Bewildered Duck

Diversity in the Classroom

2012-01-31T17:55:00.000-08:00

This month I was asked to share with you a little bit about diversity in the classroom. This can be a difficult subject to approach, but it is incredibly important to our children’s development.

In January, we read several books about Martin Luther King, Jr., which brought up questions about segregation and slavery. As I tried to explain these words, one of the kids pretty much summed up the students’ response with a puzzled/disgusted look and simply said, “Wow. That’s not cool.”

A child’s perspective on diversity is unique because children are not born with prejudice, it is something they learn as they get older. In my classroom, I try to emphasize that we are all people of value. We all come from different backgrounds and have unique strengths and weaknesses. As a class, we are all teachers and we are all learners. Everyone has something to offer and to gain.

Our curriculum teaches diversity in a variety of ways. In our “All About Me” unit at the beginning of the year, the class learned a lot about each other. They found things they had in common and things that were different. We talked quite a bit about how boring it would be if everyone was the same. Throughout the year, we have read a lot of books that have given a glimpse into different cultures and traditions. This month, we will be learning about some famous Americans, including Helen Keller, a blind and deaf woman who shocked the world with her accomplishments and changed the course of history for people with disabilities.

In my work, I strive to expand upon the curriculum and find better ways to meet the needs of all my students. One of my goals this year was to incorporate more music and pictures into my teaching because they are especially good tools for English language learners, and are beneficial for all students. Our postcard project has also done a lot to connect the class with each other and the world. The students whose families sent in postcards always lit up when sharing them, and the other kids always had tons of questions. I have also recently discovered the “Learning to Get Along” book series and am looking forward to sharing more of these books with the class. I am fortunate to have a small class in which I can give students lots of individual attention and tweak instruction to help each student reach his or her potential.

I have been really impressed with the class this year. They care about each other a lot. Throughout the year, I have enjoyed watching them share languages, teach each other, and become good friends.

Education in this county is continually progressing toward becoming more inclusive, to the benefit of all students. Diversity in the classroom results in increased empathy and respect for all people, more opportunities to teach and learn from one another, and a greater understanding of the world. Your children are well on their way to becoming conscientious and compassionate adults.

Kirkland Snow

2012-01-15T13:14:00.000-08:00

The War on Christmas

2011-12-04T18:34:00.000-08:00

This year the war on Christmas took an interesting turn. In the early afternoon, Chris saw our squirrel nemesis run off with one of the outdoor Christmas lightbulbs. I'm pretty sure I saw him burying it the neighbor's yard two doors down. Then in the evening, when we went to turn on the lights, half of them didn't work. The blasted squirrel chewed through the wire! Needless to say, the destruction was devastating. Fortunately, Christmas at the house has survived. There are still some outdoor lights spared, and the indoor decorations are safe and sound.

Bossypants and Peter Pan

2011-10-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

I have been taking advantage of the public library recently. In the past, I've only gone to get picture books for my students, but lately I have discovered how wonderful it is for me personally. Currently checked out are movies, more books than I have time to read, and a CD course to supplement the Spanish class I am taking...perfect for long drives to Portland.

My current lunch break book, Bossypants by Tina Fey, is brilliant in so many ways. However, the thing that I have loved the most so far is the personal connection I have made with her. We have very little in common except that we have both searched high and low for Peter Pan merchandise and have been baffled by the overwhelming amount of Tinker Bell and Captain Hook stuff contrasted with the complete lack of anything strictly Peter Pan. Chris had picked Peter Pan as the theme for the nursery, and it was the biggest pain in the butt to try to find things to go in that room. We never did get too far in the decorating...didn't even get to put up the cricut cutouts my sister spent so much time making after we realized that we were never going to find anything Peter Pan. Here's the one thing that did go up, and since I never got to share it with anyone, I'm putting it here. What was above the crib...

Slowly coming up with some new dreams

2011-09-30T20:53:00.000-07:00

I finished copying the posts from the adoption blog. It was good to go through and remember all that happened along the way. It's hard to think about. I really thought I knew where I was going in life, and instead the rug was pulled from under me, and I've got to make a new plan. It's scary and a little exciting at the same time...and lonely. I am so thankful for the friends and family who are supporting me now.

