Girls Morning

Zoe has been anxiously waiting for today for the past week and a half. She had a ‘girls only’ play date with Jaylyn at Build-A-Bear. She was up bright and early ready to go-go-go. Jaylyn had never been to Build-A-Bear before so this was a new experience for both Jaylyn and her mommies.

The girls walked up and down the ‘bear’ aisle trying to determine what bear they wanted. Zoe picked up about three or four before finally deciding on a rabbit, which she named, Nemo. Jaylyn picked a dog that she named Ruff –Ruff. The girls groomed their pets, picked out some sassy outfits, and then made them a birth certificate. Once all the formalities were complete we even had time for a carousel ride on our way out of the mall.

Zoe and Jaylyn did very well and I know Zoe enjoys having a girlfriend she can pal around with. Although Jaylyn is 2 years younger than Zoe, Zoe always looks forward to seeing her.

Boys Afternoon

After a morning with the girls, I decided to leave Zoe home with Mimi and take the boys out for the afternoon. I don’t often get time alone with just the boys so we decided to go for a little treat. I had a few errands to run, and then we went to Starbucks. Christian opted for hot chocolate and Luis ordered apple cider along with a yummy chocolate biscotti. After our snack, we went for a little hike. The weather was so beautiful it was hard to stay indoors. The boys love being outside, picking up sticks, throwing rocks in the water, and playing in the dirt.

I enjoy the quality time with the boys. It’s nice to get them one on one where they can cut loose and be boys. I think it’s important to do these kinds of things with them. Sure, it’s a lot by myself however, I want to make sure I spend quality time with them alone.

The alone time I spend with Zoe during the week when she’s not in school, is priceless to me. After this journey and having to share myself between 3 kids, it’s hard to give each of them the one on one time they need.

It’s been a heck of a holiday weekend. We stayed pretty busy and had an amazing Thanksgiving with people who are very near and dear to us. I’m so grateful for all of our friends. Not only for the love and support they give us but also for letting us into their lives and loving us unconditionally. We are truly blessed.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving turkey fry at Dana and Karen's...

Great food, Good laughs, and Fantastic friends!

This Morning....

This morning the kids and I made Christmas wreaths while listening to Christmas songs and sipping on apple cider. We talked about Santa and what kind of cookies they want to bake for him. We also talked about the things they really wanted Santa to bring them.

Doing these projects with the kids is so much fun and it gets us all in the holiday spirit. It takes me longer to clean up then it does to do the project but, it’s all worth it!

'Tis the season!

Black Friday

Who takes three kids shopping on black Friday? We do! We didn’t have a list of things we HAD TO HAVE but, we thought we’d check out a few places and see what we could find. Now that we have three kids for the holidays we need to get on the ball. I never in my life thought I’d be buying Christmas gifts for three kids. I had no idea what I was going to get the kids, I just figured I’d know it when I saw it -- And, I did!

The crowds believe it or not were not bad. We didn’t wait in long lines, get in fights with anyone, or get run down by shopping carts. We were even able to score some of the ‘door buster’ sales from the early morning. We got tons of good stuff, we didn't have to get up before the sun, and the kids were excellent.

After a long morning of shopping, we took the kids to lunch and came home for some well needed naps. I’m sure people thought we were crazy attempting this madness with three kids but, it was fun and we got lots of good deals. The kids got tons of winter clothes (which covered most of their Christmas gifts in the cart so they couldn’t see them).

Let the Christmas holiday fun begin!

We are back!

Several months ago, my two best friends and I decided we would plan a little vacation together. It’s been years since we’ve all been together in one place so, we were way overdue. We all decided on a cruise to the Bahamas. We would fly to Miami so Zoe could spend some time with my parents and cruise from there. PERFECT idea!

The night before we left, Shelli got an email notification that we’d been upgraded to first class, what better way to start our vacation? Zoe was waited on like a princess. She had TWO apple juices – on the rocks, chips, and cookies. She was excellent on the plane and listened to her ipod, colored, and even got in a nap.

Once we landed, Pop Pop was at the airport to greet Zoe, she was so happy to see him. (My dad works at the airport and it’s always great to see him as soon as we land). Zoe always wants to go up to Pop Pop’s office sit at his desk, play on his computer, and call all my dad’s co-workers on the phone. They love when she comes to visit!

Before we headed to the Bahamas, Shelli and I met up with some friends for dinner. Nothing like bringing up OLD stories from the past – they seem just as funny as when it happened years ago. I hadn’t laughed that hard in ages.

The next morning, we were off to the boat. We didn’t waste anytime. As soon as we stepped on the ship, we were greeted with ‘Hello’ and a glass of champagne. From there we went to our rooms to unpack and the rest is history. We didn’t spend anytime in our rooms –other than to sleep. Too much to see and too much to do!

The first day we spent in Nassau. We left the ship to do a little shopping at the Straw Market. There isn’t really too much to do in Nassau so, we walked around. I couldn’t help but to stop and talk to all the little kids selling things along the way. They were all adorable! Then we stopped at Senor Frogs for lunch and a frosty margarita (or two). Once we got back on the boat we changed into our swimsuits and hit the pool deck for a nice nap with an amazing Caribbean breeze that lulled us all to sleep for about two hours. Just in time to get up and shower for dinner and the comedy show. On Sunday, we all met for breakfast and then disembarked for a day at Great Stirrup Cay, which is a private island where we had a BBQ and all kind of other fun beach activities planned. We did some sun bathing, people watching, and some amazing snorkeling. There was a beautiful reef in about 40 feet of water; we spent a good part of the day snorkeling around looking at all the fish. It was like swimming in a salt water aquarium. It was so fun catching up with my two childhood best friends. We’ve been through so much together and it was amazing to just kick back and act like teenagers again.


