In Our Part of the World

It's Saturday, it's raining, and it's glorious. We never complain about rain. We never pray for it not to rain . . . never. If you've ever suffered through a drought, especially if your family ranches or farms or even, has a front yard, you always appreciate the rain . . . always. So yeah, it's pretty darn wonderful.

We're one week and counting until Andrew turns five. We've had the following conversation about 20 times in the last few weeks. It always cracks me up.

Andrew: Is it almost my birthday party?
Me: It's getting closer. And you get a party, but you don't get to turn five okay?
Andrew: No Mom!!! I have to turn five. I'm a big boy.
Me: But I want you to stay four forever. You're getting too big.
Andrew: It's because of all the eating and sleeping. It makes me strong. It makes me grow.
Me: That's okay. I'll just ask God if you can stay four for one more year.
Andrew: No you cannot do that. God will not listen to that.He will not. I have to turn five.

And then we repeat it the next day. He gets very worked up. As if, I can someone stop him from growing up.

Speaking of things Andrew says, last night Andrew kept saying "fick" and "fin" instead of thick and thin. I should correct him, and I will . . . eventually. But for the moment he's still four, and I promise we'll fix it before he's 25. You know, I'm not the only parent that does this. I mean all parents let their kids say things wrong because they think it's cute . . . and so they can laugh at them. Right?

There's not much else going on in our part of the world. Just a nice, relaxing Saturday. Hope yours is great!

A Controversial Post . . . To Say the Least

I think the title says it all, but in case it doesn't, this post is going to make some people angry. I'm sorry if it does, but I will not apologize for my beliefs. I feel very strongly and very passionately about what I'm about to say. But I do want to say this: if you think this post is purely about politics then you are greatly mistaken. It goes far beyond and far deeper than mere politics. I also promise that I will not go on a "political" post kick, but there are some things that I need to get off my chest. So here goes . . . 

This country was founded by men (and women) that believed in a person's right to fulfill their dreams. To build their lives themselves. To live for what they believe is right whatever that may or may not be. If you want to maintain your freedoms (either way) then you best wake up and pay attention to what is going on around you.

The Declaration of Independence states: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Read it again. Read it as many times as you need to. It says that we have the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." We've been given that by God. Yet, as of late, I've felt as if these rights are threatened. I firmly believe that all men are created equal. But equality does not mean that each and every person is exactly the same. We were created equal, but we were also created unique. 

My fear is that there are men and women that want to kill the uniqueness that makes this country so great. They want to bury the concept of "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps" . . . of reaching for something bigger than yourself . . . of fulfilling your dreams and working for what you believe. Those that work hard should give what they earn to those that don't. And while your at it, why bother to work hard? I mean if you don't I'm sure someone else can pay your way. 

I know that for some of you this will ring true. I also know that for others, this will completely turn you off to this blog. When I hit publish, I take that risk. But hear me out before you click the little red "X" in the right hand corner. 

I'm what you would call a staunch conservative. But this . . . this whole political climate in which we find ourselves . . . is not about conservative or liberal. It's not about Republican or Democrat. To be certain, I've had plenty of those arguments in the past. But this, well this is about doing everything we can to maintain the freedom for which so many gave their lives. It's about not letting ourselves be sucked into the kind of government control from which so many countries have fought for years to free themselves. 

I remember being eight years old and watching the Berlin Wall come down. I had no idea what the historical significance of that whole event was. But to an eight year old little girl, it meant freedom. I hope and pray that here in our nation today we have enough sense to realize that a wall is slowly being built. It may not be a tangible wall, but it's being built nonetheless. It's placing a dividing line between Americans and their freedoms . . . between "certain unalienable rights" and the people for whom those rights were created . . . between us and "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". We've been free for so long that we've been lulled into a false sense of security believing that we will always be free. That nothing can really threaten our freedom. If we don't wake up, I'm afraid we'll look up one day to find that a "wall" has been built that forever affects not only our freedom but that of our children, our grandchildren, and all generations to come.

I for one won't hide. Nor will I shut up. If people hate me because of what I believe, then so be it. I don't ask to be popular. I just ask people to think . . . to avoid apathy . . . to realize that the decisions we make today will have far reaching repercussions. 