In my last adoption post, I had just finished that process and was celebrating. Now I've got a new list to work through to prepare for the next stage in my life. I know what I'm doing through June, and then it's up in the air. Stay tuned...

Changes

2011-07-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

This past year has been filled with excitement and anticipation regarding our plans to adopt. I have learned so much during this process and don't regret the experiences I've had. However, due to some very personal reasons, I will no longer be pursuing adoption. Although it has been a confusing and painful realization, I have a feeling that the things that I have learned this year will come into play in some way in the future.

This post isn't really meant for anyone. It's just my acknowledgement to myself that my life is changing. It's an intellectual reassurance to me, even if my heart doesn't feel it yet, that my life will go on. Although I've known this in my head for a while, I felt like today I needed to put it in writing and send it out to the void. Now it's real. Now I'm going to try to move on.

Done with our part of the home study...officially waiting on the license

2011-06-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

We are at the end of an epic week of getting stuff done for our home study. Everything went well. Our home inspection was great. The one thing that we needed to do was get a bathmat for the tub. I could write a whole article on why I think that is absolutely stupid, but it was a simple fix and I am grateful that we passed without having to do more.

The interviews were fine, but a little frustrating. I actually think they went well overall, but the licensor did manage to push some of my buttons (maybe that was intentional.) We spent a huge amount of time talking about our parents, and relatively very little time talking about ourselves. She also kept getting Chris mixed up with someone else. I am really glad that we get to look over the home study report before it gets sent out because I have a feeling we are going to have to make corrections.

So now our old foster/adoption to-do list is getting replaced with a new one: Find doctors and dentists who accept Medicaid, figure out childcare more solidly, decide who will take care of the kids if something happens to us, etc. The doctor thing seems easy enough...just a little research. The childcare thing is a little more of a quandary. I could have the kids at my work, which would be ideal, but they don't accept DSHS vouchers and my employee discount doesn't apply for foster kids, so it's looking like we need to find someplace else since we don't know how long we will be fostering. The "who gets the kids if we die" thing is a tough one. How do you ask someone that? Anyone want to volunteer? We have a whole list of people we think would be great...people that we want to be involved in the kids' lives anyway. Any advice you may have on how to go about making this type of plan would be appreciated.

Finally, something a little more fun. We need to put together a profile with pictures describing us and where we live. I know people who have done the whole "Dear Birthmother" deal, but I guess ours would be more of a "Dear Social Worker" thing, a personal ad for a go-between. Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match....

Off to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING today. I plan on cherishing what's left of this weekend.

Race for the Cure

2011-06-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

Today, as a much needed break from adoption/foster care stuff, Rachel and I ran in the race for the cure. It was a great experience to see so many people running for a good cause. We both would like to do more races in the future.

Fingerprinting Reminiscence

2011-06-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

This week has been exceptionally busy in our adventure in the foster/adopt process. Next week will be even more so.

One of the big things we crossed off the list is getting our fingerprints taken. I have a lot of experience with this process, having been fingerprinted for teacher licensing and childcare in multiple states (really wish these departments would share information with each other.) I can't actually remember how many times I've been fingerprinted now, but I think it's about ten times (all within the past ten years!) I have been to three police stations, a county sheriff's headquarters, a private fingerprinting company, and now an organization that serves people with developmental disabilities.

The first couple of times were at police stations. These are my least favorite places to go. Generally, the officers have been rude, though there was one grandfatherly sort of man in Salem that I remember thinking was ok. My worst fingerprinting experience was at a police station in Alabama. The officer took me to a back area, made me face the wall, and pressed himself against me from behind while he rolled my prints. Alabama law enforcement...just one item on my list of why I don't live in the South.

Probably my favorite experiences (went there a couple of times because it was so awesome) was at the handgun licensing department in the Washington County Sheriff's office. It was a little confusing figuring out where all to go the first time because you go to one office to pay and to another on a different floor across the building to have the prints taken. These were my first experiences with live scan technology...so much less mess and easy for the fingerprinter to see if they got a good enough print.