While we were gone, Zoe also had a full schedule. She went to the beach, baked cupcakes, had a ‘private’ tennis lesson, met up with some of her Florida pals, and soaked up all the quality time she could with her Mamaw & Pop Pop. Aunt Lisa and Big Sam also had several activities planned for additional fun. I was able to sneak in a tennis match with my dad too! Thank goodness there are no pictures of that. I was a little rusty to say the least but, we had a good time.

It was an equally fun filled and action packed vacation for us all, and one that was well needed and deserved! We are all exhausted but, it was worth every second. It’s always hard to say goodbye but, we were ready to get home and see the boys and spend Thanksgiving together as a family.

~Break~

Time for a Mental Coffee Break --- I will be back once I'm a little refreshed and a lot rejuvenated!

Taco Night

This afternoon Christian and Luis had a visit with their biological parents. It went well however, it’s always hard on them so I try to make the evening a little extra special for them when we get home.

Shelli is not a big fan of Mexican food but, I absolutely love it and so do the kids. Tonight, we had tacos and that is always a HUGE hit. I cut up lettuce, tomatoes, and cilantro and put them in bowls along with shredded cheese and sour cream so the kids can pick and choose the stuff they want inside their tacos. The more goodies the kids have to stuff in the tacos the more fun they have.

Before they’ve taken their second bite, the taco shells are in a hundred pieces and they have more on their laps and the floor then on their plates. Oh well, it just goes along with taco night!

Foster Care

November marks the 9th month since Luis and Christian joined our family. So many things come to mind when I think back to the day they arrived.

When we started this journey, we went into it wanting to help children in need. Sure, I wanted a sibling for Zoe but since we weren’t in a rush, we thought foster care was the best option for us at the time. We went through the training process which took a few months. Once all our classes, paperwork, background checks, physicals, and the approval process was finally completed, we were very excited about opening our home to a child in need of a safe place to call home.

Two months after we were approved, we had one overnight placement. Then about 3 weeks later, we got the call for three year old twin boys. I of course in my head thought I could do this with flying colors. Heck, lots of people raise three kids – why couldn’t we? The first couple weeks with the boys were C-R-A-Z-Y! I had to get a routine and fast. It took us a good two months to get things under control and get a routine down. Getting all three kids in the car was an ordeal however, I didn’t skip a beat! I’d load all three kids in their car seats and pray for the best. The boys had never been to day care or ‘school’, but after a couple of weeks we looked into getting them enrolled. We wanted to make sure they were staying before seeking out a school. I was home all day with three kids trying to keep them as busy as possible, AND out of trouble. Going to the grocery store or anywhere ALONE with the kids was always a riot. I would just stand there and laugh at myself. How would I get three kids in one shopping cart? How would I get everything on my list, how could I concentrate with the kids screaming, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy? How would I keep the kids from sticking their fingers in the grocery line belt? How will all four of us get in the bathroom stall? Snacks, you want snacks? I looked like a crazy person every single time I left the house BUT, I held my head up high and did what I had to do – trying to laugh along the way. After all, I signed up for this, right?!

Today, 9 months later, we still have a full plate. The boys have come so far yet they still have a long way to go. I can’t count the nights I’ve gone to bed in tears. The kids make me want to pull my hair out most days, (Zoe included) however, I can't bear the thought of not having them in my life. I’ve never been through anything more emotional in my life. I go through so many different emotions weekly. Without the support of our friends and family, we couldn’t have made it through. Most days, it takes every ounce of inner strength I have to make it through. Raising someone else’s kids is the most challenging thing I’ve ever done.

Being a mom is the hardest job in the whole wide world but, it’s also been the most rewarding job I’ve ever had. Leaving corporate America was something I struggled with in the past but looking back, it was the best thing I ever did. I feel so blessed I am able to stay home with my daughter and watch her grow into the person she is today. I will miss the special times we have when I go back to work but, until then, I try to enjoy every moment with my kid(s) as good or as bad as they are. Some days are more trying than others but, I try to make the best of each and everyday.

Apple

In keeping with the apple theme...

Vermont - 2006 - Apple Orchard

Apple Festival

This afternoon we met the Johnson-McCormick family at the annual apple festival. We were forewarned by some of our friends this place gets super crazy. Lots and lots of people and NO parking! Boy were they right -- What a fiasco!

When we got there, I had a mini panic attack. I wasn’t sure how this was going to work with six kids and people everywhere. I figured between 4 adults, we’d surely have it under control. We all walked hand-in-hand through the festival enjoying the heavenly smells of apples. You name it, they had it. Jams, butters, fritters, pies, ice cream, dumplings, etc. I searched high and low for the apple dumplings but couldn’t find them – ANYWHERE! We settled for apple fritters which were so good. Anything fried with powered sugar simply cannot be bad! I could have eaten about ten fritters but made sure I stayed in line.

Before we headed home, the kids were able to watch a really neat juggling show. The kids DID NOT MOVE the whole entire show. It was amazing. These guys had 100% of their attention. I couldn’t believe it. I would glance over and all 5 kids were sitting side by side enjoying all the different tricks the guys were doing.

It was a fantastic, over stimulating, but fun afternoon! The icing on the cake was some love time with Meera who is getting so big.

Thanks Johnson-McCormick crew, We love you!

Today

A beautiful fall day + Lots of leaves to roll around in =
3 happy kids!