A few photos from the last few weeks to catch everyone up on the E&O cuteness around here!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Reconnected to my past...
I can hardly believe I'm typing this. It's taken me nearly 24 hours to get this post written from the time that the following events conspired. This is NOT related to our Ethiopian adoption, but to the "failed" adoption of my sisters.
Let me explain - in BRIEF. :-) My parents wanted to expand our family through adoption when I was about 9 years old. When I was 10, we had two incredible sisters join our family through the county's social services' system. They had endured a life story up to that point that was beyond conceivable (they were 3 & 5 years old then). We loved these girls unconditionally, but the US foster-adopt system can be... well, I won't type what I think. Let's just say that social services in that county did some terrible things, and my beautiful sisters were separated and re-homed individually. They been in our family for over two years when this happened. After some initial contact with us, their new families felt their attachment to us prevented them from bonding to them, so we were no longer allowed to visit. (The re-homing had nothing to do with something that happened in our family - it was external factors).
A miracle happened a few years back - the older sister sent us her high school graduation announcement and invited us to her graduation party. It was unreal. Seriously like living in a foggy dream. What do you say to your "long lost sister" after so many years? Well, long story short, things have gone very well and we're all very close now. Our love never left and we now get to enjoy a friendship I thought would never be possible. I had one of my sisters back - it was a different sisterhood, but it was something.
This was also a constant reminder of our other sister for me. It nagged at me and made my heart ache more than ever before. Our younger sister had also lost contact with her bio sister (getting confused?) as well as our family. Only small second/third hand details were passed along to S (the older of the two) on what had become of J. We both talked of how we'd love to find her, but from what we heard, she wanted nothing to do with any of us. So, we reluctantly didn't begin the large-scale search for her in order to respect what we thought were her wishes.
Last week, S decided it was time to find J. Don't know why she thought NOW was the time, I guess it was because she thought they had a way to track her down. Anyway, J has been located! Not only has she been located (after a few false leads!), but I have SPOKEN to her! I wept and wept yesterday when sister, S, called to tell me she'd spoken with J and J WANTED to talk to myself and my family! Apparently we'd been told wrong and she'd always wanted to reunite with us!
J and I spoke for TWO hours yesterday afternoon. Half the time I was hardly able to form sentences - had our little J really grown up?! She sounds sooooo different. Of course she would, but when you haven't spoken to someone since they were 7 years old.... at ALMOST 22 years old now they sound pretty different! She's truly blowing me away. I couldn't be more amazed at what she's endured, overcome, and risen above. There isn't an ounce of weakness in her, I think. She sounds so mature and couldn't be more sweet and polite. Wow. I've fallen in love all over again with my baby sister. :-D She's back - and hopefully for good this time! We're halfway across the country from each other right now, but we're hoping to meet face-to-face soon. I haven't seen a picture of her yet... so I have no idea what she looks like. It's weird when I talk to her because I have this vision of her tiny (she was TINY for her age) little self with white-blond hair and her cherubic face with adorable chubby cheeks. She tells me her hair darkened and she's NEARLY my height! (She's 5'6", I'm 5'7"). She was so little we all figured she'd be lucky to hit 5'0"!
Ok, enough rambling. I spoke with her again today for about 45 minutes... this is unbelievably surreal. I am in total awe. Thanks for listening to me ramble - I just had to share my joy! She's doing so well with this "blast from the past." She spent most of the day yesterday on the phone - talking to S, talking to my parents, talking to me. It's crazy. I hope we don't overwhelm her - at this point she tells us she's realizing how much she missed us... but I'm sure that'll wear off soon when she remembers how goofy we all are! ;-)
Are you racist? LINK FIXED! :-)
There was a link to an interesting study posted on one of the Yahoo Ethiopian Adoptive groups I'm a part of. It's quite interesting. Many people have been surprised by their results. I was relieved to get a response stating "You show little to no preference between European Americans and African Americans." I really didn't think I would, as I don't consider myself racist, but the study was formed (I believe) to test for underlying racism.
Take the test for yourself and see where you are in the racism spectrum.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Tag - I'm it!
Holy cow! Katie, you've got me! I've been tagged for a SAHMBOSS award! The first time being tagged for me, so hang for some seriously exciting stuff!
So what is the SAHMBOSS award, you ask? In Porter's words, it's "some kind of annoying prestigious hybrid meme/award thing, which now - thanks to Michele's way with words - will officially be known forever s The Super Awesome Hot Mama Blogger or some shit (SAHMBOSS) meme/award."
Here's how it works:
First, I have to answer a little questionnaire thing all about ME!
Then I have to choose 7 bloggers who I feel are super awesome hot mama bloggers or some shit (see list below) and I "give" them the SAHMBOSS "award." They will post their own answers to the questionnaire on their own blog and they will choose 7 more recipients. And so it goes!
Here is the questionnaire:
A. Attached or single? Ummm... attached for sure. To my DH Joey and my kids - the hairy and not so hairy ones!
B. Best friend? Are we in high school here? Do we have to pick the BEST one? Ok, I don't have one. My mom I guess, followed up by the lovely Claudia. Yep, that'll have to be it.
C. Cake or pie? CAKE! Though, I have come to love pie over the last decade (hated it before due to the texture).
D. Day of choice? Saturday. Most definitely. No work, family's together, love it!
E. Essential item? LAPTOP! I can't be without the stupid thing for long or I feel so disconnected from the world!
F. Favorite color? PINK, so cool, I know!
G. Gummy bears or worms? Worms. I hate worms soooo much, so maybe that gives me a rush when I eat a gummy worm. Honestly though, I don't really LOVE either. I pretty much never have them.
H. Hometown? Not sure - where I live NOW or where I'm originally from? And if it's where I'm "originally" from, is that where I lived the longest growing up, or where I lived as a child. Right now, I'll go with Berthoud, CO - home prior to being a married woman.
I. Indulgence? TV and crappy food. I am a couch potato whenever I can be and I love ice cream and other not-so-healthy food. NOT a good combo!
J. January or July? July - love the summer!
K. Kids? Two amazing babies - our twins Ezra and Olivia, two miniature dachshunds, and one malamute. Yep, it's a full house!
L. Life isn't complete without? My family!
M. Marriage date? June 18, 2005 (our 5 year dating anniversary!)
N. Number of brothers and sisters? One brother and two girls that will always be my sisters in my heart.
O. Oranges or apples? Either, can't decide.
P. Phobias? Worms. I kid you not when I say I HATE worms. I'll cry if I touch one or when it rains and they cover the sidewalks. It makes it HARD to garden... which I love to do! :-(
Q. Quotes? "Live, Laugh, Love"
R. Reasons to smile? My family, friends, and most definitely my fur kids!
S. Season of choice? Summer or fall - I love the summer but also enjoying the changing leaves and cooling weather of the fall.
T. Tag seven peeps! (see below)
U. Unknown fact about me? I'm a bit OCD. I hate to have things put away in the "wrong" place and will actually put off cleaning tasks when they mount up because when I DO clean it has to be PERFECT. Quite exhausting, actually. I hide this little trait of mine as best I can!
