, it's sunny, it's heaven!!We had a great time at the water park earlier this week. Since I'm too drowsy with heat and good food to post something of substance, you get pictures.

An Open Letter

2008-07-22T07:56:00.002-08:00

To The Passengers of Alaska Airline Flight ---:My sincerest apologies for misery that was Sunday's fight. I didn't realize the shear decibel that was achieved in our row until I took a little side trip to the back of the plane to use the facilities and discovered that you could still hear him 20 rows away. (Why yes, I do think he may have a future in the opera.) I wish I had ear plugs to pass out

Weekend Madness

2008-07-15T11:15:00.004-08:00

This past weekend it was 50 degrees and raining. This means that we decided to:a) Clean the house and wash all of our clothes in preparation for our Oregon trip this coming weekend. b) Take the kids to Wall-E and hang out with our family in celebration of Princess's 8th Birthday.c) Go camping The answer is "C" of course. We really are THAT crazy... Princess wanted to go camping for her birthday

July

2008-07-08T18:09:00.014-08:00

July is a crazy month around here. We start off with Zman's birthday (Happy Birthday sweetie!) followed by the 4th of July craziness. My brother D's birthday is also on the 4th so we get double the fun and then we have a couple of days until Princess's birthday rolls around. Then it's the annual pack up everything, including the kitchen sink, and head down to Oregon for some quality shopping time

Food Shortages

2008-06-28T07:30:00.002-08:00

My heart is breaking at horrible food shortages in Ethiopia right now. Experts are saying that conditions are so precarious that it's possible the Ethiopian people could be facing a famine like the one that killed over 1 million Ethiopians in the 1980s.In this African nation, about 10 million people, more than 12 percent of the population, are now in need of emergency food aid after a drought

Humility

2008-06-26T08:02:00.000-08:00

Just call me Supermom? Did I really write that? It must have been the bacon talking because I don’t feel like that at all. Sure, that moment in time I had all my sh!t together and all my children ducks in a row, so to speak, so was feeling slightly superior to the rude people who felt that my load was too heavy. Truthfully, I usually I feel like I’m barley keeping my head above water. My house in

Breakfast and a Show

2008-06-23T09:02:00.001-08:00

After dropping Zman off at the airport Sunday morning for a business trip, I took the kids out for breakfast at a local greasy-spoon type breakfast. This isn’t something we indulge in very often since eating out a lot is expensive and when we do eat out I like to eat semi-eatable food, something that can be hard to come by at a greasy-spoon dinner, but the girls were feeling sad that daddy was

1 year ago...

2008-06-21T21:08:00.001-08:00

One year ago today we saw this face for the very first time...and we knew our world was changed forever. While we had many dreams and plans then, nothing could even come close to the amazing adventure we've been on ever since. We have a beautiful, amazing, smart, funny, loveable son!" Mom! Stop tring to take my picture... can't you see I'm TRYING to play here?""Look! A TRUCK!"

Sadness

2008-06-16T09:44:00.005-08:00

Last week, my log time blogging buddy Anne announced that she FINALLY got a referral for a beautiful 2 month old baby girl after waiting 44 weeks. I waited with Anne during her first wait for referral for her lovely daughter Hayat back when we were still in the paperwork stage of our own adoption. She was a constant source of information and support though out our adoption and I was thrilled when

The Plan

2008-06-11T09:56:00.005-08:00

I’m one of those people who needs to know… well, everything. When something comes up in my life, or something interests me, I research it to death. I’ll track down information from all view points and think about it and talk about it until I own it. Then if someone asks me, say… what I think about hybrid cars, I can watch their eye glaze over as I spew forth 20 minutes of condensed and well

Buried

2008-06-05T10:15:00.004-08:00

I have been just buried lately... buried under piles of clothes that is. A friend graciously gave us 3 huge bags of gently used clothes for the girls and, fearing for the stability of the floors under the girls' dressers, I decided it was time to do a another, long overdue, clothes purge. It's always bittersweet to go through the outgrown clothes and remember all the good times we had when they

