It's Not Too Late

at least, it's not too late THIS TIME!

It's been ages and ages since I entered one of the fun contests over at 5 Minutes for Moms. Mostly cuz my computer is so slow and reading up on the many cool things they offer over there ends up taking me so long to do.  But that's EXACTLY why this particular contest looks so perfect for me.

Click on this button and check it out. They are giving away some really great stuff. NOT the least of which is a very sleek, compact, and FAST notebook. (I had to ask my sons: apparently a notebook is no longer a spiral-bound mass of lined paper waiting to be filled with pretty words! It's a little mini-laptop. Who knew?)

Head over for yourself and see the other stuff they are giving away. Maybe you'll get something great out of the partay?

The Rest of the Easter Pics

Not a lot of original quippy things to say to go with the pics, though. I was up laaaaate and loooong last night with Li'l E. She coughed so hard she threw up. Poor thing. We bonded in the steamy hot bathroom after I cleaned her up and calmed her down enough to loosen up her chest. Somehow, she managed to wake up perky and happy at 6:10 a.m. It's 9 a.m. and I'm STILL dragging, even after Shaggy let me sleep in a bit by taking over the other kids' morning routine for me.

But here's the rest of our Easter fun for your viewing pleasure...

"Is this going on the blog?"

Well, just for that, yes!

"Hey, this Easter thing is pretty fun."

All prettied up for church.

Yes, I realize we do have three other children.

But they are boys. And they have recently

developed an aversion to the camera.

And, unfortunately, an affinity for pranking Momma

at the very last second before I click, when I do get them

in the frame. Ugh.

Two of the three tables set up downstairs

for our capacity-crowd Easter buffet!

Hiding with cousin Gawah from the hustle bustle

while we got the buffet up and running.

Thrilled to have my parents with us for the day.

So thankful for the beautiful family they created.

Cutie pie cousins, hangin' out and hammin' it up.

Something tells me these three are gonna

keep us hopping in the years to come!

There you have it. The Gang's Easter wrap-up.

Celebrating the Resurrection of the King of Kings

was made all the sweeter for the great time we all got to

spend together with (most of) those we love.

I say "most of" because I always miss my Massachusetts sister

more than normal when the others are gathered here and

they are absent. It's a rare thing to have all of us

together for more than one holiday a year.

So Loved. Sharing The Love.

My bloggity crush is hosting two really big, special giveaways, to help raise funds to bring home her TWO precious girls from China.  You really need to check out the fun going on over there.

The first give-away is called SO LOVED. You can ready about it by clicking on the adorable button strategically placed here in my post. It'll take you straight there, like some kind of super-duper high speed magical transporter. Give as generously as you can to help bring home little Poppy and Esther to their waiting family.

You automatically get entered with every donation for some pretty sweet prizes.  And even better?  It's an investment in two sweet little girls who need to come home to their Mommy and Daddy. It's an investment in a family that is heeding God's plan  to build their family through special needs adoptions. It's an easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy way to DO the Love Of Jesus. Cuz we're all supposed to be DOING that stuff.

The second give-away is called SHARE THE LOVE.  You can enter that by posting on Facebook and/or your own blog about the SO LOVED give-away. Literally, you will be "sharing the love" by telling others. And if you do that, you can be entered to win some purty stuff.  Click HERE to see what you can win. 

Purty, huh?

So, there ya have it. Some bloggity clicking to keep you busy and to get the word out about cool prizes, a really cool family, and some fun stalking.

Ooops. Did I say that out loud?

And don't forget, when you click there,

tell her The Gang's Momma sent ya.

I Am a Ditter, I Am a Ditter!!!

~ Or, Scenes from Spring Break at The Gang's house ~

Me to LadyBug:  "LadyBug, you should put the book down now and play with your sister."

LadyBug to Me:  "Oh, can I just finish this little bit? I'm almost done, I promise."

Me:  "Okay, but make it quick, she's waiting for you..."

I immediately hear pounding feet racing through the house.  Li'l Empress bounds up to LadyBug and hops up and down in front of her. Poor LadyBug is trying to finish the last three pages of her final book of Spring Break.

Patting her own chest for emphasis, Li'l Empress declares, "I am a ditter! I am a ditter!"