Two Weddings and a Soccer Game

Last night we attended our second wedding for the second weekend in a row. Tis the season to get married.

It was an outdoor wedding in a beautiful setting. And the weather was only in the low 90s but put on "wedding" garb in 90 degree temps, and ladies and gentlemen, you will sweat. I've been to a lot of outdoor weddings, and in Texas, you are really playing Russian Roulette with your wedding plans when you plan on an outdoor wedding. It could rain or snow; it could be 102 in November or 50 degrees in October; you are likely to sweat or freeze; but it is highly unlikely that none of the above will happen. Texas weather does not always (usually) play nice. But the wedding was nice, and the reception was inside an air conditioned hall so all was right with the world.

It was my cousin's wedding, and my sweet grandfather officiated. I should have gotten some pictures, but I didn't. I'm never sure if it's couth to pull out your camera in the middle of someone else's wedding. Probably not. Anyway, my sister is friends with the photographer so I think there is probably a disproportionate number of pictures of my immediate family. Hopefully, some will make it my way. :)

Yesterday morning, we had another soccer game. Y'all I'm enjoying this whole soccer thing a lot more than t-ball. I got to where I dreaded t-ball, but soccer is a lot of fun. Andrew did really well. We told him to just kick the ball, and he did. He ended up scoring two goals.

Anthony was helping the boys warm up before the game . . . at least I think he was helping . . . 

After we got home last night, Andrew was on a roll. He told me his new fighter name was "Corn on the Cob", and he tried to convince me that he should sleep with us. He got in my bed and put on his snow hat because you know everyone needs a snow hat in September. 

We ended up compromising. We made him a bed on the couch, and he got to watch a movie before he went to sleep. I'm not sure why sleeping on the couch is so much fun. But apparently it is. 

Now I'm off to get ready for church and another busy day. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Latest and Greatest

Blogging . . . I haven't even thought about blogging for the past couple days. I blogged on Sunday so I guess it's not too bad. But as per usual things have been busy. I'm starting to accept that life as we now know it, with a five year old and a full time job and another one coming one day, is just going to be busy.

I did update the adoption page on Sunday. Nothings really changed. We're still waiting. It basically just shows that we updated all our paperwork and are still registered with Bulgaria. It's taking them a while to get caught up after their summer break so we're not expecting to see any movement until October. Of course, Christmas break will be here before we know it. Man these breaks really slow things down.

Andrew's birthday is two weeks from Saturday. He's turning five. I'm in severe denial. How did my baby grow up so fast. When did he go from six months to five years old. Next year is kindergarten. Kindergarten!!! I'm so not ready for him to be a grown up little boy. But he really is the sweetest thing ever, and he says the funniest things. On Sunday afternoon he told me he wasn't "at all tired" then he fell asleep on my lap, and I left him there for a while. It's been a very long time since I held him while he slept, and I figure it may never happen again so why not cherish the moment? Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to stand in the corner and cry.

But really, in all honesty, I'm so thankful that he's happy and healthy and growing. I just wish he would grow a bit slower. :)

Our Weekend

Our weekend was another busy one. And I didn't manage to get a single picture so you'll have to settle for a verbal . . . ummm . . . typed recap.

Yesterday morning, bright and early, we started with a soccer game. Andrew's team won. Andrew scored a goal for the other team. It was a proud moment in the world of soccer. :)

After the soccer game, I shipped the child off to my sister's where I'm pretty sure he spent the next 24 hours eating nothing but junk. This is why he loves my sister. She lets him eat all the marshmallows out of the Lucky Charms. She feeds him a steady diet of McDonald's and Pop Tarts and cheese balls. This isn't how she feeds her own child . . . just mine. But then that's what aunts are for right? They are there to spoil you, ruin you, and send you home.

While Andrew was at my sister's, Patrick and I went to the wedding of a family friend. It was nice to see old friends that we haven't seen in quite a while. And it seems like September 2012 is the month for weddings. We have another next weekend, and everyone is talking about weddings they are attending. It's turning out to be a fabulous month to get married. The weather has cooled off, and I don't want to speak too soon, but it seems like we might actually have a fall this year.

