tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31769231942987813572023-11-16T08:47:21.293-08:00Que Sera SeraSera is a little girl from Datong SWI in Shanxi China. She was not walking at 30 months and was diagnosed with cerebral hemiplegia and mental retardation, due to her delays. She was placed in IAAP's foster center in Changchun and is proving those Dr's wrong! She is now walking and trying to catch up as fast as she can.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-47810023972033865972010-09-29T10:36:00.001-07:002010-09-29T10:36:50.902-07:00<a href="http://www.tgik.aboutpillsc.com">http://www.tgik.aboutpillsc.com</a>Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-87386305429493771302010-09-29T05:19:00.001-07:002010-09-29T05:19:47.517-07:00<a href="http://www.fxut.aboutpillsc.com">http://www.fxut.aboutpillsc.com</a>Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-83334409690517464632010-09-27T21:28:00.001-07:002010-09-27T21:28:23.996-07:00<a href="http://www.rmvj.aboutpillsc.com">http://www.rmvj.aboutpillsc.com</a>Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-27945486774072061542010-09-26T07:44:00.001-07:002010-09-26T07:44:18.645-07:00<a href="http://www.cfzo.topcand.com">http://www.cfzo.topcand.com</a>Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-45423402348822652932010-09-11T08:34:00.001-07:002010-09-11T08:34:22.752-07:00<a href="http://www.rni3.xmedx.com">http://www.rni3.xmedx.com</a>Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-91110709525356546002010-01-01T11:06:00.000-08:002010-01-01T11:37:19.338-08:00Down the drive and through the snow... Christmas 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHb-tN-fgfWKbNpH_kdKL03vAhyphenhyphen-1fwebUivkE-JoTbydsRO-0iQP2ORz_YSGx9Mh5m72CbYR8qte8cjzTbMv1Y9qx3jLVlg747TLVjgcemK8YZ6AygOO4myvIO5cvxLmFexg4JNEtFIf/s1600-h/DSC05109.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHb-tN-fgfWKbNpH_kdKL03vAhyphenhyphen-1fwebUivkE-JoTbydsRO-0iQP2ORz_YSGx9Mh5m72CbYR8qte8cjzTbMv1Y9qx3jLVlg747TLVjgcemK8YZ6AygOO4myvIO5cvxLmFexg4JNEtFIf/s400/DSC05109.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421850386248661954" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvcJoQglmfcqKT9HJD-ztEK-y7_Y4XZsZFAb0SQ1FhoX-YtvboCRiXPO_nYhEOui9OQXAnI8JFJ0ziLqz86eK9HEexGBzSb00Por2H7ugNgCu95YV7ZJlyq4eO-_K_Kie_tJ5RkI-9Kk3/s1600-h/DSC05112.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvcJoQglmfcqKT9HJD-ztEK-y7_Y4XZsZFAb0SQ1FhoX-YtvboCRiXPO_nYhEOui9OQXAnI8JFJ0ziLqz86eK9HEexGBzSb00Por2H7ugNgCu95YV7ZJlyq4eO-_K_Kie_tJ5RkI-9Kk3/s400/DSC05112.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421850384199051202" border="0" /></a>Our Christmas 2009 morning took off well. NOT!!<br /><br />I had so carefully planned ahead and had gifts all ready at Grandpa's for the kids to find there when we came over Christmas morning. We had decided to celebrate there since it is easier for us to get out and be out of our own comfy chairs, than it is for him to do at 81. At least I thought I was carefully planning....<br /><br />Since having my wonderful Aztec ( which we lost this summer due to being T boned) snow has not been the slightest problem for me. I could go where I wanted to without getting stuck or sliding. When I bought my RAV4 to replace the totaled Atec, I was assured it would handle just as well in the snow. WHOAAA..... After buzzing out Christmas morning and taking out of the garage like there will be no problem driving the block or so to Grandpa's on the new snow and promptly getting stuck at the bottom of the drive, despite all my best attempts to rock myself into moment, NO it does NOT!! It is lower to the ground and when the snow is higher than the car, well... it means kids have to stay at home without their Christmas gifts!<br /><br />Thankfully, I have a very kind neighbor who helped me get back up the drive or we might have had to leave the car in the street. This was a morning I really regretted being a single mom with a bad leg!! The snow in the street was over my knees. Not easy for me to move in, by far. It had drifted, because we were actually under a blizzard warning, and was way too deep for us to even think of safely walking to Pop's.<br /><br />Pop was OK and if he needed something, we would have to figure out a different game plan, but everyone was able to be safe at home and warm! Our power had actually gone off for over 5 hours that morning as well, so we took it as a blessing that we were not freezing!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikW_moAjBTQEFh7VgnEN18l4SQdxBrBPfpd2F4pGb_RKH0sTklcVySHrMpleoo5RioOrNPRLVcd2TMWhwI0lsTyI7xAtjPG7iHCZOQphkegKRIu3mdlgQEie6wEOE5kivqbYNTTYSlngPg/s1600-h/DSC05134.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikW_moAjBTQEFh7VgnEN18l4SQdxBrBPfpd2F4pGb_RKH0sTklcVySHrMpleoo5RioOrNPRLVcd2TMWhwI0lsTyI7xAtjPG7iHCZOQphkegKRIu3mdlgQEie6wEOE5kivqbYNTTYSlngPg/s400/DSC05134.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421854259220543122" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2STUBqJw6J2JQnN9FLMCcYX32HIAk0yVer6MGQdaDTcDMRxb9uxvJ9Bqx2I6To4Jf80vCl5OkEmHbYmMpibSNZ5lMAyoJ9V-ewdf5ZbGr0jTMdaGNg7-l8trIjWB7fqO_NxTUks2BqUVl/s1600-h/DSC05124.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2STUBqJw6J2JQnN9FLMCcYX32HIAk0yVer6MGQdaDTcDMRxb9uxvJ9Bqx2I6To4Jf80vCl5OkEmHbYmMpibSNZ5lMAyoJ9V-ewdf5ZbGr0jTMdaGNg7-l8trIjWB7fqO_NxTUks2BqUVl/s400/DSC05124.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421854252877496546" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-UJdidO1uEmTRHtB5ADOqPATe5Z6AV2EYbBD_-bmyYx6uDvbiWzOeMs8E6sV4VwJAQbvTo6vrPn7Wbe4sII_wQ4ICLOTmWX35ngVy11dUBXtf0vuGoa23dEM2d8QnAJx_zPhn7zP5y__/s1600-h/DSC05139.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-UJdidO1uEmTRHtB5ADOqPATe5Z6AV2EYbBD_-bmyYx6uDvbiWzOeMs8E6sV4VwJAQbvTo6vrPn7Wbe4sII_wQ4ICLOTmWX35ngVy11dUBXtf0vuGoa23dEM2d8QnAJx_zPhn7zP5y__/s400/DSC05139.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421855615718053650" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkScGLVWfpm9aHYJejCcC7cYOrbt5q7RDwB32qTMBBYx7swC6IvrGBpkLjTFyywTd8nrjQE21ALpBuCiso9l__-FYXKmitMZsdMRrsms3ee7IIVRB935sBTwNiHtw9Ax0Obh4_XtpvSeHq/s1600-h/DSC05127.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkScGLVWfpm9aHYJejCcC7cYOrbt5q7RDwB32qTMBBYx7swC6IvrGBpkLjTFyywTd8nrjQE21ALpBuCiso9l__-FYXKmitMZsdMRrsms3ee7IIVRB935sBTwNiHtw9Ax0Obh4_XtpvSeHq/s400/DSC05127.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421855611001710386" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LDcsAipaVuFygdG8p45TtwEumAu3USSnr6XuZQGf5WTgmJQrezP58-JiyF_eGYhsr6HBuDJshaYXcoSVBC_Wkz5bPKypB0-rXQy8T6inZf2Oci2o4iDmarsxtI4lElbtuyjNHmzcdSmV/s1600-h/DSC05121.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LDcsAipaVuFygdG8p45TtwEumAu3USSnr6XuZQGf5WTgmJQrezP58-JiyF_eGYhsr6HBuDJshaYXcoSVBC_Wkz5bPKypB0-rXQy8T6inZf2Oci2o4iDmarsxtI4lElbtuyjNHmzcdSmV/s400/DSC05121.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421855595582370834" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmECd1odBM_OD42v23VGsigujY6txCtVrIfJS-x35QqquaG2Dr5MiIDkQRLb9u1lIxw-G0zihVk1jxUGaK1nUShLSmBoplcP_N8MRNAi9ffO0muwGrLkYWzkYX42NneHi5jbsu0QwlTqF/s1600-h/DSC05118.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmECd1odBM_OD42v23VGsigujY6txCtVrIfJS-x35QqquaG2Dr5MiIDkQRLb9u1lIxw-G0zihVk1jxUGaK1nUShLSmBoplcP_N8MRNAi9ffO0muwGrLkYWzkYX42NneHi5jbsu0QwlTqF/s400/DSC05118.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421855593419196914" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Ham dinner aborted, presents postponed, we still had fun though. The kids played in the snow and then came in for hot roast and rice. We had a good day celebrating the birth of our Savior and enjoyed being with each other, which is what the holiday was about in the first place.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNWHf0bsPX44tlHWvIpYROFxt8puuXbWGkocs-G7wIXU2Gb9BAdwQuhfnCsNLVlHWnY2eGgD6qq1i9rtix232t_DBBpVGtM3xMYQY5chteF1sYjUgeso7pu7ZpS0I3Hin8AMBrP9yOng6/s1600-h/DSC05145.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNWHf0bsPX44tlHWvIpYROFxt8puuXbWGkocs-G7wIXU2Gb9BAdwQuhfnCsNLVlHWnY2eGgD6qq1i9rtix232t_DBBpVGtM3xMYQY5chteF1sYjUgeso7pu7ZpS0I3Hin8AMBrP9yOng6/s400/DSC05145.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421854285919308642" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Christmas 2009, will hold good memories and it is doubtful that they will be forgotten!Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-80198185456864941972009-12-06T21:37:00.000-08:002009-12-25T17:58:59.165-08:00Unimaginably behind.....There is no way to begin to catch up, so our past few months will have to be shared in just a few pics ( and some pretty poor pics at that) and a few words..... My health has kept me very tired when the work day is done and even on the weekends, but since I now have a reason to account for why I feel this way, as in several combined autoimmune disorders, I don't feel too badly about trying to catch up now. Don't worry, I will be fine. I am just pacing myself more, rather than trying to be superwoman and ending up flat as a pancake with ulcers and hives :-)<br /><br /><br />October... Halloween, more specifically. Aubri wanted to go to the amusement park rather than Trick or Treat. She is a big kid now!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvRMZocs8LVxln3xx652D3wzNCkfWCHOjZBz1BcYZLFIYLoI0aZgUHtGW0Ps0DgSZLfWA_xADvm1zLMtFe-3j6hVu16Pjrhl6bUb68dYQC0EzPvcNxYwFO6UqB8w4d_KP-z2WIwGz5Fze/s1600-h/DSC05027.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvRMZocs8LVxln3xx652D3wzNCkfWCHOjZBz1BcYZLFIYLoI0aZgUHtGW0Ps0DgSZLfWA_xADvm1zLMtFe-3j6hVu16Pjrhl6bUb68dYQC0EzPvcNxYwFO6UqB8w4d_KP-z2WIwGz5Fze/s400/DSC05027.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412366432282929602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNiIleUm7Nxtl6gE6E-hnedHYqxmyd3RZN6VDbid_OovLRUCbkfTi_5ZtuInTb8uIUTDxeLUZJr2fN5Hr8rmJ3vinyKHQO4Wrgv7jBxUen2ZzY-0sby6XA9XtO4QuA6AdYr0vbii8z8KO/s1600-h/DSC05020.