Up in Washington State, I've been to a private fingerprinting place in Bellevue a couple of times. They are friendly, they take good prints, they are open all day, but they do still just use ink.

So, this week was probably the most inconvenient, but coolest experience yet. For the foster stuff here, they didn't give us cards. I was baffled by this because I've always been given cards and told to go find a place to get them done. We got file numbers and instructions to sign up for a time online. The hours kind of sucked...we had to take time off of work because they are only open for a couple of hours a day on a few days a week. When we got there, the schedule was messed up anyway, so I don't think anyone was on time. However, the process was really neat. Our fingerprinter told us all about the process and let us know what she was looking for...it was fun! In all these times, I've never really looked at my prints before. They are so interesting. We got to see them blown up really big up on the monitor. And Chris' prints were even better. He has this one rouge finger that has some awesome swirls in it. Then, the other cool thing...still no cards. When I've done live scan before, they print out the images from the computer on a card and you still have to mail it in. Not this time...she checked them to make sure they were ok and then beamed them in. So easy.

Anyway, off to go check another big thing off the list....

Free Bed for You

2011-06-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

We have an extra bed that we would like to give away before our home visit on Wednesday. It has served us well as a guest bed, but we don't have room for it anymore and don't want to figure out how to store it. If you are in the Seattle-ish area and could use a daybed (or know someone who fits this description,) please let us know asap. We can deliver and help set it up if needed. It's in good condition and comes with two mattresses and a trundle bed to go underneath.

Sweetness

2011-05-29T23:14:00.000-07:00

Chris and I went different directions this weekend to visit friends and family. He left a day after me and I came home tonight to find roses, candy, and homemade chocolate chip cookies. What a sweet husband!

DON'T PANIC

2011-05-24T21:24:00.000-07:00

Do you know where your towel is? Chris informed me this evening that tomorrow is Towel Day. I had never heard of it, but I have to say that I think it is a brilliant idea. Maybe I'm a nerd. Information on Towel Day.

Just to make this a somewhat adoption related post, I got the crib and changing table assembled! So cute! I think Chris has made a decision on the nursery theme. I kind of took over the space room, so this one is his. I know that raising kids, especially hurt kids, is extremely hard work, so I'm going to go ahead and celebrate the fun parts of preparing like any normal mom-to-be. :)

Application done?

2011-05-22T00:22:00.000-07:00

I guess I spoke too soon in the last post...the application was not quite done...we didn't actually have all of it. We sent off what we had to our licensor and she emailed us a list of more things we needed to fill out and send in. I feel a little like the frog in the well...two jumps up and then slide back a little. Tonight we finished as much as we can and have a nice little stack to send in on Monday, but I know that there is still more that needs to be filled out. We also found out for sure that we do need to have stuff for every age that we are willing to accept. I had been hoping that we would be able to get away without having to get a crib, carseats, potty training chair, etc, since there should be a little bit of a transition period, but no...gotta have it all.

Today we went shopping again and got together some baby stuff, which I will work on setting up tomorrow. Soon we will have a nursery as well as the older kid room, and now I'm really hoping that we will actually need both. Chris is actually kind of excited about this...he told me tonight that setting up a nursery was something that he had planned on surprising me with if we were going to have a baby...he has been thinking up different non gender specific themes all evening. There are a few more things left to get, but I'll try to take care of that in Oregon (yeah for no sales tax!)

On the agenda in the next couple weeks:
-Finish setting up the house
-Get the TB test done (hopefully this week)
-Fingerprinting appointments June 2
-Doctor visit June 6
-Home Visit/Interviews June 8 (This was supposed to be three visits, but our licensor is letting us do it in one really long all day visit)
-Alabama background check (once our licensor figures out what form we need to fill out for there)

Not too much left. The end is near.

Application done!

