FORKS & CHOPSTICKS

I've moved!

2007-02-10T22:13:00.000-05:00

Please stop by here to visit my new home (and don't forget to update your bloglines)!
Stephanie

Family FotoFun

2007-02-07T16:40:00.000-05:00

I didn't have any intention of participating in the Double Happiness Family FotoFun challenge, but after snapping this picture of Leah sleeping on my couch, I couldn't resist. That's Howard next to her (he is always looking for a warm body to snuggle up to). Leah fell asleep on the car ride home from the mall this afternoon, hence she still has her jacket on.

Getting away

2007-02-03T10:49:00.000-05:00

Joe, Leah and I have had the opportunity and great pleasure to visit many places over the last few years. We got to spend a few weeks in Hong Kong during Chinese New Year in 2004. The three of us, along with my parents, spent last May in Hawaii (this was Leah's third trip to Oahu - my sister lives there). We have also taken many road trips including two trips to Montreal, Toronto, Philly and twice to Washington DC. As I said, we have been fortunate to be able to travel quite a bit. Leah is also a pretty good traveler (with the exception of one Washington D.C. trip, which we have tried unsuccessfully to block from our memories).

Each of the above trips have been either to visit family or taken with other family members. Not that there is anything wrong with the rest of our family, but we felt it was about time to go on vacation by ourselves (you know, just the four of us - Joe, Leah, myself and Sue, our foreign exchange student)! The last trip taken with just the us was when Leah was about 15 months old. We spent a week in Martha's Vineyard. It was a very relaxing, wonderful trip. We are now in need of such a trip.

So, in about two months we will be heading off on another family vacation. This time, to a beautiful resort in Jamaica. Check out this picture of the resort (which I found at Flickr). Looks heavenly, doesn't it? I cannot tell you how excited I am to "get away from it all." Even just thinking about it makes me smile.

Photo courtesy of Soupkills at Flickr

You know it is cold out when...

2007-01-30T08:43:00.000-05:00

there is ice on the INSIDE of your window. BRRRR...

Hairless Cats

2007-01-26T10:09:00.000-05:00

My husband is an allergy sufferer. His only relief comes when it is super cold outside (which means today, with a high of just 10 degrees, he is feeling good). Over the last few years, he has developed allergy induced asthma, for which he has an inhaler. The fact that we have two really cute but hairy cats probably don't help the situation. Recently, I did a search on the Internet for pictures of the hairless cat (yep, you can get them hairless). The big joke around here is that when Howard and Dumpling have gone to kitty heaven, we will get a hairless one. Leah even wants to name him Fu Fu Cuddly Poops (she heard the name, apparently a character on the animated show Avatar, on a commercial). Only, I am kind of not joking. Ok, they are a bit creepy, but I just love cats and I can't imagine not having one. So, hairless we may go!

Anyway, for more pictures of hairless cats you can check out this blog called Dragonheart's Domain. Otherwise, take a peek at Ugly Overload for some more goofy looking animals.

The pic above is from Ugly Overload.

Worry

2007-01-22T13:11:00.000-05:00

Above is my little darling right before dance class last week. On her wrist is the medical ID bracelet she wears whenever we go out of the house. It simply states that she has Epilepsy.

Did I ever imagine that my daughter Leah, who spoke full sentences at 17 months, has a love of art and music, who is a master at board games, would have to see a Neurologist on a regular basis? Nope. Do I worry about her each and every time she heads off to preschool. Yep. But this is what parenthood is all about, isn't it.

It starts when you first become pregnant, or begin the adoption process. Is the baby developing in the womb? Is my child being cared for by her birth mother or the orphanage that she is in? Will I be a good parent? After your child is with you, then there is a whole bunch of other stuff you need to worry about. Is he/she gaining enough weight? Are they walking or talking on time? Do they listen to their teacher at school? Will they attend college? Can I actually afford college? YIKES!

The fact is, you never, ever stop worrying about your children or their future. We cannot change the fact that my daughter has Epilepsy. This is life and we need to deal with it.

I have learned one wonderful thing from this diagnosis. That people, some of whom I have never even met, have contacted me to tell me about how they deal every day with having Epilepsy. The fact that they would open up to me and share their experiences is really amazing. For this I am truly grateful.

Oh, and about that medical ID bracelet. It was made by this really great organization called Lauren's Hope. Made for children and adults, Lauren's Hope makes very beautiful ID bracelets. You really can't see it, but Leah is wearing their pink braided bracelet. Unless she has her hands up like in the photo, you would just assume that she was wearing pretty pink jewelry. The jewelry was designed so that kids would want to wear it. Leah now likes to show hers off!

Don't hate me because I (might be) expedited

2007-01-12T17:29:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been two months since letting this blog slide and almost a year from when I started it in the first place. I have been trying to follow all of my favorite adoption blogs, as well as some of my new found craft and book blogs. I have missed Forks & Chopsticks though and figured I would give you all a little update. I also thought this might be a fun experiment to see who still has me on their bloglines!!

Anyway, a lot has been going on in the two plus months that I have been away from this blog. The end of 2006 was a hard one for our family. We suffered the loss of two very close friends. Then my girlfriend suffered a terrible and heartbreaking loss. My daughter Leah also had a seizure and it was confirmed that she has epilepsy. Since she is young and her brain is still developing, there is a good chance that with her medication she can actually grow out of it. It won't be for another 2-3 years before we know for sure. Needless to say, I was more than happy to say hello to 2007!

There has been one truly bright spot of 2007 so far (and it wasn't the fact that our Septic Tank backed up into the house, I assure you). I spoke with our agency yesterday to see if they received any expedited referrals in the last (December) batch. Indeed they did! The parents had a total wait of 11 months from their log-in-date. Our agency told us that they spoke to their rep in China who said that the expedited referrals should continue and that they would be shaving about 4 months off the typical wait time. With a LID of May 18, 2006 I am looking at the possibility of receiving a referral early this summer! Of course, this is by no means a guarantee, but it does give me a little hope for the future. I have even gone back to knitting this, in the hopes that I will have a child to put it on this coming fall. You can see an updated photo of the sweater here.

In other news, we still have our lovely foreign exchange student with us. Her parents will be visiting the US for the first time in June to attend her graduation.

I will be updating this blog again every once in a while, so hope you will stop on by to check in. Thanks for being such good listeners.

STICK A FORK IN ME,

2006-11-03T10:45:00.000-05:00

I'M DONE

With this blog, that is. After 10 months, I really don't have much else to say. I have grown bored with this format and feel that it just takes up way to much of my time. I will still be following along on your adoption blogs (posting under my wordpress name), but will no longer be posting here. I will be keeping up with my other two blogs, which I find are much easier to maintain. Follow me if you like, but I totally understand if my book blog and my craft blog do not make it onto your Bloglines anytime soon.

Thank you all for stopping by, leaving wonderful comments on all of my posts and becoming my on-line buddies. It has been fun.

Happy Halloween!

2006-10-31T07:53:00.000-05:00

Greetings from my little vampire!

Laugh a little

2006-10-30T17:37:00.000-05:00

Let me just say that I LOVE Tom Brokaw. Having said that, I did enjoy this video which pokes a little fun at him.

Thanks for sending it to me Dad.

High Point

2006-10-24T21:07:00.000-04:00

At 1,803 feet above sea level, High Point State Park lives up to its name as the highest point in New Jersey. Earlier on this cold autumn day my parents, Leah and I drove up there to take in the beautiful views.

See that body of water in the upper right hand side of this picture? That is the Delaware Water Gap, which seperates New Jersey from Pennsylvania. OOPS! My Dad called to tell me that it isn't the water gap behind me, but the Delaware River. Sorry about the miss-information. Since you can see three states from on top of High Point the water gap has to be around there somewhere!
Like our hats? You can find out more about my knitting projects on my craft blog here.

Grandma and Leah collecting leaves

Leah and her Grandpa

Three Blogs?

2006-10-21T23:02:00.000-04:00

Ok, now I have become one of those crazy blogging people you have heard of (you know the ones glued to their computer when they should be doing laundry/cleaning/sleeping)? It wasn't enough to have a blog chronicling my everyday life, then I had to start one all about reading. And now, for my third installment into the blogging world, I have put together Me So Crafty.

So this is how it works:

Want to know what is going on in the daily lives of Stephanie, Joe and Leah? Check out Forks and Chopsticks.

Interested in discussing books? Click on The Written Word.

What have I been knitting, cooking, sewing or scrapbooking lately. Stop by Me So Crafty to see.

Got it? Good. How long can I keep this up? I have no idea...

You're invited

2006-10-18T20:26:00.000-04:00

Let's say you could invite eight bloggers over your house for the weekend. Who would you invite and why?

Kristin - Because really, what's a party without Kristin? Need a good laugh? Just read her blog.
Kim - I would really love to hear the story about her eating poop in Africa. I kid you not.
Johnny - So he can make us one of those HUGE steaks he is always posting pictures of. Oh, and I want to see if he really does dress like a slob.
Viv - First, she seems very cool. Second, she could show me how to use those darn circular knitting needles!
Iliana - Would love to get all her reading recommendations right from the source. How much can one girl read anyway?
Tammy & Katie - already met these two gals, but they were so much fun that I would love to hang with them again!
Joannah - well, she just seems so sweet (and I heard she can sing too).

Picking out just eight was way harder than I thought! Want to play along? Post about who you would invite over to your house. Just leave a comment with a link to your post so we can all read it.

The difference between you and me

2006-10-18T20:18:00.000-04:00

My husband received a well deserved award at work today. He then logged onto the company rewards website to see what he had won. They had many different types of gifts to pick from including electronics, luggage, kitchen gadgets and so on.

ME: As my eyes glaze over "Oh, look you can get a gift certificate for an overnight stay at a bed and breakfast."

HIM: As his eyes glaze over "A new sawzall. Just what I've always wanted."

This, my friends, is the difference between the two of us.