V. Vegetable? I love most all veggies!!
W. Worst habits? I'm with Katie on this - stress eating!
X. X-ray or ultrasound? Ultrasound - they can actually be relaxing. I had to have physical therapy for my knee in middle school and 3 times a week they did ultrasound on it before therapy... definitely soothing!
Y. Your favorite food? Tough question! I love beef and noodles, steak and a baked potato, spaghetti, the list really goes on and on (and this is NOT including DESSERT foods!).
Z. Zodiac sign? Libra
I'm tagging:
1. Julia
2. Kerith
3. Tara
4. Leslie
5. Jodi
6. Holly
7. Laurie
NEW LAPTOP!!!
Yep, that's right. I'm back in business! I received my new laptop in the mail yesterday and have been incredibly busy transferring all the ridiculous amount of *stuff* I have from my old machine to my new one. In the meantime, I have to apologize for a lack of photos. As soon as I get everything transferred and my software installed, I'll be back in full force! Oh, and once I get all happy and settled into my new laptop, I'll share what I got for all those interested. :-D
Sunday, August 10, 2008
More Blog Union photos
Ok, so here are the photos WE took at the BU...
Hooray for matching shirts!
Did you hear that we're going to the beach? 
Gee mom, that's SHOCKING news! Where's my sunblock?!
A late evening and they're still looking cute after a big day!
Excuse me, where's my chai latte?
Halt! Who goes there?!
This camping out stuff is fun!
Isa B looking coy
The lovely ladies, Livi & Isa Saturday, August 09, 2008
Look at our big girl!
Oh my gosh. She's doing it. My very own miracle baby. :-D Olivia now pulls to a stand all by herself! She first did it when I ran upstairs to change Ezra's diaper and lay him down for a nap. I heard her downstairs grunting. Not a noise she ever really makes. I thought "Is she pooping?" Normally she is a SILENT pooper, but what else would it be?! I finished Ezra quickly and peeked down the stairs. My baby girl was standing up and looking into the kitchen area where the dogs were!! I squealed, laid Ezra in his crib and ran down to her. Thankfully I got her to repeat her performance again, this time no grunting and like a pro. You'd think she's been pulling to a stand all her life. My own miracle baby.
Also, as of today Ezra is really crawling SOOO much better! He's really starting to move around and get the hang of it. These two - our wonder duo - amaze me more and more every day. You can clearly hear in the video of Olivia how ridiculously excited I get for them as they learn a new skill. Lucky them... doomed to have the mom that wears giant button pins around at their school track meets and such. I can just hear myself now cheering on my babies as they score a goal, perform in their first play, or whatever. Heck yeah, I'm going to be sooooo embarrassing! Trust me, not because I WANT to be embarrassing, just because I'm so darn proud!
Without further ado... here is our girl!
Also, as of today Ezra is really crawling SOOO much better! He's really starting to move around and get the hang of it. These two - our wonder duo - amaze me more and more every day. You can clearly hear in the video of Olivia how ridiculously excited I get for them as they learn a new skill. Lucky them... doomed to have the mom that wears giant button pins around at their school track meets and such. I can just hear myself now cheering on my babies as they score a goal, perform in their first play, or whatever. Heck yeah, I'm going to be sooooo embarrassing! Trust me, not because I WANT to be embarrassing, just because I'm so darn proud!
Without further ado... here is our girl!
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Blog Union 2008 - Hermosa Beach
It's probably high time I post about our exciting weekend now that we're all back in the swing of the day to day again. This past weekend the four of us spent a couple of nights in Hermosa Beach for the first annual Blog Union! The blog union was for Ethiopian Adoptive families that have blogs and have come to know one another virtually through them. A face-to-face meeting for friends that have become like extended family through our blogs. It was an INCREDIBLE weekend, all made possible by Drew and Carey. Thank you so much to both of them, as the weekend could not have been any more perfect.
Ok, it COULD have been more perfect is Ezra and Olivia would nap anywhere, anytime so there would've been zero crankiness on their parts, but I think we got off pretty easy despite some of that. :-D They both did great at the hotel, and slept like rocks in their PeaPods. They did later nights than their used to, but also slept in later than normal in the mornings so that made up for it. Our BOB stroller was as wonderful as ever, carting the kids up and down the hill to/from the strand and our hotel. Not only did it carry Ezra and Olivia, but it also did great with all the extra gear we piled on it, crammed under it, etc. LOVE the BOB!
There were a few people, in particular, we really enjoyed meeting. I've come to know and love them over the last year. I had the great pleasure of picking up Katie and Isa from the O.C. airport and spending much of the weekend with them. These two are some seriously FABULOUS gals. Can't wait to see them again. Isa is such a doll! I think Katie and I share a very similar parenting style, so it was great to see it working so well for her too. :-D Tara and Malak - it was a PLEASURE. Wish we'd had more time to chat... but I love ya both and all your greenie-ness. The G diapers with homemade cloth inserts are working so well for us now too... thanks for all the tips! Porter, Elsa is a cutie patootie. I can't believe how big she's getting and how great she's doing! I wish we could've enjoyed more time with you and actually had a chance to chat a bit. Something about having two babies constantly wanting to move around and have all my focus seems to have kept me from talking with EVERYONE as much as I'd have liked! Those that we did have a chance to talk to we loved meeting you!
Oh, and to all those of you calling me Super Mom Friday evening... let's just say I was paying for my super-heroness the next day. ;-) To those wondering what in the world I'm talking about, Joe was REALLY late getting to the dinner on Friday evening. So late that we were at the restaurant almost 2 hours before he arrived. This led to me having Ezra strapped to my chest in our Lascal carrier and holding Olivia on my hip. Thank goodness she's still pretty small. :-D Thank you to the wonderful people that helped me out and loved on the her a bit for me... the break was wonderful for my arms. I wish I could've accepted more help, but she was being pretty clingy and not letting me share her too much! :-S Good sign of attachment, no doubt, but exhausting!
To those with upcoming travel, court dates, or still awaiting referrals - good luck and enjoy every minute of it. Time FLIES once they're home. I can't believe we've had Ezi & Livi home for almost 4 months now... that's crazy to think about. I can't imagine life without them and am excited to cheer them through each milestone, but have begun to grieve the passage of time and their infancy. They'll be walking and talking tomorrow at this rate and I just can't believe it. My little babies have gotten sooooo big!
I definitely did a TERRIBLE job of taking pictures this weekend, which is a bummer. however, I allowed myself some laziness since Drew and Carey had actual photographers running around taking photos all weekend long. It was so cool! I'll share a few of those photos with you for now, since the few I took are still on the camera! :-O
All you Ethiopian adoptive bloggers... be at BU09!!!
Thank you to Drew, Carey and their wonderful photographers for the pictures below:
Ok, it COULD have been more perfect is Ezra and Olivia would nap anywhere, anytime so there would've been zero crankiness on their parts, but I think we got off pretty easy despite some of that. :-D They both did great at the hotel, and slept like rocks in their PeaPods. They did later nights than their used to, but also slept in later than normal in the mornings so that made up for it. Our BOB stroller was as wonderful as ever, carting the kids up and down the hill to/from the strand and our hotel. Not only did it carry Ezra and Olivia, but it also did great with all the extra gear we piled on it, crammed under it, etc. LOVE the BOB!