2011-05-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

I know...it's about time we finished this monster. It is nothing compared to the paperwork that goes into international adoption, but we are still pretty proud of getting through it. Like I've said before, we've done a lot of our work backwards, so there is very little left to do. It's kind of cool to me that we happened to finish this step on Mother's Day. I had one of those moments today (heart pounding, feeling a little nauseated) when it started to sink in that our lives will be changing soon. I guess it's my version of morning sickness, and I anticipate I'll have plenty more of those anxious moments as we get even closer. Sometimes I'm a little sad that I don't have a baby bump to show my progress toward becoming a mother, so here's our own version of "pregnancy pictures" from today.

Feeling a Little Blah

2011-04-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

It really seemed like stuff was flying for a while with getting the classes done and working on house stuff. Now this auto-biography part of the application is kind of hanging over my head...it's just so long! The first section was especially time consuming for me having to describe all four of my parents, my siblings, my relationships with them all (both then and now) and what the environment was like in my home(s) growing up. I've been trying to work on it during breaks at work and in the morning when I have extra time, and I should be working on it now, but my brain is just not feeling it at the moment. I'm not sure if Chris has really started his yet, but I'm pretty sure he's going to have to contact some other people to get more details about his childhood, which is difficult in many ways. We did set a deadline for getting all this done, but I'm not going to put it in writing because I don't see it getting done by then. Just keep writing, just keep writing, just keep writing...

In other news, we did go to a foster care and adoption support group a couple of weekends ago, which was pretty cool. It was actually the first meeting for a new group, and it was nice to be a part of this group's foundation. We were definitely the babies of the group...most people had placements already, but I am glad that we are starting to meet with these people before we desperately need them. They are really amazing, I know we will learn tons from them, and I'm hoping that we will develop quality relationships there. There was one thing that one of the group leaders said that I wanted to mention here because I'm noticing it more and more in church settings. She was talking about the importance of confidentiality and how one of the common ways that confidentiality is broken is in the form of prayer requests. So, I'm putting this out here, not just for us, but for other people's situations as well...a reminder...if you want to present a prayer request for someone to others, it is important to get their permission first, otherwise it can be a way of spreading gossip and may be potentially damaging.

Off to prep for ELL class and get some sleep....Goodnight!

Journeying with God

2011-04-24T08:11:00.000-07:00

While checking out facebook this morning, I came across a note from the NWYM about journeying with God. Normally I just skim these articles, but it was written by one of my favorite college professors, and I got sucked into reading the whole thing. It was exactly what I needed today and, to use a Friendly term, it "spoke to my condition." I would love to share the whole thing, but these couple of paragraphs struck me the most powerfully:

"Sometimes people have entered the spiritual journey more out of duty than desire, thinking they must take this path even though they might enjoy life more without God’s interference. The journey’s gradual deepening trust moves us away from suspicion and mere duty. It allows us to relax into God.

As trust deepens, we can again discover new possibilities. We can come to “know” God in greater intimacy and grow in having our own character and hearts shaped to God’s. As we come to love what God loves, we discover that God’s embrace is much wider than our own, and we may feel our own arms widen to enfold what we once thought unimportant or unlovable. Jesus shocked people with who he hung out with, who he refused to ignore, and who is shown kindness to. We might shock ourselves as God opens our eyes.

We might be surprised, too, to share more fully God’s deep sadness and outrage over brokenness and oppression in the world, and we might discover that we now are compelled to respond to it. We might grow to show compassion in the ways God shows compassion. And we are likely to ever more readily embrace God’s purposes and learn to delight in collaborating with God’s active presence in the world. We gladly put hands and feet to our words “your will be done.”'

-Howard Macy

Originally published in Quaker Life, July/August 2010

Foster Care Orientation

2011-04-14T21:14:00.000-07:00

So, we're working through this process in a kind of jumbled order. Today we went to a foster care orientation, which should have been the first step but was delayed because of scheduling conflicts. We heard from the same Fostering Together liaison who spoke at our PRIDE training, and watched the orientation videos from the DSHS website. It was like the final year in college when we had to take those last couple of basic freshman classes we'd been putting off until senior year. Already know the material, just need the completion certificate.