Life with a teenager

2006-10-17T15:12:00.000-04:00

Johnny asked that I blog about my experience with our foreign exchange student. First, let me tell you how this all came about. About five years ago I had read, in my church bulletin, a blurb about Japanese exchange students needing a place to stay for a month. At the time (before my daughter was born) I thought that it might be an interesting experience. Joe and I contacted the organization and made the arrangements for her arrival.Then September 11th happened and the program was put on hold. End of story.

Fast forward to August 2006. I received a phone call from the same organization telling me that they had a high school student from Japan, already here in New Jersey, who's host family had to back out of their obligation to have her stay with them. When asked if we would be interested in hosting this girl, my initial thought was something along the lines of NO WAY MAN! I already have a four year old at home, why would I want a teenager too?

Then, my conscience started working on me. Here is this girl, who just traveled all the way from Tokyo, and she doesn't even have a place to live. My husband, who is a foreigner himself (having come from Hong Kong when he was a college student) was very interested in having her stay with us, but left the decision pretty much up to me. Five days later a cute, shy, little wisp of a girl stood on my doorstep and we invited her in.

It has been almost two months since she has joined our family. For the most part, it has been a very positive experience. She is a very sweet girl, has a good sense of humor, enjoys watching movies, eats everything I put in front of her, reads Leah stories and is an excellent student (all A's so far, with the exception of a B in History).

Of course, having a complete stranger living at your house takes some getting used to. I now have one more mouth to feed, more laundry to do and I am in the car a whole lot more often than I would like to be. Then there are times like Saturday, when we were able bring her to her first Broadway show. She was so thrilled and appreciative that it makes all the extra laundry worth while.

To be honest, I can't imagine not having her at home with us. She will be staying here until the end of the school year in May and I already I know how much she will be missed. Would it do this again? It is hard to say. I feel that we have been spoiled with having such a nice young girl staying with us and possibly would have the same expectation for the next student. Fair, no - True, maybe.

As a side note, I do have to point out something a little selfish on my part. When deciding to have her stay with us, a little part of my decision was the fact that having someone else at home would help me fill up my time while we endure the long adoption wait. Maybe not the most noble of reasons, but there it is.

Live on Stage

2006-10-14T20:36:00.000-04:00

I feel very fortunate to live in close proximity to New York City and take full advantage of it by visiting pretty often. Today was a first for both my daughter Leah and S., our foreign exchange student. No, not visiting the city, but actually enjoying a Broadway show.

Joe and I surprised them with tickets to see Disney's Beauty and the Beast today. It was the perfect fall day to visit the city (temps in the mid 60's) and we lucked out with orchestra seats only twelve rows from the stage. The show took almost three hours (including intermission) and the whole time Leah's eyes were glued to the stage. Donny Osmand was a guest performer playing Gaston and he was great (I also once saw him perform in Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat). I have seen many Broadway shows over the years and found that this one is a perfect show to introduce a child to live theater.

Apple

2006-10-12T17:47:00.000-04:00

I'm a sucker for apples. Not the mushy kind you buy at the supermarket, but the plump, juicy, wet from a recent rainstorm kind of apple that we picked this morning. Now THAT'S an apple! I just love autumn. Oh and I just love the macro setting on my digital camera - I certainly couldn't have taken a picture of that green apple with my old camera!

October 31st

2006-10-09T12:08:00.000-04:00

Just in case you guys are looking for something a little creepy to read during this Halloween time, please grab a copy of The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield and then stop by my book blog. Discussion questions will be posted early November, so there is still time to join in!

Hope to see you there!

Blogging through the seasons

2006-10-05T19:36:00.000-04:00

I just love some of the fun stuff other bloggers come up with!

Anyway, the WAYRN challenge asks us to show our blogging spaces. For the first seven years living in this house my husband and I used this room as our master bedroom. Since my daughter was born we felt a bit more comfortable to be in a room closer (and on the same level) as her. So, here is my office (or studio as we like to call it since this is where Leah works on art projects and I do my graphic design homework) I took this picture a few minutes ago.

Real clean, I know. The room is quite large, with a bench right smack in the middle for kids art projects, some new plastic containers for supplies and a soon to be refurbished desk where I can scrapbook (and maybe sew a little) till my heart's content.

Here is the same spot right after a little snowfall at the beginning of the year.

As you can see in the top photo, I got a new monitor over the summer so blogging is a lot easier on the eyes now. I especially love to sit here in the afternoon when the sunlight streams through the large windows. It really is a nice place to be.

Would you just STOP!

2006-10-04T10:55:00.000-04:00

OK, I get that fertility, adoption and parenthood can be touchy subjects. I may chose (or choose - I never get that right) to adopt for different reasons than you do. The way I parent my daughter may be completely different than the way you parent your children. What I don't understand is why we all just can't get along.

I had a really nice e-mail conversation with a fellow blogger this morning. This person confided in me that she didn't want to blog about a particular issue because she was afraid of the backlash from people in the blogosphere. Why does she even have to ask this question?

I started blogging in January as a way to let my family and friends know what is going on in my life. Since then it has turned into so much more. I have enjoyed reading about your life. I love getting comments.I have even found (and met) some new friends through my blog.

But here's the deal. If I don't really like the subject matter of your blog I can do one of two things: Leave nasty comments and bash you on some YAHOO group or shut the friggin computer off. I turn mine off.

So my question is, can't we all play nicely in the sandbox children?

At the Farmers Market

2006-10-03T20:47:00.000-04:00

Autumn is by far my most favorite time of year. A few days ago on a slightly cool, sunny afternoon I picked up Leah from her preschool and drove over to our local Farmer's market. We ate our bagged lunch at a picnic table and then had fun pulling around a wagon filled with all sorts of pumpkins. She had so much fun picking out the "perfect" pumpkins, pulling the wagon and feeding the farm animals some carrots. It was a great way to spend an afternoon in Autumn.

Get Human

2006-10-02T10:25:00.000-04:00

Tired of calling some 800 number only to have to press thirty numbers just to find out the information that you are looking for? Check out Get Human. It's a database of companies and their telephone numbers and/or codes to get a real live human when calling for customer service. Pretty handy...

Mini-Moopy

2006-09-29T21:28:00.000-04:00

Who knew a sewing machine and a little bit of fabric could make me so happy! Check out the mini moopy my mother and I created for Leah. I haven't touched a sewing machine since home ec class in middle school, hence all the help from my mom. You too can make a cute little mini moopy with the pattern found here.

I also made another stuffed animal, which will make a debute on the blog sometime next week.

Lemony goodness

2006-09-28T19:30:00.000-04:00

LEMON BLOSSOMS
This recipe makes 5 dozen mini-cupcakes:

Cupcakes:
18 1/2 oz package yellow cake mix
3 1/2 oz package instant lemon pudding mix
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Glaze:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray miniature muffin tins with cooking spray. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and oil and blend well with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour a small amount of batter, filling each muffin tin half way. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Turn out onto a tea towel.

To make the glaze, sift the sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, zest, oil and water. Mix with a spoon until smooth.

Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the glaze while they are still a bit warm. Place on wire racks with wax paper underneath to catch any drips. Let the glaze set thoroughly, about an hour, before serving.

A few things

2006-09-27T11:11:00.000-04:00

A few things you can get done when you are not blogging:

KNIT A HAT

BAKE

LEARN HOW TO SEW (thanks Mom)

VISIT A YARN STORE

More about all of these later...

A Break

2006-09-18T10:00:00.000-04:00

Have you ever felt all blogged out? I guess this is what I am feeling right now. I don't know what direction I should be taking this blog thing. I have been going along now for nine months but feel it is getting a bit repetitive. I may decide to take it in a different direction. So, for right now, I will be taking a little break from Forks & Chopsticks.

Having said that, I will still be posting about reading and our book club at The Written Word. See you soon.

Please give her some love!

2006-09-16T08:25:00.000-04:00

My sister Chris, mother of seven kids, shattered her wrist while ice skating the other day. If you could all just stop by her blog here and leave her a little encouraging comment I sure would appreciate it. Getting comments makes her day!

By the way Chrissy, you live in HAWAII. Shouldn't you be sitting on the beach instead of ice skating anyway?

Just in time for cooler weather...

2006-09-14T09:01:00.000-04:00

Got in some knitting time recently and made this poncho for Leah. I used the Downtown Tot Poncho pattern from Lion Brand and Leah picked out their Color Waves yarn in the Pebble Beach color. This was the easiest poncho pattern I could find. I hope to move on to something a bit more sophisticated for next year's poncho!

Commenting

2006-09-13T07:14:00.000-04:00

FROM BLOGGER:

Users who have switched to Blogger in beta will not be able to login to comment on blogs that have not switched. Commenting using the “anonymous” or “other” options will still work. Update (9/12): We have started working on making this possible, however the change is substantial and will take a little while before it is ready.

And this is why I may not have been leaving you comments recently. This stinks!

WTC

2006-09-11T06:56:00.000-04:00

During summer vacation from school when I was a little girl, my father would wake me up very early, pack me into his car and bring me to work with him. As we would drive along Route 3 towards Nutley, New Jersey (where he was a police officer) we would enjoy a breathtaking early morning view of New York City. The empire state building, all shiny in the morning light would be directly ahead, with the twin towers further down lower Manhattan to the right. I still remember this view as clear as day. Since I was growing up in "the sticks" as my hometown is called, the city was and is always fascinating to me.

It wasn't until I was a young adult that I actually visited the World Trade Center. I remember viewing the city from the observation area. Joe, my father and I attended an orchid show held at the center. A month before they fell, Joe and I sat in the atrium (which by some miracle is still standing) and ate lunch while looking out over the Hudson river.

When the towers were destroyed, so was the subway system below. Not very long ago, the NY/NJ Port Authority opened up the PATH system again which connects Newark New Jersey to the World Trade Center site. The train station is located about six or so stories below street level and runs the perimeter of the hole which is ground zero. In other words, you are actually inside ground zero as you approach the train station. From the train you can see what a huge area had been destroyed and the efforts of hard working men and women as they work toward rebuilding.

So today, I not only mourn the loss of thousands of lives, but also for the loss of a New York landmark, the twin towers and surrounding buildings that were the World Trade Center. You will forever be in my memory as part of the great city of New York.