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNiIleUm7Nxtl6gE6E-hnedHYqxmyd3RZN6VDbid_OovLRUCbkfTi_5ZtuInTb8uIUTDxeLUZJr2fN5Hr8rmJ3vinyKHQO4Wrgv7jBxUen2ZzY-0sby6XA9XtO4QuA6AdYr0vbii8z8KO/s400/DSC05020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412366424110422210" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_yfK7LWKeV5BQrZOgaNUmtND53ATF8JUwPmLfdqZNXcipk0LMCSJsS1_kCReyqL0jyfBTmTGDFHyYf1UC2MGh7NGV8Hbxs-kFPmmMPs3grN3T3OWwfEJjZfIcYNBGwRJAi3hM16EGCj7d/s1600-h/DSC05019.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_yfK7LWKeV5BQrZOgaNUmtND53ATF8JUwPmLfdqZNXcipk0LMCSJsS1_kCReyqL0jyfBTmTGDFHyYf1UC2MGh7NGV8Hbxs-kFPmmMPs3grN3T3OWwfEJjZfIcYNBGwRJAi3hM16EGCj7d/s400/DSC05019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412366421020299634" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielWQnUuHegk1Jc3pVY2wDAbZqEVYc56waoYzj-mrb5PGuzHLcZ0pNF7UtuEkNIvO5FswVT1mHx2kyN4huV7Uqd8QNpAH6RioXHbkoCEGfbjHlC8XQNMCzE9V8jN8cBNrjwgnMI5lYsxic/s1600-h/DSC05011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielWQnUuHegk1Jc3pVY2wDAbZqEVYc56waoYzj-mrb5PGuzHLcZ0pNF7UtuEkNIvO5FswVT1mHx2kyN4huV7Uqd8QNpAH6RioXHbkoCEGfbjHlC8XQNMCzE9V8jN8cBNrjwgnMI5lYsxic/s400/DSC05011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412366414068063650" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfj50088xqqUhP4vYPb53vFAounMQU1uMSkw2U49lQlCkI2JwKksEfNvwnpiIFGI9nu2GSnuI4wCoGqRARCiVweG8jk5e9bi_BoFxwtTmxLT86Ma83gqNZ_fIJO6sqelFGFRuU2oJ5X-S/s1600-h/DSC04957.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfj50088xqqUhP4vYPb53vFAounMQU1uMSkw2U49lQlCkI2JwKksEfNvwnpiIFGI9nu2GSnuI4wCoGqRARCiVweG8jk5e9bi_BoFxwtTmxLT86Ma83gqNZ_fIJO6sqelFGFRuU2oJ5X-S/s400/DSC04957.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412365650294312978" border="0" /></a>Grandpa took the little ones to Trunk or Treat at church, and forgot his camera, so the only photos I have are what I tried to grab at school..... They were cuties though!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgha7vD_V3RWsTOjIsV8K9pl9ublh_h4Z3lI83E1ApTnkMHl0Js7qeg1HHcNvae9QfuTIaBlIJMaXZd_o5ABxQdYWTwZc-WxpN7cQlrhgbpWMpWVFjf0Ir7p2vvfeZ9ZQn0nOYmslAfCWFJ/s1600-h/DSC04951.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgha7vD_V3RWsTOjIsV8K9pl9ublh_h4Z3lI83E1ApTnkMHl0Js7qeg1HHcNvae9QfuTIaBlIJMaXZd_o5ABxQdYWTwZc-WxpN7cQlrhgbpWMpWVFjf0Ir7p2vvfeZ9ZQn0nOYmslAfCWFJ/s400/DSC04951.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412365647653419026" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfpqzkuMAbCcgsRpwiDfWd0hveynpPMv8PBtIHhUBjplV3EchDneguWwMFgrvhhRAxSpMDZSYF3lkecpRj71m2xAxW2sAfgaqBmnZQxkAikxYf30AwxxpQ41q-YtijD_lnVNR_EZv2iW-/s1600-h/DSC04952.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfpqzkuMAbCcgsRpwiDfWd0hveynpPMv8PBtIHhUBjplV3EchDneguWwMFgrvhhRAxSpMDZSYF3lkecpRj71m2xAxW2sAfgaqBmnZQxkAikxYf30AwxxpQ41q-YtijD_lnVNR_EZv2iW-/s400/DSC04952.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412365639600724466" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-RlUroNKokwcFm0hH03nDgcLNF85cBu9CnHwFRJDpRj2gMbwyX8LNoXZ0KEClENL2xL3Qn03N2yAzXzSYW2omfL9-rE-ZmyGUSO2L_GdLinbBkHBm6sIEkfk24bZdTELQv3CpVpTXpSCk/s1600-h/DSC04953.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-RlUroNKokwcFm0hH03nDgcLNF85cBu9CnHwFRJDpRj2gMbwyX8LNoXZ0KEClENL2xL3Qn03N2yAzXzSYW2omfL9-rE-ZmyGUSO2L_GdLinbBkHBm6sIEkfk24bZdTELQv3CpVpTXpSCk/s400/DSC04953.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412365633126639074" border="0" /></a>Sera- 2 years ago in October. Here she is at her SWI watching another child be adopted.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahkJMlVWkIVzuKsArAWUPsbcVuJ6W-G1CCmZy0i7gaxwzMgOHvrg22Ix5q1hHGU80XsE8ynpE2YuGiYxtJbFU06k4aBHTkUhES_2byoHZW9NirxeUU899Hd6grFkzs2mnPNgmnJIqFIP_/s1600-h/CA6QV6ZNCANGBACGCAJLYX04CAZO2NJ0CA13Y06OCAPMUG5ZCAA6Y68GCAA1AE8WCARV6GNSCAK9924BCAMA33PQCAO6BCT1CARSVECSCAVV1QTOCAUSU6FXCARQ93MUCA4SNYWRCAT1U5WLCAOGD0NL.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahkJMlVWkIVzuKsArAWUPsbcVuJ6W-G1CCmZy0i7gaxwzMgOHvrg22Ix5q1hHGU80XsE8ynpE2YuGiYxtJbFU06k4aBHTkUhES_2byoHZW9NirxeUU899Hd6grFkzs2mnPNgmnJIqFIP_/s400/CA6QV6ZNCANGBACGCAJLYX04CAZO2NJ0CA13Y06OCAPMUG5ZCAA6Y68GCAA1AE8WCARV6GNSCAK9924BCAMA33PQCAO6BCT1CARSVECSCAVV1QTOCAUSU6FXCARQ93MUCA4SNYWRCAT1U5WLCAOGD0NL.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412365624662393618" border="0" /></a><br />Here she is traveling to her SWI. 'Proof to her kindergarten class that she is Chinese :-)<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_dCx4zOYy2YTY2jIDxxbclY57UNoHogV5fkzWC0GtNyP8XxN576w-9cXlmD3tkaKZyk0H9pAaAmyGX3KSEnX_NiNahSFKR8G8a-TykxQWihPkS5lLPco_why9NfaEirWeJUC60SYqzxU/s1600-h/beijing3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 355px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_dCx4zOYy2YTY2jIDxxbclY57UNoHogV5fkzWC0GtNyP8XxN576w-9cXlmD3tkaKZyk0H9pAaAmyGX3KSEnX_NiNahSFKR8G8a-TykxQWihPkS5lLPco_why9NfaEirWeJUC60SYqzxU/s400/beijing3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412366436444550018" border="0" /></a>Some day soon, I will post my thoughts on the past two years, once I get time. She is such a special little one and deserves to have her changes recorded. We first met her on November 9th.... She has changed so much!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2b6-ipiYuqUBRXnf5fqvjmBBosujw9ukka3VfAH5bSxjuXLgrs2811Sl6SdqU0OFJDKJi17PtlaOURRTLTsrHR2CWA0nIJMYrWa3T0oO-T_c02NedN6cmqYitVqQqkdJ_VcWgrcRHte9/s1600-h/100_0608.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2b6-ipiYuqUBRXnf5fqvjmBBosujw9ukka3VfAH5bSxjuXLgrs2811Sl6SdqU0OFJDKJi17PtlaOURRTLTsrHR2CWA0nIJMYrWa3T0oO-T_c02NedN6cmqYitVqQqkdJ_VcWgrcRHte9/s400/100_0608.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418958176156844754" border="0" /></a>Thanksgiving at Grandpa's. I cooked a simple meal and we just enjoyed being together! Time with Grandpa is always good time!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3RODHj3Xhc03Skdp8soc8DNYj8R07PiCL6Ouq9kxYnyjQ-EpH5v2iUEwnhKFjJdUchSUkmCoDevGGy2uNQGxsGuqUqD81htnHVmUigl1kfNe4ZycJEgriSNNrjVOxcTUUJDMYn_8g3TK/s1600-h/100_0611.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3RODHj3Xhc03Skdp8soc8DNYj8R07PiCL6Ouq9kxYnyjQ-EpH5v2iUEwnhKFjJdUchSUkmCoDevGGy2uNQGxsGuqUqD81htnHVmUigl1kfNe4ZycJEgriSNNrjVOxcTUUJDMYn_8g3TK/s400/100_0611.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418958185920764434" border="0" /></a><br />A trip to the mall to see Santa.... Now if I could only find the pictures we took with him!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOAAdLdYsVKN72wWRfpebGAmNmwPMPXLo7BIPh4lSNRzISjGITcbuMJo31dX6R-xh53D6rVPKc9LnjHQi4HH4fkxTkszLE5uNjPaansxdcBTmxQP9uuVbTXilM3bdxAuqpo3bH4Jee3HA/s1600-h/DSC05044.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOAAdLdYsVKN72wWRfpebGAmNmwPMPXLo7BIPh4lSNRzISjGITcbuMJo31dX6R-xh53D6rVPKc9LnjHQi4HH4fkxTkszLE5uNjPaansxdcBTmxQP9uuVbTXilM3bdxAuqpo3bH4Jee3HA/s400/DSC05044.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412367509024147970" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrloLzK8Af0lQ5lHx3EjIhKOedw-m8kbBImHO2wUSzWTT52Pu-j6UgNJrGXL5IKW1Btq3Rm4U8HjiVicNopCQ1UaMLtShjT50BDTsXvhwmZ0RQZyMHLL-I1h270YRNuj-ygBDCrRQsindd/s1600-h/DSC05065.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrloLzK8Af0lQ5lHx3EjIhKOedw-m8kbBImHO2wUSzWTT52Pu-j6UgNJrGXL5IKW1Btq3Rm4U8HjiVicNopCQ1UaMLtShjT50BDTsXvhwmZ0RQZyMHLL-I1h270YRNuj-ygBDCrRQsindd/s400/DSC05065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412367511462933570" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN20WMYDXSeSmh6xqcdOg7sMOWiXbCKS5wkuUzokZ_HsWgLuqt_wyTDr-WoW_o40qYmtytdE0w9R2LuTgd4hwAZ4WI2O4t1tzEwewrkZeDea2ybzfStmoPtOB8MfOZkyJgi5rDrRHM4xEi/s1600-h/DSC05088.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN20WMYDXSeSmh6xqcdOg7sMOWiXbCKS5wkuUzokZ_HsWgLuqt_wyTDr-WoW_o40qYmtytdE0w9R2LuTgd4hwAZ4WI2O4t1tzEwewrkZeDea2ybzfStmoPtOB8MfOZkyJgi5rDrRHM4xEi/s400/DSC05088.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412367521542783506" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45JTw9iqnM626kNYG8ftnxaNEBspqhAFqFPzs0S6PP7DHk5rAUWZrb-h2sba-T7Eq5XYSWvXBYKLDtwoU0z1ggmQ9HYr47AgvqGUywiG9jD3s0zxIpbLapHSCIeGeVCq4WTcJuKmiHWFW/s1600-h/DSC05079.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45JTw9iqnM626kNYG8ftnxaNEBspqhAFqFPzs0S6PP7DHk5rAUWZrb-h2sba-T7Eq5XYSWvXBYKLDtwoU0z1ggmQ9HYr47AgvqGUywiG9jD3s0zxIpbLapHSCIeGeVCq4WTcJuKmiHWFW/s400/DSC05079.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412367526102167730" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrq_ohEt5WmQdAlryk0M9LXas1YbOZu4kTsf1xUJkPldKGefMDiQoqrm9gto3dajU7gcSdWcH1yBF8e5-i1cmYs1g-bBktUmqKtAOa2CCvVhXwLL5EiyubouTDDFynvK6vfV7cMBqZqZ6/s1600-h/100_0631.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrq_ohEt5WmQdAlryk0M9LXas1YbOZu4kTsf1xUJkPldKGefMDiQoqrm9gto3dajU7gcSdWcH1yBF8e5-i1cmYs1g-bBktUmqKtAOa2CCvVhXwLL5EiyubouTDDFynvK6vfV7cMBqZqZ6/s400/100_0631.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418958194102277762" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjax2ciG7uOIN8q6gO_DykMgBdHa2EHMios9pB8GdBd-5k-EyA8oTiW5xfEaXGcEgXkHp6oXQW8xwcx3PpimoCqb8PStRbHh0Dtg8y5r5oCO-mGx331TkwTGD0PpPl4hczSo3p9H0Wm57Ut/s1600-h/IMG_0026%5B1%5D"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjax2ciG7uOIN8q6gO_DykMgBdHa2EHMios9pB8GdBd-5k-EyA8oTiW5xfEaXGcEgXkHp6oXQW8xwcx3PpimoCqb8PStRbHh0Dtg8y5r5oCO-mGx331TkwTGD0PpPl4hczSo3p9H0Wm57Ut/s400/IMG_0026%5B1%5D" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418959880052355778" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0WgcGcqs2FyWyjUu0Uy5U-6Z7BYhWyFZOjgQcczXCcRdJpv-EmUIYOkGV78YVybUXIQWsKLT7ugcktXW3wlvXk7D0clON4zWs3vbdqs3RQ9XZq7ZkF3DILJkHNEAPEuJg72P13_cKZG_/s1600-h/IMG_0093%5B1%5D"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0WgcGcqs2FyWyjUu0Uy5U-6Z7BYhWyFZOjgQcczXCcRdJpv-EmUIYOkGV78YVybUXIQWsKLT7ugcktXW3wlvXk7D0clON4zWs3vbdqs3RQ9XZq7ZkF3DILJkHNEAPEuJg72P13_cKZG_/s400/IMG_0093%5B1%5D" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418959873283836386" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdJCP-z_vWLNAgmkcaTIbe640epfOLHH-NJnExtpZNuTcYEmMVGg-WGWGCn1wkEnbtVh2VW4fAvvdR171AY6_gKjMvsZP6V8oIDnecjICM8omCFgHebamIWsqQcIRsMAZvPJBc984GS-D/s1600-h/IMG_0044%5B1%5D"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdJCP-z_vWLNAgmkcaTIbe640epfOLHH-NJnExtpZNuTcYEmMVGg-WGWGCn1wkEnbtVh2VW4fAvvdR171AY6_gKjMvsZP6V8oIDnecjICM8omCFgHebamIWsqQcIRsMAZvPJBc984GS-D/s400/IMG_0044%5B1%5D" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418959857174305170" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfvh4W6lmSkhZgI-tjayFVDVvceq23QysA7Vp4YTc9isTvwCElapiChN81iTtwgnOVuBl9Ha7YJ1yBfsQvFgRrKl8uREC7xAjJHxtvwfZP7aP22Iu0L752bpLf8uRLT3MRJsD800Wco13/s1600-h/IMG_0065%5B1%5D"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfvh4W6lmSkhZgI-tjayFVDVvceq23QysA7Vp4YTc9isTvwCElapiChN81iTtwgnOVuBl9Ha7YJ1yBfsQvFgRrKl8uREC7xAjJHxtvwfZP7aP22Iu0L752bpLf8uRLT3MRJsD800Wco13/s400/IMG_0065%5B1%5D" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418959867491346258" border="0" /></a><br />I promise to set aside more time to simply put the camera battery in to charge before picture worthy events and not rely on my cell as well as to just write a few words. These little ones are such special blessings and whether or not anyone else wants to know what they are doing.... I want to REMEMBER :-)Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-41783724303265373052009-10-25T04:10:00.001-07:002009-10-25T04:49:22.833-07:00Pre flu photos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxzIaVhXwzKNVaHzTAHCqYD_ILnE2b3AeODFGp3L3bed1gHlTtCc5-EhKNJz2IX6HU6mdBzOPu_3TGRngTLboO7J_Wab0P9mkEut0e5OlGv99Z4-2TOqI7rcd2743K0wCCuliKVvK61EP/s1600-h/DSC04943Z.