Friday, March 11, 2011
Popcorn
I lOVE popcorn.
I normally just buy the movie theater butter microwave popcorn. Never again.
Not after making popcorn on the stovetop. It was AMAZING. And it was so easy! It took maybe just a little bit longer than the microwave stuff. And it was so much healthier.
2 Tbs coconut oil
1 Tbs butter
1/2 cup corn kernels
Heat. Shake. Giggle with excitement. Lightly Salt. Scarf down like its your last meal.
1/2 cuip of corn kernels for a big, overfilling bowl of yummy popcorn. Yes please.
I normally just buy the movie theater butter microwave popcorn. Never again.
Not after making popcorn on the stovetop. It was AMAZING. And it was so easy! It took maybe just a little bit longer than the microwave stuff. And it was so much healthier.
2 Tbs coconut oil
1 Tbs butter
1/2 cup corn kernels
Heat. Shake. Giggle with excitement. Lightly Salt. Scarf down like its your last meal.
1/2 cuip of corn kernels for a big, overfilling bowl of yummy popcorn. Yes please.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Dream Realized
I met my birthmom. On my birthday. I was born on Friday, March 4, 1988 at 6:00pm. We met at my house on March 4, 2011 at 6:00pm.
I don't remember when my parents told me I was adopted. I was probably really young, and it has always been something I've just known. I've always wanted to meet my birthmom. I was around 10 years old when I found my hospital baby bracelet, saw her name, looked her up in the phone book and called her. Since then, the desire to meet has been even stronger.
I found her on facebook sometime in college, and when I was pregnant I e-mailed her about family health history. We started e-mailing back and forth some more and started making plans to meet. As the weekend that we had planned to meet got closer and closer, I hadn't heard anything from her so I called her and heard nothing. Fast forward almost 2 years to January. It had been on my mind for a long time to try to reestablish communication. Fay frequently talked to me about it and it was so encouraging. I e-mailed her...apologizing for anything I might have done. She e-mailed me back a couple of weeks later and we made plans to meet.
She lives in Mexico part time, and in Spokane the other half.
Our time together was great. It was easy, not awkward, and was so amazing. It was kind of surreal...I didn't really know what to do or what to talk about...but it somehow happened.
I made chicken tortilla soup and put out some chips and salsa. Before she came over, I realized that she lives in MEXICO part of the time...why would she want Mexican food??? On top of that, I have some pretty high standards to compete with!
I kinda joked as I told her those things when I was serving up dinner. She laughed and told us that when her husband is living there by himself, he normally eats all the street food so by the time she gets there he is tired of Mexican food and wants some American cooking! So she only has maybe one "Mexican meal" every time she goes. And she did say that my chicken tortilla soup was just like they make it there.
She told me about her time being pregnant and after. All she wanted to do was talk to someone about it...anyone, but no one would listen. Her parents avoided the topic. They only recognized the fact that she was pregnant twice: once to beg her to let them raise me (which she declined based on how they raised her :) ), and then again when her mom drove her to the hospital when she was in labor. Andy even lived with them for awhile when she was pregnant, and her mom referred to him as "that boy." Apparently in that time is was very taboo to give a child up for adoption. When she was in the hospital she didn't even get to stay on the labor and delivery floor. She was sent to a regular surgical unit. No one talked to her, no one even touched her.
While pregnant, she and Andy had decided not to see me after I was born. But after I cam out they both changed their minds. They went to a room with me and counted all of my fingers and toes and just spent some time with me.
Since then, she was always wanted to talk about having given up a child for adoption. She said that she always used that as her ice breaker in those large group games people play.
There is a business in Post Falls that is run by some friends of hers. They had a son in the same grade, so they would always send her a photo copy of the yearbook page I was one. When it came time for graduation they wanted to surprise her with a ticket. They asked all of their customers that came through if they happened to have an extra ticket. She was at my graduation!! So crazy.
I am so excited to get to meet her family and for her to meet mine.
So surreal.
I don't remember when my parents told me I was adopted. I was probably really young, and it has always been something I've just known. I've always wanted to meet my birthmom. I was around 10 years old when I found my hospital baby bracelet, saw her name, looked her up in the phone book and called her. Since then, the desire to meet has been even stronger.
I found her on facebook sometime in college, and when I was pregnant I e-mailed her about family health history. We started e-mailing back and forth some more and started making plans to meet. As the weekend that we had planned to meet got closer and closer, I hadn't heard anything from her so I called her and heard nothing. Fast forward almost 2 years to January. It had been on my mind for a long time to try to reestablish communication. Fay frequently talked to me about it and it was so encouraging. I e-mailed her...apologizing for anything I might have done. She e-mailed me back a couple of weeks later and we made plans to meet.
