V-day parties and more snow

Anna and her friend Jordanna

The Monster...build by 2nd grade boys

Anna and her valentines

Cam and his cards
Cam and Liam and the KOOL-AID mustaches

Snow...even higher in front of the door

Without flash

With flash
Riley is looking at Oliver like, "What a maroon...there's nothing there but SNOW!"

More snow in front of the door

Julia's picture of me as she sat on the toilet (don't ask!)
Julia's foot...Dawn, how many of these shots do you have? LOL!

Another day that Hallmark gets rich

I'm fairly cynical over the big V-day anymore. I used to think that it was all romantic and kiss-kiss, mush-mush. I have since learned in my old age that a $5.00 card and an overpriced bouquet of my favorite flowers don't make up for all the other days of the year. Yeah, getting gifts are nice, but with 3 kids, 2 dogs, 2 car payments...who needs to spend $50 on flowers that will die? LOL!

When I was in junior/high school, the cheerleaders used to sell carnations and then you could have them delivered to whomever you wanted. Well, me and a few friends always had crushes on the basketball players and always sent them carnations. My freshman year it all changed. I sent one to the guy I had a crush on that year, Pete. I just happened to be in the hallway when Pete got his flower from me. He came over and said, "Wow, that was really sweet of you Melissa." STOP! He knew my name? Whoa. (Ok...Pentwater Public School had a total of 300 students K-12th grades. Average grade had 25/30 kids...small town...) Anyways...after I return from my shock that Pete knew me, he asked if I was going to the basketball game that night (DUH! Where else would I be...I never missed a chance to see Pete in shorty shorts!) and I told him yeah, I was. He told me to wait for him after the game. (ACK! I've died and gone to heaven at that point!). I said I would and I had to walk away because I was sooo red and so nervous that I wasn't sure I could even form sentences at that time. The game ends, I'm stalling to see Pete afterwards, my dad is getting mad because he wants to leave. Pete comes out of the locker room, all fresh and clean, and hands me a card. Yep. A card. It's a little Valentine's day card that thanked me for my flower that I had sent him and that he appreciated all the cheering I did for him during basketball and baseball seasons. :-) (And I didn't think that guys noticed that stuff!). I'm fairly certain that I went to bed that night with a HUGE smile on my face not wanting that moment to end.

What?! They get smaller too??

So to be brutally honest, I know that when a woman loses weight...all parts shrink. Today it finally hit me. I'm no long the voluptious 40C/D that I had so much enjoyed in my heavier weight days, but a shrinking violet in a 36B. Needless to say, I know they're just boobies. But...I will miss the old ones. LOL! I had a good chuckle with an older lady at Walmart today in the bra section. We were looking all the the clearance ones and she said, "I hate the wire ones but I gotta get something to keep these in place!" I thought I was going to die laughing.

Another Day...Another Sick Kiddo

Cam called from school today. He's sick. Bleh. I'm sick of sick kids. Is that ok for a mom to say? I'm sick of snow days too. Sorry. Just a little whining pity party for myself. LOL!

School Board Meeting

The principal at the kids school called me last weekend and invited me to the school board meeting that was held tonight. So Anna and I go. There was NO HEAT in the gym. Brrrrr!! It was -8 outside. We joked about finding another way to save money other than cutting the heat! Anyways, so Randy (the principal) gave a little background to why I was there and told the board about my award. Randy turned it over to me and I gave them some more info about what I'm involved in. It was pretty cool. It was nothing super special, but it was great to be recognized for my hard work. :-)

Oh yeah...2 weeks from today I will be hanging out in New Orleans...I CAN'T WAIT!!! Woot Woot!

Panic At The Disco

I'm so not one to pay attention to celebrities in anyway, other than the best/worst dressed things. While scrolling through the pictures from the grammy's, I came across this picture of the group, Panic At The Disco. Julia says, "Mom, are those your friends?" Ohhhh, don't I wish? :-)

What makes me a good mom, according to Anna

Anna is home today with "the diarrhea's". I'm busy with something else and I hear a faint cry from the bathroom. This is what takes place next:

Anna: Mommy! Moooommmyyy!! Mom? Mommy? Momma! Motherrrrrr!!!
Me: Yes? Are you ok? What's wrong? (As I come running from the other room!!)
Anna: I need help wiping my butt.
Me: You do? You sure you can't do it?
Anna: Mommy, I'm sick with the diarrhea's remember?
Me: How could I forget? (I get the toilet paper, start the terrible task at hand)
Anna: Momma, I love you for taking care of me when I'm sick. You're a good mom.
Me: I love you too. This is what moms do...we take care of our kids when they need us.
Anna: Mom, you're the best. I hope I can be a mom like you.
Me: I'm sure you will, kiddo. :-)

This is where we exchange hugs and wash our hands together. She then tells me that she likes the lemon scented soap that I got. It's from the Pass Christian Soap Company for Katrina relief. We dry our hands and she skips out of the bathroom and out to the couch.

2008 CNY dinner with the Brooks family

For Julia...

It's Mulan and Kai-Lan day on TV here...so for Julia, here's 2 pictures of her favorites!

The Storm: Part 2 and Happy Chinese New Year!

