You know it's bad when the air is green.

Seriously, as I was driving around town today running errands, I thought I saw smog in our little "city" area. Huh? Smog? Really? It then dawned on me that what I was actually seeing is the pollen from all the trees "greening up" floating in the air. It only took a few more minutes before my sinuses alerted me to the fact that there was tree pollen floating in the air thick enough to SEE and that my a/c running in the van was not on recycle air so I was bringing that green floating stuff inside the van to irritate my allergies.

I think I washed my windshield 4 times while out, all the time watching that water turn to yellow water things. Once home I took the water hose and rinsed off the entire vehicle, and I watched the water running down the driveway turn yellow-green. It made me remember why we do not get out riding bicycles on the trail in the spring, all the things blooming are not conducive getting out and enjoying the weather. It's much nicer in the winter on those rare days. Summertime is just too hot and humid to enjoy running alongside the kids on their bicycles. Fall, perhaps fall will be perfect!

So, being curious, I looked up pollen counts for recent days. Normal for my area is in the 100-200 range (for tree pollen), very high is greater than 1500. What were we 2 days ago? Greater than 5000. No wonder our allergy medicines are not seeming to work these days. No wonder we've all had sinus/allergy troubles. No wonder that cough each of us has will not go away (it's allergy related). If it would only rain and clear all the pollen out of the air, then it might be good spring weather.

Science experiments

A few years ago I approached science fair with JM with excitement. I loved science fairs as a child, and I was eager to share that with JM. We discussed various experiments, and came up with doing one I was sure I knew what the outcome would be. The experiment was to take 2 plants and tear all but 1 leaf off of one plant and leave the other alone. Take care of them and observe them for 2 weeks, then report on what you saw. After 2 weeks both were still thriving. After 4 weeks the one with all it's leaves was starting to droop and look a little sick. At 6 weeks I finally had to admit that the one with all it's leaves still attached was dead while the one with just 1 leaf was thriving. I still maintain that the results we found are not what what we were supposed to find.

Today Dh and JM are measuring how far JM can hear a clock ticking. First of all, we have 1 clock that actually ticks. I knew it was quite loud, but it's something we all tune out easily. JM could hardly hear it with hands over his ears on the other side of the room. Listening to it to measure distance with ear uncovered did not go so well. JM could still hear it outside the back door. You could hear it across the room with the TV on. Dh finally got that part figured out with turning the TV on to a certain volume, redid the version with the hands over the ears, and went on to the final "test" which was to listen for the ticks with a paper "funnel" to the ear. That went over well. He could still hear it outdoors with the TV on, so I told Dh to call that done as JM understood what the funnel to the ear did!

To think that Dh wonders why I do not want to do the experiments with JM?! LOL Give me the projects where JM has to write a haiku poem anyday! I do love and enjoy science, but science experiments for elementary kids just never seem to work out how I expect them to.

Coupon Mom - Works for Me!

I'm typically busier than I would like to be, and typically so busy that other things are more important than clipping coupons (like, oh, pulling weeds). I honestly can say that I look forward to the day when I no longer need to clip coupons, it's not one of my favorite chores. It's one chore I'm eagerly looking forward to passing off to my kids.

Awhile back, someone sent me a link for The Coupon Mom and if you go to Grocery Deals by State (on the left hand side) you will find a drop down list where you choose your state and grocery store. Now, I realize that not all stores are listed here (and yes I know that big megastore will match ads, but refer to that "despise clipping coupons" part about me again), but there are some decent stores listed.

This will open a new window with this week's deals in the ad and which coupon from which paper could be used. NICE! This means that I do not clip coupons, but rather keep them together. I go to this site and get a list of "deals" and which coupons go with each one. Sunday evenings I head to the store and buy groceries.

Now, if I could only figure out a way to not even go to the store in the first place! LOL I hope it helps someone else out there as it has helped me!

Head over to Rocks In My Dryer for other (probably more helpful) tips!

Paper Daughter

I put this book on my list because it came from a good friend in a box of books (along with many fluffy romance novels). :) It looked very interesting, and I hope she included it because she wanted me to read it. I do not know, but D-, THANK YOU!!!!!!