Today, it's raining. After church and lunch, Andrew and I came home, and we've camped out on the couch for the afternoon. I have a little laundry to take care of, but there's not much going on otherwise. When Patrick gets home, Andrew wants to watch a "family movie", but he informed me we can't watch a family movie without his daddy because we all have to be together to be a family. He is so funny.

Hope everyone has a great week! Enjoy your Monday.

Baboons, Monkeys, Elephants, and Skunks

Growing up I used to sing the following song (and apparently I sang it enough that I still know it by memory):

"I went to the animal fair.
The birds and the beasts were there
The big baboon by the light of the moon was combing his auburn hair.
The monkey, he got drunk
and sat on the elephant's trunk.
The elephant sneezed
and fell on his knees.
And that was the end of the monk, the monk.
And that was the end of the monk."

Okay, I used to sing a song about a drunk monkey sitting on an elephant's trunk and dying as a result. Say what?!? I don't think I even knew what drunk meant until I was thirteen. And really, how often do baboons comb their hair? Much less, by the light of the moon. What kind of children's song is this?

When I started teaching, my first year was in Pre-K (never again y'all). One of the first things I heard was the song remade:

"I went to the animal fair,
The birds and the beasts were there,
The big baboon by the light of the moon
Was combing his auburn hair,
The monkey bumped the skunk,
And sat on the elephant's trunk;
The elephant sneezed and fell to his knees,
And that was the end of the monk,
The monk, the monk, the monk,
The monk, the monk, the monk." 

My co-teacher had never heard the original version. Boy howdy was she missing out. But really, I don't think that the parents would appreciate me teaching their kids about drunk monkeys. Although, you have to the admit the first one is more interesting. And it also speaks to the dangers of excessive drinking . . . and sitting on an elephant's trunk. However, the second one speaks to the dangers of bumping a skunk. So I guess they both have their strong points.

Am I the only one that sang this song?

From Sea to Shining Sea

 The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
- Edmund Burke

Eleven years ago today, our world came crashing down around us. Thousands of lives were lost. Thousands more were devastated. What we dreamed would never happen, happened. We stared in the face of the impossible. Evil may have put up a fight, but evil did not triumph. May it never triumph. May we never bury our heads in the sand or turn to a life of apathy. May we never "do nothing". May we always stand in the face of adversity and fight. May we remember from where it is we came, and may we look to our past to guide our future. May we never forget. May  we always remember.

America the Beautiful

Words by Katharine Lee Bates,

Melody by Samuel Ward

O beautiful for spacious skies, 

For amber waves of grain, 

For purple mountain majesties 

Above the fruited plain! 

America! America! 

God shed his grace on thee 

And crown thy good with brotherhood 

From sea to shining sea! 

O beautiful for pilgrim feet 

Whose stern impassioned stress

A thoroughfare of freedom beat 

Across the wilderness! 

America! America! 

God mend thine every flaw, 

Confirm thy soul in self-control, 

Thy liberty in law! 

O beautiful for heroes proved 

In liberating strife. 

Who more than self their country loved

And mercy more than life! 

America! America! 

May God thy gold refine 

Till all success be nobleness 

And every gain divine! 

O beautiful for patriot dream 

That sees beyond the years 

Thine alabaster cities gleam 

Undimmed by human tears! 

America! America! 

God shed his grace on thee 

And crown thy good with brotherhood 

From sea to shining sea! 

O beautiful for halcyon skies, 

For amber waves of grain, 

For purple mountain majesties 

Above the enameled plain! 

America! America! 

God shed his grace on thee 

Till souls wax fair as earth and air 

And music-hearted sea! 

O beautiful for pilgrims feet, 

Whose stem impassioned stress 

A thoroughfare for freedom beat 

Across the wilderness! 

America! America! 

God shed his grace on thee 

Till paths be wrought through 

wilds of thought 

By pilgrim foot and knee! 

O beautiful for glory-tale 

Of liberating strife 

When once and twice, 

for man's avail 

Men lavished precious life! 

America! America! 

God shed his grace on thee 

Till selfish gain no longer stain 

The banner of the free! 

O beautiful for patriot dream 

That sees beyond the years 

Thine alabaster cities gleam 

Undimmed by human tears! 

America! America! 