There were a few people, in particular, we really enjoyed meeting. I've come to know and love them over the last year. I had the great pleasure of picking up Katie and Isa from the O.C. airport and spending much of the weekend with them. These two are some seriously FABULOUS gals. Can't wait to see them again. Isa is such a doll! I think Katie and I share a very similar parenting style, so it was great to see it working so well for her too. :-D Tara and Malak - it was a PLEASURE. Wish we'd had more time to chat... but I love ya both and all your greenie-ness. The G diapers with homemade cloth inserts are working so well for us now too... thanks for all the tips! Porter, Elsa is a cutie patootie. I can't believe how big she's getting and how great she's doing! I wish we could've enjoyed more time with you and actually had a chance to chat a bit. Something about having two babies constantly wanting to move around and have all my focus seems to have kept me from talking with EVERYONE as much as I'd have liked! Those that we did have a chance to talk to we loved meeting you!
Oh, and to all those of you calling me Super Mom Friday evening... let's just say I was paying for my super-heroness the next day. ;-) To those wondering what in the world I'm talking about, Joe was REALLY late getting to the dinner on Friday evening. So late that we were at the restaurant almost 2 hours before he arrived. This led to me having Ezra strapped to my chest in our Lascal carrier and holding Olivia on my hip. Thank goodness she's still pretty small. :-D Thank you to the wonderful people that helped me out and loved on the her a bit for me... the break was wonderful for my arms. I wish I could've accepted more help, but she was being pretty clingy and not letting me share her too much! :-S Good sign of attachment, no doubt, but exhausting!
To those with upcoming travel, court dates, or still awaiting referrals - good luck and enjoy every minute of it. Time FLIES once they're home. I can't believe we've had Ezi & Livi home for almost 4 months now... that's crazy to think about. I can't imagine life without them and am excited to cheer them through each milestone, but have begun to grieve the passage of time and their infancy. They'll be walking and talking tomorrow at this rate and I just can't believe it. My little babies have gotten sooooo big!
I definitely did a TERRIBLE job of taking pictures this weekend, which is a bummer. however, I allowed myself some laziness since Drew and Carey had actual photographers running around taking photos all weekend long. It was so cool! I'll share a few of those photos with you for now, since the few I took are still on the camera! :-O
All you Ethiopian adoptive bloggers... be at BU09!!!
Thank you to Drew, Carey and their wonderful photographers for the pictures below:
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
We're still here (just a little more shaken...)
Where does the time go?! Days seem to fly by and I hardly know where they've gone! On Friday I need to have the kids, Joe and myself packed up for the first annual Blog Union in Hermosa Beach and I still feel as though we just returned from Colorado. Whew... packing and unpacking is tiring. Mix into that some showings on the house (and racing around picking up toys, tidying and cleaning before each), some wonderful visitors, a trip to Burbank for the kids big TV debut filming, sewing cloth diaper inserts every "free" moment I get and some other randomness and I guess that's why I feel like life's a constant whirlwind now. :-D In a good way though.
I really enjoy moments when one of the babies is still sleeping and the other is awake for me to dote on. This happens sometimes if I get into the nursery quickly enough to swoop up the talkative, freshly awoken baby before their play sounds wake the other up. Today, it was Olivia that I got to enjoy for about a half an hour before Ezra awoke. She had just finished enjoying her lunch of homemade green beans and butternut squash and a bottle when the real excitement of the day began. I was talking away with Livi and walking back towards her (in her high chair) after rinsing off a rag when it began. Slowly at first... like a low, rumbling semi-truck approaching the house... and then into a full on rolling, shaking, quaking everything. Yep, that's right. It was an earthquake. Not our first since moving to California, but the biggest! It was a 5.4 magnitude... not too shabby! The chandelier was rocking, the dogs began barking and howling, and mommy began to PANIC!
I have enjoyed previous earthquakes... they were small and just enough to be "exciting." This time was different though. As I stood frozen in place watching my sweet Olivia I was TORN. Do I run upstairs to Ezra (who was presumably sleeping) to be sure he was okay, or do I stay with Olivia? The quake lasted about 30 seconds or so, but long enough for me to bolt up the stairs (after ensuring nothing around Olivia could fall and hit her) and hover over my sleeping boy (STILL SLEEPING?!??! Dogs barking, house shaking and creaking... wow) and observe his surroundings to be sure nothing would fall on him. We'd been sure that things hanging over his bed were "earthquake" safe, but having the safety tested whilst he slept below them was another story for me. Thankfully nothing fell and the earthquake ended without Ezra or Olivia getting scared. It's forced me to consider what I WILL do though if one happens again... especially if they're in separate parts of the house. Any suggestions from earthquake savvy people?? Stay inside, go outside, what to do, what to do? I've heard so many things, but most seem to conflict.
After I finish this post I'm going to upload a video I took of Olivia on July 21... her 7 month birthday. She began crawling 3 days before the video... and has come a long way SINCE the video was taken. She's beginning to pull up on things, but can only get to her knees and is working on getting her foot under her to stand up. I know cruising isn't far off... she can stand so well with very little assistance already! Ezra isn't too far behind. He's spending more and more time on all fours and is now rocking forward and backward. He's even lifted up a hand a couple of times and set it down farther forward and a few times and skooched his knees forward under him. He has also pushed himself backward into a partial sitting position. I think he'll be joining the ranks of mobile babies in no time at all (2-3 weeks or less maybe???).
A highlight of our weekend was seeing my uncle and my cousin! My cousin recently moved to Santa Monica from Chicago, and I hadn't seen him in a couple of years. It was great catching up and hearing about his new job out here. Ezra initiated him from the get-go with a nice big spit up all down the front of his shirt (missed the burp cloth COMPLETELY... go figure). Sorry about that Kyle! The weirdest thing was that after Ezra covered Kyle in spew, he lost it. Joe set him on the ground to help Kyle clean up and Ezra began screaming. He carried on and on. He was a baby possessed. I still have no clue what that was about. Joe tried consoling him, and when that didn't work I gave it a shot. I got him somewhat calmed down, but still not happy and fuss-free. I gave him Hylands Teething tablets (just in case it was a sudden onset of teething pain), snuggled him, danced with him, everything we'd normally do to get him happy. It was bizarre. He hadn't napped well that morning... so I'm hoping that was all it was. Poor guy.
Now... for their big moment of TV stardom. Tune your TVs to ABC on October 22 (the fourth episode of the season) to watch Pushing Daisies. I can't tell the plot or what will be happening, but let's just say both Ezra and Olivia will have brief but up close and personal moments on camera. Come to think of it.... I had to get up close and personal with the camera by draping my body over it while trying to get Livi to smile and look at the camera for her big shot. I'd had no clue that they'd want ME on set. ;-) The filming took place at Warner Brothers Studio and I was required to have one adult over 18 per child. So, luckily for me the kids wonderful Tia Claudia was able to come. Claudia and I had a blast wandering around the studios. We got to go on a bunch of sets (Two and a Half Men was gearing up to begin filming again in the next week, Terminator - Sara Connor Chronicles, etc). Heck, we even got to see the stage where Friends was filmed! It was really neat. Oh, and the kids got a trailer! Yep, true stars already with their OWN dressing trailer. Never mind that the thing wreaked of smoke... it was still just for them, whereas most of the actors has to share dressing trailers and only the leads had their own!!!