Anyone adopting from China, this book is a wonderful glimpse into a young woman's life from living in China prior to age 5 and then immigrating to the US. I have found that I do love reading about other's lives, other's families, and this book did not disappoint. I wonder if I like reading blogs so much because it is like one long story of someone's life. I just wanted to jump through the pages of the book and give that little girl a HUGE hug in several parts (those dealing with going to school and such). Okay, there were many parts throughout the book I wanted to jump in help her out or cheer her on!

D- also sent me The Kitchen God's Wife, which reminded me that I had read Joy Luck Club in high school. So, I added both of those to this list as well. I think I might jump into those soon. I love having friends who send me a box of books to read, and put so much thought into which books to include.

The Starbucks Experience

First finish on the Spring Reading list, and I really liked it. It made me think about how I treat clients in my business. What details am I not paying attention to? What detail am I missing that is causing problems for either me OR more importantly my client?

How can I surprise and delight clients? Am I available enough to them? How can I improve my relationship with them? Do I respond well to negativity from friends, family, and clients about the business?

Very thought provoking questions for me. Everything made me stop and think about how something small I do can impact another in a great way. Even though I read it for business purposes, I found that there were several areas that could easily be applied to my personal life, such as do I pay attention to the details of my friends lives? Do I show them that I am "invested" in them? That I pay attention to our friendship. Am I involved in the community enough? Do I listen and learn from someone telling me something negative about myself? Can I take that criticism and turn it into something I can improve on? Do I know when the criticism is actually coming from someone who can never be happy with me or would always find something to fault?

As this book made me think about myself quite a bit, I will not share my answers here. I found it a very easy read, and a very thought-provoking book. Definitely not of the fluffy romance novel genre!

365 photo blog...

Doing this on another blog, so I thought I would share. :) Actually bombard you with photos, don't ya love me?!

The past 2 days - Samuel at karate (isn't he just so CUTE!)


Then, weeds. Yes, they have taken over my life outdoors. I can definitely tell Spring is HERE!

Works for Me!

Hmmm...what does work for me? I know! Working on replacing linoleum with tile in the master bathroom!! LOL That linoleum is tough to scrape up, and it ends up hurting muscles, and you get blisters. Generally it's a yucky job. But since the end result is worth it, I'm here to tell you a few ways to make it easier.

1. A scraper of some sort is essential. Especially if you are doing this on concrete and get semi-big sheets of the linoleum up, but leave that paper backing glued to the floor.

2. I used vinegar and water and mopped that paper. It helped to loosen the paper somewhat. Then I could scrape a little easier.

3. The absolute BEST way though to get this up, is to look sufficiently hot and tired when Dh gets home. Have enough done that it looks like you made progress. Then, when he's feeling quite quilty over how hot and tired you are, start scraping again...but you know, WEAKLY. This part is important, because big strong manly Dh will not be able to watch you barely scrape the paper stuff. He will take over the yucky job and get it done much faster.

Okay, so I'm fairly lame and do not really have a good "works for me" on this topic. I am about to decide though that paying someone to put this down in our 35 square foot bathroom might have been the better option. Too bad we only have about 9 square feet left to do (if that).

My Spring Reading Book List

Okay, I guess here is where I admit my addiction. I adore fluffy romance novels. Especially historical ones, and even MORE especially (is that even proper grammar?) those historical ones set in Regency England, or set anytime prior to 1900 in Scotland. I do enjoy a good time travel book, as long as the time traveler goes to said period that I am thoroughly enjoying obsessed with.

I was not always this way, prior to turning that magical age of 16 when Mom decided I was old enough for my first Harlequin, I devoured many great books. I have read all of Lousia May Alcott's Little Women series (absolutely adore them). I've read, and enjoyed, the great classics from the Bronte sisters. I even started reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. I didn't really care for it though.