And when LadyBug didn't move quite fast enough to put down that book and play with her "ditter," Li'l Empress leaned in really close and whispered, "LadyBug, I am a ditter. You can play wit me."

When it comes to girl-time with her "big ditter,"

there is NOTHING wrong with that girl's hearing!

Sunday Snapshot

Food. Family. Fun.

It was a busy Easter holiday.

It started early on Saturday, with a little mani-pedi action

for the girls. Getting ready for their Easter finery.

While Daddy was installing curtain rods

and light fixtures.

And leveling floors for vinyl installation.

We colored eggs.

And talked about the Resurrection.

And sin. And new life.

Look closely.

LadyBug does a great job of keeping

Mei Mei on our minds and in our hearts.

Prepping the baskets and leaving them sit empty

just increased the sense of anticipation!

And all that was just Saturday.

I'll do the rest of our holiday fun and festivities

in a follow-up post.

I might even throw in a favorite family recipe for you.

If you ask really pretty.

Right now, I need another cup of coffee.

I have an Easter holiday hang-over.

I haven't eaten that much sugar in a long, long time.

On Raising a Strong Willed Child

I believe I may have mentioned once or twice around here that our Li'l Empress is working hard, daily, to live up the meaning of her Gaelic name - "little fiery one."  She's sassy, spunky, and opinionated. I may worry about a lot of things with this girl o' mine, but self-advocating is not likely going to be one of those things.  Here's just a snippet of the things that have come out of her mouth recently.

This morning, sitting in the right-turn lane at a red light:  "Red mean top."

"Yes, Li'l E. I'm stopped."

When I see it's all clear, I make the right on red.

Which, in my state, is perfectly legal.

From the back seat, "MOMMMMMMMEEEEEE!

You mut top at red. Red mean top!"

~~~~~~~~~~~

When she's trying to make a point and someone interrupts her, 

she screws up her little face and declares, "I not talkin' to YOU."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to Dr. D, she's now running around the house mumbling

the melody to "Never Gonna Give You Up" 

and then pointing both index fingers at the closest sibling

and yelling in a growly little voice, "Wick Woh'd!"

We're trying to get that one on video, without her knowing we're filming her.

She's a sly one, tho. Always sees that darned camera coming.

~~~~~~~~~~~

When driving to school on a sunny morning, I've taken to pointing out

the newly blooming trees and flowers. The other morning, I pointed out

a purple azalea bush and a pink tree.

 She got a little snippy with me and wouldn't look at the purple bush.

She said, (in a pitch perfect imitation of her tween sister)

"Mooooommmmmeeeee, I DO like pink trees."

Like, "duh, I'm so over purple, MothER."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every. Single. Time. The Boss and/or I leave the house, she demands to know, 

"Who gonna be in chawg?"

Like she has some first right of refusal or something.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And the "why." Oh, the why.

All of a sudden, literally in a day and night difference, we are in the "why" stage.

One day, Shaggy got wise to it. And played along.

He answered so many of her "why?" questions that he actually

got down to Original Sin.

Yessir. My oldest teaching my youngest about Adam and Eve

choosing to rebel against God by eating an apple.

WHY? Because he could.

Serves her right!

Sunday Snapshot

OMIGOSH!  I just looked, and it's been 17 days since my last post.

Heh. I feel like I'm sitting in a confessional.

"Bless me Readers, for I have fallen behind. It's been 17 days since my last post."

Heh. I kill me.

Anyhooo... I knew that the first three weeks of April would seriously kick our collective hiney around here but I had NO idea just how hard the pace would be on all of us. We are spent. Run-down. Worn out. And ever so grateful that the three and a half weeks of calendar crowding and overlap of activities is finally over.  I am so over it.

But in the midst of it all, there were some great highlights. Shaggy has earned almost enough to begin seriously looking for his first car. Dr. D has blown out some of his personal records in triple and long jump, now that he's training with the varsity team. Baby BlueEyes rocked a science electricity project that several moms told me about when they went in for the presentations (the memo about which I must have missed?), and Li'l E had two successful drop-off's in a row in which she allowed me to unbuckle her and open the van door to her teacher without me walking her in to the classroom. Can we hear a Hallelujah on THAT one, my friends?!

