One of those days...

This sure is how I am feeling today. I know Baylor feels this way too, and Callan does not know it yet, but he will feel this way all too soon. His life is about to change as he knows it.


Tomorrow is the official start of school for Bay and the unofficial start for Callan. Tomorrow Callan goes to "camp" so that all the teachers can size the kids up and see how they interact with each other, who is going to have trouble with going to school, who is going to be a "wild-man" and who the shy ones are. Wednesday he goes for his testing and he will go two full days next week. THE FOLLOWING week will be his official start.

I honestly thought I was doing fine with it, I mean... I have survived it once, I can do it again, right? I do not know, maybe not. My stomach is in knots and I had to have Brent take me home from church this morning because of my stomach issues. Really, I think it might be God getting a good kick out me by making everyone who encounters me with my tummy issue at church thinking I got "knocked-up" again. Because YOU KNOW if you are in the child bearing years and you get a little queasy, then SOMEBODY is gonna ask, and a few somebody's are going to ask other people if they have heard you are.

ANYWAY, I am sick. Like can't eat, can't really sleep, must stay busy, can't think about it spending lots of time in the potty room kind of sick. And God created my tummy to show my emotions like no other. I can't go into the whole-I'm sending my 5 year old to school right now... it will send me to the bathroom again. Perhaps I will save it for the official start when I have warmed up to the idea a bit. You might find me at Target tomorrow around 10 AM with a little boo-hoo on. But don't ask... or you will get the full out ugly cry.

Favorite Foto Friday

Here is a great one of my biggest boy and littlest boy wanting to be just like daddy while working in the yard.

Our hearts still in Guatemala

My friend, M, that I met when we were completeing our classes for our Homestudy sent me this info a few days ago. I know that many of you are so torn for the children of Guatemala and want to help in any way that you can. Here is a way.

EAC Announces
Guatemala Mission Trip



Strongsville, OH - 08/01/2008


On August 10th, Margaret Cole, EAC's Executive Director, is leaving for Guatemala. The purpose of her mission is to take monetary donations to save Guatemalan orphanages from closing.

Below is a copy of the donation request letter that was recently sent, which asks for your assistance.



The Orphaned Children in Guatemala
Need YOUR Help!

Dear EAC Families,

The orphaned children in Guatemala need your help! As a direct result of the temporary standstill in Guatemalan adoptions due to the implementation of the Hague Treaty, humanitarian aid to Guatemalan orphanages has greatly suffered. Many orphanages have been abandoned by staff and are closing, leaving the children with no food, no one to care for them and no place to go. European Adoption Consultants was recently approached about an opportunity to sponsor an orphanage in Guatemala City. Sponsoring an orphanage is a huge responsibility that comes with many expenses. &nb sp;

I am leaving on August 10th to deliver emergency food and necessities to the children in need. Please consider helping us with this mission. We are asking that you reach out to the same people who continue to support you though your journey of building your family (your friends, family, places of worship, civic groups, etc.) for assistance.

Our goal is simple; we want to raise $100,000 in order to save this orphanage from closing. Minimally, we would like to be able to secure the current staff and caregivers as well as provide the children with food. Should we receive enough funds, we will additionally purchase medicine, educational material and toys.

Due to the difficulty of transporting materials to Guatemala, we are requesting monetary donations. EAC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit company, and provides tax deductible status for your kindness and consideration. Just mail your donation in the pre-addressed envelope (enclosed) for your convenience. You will receive a status update and a thank-you letter to use for tax purposes as your receipt.

If you would like to be updated on the progress of this mission, informed about further opportunities to help, and/or would like to meet with me about ideas for helping an orphanage, please contact Margaret@eaci.com

Thank you in advance for your generous donation.


Margaret Cole, Executive Director
European Adoption Consultants, Inc

Please make checks payable to:
EAC Guatemala Orphan Relief Fund
12608 Alameda Drive, Strongsville, OH 44149

OR CALL 1-800-533-0098

23 Months Old

You see this face...

I only have one month left. One month of her being a baby. Yes, I know she will always be my "baby". But, one month from today she will be TWO. TWO, REALLY? As in the terrible two's, as in toddler two, as in NOT ONE! I do not know if I can take it. She has been such a wonderful addition to our family. She has added sweetness, and fun, and tenderness, and fun, and PINK, and fun, and laughs, and fun. Each of us has loved every minute she has been here, but it has flown by way too fast. So I am going to cherish this month, and I am not going to worry a bit about the fact that she is not talking, not pottying, not terrible two-ing (well maybe it is starting a little)... and just thank God that He sent this angel to us.

What did you do today?

If you are a mom of preschoolers, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I AM SAYING? I think my kids drink their weight in juice/milk/water/"nem-naide" every day. But that is not the only problem. It seems like all I hear all day long is "Mom, I need some juice!" (and when I do not reply) "PLEASE". I have gotten to the point where I say, "I will fix you something to drink if you can find and bring me your cup." Because if I do not then not only do I spend my entire day refilling juice cups, but I spend the other half hunting for and retreiving juice cups.

The following juice cups were found in their auctual locations. No juice cup was posed or adjusted for the purpose of this post.

Things that make you go... HUMMMM

I do not like waking up to surprises. Or better yet, waking up my kids who present me with a surprise. Baylor did it again. For no known reason, Baylor woke up in head-to-toe hives. I noticed a spot on his cheek last night but thought it was a little bite. He is hard enough to get up in the morning so I was trying to rush him so we could go to the gym. That is when he told me he was "itchy" all over. Upon closer examination...

Well, you can't really tell, but that red splotch on his face you can find all over his body. His hand and feet are swollen.

This is the 3rd time he has done this. The 2 previous times were in the spring during blooming season. This one throws me off. Since I am bad at dates, I am blogging this so I will have a record of exactly when it was. I called the allergist and after spending about 30 minutes on the phone with her I am documenting everything he came into contact with in the past 24 hours. From foods to detergents, etc. I am supposed to copy labels from foods so they can check preservatives and compare. That is really a daunting task. You don't realize what all they come in contact with until you start itemizing it.

We could not get in until August 20th. So today he has a bad case of the spots. If you see us out and about and you see a spotted Zombie, he is not contagious... but he has taken 50mg of Benedryl.

BLACK BELT

HE DID IT! HE MADE IT! Baylor is officially at the Black Belt Rank FOR LIFE! I am so proud of all his hard work.