Now, my list may seem, well, rather long. But I read fast. Okay, I read fast before kids, now it might actually take me more than a day to get through a book only because my reading time is at night. You know after those little monsters heathens angels are in bed. It all started in 5th grade. My 5th grade reading teacher Mrs. B gave my class the honor of doing 50 book reports in 1 school year. Okay, so most of the class did not feel like this was an honor. She told us that the first one to finish would get a surprise. The challenge was on! I remember my first one submitted was for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and she told me that 7 pages was too long for a book report. I needed to narrow down my enthusiasm for a book to no more than 2 pages. It was tough, but I managed to for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I almost had to go to 3 pages for Little Women. But, I persevered and in January I turned in my last 5 book reports (that Christmas break provided good reading time). Yes, I managed to complete 50 books from mid-August to early January. My friend Sarah told me I was an overachiever. I still disagree with her. ;) I think I shocked Mrs. B. I never got a surprise, and I do not remember her mentioning the book reports much past that point either.

I told you that story so that my list of books did not seem, um, well too shocking. I really have no idea how many books I will read from March 21st through June 21st, but I have some I do want to read. I'm declaring MY RIGHT as the blogger here, to add to the list any an all books I complete (even if they are pure fluffy ooey gooey historical romance novels). ;)

Disclaimer! These are in no particular order, just as the titles popped into my head.

1. The Starbucks Experience
2. The Little Red Book of Selling
3. Passages from the Heart
4. Bridge to Terabithia (to the kids)
5. Harry Potter 1 (to the oldest)
6. Harry Potter 2 (to the oldest)
7. Harry Potter 3 (to the oldest)
8. Harry Potter 4 (to the oldest...oh heck, who am I kidding, I want to reread)
9. Harry Potter 5
10. Harry Potter 6 (yes in preparation for book 7 which I have on pre-order)
11. Joy Luck Club
12. Kitchen God's Wife
13. Paper Daughter
14. Fox in Sox (out loud to 4 year old...ugh)
15. Financial Peace
16. Treasure Island (with kids)
17.

I am hoping to get my oldest to add his own list. While he is in 2nd grade currently, I do plan to give him the wonderful assignment of 50 book reports in a single school year when he is in 5th grade. Hopefully it will further increase his love of reading. Yes, I'm fully prepared for book reports on World War 2. Did I tell you all about the book he chose? FOR PLEASURE?! DK World War II book Obviously he's not entirely my child. Here is his other favorite book of the moment. At least I think it is, I could not find it in his room and I suspect he might have snuck it out to read on a fun-filled trip with the church group (all Dads and boys). Yeah, that would be MY genes coming out. I admit to that. I did take 3 books to Disney World. Yes I completely read 2 of them, and had the 3rd started. Yes, they were fluffy historical romance novels. At least I'm consistent!

What happened to my links?

Okay, I'll admit I'm not real swift when it comes to changing my blog around. I begged for help (I even offered to pay someone). But, alas, I tried to muddle through on my own.

I did finally find something called blogroll. LOL Not sure if it is the best or not, but I've got a nice blogroll going. I think I've about figured out how to add it instead of my links (that I've been adding one.at.a.time and not updating).

I *think* with blogroll I can make a personal one and one to share. That way I can keep the ones that personal IRL friends separate...never know when someone might post something embarrassing about me. ;)

dinner was still good, even though it was wrong

I had a friend over this last weekend while the big boys were gone on their trip (her Dh and oldest son were on the same trip). We let our little guys play and we scrapbooked. Lovely time it was too. Our little guys are close in age and play very well together, so throughout the evening they played light sabers, played with the knights, put on costumes, played playstation games like Cars and Lego Star Wars 2, and even watched some movies. When you are 4.5 and almost 5 you can do lots in a short amount of time.

C and I decided that we deserved a GOOD dinner, so we called Macaroni Grill for "To Go" order and I ordered the Create Your Own pasta without chicken. I'd be vegetarian if my family would let me. ;) We discussed what to get our little guys as mine is lactose intolerant, hers is anaphalactically allergic to tomatoes, potatoes, squash, etc., highly allergic to eggs, and highly allergic to peppers. Guess Mexican was out for them! ;) So, we swung by Burger King and bought their dinners. We check their food and it was correct (no ketchup allowed AT ALL for C's little boy...it has tomatoes).