Below are a few pictures I took at ground zero while visiting the city this past weekend:

Talking

2006-09-08T19:12:00.000-04:00

Leah likes to talk. So much so that she started at the very young age of nine months and never slowed down. Tonight she topped herself.

WARNING for my Dad or any in-laws who may be reading this post. You might want to just skip the rest of it.

Anyway, tonight at dinner the subject of pregnancy came up. Leah, in her 4 1/2 year old infinite wisdom, started talking about babies and where they come from. She then proceeded to tell the story of when I had to go to a doctors appointment with her in tow. As she so eloquently put it, "remember Mommy when you went to the doctor and he checked out your booty with a pair of pliers?" At this point Joe and I were laughing so hard we could barely talk.

For the record, when I went to aforementioned doctor I told her that she had to sit in the chair behind me and not move. As soon as the doctor began his exam, she jumped off the chair, ran right over and watched the whole thing. And now, a year afterwards, she apparently likes to talk about it. Great.

The cool kids

2006-09-07T17:55:00.000-04:00

Did you ever have the feeling that some people are so much more intelligent/smart/cool than yourself? Whenever I read posts by Johnny or Kristen or Mrs. Fortune or numerous other bloggers I am blown away by their sheer smartness.

And what about the bloggers who can not only write but make awesome stuff too? I always get excited when checking my bloglines and seeing that Viv or SouleMama or Wee Wonderfuls has a new post. They are like eye candy.

Do you think it makes me cool just by association?

By the way, I moved my book club blog over to wordpress. You can find it here (that is if you want to join the cool bloggers who also read).

An afternoon at the movies

2006-09-02T23:16:00.001-04:00

Today was rainy and dreary, so I headed out to the movies with some friends to see Little Miss Sunshine. If you want to get lost in an endearing story about a dysfunctional family on a road trip, then go see this movie. If you just want to laugh a lot, then DEFINITELY see this movie.

Old Same

2006-09-01T14:54:00.000-04:00

One day in the 1960s an old woman fainted in a rural Chinese train station. When the police searched her belongings in an effort to identify her, they came across papers with what looked to be a secret code on them. This being the height of the Cultural Revolution, the woman was arrested and detained on suspicion of being a spy. The scholars who came to decipher the code realized almost at once that this was not something related to international intrigue. Rather, it was a written language used solely by women and it had been kept a "secret" from men for a thousand years. - From the acknowledgement section of the book Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

The book, a work of fiction, is based upon a real written language that existed in a remote area of the southern Hunan provence in China for thousands of years. Nu Shu was created by women, for women, as a way to secretly communicate their thoughts and feelings. In the book the main character Lily forms a lifelong relationship with Snow Flower, who she then considers her an "old same" (similar to a sworn sisterhood or maybe a best friendship between women).

This was the first book selection at my online book club, The Written Word. One of the discussion questions I posted today is the following: Do you think the concept of "old sames" exists today? Do you have an "old same," or are you part of a sworn sisterhood?

For me, I would have to say that I have been fortunate to have two very strong female relationships in my life.

First is my girlfriend Ariel. We have known been friends for almost twenty years now. Unfortunately, we don't reside in the same part of the country anymore and since we have such busy lives we don't communicate half as often as we should. Having said that, each time I hear from her it feels like I just spoke to her yesterday. It is comfortable.

My friend Chau, on the other hand, has only been in my life for about six years, but it might as well be sixty. We met at work and became fast friends. Joe would often work late so it would be Chau and I at the movies, Chau and I going out to dinner (you get the picture). Of course, all that changed when I gave birth to Leah and became a stay-at-home Mom. My relationship with Chau, thankfully, has stayed the same. She has been here with me through thick and thin and always makes me laugh.

So, do any of you have an "old same" out there?

On a side note, if you are interested in participate with my online book club, just stop by The Written Word and send me an e-mail. We will be picking out our next book selection soon, so be sure to check it out!

Soccer Mom

2006-08-29T20:43:00.000-04:00

I wasn't going to be a Soccer Mom. You know, the one driving the bumper stickered mini-van filled with a bunch of kids, talking on her cell phone, driving all over creation just so her kids can play sports, instruments or swing some pom poms around. Don't get me wrong, I would like Leah to experience new things and try different activities, but I don't feel like she needs to do EVERYTHING. But I was wrong. That typical Mom hasn't necessarily over scheduled her children. In fact, as I have just recently found out, even doing one thing for your kids is overkill.

First, let me point out that Joe and I have welcomed a foreign exchange student into our home. It has been a week since S. moved in and all is going very well. She is friendly, sweet and has fit into our family perfectly. She will be attending high school (HS) here and will spend the next ten months in our home.

Just yesterday I took S over to the private HS she will be attending to try out for the soccer team. She did well and was excepted onto the team. She worked out with the other girls from 2 - 4 p.m. Before we left I asked the coach when would the next practice be. You know what the answer was? 6 - 8 p.m. THAT SAME NIGHT. WHAT?

So this is what our schedule is like until S starts school next Wednesday:

1:40 p.m. Drive 8.5 miles to the HS for start of practice at 2 p.m.
2:00 p.m. Drive 8.5 miles back home with Leah (or find something in the local area to do for two hours).
3:40 p.m. Drive 8.5 miles back to HS to pick S up.
4:00 p.m. Drive 8.5 miles back home
4:20 p.m. Prepare dinner
5:00 p.m. Eat dinner
5:40 p.m. Drive 8.5 miles to the HS for start of practice at 6 p.m.
6:00 p.m. Drive 8.5 miles back home
7:40 p.m. Drive 8.5 miles back to HS to pick S up.
8:00 p.m. Drive 8.5 miles back home
8:20 p.m. Finally get home

So, if your teenager is involved with just ONE sport or activity, this is your potential schedule. No wonder the typical American family doesn't eat dinner together anymore!

Fun with potatoes

2006-08-27T11:46:00.000-04:00

The weather this weekend has been just awful. We postponed our annual block party because it is so chilly out. It is currently pouring outside and I even had to turn on the heat this morning!

Anyway, I figured it would be fun to post a few photos of Leah working on a recent craft project (you know, when the weather was still summer-like)! It's called potato stamping and all you do is cut a potato lengthwise, cut or use a cooking cutter to make it into a desired shape, paint it with some fabric paint and stamp it on a t-shirt. Instant art.

bedhead

2006-08-25T07:34:00.000-04:00

Odds and Ends...

2006-08-22T18:54:00.000-04:00

It's been a crazy week! Over the weekend we went to Philadelphia and met up with some friends (Chau and Chris) and family (our niece Candice). We had a blast.

Also, today we opened our home to a Japanese foreign exchange student. It is something that Joe and I have always wanted to do and we are very excited to have her. So now, not only do I have a pre-schooler at home but a teenager as well! I will post more about this later.

I leave you now with pictures from Philly:

Leah painted my face at the children's museum

Leah looks at her favorite painting at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Leah and her cousin Candice

Newlyweds Chris and Chau

Movies

2006-08-13T19:50:00.000-04:00

I saw this meme on another blog and even though I wasn't tagged I thought it would be fun to fill out anyway.

The first movie you remember seeing on the big screen: I think it might have been E.T. I do remember that my Mom and I loved it so much that we brought my father with us to see it again.
Movie from which you can quote multiple lines in your sleep: Probably these three: The Hunt for Red October, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Shawshank Redeption. All three are the kind of movies that if my husband and I are channel surfing on a Saturday night and one of them happens to be on we still watch the entire thing.
Director (dead or alive) with whom you would most like to have dinner: Ang Lee. He is just so versatile.
Movie that should have won an Oscar but didn't: I can't think of any off the top of my head. Trust me though, two days after I post this list I will think of plenty!
Movie that didn’t disappoint despite being an adaptation from a book: The Cider House Rules, Emma, The Joy Luck Club
Movie you were dragged to by someone else, expecting to hate but loved: My best friend from high school insisted that we see Glory. It is the story of the first black regiman in the Civil War. It stared Matthew Broderick and Denzel Washington and I was just blown away.
Movie that still scares the crap out of you no matter how many times you see it: The Exorcist.
Movie that still makes you bawl no matter how many times you see it: Glory (the entire last 45 minutes) and Sense and Sensibility (the end when Hugh Grant tells Emma Thompson that he isn't married to someone else and he wants to marry her) - it gets me every time!
Movie that still has you rolling around on the floor with laughter no matter how many times you see it: The Christmas Story. Just seeing Ralphie in the pink bunny suit his Aunt Clara sent him still gives me the giggles.

If you read this and want to participate, then consider yourself tagged!

Just for kids in Beijing!

2006-08-11T08:02:00.000-04:00

I just posted about this Beijing bookstore on my other blog, The Written Word. I thought I would put it here too since many of you are planning to be in China in the near future (I know I am)! Take a look at Kids Republic , an awesome children's bookstore. It is just unbelievable. Click on the link to see more photos. I have to take Leah there when we go to China next year!

Thanks to Bookmark My Heart for posting about this.

I'm a lucky one

2006-08-10T09:58:00.000-04:00

Last week I won a $50 gift certificate to a local restaurant from my library. Today I won that really cool NYC book from A Readable Feast (see post from August 7th)! Hmmm, maybe I should buy a lottery ticket...

Crafts

2006-08-08T10:49:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid, I used to love working on any type of craft I could get my hands on. I still do. Take a peek at Leah, who is peeking back at me through the cute little finger puppets we made yesterday.

Anyway, the real reason for this post is to tell you about Kids Craft Weekly, a free e-mail newsletter that features craft projects for children. Amber, who is a mother of two living half way around the world, also has a craft blog called The Pointy Sister. As usual, I am just blown away by such talent all these crafty blogging moms have!

I like to win

2006-08-07T14:06:00.000-04:00

Doesn't everyone? Anyway, please check out this cool blog. She is running a contest (you can see the rules here) and giving away this cool book to a lucky winner.

PICK ME, PLEASE PICK ME!!

Do I sound desperate enough?