She lives in Mexico part time, and in Spokane the other half.
Our time together was great. It was easy, not awkward, and was so amazing. It was kind of surreal...I didn't really know what to do or what to talk about...but it somehow happened.
I made chicken tortilla soup and put out some chips and salsa. Before she came over, I realized that she lives in MEXICO part of the time...why would she want Mexican food??? On top of that, I have some pretty high standards to compete with!
I kinda joked as I told her those things when I was serving up dinner. She laughed and told us that when her husband is living there by himself, he normally eats all the street food so by the time she gets there he is tired of Mexican food and wants some American cooking! So she only has maybe one "Mexican meal" every time she goes. And she did say that my chicken tortilla soup was just like they make it there.
She told me about her time being pregnant and after. All she wanted to do was talk to someone about it...anyone, but no one would listen. Her parents avoided the topic. They only recognized the fact that she was pregnant twice: once to beg her to let them raise me (which she declined based on how they raised her :) ), and then again when her mom drove her to the hospital when she was in labor. Andy even lived with them for awhile when she was pregnant, and her mom referred to him as "that boy." Apparently in that time is was very taboo to give a child up for adoption. When she was in the hospital she didn't even get to stay on the labor and delivery floor. She was sent to a regular surgical unit. No one talked to her, no one even touched her.
While pregnant, she and Andy had decided not to see me after I was born. But after I cam out they both changed their minds. They went to a room with me and counted all of my fingers and toes and just spent some time with me.
Since then, she was always wanted to talk about having given up a child for adoption. She said that she always used that as her ice breaker in those large group games people play.
There is a business in Post Falls that is run by some friends of hers. They had a son in the same grade, so they would always send her a photo copy of the yearbook page I was one. When it came time for graduation they wanted to surprise her with a ticket. They asked all of their customers that came through if they happened to have an extra ticket. She was at my graduation!! So crazy.
I am so excited to get to meet her family and for her to meet mine.
So surreal.
3 Months!!
Jeremiah turned 3 months yesterday. So crazy. I think he is going to like dinosaurs or something. Whenever we growl or make any other noises like that he makes the biggest smile and even sometimes giggles! It is so different from Olivia...when she was that age she like singing and high voices. Jeremiah likes those....but he likes growls so much more!
Olivia is going skiing tomorrow with Papa. Just the two of them. We got her a harness with leashes and a handle. She wore it every second she could. Joel and I have been talking to her about things like wearing goggles and a helmet, riding the gondola, and wearing skis (kinda hard to explain). I'm kind of nervous. I know she will be fine and John will be awesome...I'm just nervous. He is picking her up at 8:30, and they are just going for a few hours. John read an article awhile ago about how to get your kids to love skiing...and it talks about taking it slow and not making them do anything they don't want to on the mountain. It even suggests the first time might be a "play in the snow" day. So however it goes, I hope she has fun.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Hiding Books
I love to read to Olivia. And she loves to have books read to her.
But, she seem to get stuck on just a few books and only wants you to read those over and over and over again. She has TONS of books. So many to choose from...but she will go pick out her select three or four and only want to read those. And we have read them so much that if I "accidentaly" skip a page she quickly turn back the pages telling me that I forgot some pages. Some of her books she can actually go page by page and say the words on the page from memory. Yes, we have read them that much.
Any time I am feedng Jeremiah, "Mommy, can you read these books?"
Any time I am sitting on the couch, "Mommy, can you read this book?"
Any time I am trying to get some dinner or lunch ready, "Mommy, can you hold me and read this book?"
Any time doing something on the computer, "Mommy, can I sit on you and you read these books?"
These are her current four books that she insists on reading:
And these ones are still in hiding in our room...
But, she seem to get stuck on just a few books and only wants you to read those over and over and over again. She has TONS of books. So many to choose from...but she will go pick out her select three or four and only want to read those. And we have read them so much that if I "accidentaly" skip a page she quickly turn back the pages telling me that I forgot some pages. Some of her books she can actually go page by page and say the words on the page from memory. Yes, we have read them that much.
Any time I am feedng Jeremiah, "Mommy, can you read these books?"
Any time I am sitting on the couch, "Mommy, can you read this book?"
Any time I am trying to get some dinner or lunch ready, "Mommy, can you hold me and read this book?"
Any time doing something on the computer, "Mommy, can I sit on you and you read these books?"
These are her current four books that she insists on reading:
And these ones are still in hiding in our room...