So I posted those pictures of the snow yesterday that most of my friends further south said looked pretty. Well. Last night around 11:00pm when I went to let the dogs out, imagine my surprise to find snow drifts that were 2ft tall in some spot in the driveway. I was really shocked. I grabbed the camera and took some more pictures. Needless to say there is NO SCHOOL again today.

On the bright side...it's the beginning of the Chinese New Year celebration! YAY! We are headed to Holland (funny place to celebrate CNY!) to eat at a resturaunt that has an amazing spread of food, dancers and music. My kids are soooooooooo excited!! I will have pictures tomorrow.

Ok...here's the small video clips that I took last night when I let the dogs out :-)

Welcome to Siberia...I mean, Ludington?

I can't tell you how much I'm really beginning to hate...HATE winter. I know Wayne loves it, but I've grown tired of being cold, having cold toes and fingers, wearing jeans and sweaters everyday and not going where I want because the roads are crappy. I joked with Tonni that I live in Siberia, just with less vodka and no big fur hats. LOL! Here are a few pictures I took just now of the snow. Oh, and then there are the 2 pictures that Julia and I took of each other. She's been into pictures lately. Especially ones that are SUPER CLOSE.

Julia on China, Adoption, and The New Year celebration

Julia and I often have deep converations about her adoption, living in China and celebrating holidays. She knows we are meeting up with the Brooks family (they adopted their son at the same time we did) and so we had a long talk about China tonight.

Julia: Mom, why you come to China to adopt me? (Her exact words, I swear!)

Me: Because we wanted another daughter and you needed a Momma and Daddy

Julia: Baba Lu (orphanage director) he helped you find me?

Me: Yep, he sent your paperwork to a place that put your picture on the internet and we saw you and knew that you were our baby girl

Julia: My foster mom loved me?

Me: YES!! Of course she did, but Baba Lu knew you needed parents that could take care of you forever

Julia: Baba Lu, he a good guy?

Me: (Ok, I don't know the answer to this, but from what I've been told, yes...he's very nice!) Yes, Baba Lu is a nice man.

Julia: I like to see him again, with my foster mom

Me: I hope we can see them too

Julia: What about my 1st mommy (birth mom)?

Me: Well, we don't know who she is, I don't know how to find her

Julia: Moooom, she look like ME! Like Anna look like you

Me: Yeah, you're right. :-)

Some of this is heavy! She's 4 and I want her to know that it's ok to talk about how she feels. I truly think a very open heart is the way to approach this. I don't want her to ever think that she can't talk to me about China or her life there before us.

Julia: Mom, will you put some pictures of China on your 'puter (meaning website)

Me: Sure, anything you want!

Julia: Will you put the pictures of when you and Daddy came to get me?

Me: Of course! I like looking at those

Julia: Your hair was long and you were fat then. (Thanks, kid!)

Ok...so here are some pictures of our trip to China in celebration of the upcoming Chinese New Year. Remember these were taken in November/December 2005. Julia was just 25 months and just a tiny peanut!!

This picture was taken as we got ready to leave the hotel in Beijing and fly to Wuhan to get the babies. We would be proud parents for the 3rd time in a few short hours from then!

Need a new blog design?

Apparently more of my friends are getting into blog design than I realized!! My friend and fellow adoptive mom Sharon has started a new blog design business, Spiffy Blogs! How lucky am I to know all these creative moms? ;-) Just as a reminder here's a list of my friends and their websites:

1. Sharon's Spiffy Blogs (Blog designs)
2. 4 Princess Bows (Tonni's bows, my bracelets and Dawn's tutus)
3. Karen's Soaps (The BEST SOAP EVER!!)
4. Anyone else that wants to be on my list, just let me know!

Camnanna?

Julia has taken to sleeping in Cameron and Anna's room (they share the bunk bed). So tonight this is the coversation we had tonight:

Julia: Mom, is today Friday?
Me: Nope, it's Monday.
Julia: Do we have school tomorrow?
Me: Yes!
Julia: Mom, can I sleep with Camnanna
Me: Who?
Julia: Camnanna
Me: You mean Cam AND Anna?
Julia: Mom...you know what I saying. I want to sleep with Camnanna, in their bed.
Me: We have to wait to the weekend.
Julia: Oh darn!

...then she saulks away...mumbling..."stupid school" :-)

Not that I cared, but...Giants WIN!

I'm not a big football fan (give me rugby any day!), but the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots 17-14. YAY! I was tired of hearing all about Tom Brady, so I kinda started liking the Giants. Either way, I figured that the Super Bowl was blog worthy. :-)

On a greener side...there a great player for the Giants who is a former Michigan State'r. Plaxico Burress is an amazing receiver. Go Green!

BLoggy Giveway WINNERS!!

First, let me say THANK YOU to everyone that enter the giveaway for my earrings. It was really exciting to see people interested in my creations. :-) I will be sending out emails to the winners. So...on with with the announcement!!

THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER OF THE 2 PAIRS SHOWN IS:

PAM (afriend@netcommander.com)

Here are the 3 other winners picked for one pair of earrings made by me!

JENNY (j_hoesli@yahoo.com)

Linda (lholland78@comcast.net)

Faerie Mom (xenabich28@yahoo.com)

Thanks again to all that entered. I would have loved to sent each one of you a pair of earrings, but hubby wasn't going to go for that one! Take care! ~Melissa~