The awesome thing about the orientation: THE APPLICATION PACKET!!!

I began looking at the packet this evening and started to feel my head spin with all the questions it asks. I feel like we are completely prepared and we have been thinking about this stuff for a year, but now we have to put it all down in writing and give it to a stranger. It will be fine...just gotta take it one question at a time.

In the meantime, we have been working on getting the house up to code. We still have a lot of little things left to do, but took care of some big stuff last weekend. I'm very proud of installing a new locking doorknob on the linen closet so that we can store chemicals, medicine, etc. We also bought a lovely new fire extinguisher. The guy at Home Depot kept trying to sell us a different one because it was "pretty," so we had to explain why we really did need the big ugly red one. On the to-do list this weekend: blind cord safety things and hot tub cover locks are among the items on a long (but shortening) tedious list.

Foster/Adoption Movies

2011-04-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

Not all of our preparations have been work. Though it wasn't a requirement, I've been enjoying finding movies dealing with foster care and/or adoption. Thank you Netflix!

After one of our long days of PRIDE training, Chris decided that he really needed a break from foster/adopt stuff, so he went searching Netflix for something else. 20 minutes into X-Men, he realized that all of the characters were special needs foster kids dealing with attachment disorders and living in a residential treatment facility. He decided to save it for another time and switched to That 70's Show...we forgot that Hyde was a foster kid. Now that we're more aware, we're finding connections all over the place.

So, in case anyone wants to know, here's a list of movies I found after searching foster/adopt forums and blogs. Most of these came from an anonymous foster care licensing specialist and I'm not sure if they all deal directly with foster care or if some just touch on issues that may come up. I'm also including comments on some of my favorites.

Dramas:
1. Angels in the Outfield -- Didn't realize that the version we loved in our youth was a re-make. We went ahead and watched the original too...still think the new one is better. More depth and Christopher Lloyd...love it!
2. Antwone Fisher -- I like that this is a story about an adult reflecting on and dealing with his experience in foster care. It was really good at showing long-term effects of abandonment and abuse.
3. A Beautiful Mind
4. I am Sam -- Amazing movie! Really helped me work through how I feel about openness in foster/adoption.
5. Losing Isaiah -- In the Netflix queue, but I'm putting it off because I have the feeling it will keep me up all night thinking.
6. The Lost Child
7. Secondhand Lions
8. White Oleander -- Very disturbing...lost some sleep after watching this one.
9. Juno
10. Evelyn (2002)
11. Gracie’s Choice
12. Nell
13. The Lost Child (2000)
14. What about Bob (boundary issues)
15. America (2009)
16. Sybil (1976)
17. The Lost & Found Family (2009)
18. Foster Child (2007)
19. Saving Sarah Cain (2007)
20. The House of Love (2004)
21. Switching Parents (1992)
22. Who'll Save Our Children? (1978)

Martian Child -- Chris and I agreed...this is one of our 2 favorite adoption movies.

Cartoons/Family Movies:
1. An American Tail
2. The Land Before Time
3. Lion King
4. Lilo and Stitch -- Some people had problems with showing this one to their kids, but I liked it. It has a good message...family means no one is forgotten or left behind.
5. Oliver and Company
6. Ice Age
7. Annie
8. Snow Dogs
9. Scooter Kidz (2001)
10. Hotel for Dogs
11. . Meet the Robinsons -- Our other favorite adoption movie.

Free Willy

The Country Bears -- I only put this one in here to say it was horrible. Maybe there is something redemptive in the end, but I've sat through really bad movies before and I could not finish watching this.

Documentaries:
1. Taken In: The Lives of America's Foster Children (1998)
2. Someplace to Call Home: Surviving the Foster Care System
3. The Boys of St. Vincent
4. I Know My First Name Is Steven, also released as The Missing Years, (1989)
5. Just Ask My Children, 2001

My Flesh and Blood

Aging Out -- We were both fighting back tears with this one. Aging out is such a problem...I'm really interested in finding out what different groups are doing to support these young adults as they transition out of the system.