The neatest part was how nice everyone was. From the director, AD, cameramen, crew, actors/actresses... they were all so nice. The kids were treated like stars and had so many people ogling over them. I hope it'll be a fun thing for them to be able to look back on when they're older.
Better get back to sewing diapers. I hope to have enough completed to begin using them tomorrow! That's a post in itself... I'll try and get photos of them uploaded as well as our cloth diapering "plan." I'm so excited to get started! Thanks again for the encouragement and diaper insert instructions!
To those of you attending the B.U. (blog union) this weekend... can't wait to see you/meet you there!!!! :-D
I really enjoy moments when one of the babies is still sleeping and the other is awake for me to dote on. This happens sometimes if I get into the nursery quickly enough to swoop up the talkative, freshly awoken baby before their play sounds wake the other up. Today, it was Olivia that I got to enjoy for about a half an hour before Ezra awoke. She had just finished enjoying her lunch of homemade green beans and butternut squash and a bottle when the real excitement of the day began. I was talking away with Livi and walking back towards her (in her high chair) after rinsing off a rag when it began. Slowly at first... like a low, rumbling semi-truck approaching the house... and then into a full on rolling, shaking, quaking everything. Yep, that's right. It was an earthquake. Not our first since moving to California, but the biggest! It was a 5.4 magnitude... not too shabby! The chandelier was rocking, the dogs began barking and howling, and mommy began to PANIC!
I have enjoyed previous earthquakes... they were small and just enough to be "exciting." This time was different though. As I stood frozen in place watching my sweet Olivia I was TORN. Do I run upstairs to Ezra (who was presumably sleeping) to be sure he was okay, or do I stay with Olivia? The quake lasted about 30 seconds or so, but long enough for me to bolt up the stairs (after ensuring nothing around Olivia could fall and hit her) and hover over my sleeping boy (STILL SLEEPING?!??! Dogs barking, house shaking and creaking... wow) and observe his surroundings to be sure nothing would fall on him. We'd been sure that things hanging over his bed were "earthquake" safe, but having the safety tested whilst he slept below them was another story for me. Thankfully nothing fell and the earthquake ended without Ezra or Olivia getting scared. It's forced me to consider what I WILL do though if one happens again... especially if they're in separate parts of the house. Any suggestions from earthquake savvy people?? Stay inside, go outside, what to do, what to do? I've heard so many things, but most seem to conflict.
After I finish this post I'm going to upload a video I took of Olivia on July 21... her 7 month birthday. She began crawling 3 days before the video... and has come a long way SINCE the video was taken. She's beginning to pull up on things, but can only get to her knees and is working on getting her foot under her to stand up. I know cruising isn't far off... she can stand so well with very little assistance already! Ezra isn't too far behind. He's spending more and more time on all fours and is now rocking forward and backward. He's even lifted up a hand a couple of times and set it down farther forward and a few times and skooched his knees forward under him. He has also pushed himself backward into a partial sitting position. I think he'll be joining the ranks of mobile babies in no time at all (2-3 weeks or less maybe???).
A highlight of our weekend was seeing my uncle and my cousin! My cousin recently moved to Santa Monica from Chicago, and I hadn't seen him in a couple of years. It was great catching up and hearing about his new job out here. Ezra initiated him from the get-go with a nice big spit up all down the front of his shirt (missed the burp cloth COMPLETELY... go figure). Sorry about that Kyle! The weirdest thing was that after Ezra covered Kyle in spew, he lost it. Joe set him on the ground to help Kyle clean up and Ezra began screaming. He carried on and on. He was a baby possessed. I still have no clue what that was about. Joe tried consoling him, and when that didn't work I gave it a shot. I got him somewhat calmed down, but still not happy and fuss-free. I gave him Hylands Teething tablets (just in case it was a sudden onset of teething pain), snuggled him, danced with him, everything we'd normally do to get him happy. It was bizarre. He hadn't napped well that morning... so I'm hoping that was all it was. Poor guy.
Now... for their big moment of TV stardom. Tune your TVs to ABC on October 22 (the fourth episode of the season) to watch Pushing Daisies. I can't tell the plot or what will be happening, but let's just say both Ezra and Olivia will have brief but up close and personal moments on camera. Come to think of it.... I had to get up close and personal with the camera by draping my body over it while trying to get Livi to smile and look at the camera for her big shot. I'd had no clue that they'd want ME on set. ;-) The filming took place at Warner Brothers Studio and I was required to have one adult over 18 per child. So, luckily for me the kids wonderful Tia Claudia was able to come. Claudia and I had a blast wandering around the studios. We got to go on a bunch of sets (Two and a Half Men was gearing up to begin filming again in the next week, Terminator - Sara Connor Chronicles, etc). Heck, we even got to see the stage where Friends was filmed! It was really neat. Oh, and the kids got a trailer! Yep, true stars already with their OWN dressing trailer. Never mind that the thing wreaked of smoke... it was still just for them, whereas most of the actors has to share dressing trailers and only the leads had their own!!!
The neatest part was how nice everyone was. From the director, AD, cameramen, crew, actors/actresses... they were all so nice. The kids were treated like stars and had so many people ogling over them. I hope it'll be a fun thing for them to be able to look back on when they're older.
Better get back to sewing diapers. I hope to have enough completed to begin using them tomorrow! That's a post in itself... I'll try and get photos of them uploaded as well as our cloth diapering "plan." I'm so excited to get started! Thanks again for the encouragement and diaper insert instructions!
To those of you attending the B.U. (blog union) this weekend... can't wait to see you/meet you there!!!! :-D
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Laptop "confiscation"
My lovely laptop is being taken away from me because I am now officially on an unpaid leave of absence. Up until this past Friday I was using vacation time, a company paid 2 week bonding leave, and then the California Paid Leave (which is 6 weeks of pay at 55% pay). Now that the "gravy train" is over, apparently they want me lifeline back! ;-) This policy had changed recently (at least for a coworker of mine in another group within my company), and while he was on leave they sent his laptop back to him. Well... it seems my group is not interested in being able to continue contact with me while on leave, so they want my aged laptop back. Pooey to them! :-P I'll send it back... fine. But now I don't know how they expect to reach me with updates on my return from leave since the contact info they have for me is all work numbers/email which I will no longer have.
Such a bummer. Never fear though, I will stay connected to the wonderful world of blogging! I'll be getting my hands on a replacement somehow... and hopefully before the dreaded moment when I must encase my laptop in it's new, foamy home and send it on it's way to be stored in a warehouse somewhere. Awesome.
Such a bummer. Never fear though, I will stay connected to the wonderful world of blogging! I'll be getting my hands on a replacement somehow... and hopefully before the dreaded moment when I must encase my laptop in it's new, foamy home and send it on it's way to be stored in a warehouse somewhere. Awesome.