Howard the cat and some red paint

2006-08-06T20:50:00.000-04:00

This is the door that Joe painted:

This is the cat that RAN THROUGH the paint tray:

You don't want to see what the family room rug looks like.

I do wish I had a picture of Joe washing off the cat. Now THAT would have been funny.

Stupid cat.

Lifebook

2006-08-05T12:16:00.000-04:00

When I posted about my scrapbooking pages last month, the lovely Georgia asked me if I knew of any websites about preparing an adoption lifebook. I haven't done any web research on Lifebooks, but have the feeling that they are very similar to scrapbooking. My agency has sent us some information on starting a lifebook. I thought I would share it with all of you just in case you are planning on starting one.

LIFEBOOKS were developed to create a permanent record of a child's birth and placement history. The scraps of information held by adoptive parents may be the only clues an adopted child has to his/her roots. Preserving what is available, however limited, is important. Creating a lifebook helps your child learn about his/her heritage and it weaves the child's past into his/her present and future development.

Families that create lifebook often include items such as:

Documents adoptive parents collected for the adoption
Notes they took when they received their child referral over the telephone
Airline boarding passes
Items they picked up from their trip to China
News clippings or magazines from the time the child was adopted
A detailed journal or letter about the trip the adoptive parents took in order to complete the adoption
Photographs from the trip to China, or a note to the child before or after the adoption was finalized.
M3's elaborate referral spreadsheets (OK, I added that one)!

Hopefully this little bit of information can get you started. Since I still have a long wait ahead of me, I am starting a scrapbook for my husband Joe to include all the home improvement projects he has worked on.

On another note, in case you are still interested voting has started over at The Written Word. Stop on by and vote for which book you would like to read with our on-line book club!

Join me with a good book

2006-08-03T08:41:00.000-04:00

Based upon a few suggestions from some of my blogging buddies (yep, I'm talking about you Tammy and Stacy), I have started a virtual book club blog called The Written Word. In order to get this up and running I am asking anyone that is interested to visit The Written Word, read the Welcome post for instructions and then send me an e-mail with your suggestions! Keep in mind that you do not have to be a blogger to participate.

I plan on adding blog links to all those who participate and also links to some of the really cool reading blogs that I have found.

Suggestions are welcome, so please don't be shy and come on over. I hope to find a few of you (my mom, Chau, Ariel, my sister, Maureen, Pink Lucy, Katie J and Nicole) who I know are big time readers to participate.

Please Bury Me in the Library

2006-08-01T17:36:00.000-04:00

I love to sit down with a good book, so I figured that there must be other bloggers with my passion for reading. A quick search on the internet sent me to some really interesting blogs all about books.

The most elaborate of them all is BookGirl's Nightstand. Just click on the reference section to check out her archives and a huge list of links to other book blogs. I was also happy to find Bookmark My Heart, A Life In Books, A High and Hidden Place and Out in the Woods. Also be sure to check out A Readable Feast at ClubMom. It is a really cool site that mixes recipes with info on lots of different childrens books.

Speaking of reading a good book, how about reading a book about reading books (are you confused yet)? Check out the memoir So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson. The author challenges herself to read a book a week for a year and then keep a journal on how the reading material intersects with her life.

Or how about The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble? It's a work of fiction about five women, living very different lives, who meet monthly for a bookclub.

Check out this really beautiful children's book that I found in my local library last night. Please Bury Me in the Library (or Libary, as Leah calls it) is a book of poems celebrating a love of books and reading. One of my favorites from the book is below

"Great, Good, Bad"

A great book is a homing device
For navigating paradise.

A good book somehow makes you care
About the comfort of a chair.

A bad book owes to many trees
A forest of apologies.

I must stop typing now, since I need some time to read Prep tonight. Happy reading!

Museum of Natural History NYC

2006-07-30T20:26:00.000-04:00

Do you know this man?

2006-07-30T20:04:00.000-04:00

I don't watch a lot a television. Like everybody else, I occasionally get sucked into some horrific show like this (which deserves it's own post, believe me) or House Hunters on HGTV, but rarely do I put aside time just to watch a specific show. Until now, that is.

Please don't ring me up on Tuesday night at 9 o'clock, because more than likely I have my eyes glued to the TV to watch this man, Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs on The Discovery Channel.

Mike, who has in the past sang professionally with the Baltimore Opera, is the host of the show. Dirty Jobs showcases the very messy jobs that many men and women have to work at every day. Not like your typical office job, Mike takes on tasks like roadkill collector, septic tank cleaner and geo duck harvester (let me say about the geo ducks - if you are a fan of sashimi, you should probably skip this episode).

There are three reasons that bring me back to the tube each Tuesday night. First, Mike is always funny, never condescending and seems like an all around nice guy. Secondly, you really do appreciate your work environment after seeing what average people do every day to keep our world turning. The last reason is the most obvious - could he be any cuter?

A blind date

2006-07-24T21:14:00.000-04:00

You know what it is like when you meet someone and feel like you have known them for a long time? Well, I had the pleasure today to meet two of my favorite bloggers - Tammy of Spilling my Coffee Beans and Katie of Maylee Bezzer. Katie also had her friend Beth with her.

What could have been a potentially awkward meeting "Uh, hi, I'm the forks and chopsticks lady" turned out to be like meeting old friends. We met at the Philadelphia Zoo where the kids ran around, we talked and just had a great time. I am so glad that we were able to finally get-together. Our adoption agency hosts a Chinese New Year party each year and I think that my husband, daughter and I might attend it next year just so I can run into these gals again!

Below is a pic of our kids (Tammy's son had his face painted like a puppy dog):

And is this not the cutest - Leah and Tammy's son out for a little stroll. Too sweet!

Remember when

2006-07-22T19:29:00.001-04:00

Remember the amusement park that your parents used to bring you to when you were a kid? If you were lucky they drove you down to Florida to experience the wonder that is Disney World. Otherwise, you were probably subjected to the small, dilapidated, family owned amusement parks of the past.

One such park was Fairy Tale Forest, located in my hometown in New Jersey. The place was built by a German immigrant and his two sons in 1957. The park was filled with storybook cottages each depicting fairytales like The Three Little Pigs and Little Red Ridding Hood. I am sure in its heyday it must have been a wondrous site. By the time I was a a teenager and had excepted a job there, the park had started to show its age.

When my girlfriend and I were hired, the owner Paul was 90 years old and insisted that everyone call him Opa (German for grandpa). Every once in a while Opa would wander across the street and attempt to fix up some of the displays. At this point the only thing that could clean it up was maybe a bulldozer. But still, the kids came. It wasn't all sugar coated sweet or so clean you could lick the bathroom floor. It was a down and dirty sort of place. Most of the displays had cobwebs growing on them. The taxidermied animals in "The Rabbit School" were downright creepy. But that was part of the charm, wasn't it? When you are five, you don't care if the Candyland train is up to code; as long as it was fast you were a happy camper. So what if one of Snow Whites drawfs looked a little like the devil himself? You got to run free through the park and loved every minute of it.

Fairy Tale Forest closed its doors in 2003. The front facade still stands, but behind it are a bunch of storage buildings. Yesterday, Joe and I took Leah to another local park. OK, it wasn't quite as dilapidated as Fairy Tale Forest, but they did have some poor guy dressed up like Santa, sitting in a hot, dimly lit attic handing out cookie cutters. Leah loved it, and so did I.

The grass is DEFINITELY greener

2006-07-21T19:26:00.000-04:00

BEFORE:

AFTER:

This is what I would classify as a miracle. Joe and I do not have green thumbs, and yet with the guidance of our neighbor (also known as the grass God) we have actually grown something. Not too bad, if I do say so myself!

How much is too much?

2006-07-20T23:00:00.000-04:00

Last week, my daughter and I attended a birthday party for Nicole's 2 year old son. It was a really fun cowboy party which included games, cowboy hats and to top it all off, pony rides. Everyone had a blast and I can truly say that it was probably the most well organized children's party I've ever been to. I don't know what she spent on the party, but I am sure she didn't have to take out a second mortgage to host it.

Tonight, I read this article about elaborate children's parties. Here's a quick excerpt:

Two years earlier, she forked out $10,000 on a princess party for Sabrina, then three, sending a Cinderella character out to the homes of dozens of children to hand-deliver an invitation along with a song. She hired 10 princesses that day, as well as a horse-drawn carriage, 12-foot-tall balloon sculptures of the Little Mermaid, 10 activity tents and characters out of "Alice in Wonderland." "The balloons themselves cost $4,500," she said.

Now, is it just me, or does that seem to be a tad over the top? Let's face it, these people are not spending thousands of dollars so their three year old is happy. They are doing it to impress their friends and neighbors.

I really don't understand this rational, because to be quite frank, I really don't give a damn what people think of me. I am a well-adjusted, financially stable, happy person. I dress in clothes bought on sale at Kohl's and hardly wear any makeup. Do I feel the need to prove my worth to anyone? Absolutely NOT! Furthermore, I am not really that impressed if you spend half of what my adoption is costing me on your kids birthday bash. In fact, I think it is a huge waste of money and said kid will probably grow up to be a spoiled brat.

I would much prefer going to a birthday party hosted by Nicole. She is unpretentious and nice. Anyway, I would probably have to wear makeup at a $10,000 birthday party...

tagged!

2006-07-17T21:27:00.000-04:00

OK, the original tag says to fill out the below lists with seven items each (i.e. 7 things I can do). To be honest, I am tired and don't feel particularly creative at the moment, so I will list only the most important things. In other words don't bet on seven, ok!

Things I Want To Do Before Dying
See the Taj Mahal, live somewhere other than New Jersey, play with my grandchildren, become a successful Graphic Designer, write a children's book, play a musical instrument and speak Chinese

Things I Can Not Do
Definitely can't sing, play the piano or talk on the telephone for more than five minutes (I really hate the phone)! Speak Chinese - the only Chinese I know is how to say "give me the check" at a restaurant or "he just dropped dead" - believe it or not, these two statements sound VERY similar in Cantonese.