The most exciting of all the highlights, though, was LadyBug's Wind Ensemble season. Two weeks ago, they performed a full-length concert of 11 or 12 compositions and KNOCKED. IT. OUT. OF. THE. PARK. Beautiful music was made, ya'll. Beautiful music.  And then. . .

LadyBug's Elementary Wind Ensemble had earlier been chosen to perform at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association's Conference held in Hershey on April 14.  So, with a ton of other eager parents and chaperones, and 66 of LadyBug's ensemble friends, I traveled this past week for an over-nighter to the conference. On Wednesday, we took a couple huge buses and a trailer full of equipment, stopped at Sh@dy Maple for dinner, and headed to a hotel for a good night's rest before the kids' early performance on Thursday.

The kids that I got to chaperone were 3 of LadyBug's close friends and a really sweet group of girls. We hung out at the hotel and watched Americ@n Id0l together till lights out. I enjoyed getting to see the girls interact and handle themselves in such a "grown-up setting."  Since I didn't get any parents' permission, I'll only share pics of my gal. But trust me when I say, their sweetness and cooperation made the work of caring for someone else's kids a total pleasure.

Getting ready for bed and giddy about tomorrow's

performance already!

I was totally impressed by how well these kids handled themselves. Getting them up was no big deal. Being ready on time (for the performance of a lifetime!) was easy. They all looked beautiful, in their concert black and whites. They took total responsibility for packing all their stuff up, sweeping the room one final time (each!) for things left behind, and for getting down to the lobby on time (early, even!) for the bus's departure. They really made my job so pleasant.

And the concert? I struggle to find words to describe just how beautiful the experience was. They all settled right in, warmed up, and got down to the business of tuning up and focusing. And when the music started? Let's just say that I fought tears of pride for the whole concert. THE. WHOLE. THING. Several of the songs were quite poignant and moving, while others were light-hearted and fun. At one point, even the conductor (whom we ADORE!) had tears in his eyes.

They never sounded better than they did

at this performance. They completely knew

how big a deal this invitation was and they

ROSE to the occasion. Every one of them.

What the kids (and the conductors, for that matter) did NOT know until the end of the concert is that the composer of two of their songs showed up for the performance. He was completely wowed by the kids and told the directors that, in his opinion, they ranked among the best elementary bands he's heard across the nation. The conductors were totally pumped that he was there and that he was so impressed with their work. And when we got on the bus and they told us about the encounter, I was really impressed to see how it connected with the kids. They GOT it. They realized the importance of this occasion. Of that composer's feedback and praise. It was an experience that they will never forget. I know I will never forget it.

After their performance, the kids got to walk around the exhibition hall. It was really crowded and full but so much fun for the gang. Each of the kids brought their mouthpieces and had the chance to try out various "high end" instruments. The price tags on some of those shiny clarinets was enough to make me hyperventilate but it was so great to see my girl so enthusiastic about her instrument and be totally into THAT kind of bling! That's the stuff that will last a lifetime, you know what I mean?!

I wasn't the only one shell-shocked

over the sticker prices!

As a "kudos!" for a job well done this season, the overnight trip also included a visit to an outdoor activity arena. For the rest of the day, the kids wore themselves out and celebrated with pizza, go-karts, mini-golf, batting cages, and arcade games. While we chaperones chilled out and soaked up the sun for a few hours. It was awesome, because we had the whole center to ourselves, since it didn't open to the public till after we left. Talk about a perfect chance to burn off some steam and enjoy the fruits of their labors!

That's the LadyBug, burning up the curves!

Waving to her adoring fans Momma...

Good thing she plays clarinet better than

she mini-golfs.  Hee hee hee.

Posing with my girl.

It was so cold and windy in the shade

that these smiles are totally fake!

I'm so grateful that I took the time and opportunity to spend this time with my LadyBug. Participating in the trip, getting to watch her interact with her friends, witnessing that amazing concert? It was all an amazing privilege and honor. It was such a wonderful trip and again, a memory that both of us will treasure for a long, long time, I'm sure.

And now? I think that concluded the last of the crazy calendar that was our April. I think I might actually have a "normal" (I know, what is normal anyway?!) week ahead. It's a good thing, too. This Momma can't take much more excitement 'round here. And I really need to grocery shop.