7 months old
Yesterday was Olivia and Ezra's 7 month birthday. Wow... hard to imagine. I still remember the utter shock at seeing the email with their referral at a mere 5 weeks old. Where does the time go once you get them in your arms?!
Here's a little update on where each of them are at in their miraculous little lives:
Olivia
Ezra
Here's a little update on where each of them are at in their miraculous little lives:
Olivia
- Weighs 15 lbs 4 oz and is 25.5 inches tall
- Starter crawling 5 days ago and is really starting to get the hang of it
- Can stand incredibly well with a little help balancing (or all on her own if she's got the edge of her crib to hang on to!)
- Can keep herself entertained for relatively long bits of time (at least compared to Ezi!)
- Melts our hearts with her incredible smile and giggly, grunty laugh
- Sleeps through the night (and has 100% consistently since about 5 months old!)
- TOTALLY has her daddy wrapped around her itty bitty finger
- Is completely and utterly obsessed with my hair and plays with it (often jerking on it VERY hard) and twists it around her tiny fingers every chance she gets.
- Finds our dogs to be hilarious. If you want a nearly foul-proof way to get her laughing, allow Chloe (who is STILL obsessed with Livi) to pant and circle my feet while holding her and she'll giggle over and over again.
Ezra
- Weighs 17 lbs 2 oz and is 17.25 inches tall
- Can get up on all fours but just doesn't seem to care about staying up there or moving forward yet
- A total attention hog... and doesn't like to play on his own
- Has the BEST laugh and is super ticklish... yes, I exploit this characteristic to hear that boy grunt and giggle!
- Has an incredible gummy smile that is now being graced with the beginnings of his FIRST tooth! (The bottom, left, front tooth)
- LOVES to jump... constantly. I don't think this boy cares about standing or walking one bit. He'll just hop and jump from one place to the other. Yep, he's our little kangaroo.
- ALSO sleep through the night and has since about 5 months old too... sleep training and a rigid schedule DEFINITELY worked for all four of us!
- Screams better than ANYONE I know
- Has JUST developed the CHEESIEST, biggest, and cutest grin ever... don't know where it came from, but he just started doing it on their birthday yesterday!
I have no idea how we had the incredible fortune of being blessed with such amazing, fun and loving cutie-pies, but we are so thankful for every day we have them. There are some trying times (read here: the flight home from Colorado) and more incredible moments than I could ever have imagined. Ezra Tewodros and Olivia Yodit - you have filled our lives with more love, fun, excitement and hope than we could ever have imagined. Thank you for allowing us the incredible honor of being your parents. We love you!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Changes abound!
I barely know where to begin. I think I'm still trying to catch my breath from the craziness of the last week. I've definitely become one of THOSE parents that is unbelievably proud and thrilled at my babies' milestones.
We headed out last Thursday evening for our trip to Colorado. Events in the two days leading up to our departure had me already exhausted... and there's nothing like a "vacation" with Ezi & Livi to help you catch up on much needed rest! (Please note the sarcasm here) On Wednesday I found myself zooming around running last minute errands, taking E&O to the pediatrician for their well-baby exams, and then rushing to the Labor Office for work permits. Work permits, you ask?? Yes, work permits for Ezra and Olivia! Long story short... they've been asked to be in a major TV show and how could I possibly refuse them this fun little moment of fame?! I'm definitely NOT into the idea of one's childhood becoming consumed with this sort of thing, but do think they'd have a blast getting the attention of so many for the day and having the experience to look back on when they're older. So, on this Thursday we head up to Hollywood for the big shoot! Once I have more info I'll pass along details on the show and when it will air. From what I understand it's a little background type role... but still really cool to me anyway. My little stars! ;-)
After a grueling hour+ in the dim, gray, and window-free hallway on the 8th floor of the state building, I had their work permits in hand. Nothing like feeding the babies whilst stooped over the stroller and then spending a solid 45 minutes tickling and tossing into the air your growing boy. Poor Ezra gets so fed up with sitting still and not being held, so it was a trying experience. Of course, this was also following a shot for each of them at the pediatrician's office, so they did so well considering. As for the shots... it's ALL about distraction. They did great. A VERY brief protest and bit of tears from both, which was quickly ended by silly ole' mommy being her silly ole' self. Thank GOODNESS I have no pride and am willing to act so ridiculously in front of the nurse! ;-)
Thursday was a whirlwind as I tried to get the four of us packed and pull the house together for our departure. Our wonderful Tia Claudia was coming for the weekend to take care of our furry babies and I didn't want to leave the place a total wreck. The kids did remarkably well with mommy running around the place like a madman and even seemed to get a giggle out of it here and there. Little did I know that while I was in the midst of this craziness, a cute little tooth was making it's final push to come into view in Ezra's gummy grin. This said tooth was finally noticed while we were waiting to board our flight, and boy did I get excited. Seriously, how lame must I have looked?! I was shouting to Joe as he walked up carrying our bags of McDonald's nastiness, "Hurry, run! Come HERE! FASTER!!!! Joe, RUN!" As Joe rushes to my side, I pull back Ezra's lip and point out the source of all this excitement. I think half the airport was looking our way for the big moment as they were sure there was some sort of emergency. I am such a dork. Who cares though... cause my baby boy is about to be the proud new owner of his first chomper!
The flight went quite well, despite screwing up the rather rigid sleep schedule Livi & Ezi keep. No meltdowns on the plane... just a little, brief fussing, some sleeping, and lots of lap jumping for Livi. Oh yeah.
Here's the REALLY big news...
Olivia is CRAWLING now!!!!!! She began crawling the next morning at her Grandma and Grandpa's house. She's been so close for so long and she finally started SLOWLY moving those adorable little arms and legs forward. She still has a very slow and hesitated crawl... but she's doing it! And with more and more confidence each time! Soooooooo cool! I can't believe what a little stud she is! She also does the downward dog (yoga move) incredibly well and can stand on her own with a little help balancing. This little button of our's will be cruising in no time! I know I don't REALLY want them mobile as life will REALLY get interesting... but I can't help but be so excited for her! Ezra's getting close too... spending more time on all fours each day! It's hard to believe how far they've come in the last three months home! And, just because I think it's cool, I'll point out that on Friday (the day Livi started crawling), we'd be home exactly 3 months as a family!
Saturday we went to a dear friends' wedding and the kids amazed us yet again. The ceremony was outside and the temperature was a mere 99 degrees. It was just a tad bit toasty. BUT, not one fuss from either of them! Another baby there started wailing pretty early on... and I admit that I am petty enough that I did the "Yesssss!!!!" thing with the downward arm motion and all. Soooo happy someone else's baby lost it first JUST in case ours had a meltdown too. :-S After the ceremony we fought our way into the A/C for the reception and were blown away by Ezi & Livi's patience. They allowed us to stay until about 8:00pm by having a bottle and then catching a nap in our laps. No crying. Good stuff.
The whole weekend I enjoyed that Olivia showed quite a bit of nervousness about the change in scenery and clung to me for security. She's normally much more independent than Ezra and doesn't particularly like to be cuddled to sleep. But, that's the ONLY way I could get her to sleep was to snuggle her close for a while first. She was such a snuggle bug! LOVED that!