Stress

2008-05-29T11:17:00.008-08:00

My childcare provider has given her 30 days notice. She's moving out of town. I'm happy for her as she has wanted move back to this town for a long time but OMG the timing sucks! Our Town has a serious shortage of childcare and finding someone who can take both Cookie and Zboy is going to be tough! Especially since I have VERY high standards!We have one lead right now and if that doesn't pan out

Weekend Project

2008-05-25T20:33:00.004-08:00

Long time no post. Sorry guys but I have been keeping myself very busy lately. I'll post more about that later this week.This weekend we finally broke down and built the kids a playhouse in the back yard. We had lots of help from family and friends, and the weather cooperated and it was spectacular. We are all sun-burnt and tired and happy. As you can probably tell from the pictures, Zboy

Princess

2008-05-15T11:53:00.004-08:00

When did this child get SO big? It seems like only yesterday she was a teeny, tiny baby, born 3.5 weeks early, weighing only 6lbs 1oz and a whopping 17.5" long. This morning, as I picked her up out of bed and carried her into my room to cuddle, (she's NOT a morning person) I realized that I won't be able to do that much longer.She doesn't weigh that much, 43lbs at almost 8 years old, but she's

Feeling the love

2008-05-12T10:19:00.005-08:00

After 12 years of marriage, 14 years together, and 8 Mother's Days, my husband has hit the top of his game. This is it. He can't possible get any better! My children where adorable and semi-well behaved, the weather was sunny and warm, and my baby brother arrived home from his tour in Iraq.Yesterday was the perfect day.I hope all the Mothers and almost mothers out there had a day just as

My musical life

2008-05-10T11:47:00.005-08:00

I grew up watching all the old musicals with my mom; Singing in the Rain, My Fair Lady, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, The Sound of Music and many, many more. We would sit together and sing along to all our favorite songs and just enjoy spending time together. As I grew older, I became very critic of THOSE kinds of movies; not cool enough for my “Wayne’s World” loving teen self. I mean really! Who

Do something

2008-05-03T20:42:00.002-08:00

Video's like this have always triggered an emotional response from me; usually around half guilt at having so much and half sorrow for those that are suffering. Since our trip to Ethiopia I look at these kinds of appeals for help a little differently. I have now seen the kind of poverty and need portrayed with my own eyes. I have seen the suffering, but I have seen the pride and hope and joy

Tis the season

2008-04-30T12:55:00.004-08:00

...cruise ship season that is. Today the very first ship of the season cruised in and now we get to spend the next 5 months dodging starry-eyed tourists, listening to the fleets of float planes flying by, watching the flocks of helicopters, and answering some very, very stupid questions.Standing on the docks:Tourist (just off cruise ship) - "So, how far above sea level are we here?"Local (looking

B*tch and you shall recieve...

2008-04-28T07:17:00.006-08:00

Apparently the universe at large is sick of my whining because we have been blessed with 4 days of stunning spring weather that makes me want to weep with gratitude...Why yes, I do tend to be a bit melodramatic, why do you ask?Like any good Alaskan, the minute the sun came out we all donned our summer clothes, ditched any and all work responsibilities, and went OUTSIDE! Hallelujah!Hey! 55 degrees

Joyous Fasika

2008-04-27T15:07:00.003-08:00

It's Ethiopian Easter today and I wanted to wish you all a joyous Fasika. We are not doing anything special to mark the day today but I couldn't let it pass without mention. We are trying to celebrate as many Ethiopian Holidays as possible. I hope that as our local Ethiopian Adoption community continues to grow, we will have a lovely group of families to celebrate these days with

Tidbits about me

2008-04-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

1. What bill do you hate paying the most? Honestly? I love paying the bills. Well, not the paying money part but the ritual of sitting down and working through the piles. I use Quicken to track EVERYTHING and pay all my bills automatically or through online bill pay. I track savings goals and budget everything. last. thing. When I'm done for the month I get a little high like runners do... who