Not for the Faint of Heart

I've heard it said, many many times, that international adoption is not for the faint of heart. Having been through it once and attempting to embark upon it again, I can vigorously agree with the sentiment.

By the providence and grace of a loving Father, I have found myself surrounded on all sides with lots of folks who are supportive, encouraging, cheerleaders for my journey(s):

• Folks who have been there and back themselves and have lived to share their tales of it all.
• Folks who haven't done it themselves, but get me and get my heart for that little girl that God is holding in His hands for our family.
• Folks who don't understand what we're doing or even why we are doing it, but love us and love God and are willing to throw their support behind us just because they believe us when we say this is God's calling for our Gang.
• Folks who are willing to lay it all out there and share their stories, often for the SOLE purpose of glorifying God and giving a spotlight to HIS heart for the little ones who are waiting for a mommy and daddy to take them into their hearts. Forever.

For all of you folks, where ever you are on that list, please, go and read this story. It's a bit lengthy. It's a four-part series. But it's worth the read. It is SO worth the read.

For all of you folks who are waiting, like us, somewhere along the long, long journey that is international adoption, go read this story. You will be encouraged. You will be blessed. Your faith will be built up.

Part One starts here.

Part Two is here.

Part Three is here.

Part Four is here.

I know that Stefanie didn't intend this series to be anything more than sharing her journey and giving her great big God glory for being their All in All; but as I'm sharing it with you, my readers, I am feeling blessed beyond measure myself. I needed to hear this story. I needed to know that God isn't finished with The Gang yet. I needed to know that He hasn't forgotten my longing heart. He hasn't forgotten my solitary, quiet prayers.

In the last few months, I have often felt like Hannah at the altar of the temple. Circumstances that I can't control, time lines that weren't my plan, "checks" in our spirits that we don't understand (but have felt compelled to obey nonetheless), re-training of mindsets and habits in our home as we have learned more along the way. All of these things have added up to a delay in our journey to "mei mei" that has been hard for me to process. Hard for me to accept.

But posts like these listed above remind me that He is in it all. He is in CHARGE of it all. He has it all in His hands. Posts like these remind me that He is listening. That He cares even more than I do that "mei mei" come home in His appointed time. That He has connected me to folks who can and will be His Hands to me and His Ears for me when I need it most. That He has folks praying with me and for me, with Stefanie and for Stefanie, even if I don't know them or see them. That I am never alone on this journey to find our "mei mei." And I can't even tell you how loved and cherished that makes me feel.

Never underestimate the power of your support and encouragement AND YOUR PRAYERS for and over a family who has a call to adopt. NEVER.

Fare Negotiation

Here's a snapshot of my typical Tuesday taxi runs, for the foreseeable future. I think I may need to start calling myself Taxi Momma instead of The Gang's Momma... I've become this silent, auto-pilot cabby that I don't think I even recognize.

7:15 a.m. - run Shaggy over to the local high school for his state mandated standardized testing (Yes, quietly and in my p.j.'s, in case you are wondering.).

Since he's a cyber-student this year, we had a couple options from which to choose for testing arrangements. This option involves 10 different mornings of running him there, sometimes for a couple hours, more often for only 45 minutes or an hour at a time. Now that I'm in the thick of it, I think we chose unwisely. The other option was three mornings, for the whole morning each time, at a hotel about an hour away. The Boss would have done those runs, and worked in the hotel lobby. Yeah, not my finest moment of clarity and choice. I must not have had my coffee yet when I opted for TEN early morning runs instead.

7:30 a.m. - run LadyBug to the local elementary school for Wind Ensemble rehearsal. (Yes, still in my jammies. And still very quiet. Don't judge me.) Since her concert is coming up soon, today is the last WE rehearsal. But in two weeks, they are moving band rehearsals to Tuesdays, so it's really no change for my tan cab.

8:00 a.m. - get Baby BlueEyes out the door on time for the bus.

8:40 a.m. - run BACK to the high school to pick up Shaggy. (I'm STILL in my jammies. Ugh. But at least the laundry has been started, the kitchen floor has been swept, and Li'l E got some breakfast. I am a little chattier. But not much. Again, no judging please. You know you do it, too!)