We also got to briefly enjoy the company of my brother. Not surprisingly he's spending his leave time ridiculously busy.... first a week in Mexico getting open water certified for scuba diving, and now spending this week climbing in Colorado and hiking 14ers. Oy. I was bummed I couldn't spend a longer time in Colorado and see more of him and my parents, but we couldn't work out who would help me home with the kids, and due to carry on bags, their car seat strollers, etc. there was just no reasonable way for me to travel with the two of them alone. And let me tell you how THRILLED I am about deciding that! The flight home was much closer to a nightmare. One of those flights you wish you could erase from memory. One of those flights in which everyone around you was wishing you were NOT on their flight. Let's just say that Ezi & Livi were NOT in the best of moods. Both of them were fed up with sleeping in our arms I think, because they fought the crowded conditions quite a bit. Bleck.
Oh, and today I learned my laptop is being confiscated. I nearly cried. What WILL I do?! ;-) My laptop is my lifeline... I'm an online junky. I check email and blogs all the stinkin' time! I can't even begin to tell you the withdrawals I had just from leaving the laptop home for this past weekend... let alone for good! Joe thinks I'd better get myself a new computer... and FAST! I also need it for some freelance type work I may start doing... so maybe that helps justify it. Maybe. But seriously, I'm an IT professional. I NEED this stupid thing. :-D That's all for now. Off to pout... or maybe order myself a laptop. ;-) That is ONE perk of working for a major IT company... discounts! :-D
We headed out last Thursday evening for our trip to Colorado. Events in the two days leading up to our departure had me already exhausted... and there's nothing like a "vacation" with Ezi & Livi to help you catch up on much needed rest! (Please note the sarcasm here) On Wednesday I found myself zooming around running last minute errands, taking E&O to the pediatrician for their well-baby exams, and then rushing to the Labor Office for work permits. Work permits, you ask?? Yes, work permits for Ezra and Olivia! Long story short... they've been asked to be in a major TV show and how could I possibly refuse them this fun little moment of fame?! I'm definitely NOT into the idea of one's childhood becoming consumed with this sort of thing, but do think they'd have a blast getting the attention of so many for the day and having the experience to look back on when they're older. So, on this Thursday we head up to Hollywood for the big shoot! Once I have more info I'll pass along details on the show and when it will air. From what I understand it's a little background type role... but still really cool to me anyway. My little stars! ;-)
After a grueling hour+ in the dim, gray, and window-free hallway on the 8th floor of the state building, I had their work permits in hand. Nothing like feeding the babies whilst stooped over the stroller and then spending a solid 45 minutes tickling and tossing into the air your growing boy. Poor Ezra gets so fed up with sitting still and not being held, so it was a trying experience. Of course, this was also following a shot for each of them at the pediatrician's office, so they did so well considering. As for the shots... it's ALL about distraction. They did great. A VERY brief protest and bit of tears from both, which was quickly ended by silly ole' mommy being her silly ole' self. Thank GOODNESS I have no pride and am willing to act so ridiculously in front of the nurse! ;-)
Thursday was a whirlwind as I tried to get the four of us packed and pull the house together for our departure. Our wonderful Tia Claudia was coming for the weekend to take care of our furry babies and I didn't want to leave the place a total wreck. The kids did remarkably well with mommy running around the place like a madman and even seemed to get a giggle out of it here and there. Little did I know that while I was in the midst of this craziness, a cute little tooth was making it's final push to come into view in Ezra's gummy grin. This said tooth was finally noticed while we were waiting to board our flight, and boy did I get excited. Seriously, how lame must I have looked?! I was shouting to Joe as he walked up carrying our bags of McDonald's nastiness, "Hurry, run! Come HERE! FASTER!!!! Joe, RUN!" As Joe rushes to my side, I pull back Ezra's lip and point out the source of all this excitement. I think half the airport was looking our way for the big moment as they were sure there was some sort of emergency. I am such a dork. Who cares though... cause my baby boy is about to be the proud new owner of his first chomper!
The flight went quite well, despite screwing up the rather rigid sleep schedule Livi & Ezi keep. No meltdowns on the plane... just a little, brief fussing, some sleeping, and lots of lap jumping for Livi. Oh yeah.
Here's the REALLY big news...
Olivia is CRAWLING now!!!!!! She began crawling the next morning at her Grandma and Grandpa's house. She's been so close for so long and she finally started SLOWLY moving those adorable little arms and legs forward. She still has a very slow and hesitated crawl... but she's doing it! And with more and more confidence each time! Soooooooo cool! I can't believe what a little stud she is! She also does the downward dog (yoga move) incredibly well and can stand on her own with a little help balancing. This little button of our's will be cruising in no time! I know I don't REALLY want them mobile as life will REALLY get interesting... but I can't help but be so excited for her! Ezra's getting close too... spending more time on all fours each day! It's hard to believe how far they've come in the last three months home! And, just because I think it's cool, I'll point out that on Friday (the day Livi started crawling), we'd be home exactly 3 months as a family!
Saturday we went to a dear friends' wedding and the kids amazed us yet again. The ceremony was outside and the temperature was a mere 99 degrees. It was just a tad bit toasty. BUT, not one fuss from either of them! Another baby there started wailing pretty early on... and I admit that I am petty enough that I did the "Yesssss!!!!" thing with the downward arm motion and all. Soooo happy someone else's baby lost it first JUST in case ours had a meltdown too. :-S After the ceremony we fought our way into the A/C for the reception and were blown away by Ezi & Livi's patience. They allowed us to stay until about 8:00pm by having a bottle and then catching a nap in our laps. No crying. Good stuff.
The whole weekend I enjoyed that Olivia showed quite a bit of nervousness about the change in scenery and clung to me for security. She's normally much more independent than Ezra and doesn't particularly like to be cuddled to sleep. But, that's the ONLY way I could get her to sleep was to snuggle her close for a while first. She was such a snuggle bug! LOVED that!
We also got to briefly enjoy the company of my brother. Not surprisingly he's spending his leave time ridiculously busy.... first a week in Mexico getting open water certified for scuba diving, and now spending this week climbing in Colorado and hiking 14ers. Oy. I was bummed I couldn't spend a longer time in Colorado and see more of him and my parents, but we couldn't work out who would help me home with the kids, and due to carry on bags, their car seat strollers, etc. there was just no reasonable way for me to travel with the two of them alone. And let me tell you how THRILLED I am about deciding that! The flight home was much closer to a nightmare. One of those flights you wish you could erase from memory. One of those flights in which everyone around you was wishing you were NOT on their flight. Let's just say that Ezi & Livi were NOT in the best of moods. Both of them were fed up with sleeping in our arms I think, because they fought the crowded conditions quite a bit. Bleck.