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxzIaVhXwzKNVaHzTAHCqYD_ILnE2b3AeODFGp3L3bed1gHlTtCc5-EhKNJz2IX6HU6mdBzOPu_3TGRngTLboO7J_Wab0P9mkEut0e5OlGv99Z4-2TOqI7rcd2743K0wCCuliKVvK61EP/s400/DSC04943Z.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396499505801054898" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECNutWdQx-JONtoH6Siq_DU3QDRYz-VaX6Jz9-EpMklOmwtY7H85CNQgpOMvtiEJOyxDX_ko4OgJmk-VS57N3c7L5KTKizlOYV4Pbkf6zLLuEo5kmC82FD5SArFck9cKvBsco6KMbqDyb/s1600-h/DSC04944Z.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 293px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECNutWdQx-JONtoH6Siq_DU3QDRYz-VaX6Jz9-EpMklOmwtY7H85CNQgpOMvtiEJOyxDX_ko4OgJmk-VS57N3c7L5KTKizlOYV4Pbkf6zLLuEo5kmC82FD5SArFck9cKvBsco6KMbqDyb/s400/DSC04944Z.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396499496489642610" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEnFSc4jrZbqneRmhMGZ0xYYcyl9bWCjei1AVUNGM6igaLwC9NorDh6s8wvPQSsP8xbvpsIGw4tavSBTbcNeOB7lqhLjSf3yEDV6DjOxn6P1oR7g83OLBYvrqCUpA3GWemPhAHlNTinE0/s1600-h/DSC04935.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEnFSc4jrZbqneRmhMGZ0xYYcyl9bWCjei1AVUNGM6igaLwC9NorDh6s8wvPQSsP8xbvpsIGw4tavSBTbcNeOB7lqhLjSf3yEDV6DjOxn6P1oR7g83OLBYvrqCUpA3GWemPhAHlNTinE0/s400/DSC04935.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396499494049379218" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Hwxjek1KIcuxOGkUdhWCeu87AyIALEd80uhcRLmBd7j1wQ_zbMX2IEK6SaYKWRDIeAkW9Y6DdX9hXF89-rofQFKgpMhS2h2vwyx53c1DoRc4XdjnPrl4TgraazWICDOmWqXyCDXnDZnj/s1600-h/DSC04946.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Hwxjek1KIcuxOGkUdhWCeu87AyIALEd80uhcRLmBd7j1wQ_zbMX2IEK6SaYKWRDIeAkW9Y6DdX9hXF89-rofQFKgpMhS2h2vwyx53c1DoRc4XdjnPrl4TgraazWICDOmWqXyCDXnDZnj/s400/DSC04946.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396499483853973890" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWDeDVzgD_uavHr_aYiv1U39fvutN39CzUcwBr9qfvIKjNbvTcX-2B9X9kfHWKD8Cy4smzjhoQXHxEG3tLL8krte-S13rbFCVi20X08QdYrJ539C9qtmuS5XgUxYmcPeiQ0bPigZZ8Hwh/s1600-h/DSC04937.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWDeDVzgD_uavHr_aYiv1U39fvutN39CzUcwBr9qfvIKjNbvTcX-2B9X9kfHWKD8Cy4smzjhoQXHxEG3tLL8krte-S13rbFCVi20X08QdYrJ539C9qtmuS5XgUxYmcPeiQ0bPigZZ8Hwh/s400/DSC04937.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396499476657800002" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7Fzyd-y9iKzpcH4JC22lwd2v3RF3458beXIkGwj2JRCUR7IjMk6wjpQJGzUFEzUvjgZ1z-DCj4ei_YehTPit04f6dtH-6t9fdgs59rl4iAuyzepkkIepqab0K8pQg-DQAB0DOLLdUyO0/s1600-h/DSC04931.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7Fzyd-y9iKzpcH4JC22lwd2v3RF3458beXIkGwj2JRCUR7IjMk6wjpQJGzUFEzUvjgZ1z-DCj4ei_YehTPit04f6dtH-6t9fdgs59rl4iAuyzepkkIepqab0K8pQg-DQAB0DOLLdUyO0/s400/DSC04931.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396498258742181458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1QgShSo8SQUlv24eoPBwSYdP2yWtNY3Om2UZRh20z0ABGl26D7xPSdr_qgiVNXTgXL-YkSCHh3TcAMjFJEGQh338n0cr92n_vD5qPo-RJOjoIX6QnFXE4y0CdfF1bf4Krv3YyC9w3OhT/s1600-h/DSC04932.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1QgShSo8SQUlv24eoPBwSYdP2yWtNY3Om2UZRh20z0ABGl26D7xPSdr_qgiVNXTgXL-YkSCHh3TcAMjFJEGQh338n0cr92n_vD5qPo-RJOjoIX6QnFXE4y0CdfF1bf4Krv3YyC9w3OhT/s400/DSC04932.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396498257822447106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLludQCra7RD0xvhM6HocYm4bfmTZSWA-nTDESb9y3djZ09Nf5JHqHizjfD6LdWbmnn7dfQl2bKKfUC8LtG1u8ZpHL1uSCl_WVAIC-cP_xxfOD2HpelGINcEDZROYOtbW0rhokLYc3DHg/s1600-h/DSC04929.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLludQCra7RD0xvhM6HocYm4bfmTZSWA-nTDESb9y3djZ09Nf5JHqHizjfD6LdWbmnn7dfQl2bKKfUC8LtG1u8ZpHL1uSCl_WVAIC-cP_xxfOD2HpelGINcEDZROYOtbW0rhokLYc3DHg/s400/DSC04929.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396498247011774930" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrKb3KLjqNpdqmKCn_-GSy2jZ2KAooQr5OAmGFXQVBueE7goaoGOy_Xn7zyfooZ98Sbo1AhXfTCICIc2C-vmbuIIVaxRipT_wMz5zXZqWAHbh60qYjAiTZ55Ra5j0_6DC_tqenS6MQ1la/s1600-h/100_0599.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrKb3KLjqNpdqmKCn_-GSy2jZ2KAooQr5OAmGFXQVBueE7goaoGOy_Xn7zyfooZ98Sbo1AhXfTCICIc2C-vmbuIIVaxRipT_wMz5zXZqWAHbh60qYjAiTZ55Ra5j0_6DC_tqenS6MQ1la/s400/100_0599.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396498244989677346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLexIymU9opLLj1kPlqtDm0ZhuKxH8ZZvbV5A2hfa42Su0EsSKsagtXEfhkT6iJ_Acw1aFno1CtQbGLMF36st_H0DbWVIXZiPMcJZgy7nQFl2jLBkDUBWeND57hN-_4SdL55wbfH3q6E4/s1600-h/100_0598.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLexIymU9opLLj1kPlqtDm0ZhuKxH8ZZvbV5A2hfa42Su0EsSKsagtXEfhkT6iJ_Acw1aFno1CtQbGLMF36st_H0DbWVIXZiPMcJZgy7nQFl2jLBkDUBWeND57hN-_4SdL55wbfH3q6E4/s400/100_0598.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396498237548521090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0E_5pvjlFpybkfwHzG8EOx_-pZYpwBYJoqZPNnRMWAtQ8kg9-wiGDNAss3_-E4VS8Q65V4P2BNCJyw0PlBU6ZwpbVKUlp0V8qab_hJUroIR-aOyHQqVo24BR95oPv-7i_MBji1bwhpPe/s1600-h/DSC04905.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0E_5pvjlFpybkfwHzG8EOx_-pZYpwBYJoqZPNnRMWAtQ8kg9-wiGDNAss3_-E4VS8Q65V4P2BNCJyw0PlBU6ZwpbVKUlp0V8qab_hJUroIR-aOyHQqVo24BR95oPv-7i_MBji1bwhpPe/s400/DSC04905.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396495851298240162" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkfp3Mp4ZLYvK48ieNjSGuB6pZxks2a_KszcGjz5CfGZbJHknuzw9EwNZjiRg0zfq3qdnRp5NJbboTARIFM1wB3ctgIrOmV2URo9G8lhzc1b2stIa57OaVsRQCnpY0Uw-VGK8Dn_H1Ju-/s1600-h/DSC04907.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkfp3Mp4ZLYvK48ieNjSGuB6pZxks2a_KszcGjz5CfGZbJHknuzw9EwNZjiRg0zfq3qdnRp5NJbboTARIFM1wB3ctgIrOmV2URo9G8lhzc1b2stIa57OaVsRQCnpY0Uw-VGK8Dn_H1Ju-/s400/DSC04907.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396495846680600514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzz9TE7U2-QqOURrVIr4WKsClGrDYMbw0yc7QdScrOcyznxImvSB_cyrU7SBejf8MsCmME9_lHoHQMi09YpHY4ASP7juNSl1V1fhQuprSbjIOjlHvegF4iABAw4jRtfaRl3F0uUxQrY1GA/s1600-h/DSC04910.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzz9TE7U2-QqOURrVIr4WKsClGrDYMbw0yc7QdScrOcyznxImvSB_cyrU7SBejf8MsCmME9_lHoHQMi09YpHY4ASP7juNSl1V1fhQuprSbjIOjlHvegF4iABAw4jRtfaRl3F0uUxQrY1GA/s400/DSC04910.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396495837465098610" border="0" /></a>I cannot believe how fast they have grown! Aubri is just 11!! Each year she has shot up at least 6 inches! Andy is now almost 4 ft tall and where did my tiny little one go??<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4MTjGKJjFAR4IWopBNdkR8-lr1YJhZFrFNIzJx3cgjJivmPBR2M2fP_0o2EC579LdktppTwLCL7CwVB466N2bYzff277A4h9BG1V6cXCBMU9JL04KxKllt-C3gA1i9cCQlSDKxkQonEH/s1600-h/DSC04919.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4MTjGKJjFAR4IWopBNdkR8-lr1YJhZFrFNIzJx3cgjJivmPBR2M2fP_0o2EC579LdktppTwLCL7CwVB466N2bYzff277A4h9BG1V6cXCBMU9JL04KxKllt-C3gA1i9cCQlSDKxkQonEH/s400/DSC04919.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396495834556222418" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPtVROMXeI-HASftbWCIdVj9vuNZ7JHB80Ds_7u5wjmaT19Nr698xYqgo8XtG-sy2lr-v92C87t0PHLMjQjGyHJOIOsOA1MhkSvGw_QiKQDC-gr71SBqVosGfyZG-oXxgjNdluRipYUX4/s1600-h/DSC04927.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPtVROMXeI-HASftbWCIdVj9vuNZ7JHB80Ds_7u5wjmaT19Nr698xYqgo8XtG-sy2lr-v92C87t0PHLMjQjGyHJOIOsOA1MhkSvGw_QiKQDC-gr71SBqVosGfyZG-oXxgjNdluRipYUX4/s400/DSC04927.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396495828614733730" border="0" /></a><br />We did the pumpkin patch trip last weekend just before the flu hit Sera hard.... She has been such a sick little girl this past week with a high fever and breathing troubles. She has been up with breathing treatments at least 3 times each night and needed to have her 02 levels monitored closely. All kind of nebulizer meds and oral meds.....Thankfully, I was able to keep working a few days out of the week, since Aubri was able to care for her very well and get her home school assignments done with Grandpa's supervision. Now Aubri has had a fever and got a cough and is feeling pretty badly though.... So far, Andy seems to be doing OK with just a minor coughing fit once in a while and no fever yet. I am not too sure what I feel like. I am too tired to notice :-) Grandpa wore a mask while the kids were with him and I pray that he will not get it. He has Tamiflu, just in case, though!<br /><br />In any case, we had fun at the pumpkin patch this year. Grandpa went with us, but stayed in the car due to the wind. We liked having him with us all the same! Sera knew what to expect this time and was so excited to go play there and the other two... well, they definitely know how to have fun in the hay :-) I am so glad we did it before the flu hit! There is no way I would take Sera there now.... Seeing her struggle to breathe just rips me apart! She will not complain but is so thankful for her breathing mask that helps her feel better. I so wish that her little lungs were not so fragile...Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-30593230139596762582009-10-20T10:42:00.000-07:002009-10-20T10:48:29.981-07:00New look!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIphOom11oVSvsuPJRjuFzM5UJ3mPVfqTLZ0-6NwIZZ1WYJPYyUP3NExE9kHauSCDZ49DaWtyv-PPG6tFG3Mp0MWNCvNByOd1dme8z_Ce3BueahPs-GZpnwlOBZ6kbrCwf4zYA8oMJYQhA/s1600-h/DSC04928.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIphOom11oVSvsuPJRjuFzM5UJ3mPVfqTLZ0-6NwIZZ1WYJPYyUP3NExE9kHauSCDZ49DaWtyv-PPG6tFG3Mp0MWNCvNByOd1dme8z_Ce3BueahPs-GZpnwlOBZ6kbrCwf4zYA8oMJYQhA/s400/DSC04928.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394739357508392482" border="0" /></a>Isn't he so handsome in his new specs? I certainly think so! He is so happy to be able to see things on the board at school and see details he was missing before. He also thinks it makes him look like a different person and was worried that people would not know him. Now he knows that they will and is now happy to be a member of the four eyes club like his mom! 4 eyes are always better than just 2! He understands that math!Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-3615086743874050772009-10-13T14:37:00.000-07:002009-10-13T16:55:33.597-07:00Unbelievable!!! I don't understand!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qBgW8_YNC3VmZ_BXLrZR6vcckbhWrkyTHU9kKiJjVYHgiZNNeAAFI_mRRkTet8UHAeHUrilwcfJjRRvDC51IBd4oQ1giyzDZpdVgeKBARy6IrDu_z83_O8v-ovOZKBnz-fmZeXoSPX7k/s1600-h/43031.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qBgW8_YNC3VmZ_BXLrZR6vcckbhWrkyTHU9kKiJjVYHgiZNNeAAFI_mRRkTet8UHAeHUrilwcfJjRRvDC51IBd4oQ1giyzDZpdVgeKBARy6IrDu_z83_O8v-ovOZKBnz-fmZeXoSPX7k/s400/43031.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392237391963812354" border="0" /></a><br /><img src="file:///C:/Users/Marian/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.png" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/Users/Marian/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.png" alt="" />As I sit to write this, I am wondering IF I should write it at all AND IF it really happened..... My mind wants so badly to believe that it cannot be possible!!<br /><br />Andy has weight issues. Not that he is too skinny, but that he is very thin, no matter how much I feed him. His metablism and his constant movement just seems to burn it all off. Since he takes Adderall which also decreases his appetite and I wanted to make sure he was eating at lunch, I have been packing him thermoses of his favorite high calorie comfort foods in his lunch daily. He generally eats about half of it. There just isn't time for him to eat and talk durring his 20 minute lunch.<br /><br />I had been praising Sera for eating all of the lunch I had been packing for her each day to help encourage Andy to try to eat more. WOW did that ever backfire on me!! He evidently decided that he wanted to be praised too, but that there were other ways of accomplishing that... He simply dumped the leftover contents of his thermos behind the dog food bag in the garage before bringing in the thermos to proudly show me he had eaten everything!! I found this spoilage on Saturday and sent him to his grandpa's, because I was so put out that I truly could not be around him with out feeling like I would steam over.... I cannot stand lying! Evidently Grandpa mentioned to him that leftovers needed to be put down the garbage disposal.<br /><br />Well, this morning, after telling Andy to bring in his lunch box so that I could pack it, I was doing Sera's hair in the bathroom. I heard an odd sound, kind of like a chair scooting on the floor that was loud and short. I didn't think much of it. When I walked out of the bathroom though, I noticed water and chicken noodles covering my hall walls. It appeared that someone had made snow angels on the walls, ALL down the hall with wet arms. I immediately yelled at Andy.... YEP!! He had taken a wad of wet paper towels and stuffed them in the garbage disposal drain, then poured his left over soup on top and tried to run the garbage disposal before I could get out there. Yep. That is my boy!!! Sneaky Petey!!<br /><br />I kind of understood this, because of what Grandpa had told him, even though I was so frustrated I could not see straight. We came to school in a hurry, after I cleaned up as much as I could and he now has to come eat in my classroom where I can see him eat. I don't know what else will happen, and I think just wondering has him very worried, almost better than knowing a punishment. I don't think there will be much more of a punishment for the garbage disposal, since he was actually doing what he feels he was told to do. I semi understand it, even though I am not happy about having to replace a garbage disposal. It could be worse! His hand could have been in there!!<br /><br />BUT, can anyone explain what this kid was thinking while making snow/ soup angels ALL OVER my walls!!!!!!!!!!?????????Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-49056414549468543092009-10-11T17:00:00.000-07:002009-10-11T17:54:31.797-07:00Fall is here!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Pm93SnN3zdJXKuBb83ycvQ2VQyt5eyJR_7_MoeXHh9cBKAMYD0CVQ3LYJgWvkT-v3_hzzLw7mriWsu4POdLMBF5NBK_N_aJOLSV3FgSG-slPuEDwWN3-qXEEw_vioDVx0A-s9lX6v-SR/s1600-h/DSC04879.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Pm93SnN3zdJXKuBb83ycvQ2VQyt5eyJR_7_MoeXHh9cBKAMYD0CVQ3LYJgWvkT-v3_hzzLw7mriWsu4POdLMBF5NBK_N_aJOLSV3FgSG-slPuEDwWN3-qXEEw_vioDVx0A-s9lX6v-SR/s400/DSC04879.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391500058512711970" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKoPTU64djGUoqPdvH5oEoGPjeykJ-fPvhQQovs1hY88spGnMU0gr8YCsmDQXJxOOBfeKdf-m6zIKvImqMBK0_WHHiqzH7S0pv-EyPPwiP1JmisDNTmMmZIHe4dUsVw78O3FEtUhyphenhyphen10ZX/s1600-h/DSC04882.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKoPTU64djGUoqPdvH5oEoGPjeykJ-fPvhQQovs1hY88spGnMU0gr8YCsmDQXJxOOBfeKdf-m6zIKvImqMBK0_WHHiqzH7S0pv-EyPPwiP1JmisDNTmMmZIHe4dUsVw78O3FEtUhyphenhyphen10ZX/s400/DSC04882.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391500419172728082" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnErucFwKuCKlJfIR4S26z4-AHTFHRGB3g0rTyBHLne-JKQLaXJc5pNW1cvcuN-gzoBqbvojJQ-fpFwK8SLvBpynpJsSlbqkGa-Hl4hb69YXbjs3tXjEhIOWHpPKSzd_DETYKyyOiupa4G/s1600-h/DSC04897.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnErucFwKuCKlJfIR4S26z4-AHTFHRGB3g0rTyBHLne-JKQLaXJc5pNW1cvcuN-gzoBqbvojJQ-fpFwK8SLvBpynpJsSlbqkGa-Hl4hb69YXbjs3tXjEhIOWHpPKSzd_DETYKyyOiupa4G/s400/DSC04897.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391500044719089122" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNabpYvJ0umBmbuKlAksCc1-U3BHlLV1QqQH7-BYVQaO-PUKq5pWL67SM1_wlxNnSGAnQvd-pgxl9fHy3TG3p5O9e9E5OU56dabJ3TAAaeFKu4j_X_noKtOyHxpsBjTZuGyFUmrMF7ES2n/s1600-h/DSC04876.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNabpYvJ0umBmbuKlAksCc1-U3BHlLV1QqQH7-BYVQaO-PUKq5pWL67SM1_wlxNnSGAnQvd-pgxl9fHy3TG3p5O9e9E5OU56dabJ3TAAaeFKu4j_X_noKtOyHxpsBjTZuGyFUmrMF7ES2n/s400/DSC04876.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391498134057380754" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOjXI8YceK9NwVteUj3pa1VNnyW62qMbsF7jw5_nPB9RgNhWaHUqUlOtOKD9TCKiOwJERjLmjcdYm04_WW7psJ9mK363M2vTCO-lVKcvLv48DRCCVduDLrVpN7bV4VZWQ8oGFpO8e_Nq4/s1600-h/DSC04894.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOjXI8YceK9NwVteUj3pa1VNnyW62qMbsF7jw5_nPB9RgNhWaHUqUlOtOKD9TCKiOwJERjLmjcdYm04_WW7psJ9mK363M2vTCO-lVKcvLv48DRCCVduDLrVpN7bV4VZWQ8oGFpO8e_Nq4/s400/DSC04894.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391501040770059778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzjKem157lweH9SmKcvLgExgJRFjj0l-c934l2rXuC4wFj9LPtKn3ggWzfAJ-wKzMHHDsNefiKOtHVWid35FH4XW-GCet-G1kzUkB-psg9j40m79hj57Lt6uZ9_KCkbRQtBdI-jQMHIP6/s1600-h/DSC04865.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzjKem157lweH9SmKcvLgExgJRFjj0l-c934l2rXuC4wFj9LPtKn3ggWzfAJ-wKzMHHDsNefiKOtHVWid35FH4XW-GCet-G1kzUkB-psg9j40m79hj57Lt6uZ9_KCkbRQtBdI-jQMHIP6/s400/DSC04865.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391498125901419826" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakMVIys9LSWr17hRAbY18Nvsj7iljIBn4TO7WMle2964908p30ETis5oXGiydfRZzWP7ujmjbEpdmFXU95AcIdqlJrieuxGdfHaL8iGHWlQBYTZzfXul9vzHYz6y_RoJFeugk24zy56sy/s1600-h/DSC04867.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakMVIys9LSWr17hRAbY18Nvsj7iljIBn4TO7WMle2964908p30ETis5oXGiydfRZzWP7ujmjbEpdmFXU95AcIdqlJrieuxGdfHaL8iGHWlQBYTZzfXul9vzHYz6y_RoJFeugk24zy56sy/s400/DSC04867.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391498110257237298" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjem4RMrLcE-nCOekyit-5RXX-8bCuEZPHj-cIn7pd6Au-gMS43qKLO3CfuJH9JXraHxtrB_bGYF5_YpLUY-smdfrW9LpE3UVFeCzMmoACcYqj2iYzqLU6uArpXtNXUcDxuq2IriP2wBh41/s1600-h/DSC04863.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjem4RMrLcE-nCOekyit-5RXX-8bCuEZPHj-cIn7pd6Au-gMS43qKLO3CfuJH9JXraHxtrB_bGYF5_YpLUY-smdfrW9LpE3UVFeCzMmoACcYqj2iYzqLU6uArpXtNXUcDxuq2IriP2wBh41/s400/DSC04863.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391498101313842370" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-MdwP_gPVwknJ7n20_HazfdI4ZquFYlx_LOxZ3JbvN0NxUSlrYMTrPMlT4vV_Cnkiq21vjrJe0KnH8NB1hIqCN5gIlP0u14yChldSbENk1wyNDVcJIBsZRnmmmrEWjzbpQcFReIza-PW/s1600-h/DSC04847.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-MdwP_gPVwknJ7n20_HazfdI4ZquFYlx_LOxZ3JbvN0NxUSlrYMTrPMlT4vV_Cnkiq21vjrJe0KnH8NB1hIqCN5gIlP0u14yChldSbENk1wyNDVcJIBsZRnmmmrEWjzbpQcFReIza-PW/s400/DSC04847.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391498095298505810" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtqTTRq86B8RmsiU2d_x21_4XAbzXWy1LDYf8OUWkKrMxlaeDzStA2wUdIu0200nDK9PFFo0OiO5OLpvHIv9IDhZKhMPPAzm5mtV2oOj1Rt3jPpVi7GW4JHDMSPpbSmjU5i11zWJ1lLQg/s1600-h/vampire+Aubri.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtqTTRq86B8RmsiU2d_x21_4XAbzXWy1LDYf8OUWkKrMxlaeDzStA2wUdIu0200nDK9PFFo0OiO5OLpvHIv9IDhZKhMPPAzm5mtV2oOj1Rt3jPpVi7GW4JHDMSPpbSmjU5i11zWJ1lLQg/s400/vampire+Aubri.