We get to Macaroni Grill and pick up our food, take it home, and start to dig into it. Her's was correct (Pasta Milano) and mine was a Create your Own Pasta dish, but it had onions and CHICKEN in it! WAAAAAH. We didn't check our food, just assumed it would be correct ya' know?! I picked out the chicken and the onions and it was still good, even though it was wrong. I was missing that asparagus. I wonder who got my Create Your Own dish? Bet they were surprised by the asparagus! LOL

Trying to stay busy and distracted.

2 years ago we replaced yucky stained carpet with laminate flooring (we're in a starter home and not too rich to do the real hardwoods for the entire downstairs). We are now getting around to putting down the quarter-round/toe-board. Yes, 2 years living with "gaps" around the edges of the rooms. We are not normally so slow to finish those kinds of projects, but that finishing has been one of those "we'll get around to it" projects.

In addition to that I convinced Dh to finally replace the linoleum in our bathroom with tile. I mean, it's 35 square feet total in that tiny bathroom. It's definitely not one of those glamour baths! Lowe's had some tile that was decent for 98 cents a square foot. $35+ extra supplies to replace that flooring! Well, and lots of sweat and tears. Currently, I'm the one doing the sweating AND the crying. Dh's turn comes when it is time to actually mix the grout, lay the tile, and cut the tile. I would love to replace the tub, but I just do not see that happening. Plus, I'm not entirely sure how to get the current tub out of that bathroom as the door is quite narrow.

Those are the current projects going.

Ahead - Project De-clutter! Replace all cabinets and counters and sinks in the house. Tile the kitchen (it's currently laminate wood flooring). Oh, the kitchen is total 99 square feet...so when I talk replace cabinets, it's MAX 15 linear feet of cabinets! Then, I have the yardwork to do as well. Flowers to plant. Carpet to replace upstairs, stairs to re-carpet OR put down wood. I would love to add in extra patio space off the back. Add a storm door on the front....oh and GUTTERS on the back of the house. LOL A fence would be good as well.

Since Disney is over, and we've not planned any vacation trips between now and when we travel to China, house projects will have to suffice. Once it warms up some, I think we're going to plan some weekend camping trips. The boys have been begging to go camping (I keep hoping they'll forget...there are BUGS out there).

Why the house projects? Well, home improvement is always such a wonderful weekend activity! Seriously, we'd like to sell our current house in about 12-18 months (or right after we get home from China). We're currently in a 3 bedroom (with 2 boys) and can see how soon after we return from China we're going to feel a wee bit cramped with 2 boys and 1 girl PLUS us in 3 bedrooms. Okay, so the boys will sleep in their bunkbeds and Katie will have her own room. I know lots of kids share rooms, but not sure our two boys should do it long term!

I got this packet in the mail today.

It was from our agency, and it had some info on what to expect when you get your referral. Huh? Do they know something we do not know? Okay, it is the 2nd schedule mailing from them. We did just pass 6 months of waiting, and it's time. In the past our referral would be very close after 6 months of patiently waiting. *stop laughing ya'll* But, in the "New" China referral times, we are a good LOOOOOOONG way from a NSN referral. I wonder if I will need to hold on to this mailing for reference then, of if the agency will take pity on us and mail another copy when it is close to our referral. I'm really hoping for another mailing of it.

I do plan on reading this, as the first was very informative and I actually enjoyed it. Of course I enjoy anything to do with China, particularly China adoption, these days.

So, it's officially 3/17/2007 and I missed celebrating our 6 month LID anniversary. We did mark it's passing with eating at an Asian restaurant last Saturday. Okay, so we love eating at this place and since it's more expensive than the kids eat free place we had to have a reason to go there. Thus, "Celebrating our 6 month LID" was good enough!

6 months down!! Wooohooo! Now, if we knew for certain we were within 6 months of a referral...ah, that would be good news.

Spring Reading Thing!

Spring Reading Thing!

Yes a "carnival" for reading books!!!! :) I'm in heaven, absolute heaven. Now to narrow it down to how many?

But to get me started, Shalee of Shalee's Diner has a book meme.

(umm...sorry her formatting didn't come through, and yes I'm too lazy to fix it...even if I knew HOW!) and well, couldn't figure out how to do her key either. so, oh well.