Oh, and today I learned my laptop is being confiscated. I nearly cried. What WILL I do?! ;-) My laptop is my lifeline... I'm an online junky. I check email and blogs all the stinkin' time! I can't even begin to tell you the withdrawals I had just from leaving the laptop home for this past weekend... let alone for good! Joe thinks I'd better get myself a new computer... and FAST! I also need it for some freelance type work I may start doing... so maybe that helps justify it. Maybe. But seriously, I'm an IT professional. I NEED this stupid thing. :-D That's all for now. Off to pout... or maybe order myself a laptop. ;-) That is ONE perk of working for a major IT company... discounts! :-D
Friday, July 11, 2008
Tia Claudia
This is definitely overdue. Inexcusably, completely and totally way too late in getting posted. I have somehow lucked into having a true angel come into my life. Here's the story, in brief. My mom had the incredible fortune of working with this amazing woman, Claudia, while here in Southern California. When Claudia heard that we were adopting from Ethiopia, she was so excited for us (and we really didn't know her then other than brief "Hellos" here and there). When we got our referral for Olivia and Ezra she SHOWERED us... utterly SHOWERED us in kindness. She gathered up her niece and nephews hand-me-downs with her sisters' help and gave us a ridiculously amazing haul of wonderful things to use for our kiddos and to take to the orphanage and donate when we traveled. She got me a great Mother's Day present for my first Mother's Day and an incredible necklace that I LOVE for no reason at all! I've never known a more loving and giving person.
Now, what's seriously cool to me is that my children have the amazing fortune of getting to call this fantastic woman their "Tia." She's going to help me teach them some Spanish (ok... she's going to teach me some too!). She's come over a few times to just hang out with me and give me some adult conversation time during naps and has cooked incredible, yummy, and AUTHENTIC Mexican food. To top it off, when she heard we were going to Colorado she volunteered herself (and undoubtedly does NOT understand how much she's volunteering for!) to stay at our place and feed and love the doggies for us while we're away. No easy task considering what it takes to feed our pups... and medicate Chloe! Ugh.
There is really no way to thank her for everything, as her love and friendship couldn't have come at a better time for me. With my mom moving back to Colorado a few weeks ago and my very short list of local friends disappearing from my life (sniff, sniff... wish I understood what happened there... am I that boring or do I just suck that badly?! ;-) ), Claudia has been a lifesaver. During a time in which I would otherwise have no one else close by, she rose to the challenge of being an incredible friend. THANK YOU TIA CLAUDIA! Ezra and Olivia are so blessed to have you in their lives and to be able to call you their Auntie. I am even more fortunate to be able to call you my friend. You rock! :-D
A HUGE surprise
Wow, I'm still reveling in the news and it's been 5 hours since I heard! My brother is on leave RIGHT NOW! He's been serving overseas (location left out for privacy reasons) since December and is now on mid-tour leave! I'm additionally thrilled because we will MIRACULOUSLY be in Colorado next weekend while he's on leave! We are traveling for my dear friends' wedding and he will be just returning from a week spent relaxing at the beach with a friend of his. The timing is perfect! So cool how things can play out like that! Now I just have to decide if I'm up for flying home alone with the kids so I can stay in Colorado a bit longer to visit more... Joe has to come back still on Sunday as planned due to work, but I could enjoy more of his precious time if I think I could manage to handle the flight home alone! (I definitely know I COULD handle it... but don't really dig the idea since it'd be such a handful!)
Hallelujah! What incredible, amazing news. Zak hit "boots on ground" in his duty station the DAY our precious angels were born. I'm not sure what the significance of that is exactly, but I still think it's pretty incredible. My brother is an amazing man that makes us unbelievably proud. I am still loopy with excitement about getting to see him and introduce him to his niece and nephew NOW! It had looked like he wouldn't be meeting them before his tour of duty is up... which would be December at the earliest! Holy smokes! Time to run out and get t-shirts made for the kids that say something cheesy and embarrassing about their amazing Uncle Zak! Yes, I am my brother's biggest fan and he is totally awesome. ;-) I just have to keep reminding myself he'll have lots he wants to do while in Colorado so hanging out at our parents house with me and the kids may not be the ONLY thing he'll be doing... bummer. ;-)
Yep... next weekend our whirlwind visit to Colorado just got a LOT busier!
Hallelujah! What incredible, amazing news. Zak hit "boots on ground" in his duty station the DAY our precious angels were born. I'm not sure what the significance of that is exactly, but I still think it's pretty incredible. My brother is an amazing man that makes us unbelievably proud. I am still loopy with excitement about getting to see him and introduce him to his niece and nephew NOW! It had looked like he wouldn't be meeting them before his tour of duty is up... which would be December at the earliest! Holy smokes! Time to run out and get t-shirts made for the kids that say something cheesy and embarrassing about their amazing Uncle Zak! Yes, I am my brother's biggest fan and he is totally awesome. ;-) I just have to keep reminding myself he'll have lots he wants to do while in Colorado so hanging out at our parents house with me and the kids may not be the ONLY thing he'll be doing... bummer. ;-)
Yep... next weekend our whirlwind visit to Colorado just got a LOT busier!
Monday, July 07, 2008
Going green... a challenge to all!
Joe and I have aspired to be green-living individuals since the beginning of "us." However, there are admittedly WAY too many things we do that are NOT green. We try to do what we can, but we often feel ourselves falling short. I'm happy to admit though, that we have taken two big steps to being a bit more friendly to good ole' Mother Earth.
First, diapers. We have been using G diapers since the early days of having the kids home. We've had our G's here since before we even brought E&O home, but they were a bit big until the wee-bots put on a couple of pounds. So, once the G's fit, we've used them consistently. What's super cool about the G diapers is that it's a great hybrid between a disposable and cloth diaper. No plastic or other nasty chemicals & components. Just good stuff that's kind to the behind. The flushable liners are FLUSHED down the toilet or they can be composted... nothing for the landfills! However, we still felt like we should do more. The G's flushables still use a good bit of water with every flush and are made from trees and such... so still sucking up natural resources.
The next step for us... CLOTH. Yep. I said it. CLOTH diapers. I'm stealing the idea from a good bloggy friend, Tara. She also used G diapers on her adorable little hunk of a man, Malak. However, this genius of a tree-huggin' girl (LOVE it Tara!) made cloth inserts for her G's. They are soooo cool and have apparently been no big deal. She does a diaper load of laundry about every other day (using MUCH less water than flushing that many inserts), and that's it. Oh, and no leaks so far! Sounds good to me, so we're taking the plunge. In true form, I'm sticking with what works. I've gotten the master plans from Tara and I'm copying her cloth inserts. I can't tell you what a tough time I had finding the hemp online (due to the earthquakes in China causing issues with supply), but it's finally on it's way, along with microfleece, microfiber, and a couple other handy items to get us going. Get ready folks, I've got another project to get busy with! My poor, neglected sewing machine was put up in mid-March as I wrapped up baby projects (ok... ran out of time to finish many), and it's been calling to me ever since.
Our other step in "the right direction" relates to Joe's wheels. Joe started with a new company in an incredible position a couple of weeks ago and was left carless since he used a company truck with his previous employer. After LOTS of discussion and weighing pros/cons, we took the plunge and got Joe a diesel. Why, you might ask?! Great question! We're going to use BIOdiesel in it! Joe's new-to-him Touareg TDI will be run with biodiesel. This has been a dream of ours for a long time and we're FINALLY going to be able to act on it. Not only is biodiesel free from nasty pollutants (the exhaust smells like french fries!), it's also MUCH cheaper than regular fuel. It's not "hassle-free" and there is equipment, supplies and GREASE (think the nasty crud they get rid of after making your french fries) needed to make it, but the results will be totally worth it.