I Love Mir

2008-04-24T10:14:00.002-08:00

I'm not sure if this post made me laugh because it's so funning or because if I didn't laugh I'd cry. Princess is already exhibiting several of these tendencies and I'm truly, truly frightened...The Top 10 Rules for Mom to Interact With a 10-Year-Old1) I am old enough to do everything myself.1a) Unless I decide that I am not, in which case you will IMMEDIATELY do my bidding EXACTLY as ordered.

The hunt for a new Birth Certificate

2008-04-23T11:51:00.003-08:00

Cast:Me - Carrie, the ever patient mom. (snort)Her - Bureaucrat in training - learning the phone version of Chinese Water Torture.() - Things I think but rarely say out loudHer: Alaska Vita Statistics Adoption Desk. How may I help you?Me: We recently went through the process of re-adopting our son and I'd like to know how long it will take before we can get his new BC.Her: OK, let me check on

Accessories

2008-04-22T08:45:00.003-08:00

A boy with 2 older sisters learns all kinds of useful information. Zboy has picked up a flair for accessorizing...He loves this little purse and carries it all over the house. It's great for holding toy cars and for hitting sisters over the head.

Show me the sunshine!!

2008-04-21T09:43:00.002-08:00

Can you tell from my last post that I'm really getting tired of the snow? I know, I know... people who live in Alaska shouldn't throw stones complain about the weather... but you know what? Enough is enough. I'm done with snow for a while. Bring on the sunshine and temperatures over 40 degrees. I don't ask for much but at some point, if I don't get a little warm weather, I'm going to snap and run

April Showers

2008-04-20T17:07:00.005-08:00

Is this the kind of showers they meant?Friday April 18thLead to May flowers... or maybe this.Saturday, April 20thSpring in AlaskaSunday, April 21stThe snow boots and sun dress look is back!

Proof

2008-04-16T11:01:00.000-08:00

I finally managed to get photographic evidence...My favorite part is how she color coordinated the underwear with her shirt!

Euphoria

2008-04-15T10:32:00.002-08:00

I know that yesterday's court proceedings were just a formality, my husband kept reminding me of that every time I started to freak out, but for some reason it was a HUGE deal to me. I did all the paperwork myself and was concerned that some technicality would delay us - but I never worried that the judge would declare us unfit parents and demand we send him back, so that wasn't what was making

FINALLY!!

2008-04-14T10:28:00.002-08:00

We are thrilled to announce that at 8:25 this morning, Monday, April 14th 2008, Matewos officially became "Zboy" (not his REAL name) and a US citizen! We are so happy to have passed this final hurtle in our adoption journey and to officially become his parent in the eyes of the State of Alaska and the United States of America. We have been his parents in the eyes of Ethiopia and in our hearts

Earth Hour 2008

2008-03-29T11:36:00.001-08:00

Are you participating?

Signs of Healthy Attachment

2008-03-28T10:10:00.004-08:00

If you have been reading this blog for a while then you know that attachment has been a big issue with us and our new son. Zboy (his new nick name) came home with moderate attachment issues and thankfully, we have been seeing a lot of improvement. I took this attachment quiz when we first came home, at 3 months, and today, at almost 7 months home.Even children who are experiencing attachment

Awakenings

2008-03-19T10:38:00.003-08:00

I have no intention of turning my blog into a political blog. I'm usually quite private about my political and religious leanings but when I heard this speech by Barack Obama I knew that I could not keep silent. When Princess was 4 months old, this nation elected George W Bush as president and I cried. I could not believe that I had brought a child into a world where people, lots of people,

Showing my colors

2008-03-17T12:22:00.001-08:00

I knew this day would come...

2008-03-07T16:14:00.002-09:00

Smiley has taken his first steps! Our world just got a little more chaotic.