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391501046935354722" border="0" /></a><br />We went out for a drive today after church to enjoy the crisp air and beautiful hues of fall. Aubri had wanted to Picnik a photo for Halloween, and a local cemetery seemed like a good setting. I had some pretty scary looking zombies ready to be altered, but once they saw what they were changed into they were not so thrilled.... Since Aubri has been devouring the Twilight series, of course she preferred to be a vampire. Oh well! We had fun and I have to admit that I like my little ones in their current "scary" form :-)<br /><br />BTW, Sera's dress is a <a href="http://itspoppydip.blogspot.com/">Poppydip!</a> She adores this dress and with leggings it is great for the fall. Check them out if you have a little one who loves twirly dresses!! Your purchase will help bring home a sweetheart from Ethiopia!Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-44239818959053729242009-10-09T17:01:00.000-07:002009-10-09T17:50:11.932-07:00NamesMy kids all have rather unfavorable names for each other when they are annoyed with each other, but heaven forbid if anyone but them ever use that same kind of name on their siblings! They are so protective of each other. They have also picked up calling each other by nicknames of endearment, in twisted versions of the names they call each other when they are annoyed.... <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Aubri</span> is "Bossy", Andy is "Trouble" and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Sera</span> is "Stinky". No one else has permission to use these names either!<br /><br />I have my own nick names for them too.. Not planned ones, but ones that have stuck. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Aubri</span> is my Doodlebug, Andy is my Noodle boy and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sera</span> is my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Snickerdoodle</span>... Somehow I must like the sound of "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">oodle</span>"!<br /><br />As for their legal names each child has a family name, a name I liked for specific reasons and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Sera</span> and Andy kept their Chinese names ( minus the surname) as a 2<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">nd</span> middle name.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Aubri</span> is named after a little girl I was blessed to meet in college who changed my life forever. She was a student I worked with while taking a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">SpEd</span> class as a gen ed requirement to ease my workload from a Chem E major. I so enjoyed working with her that I totally changed directions in career planning. I knew my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Aubri</span> would also change my life for the better forever, and she definitely has! Her middle name is a derivative of my grandmother's middle name.<br /><br />Andy was given a first name I really liked due to it meaning "strength" but also because I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">naively</span> thought it sounded similar to his Chinese name and would be easier for him to adjust to. Little did I know that it did not.... His middle name is my father's middle name and he also kept his Chinese name as a 2nd middle name.<br /><br />Sera was named based on her future full of hope. I had been told that she could easily have lifelong delays. I did not care. I wanted, and will always want her (and my other 2 also) to become who they could aspire be, so her name is my grandmother's firstname with a twist. It is said like Sarah, but spelled like the french verb "to become- she will become- elle sera". Her middle name means garden of beauty. She also kept her Chinese name as a 2nd middle name.<br /><br />I have no idea if Andy and Sera will ever use their Chinese names. Both were given by the orphanage they were in. Neither has any special meaning or connections to their personality, but they are theirs and are the only things they have of their life in China. I know Andy has to have had another name given to him with more meaning and love, since his first family tried to provide him the medical care he needed before realizing it was beyond the scope of what could be done there. He was about 4-5 months old when he was found. Maybe someday he will know that name. Maybe he will not. I don't know if Sera was named before she was born, or when she was born, before she was left in the hospital.<br /><br />I do know that their Father knows all of their names, however, and despite the meanings they have to me, to them, to their siblings, to their friends, to their teachers or to their first parents, their names are precious to him. They are precious to him.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-53078121832671353102009-09-27T05:42:00.000-07:002009-09-27T07:00:50.160-07:00Bugs and barks<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8Wua9IgpQh4JRpUyleS5eeDMnoq7tdLxAkRfT71zjOSnJHxpE0xnmhAersbzJeZcWPhGPOyvbWc6P6JPjGA0unVz_4u8Y5S-2UscZbWkDnBKqG-LIZajyXXx328g5J7b2iwXi6Yt1JGg/s1600-h/PawsinPark2009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8Wua9IgpQh4JRpUyleS5eeDMnoq7tdLxAkRfT71zjOSnJHxpE0xnmhAersbzJeZcWPhGPOyvbWc6P6JPjGA0unVz_4u8Y5S-2UscZbWkDnBKqG-LIZajyXXx328g5J7b2iwXi6Yt1JGg/s400/PawsinPark2009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386137337005668994" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhutlJ7F-WKJRSopz-oAUnHn3kNP3IvmnOCpjLP854zqK1w3hAaZ_zc7gG9VyFQhu1lk8hSjYuAXZfp_wLin_2D3tydV9QKIeLEGMtnup4Kl0Iwmyy7Jk0gMbKFmizUzrvGhpJzOBoTse/s1600-h/BaoBao+909.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhutlJ7F-WKJRSopz-oAUnHn3kNP3IvmnOCpjLP854zqK1w3hAaZ_zc7gG9VyFQhu1lk8hSjYuAXZfp_wLin_2D3tydV9QKIeLEGMtnup4Kl0Iwmyy7Jk0gMbKFmizUzrvGhpJzOBoTse/s400/BaoBao+909.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386137149270032850" border="0" /></a><br />This past week has just been wild, but then again it is not too different from last week. Busy schedules filled with more things than I seem to have energy to accomplish! However, I must add, since our schedule seems to really worry my dad, that I think everyone I know has been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately and is having trouble keeping up without feeling tired. It is not just me :-)<br /><br />Sera came down with a nasty virus. I think she may have been coming down with it over the weekend, because she as a bit crabby, but then again she may have just been tired too. She woke Monday morning with 102 temp and it went up from there, even with motrin. The physicians assistant I took her too, since my doctor is out on family leave right now, was great with her and put her on more breathing treatments, steroids, albuterol and antibiotics to keep her from getting pneumonia with the coughing she was doing. He did not test her for H1N1 and said that they only test cases tht need to be hospitalized, she was "healthy" and would get over it. "HEALTHY!!!!" Oh how I loved hearing that!! After all the malnutrition issues, urinary tract issues and frequent bouts of pneumonia, she is now overcoming it all and is considered healthy!! Last year she was at the beginning of the list to get a flu shot, due to her breathing problems with asthma and pneumonia, but this year she has done so much better that she is only on the list because of my profession!<br /><br />Aubri also came down with it, but knowing that it was a virus, I just kept her home. She only missed band and art anyhow. Well, when she was ready to go back on Friday, I found out that I had to take her to the doctor, because the school would not believe me that she had been sick until she had a Dr note. To say the least, I was not happy with having to take her in and pay a co pay just to expose her to more bugs. Of course, this am she is complaining about a sore throat again and I am praying that she did not get strep while there..<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Trying to keep up with school work, getting kids to gymnastics and dance etc... was crazy, but it usually is :-) Even with missing a few things for Aubri and Sera this week, I was still feeling stretched, but that might have been due to being up listening to the nebulizer and coughing going on. Who knows! Anyhow, I just love watching them in gymnastics! Andy is so flexible and can turn himself into such a pretzel, but I most love seeing how he is now able to follow directions, work in a group and do his best without clowning around to get extra attention! Sera is so spunky, when she can go to class, that is, and is laughing and smiling even when she makes mistakes. They have fun and are proud of their accomplishments, which is why I do this!<br /></div><br />We went to a fundraiser in the park this past Saturday. The kids had wanted to take our standard poodle, Bella, but we just took our "littles", BaoBao and Bitzi. Our Aztec transported our big dogs well, but this Toyota is a pain when it comes to transporting dogs... No space for a big dog without taking everything, including the kids backpacks out of the back and praying she stays there, since there in nothing to tie her too.<br /><br />I had not taken a camera. We were not even dressed presentably at all and basically were just out bumming and watching all the cute the dogs as distractions. No one was back to full speed from being ill, except for Andy, who has yet to get sick and I am praying that stays that way! No.. I did not take the kids out to infect anyone, they had been fever free for 3 and 2 full days:-) We basically just walked around and donated a few dollars to the local animal shelter. A photographer decided that he needed take our photo in all of our exhausted glory, though. I was so worried it would be gruesome, but it wasn't too horrible and since we don't have many photos all together, I decided it was OK to share :-)<br /><br />Yes... my 11 yr old is almost as tall as I am, the photo is not lying!! I cannot believe it!! Oh.... how I feel so OLD!!!Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-64560374462364877822009-09-12T17:50:00.000-07:002009-09-12T18:11:07.917-07:00Feeling a bit blue and overwhelemed?NOT something that happened in Belgium!! I am so envious of those people who witnessed this, but very glad I got to see it! That old "spoonful of sugar" sure does make life more pleasant! Especially when most video footage we see any more does not bring smiles.<br /><br /><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7EYAUazLI9k&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7EYAUazLI9k&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object>Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-22143375595728245292009-09-12T09:11:00.000-07:002009-09-12T16:37:35.143-07:00Labor Day weekend photos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvWPaRZmD_Hv5bBCxxOigOCOvCiNr9Mh7zfb98JefP4YjZR_hnf534gt4Pz0OOHSY1F9Ax2EPnhTsjbSii8ImrT8ICxR9bKMyf3uiXqy-gmSvItYZ01IhChKp8DgqqZ20Na1SDMQIUaHm/s1600-h/100_0465.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvWPaRZmD_Hv5bBCxxOigOCOvCiNr9Mh7zfb98JefP4YjZR_hnf534gt4Pz0OOHSY1F9Ax2EPnhTsjbSii8ImrT8ICxR9bKMyf3uiXqy-gmSvItYZ01IhChKp8DgqqZ20Na1SDMQIUaHm/s400/100_0465.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380619858766828610" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEividUaDXhOyGH8oRjT4qVknEoTrKkQmpqWgTM9d-vnbp0N_e2JkcwPs6MLbjjVka5GC1jQ8nC5cHppvhpkpyZyIL27XRNPDQn2HE_MWmUr8nEJojwXbjfV9NXQaGCWf0IRgDv2itS4dRc3/s1600-h/100_0440.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEividUaDXhOyGH8oRjT4qVknEoTrKkQmpqWgTM9d-vnbp0N_e2JkcwPs6MLbjjVka5GC1jQ8nC5cHppvhpkpyZyIL27XRNPDQn2HE_MWmUr8nEJojwXbjfV9NXQaGCWf0IRgDv2itS4dRc3/s400/100_0440.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380619844795473106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2shxyaOpvbYkRs1q3LD4Su2LmYcfTd1tNVeRfMg6OWiOb13qkFwAFWa1fSfdM-zGnmhvYgc7f1mX94omMOAI7VhPtDlfHFUrXVRsrOa1ddaGpVNkqCFkYtynXxQ0Xl8bprn3KKt6B6WI/s1600-h/100_0403.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2shxyaOpvbYkRs1q3LD4Su2LmYcfTd1tNVeRfMg6OWiOb13qkFwAFWa1fSfdM-zGnmhvYgc7f1mX94omMOAI7VhPtDlfHFUrXVRsrOa1ddaGpVNkqCFkYtynXxQ0Xl8bprn3KKt6B6WI/s400/100_0403.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380619837366770690" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVZ3plvP8k-aO7Df1AVYgD-TmjeCclSz0qI_wMLhwTbT9rvP22k6m6eNy0A9Npbk86urVhwXpL0TwksGMSVE3hy_7vLfyGBQlN_QtEmBPAoBQsgiwTvWZ2HzC4GCHrWtZYoO5eMSx4b7D/s1600-h/100_0418.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVZ3plvP8k-aO7Df1AVYgD-TmjeCclSz0qI_wMLhwTbT9rvP22k6m6eNy0A9Npbk86urVhwXpL0TwksGMSVE3hy_7vLfyGBQlN_QtEmBPAoBQsgiwTvWZ2HzC4GCHrWtZYoO5eMSx4b7D/s400/100_0418.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380616727352444034" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_5J3yR5bQtbGOnAtD363Qf1NkPQm2fSdKERmsn0hInsIDTmy6S6kqRdfaRGaoy2I_-H2CDRBmW3VnLgDtF8FrvmAs6jIgXUw81ZlnFNCFGpk4s5GXYOOE4qiRRH-zBXwoeC-DTHzK7eo/s1600-h/100_0405.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_5J3yR5bQtbGOnAtD363Qf1NkPQm2fSdKERmsn0hInsIDTmy6S6kqRdfaRGaoy2I_-H2CDRBmW3VnLgDtF8FrvmAs6jIgXUw81ZlnFNCFGpk4s5GXYOOE4qiRRH-zBXwoeC-DTHzK7eo/s400/100_0405.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380616713883515810" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvpe0OAtngxK0oklphF6bfjaoeG7IPognYBXbo-G_R2TW1NuUkqnMewaLC0OZ2pQzeg20hG-0ALbUgChso20ZuvD8nunuicGJ3QkV1vSw3TkyTnhBpjp7rSYTTtd6WVaLqB5Fdsk9smth/s1600-h/100_0391.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvpe0OAtngxK0oklphF6bfjaoeG7IPognYBXbo-G_R2TW1NuUkqnMewaLC0OZ2pQzeg20hG-0ALbUgChso20ZuvD8nunuicGJ3QkV1vSw3TkyTnhBpjp7rSYTTtd6WVaLqB5Fdsk9smth/s400/100_0391.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380616688708508626" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Our labor day was quiet and without lots of work involved at all! No big picnics or crowds of people for us... I needed some quiet time with my kids and that is exactly what we got! Pop had spent the day with Evelyn and we took off to the pool. I forgot my camera again, but I did grab Pop's on the way out!<br /><br />Sera has decided that since the water isn't leaking in her mouth now, she is brave enough to try some slides and even try to blow bubbles in the water. BIG change for her!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsPfn71gedsGgFmbUfDgJZPtJoYyouHa5uasm4gKiFO9eUGlJTp9SM6G8tX4uSoAkKbJoH8oP4eCbqCbDvbMaElCwHAiaZ5CpTx3Er0TTtgbZt1M8JvSPodVOJM7IQxyE0WmQlP3jS-Gc/s1600-h/100_0437.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsPfn71gedsGgFmbUfDgJZPtJoYyouHa5uasm4gKiFO9eUGlJTp9SM6G8tX4uSoAkKbJoH8oP4eCbqCbDvbMaElCwHAiaZ5CpTx3Er0TTtgbZt1M8JvSPodVOJM7IQxyE0WmQlP3jS-Gc/s400/100_0437.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380617360173031826" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifL2ZjTMrOxhFm6b9bV5lN1hfwHJK2TfuA5gIGiPnTcZHdoQZTtAD8XDx4P4Ce1azMnF9FIRW5OkfH65Aw-mOgQIbBBZugI_8IOrTxZWSNkDm4ArNQDFyVted2L0S8m_wV8CkRAms-Q-WJ/s1600-h/100_0401.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifL2ZjTMrOxhFm6b9bV5lN1hfwHJK2TfuA5gIGiPnTcZHdoQZTtAD8XDx4P4Ce1azMnF9FIRW5OkfH65Aw-mOgQIbBBZugI_8IOrTxZWSNkDm4ArNQDFyVted2L0S8m_wV8CkRAms-Q-WJ/s400/100_0401.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380616698212891938" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnkgIIwouKJkM7i52OrWUivIK1r1RafsbzpvvJsWOU2YaqgXQThXRO5ei8iNo6mscmqY3_ZWg8odErC0B3muJR2-Xr5GLiCuWuiTKNymznInCGC49Oqeq7sx5PYv7kkXYQg8KkIuD0DAV/s1600-h/100_0425.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnkgIIwouKJkM7i52OrWUivIK1r1RafsbzpvvJsWOU2YaqgXQThXRO5ei8iNo6mscmqY3_ZWg8odErC0B3muJR2-Xr5GLiCuWuiTKNymznInCGC49Oqeq7sx5PYv7kkXYQg8KkIuD0DAV/s400/100_0425.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380617327270730754" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1jOO-deRX-0D5sQ6nd45KxwqFxqoLxNSTKKZ1un3kB9JQv-eT0iyzm6DTAPzQ1a96kGdxxRbK3ShRw-2FwTCnSfUM3VZFd5_wnajYvU0geH4KNhN1bPLjWtOFd5pDZtllSn8nVAFFL8F/s1600-h/100_0419.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1jOO-deRX-0D5sQ6nd45KxwqFxqoLxNSTKKZ1un3kB9JQv-eT0iyzm6DTAPzQ1a96kGdxxRbK3ShRw-2FwTCnSfUM3VZFd5_wnajYvU0geH4KNhN1bPLjWtOFd5pDZtllSn8nVAFFL8F/s400/100_0419.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380617314724152082" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztLITHW6vLVyD9badn3ZoVzTJ4aRj72DY_TyAdh5Ihld3khpWV_xiYASgRNX3JC-XK1TZiZeUxmnv_y1uhL_K6rXo3UqVUuPQQVFR4wR9ZWJZCeEhrok99pMkDKUIISt44pZ0eBVgeSMc/s1600-h/100_0414.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztLITHW6vLVyD9badn3ZoVzTJ4aRj72DY_TyAdh5Ihld3khpWV_xiYASgRNX3JC-XK1TZiZeUxmnv_y1uhL_K6rXo3UqVUuPQQVFR4wR9ZWJZCeEhrok99pMkDKUIISt44pZ0eBVgeSMc/s400/100_0414.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380617348097952770" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Andy has discovered that he is just at the height limit to go down the bigger slide with Aubri and while he was excited to try it, he decided that he would rather practice floating! He looked so little up there and it really made me wish my knee would have held me up at the bottom of the slide.. I could not take him on it. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxyUdxZYA6TDWYWhI_ZtWp03h-yO8NHu_11cDt_GdFGFoVN8lDj0nvyChnpR_YWxLxqgyuwWUkrV2Pwz6PSHwpwGOZcpa0J7X2LQq2A19SzkR8U0dw7ify739GPcXS3Y1gr_wZRN-O-qf/s1600-h/100_0439.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxyUdxZYA6TDWYWhI_ZtWp03h-yO8NHu_11cDt_GdFGFoVN8lDj0nvyChnpR_YWxLxqgyuwWUkrV2Pwz6PSHwpwGOZcpa0J7X2LQq2A19SzkR8U0dw7ify739GPcXS3Y1gr_wZRN-O-qf/s400/100_0439.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380617847254496226" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIV5U6vUFlI4X_bdbMlht2W0cgOER4-ZnVbFEib1wEvgLR6iH9IUppZC0Z9NapST31WeQMpbmjA50m96C4PjR_ogyvDAl_7Ljs12ImEm4w0OqMwKdPtLqJSn9xIjwtRmZH4JCU_3dRaLX/s1600-h/100_0436.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIV5U6vUFlI4X_bdbMlht2W0cgOER4-ZnVbFEib1wEvgLR6iH9IUppZC0Z9NapST31WeQMpbmjA50m96C4PjR_ogyvDAl_7Ljs12ImEm4w0OqMwKdPtLqJSn9xIjwtRmZH4JCU_3dRaLX/s400/100_0436.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380617340342321282" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We did spend lots of time on the lazy river together, though.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_RWSIiuITmMeT-tHH0fKYT4XnbKcjmt-L1DyB1xdYg-i5hhVtVPflQvl77ZnFyN_u314L09OIR7CDH_D4CmTwDK36nqRPCVU0O051ZfoBqs5MViPF20rMB9eMt8fNmjVqgx-A6TRM0mc/s1600-h/100_0448.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_RWSIiuITmMeT-tHH0fKYT4XnbKcjmt-L1DyB1xdYg-i5hhVtVPflQvl77ZnFyN_u314L09OIR7CDH_D4CmTwDK36nqRPCVU0O051ZfoBqs5MViPF20rMB9eMt8fNmjVqgx-A6TRM0mc/s400/100_0448.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380617854607304546" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfl1DqL4WNMUjJzhZ9acNCO-ss-4FX46QGvqXS_5ERNwMHsjRWWe2GnCLhuRGO2aLr_8HPZElNCLbIM2FzIwmttQCjXxSPEupHo_Gqo-d9RwQAjFq-ChJg1_bb0k8frD-rIb7pVEZVidQL/s1600-h/100_0450.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfl1DqL4WNMUjJzhZ9acNCO-ss-4FX46QGvqXS_5ERNwMHsjRWWe2GnCLhuRGO2aLr_8HPZElNCLbIM2FzIwmttQCjXxSPEupHo_Gqo-d9RwQAjFq-ChJg1_bb0k8frD-rIb7pVEZVidQL/s400/100_0450.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380617861991318690" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpDSAud9ZW0Q1zUfcLoV7sC3a4Ej2J_UIUh2ZFp6VNlodinUA8rhyphenhyphengC_MNWMYpJW31H4QUmNJsqYitpGN__QagPXss3NfXMqcF5oMNdC_dY-BtnGsR9N5B1i8WysQ_x9SRJnszhrJcKgs/s1600-h/100_0457.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpDSAud9ZW0Q1zUfcLoV7sC3a4Ej2J_UIUh2ZFp6VNlodinUA8rhyphenhyphengC_MNWMYpJW31H4QUmNJsqYitpGN__QagPXss3NfXMqcF5oMNdC_dY-BtnGsR9N5B1i8WysQ_x9SRJnszhrJcKgs/s400/100_0457.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380617875425154850" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Aubri spent most of her time either helping Sera learn to slide or going down the big slide in the deep pool or the high dive. She was so proud that she could do these things without being scared this year!! I was a bit sad, too. My baby is 11 and she is really growing up so fast!! I am OK with her being afraid of a few things and needing me!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStRmEqjuR2vrtwPWMrzAtFjT3M_MRruCZKfpOwuvxKtU8CmpJapMlSfZi9P0pMEwJgYE9kLS0oKZYqaIy86OSDjPWNvy938Jp2bcmEs4DXFIwVr5OYh36DSHVUyLLuKc0Ztj_Enjrh9oY/s1600-h/100_0475.