Happy Halloween From the Tomato's...

Pickles and What?

Well as many can surmise, in the house of tomatoes, there is always something a little unusual lurking around the next corner. Here is what little bunny FuFu made herself for breakfast this morning..(she actually declared it last night while being tucked into bed). Pickles, Pretzels and Salami...Hummm sodium, sodium and a little more sodium on the side. Now that is a breakfast. Who needs sugar cereal when you can have SALT.

Yesterday Candles Today Roses...

Yesterday Ms Canoley wanted to eat dinner by candle light...this morning I wake up to find her eating breakfast with a single rose.

Say What?

Yep that is right... somehow I won Kumon parent of the year. I had no idea. Not sure if it is becuase I correct the most Kumon pages or have the most kids enrolled. But nonetheless I got a shirt and some recognition from my yahoos.

a year ago...

A year ago we were in China packing up and getting ready to head home with a very big souvenir---HooHaa. We had fully planned on this first year being a tough transitional year. After all everything you read tells you that adopting an older child is HARD and trying. Well, thank God this little guy never read any of those books because these past 12 months have been a joy.

This guy has weathered a lot in the past year and has made some incredible strides. He has gone from knowing nothing in English and having had no schooling whatsoever to being top of his class. His first grade teacher was shocked to learn that he had only been here in the US for a year. She had no idea that 12 months ago he had no language and now is one of her best students. He is a kind boy that is well liked by many. He is always willing to help out and has quite a quick wit and humor. He has a passion for singing, dancing and basketball. He has an amazing ability to concentrate and focus and considers himself to be quite the snappy dresser.

My heart aches for all of the children over the age of 4 that sit in orphanages waiting and waiting for a family that may never come. Statistically these children will not find a home. That breaks my heart. I wish the "professionals" out there that write the books on adoption would write one that talks about all of the older adoptions out there that are not fraught with angst and trauma.

HooHaa we are happy to have you as our son. You make us very proud.

Boys Will Be Boys...Scouts that is...

Here is a great photo of three Rowe scouts getting ready to go work the annual pancake breakfast

Help Wanted: Inspiration Please

I need some inspiration. Something visual to stimulate my senses or maybe more like bring me to my senses. I am acutely influenced by the visual things around me. I realize I am quite simple minded person, if it looks icky --- I feel icky. Right now in my house everywhere I look is visual chaos-loud visual static-that in your face not pretty stuff and it is draining me. I get this way from time to time. Those that know me well, know that this feeling is typically a warning sign for impending paint brushes and furniture moving. But...I have painted and painted to the point where I am going to loose square footage in my home if I continue and there is no new way to move the furniture as I have tried them all. I am feeling stuck with the need to change but no immediate path or resources to execute it. I am in need of a new source of inspiration for my surroundings. I keep trying to play this game with my self where I am not me and what would I tell me to do if I asked for ideas...and of course the answer is to start with removing half of the belongings in the home...Any suggestions?