God shed his grace on thee 

Till nobler men keep once again 

Thy whiter jubilee!

Another One of "Those" Posts

Hey y'all . . .

This is another discombobulated post because I can't seem to pull my brain together to come up with anything remotely sensible.

School . . . this morning during our first block of Writing we were talking about contractions. As in when you combine two words and use an apostrophe to take the place of some of the letters. I asked if someone could explain to me what a contraction is. One of my sweet, sweet little boys raised his hand so proudly so I called on him. His response, "It's what a lady gets when she's about to have a baby." Y'all I almost died. It took everything in my power not to bust out laughing. I acknowledged the correctness of the answer, and then quickly steered the class back to grammar. There will be no reproduction talk in fourth grade. Wrong grade. Wrong class.

Running . . . I'm stuck in a running rut. Actually, last week I kind of fell off the wagon. We had something going on every night, and I just didn't have the time or the energy. So, I ran Saturday night and last night. And I just kind of feel stuck. Stuck at the same distance . . . between three and three and a half miles. Stuck at the same speed . . . hovering around nine and a half minutes a mile. I know that in order to improve I'm going to have to push myself a little. The truth is I'm not sure if I wanna improve or if I just don't care. Remains to be seen.

Fire . . . Last night while running I noticed smoke. So being the brain surgeon I am, I decided to run toward said smoke. Ummm . . . yeah . . . smoke and running don't mix. Needless to say a lovely coughing fit ensued. The smoke turned out to be from a burning cotton bale. By ten o'clock last night our neighborhood was full of smoke. We were reassured that the cotton bale would not catch anything else on fire. I didn't believe the reassurances. I couldn't sleep last night. Nothing else caught on fire. Shows what I know.

Weather . . . This is beautiful. Do you see Friday?!? Say what? Beautiful!

Now that we're breaking into the eighties soon, I'll need to go dig out my winter clothes.  

The End

Gooooooaaaaaallllll!!!

Today was the first soccer game for the Lightning Lizards. They did score a few goals. They didn't quite win (not that we were keeping score), but they had fun.

Here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure.

Andrew and Saylor have been friends their whole lives. They make quite a pair.

I used the DSLR instead of my point and shoot. Sometimes it frustrates me, but Patrick set it for me, and all I had to do was zoom and click. I say that like I'm not capable of figuring out the settings on a camera. I am. I just didn't have the time today. I got some great action shots if I do say so myself.

I know next to nothing about soccer, but it was fun. And I have to admit, I hope Andrew likes it more than t-ball and wants to play in the Spring too. ;)

It's a Three Ring Circus (give or take . . . mostly take . . . a ring)

We went to the circus two weeks ago, and I'm finally doing a post on it.

I kept meaning to do this post, but then I would think, "Who cares?". I mean how many pictures of elephants doing handstands do you people want to see?

I figured one would suffice. But you have to admit that's pretty darn awesome (not to mention attractive). I mean that's probably what I'd look like if I did a handstand . . . moving on.

This was while we were waiting to go in. They're standing with the sun in their eyes. Generally, my child doesn't go around making awful faces (at least not quite this awful).

So I had somehow become convinced that Andrew didn't like cotton candy. Then Patrick shelled out $12 (yes, I said 12 . . .  ridiculous) for the nasty stuff, and Andrew ate it all. I was so disappointed. I despise cotton candy. It's sticky and gross and it's pure sugar with synthetic dyes. Just what every child needs. (Wow! It took me less than half a second to go off on a tangent. Sorry about that!)

These guys made me a nervous wreck. Before they started the one on the left kept kneeling down and crossing himself. I bet he did it eight times. I would've done a whole lot more than cross myself if I was about to do what they did. Crazy.

And of course there were the tigers. Really the only reason I go to the circus is I keep thinking that someday some tiger is going to eat a trainer . . . that's a joke . . . sort of ;) But seriously, everytime I see those tigers, I become convinced that the only reason our cat hasn't killed us is because we're too big. He doesn't like us. He uses us, and if we were just a wee bit smaller, I have no doubt he'd eat us for dinner.

And a circus wouldn't be complete without  . . . 

clowns . . .