As for other green things we do on a daily basis - run our A/C as little as possible, turn off lights when we're not in the room or they aren't needed, keep the windows covered to keep the sun/heat out on hot days to further reduce our need for the A/C, low-flow shower heads, toilets that use less water, we do NOT buy bottled water (think of all the bottles people go through- hear me peeps - Nalgene. If you don't know about them, Google them. Great bottles loved by MANY), recycle anything we can, and minimize trash (avoid using paper towels - use reusable rags instead for clean ups). I'm sure we could do much better in each area I've listed but we really do try.
So, there you have it. Our newest two green moves. How green are you? I'd love to hear what others of you are doing to reduce your carbon footprint and give back to the world around us! If you have any tips/tricks on being green that you'd like to share, please do!
First, diapers. We have been using G diapers since the early days of having the kids home. We've had our G's here since before we even brought E&O home, but they were a bit big until the wee-bots put on a couple of pounds. So, once the G's fit, we've used them consistently. What's super cool about the G diapers is that it's a great hybrid between a disposable and cloth diaper. No plastic or other nasty chemicals & components. Just good stuff that's kind to the behind. The flushable liners are FLUSHED down the toilet or they can be composted... nothing for the landfills! However, we still felt like we should do more. The G's flushables still use a good bit of water with every flush and are made from trees and such... so still sucking up natural resources.
The next step for us... CLOTH. Yep. I said it. CLOTH diapers. I'm stealing the idea from a good bloggy friend, Tara. She also used G diapers on her adorable little hunk of a man, Malak. However, this genius of a tree-huggin' girl (LOVE it Tara!) made cloth inserts for her G's. They are soooo cool and have apparently been no big deal. She does a diaper load of laundry about every other day (using MUCH less water than flushing that many inserts), and that's it. Oh, and no leaks so far! Sounds good to me, so we're taking the plunge. In true form, I'm sticking with what works. I've gotten the master plans from Tara and I'm copying her cloth inserts. I can't tell you what a tough time I had finding the hemp online (due to the earthquakes in China causing issues with supply), but it's finally on it's way, along with microfleece, microfiber, and a couple other handy items to get us going. Get ready folks, I've got another project to get busy with! My poor, neglected sewing machine was put up in mid-March as I wrapped up baby projects (ok... ran out of time to finish many), and it's been calling to me ever since.
Our other step in "the right direction" relates to Joe's wheels. Joe started with a new company in an incredible position a couple of weeks ago and was left carless since he used a company truck with his previous employer. After LOTS of discussion and weighing pros/cons, we took the plunge and got Joe a diesel. Why, you might ask?! Great question! We're going to use BIOdiesel in it! Joe's new-to-him Touareg TDI will be run with biodiesel. This has been a dream of ours for a long time and we're FINALLY going to be able to act on it. Not only is biodiesel free from nasty pollutants (the exhaust smells like french fries!), it's also MUCH cheaper than regular fuel. It's not "hassle-free" and there is equipment, supplies and GREASE (think the nasty crud they get rid of after making your french fries) needed to make it, but the results will be totally worth it.
As for other green things we do on a daily basis - run our A/C as little as possible, turn off lights when we're not in the room or they aren't needed, keep the windows covered to keep the sun/heat out on hot days to further reduce our need for the A/C, low-flow shower heads, toilets that use less water, we do NOT buy bottled water (think of all the bottles people go through- hear me peeps - Nalgene. If you don't know about them, Google them. Great bottles loved by MANY), recycle anything we can, and minimize trash (avoid using paper towels - use reusable rags instead for clean ups). I'm sure we could do much better in each area I've listed but we really do try.
So, there you have it. Our newest two green moves. How green are you? I'd love to hear what others of you are doing to reduce your carbon footprint and give back to the world around us! If you have any tips/tricks on being green that you'd like to share, please do!
Thursday, July 03, 2008
A tragic loss
Please send your thoughts, prayers and good vibes to my good friend and her family. On Tuesday morning, my friends' younger brother was found dead. He was 22 years old and the bassist in an up and coming band called Tickle Me Pink. They were releasing a new cd that day and had a signing and celebration scheduled. Instead, we are all mourning the loss of an incredible young man. My friend and I met while on Semester at Sea. As roommates, we enjoyed sailing around the world together and becoming a little less blind to the world we live in. My heart aches for her and her family as they cope with this terrible loss.
And to make things a bit more surreal, my friend is getting married on July 19th! What an incredibly difficult prelude to the festivities. E- I am sending all my love and strength your way! You WILL get through this and I know Johnny will be right there with you on your big day!
If you would like to read an article about his death, you can view the story here.
And to make things a bit more surreal, my friend is getting married on July 19th! What an incredibly difficult prelude to the festivities. E- I am sending all my love and strength your way! You WILL get through this and I know Johnny will be right there with you on your big day!
If you would like to read an article about his death, you can view the story here.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Little windows cuteness!
So, one of the cool people I blog-stalk (you know it Kerri!) posted about this cool item... Little Windows. I'm totally in love! Crafting is something I LOVE to do... and with all the great pictures of Livi & Ezi, I could have a blast with the kit they sell!
They also have a cool contest where you can win a kit... check it out if you're interested! Contest.
They also have a cool contest where you can win a kit... check it out if you're interested! Contest.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Chit chat with Easy E
Ok, so as I've mentioned, our little Ezi (also known in this house as Easy E) is quite a talker. And, just to share with the world what I'm talking about when I say he likes to scream, I finally captured the moment on tape last week and have decided it's time to share. You can only imagine the horror flick I've got playing in the background to get him ramped up! ;-) (Only kidding)
What I wouldn't give to figure out why and how he learned to "coo" this way, and how to undo it! ;-) I'm sure our neighbors worry about what I'm doing to the poor baby all day long, as he's even being camera shy here and not showing you his full potential! He really is holding back and using a softer scream than he tends to use, but it's still an idea of the sweet sounds he shares ALL THE TIME. The REAL bummer is that in the last week, he's learned to use a really frustrated and angry scream when he's legitimately mad (like waiting for his slow mama to get his bottle into his mouth or another bite of food or ...) Oy!
What I wouldn't give to figure out why and how he learned to "coo" this way, and how to undo it! ;-) I'm sure our neighbors worry about what I'm doing to the poor baby all day long, as he's even being camera shy here and not showing you his full potential! He really is holding back and using a softer scream than he tends to use, but it's still an idea of the sweet sounds he shares ALL THE TIME. The REAL bummer is that in the last week, he's learned to use a really frustrated and angry scream when he's legitimately mad (like waiting for his slow mama to get his bottle into his mouth or another bite of food or ...) Oy!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Livi & Ezi's first watermelon
So, all in all, I'd say it's not a favorite of Livi's. What do you think?! She's NEVER done anything like that before, so I'd say it's a pretty safe guess. ;-)
Ok, so maybe Ezra's not a fan either. Hmmm... what's with these kids?!
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