A large chunk of time at home allows me to blog, catch up on laundry (well, as catch'd up as any mom of five is ever gonna get?!), get Li'l E into some suitable clothes, shower, clean my room, my bathroom, and the kitchen up before lunch. Who knows, I might get crazy and even sit down to eat lunch with Li'l E, Dr. D, and Shaggy....

1:30 p.m. - get Li'l E down for her nap - whether she sleeps or not. Today. the break for us both is a must.

2:35 p.m. - run Dr. D over to the high school for his first home meet of the Spring Track and Field season. He's competing today in the long jump, triple jump, and possibly a sprint or two.

3:10 p.m. - get LadyBug and BBE off the bus, snacked up, wake Li'l E, and dress them all warmly for the track meet.

3:45 p.m. - head BACK to the high school (Woot! Woot! I get to use a different entrance this trip!) for Dr. D's track meet. The Boss is trying to meet me there - hope he doesn't miss this auspicious event for Dr. D's sake....

We had a major miscommunication and both The Boss and I thought the schedule listed today's meet as "Away," which would have significantly reduced the running around we have to do but now The Boss might have to dart out of a meeting and rush home to try to catch even at least some of the meet.

5:20 p.m. - head home with the littles, to change, eat and get geared up for their first real soccer practice/game of the season.

6:05 p.m. - The Boss will take LadyBug and BBE over to the field across town. I think Shaggy will hold down the fort here at home with Li'l E, since it will be quite chilly on the field by then.

At some point in here, someone will have to run BACK to the high school and get Dr. D, but since it's the first meet, we're not quite clear on what time that will happen. The soccer field is close enough that The Boss can leave the littles with their coaches if need be.

6:30 p.m. - I have to get out the door to Moms' Night Out. I have a built in excuse for HAVING to leave on time (alone!) and enjoy a night out: I lead the group that is hosting it!  :)

8:30 p.m. - The Boss brings the littles home for snacks and showers after soccer. Then he gets to put all three of the younger ones to bed.  And I won't come home till they are all asleep. First rule of Moms' Night Out, right?

9:20 p.m. - The Boss will fall asleep exhausted on the couch, thanking his lucky stars that he won't have to participate in the madness of The Gang's Typical Tuesday next week. He's going to a conference out of town for three days. (The busiest three days of the whole month of April, I might add. I'm NOT even kidding.)

10 p.m.-ish - I will come strolling in, temporarily energized by a night out with my friends. The blur of the day will have faded a bit with the consumption of yummy treats at P@ner@ Bread. Faded enough that I don't decide to go on strike and demand a rate increase immediately. The lure of the warm, quiet, dark bed is too strong. Striking at that late hour will be counter-productive, as the other parties with whom I could negotiate will be sleeping. All of them.  (I hope!)

But I seriously need to negotiate my fares.

I think I'm being grossly underpaid.

Sunday Snapshot

On Thursday, Li'l Empress had her first ever dentist appointment. Yup, big girl chair, full cleaning and everything. And I have to say, given how hard it can occasionally be for her to engage in and enjoy new experiences, this appointment was a pleasant surprise. For me, and for the dentist's whole staff. 

It certainly helps that both of the big brudders went first, showing her how it's done. And that they let her climb all over them, ride up and down in the chair, and boss them around a little bit. Even the hygienist got in on the fun, letting Li'l E help count Shaggy's teeth.

I could tell she was getting a little nervous when they told her it was her turn to climb into the big chair by herself. But in this instance, we worked the power of peer pressure for good - they cheered her on and made it a chance to gain their fist bumps and brotherly approval.

The cheesey smile is masking a touch of uncertainty.

The pretty purple bib just like her brothers' 

made transition a little more tolerable.

She was remarkably calm and even excited about showing off all her teeth and counting "ten on top" and "ten on bottom" with the hygienist by this point of the visit. She didn't mind the sticky scraper thingy in her mouth at all.  (I hate that thing but managed to mask my squeamishness, er, distaste, for the sake of the mission!)

Counting her little pearly whites . . . 

quickly moved on to polishing with "Mr. Tickle" and some

"awwwdum" berry toothpaste.

When the hygienist took a break and asked Li'l E if her teeth

were starting to feel clean and sparkly,

Li'l E said, "Ummmmm?  No, not reawy."

I'm not even kidding.