Andrew really got a kick out of the clowns. He said his favorite parts were the clowns and the strong man who just so happened to come from "the outer reaches of Mongolia".  Why are they always from the "outer reaches of Mongolia"? I mean why can't they be straight from the suburbs of Austin, TX? I'm just sayin'.

Anyway, that was the circus. It was fun. It was entertaining. And we've had our fill for the next 2 to 10 years.

Coming soon to a blog near you (that would be this blog to be exact) . . . Andrew's first soccer game. The excitement is palpable. Try to contain yourselves.

This Merry Go Round

Keeps going round and round, and I'm getting dizzy. I want to get off.

I'm not the type of person that likes being busy, busy, busy. I don't like being over-scheduled and constantly on the go. Being in a constant state of motion wreaks havoc with my peace of mind. But these past two weeks have been both over-scheduled and constantly on the go. I've gotten to work before 7:00 most days so I can actually get some work done. And I've flown out of my classroom each day to get everything else done that needs to be done outside of work.

I know without a doubt that some of this is a monster of my own making, but I refuse to say that all of it is. Some of it just comes with the territory of life. But either way it serves as a reminder that we all need peace and quiet from time-to-time. It serves as a reminder that busy-ness isn't fulfilling as much as it is just filling. And filling the time with "stuff" is a poor substitute for filling the time with the quality things that really matter. 

I'm looking forward to a break. To the upcoming weekend. To a slower pace. It may only last a few days, but at least I'll have those days. Until then I'll try to keep my balance on this merry go round of life.

Happy Labor Day!

Good morning!

Happy Labor Day! Hope your day is as labor free as it can be.

Andrew decided to take this whole Labor Day thing seriously and slept until 9:45. Unheard of. Granted he stayed up until 11:00 last night, but still.

Labor Day sleepyhead

Anthony stayed last night with us, and yesterday evening we decided to break out the board games. After a few rounds of Sorry and Clue, I decided that kids need to play more board games and less video games (I know . . . video games aren't the devil . . . we have an Xbox that's on as we speak). Board games, even the most basic ones, require some level of strategy and problem solving. One of the things that I see become increasingly more problematic in the classroom is the lack of problem solving skills. Kids (and adults) are so accustomed to having the answer at their fingertips that we're not working to develop problem solving skills like we should. We are constantly entertained and given the answers via the Internet, computer technology, Xbox, smart phones, iPads, etc. that we've forgotten how to "play" and be creative . . . said the woman with the addiction to Twitter and Facebook. Okay, I'll step off my soapbox now, but I'm thinking I'll be using more board games in my classroom in the near future.

In a little while we're going to pack up and head to parents' to grub on some unhealthy American food. Nothing says Labor Day like chili dogs and brownies. We'll probably take our last dip in the river for the year. This week is going to HOT, but next Sunday is supposed to have a high of 90. That's practically Arctic air in Central Texas and means an end to our summer swimming fun.

Hope everyone enjoys a relaxing day with friends and family.

The State of Our Adoption (post number "?")

* Last Saturday we went to the circus. I did take pictures, but my camera along with my memory card is at the school. So the circus pics will have to wait. 

Today is September 1st. This month marks one year since our Dossier was registered in Bulgaria. One year down, who knows how many more to go? I wish I had a better timeline, but I don't. The good news is the older I get the more quickly each year passes. Hopefully, it won't be two full more years, but there is always the possibility. Sometimes, the wait seems to be forever, but then we get busy with work and school and soccer (something else I need to post pictures of) and church, and time becomes a blur.

One of the couples from our adoption agency was in Bulgaria this week to meet their son and daughter. I was so encouraged by the good things they had to say about the orphanage. It's reassuring to think that the kids are loved and cared for and makes it easier on a mama's heart to know this. If you're interested, you can read more about their journey here.

So that's it. That's the update. I wish there was more, but there isn't. Bulgaria's summer break is about over, and we're hoping that the ball gets rolling and referrals start coming in here pretty soon. Of course, there's always the first couple of weeks where they play catch up.

And just to add some spice to this post, here's a teaser iPhone pic of Andrew at the circus . . . he has blue cotton candy on his lips. I made him eat every bite. That stuff was ridiculously expensive. Great mom I am, if I'm gonna buy you pure sugar darn-it you're gonna eat it.