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStRmEqjuR2vrtwPWMrzAtFjT3M_MRruCZKfpOwuvxKtU8CmpJapMlSfZi9P0pMEwJgYE9kLS0oKZYqaIy86OSDjPWNvy938Jp2bcmEs4DXFIwVr5OYh36DSHVUyLLuKc0Ztj_Enjrh9oY/s400/100_0475.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380619823712900498" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxj-ZAiI9ckS4NPikCXkbc7xHWXJR0fbRT7V4X5HXjf9kPVVI9qajF4VENIhWm07wAlMSEXXgZUYpK9c8A17Ya2MrJr7NW9PD6-jTG8DHp2QRp6MgF_eBNnwaev9TpqjT0S4yBlSheFQN/s1600-h/100_0470.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxj-ZAiI9ckS4NPikCXkbc7xHWXJR0fbRT7V4X5HXjf9kPVVI9qajF4VENIhWm07wAlMSEXXgZUYpK9c8A17Ya2MrJr7NW9PD6-jTG8DHp2QRp6MgF_eBNnwaev9TpqjT0S4yBlSheFQN/s400/100_0470.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380618082688242994" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ04zk1YxisTcTo2hOeZhoUB0K9bSlYQqosoZ1qi0jiMbnJnGIXWpyYe2bt_KqzIfruJ5W_UkD90QRUS5dKRkLg9uqwOCuyVL48Kg1PwUwqDW7vQB1-m5KBneWtQYVypcrJJNDLJV0mR7y/s1600-h/100_0394.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ04zk1YxisTcTo2hOeZhoUB0K9bSlYQqosoZ1qi0jiMbnJnGIXWpyYe2bt_KqzIfruJ5W_UkD90QRUS5dKRkLg9uqwOCuyVL48Kg1PwUwqDW7vQB1-m5KBneWtQYVypcrJJNDLJV0mR7y/s400/100_0394.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380616676308958066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrG4bUO1qvLfuyF3-zanmhyphenhyphen_tbD9cMjoqeks6KH2D12TVjkJiDahUWc-kuPv89hWEAsYyNBHlS0Ntpt1vhyphenhyphenp54je9UPyAHXgooWZdV6U_90Ver4AWuz7oDSG_KVduYEhz9MT3SIhMOv_JO/s1600-h/100_0473.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrG4bUO1qvLfuyF3-zanmhyphenhyphen_tbD9cMjoqeks6KH2D12TVjkJiDahUWc-kuPv89hWEAsYyNBHlS0Ntpt1vhyphenhyphenp54je9UPyAHXgooWZdV6U_90Ver4AWuz7oDSG_KVduYEhz9MT3SIhMOv_JO/s400/100_0473.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380618101962629714" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It has taken me a week to get a moment to post the pictures, because the following week was definitely very laborious!! Oh, well, it is Saturday again and life is a bit calmer once again. I am so very grateful for weekends!!!Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-1645300370927810082009-09-10T01:58:00.000-07:002009-09-10T02:03:26.994-07:00Love Without Boundaries<a href="http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/index.cfm">Love Without Boundaries</a> (helping children in China through medical & foster care) is giving away their gorgeous book, <a href="http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/loves_journey2.cfm">Love's Journey 2</a>. Andy and Aubri's getting to know you story and photos are in this!<br /><br />I love to look through mine!! So do the kids!Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-38334076674777927672009-09-05T06:43:00.000-07:002009-09-05T12:04:31.793-07:00"She Shells Shea Shells by the Sheashore"Andy is attempting tongue twisters. He thinks he is doing them right and is so proud of himself for getting all the words in the right order :-) Yesterday morning he was singing the above and I asked him what a "sheashore" was. I truly thought he knew. Well, he did, it was not what I expected. He happily told me, " It's a dead EGG, Mom!". <br /><br />WOW!! I never knew....<br /><br />I think we will have to check out some beach video... No time or moolah for a trip to the ocean :-)Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-55577130453168829332009-08-31T04:53:00.000-07:002009-08-31T05:00:34.608-07:00A few quick photos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJnit2fNfRGRe-HgOoh5Iym_TuYpDJmOqHnM6Akd8j1DjWk6bjuPBhBkPjBXBYRcmhOFhCLRBpZwMCA95CM0NGAdF9eRIyTvSvM5o6mF7nGueOkbvB3GRxEvuPgJJmNkALkNDkXPT-QdT/s1600-h/100_0378.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJnit2fNfRGRe-HgOoh5Iym_TuYpDJmOqHnM6Akd8j1DjWk6bjuPBhBkPjBXBYRcmhOFhCLRBpZwMCA95CM0NGAdF9eRIyTvSvM5o6mF7nGueOkbvB3GRxEvuPgJJmNkALkNDkXPT-QdT/s400/100_0378.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376096339875694370" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEispgNKUMXq1cZ1EYdSd4SPq_w5n9Nwf6dtPMwbERoZ5kHAr-LG-ZL1MTGerQsc5GWBy3ZYIJajaBWuyEcFoocesPLqZ_SpiTmL-RvQpfjxhkFd7t0D98H53rth9dWWOVUuJPCHFvblRtGq/s1600-h/100_0373.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEispgNKUMXq1cZ1EYdSd4SPq_w5n9Nwf6dtPMwbERoZ5kHAr-LG-ZL1MTGerQsc5GWBy3ZYIJajaBWuyEcFoocesPLqZ_SpiTmL-RvQpfjxhkFd7t0D98H53rth9dWWOVUuJPCHFvblRtGq/s400/100_0373.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376096334317332306" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJw3VhX3x1WnwSHmXRFJpEETJ0AIs_KIhCZh9hGdzmZh6RqHyjRmaYFzNfkYUv4i0V_fYOZ3sEBCtP9SUY7uSUbnF5KNcXs2hAy0URjvMSuhfnnDAGG_Wn3-V5N6-HDnhyphenhyphenMH0UnlJLLOT/s1600-h/100_0371.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJw3VhX3x1WnwSHmXRFJpEETJ0AIs_KIhCZh9hGdzmZh6RqHyjRmaYFzNfkYUv4i0V_fYOZ3sEBCtP9SUY7uSUbnF5KNcXs2hAy0URjvMSuhfnnDAGG_Wn3-V5N6-HDnhyphenhyphenMH0UnlJLLOT/s400/100_0371.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376095780691688050" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEida-SccM4au8Ah8W8-AoSybWJQQfffxhsnximRv58fJBhgW5jbOV4XJaa-xDZloBjIha7rQttbWgogL1nJpwOct_QPeNCGO3XBYPBYmzqxdiJQcGf3wOBxlncb5wjB1fFrW_tKsXzdZtga/s1600-h/100_0367.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEida-SccM4au8Ah8W8-AoSybWJQQfffxhsnximRv58fJBhgW5jbOV4XJaa-xDZloBjIha7rQttbWgogL1nJpwOct_QPeNCGO3XBYPBYmzqxdiJQcGf3wOBxlncb5wjB1fFrW_tKsXzdZtga/s400/100_0367.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376095757404491794" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJJhXErOADGZVdJ5al34JCkxnziRFpObj6MSS7Q3ewXw87mR_vlrBKioLYvJiZ0i52rwCdR7JGqkshxaNtW2abcw7fC2VIfrHveJwJQ4fQeH8XjWaHoY9GFIQqtk-Qv2teq5YxZjgOks/s1600-h/100_0366.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJJhXErOADGZVdJ5al34JCkxnziRFpObj6MSS7Q3ewXw87mR_vlrBKioLYvJiZ0i52rwCdR7JGqkshxaNtW2abcw7fC2VIfrHveJwJQ4fQeH8XjWaHoY9GFIQqtk-Qv2teq5YxZjgOks/s400/100_0366.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376095736894941298" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSKmygMOCujjAYKr3U4-eCXoAvY27bIAAZNiFMZzTnJnd54TEJE9V3Ox8Qti0vsqUzPwDBGCmY0A5EE8aC_SOFoTyW11J8cVzmKNSkMrL2V-heImBzmbc3E1yW6i-KTSCgBzdLpkX030/s1600-h/100_0365.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSKmygMOCujjAYKr3U4-eCXoAvY27bIAAZNiFMZzTnJnd54TEJE9V3Ox8Qti0vsqUzPwDBGCmY0A5EE8aC_SOFoTyW11J8cVzmKNSkMrL2V-heImBzmbc3E1yW6i-KTSCgBzdLpkX030/s400/100_0365.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376095728367456402" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmd3zVTuLlv28B5mKqaFjlpXtC3KI2aIXlvr7LXVYbfQahg5M-69ktfJQdDlonjQJ7zlgUj0nLIrBn5eH8s2vi3TXkQmLyQnXHVZF8I2KnWWwtMeTkZOHNXmcXAh4rz6L9eqAOmcQi6Y/s1600-h/100_0364.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmd3zVTuLlv28B5mKqaFjlpXtC3KI2aIXlvr7LXVYbfQahg5M-69ktfJQdDlonjQJ7zlgUj0nLIrBn5eH8s2vi3TXkQmLyQnXHVZF8I2KnWWwtMeTkZOHNXmcXAh4rz6L9eqAOmcQi6Y/s400/100_0364.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376095714295971394" /></a><br />I have more I want to write about, I just can't right now though, so here are a few photos instead.Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-43706549041247855762009-08-29T19:03:00.001-07:002009-08-29T19:06:04.553-07:00Last weekend at the Science Center<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_iqym7lqwgM0nX4sPAqi24UOakvEMhI7WYJkxylKYIXlNM-jDvtjLXMp1S2zydvlVbX1LjE-CgTmLbQtlAdSn8OrIoNaPu1-7IvLvxOVAdg88Yku6UthHFi00mgAGC1to79eVLVu-Dw/s1600-h/Picnik+collage.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 393px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_iqym7lqwgM0nX4sPAqi24UOakvEMhI7WYJkxylKYIXlNM-jDvtjLXMp1S2zydvlVbX1LjE-CgTmLbQtlAdSn8OrIoNaPu1-7IvLvxOVAdg88Yku6UthHFi00mgAGC1to79eVLVu-Dw/s400/Picnik+collage.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375571912802430466" /></a><br /><br />I forgot to take my camera, but thanks to my cell, we still have something for the memory books:-) <br /><br />I love being with these kids and helping them learn and grow!!Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-74864476440136430162009-08-25T18:29:00.000-07:002009-08-25T18:59:22.047-07:00Huh??? Do I know my name??? Let me think....<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMarian%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMarian%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMarian%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:10;" >If you think your day was wild.... This might make you feel better! </span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:13;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:10;" >I was 2 paras short staffed. All my students were at school. ALL of them... including the ones who had not slept well last night and who were cranky bears....
<br />
<br />I actually rode in a school bus to the library and back with the heater on full blast and the windows open because the driver truly did not know how to turn it to air conditioner... It was on red and on number 4...... I tried to explain it to him and it went right over his head. He insisted it was right. I gave up!! We did make it back to school safely though. We were just all VERY hot and sweaty!! It was a good excuse or popsicles though!
<br />
<br />Then a sub para quit because he saw student in the break room, when a "vampire" para ( since he thought that my regular staff and I were all vampires) was taking the student with her to make a copy. It infringed on his duty free lunch.... Poor guy! NOT! I never even made it to the bathroom all day, let alone eat lunch and definitely NOT student free, because I was responsible for them not just sitting and watching someone else take care of them.... He was ranting something about Lizzie Borden before this and I had tuned him out.... I never even knew what had truly offended him, since I had sent him out for another break to make up for what he thought he lost and then discovered he had stormed out. I guess I was in a confrontation without even knowing it.... Not good at all.
<br />
<br />My sweetie Sera had a tough day and her heart was heavy when she came home and could let it all out.