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
health
Olivia is sick. It is so sad...I hate it when she is sick. She has had a runny nose for about a week and yesterday it got worse. She is really congested and doesn't know how to clear her throat so her voice is sooo raspy. Even when she tries, she can't quite clear it up. And...she is definitely not a fan of saline drops followed by a nasal aspirator....that is until Daddy made it a game. He got her to blow out when the aspirator was sucking out. She tried to get out as much as possible. She told us that it just tickles when it comes out. On a side note....I HATE using that thing. SO GROSS.
Olivia praying before bedtime is the cutest thing ever. Joel usually prays first, and then she say, "I'll pray in a little bit." Then she'll close her eyes like she's sleeping, open them back up and say, "Okay, now I will pray." She thanks Jesus for whatever fun thing she got to do that day, usually repeats whatever we prayed for (with her own interpretation), and then ends with, "and help all the pain go away. In Jesus' name, Amen." When we pray and we don't end our prayer that way, she is always sure to point out that "we forgot about the pain," or didn't say Jesus' name.
Joel and I are pretty sure that she says the pain thing every time because whenever she gets hurts we'll say a quick little prayer for whatever she hurt. It's cute...instead of asking for a kiss on her boo boo, she will ask us to pray for her.
I'm overwhelmed at the idea of homeschooling. I'm scared to have to teach my kids pretty much everything they need to know for life. I'm also excited that Joel and I will get to dedicate our lives to shaping their character and investing in their lives. Honestly, I'm hestitant to tell people because of what they will think of us. Until just recently, my view of homeschoolers were kids who had absolutley no social skills, dressed weirdly, and were just weird in general. I have been proven wrong time and time again, but I know that some people still view homeschooling as an outdated concept for weird and scared people. There is no way that what other people think of us is going to get in the way we raise our kids, but it's still in the back of my mind.
I registered for the conference put on by the Valley Homeschooling group. It looks like there are a lot of good workshops. I'm going to have to bring a lot of paper to take notes! Hopefully Jamie decides to go so maybe we can split up and go to different workshops and then share notes.
Also...totally random, but Joel spent the entire evening yesterday doing his Computer Science homework. Before, if he ever spent that much consecutive time on homework, he would be so annoyed and mad. But last night, he would come out of our room SO excited about the program he was writing and wanting me to try it.
I am SO excited that he is excited. It was so draining for me to listen to him be so depressed about his school stuff. At least three or four times a week he mentions how much he is loving computer science. Such a blessing! Now we are praying in quick schooling and the perfect job when he is done!
Olivia praying before bedtime is the cutest thing ever. Joel usually prays first, and then she say, "I'll pray in a little bit." Then she'll close her eyes like she's sleeping, open them back up and say, "Okay, now I will pray." She thanks Jesus for whatever fun thing she got to do that day, usually repeats whatever we prayed for (with her own interpretation), and then ends with, "and help all the pain go away. In Jesus' name, Amen." When we pray and we don't end our prayer that way, she is always sure to point out that "we forgot about the pain," or didn't say Jesus' name.
Joel and I are pretty sure that she says the pain thing every time because whenever she gets hurts we'll say a quick little prayer for whatever she hurt. It's cute...instead of asking for a kiss on her boo boo, she will ask us to pray for her.
I'm overwhelmed at the idea of homeschooling. I'm scared to have to teach my kids pretty much everything they need to know for life. I'm also excited that Joel and I will get to dedicate our lives to shaping their character and investing in their lives. Honestly, I'm hestitant to tell people because of what they will think of us. Until just recently, my view of homeschoolers were kids who had absolutley no social skills, dressed weirdly, and were just weird in general. I have been proven wrong time and time again, but I know that some people still view homeschooling as an outdated concept for weird and scared people. There is no way that what other people think of us is going to get in the way we raise our kids, but it's still in the back of my mind.
I registered for the conference put on by the Valley Homeschooling group. It looks like there are a lot of good workshops. I'm going to have to bring a lot of paper to take notes! Hopefully Jamie decides to go so maybe we can split up and go to different workshops and then share notes.
Also...totally random, but Joel spent the entire evening yesterday doing his Computer Science homework. Before, if he ever spent that much consecutive time on homework, he would be so annoyed and mad. But last night, he would come out of our room SO excited about the program he was writing and wanting me to try it.
I am SO excited that he is excited. It was so draining for me to listen to him be so depressed about his school stuff. At least three or four times a week he mentions how much he is loving computer science. Such a blessing! Now we are praying in quick schooling and the perfect job when he is done!
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