It went so well that she was positively IN CHARGE of the room. It got to the point that it was almost like her own one-man stand-up show.  In fact, she got so comfy with herself and her surroundings that she didn't even once ask for me. Shaggy was all about easing the situation - her "walking security blanket - and Dr. D was giving her funny things to say and positive self-talk to share with the hygienist:

 "Li'l E, tell the hygienist how awesome you are."

"I'm awdum."

Note the "awdumly" relaxed, chill pose.

(The fact that she crosses her legs while laying down like that

just totally cracks me up. Such a diva.) 

None of us knew what to expect - given her age, her dislike of anyone in scrubs, and her, ummm, well, her temperament. :) Let's just say, our pediatrician and his nursing staff earn every.single.penny. of every.single.visit. by the time Li'l E settles into acceptance of even a regular check-up. Between the gazillion questions about needles and band-aids and boo-boos (she's very uncomfortable with any sight of any of the three), the stubborn resistance to making eye contact with any of those scrubs-clad folk, and the constant requests for reassurance ("Mommy, I neeee you.  Mommy, you 'tay wit me?  Mommy, I neeee you."), the mere mention of the word "doctor" or "nurse" is used spaaaaringly by this household.

Again, it was one of the more pleasant surprises we've had with Li'l E and all things medical. And another happy milestone for our girl!

Click on the "awwwwdum" 

Sunday Snapshot icon at the top 

of this "awwwwdum" post

to join in the "awwwdum" fun!!!

Glammin' Up Grandma's Dishes

This week, I made a dish that our whole family loves. My grandmother gave me the recipe once when I was a newly engaged college senior, visiting her for a long weekend. She had made it for me a couple of times on other visits and it's been a tried and true recipe for all the years since. I threw in some extra's this week and glammed up the dish a bit. Normally, I make it just as she dictated it and enjoy its simplicity. But this time around, I was feeling a little adventurous.

Give it a try, I'll bet your family will love it. Glammed up like I did, or stripped down to the basics - it's easy and tasty, and if you do it right, it's actually not too bad on your waistline either!

“Poor Man’s” Shrimp or Crab Alfredo

My Grandma Gert

Ingredients:

1 lb.  frozen shrimp or lump crab meat

          (imitation crab meat is also tasty)

4-6 Tbsp. butter – I use EVOO

1-2 cloves garlic

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. parsley

1 (8 oz.) block of light cream cheese (non-fat is good too)

½ c. grated romano or parmesan cheese

Directions:

Sauté the frozen shrimp or crabmeat in butter and add garlic (*and onions if you are so inclined).  Stir in oregano and parsley.

Add the cream cheese, cut up in chunks and turn the heat to low. Simmer this combination until cheese is thoroughly melted and creamy.

Add ½ cup of romano or parmesan cheese and stir through until melted and mixed well.  If sauce is too thick, add milk to desired consistency. If stronger cheese flavor is desired, try shredded parmesan in place or in combination with grated cheeses.

I also love to throw in extra nutrition via some (or this week, all!) of these add-ins:

·       ½ c. sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped (and drained if in oil)

·       ½-1 c. broccoli and/or cauliflower, steamed and chopped

·       ½ c. onions, chopped and sautéed with the garlic during the first step*

Serve over noodles of your choice that have been cooked and drained. We especially prefer this dish with shrimp that’s been grilled.  We like to serve it over spinach linguine or whole grain or veggie fettucine.

Serves 6 comfortably.

Now That's Some Good Reading, There...

So, somehow it has gotten all the way to Wednesday and I just now realized that I didn't post the couple thoughts I've been mulling over in my "drafts" pile of entries...

While I'm working on spiffing those up for ya, why don't you check out these couple gems I have found this week.

This one is part of a series by guest posters over at Rage Against the MiniVan. 

I appreciate the essence of what the author is getting at, and was especially intrigued by the comments that followed. It's also noteworthy that this particular batch of grown-ups could disagree on a couple things AND STILL ACT LIKE GROWN-UPS. How refreshing is THAT?  {Hat Tip to Tonggu Momma for the lead on this one!}

This is a similar piece, but chock full of enough to make the differences worth the reading.

Kay Bratt is the author of Silent Tears, a book that is quickly becoming a staple in most China-adopting moms' resource list. Again, the comments that follow this particular post are quite interesting and worth checking out. I so enjoy hearing the perspectives of other adoptive parents in their journeys of parenting.