<br />
<br />I need a drink and I DON'T drink:-)
<br />
<br />So... I am just going to laugh about the crazy stuff, share it to hopefully let someone know their day might have not been s bad as they thought, maybe make someone smile, hug my sweet little one and PRAY for saner day tomorrow!!!!</span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:13;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMarian%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMarian%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMarian%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" ft="{"type":"msg"}"><div id="id_4a948f907dfd14f81341804" class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" style="font-family:arial;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:10;" ></span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:13;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:10;" ></span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:13;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> </div></h3>Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-58145843175876118332009-08-22T18:45:00.000-07:002009-08-22T21:45:55.581-07:00Red ThreadsMany people in the Chinese adoption community will refer to the red threads which have connected them to their child. They are referring to a Chinese belief that children are connected to those who will love them in their lifetime by invisible red threads which will never break.<br /><br />Sera and Andy came into our lives in round about ways. Both were brought to my attention by friends who had adopted previously. I fell in love with them, but did not search for birth date commonalities with people in my family or other commonalities which could be seen as red threads. The only red threads were that I loved their sad little faces in their photo and knew that I wanted to know them and love them, enough to commit to them. They did not know each other in China. Our red thread story is not elaborate or full of special connections before we met, but it is ours and it is what connected us and will always connect us.<br /><br />Another family who is adopting right now, has a much larger red thread connecting them to their new son. This thread is actually the love their daughter has for this boy, since they were friends before she was adopted. She has prayed diligently that David would have a mom and a dad of his own to love him as much as her new family loves her. It has been hard for her to accept that she is loved, while he has waited alone... This family really hadn't planned on adopting again so soon, and did not have the fees saved up yet when they found David on a list. They could not pass up trying to bring him home, though, since his SN would make him very difficult to place. Trying to reassure Maddy that he head a family while knowing he didn't was not possible. They loved him already and had even met him and spent time with him while bringing Maddy home. They are the perfect family for him.<br /><br />Right now, though, they are having trouble fundraising to get their dossier sent off in a timely manner. They are having a raffle on their blog <a href="http://www.adoptfund.blogspot.com/">For the Journey</a> to help bring him home. If you are lucky, you will win 500 bucks for just a 10 buck donation. I know that funds are tight everywhere, but once you see this boy, I will be that many of you will be willing to gamble a bit and enjoy seeing this sweet boy come home! Personally, I cannot wait to see Maddy hear about the fact that David is going to be her brother. She doesn't know yet!<br /><br />Check out their <a href="http://morethanahome.blogspot.com/">blog</a> to read this wonderful story about this little girl's love for her brother!Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-17535807781066215692009-08-19T18:48:00.000-07:002009-08-19T19:13:30.449-07:00StormsStorms seem to bring out the unusual.... In my classroom, seizures and meltdowns are much more common to see increase, but so does the "crazy". Folks trying to work together in a small space with needy little people, start to get on each other's nerves a bit more easily. My kids at home are a bit more clingy, or they are more energetic and loud. Kind of the same effect as on a full moon.<br /><br />Today must have been a full moon and a storm!! I actually had a sub para decide that another para had been "touched" and was a vampire..... A student was seeing ghosts and panicking the tables were floating. Several kids were sleep deprived from the thunder last night and melted down with frustration and exhaustion for the tiniest of things, like a milk cap falling.<br /><br />I also heard about a disruption of a child I had followed on his journey to his new family. He is just a preschooler and had been reported to already have serious problems. He had only been home about 6 months. Not long enough for any real changes to happen in attachment or bonding for both the parents or the child.<br /><br />I remember only too well how stressed we all were 6 months after Andy came home. He was still grieving the loss of his foster family and was VERY sneaky in finding ways to destroy things in order to make me not love him. He was so afraid of being loved and rejected again.... We have had many struggles and while I admit to having entertained the thought of giving up, it only lasts fleetingly and I remember why I need to hang in there and never give up! These little ones we have brought home through adoption have faced so many huge losses in their lives. Who could possibly expect them to "fit in" to a family without issues. I know that I can't!<br /><br />I just cannot wrap my mind around the all "crazy" I have encountered since this most recent bout of thunder storms ( the past 2 days). I cannot understand how a child can not receive unconditional love just for being them, any more than I can begin to understand how this sub para can think my other para is a vampire...<br /><br />As much as I love listening to the thunder and rain, I want the storms to go away!!Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-35591976271300809292009-08-15T19:16:00.000-07:002009-08-15T21:56:23.624-07:00Never, never, never.....NEVER leave a little boy alone with ANYTHING that comes apart and can be broken, jumped on or used as a weapon!!!<br /><br />NEVER work so hard without getting enough sleep all week that your body literally stops when the adrenaline wears out and you have no energy left to keep a little boy busy!<br /><br />NEVER expect a little boy to just play quietly with his toys without an adult structuring his day to keep him from getting bored!<br /><br />NEVER leave your son with his grandfather who forgot to NEVER leave a little boy in a room with his hearing aids and a stapler full of staples, when the little boy has closed the door and can be heard banging around in the room!!<br /><br />He was trusting him, which I rarely ever do anymore....<br /><br />I have to be able to see him at all times. It is a panic I cannot escape from. I am always worried he is doing something destructive before thinking about the consequences...... He has taken so many things apart and broken them. I even have dreams about him having taken our house apart. So does Aubri.....<br /><br />You would think I would have learned by now how to prevent this..... but NOPE!! Not me. This kid seems to always be able to find an opportunity for destruction, especially when I am worn out and cannot keep up with him!<br /><br />Sigh.......... yes, I bet you can guess what happened tonight!!! I was so tired that I literally felt sick. The kids went to grandpa's for dinner to let me have a few minutes of quiet, since Andy had broke Sera's bed this am while refusing to stay off it and stop trying to wrestle with his sisters....<br /><br />Andy decided to empty a stapler by shooting the staples all over his grandpa's study and to climb up on the desk and take grandpa's hearing aids out, take the batteries out and break the battery cover off of one....... Just because he wanted to put them in his ears and find out what they do. He told me that he ran out of things to "wiggle" and did not want to make a mess, so he thought he should just see what the hearing aids did. He also said that he did not think about what he was doing, but quickly admitted that he did know what he was doing, because he did not want Grandpa to catch him. He thought he could pick up all the staples.... but the hearing aids distracted him. Sad thing is, I do believe him! They were calling to him from the top shelf of Grandpa's book case. They must speak more clearly than I do, since he never seems to hear me so well!<br /><br />I don't get it!!! I just don't!!! I never wonder how anything works, I just like it when it does. It's only when it doesn't work that it even begins to cross my mind to try to figure out how it works, and fix it. My girls never do this. They both love making and building things, just like Andy also does, but they just don't take things apart, especially when they know they are not supposed to even be touching them..... Why Andy cannot respect other people's things is still a mystery to me. Since I am a single parent, I cannot blame it as a trait he learned from his dad :-) I know his grandpa doesn't do things like this and if he did as a kid, my grandma would have never put up with it long. I have dated several guys who had to take computers apart, but since they weren't mine and were not something I needed, I never thought much about it before Andy arrived and has dismanteled everything he sees. He sees things I never see too!! Although I have learned to scope some of these things out when we are out and tell him to not touch them, just seconds before he starts to take them apart.... Most of the time though, I have no clue what he is going to be thinking about taking apart!! Is this desire to take things apart and break them beyond repair the difference between boys and girls? Does it ever get better???? Don't answer if it doesn't PLEASE :-)<br /><br />I love this little boy so much, but WOW, I have no clue why he does these things!!! Maybe when I am not so tired it will seem comical, but Grandpa really needs his hearing aids to hear!! GeeZ!!!<br /><br />It is a good thing that he is so darned CUTE!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMYzMrcI-eb_3Dqv1n-Mr87xZ2_wJ575XP4C6vwDrNs6dkVEJcjoHrBSj0h_rcfzyHPYGuApv8mAWjT6bP2M7kcFAsywV92hJFp-utB1QOXtsUsgZ40OWukU5251f4JvrcQcGoreK5U8/s1600-h/DSC04801.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMYzMrcI-eb_3Dqv1n-Mr87xZ2_wJ575XP4C6vwDrNs6dkVEJcjoHrBSj0h_rcfzyHPYGuApv8mAWjT6bP2M7kcFAsywV92hJFp-utB1QOXtsUsgZ40OWukU5251f4JvrcQcGoreK5U8/s400/DSC04801.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370408362007651250" border="0" /></a>Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-5496746984194654122009-08-15T10:06:00.000-07:002009-08-15T10:07:55.491-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0idLM_ilbOP0wBUeICxNGee4t2l1np_11wllMe6soDNV-GCyx-CFL-iPMuSchLiisd0hspQDwINX9np_ine68UFEafc2CKMpYc54eHDTPLRzdGBLZ0E03v3GVgDsSzB6Ucwm5sOB7qB8/s1600-h/DSC04803.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0idLM_ilbOP0wBUeICxNGee4t2l1np_11wllMe6soDNV-GCyx-CFL-iPMuSchLiisd0hspQDwINX9np_ine68UFEafc2CKMpYc54eHDTPLRzdGBLZ0E03v3GVgDsSzB6Ucwm5sOB7qB8/s400/DSC04803.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370238358522337874" border="0" /></a>Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176923194298781357.post-85048028375566715972009-08-13T02:41:00.000-07:002009-08-15T10:06:27.881-07:00Whew!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikaXOkfMNs95f1H9qkvpnR6srCzzNyaF2RmpEFR9xrusSmZEqO-E1BELZ3Dad-dJuDhZMJJhPEDmNLCXWunFM4DqbSL4LSpvFfRbS26puMUkW1saaWP95ZXTEt4CtqOQ0KkqzVkRkyQxA/s1600-h/DSC04715.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikaXOkfMNs95f1H9qkvpnR6srCzzNyaF2RmpEFR9xrusSmZEqO-E1BELZ3Dad-dJuDhZMJJhPEDmNLCXWunFM4DqbSL4LSpvFfRbS26puMUkW1saaWP95ZXTEt4CtqOQ0KkqzVkRkyQxA/s400/DSC04715.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370237762201796562" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fpqFolcqXjCebDU_q20lYVmbpmSUj2rb957nEVub20uQIb3A7kpZN4ajGNHxtfe7S1DMWysmVpCd7rTg_-LPCP6FKK7uPtfTV-sQmnB1xo5zmxDjCl2g_3XWrcZQWxrb6Gdqhh-aLEQ/s1600-h/DSC04713.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fpqFolcqXjCebDU_q20lYVmbpmSUj2rb957nEVub20uQIb3A7kpZN4ajGNHxtfe7S1DMWysmVpCd7rTg_-LPCP6FKK7uPtfTV-sQmnB1xo5zmxDjCl2g_3XWrcZQWxrb6Gdqhh-aLEQ/s400/DSC04713.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370237753624642706" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBP3E4iXe4ZCtBmlDwFiDoxE_0w_g9t5sWa2GrJxNtr7EgRmiTnxLQK_mvWoIp4H8rLp1jukXA71mjYESkpK4tbWwLtwSVcOx92kF6ljtcPdZ64o8eRV3ehiS31y4dwl82vGZC-NAoqNE/s1600-h/DSC04716.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBP3E4iXe4ZCtBmlDwFiDoxE_0w_g9t5sWa2GrJxNtr7EgRmiTnxLQK_mvWoIp4H8rLp1jukXA71mjYESkpK4tbWwLtwSVcOx92kF6ljtcPdZ64o8eRV3ehiS31y4dwl82vGZC-NAoqNE/s400/DSC04716.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370237771474700162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3NUIqzIVUvDBv5JnxhaPsft4QV6aJ0NvCMMlb_FhigWd5TWVmYdu9S723DSi_gBvREtzIvKHPG316s83Nc069sQQvFaxPAtwh4WL2QkYVkgszw2wRUca8G5cl-0Kah0h415onY9ro58/s1600-h/DSC04717.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3NUIqzIVUvDBv5JnxhaPsft4QV6aJ0NvCMMlb_FhigWd5TWVmYdu9S723DSi_gBvREtzIvKHPG316s83Nc069sQQvFaxPAtwh4WL2QkYVkgszw2wRUca8G5cl-0Kah0h415onY9ro58/s400/DSC04717.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370237780310794306" border="0" /></a><br />Sera's stitches are out, we are home and school has started! This week is really testing my endurance levels!! I am definitely feelin' OLD and out of pep!<br /><br />First of all, have I mentioned how much I despise having to be patted down and "wanded" any time I think about setting foot on a plane....? If not, just know that security is NOT my favorite part of traveling, especially in the Chicago Midway airport, where there are literally hundreds of people behind you pushing you to move faster and/or just flat out pushing you out of their way. ( I am discovering that China is not unique to doing this! It seems to be very common where folks live together in crowded spaces...... NOT what I am used to at home, but will adapt to in order to get Sera's surgeries done!) My metal knee requires that I be checked out thoroughly each time. At least this trip, Sera had figured out that it really was OK and knew to just get her little backpack, watch security get our other things and not to get near me until they gave me the all clear :)<br /><br />Hanging out at Shriner's is not miserable. Sera had plenty of toys and videos. It just felt like I was wasting time. Time that was pretty scarce to get things ready for school, get thing done at home etc... I know that it is worth it though! Sleeping at Shriner's is another thing entirely, however. Sera's bed would inflate and deflate every time she moved. This meant that it buzzed and hummed each time she turned over, which would then wake her and she would start to rock... and well, then it drove the bed absolutely NUTS! The parent chair to sleep in is a trundle chair, where your butt is at least 4 inches below your torso.... No joke! I am a bit spoiled and like to sleep on even surfaces, so I fight that trundle all night. I finally decided it is easier to sleep sitting straight up, since the chair does not recline. The back stays in place and does not move at all. Definitely not a huge problem, but not a good way to start the first week of school for me, since when I am sleep deprived, I have mush brain....<br /><br />Sera's stitches came out quickly and she was a trooper going in to surgery. She keeps winning hearts, where ever she goes. Dr. Patel was not able to open all of her tear ducts and we will go back in a month to find out what the plan is for them. He is going to try to create new ducts. He is amazing!!<br /><br />Sera woke in a horrible state, however and tried to hurt herself and everyone trying to calm her for almost a full hour, before the anesthesia left her system. I do not want this anesthesia again! the last time was much better! She even fought so hard that she scared the nurses and even the hospital director walked though to see what the commotion was. It is obvious that she was terrified and totally angry with all of us who tried to help. She would recognize me on and off and start to settle down, but then they would try to get her vitals and she would come uncorked again. Then once she settled down, she insisted on walking back to her room to put on her dress and jewelery :-) She was fine. She didn't want Sprite or any of the juices they offered her, she wanted to go to the cafeteria herself and get PINK lemonade :-) That's my girl !!<br /><br />She has to wear tape on her lip when she is at home, to keep the scarring down and we have to massage her lip often. The tape is not a favorite thing for her, as you can probably guess, but she is doing it without too much fuss. The lip looks great! Now, she just needs to learn how to move it and use it :-)<br /><br />After she played and shocked her nurse at how quickly she rallied, we left for the airport to try to catch a stand by flight and get home earlier. Well..... best laid plans.... We got home on our originally scheduled flight, which was over 2 hours late!! We got good doses of people watching, and even had some lady get bit nuts and the airport staff had to have security take her away when she started cursing Sera. Yep. Somehow Sera's skirt, a longer tiered, twirly skirt, offended her. No clue why! She screamed and ranted while trying to pull at Sera's skirt and shaking her finger at us. I blocked her, and that just made her madder. Sera got a bit scared, but handled it well. She ignored the lady, instinctively did not make eye contact with her, and just clung to me. But believe me, she wasn't the only unusual sight we saw! I think we lead very sheltered lives, and must also have very boring lives compared to many folks we saw. I am truly happy to come home to our own life!! Home sweet home!<br /><br />I finally fell in bed at 1 am ofter driving home and getting the kids all loved on and settled to bed, getting household stuff etc... done. Up again at 5 am ....I had to have my classroom ready for the meet the teacher event from 6 to 7 pm. It was great to be back to work, but I craved a nap so badly.... Maybe this weekend!<br /><br />School is started and Sera and Andy had great first day! They were so excited! I was short staffed, but our crew worked together and were able to enjoy the day with our students also. No major melt downs!! Aubri starts band and art at the middle school tomorrow.... no wait, today!<br /><br />I need to get busy since it is 5 am now! Hopefully tonight I will have some energy left and post the photos. If not it will have to wait until the wee hours of the am :-)Marianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365105057962242858noreply@blogger.com1