Things I Can Do
Cook, knit, whistle, swim and listen

Things That Attracted Me To My Husband
His sense of humor, work ethic, generosity and most of all the fact that I knew he would make a great dad.

Things I Say Most Often
Just give me one minute, DUH, whatever, I'll love you forever (to my daughter) and various obscenitiess while driving my car.

Books That I Love
The Red Tent, The Kite Runner, Memoirs of a Geisha, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (actually, the whole HP series), The Lovely Bones and The Time Traveler's Wife

Movies That I Love
Sense and Sensibility, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Glory, Pirates of theCaribbeann

So now it's my turn to tag - Buttercup, Collin Chronicles, Maryland Mommy, What about Mommy? and My Wooly Nest - you're IT

Fat Baby

2006-07-17T21:02:00.000-04:00

I am posting this picture of my daughter Leah for the benefit of my girlfriend Chau. We were talking about chunky babies on the phone this morning and I was reminding her how BIG Leah was. A real porker. She was also quite flexible. The doctor always said "well, she is certainly well fed."

Leah at 5 months of age:

Chau and Leah (at a month old):

It is amazing how quickly four years flies by...

Something to think about

2006-07-14T16:36:00.000-04:00

As most of you already may be aware of, and was mentioned on a blog I frequent, a few families in the China adoption community who received their referrals last month were surprised by referrals for boys, instead of the requested girls. I read this on the Rumor Queens site also, but have yet to see who actually received this referral.

I decided not to write about this until I thought it over for a few days. When we began this process in November, we didn't even consider requesting a boy. We already had a daughter and felt that another girl would be a perfect addition to our family. We even picked out a name for her, Maya, and we regularly use her name when speaking about Leah's little sister. A referral for a boy would come as a shock to us and leave us with a lot of explaining to do to Leah.

Having said that, I had to really consider why we started this adoption in the first place. It is not due to infertility (my daughter Leah is biological) but more about what we have always believed a family is.

Before we were married, Joe and I talked about infertility issues. What if we were faced with the same upsetting circumstances as thousands of other couples? Both of us decided right then and there that if we couldn't have children on our own, we would opt for adoption right away, in other words skip all medical intervention. It was just something that neither of us was willing to do because we didn't have a strong NEED for biological children. I know that it sounds strange (and maybe you are saying to yourself "easy for her to say" since I did have a successful pregnancy) but the fact is that I always knew I didn't have to give birth to a child to actually love him or her.

Which brings us to the present time. When Leah was 3 1/2 I started thinking about having another child. Could I have gotten pregnant again? I guess so. But I didn't want to. We really truly felt that adoption could and should be the way to grow our family.

Having said that all of that, we decided that we wouldn't turn down a referral based on gender. Sure I have my heart set on a girl, but am I adopting because I really want a girl or am I doing it because I want to be a mother again?

P.S. I am sure that everyone has a strong opinion on this subject. I am just writing about how I feel. Each family has different circumstances, so if your opinion differs from mine, that's cool too.

P.P.S. When I was pregnant with Leah we didn't find out her sex we really enjoyed the element of surprise. My neice, Kira, found out she was having a girl and then gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Julian. Sure it was a shocker to us all (especially her), but she feels so lucky to have been truly blessed with a wonderful child. I guess nothing in this world is certain.

Scrapbooking junkies (this means you)!

2006-07-13T07:36:00.000-04:00

Even though I have barely mentioned it on my blog, I am a scrapbooker. Like any other crafty thing (a.k.a. knitting) I tend to work on it for a few months and then put it down again. Is that why I am like a year and a half behind on my scrapbooking?

Anyway, I have now picked up my knitting needles and scrapbooking supplies again. Yep, I have even resumed the baby hoodie project. Last night my neighbor and I went to our local library for their first ever scrapbook night. There I met two women who filled us in on the best scrapbooking secret in northern New Jersey. Apparently one of the really big scrapbooking supply companies has their warehouse about a half-hour from here. A few times a year they have a warehouse sale open to the public. Can you imagine - 10 pages of 12x12 paper for $1! 12 x 12 albums for $5! Filling up a shoebox with stickers and embellishments for $10 bucks! I came home right away to sign up for their mailing list and can't wait to hit the next sale.

I love seeing other people post pictures of their scrapbook pages so I figured I would too (I suppose a scanner would come in handy for something like this, but alas I don't have one).

Here is Leah in Hawaii when she was almost 2 years old. I took the picture and using Photoshop gave it a grainy finish, like sand. There is Diamond Head in the background. I printed out some journaling on velum:

This layout was in a magazine, so I did my best to recreate it. Leah was 2 1/2 and Dora the Explorer for Halloween:

Summertime fun (2004):

Last night I started an 8.5 x 8.5 album of our Hawaii vacation photos. Here is the first page:

How lucky I am

2006-07-11T20:12:00.000-04:00

I did two things today. This morning I met my girlfriend at our town lake and spent a few hours in the sunshine just hanging out and playing in the water with Leah. In the late afternoon I took Leah to her first ever dance class. It was a huge success and she really enjoyed it.

I bring this up because I overheard a conversation while watching Leah at her dance class. Apparently most of the people (parents of the kids in class) worked full time. There was one guy who works as a sales rep from his home office and his wife works in New York City. They have two young daughters. He was saying that his wife leaves the house at 6:45 a.m. to catch a train and doesn't come home until around 7 p.m. He works until about 6:30 p.m. when his nanny leaves.

Right there it hit me how incredibly lucky I really am. Instead of sitting on an overcrowded train this morning, I snuggled with my daughter. I got to dig holes in the sand instead of sitting through another corporate meeting. My husband, daughter and I sat down to a meal together and talked about our day.

I understand that for many families it is not an option to have one parent stay at home. Single parents must work to provide for their children. And for some, a fulfilling career is not something they want to just give up.

Some days being a stay-at-home mom can be overwhelming. There have been times that I just can't wait for Joe to get home so I can high-tail it out of here. I guess that sometimes you just need a gentle reminder about how fortunate you really are. I'm a stay at home mom and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Leah Ballerina

Uniqua is her name

2006-07-09T20:38:00.000-04:00

You may be familiar with a post I did a few weeks earlier about kids TV. You can find it here to refresh your memory.

Anyway, one of the programs I really enjoy watching with Leah is The Backyardigans. The one thing that bugged me is the fact that I couldn't ever figure out what type of animal Uniqua represented (second from the right in pink). She is pink and has swirly antenna on her head. The other characters are very obviously a moose, hippo, penguin and kangaroo.

This evening Joe was watching a Backyardigans DVD with Leah and I asked him what he thought she might be. He guessed a snail (HA HA HA).

In further researching an answer on the trusty old internet, I found this:

Uniqua is her name and her species. She’s graceful, agile, and as light on her feet as a ballerina. But when it comes to playing, she’s more “adventure” than “ballet.” Unafraid and daring, Uniqua loves to run, climb, and ride her bike faster than anyone. She also loves to tell silly jokes, make silly noises, and tickle her friends. Yes, Uniqua is mischievous, but she’s also sweet – she knows whether her friends are happy or sad, and she’ll always say something to show that she cares.BLAH, BLAH, BLAH...

So she isn't even an animal! What a total cop-out. What, the producers couldn't come up with just one more animal for the show? You know, all the millions of other mammals in the world just didn't cut it?

I'm not quite sure why this pisses me off, but maybe it has to do with all the precious brain cells I wasted on trying to figure it out.

On another note, a friend of mine just started a blog called The Collin Chronicles: Tales of a Tiny Tyrant. Please stop by and show her some love.

Woody the woodpecker

2006-07-08T17:12:00.000-04:00

This morning, a juvenile red bellied woodpecker flew directly into our sliding glass window. After calling a friend of a friend (who is an Ornithologist), he suggested that we put the bird in a box, cover him up and leave him in a dark place for a few hours. Apparently, some birds are just temporally stunned by the impact and will recover after some time in a quiet environment.

Unfortunately, by noon time the woodpecker was still not able to fly away, so we took it to The Raptor Trust, which is a nonprofit avian rehabilitation here in New Jersey. Just the other day, the center released a bald eagle back into the wild after it has spent 6 weeks in their rehab center. You can read all about it here.

Anyway, here is our little woodpecker friend awaiting his trip to the hospital:

Below is a snowy white owl and a bald eagle which we were able to see after we dropped off the woodpecker:

There are about 70 exterior cages that house recuperating birds that will be released, as well as unreleasable individuals that reside at the facility. I will be contacting them in two days to find out how the woodpecker is doing. Hopefully, if it has recovered they will release it back into the wild.

A little obsessed

2006-07-05T21:10:00.000-04:00

I am trying my darndest not to obsess over the adoption wait since it has only been 48 days since our log-in date. In an attempt to re-direct my thoughts, I have added something new to the sidebar on my blog. Just scroll down a bit to see it.

It is the "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" countdown clock that I got from this cool site. Only 372 days until the movie hits theater! There is also a rumor floating around that the seventh and final Harry Potter book will be released on 7/7/07.

Oh boy, what if I am in China when the book is released? Do you think I'll be able to find a bookstore throwing a Harry Potter midnight party? :)

Maybe I could get one of these in a onsie...

Corners of My Home #8

2006-07-04T21:01:00.000-04:00

Joe worked hard this holiday weekend replacing this with a new front door and storm door. All we have to do now is put in new molding and paint it. I really like it white, but am also considering painting it a deep red color.

Our neighborhood friends

2006-07-04T20:11:00.000-04:00

There is nothing better than spending a summer night with friends. We are fortunate to have really awesome neighbors, many with kids close to Leah's age. Below are some pictures of a recent BBQ we hosted.

Just hanging out

Some pretty cool kids!

Soccer anyone?

Buzz Buzz

2006-07-01T21:55:00.000-04:00

There is a larger than normal fly buzzing around my head as I type this. Another one has attached itself to my hallway light. A few more of these winged creatures I have lost track of. Why, do you ask, is my house the new home for wayward bugs? It actually has to do with our wedding anniversary. We will be married for 8 years this 4th of July. So how are we treating ourselves this holiday weekend? We took our 10% off coupon to Home Depot and bought ourselves a snazzy new front door.