On a diffrent topic

2008-02-28T11:36:00.005-09:00

I've been trying really hard to eat a very healthy balanced diet lately. I hate saying that because it makes it sound like I was eating tons of junk before...and that is only partially true. I would eat very healthy and organic and then wash it down with a sleeve of Thin M!nts. I could easily justify the cookies with the fact that I had eaten a very healthy meal. I finally hit the point where I

6 Months

2008-02-25T10:26:00.002-09:00

Today is the 6th month anniversary of the day we met Smiley for the first time. We had been traveling for 2 days and hadn't had a shower or much sleep. We had time to drop our bags off at the guest house, grab some lunch, and then we were off to the orphanage.The drive seemed to happen in slow motion. I remember each and every second of it. We got to the big blue gates and our driver, Solomon,

Hanging in there

2008-02-24T12:37:00.006-09:00

I'm still here. As you can imagine, this was a very tough week. It was hard to say goodbye to two friends and I don't really think it's sunk in yet that they are really gone. Thankfully, R's mom is much better so we won't have to go to a 3rd funeral anytime soon (knock on wood.)I've also been extremely busy ferrying Smiley to and from the doctor. His staff infection didn't clear up after the ER

Reeling...

2008-02-19T10:28:00.003-09:00

I found out this weekend that a really good family friend passed away last week. She died quite suddenly of a brain aneurysm and we are still all in shock. Karen was a truly wonderful, caring, giving person, with a heart of gold. During my pregnancy with Cookie I had a very painful condition called Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction. Karen was volunteered to give me Chiropractic adjustments free of

The world will stop turning

2008-02-17T08:36:00.002-09:00

...if I don't visit the ER at least once a month.I'm sure that this must be true by how consistently the universe conspires to be sure I'm there regularly. Yesterday's visit began with what looked like a pimple on Smiley's chin last Thursday; one of those painful deep zits that cause a big swollen bump. By Friday morning his chin was twice it's normal size and he would scream it you touched it.

Things that make you go hummmm...

2008-02-14T13:16:00.006-09:00

Yesterday Cookie wasn't feeling well. She came home from preschool and immediately threw-up (thank God she's finally grasped the concept of doing that in the toilet!) She went right to bed and slept for about 3 hours after that and then was fine. Of course since she had such a hearty nap she had a lot of trouble falling asleep at bed time. She kept getting up and we had to keep going in her room

Winter Driving

2008-02-12T10:31:00.000-09:00

When I moved to Alaska, 8 years ago, I had never driven in snow. We moved up here from Oregon in February and got a crash course, literally, in winter driving. I think I was towed out of more snow berms that winter than everyone else in Alaska, combined. I won't even mention Zman's little guard-rail insident...The weather here can be brutal. It's quite common that it will snow, then rain, then

Why I'm going prematurely gray

2008-02-09T12:22:00.000-09:00

The kid can't even walk yet but he can do this... For some reason strange reason I don't want him to have access to the bathroom. It must have something to do with his fascination with licking the plunger, unraveling the toilet paper, evenly distributing the garbage, and splashing in the toilet water. I guess a trip to Home Depot is to get a different knob will be high on the priority list today.

The Birthday Post

2008-02-08T12:29:00.000-09:00

We only had a very small family get together for Smiley's birthday. After having a couple of kids I'm kind of burnt out on the big birthday bash idea, so we save those for big milestones... ones the child in question will hopefully remember. I wasn't up for experimenting with my Ethiopian cooking (Zman was deathly ill with the flu last week and I'm still recovering from playing solo parent and

Super Tuesday

2008-02-05T00:31:00.000-09:00

It's time for a change.Let your voice be heard.VOTE!

Birthday Boy

2008-02-01T00:36:00.000-09:00

Here he is in all of his 1 yr old glory! Isn't he a cutie pie? The party is tomorrow... Wish me luck.