* bold - did read
* italicize - want to read
* strike - won't read or read but hated it with a passion and if I could burn every copy so that others wouldn't be exposed to such terrible dribble I would do it and people should not be allowed to get paid for such awful writing
* underline - own
* * - never heard of the book
* colored - loved it and would recommend it to others
* If there is nothing done to the title, then that means I'm indifferent to it or I haven't decided about it yet.



The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) LOVED and OWN
To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell) LOVED and OWN
The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery) -LOVED
*Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
*A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
*The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
*Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
*A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling) LOVE AND OWN
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling) LOVE and OWN
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling) LOVE and OWN
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire(Rowling) LOVE and OWN
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling) LOVE and OWN
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Rowling) LOVE and OWN
*Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
The Stand (Stephen King)
*Ulysses (James Joyce)
Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) LOVE and OWN
The Hobbit (Tolkien)
The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) LOVE and OWN
*The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
*Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) LOVE and OWN
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) LOVE and OWN
East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
*Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
Dune (Frank Herbert)
The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks) OWN
*Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
1984 (Orwell)
*The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
*The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
*The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
*Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister (Gregory Maguire)
*The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
*The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel) OWN
*The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
*Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
*The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
Bible OWN, LOVE, but have yet to read the entire thing!
Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
*Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
*The Blue Sword (Robin Mckinley)
*She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
*The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
*Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
Great Expectations (Dickens)
The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
*The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)*
The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
*The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
*The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
War and Peace (Leo Tolstoy)
Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
The Hiding Place (Corrie Tin Boon) LOVED
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
Les Miserables (Hugo)
The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
*Love in the Time of Cholera (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
Shogun (James Clavell)
The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
*Redeeming Love (Francine Rivers)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
*The World According To Garp (John Irving)
*The Giver (Lois Lowry)
Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) LOVE and OWN
*Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)*
Of Mice And Men (John Steinbeck)
Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
*Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
Emma (Jane Austen) LOVE and OWN
Watership Down (Richard Adams) OWN
*Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
*The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
*Blindness (Jose Saramago)
*Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
The Talisman (Stephen King)
Lord of the Flies (Golding)
The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
*The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
*The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
Lightning (Dean Koontz) just not my kind of book

Referral Math...for March!

China made it to 10/24 for most agencies (it seems a few have surprise later dates, but my agency had 10/24). :)

That leaves us with...oh...11 days less than last month for LID. LOL I'm too tired to figure it all up, but we're less than 11 months of LID out now. Yippee!!!

Dh has a spreadsheet where he's collected data from all over the place (he figures he has roughly 1/3 of all people logged in accounted for). Anyway, if they continue to do the same number (or roughly the same number) of referrals each month we should see our NSN referral by mid-2008 (possibly even early 2008).

According to Chinaadoptionforecast.com we have a "guess" of November 2008.

According to my pessimistic view, it's going to be early 2009.

So, we're still at least a year away from a NSN referral despite having waited now for 6 months. Not too long ago we'd already have a referral, and 6 months is what we were quoted when we started (it just took us forever to get that dossier to China).

Just a few from Disney

I have many more to work on, but these are 2 of the ones I felt I could share. I want to know when JM got to be so big! Yes, the shadows are a little stretched, but he really has gotten quite tall. My baby is growing up fast!

I'm BACK!

Not that you knew I was gone or anything, but we're back from our vacation to Sunny Florida. It only rained for about 30 seconds on us (just long enough to put those ponchos on and then it stopped). We had a wonderful time, rode lots of rides, turned Samuel into a thrill-ride junkie, and managed to memorize the locations of 100,000 point targets on Buzz Lightyear ride (without stopping I managed 586,000 points and Dh managed 603,000+). Yes, we rode it THAT much.

Yes, I have photos. No I have not done anything with them, I promised myself I would unpack and straighten the house before playing this time! :)

I must say though, leaving nice temps, going to Florida where it was 70-80s, and then hearing "current temp is 39" was shocking. The cold was depressing and took the joy and cheer I had gathered on our oh so magical vacation right out of me!

Well, we're back to the grind and drudgery of housework and daily living. I need to find that Mickey confetti!