Here is our old front door (and yes, it is actually pink - painted by the previous owners)!

And here is my hubby making a huge mess on our front lawn.

Yep, we had a gaping hole in the front of our house most of the day. We lost track of our cats once or twice, but now have a proper front door again. Once the new storm door is installed (tomorrow or Monday) I will post a picture of our new door.

I also want to mention that home improvements are a hobby for my husband. He really enjoys working with his hands and on his home. I am really lucky to have a husband who does a top notch job.

My kitchen cupboards

2006-06-29T09:20:00.000-04:00

Julie has come up with a cute spin on the "Corners of my home" posts and asked us to show our shamefully messy and unorganized pantry spaces.

First, here is my kitchen. My husband re-did the kitchen about five years ago (he is one handy guy). He worked hard making it just the way I wanted it - even putting up wallpaper that I promptly HATED! So, after all these years he is going to take it down and paint the kitchen my favorite color - green. I can't wait. We will also be replacing the window with a double hung (to match the rest of the house).

Anyway, here is not only my snack pantry, but also the drawer where I house forks, knives, chopsticks and other junk. The snacks used to be in our lazy susan, but we had to move them up out of "Leah" reach.

Oh, and try these - they are yummy!

And speaking of food, my neighbor Sharon, who is a dietician, introduced me to this awesome monthly newsletter called "Nutrition Action." It is only about 16 pages long, but it gives you great, easy to understand nutrition advice. I love the section called Right Stuff/Food Porn, where they rate name brand packaged food. Did you know that the Pillsbury Perfect Portions Buttermilk biscuits have 4 1/2 grams of trans fats (about the same amount you would get in a Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnut)! You can find out how to subscribe here.

Hmm, I wonder what they would say about my Chex Mex Turtles?

33

2006-06-28T09:11:00.000-04:00

Today I turn 33 years old. My husband, who is out of town, gave me an early birthday present. Now, I get to blog on this nice new 19" flat screen monitor. Thanks sweetie! I am also going to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch with my Mom. You know, turning one year older isn't so bad!

BEFORE

AFTER!

Corners of My Home #7

2006-06-26T20:15:00.000-04:00

OK, so it's been like two months since I posted about my home, but I just had to put this up because it makes me smile.

Leah and I love doing craft projects, and this is one of the most recent ones we did together. It's called a "stained glass window" and we found the instructions on this awesome weblog Kiddley. I am always so inspired by all the really cool craft blogs (Moopy & Me, SouleMama, Wee Wonderfuls and Kiddley).

Leah was so proud of her creation that she wanted it hung right in her bedroom window. I think it looks beautiful.

A weekend away

2006-06-23T20:08:00.000-04:00

No, this isn't some post telling everyone that my husband and I are going away for the weekend. Unfortunately, it just isn't in the cards for us right now. It is though for Nicole and I am thrilled for her (I am also a bit jealous, since she will be staying at one of my all-time favorite places).

A while back, before Leah was born and I was working full time, Joe and I would take long weekends away. I just love New England, so very often we would stay at a cozy little bed and breakfast somewhere in Vermont or Maine. These always made for the perfect pick-me-up. After a hearty and delicious breakfast we would spend our days reading, shopping in little country stores and talking with the other guests. It was just so good to unwind and take a step back from life.

Do you remember, or have experienced lately, the perfect weekend getaway?

Oh, and Nicole, enjoy this view!

Boy, have they grown!

2006-06-21T22:05:00.000-04:00

Do you remember this post from April? Check out those same babies in the following pictures taken just two weeks ago. Thanks Dad for the great photos!

She hit the nail on the head

2006-06-20T21:27:00.000-04:00

My daughter is very much a typical "girly-girl." Every day, she begs me to let her wear a dress. She loves to put on lip gloss and what she calls her "tappy" shoes. She carries around her pink and blue "Hello Kitty" purse filled with plastic jewerly. We talk about what she wants to do with her hair in the morning.

So, we were pleasantly surprised when we read Leah's response to a questionnaire from her pre-school - What do you like to do with your Dad? This was all part of a Father's Day project they were working on. Leah simple response was that she likes to help him with his tools. For all the girly-ness within her, she just loves playing with her Dad and his screwdrivers, wrenches and all the other greasy little tools she can get her hands on. That night, Joe cleaned out one of his old toolboxes, took Leah to Home Depot (in her overalls, of course) and together they began to fill it up with her "own" tools. Now she is very proud to explain to everyone about the various tools she keeps in HER toolbox. Don't know how to use a nutdriver? She does...

Hawaii vacation pics - part 2

2006-06-20T20:56:00.000-04:00

Awake

2006-06-18T00:30:00.000-04:00

Ok, so let's see...I am now going on night number sixteen of almost NO sleep.

June 3 - 9th - tried to sleep next to my ever turning and kicking daughter while in Hawaii.
June 10 - 13th jet lag and pain from the blockage of my eustachian tubes in my ears helps to keep me awake
June 14th - severe migranie which I fall alseep with at 9 p.m. and wake up with ten times worse at 1 a.m.
June 15th - tonight - now being heavily medicated for the tube drainage and have developed lovely post nasal drip and cough whenever I lay down.

Typing this at 12:33 a.m. Needless to say, I am not a happy camper. I want sleep.

On the bright side, I did read The Undomestic Goddess in two nights. It was very predictable, but a fun read anyway. Maybe I should just pick up another book.

Kids TV -the good and the VERY BAD

2006-06-14T21:35:00.000-04:00

The other day while enjoying a playdate with my friends Tracy and Nicole, we were talking about our favorite kids tv programs. There are some really great, educational and just plain fun children's programs available today. Little Einsteins, Max & Ruby, Pinky Dinky Doo, Blues Clues, Dora the Explorer...the list goes on and on. There is even an entire blog devoted to The Backyardigans (I like the show, though maybe not quite that much).

But, with the good comes the bad.

Like, what's with The Wonder Pets. Can you hear it? "Linny, Tuck and Ming Ming to, we're Wonder Pets and we'll help you! What's gonna work, teamwork!" I can....over and over and over in my head. They sing most of the program in opera, helping other animals out of tight jams. Like the poor Dolphin who gets stuck in the fisherman's net. One of those little annoying pets (there is a gerbil, duck and turtle) sings something like "we've got to help him, or he will drown." Well yeah, if you don't shut up and do something, he will. Duh.
In a NY Times article, Nickelodeon's creative director for preschool television, Brown Johnson said she believes operetta is an art form particularly suited to children. "I used to run around singing my life to myself," she recalled. "I'd be singing 'I'm going to fall down,' singing about what I was having for lunch, about how mean my brothers were." REALLY?

My Mom LOVES Lazytown. I truly have no idea why (do you want to comment Mom)? The main character, Stephanie, runs around in a fushia wig with her weird puppet friends. They are always taunted by the local bad guy, Robbie Rotten, who wears his pants way to tight. Sportacus, the local hero (and real life producer of the show and like, Mr. Iceland or something) creeps me out. What is he doing hanging out with kids anyway. And all the flipping gives me a headache.

Oobi - OK, it's a talking hand. It doesn't speak in full sentences, only one or two words at a time. Once in a while they throw in a talking foot. That's just gross. Surprising fact - the guy who created Oobi also created The Wonder Pets. I would have never guessed.

Miffy - OK, this may be one of the cheapest kids television programs ever made (with the possible exception of the hand and foot diseased Oobi). Miffy's mouth doesn't move - she is just a clay figurine with a voice coming out of who-knows-where. Oh, and it's BORING!

What kids tv programs do you just adore / hate with a passion? Oh, and does anyone know what type of animal Uniqua is?

Closing program

2006-06-14T12:47:00.000-04:00

This morning, Leah participated in the closing programs at her preschool. During the program we watched all the kids march in, heard them sing songs and watched an incredible DVD which is a take home gift for the parents. The DVD lasts a few minutes and shows pictures, set to music, of the children all throughout the school year. You couldn't help but get teary eyed while seeing all the cute pictures. It is really a beautiful keepsake. We then had refreshments in the backyard play area.

In addition, we received an "All About Me" book that the kids created throughout the year. It has the first picture they drew at school, a self-portrait, a few more drawings and a questionnaire that the teachers helped them fill out. Here are a few of her answers:

What is your favorite story? The Seven Chinese Sisters

What is your favorite thing to do in the summer? Go in my mini-pool

What do you want to be when you grow up? A police officer

and my personal favorite:

Where do you like to go on vacation? Hawaii and China

Leah posing for a quick picture in our backyard

before heading out to the program

Nothing like a home cooked meal

2006-06-12T09:41:00.000-04:00

After eating out A LOT while on vacation, I quickly got tired of restaurant food. Now don't get me wrong, I am the first one in the car when my husband suggests that we go out to eat, but every single day gets to be a little much.

So, last night I enjoyed a yummy home cooked meal with Joe, Leah and my newly married girlfriend Chau. Her husband Chris was playing in a baseball game last night, so she was solo. Anyway, on the menu was salad, grilled chicken and corn on the cob. The chicken was grilled with a spice rub on it, which included paprika, cayenne, brown sugar and a few other ingredients (I got the recipe from Rachel Ray's magazine). The salad was something I was trying to recreate from Chau's wedding. It had mixed greens, goat cheese, fresh raspberries, wasabi peas for a little spice and crunch and balsamic vinaigrette.

Let me tell you, this was probably one of the best meals I have had in a while. Like I said, there is truly nothing like a home cooked meal.

Hawaii vacation pics - part 1

2006-06-10T14:01:00.000-04:00

Early morning on the beach

Joe & Leah enjoying the pool

My sister Chris and her husband Dominic

My Mom & Leah waiting for the movie at the beach

Joe & I hiking to the top of Diamond Head

Joe on the top of the mountian

Leah and her Grandpa

Leah and her cousin Vanessa

Part 2 post, nature pictures, coming soon!

YEAH!

