Tummy Ache Mom...

Yes, that is what MeiMei has taken to calling her birth mom. She has taken a keen interest in talking about her other mom in China...you know the "Tummy Ache mom" I think with the discussions of traveling to China to go and get HooHaa she is starting to process how her life prior to Sacramento started. We are not the ones to ever hide or sweep under the rug any information we have on her start in life, but to be truthful as we tell her...there is not really anything we know.
She asked if when we travel to China can she go and get a new mom? I informed her that "sorry you are stuck with me" I did not take it too personal since she followed it with "I want to keep you...I just want to go and get another Mom too." "cause that's what Chinese kids do......when you go to China you get a new mom" Then she proceeded to ask me if we can go and find her Tummy Ache mom and where is she? I explained that we do not know who she is or where she is but that we are very very happy that she put her in a safe place to be found quickly so that we could come and get her. Then she proceeds to complain about "how come it took you a long long time?" "I wait a long long time" "you should not have made me wait a long long time" Okay so I am getting a precursor to what I will have to deal with when she hits her hormones....yikes! and to think she is only five. I expect this at ten not at five. Well at least I will know what to expect. It will be quite interesting to watch her as she begins to peice together the process of adoption. She has been talking a lot about it lately and reminds us that HooHaa will be very scared just like she was becuase he does not know us but that if we feed him good food, he will like us. And THAT is exactly how we won her over that first night.

Sorry for the delay in posting...but I've been in the looney bin...

Yes, I know you had your suspicions but now you've got it first from the source---I'm nuts. 100% certifiable. Lock me up and make it fast before I buy anything else crazy. Let me back up...

Ten years ago it was the five foot metal butler cat that I fell in love with that I did not buy and to this day still regret.

Five years ago it was a five foot metal rooster that I fell for that is now residing my front yard.

Two years ago it was the metal three foot hen that I just had to have (to go with the rooster) that is now happily frolicking in the middle of my wild poppies out front.

Last year there was the three foot metal Peacock that is now happily perched on top of the backyard office/guest house.

And today, yes today, I met my match... a five foot long metal marlin. It is the most hideous-hilarious-tacky-happy darn fish I think I have ever seen. So what did I do? Yep I bought it for the outside of guest house. I've been working on what the heck to do with that space for the past five years and two days ago inspiration struck. Mr T loves his tropical wear and libations and truly does live on island time so why not go with the tacky tropical tourist theme---after all if you cannot fight it ya might as well go with it --- right?

Now we still have to paint the office so you will not get a full tour of the space until it it complete. But I have temporarily placed the big guy in there so.... introducing Mr Marlin...

Dreaming of China... When??

Nope don't know much of anything. Just looking at photos from southern China. A couple we took last time we were there and a couple I took (as in off the internet) Where we will be traveling this time I expect to look much different topography speaking...I expect the traffic, bikes, smog and humidity to be the same.

Let Us Enter the Dark Ages...

We have just finished the Story of the World volume one which took us from the early nomads through last roman empire. We read the book and listen to the cds in the car while driving. I was shocked, but I found the only way so far to get the yahoos to stop bothering each other in the car and at the breakfast table. Audio books on CD. AMAZING! They are as quite as a mouse listening intently and will often ask me to play a particular chapter over again.

When I first started playing them in the car, I thought they would have a hissy fit because they would rather watch a DVD. At breakfast it is an ongoing struggle to stop the bickering, footsy playing and chair tipping which drives me INSANE in the morning--but not when a audio CD is playing. No, not one single complaint. So we fished the book and order the second book and CD in the series. Story of the World volume two - The Middle Ages.

I have to say that while these are written for the 10 - 12 age group. They are quite interesting and well written even for adults to read. I'm not sure who enjoys them most. I have even caught Mr Tomato listening in and commenting afterwards that I had read an interesting chapter.

Here is a link to the authors history books for kids and adults.

http://www.peacehillpress.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=2

Ever Wonder Why...

I type something and post it so you cannot read it? You know...those orphan words and letters next to photos? Well that is a very good question that I cannot answer and it is begining to make me REALLY MAD!!!!! CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL HOW to avoid this!
If you know how to help me fix this your wisdom would be greatly welcome right now. Because I'm start'n to get a lil'pissy about this!

Baskets a la girls...

