Prayers and positive vibes for an adoption journey

One of the most welcoming and awesome families I know needs some prayers and positive thoughts. They've been in the adoption journey for the last year and a half - hoping to bring home a girl from India.

Photo by jrodmanjr - Creative Commons

They have their second court date on Tuesday (plus with the 12.5 hour time difference, it is sorta like Monday here :)) in India. They're getting closer to bringing Ramya home. She's 5 and has lived her life in a variety of orphanages all while living with spina bifida. 

There are generally three court dates, but a judge could make it only two and Ramya would be closer to knowing a real family.

See more about their journey here.

Truly Family Friendly

I've breastfed in restaurants and, especially with my daughter, when I was still a bit hesitant about even breastfeeding, felt uncomfortable. That was enough to not go back. Now I know there are businesses that are truly family friendly and to make sure they get accolades, I'm asking you to fill out this form for your family-friendly favorites. I also ask that you share this with your friends.

Visit the Family Friendly Business link above or click here.

A reminder to just say yes

Photo courtesy of Nopsa.Hiit.Fi -
 Via creativecommons

This is mostly a reminder for myself but I'm sure if I struggle with it someone else out there has had a similar day. 

As we headed out to swim class this afternoon with not a cloud in our 110*+ sky, my 4 year old daughter wanted to take her umbrella. Rather saying "sure" or "can you tell me why" I asked her if she had her shoes on yet. She continued to ask about the umbrella and I continued to not answer her.

I need to remember to create that "yes environment" to these "small" things. Even in the midst of trying to get out the door, these "small" things do matter, probably more than getting out of the door (and this time weren't even late!). My daughter WAS thinking, but I set her up to get upset. When I asked her WHY she wanted the umbrella, she replied "to keep the sun from my face." I, having grown up in a not so hot spot in Michigan, do not think of an umbrella for sunny days first ( as an umbrella would be for RAIN, right?).

I can only imagine how different things would have been if I had said to her, "how about we grab your umbrella after you pick your shoes" instead of just saying "I don't see your shoes on your feet."

These mistakes on my part are opportunities to do better AND to teach kids to be humble.

I apologized to her and let her know that YES she had a great idea and we BOTH can do a better job listening to each other :)

Family portrait time with Urban Life Photography

Family :)

Any family needs a portrait to put up on the wall (even if it is your facebook wall... um timeline :) )

We were happy to win a free session with Urban Life Photography from their facebook page. We have a 4 year old and 2 year old and these are our first professional photographs. Thank you!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter! Whether you celebrate for Jesus' rising or for the purely commercial reason, I hope your day is starting off well and you're enjoying time with family and friends. It was a late night for our daughter so at 8 am, I had to wake her up since my son was already finding hard boiled eggs and commenting "crack" and throwing them :)

One of the great finds the Easter Bunny happened to leave along his hopping path was a "real" Angry Birds game, Angry Birds: Knock On Wood Game! My son was enjoying it for a bit (but then he decided he already had a way to play Angry Birds... with his Melissa & Doug Cardboard Blocks!

Mass at 11, followed by a hike will round out our day. If we make it back in time, we may try Church with a dear friend, but I'm a bit hesitant on the round two with that being a potential meltdown time with my almost 2 year old who thinks he's too big for naps :)

Wordless Wednesday

For the World Record!

Her shirt reads: "My Favorite Diaper is in the Wash" :)

On April 21, families around the globe will be wrapping up Earth Week (aka Real Diaper Week) with an attempt at a world record. Just how many cloth diapers can be simultaneously changed at one time? Hopefully more than last year and enough for a new group of child/adult pairs to make it in the Guinness Book of World Records.

For more information and to find a location near you visit http://greatclothdiaperchange.com/

If there isn't a site near you, create one! If you get 24 others to join you (and a few other items, required for official recordness, you can be a part as well!

But really, even if it is just one diaper at a time, real diapers make a real difference. Less waste, less cost and better for baby!








See more information about Phoenix-area events on Facebook:
Central Phoenix
and
Tempe Area
and a late add in Phoenix at the Baby Moon Inn

Boys can dance too!

My tutu loving 21 month old...

Not sure what this dance move is called, but he loves it!

I really don't see how a parent can say "no" to boy dressing up with his sister, or even on his own!

Holiday traditions - keeping up the traditions, when all seems lost

Every family has traditions they grew up with that they either love or hate. Of course if we love them we try to pass them down, but if we're not so sure about them, we may not see the value in passing those down. However, we must consider that perhaps, some of the traditions we may not truly love, we may appreciate enough to carry on for our kids, just as our parents or grand parents did.

A big part of parenting is making decisions that are right for your family. For some reason your parents thought that a tradition was important enough to pass down: whether it is baking a dozen kinds of cookies, heading to the temple weekly, or giving foot rubs through Easter, if you remember them (and aren't entirely scarred!) consider taking some time to pass them down! Talk to the previous generation and ask the questions you didn't know when you were young - you never know what you may learn, and be able to pass on and teach your child. As technology becomes more of a common-place for our children, there is a likelihood that some of the "niceties" of family togetherness may be lost. Just as much as your family's traditions are there, talk to your spouse/significant other/baby's daddy/mommy and find out what traditions are there. It takes a village to raise a child, and sometimes it just takes generations of family to really mold a child's interest in their heritage.