2006-06-07T00:08:00.000-04:00

Checking my e-mails from the Internet cafe, I got this from my adoption agency:

We are happy to inform you that on May 18, 2006, your China documents were logged in with the China Center for Adoption Affairs. Only 9 days from when they mailed them out!

They also mentioned that the most recent child assignments took 11.5 months from log-in date to the assignment of a child and they do anticipate that the waiting times will increase. Bummer.

Vacation's over

2006-06-06T16:10:00.000-04:00

Well, not quite, but it sure feels like it. My husband has flown back to New Jersey, my daughter has a low grade fever and tossed and turned all night, and my sister and parents have gotten into a fight. I am ready to be home. I guess after visiting Hawaii for the third time it has worn a little thin.

Hmmm, maybe a trip to the bookstore will make me feel better...

Aloha from Honolulu

2006-06-04T20:27:00.000-04:00

Finally, I found an internet cafe! My husband Joe left to head back home yesterday night. He slept all the way home and then proceeded to hit the Home Depot shortly after landing. Hey, I have my blog, he has Home Depot! Anyway, here are a few highlights from our trip so far.

Enjoyed "Sunset on the Beach" or, what I like to call "put your toes in the sand, enjoy the sunset and then watch a movie on a huge screen." Last night's feature was Shark Tale, perfect for Leah.
Joe and I hiked up to the top of Diamond Head and enjoyed the beautiful view of the ocean and downtown Honolulu.
Had a blast at the pool almost every day and just pretty much relaxed.
Finished "The Kite Runner." RUN to your nearest bookstore and buy this book. It was one of those rare books that you just don't want to end. The kind of book you want to buy for all your friends. It was that wonderful.

Pictures to follow once we are back in New Jersey.

Cool new blog!

2006-05-27T10:16:00.000-04:00

Yep, haven't left for Hawaii yet, but we will be very soon.

Anyway, just wanted to tell you about this cool new recipe blog. It's like a big blogging recipe exchange. If you are interested in my flank steak with lime marinade recipe that I mentioned in my Mother's Day post, you can now find it at the recipe blog. I will also be e-mailing her my strawberry salad recipe, to be posted soon. Enjoy!

We're going on a jet plane.

2006-05-26T08:37:00.000-04:00

Kudos to Lisa, Kristin and Shelley, who all successfully guessed that we are heading to Hawaii!! My sister lives on Oahu (her husband is in the Army and they are currently stationed there). My parents are already vacationing there, so it is going to be like a mini-family reunion. We will be staying at this lovely place. Leah and I will be staying a full 10 days, with my husband leaving a few days before us so he can come back to work (lucky him)!

I will be leaving all the packing to my hubby (because, to be quite honest, he can fit WAY more stuff in our suitcases than I can). So what does that leave me to do?

Well, really two things:

CLEAN THE HOUSE - I hate the idea of coming home to a mess, so I have been working hard to clean, do laundry, change bedsheets and get everything nice and neat for my return. I'm not too obsessive compulsive, am I?
PICK OUT BOOKS - Probably even more important is the task of picking out the right reading material for my vacation. I have about eight books sitting on my bedside table, all calling out to me "take me, oh please take me!" I took a peek at one of my old posts, in which I asked for great book recommendations, I have narrowed it down to these few:

The Kite Runner - Set partly in Afghanistan, the novel follows the relationship of two childhood friends through political turmoil and hardship. Greatly recommended by Lisa, Tammy, and the woman I sat next to at a recent wedding, who also just happens to be a freelance writer and book reviewer for Publishers Weekly. Hey, how could I go wrong!

The Undomestic Goddess - Hey, a girl has to have some super juicy, easy reading while sitting on a white sandy beach, right? Written by the chick lit author Sophie Kinsella, it is a story of Samantha, a high powered lawyer who makes some "big" mistake in her office, and in a daze hops on a train out of the city. She ends up in the countryside where she is mistaken to be the new housekeeper. I don't know if Kim has read this one, but she did recommend the author.

And here is where it gets tricky. I have two more books in the running for a spot in my carry-on:

Ursula, Under - I had picked up this book at the bookstore months ago, because the premise sounds so interesting. Then, I read this post on Pomegranate, where not one but two commenters wrote about how much they loved it. The child in the story, Ursula Wong, has fallen down a well. In the story of her rescue, the tales of her ancestors (including a Chinese alchemist, a Finnish peasant, a priest and a queen to name just a few) are interwoven into the main plot.

One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd - I received this book from my girlfriend Ariel quite a while ago. A neighbor of mine is a die hard fan of the book. The story is about the fictional peace treaty between Ulysses S. Grant and the chief of the Cheyenne nation, and the 1,000 white women who were given to the Cheynne tribe for wives.

So, which one should I bring? Of course, do I really have that much time to read all these books with a four year old running around? Probably not, but I like to be hopeful!

Anyway, see you guys when I get back (or if I check my bloglines from my sister's computer). ALOHA!

Beautiful Wedding

2006-05-21T07:07:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing one of my dear friends, Leah's Godmother Chau, get married. Here are a few pictures of the wedding:

Chau, her sister and Maid of Honor Linda, and my daughter Leah, who was one of two flower girls:

Chau and Leah:

Mackenzie and Leah (the shorter of the two):

One of my favorite pictures from yesterday, right after Chau and her new husband Chris came out of the church:

Cool way to greet guests and give them their table assignments - the little umbrellas were planted in grass and had tags with the table numbers on them:

Chau and Chris enjoy their first dance together:

The lace jacket Chau wore during the wedding ceremony has now been taken off and replaced with a beautiful sash and broach:

As is part of Vietnamese tradition, Chau changed into a beautiful Vietnamese outfit for the cake cutting:

It was a really beautiful day and fun wedding to attend. Leah and Mackie were great flower girls and danced the night away.

Chau and Chris looked so happy together. I am just thrilled for them both.

The Twilight Zone

2006-05-19T20:16:00.000-04:00

After being a stay-at-home mother for the last four years, I agreed to help an old friend out and return to work temporarily. I began working for Bruce in 1998, and after taking maternity leave in 2002 I have kept in close contact with him. Turns out his employee up and quit on him at the beginning of the week, leaving him in a bind.

So, this morning I got up early, took a shower, skipped over the jeans and put on my best "corporate clothes" (of which I may have all of three outfits), put make-up on, got my daughter up early, fed her, packed her lunch for pre-school and dropped her off at my neighbors house. This is all before 8 a.m. I then drove to work, walked through the front door and felt like I had entered the "Twilight Zone." Same office, some of the same people. Truly bizarre. I will be working for part of next week also.

Today has been a learning experience for me. When the going gets tough at home (and it does get tough with an opinionated and energetic four year old), I sometimes contemplate what it would be like to go back to work. All I know now is that I am tired, cranky and just can't wait to crawl into bed. Looks like staying at home is what I do best.

New Look!

2006-05-16T21:54:00.000-04:00

Just felt like changing a few things around my blog a bit. Hope you like the new look. It must be the Graphic Designer in me...

My Little Monster

2006-05-16T20:17:00.000-04:00

DOES THIS LOOK LIKE THE FACE OF A MONSTER?

Yeah, I don't think so either. Leah is really a pretty great kid. She loves to play, laugh, learn and explore. Yet, on the occasion when she gets a little bit overtired, she can turn that sweet face into a scowl.

This evening Leah has been in her bed since 7 o'clock. Her normal bed time is 8:30, but due to the fact that she slammed the door in Joe's face and said some not very nice things to the both of us, she has been sent to bed early. She cried, she screamed, she even gave me a little smack. She told me that she would apologize, but only so she could get back out of bed. When I told her that she could say she was sorry but that she still had to stay in bed she then did something that surprised Joe and I both. She asked us into her room and then apologized with the most sincerity that a four year old can muster up. She hugged and kissed us, told us both how sorry she was and said that she loves us. She has since settled down in her bed. I hope she will be asleep soon.

During those times when children are on your last nerve, they go and do something that just blows you away. I just knew there was a good girl inside that little monster of mine.

Cup of Joe

2006-05-16T14:35:00.000-04:00

OK, I'll admit it - I am a total sucker for free stuff. So, I signed up at bloggersfuel.com to review the Boca Java line of coffees for bloggers. I got the coffee review kit, hat and mug that says "Always Blog on a full tank." How could I pass it up!

Following is my review of two of their specialty coffees:

Blogger's Boot Up Blend - It is a medium blend of African, Central and South American coffees. They suggest it as a good breakfast blend. Joe and I both enjoyed the taste, although in comparing it to the coffee we usually drink I didn't think it was extraordinary.

Bloggers Pajama Passion - This one, that has flavors of vanilla, kahlua and caramel, faired much better in our taste test. I served it after lunch on Mother's Day. My Mom, who is the ultimate coffee drinker, gave her thumbs up approval and then promptly took the rest of the bag home with her. It was smooth, not to strong and very tasty.

Mother's Day and other ramblings...

2006-05-14T14:27:00.000-04:00

Today I had my parents over for lunch to celebrate Mother's Day. Here is a picture of my Mom, Leah and I. On the menu was Flank Steak which was marinated in lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, scallions and red pepper flakes, then grilled by Joe to perfection.

We also enjoyed this yummy salad!
Made with strawberries, mushrooms, sliced red onion, spinach, poppyseed dressing and home-made candied pecans, this is a huge hit whenever I make it (just ask Nicole or Tracy - one of our playgroup Moms, who has since moved to Ohio, shared this recipe with us).

On another note, Joe and I have been busy with lots of "around the house" work. We have taken down some of the wallpaper in the upstairs hallway, cleaned out our entire office, installed a new slide and swings on Leah's swingset, painted, and THIS:

We had this patio installed last fall and so now is the time to try to grow some grass around it. After almost a full day of loosening the soil, carrying 16 bags of topsoil, planting grass seed, putting down fertilizer and starter mulch, we were exhausted (and Joe's allergies were out of control). Wish us grass growing luck!

Normally, I am far from the productive. It must be the fact that we are going away on vacation in the next few weeks. There will be plenty of time for relaxing on the beach! Anyone want to take a guess at where we are flying off to?