While I haven't had a ton of personal experiences like those that these two authors have obviously endured, I have had a couple. I tend to assume from the outset of these kinds of conversations that the person inquiring about our adoption experience is doing so out of true curiosity and that it is only their wording or phrasing that is troublesome. In most of my interactions with folks, I think I tend to assume things from a positive slant, which might be why I feel kind of slammed as I blabber to respond. But, as I respond, and learn better HOW to respond (you know, with those canned responses I mentioned here), I am also learning how to re-phrase the inquiry in a more appropriate way.

I know the above links are to some longer-than-normal posts, but for those couple of you readers who are the ones that kind of kindled my "so you want to talk about adoption" series of posts, I really think that the reading is worth the while. If you would be so kind, come on back and share your responses, ideas or feelings after you've read the posts. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Sunday Snapshot

This past Thursday, we had a day o' celebration

here at The Gang's Headquarters,

paying homage to our Irish

(and Irish for the day) roots.

Here's how the day went down, Gang style!

Two guesses which of my "hooligans" actually forked

over his own dinero to purchase and wear this little gem!

His favorite shirt, for St. Patty's Day or not, of all time.

A little green nail polish to honor the good Saint.

And to welcome the beautiful spring day.

 

Yummy Irish Soda Bread was the perfect

accompaniment to our hearty lamb stew for dinner.

We wrapped up the festivities with a green cake,

frosted in green and topped with green nuts.

And in the background, my Eden's Bridge worship tunes

mixed with some old Corrs

tunes to keep the house in the spirit all day long.

Shades o' green were all over the house....

Can you guess who is who?

Just Because We All Need a Little Happy

Huge hat tip to my friend, Comfy Denim, for sharing this. Since today was originally fore-casted to be rainy and dull all day long, has dawned really early here at The Gang's headquarters and appears to be a bright and springy Saturday morning, I thought I'd share this with you all. We all need a little happy at the end of a long week.

Mmmmmm, Brussels Sprouts!

Last week, I scored some beautiful, tiny, crisp Brussels sprouts at my local produce outlet. Had I known that the peak season of Brussels sprouts was wrapping up, I would have grabbed an extra bag.... I've never been great at tracking "peak seasons" of veggies, especially ones that my kids typically squawk about. But I had seen an interesting recipe in one of my magazines and it got my wheels turning.

I made them into a side dish (loosely based on a couple ideas from a couple sites that made things so much more complicated than I like to be in the kitchen!) that I just had to share with you all. It smelled so amazing and had some favorite ingredients in it, so I was pleasantly surprised to see the kids giving the dish a try. Not that they all loved it (and there were two alternate veggie dishes available to rescue them!) but they did give the dish a chance. A couple of them were actually won over by it.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, rinsed, trimmed with visible mars or tough outer leaves removed
2-3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 sweet Vidalia onion, chopped
2 cloves (or more!) of fresh garlic, diced
2-3 Tbsp. cooked and crumbled bacon (I use the bagged stuff from Co$tco)

Steam the Brussels sprouts in the microwave till just tender. They should be tender to the fork and still fairly bright green. Make sure they aren't over-cooked and turning dark green. Drain well and set aside.

While the sprouts are steaming, lightly saute the onion and the garlic in the olive oil on medium heat. Be sure to use a pan deep enough to hold the Brussels sprouts when you do this!

Lightly salt and pepper the sauteed onions and garlic. Add the Brussels sprouts to the onion mixture and gently toss. Saute for an additional 3-5 minutes, with the heat raised up slightly. The sprouts should start to get lightly browned from the oil and the heat.

Add the bacon and toss gently to mix and bring it to the same temp. as the veggies. Do not overcook, though!

Serve with a dash of fresh, shredded parmesan if you have it.

Enjoy!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I thought I'd share one of my favorite traditionally Irish hymns with you, in honor of St. Patrick's Day. It's simplicity and beauty never fail to move me. And it's an excellent prayer to meditate upon, no matter the day.

Be Thou My Vision

Mary Byrne, 1905

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Wordless Wednesday

For Japan. . . with love

Samaritan's Purse

American Red Cross

For  more Wordless Wednesday,

head to 5 Minutes for Moms.