So Easter is not one of my better holidays. What I mean to say is Easter is not a holiday I get all excited about. It tends to sneak up on me and next thing you know I am at target looking for Easter stuff at the midnight hour. Baskets.... um I think I bought them once for the yahoos when they were two. I typically buy some stuff wait till the yahoos are in bed and then go in their rooms, and find something to put their " bunny loot" inside. Like, Darth Vader's helmet, inside a Polly pocket playhouse...really what ever I can find that suits a bucketish functionality

So this year it appears that the yahoos decided to take things into their own hands. It seems that they are not fond of the creative interpretation of an Easter basket and decided to create their own. Both girls dumped out their bedside book baskets and decorated them to become Easter baskets.

Nothing like having your kids make you feel like a lazy procrastinating cheap skate shmuck.

The Annual Easter Treasure Hunt...

Happy Easter to all. Every year...well kinda every year...that is every year since the yahoos started reading... I have created a treasure hunt for Easter. This year I decided to up the challenge since the yahoos are getting too darn good and move the search to the entire street. Since we live on a dead end street is it pretty easy to do. I also invited the other kids on the street to join us. So we start with 10 clues. Each clue leads contains a riddle which leads to the next clue. Each clue contains a surprise for all to share (or eat) and the final clue leads to the big surprise...which this year are beach kites. They started with a clue under the volcano and ended traveling the street looking for clues which lead them to the playhouse.

Jurrasic Park - the final chapter

So we ended our last day of spring break with the grand final...a coming out party our our dinosaur friends.

We built a motion activated, sound producing volcano. The kids painted and assembled the volcano and mixed up the explosive of (baking soda and vinegar) and voila...a bubbling volcano equipped with three happy large dinosaurs. Okay so maybe only two happy dinosaurs and one dead one over on his side.

Jurrasic Park part 3

Okay so as you can see they are getting bigger and bigger with each passing day. They said it would take three days. I'm thinking I'm going to give them one more day submerged which will give me the time I need to plan a proper "coming out" party.

Stay tuned for the Jurassic Park Party. I've got an idea that should "shake up" this place. And yes it will involve some type of explosion. Oh did I just say that?

Yes! I see a light at the end of the tunnel

We got the word we have been waiting to hear for the past 16 months. The Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs has received our dossier and have issued us a LID (log in date) of 04.07.09. Now we wait. And wait. And wait. Sometime in July we can expect to receive a notice saying we will be approved to travel in August. Now mind you this is based on what we did last time. Lord knows what China will do this time. Best Case travel in July. Predicted Care travel August. Worst Case travel in September.

Jurrasic part 2

Well the little buggers are in fact growing...and growing... Here is day two.

Oh it is so exciting, I just might have to plan a true "coming out " party.

Hummmm...I have an idea. Stay tuned for day three.

Marriage Proposal Lasanga

Are you tired of being single? Wish you could meet that special someone?

Well... legend has it that this Lasagna recipe is soooooo good that be careful who you serve it to because you just might end up with a marriage proposal. Linjit and KC - do not worry this is NOT intended as a dig to you :-)

A fellow blogger who I love to read is Ree over at the http://www.pioneerwoman.com/

A direct link can be found at http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_lasagn/ this is her recipe not mine so I must give credit where credit is due. Don't look at my photos. Click on her link and look and be prepared to be inspired.

And she is not lying. Noley made this for us on Saturday for dinner. Yes it is soooo easy even an 8 year old can make it....and yes she will be forbidden to make this for anyone else who is not a family member and No we do not live in the Appalachians - so we are safe.

My photos do not do this wonderful dish justice. Did I tell you it only took 15 minutes to fix and 30 minutes to bake? Yep that simple.

Jurrasic Park...a 3 part series....

My kitchen has become home to three dinosaurs...

Their instructions were quite simple. They started as simple looking brown chicken eggs with instructions to place them in water for 3 - 4 days. I thought...yeah....whatever.... until I woke up in the morning and saw this... The cutest little head poking out of its shell. I'm intrigued. Stay tuned...

Happy Birthday Little Bunny FuFu

Five years old...

and in her own words...

MeiMei: Mom am I five years old today?

Me: yes, honey happy birthday you are five years old

MeiMei: Will I be five years old tomorrow?

Me: yes, you will be five years old all year long.

MeiMei: (waving to the left)...well then...gooooooodbyyyyyyye four and (waving to the right) Heeeeelllllloooo FIVE!

Ain't no Fool'in

Well it appears that our dossier has landed in China. It made the journey and arrived in Beijing today. Now we join the 50,000 plus families waiting to have someone look at their paperwork.

I think I see our file there on the right two up from the bottom. As you can see by the photos...there are many families ahead of us. Let's hope they get to ours quickly.