Finally!

2006-05-09T17:26:00.000-04:00

Good news!

Today, May 9th, we finally moved from the "paperchase phase" to being DTC! DTC means that our dossier is enroute to the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs. Now we just have to wait for our LID (which is the date that the Chinese office logs you into their system). The official wait is currently 12 months from LID - YIKES - but we are keeping our fingers (and toes) crossed for an expedited referral due to Joe's Chinese heritage. We just now have to wait and see.

Stephanie

Need a new bumper?

2006-05-09T07:37:00.000-04:00

Did your bumper just happen to fall of your car today in the middle of traffic? If so, just do what this guy did:

Joe and I took this picture at the last exit in New Jersey before you get to the Lincoln Tunnel. Wonder what he would have done had he not had a sunroof!

Children's book author

2006-05-06T20:35:00.000-04:00

A few years ago, I took Leah to our local library and picked up a book called "Henry's First Moon Birthday" by Lenore Look. The book is a sweet story of a big sister who helps prepare for her brothers first birthday. I am always looking for books about Chinese American families to read to Leah and this one was nicely written and beautifully illustrated. Joe and I were surprised to find out, when reading the sleeve of the book, that Lenore lives in the same town as we do. Today we had the pleasure of meeting Lenore at a book signing for the release of her newest children's picture book "Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding" and her second chapter book "Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything."

She spoke about the publishing industry, writing Children's books and a little bit about her childhood. She then read from her "Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding" book and answered questions. She was very down to earth and a real pleasure to listen too. She signed both chapter books to Leah, and the picture book to Leah and her baby sister (see pictures below).

If you are interested, you can buy her books from Amazon.com. Just click below.
Henry's First Moon Birthday
Ruby Lu, Brave and True - 1st chapter book
Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything - 2nd chapter book
Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding

I plan on reading the two chapter books myself before reading it to Leah. I am looking for some light reading anyway since my last book was First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung. This memoir chronicles the extreme hardship and heartache five year old Ung faced when Cambodia was taken over by Pol Pot and the Khemar Rouge. It is just amazing that this women lived through her harrowing ordeal and has since written about it. It was shocking and terribly sad, but also left you with a feeling of hope that she was able to survive. I have purchased her second book, Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left Behind about which she chronicles her new life in Vermont while some of her siblings stay back in war torn Cambodia.

Anniversary

2006-05-05T07:09:00.000-04:00

My parents celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary yesterday. Leah and I took them to one of our favorite restaurants for lunch. It is also an award winning brew pub, so we ordered up their brew sampler to try all of the different beer. Luckily it was a beautiful day out so we were able to dine outside. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM & DAD!

Unavailable

2006-05-02T08:29:00.000-04:00

I will be unavailable between the hours of 8pm & 10 pm the next two nights while I watch the PBS series Texas Ranch House. This six hour series (which began last night) follows a group of people as they go back in time (1867 to be exact) and live like real cowboys for a few months. You can find out more here.

I first fell in love with this series when PBS showed the fabulous Frontier House a few years back. During that series three families lived the difficult life on the frontier. It was riveting TV and I was glued to the screen. I believe you can rent Frontier House from the video store and if you have the time I would highly suggest it. Since then they had Colonial House, but I felt that the people picked for that series just weren't that interesting. Texas Ranch House started off pretty well last night, so I am definitely ready to break out the popcorn tonight!

Wild kingdom in the backyard

2006-04-29T20:30:00.000-04:00

This morning, a deer gave birth to three fawns in my parents wooded backyard.

The following photos were taken by my father.

Postcards from New Jersey - CLINTON

2006-04-27T16:32:00.000-04:00

Today, while walking around one of the many picturesque towns in New Jersey, I thought about how my home state has such a bad reputation. Most recently, we were named to have "The most dangerous city in the U.S." We also have one of the most corrupt state governments, and of course, are home to lots of mobsters (ala The Sopranos).

What you might not know about New Jersey, if you have never visited here before, are the many beautiful and wonderful things about my home state. Here are a few facts about "The Garden State:"

On the border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the scenic Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area offers nature lovers 70,000 acres and 37 riverfront miles to explore. Created by the Delaware River, the Delaware Water Gap channel cuts through the Kittatinny Mountains - nearly 1,400 feet deep and 900 feet wide at water level.
Island Beach State has more than 3,000 acres of pristine beaches, sand dunes, marshes, bogs, and nature trails, you can swim, picnic, hike, fish, or bird-watch to your heart's content.
Attend the Cranberry Festival in one of the country's cranberry capitals - Chatsworth in Burlington County. You'll gain a whole new appreciation for passing the cranberries at Thanksgiving!
Here's another reason why they call New Jersey "The Garden State"! Go to Leaming's Run Gardens & Colonial Farm in Swainton and see the largest annual garden in the nation. This is a beautiful 30-acre palette of flowers in every color of the rainbow. The garden is really humming in August as hummingbirds flock to the 25 gardens to sip nectar. For more relaxation, walk among the native plants, trees, and flowers at the Old Hickory Arboretum & Display Gardens.
In the late 18th century, an "Underground Railroad" network of safe havens was established to help African-Americans travel north to find freedom from slavery in the southern states. One of the "stops" on this "railroad" was a town in Camden County called Lawnside, the first African-American community to be incorporated as a municipality.

So, once in a while I will be giving you a glimpse of New Jersey through my "Postcards from New Jersey" posts. This morning, Leah, my parents and I visited the town of Clinton, on the Raritan River. Clinton is home to the historic Red Mill, which is one of the most photographed buildings in New Jersey.

For more information on the history of Clinton, you can check it out here!

I'm in love

2006-04-26T21:57:00.000-04:00

Had fun today taking lots of digital photos with my new Canon PowerShot SD600 (thanks again Mom & Dad). The camera has many different settings and functions so I had a great time trying them all out. Thanks Mary-Mia for the camera tips - the vivid color setting is very cool. Did I mention that I LLLLLOOOOVVVVEEEE this camera?

Ain't it purrrrty...

2006-04-25T15:55:00.000-04:00

Here is my new digital camera. My parents were nice enough to purchase it as an early birthday present since I LOST my other digital camera nearly a month ago. This is the reason why you haven't seen any new "Corners of My Home" postings lately. Once I figure out how to use this darn thing I will be a picture posting maniac!

Three Movies Reviews (sort of)

2006-04-23T19:28:00.000-04:00

We did get to sit down to watch Memoirs of a Geisha last night. I loved the book when I read it a few years ago, and was pleasantly surprised that I really enjoyed the movie (usually I hate the movie rendition of a favorite novel). As Julie said, it was beautifully filmed and I enjoyed the acting as well. Is it just me, or could Michelle Yeoh be any more stunning?

For her birthday, Leah received a Japanese animation movie called My Neighbor Totoro. It had been dubbed in English with Dakota Fannings voice for the lead character.

Even though I felt the movie was a bit odd, she really loved. So I picked up another Japanese movie by the same director, Hayao Miyazaki, called Howl's Moving Castle. This one I enjoyed a lot more (hmm, could it be that the lead character was kind of cute**). I don't know if this is the most appropriate movie for a four year old since part of the movie plot had to do with war, but again she loved it!

**how sad is it that I think the lead ANIMATED character is hot. Must have been Christian Bale's voice dubbing. XXOO

Parenthood and Geisha girls

2006-04-21T17:57:00.000-04:00

This is really what parenthood is really like. You rent two movies (one for mini me, another for yourself and hubby). We have already watched the kids film twice. We haven't even cracked open the DVD case of Memoirs of a Geisha.

Wednesday night, too tired.

Thursday night, husband out AND daughter pees her bed.

Friday night, guest coming over.

Maybe tomorrow night? We shall see...

I've been tagged TWICE

2006-04-17T15:24:00.000-04:00

I guess since I have been tagged not once, but twice I have to give away my inner most secrets (ha, ha)! Thanks to What about Mommy and Mommy at Home for tagging me.

Six weird facts about myself (to be honest, I don't know if they are really weird, just stuff you may not know about me):

I spent lots of money to go to culinary school and then promptly did NOTHING with my degree (although I am a rather good cook).
My girlfriend met Kevin Bacon's stage manager on a flight, which means I am only three degrees from Kevin Bacon.
When I was little, I loved watching the TV show Davy Crocket. My father, who left for work very early in the morning, would wake me up so we could watch it together while he got dressed. I would then go back to sleep until it was time for school. I was probably about 7 years old.
Again, when I was small, my sister and I loved eating bologna and potato chip sandwiches on white bread (and yes, I just did have to sing the Oscar Meyer song in my head to spell bologna correctly).
I can only drink water when it is icy cold and drink coffee or tea when they are hotter than hell.
Wine gives me a headache. Therefore, I like beer. My favorite type of beer is Heineken, which I love to share on warm spring/summer nights with my neighbor Ward (may I say sorry to his wife for passing over more than one open beer over the fence recently).
I am a total sucker for ANY movie that is set in another century and has british actors (especially Hugh Grant and/or Colin Firth).
BONUS: I cried like a baby when I brought my daughter to see Nanny McFee. I don't know if it was the site or Emma Thompson in the hideous makeup, although I am guessing that it had more to do with the whole british accent / Colin Firth thing!

Watch out, because you have been tagged!

Stay at Home Motherdom
Spilling My Coffee Beans...
Maylee Beezer
My Wooly Nest
One More Makes Four
Eva Las Vegas

If you have already been tagged, don't worry about it!

Here are the rules of this tag:
1.Go write weird facts/things/etc. about yourself in my comment box and on your blog, then tag six more people!
2. Then leave a comment that says "You are tagged" in their comments telling them to read your blog.

On the Move!

2006-04-13T11:50:00.000-04:00

Finally, spring has arrived in NJ. There was no better way to enjoy the beautiful day than to head to our local park and take the brand new scooter for a test drive. Leah was in full "scooting" gear with her new helmet, knee pads and elbow pads. Apparently learning to ride a scooter is hard work, because after about two minutes she had to stop for a rest and a snack break on the park bench.