PRIDE #4

2011-04-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

Today wasn't too intense, mostly tying up loose ends. We did spend some time on CPS (Child Protective Services) investigations because it is reasonably likely that we will be reported at some point--a risk of foster parenting. The key is to document everything and diligently report to the social worker and CPS things that happen. Cover your butt was the message.

We also went over making an informed decision about a child/children before they enter your care--knowing what questions to ask before placement.

After that we talked about the licensing process and the WAC (Washington Administrative Code.) This part was mostly question and answer--really good clarification on the rules, particularly in regard to the home inspection.

Yeah! We are done with PRIDE! On to the application and all that comes after...

PRIDE #3

2011-04-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

During the first part of today we had some guest speakers. The first woman, from Fostering Together, gave us some excellent resources. With all of the research I have been doing, I still hadn't found a support group on our side of the lake. This lady told Chris and me about a really cool group that was starting in the town next to ours. That was great, but looking at the lists she gave us, we now know about several options close to us. One foster/adopt group even meets in the same building our church meets in (down the street from our house) and they meet on a day and time we currently have free! Awesome!

The second speaker was actually our first contact in starting this process. We were really excited to put a face to the voice. She spoke to us about concurrent permanency planning. The information she shared was important, and it was nice to hear from someone from the state. However, the golden nugget of information I took from her was about creating Life Books. She is really passionate about this and emphasized that these are more than just photo albums, they should tell the story of their lives including why they don't live with their birth parents. Additionally, she emphasized the importance of preparing children for transitions--they are not objects to be moved around or "placed." It was really good for me to see someone in a state administrative/supervisory role who still seemed to be very connected to the kids. She reminded me of my MAT advisor (whom I adored) and made me confident in our decision to license through the state instead of with a private agency.

In the second half of the day we went back to working on our competencies and started with a long discussion on discipline. Though Chris and I have been spending a lot of time talking about this, today was the first time I have tried to spell out how I will discipline (outside of my classroom.) Today's activities were really helpful to me in putting my thoughts together.

Finally, we watched a video on GLBTQ youth. Both today and last week, when we talked about racial and cultural identity, I found it fascinating to see people reacting in different stages of cultural competence. When I found myself getting frustrated with some people's discomfort, insensitive opinions, or nervous jokes, I had to remind myself of things I said/thought/felt ten years ago and realize that we are all traveling on a continuum and growing at different rates, influenced by our background, experiences, and education. The discomfort these people showed is probably a good thing though--you could see them processing rather than checking out. (Disclaimer--I know I have and will continue to have plenty to process too.)

Now to try to shut down my brain and get some sleep before we start again tomorrow. Goodnight!

PS--Shout out to Hulu.com for their April Fools page. I think they actually beat Google this year. :)

Pride #2

2011-03-27T01:34:00.000-07:00

Since I cannot sleep and Rachel has me far beat by # of posts, I thought I'd write this one. Today we had our 2nd full day of Pride training. A major focus on this day was loss and how to deal with it, especially in the foster care environment. Foster kids have had to deal with loss that I cannot imagine. It was somewhat of a hard day for me thinking of the "past" and things and people that have come in and out of my life. Overall it was a good, but exhausting day. We are both VERY excited to continue on the journey and were thinking that after next weekend we will be "almost there" as far as "pre-requirements."

PRIDE #1

2011-03-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

We had our first of four PRIDE (Parents' Resource for Information Development Education) class yesterday. It was so nice to spend a day learning with people who are going through the same process. The competencies that were highlighted were: protecting and nurturing, meeting developmental needs and addressing developmental delays, supporting relationships between children and their families, connecting children to safe nurturing relationships intended to last a lifetime, and working as a member of a professional team.

There's a lot to process and think about, but I know I've been growing in how I think about some of these categories (one in particular) and I'm really glad that we do have this mandatory training to work through this stuff with other people.

That was about as concise as I could be with day 1. We're headed off to session 2 in a few minutes...I think today is going to be challenging.

The Church Hunt

2011-03-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

I was hoping that this post would be about our experience at foster care orientation, but unfortunately an illness struck our household that caused us to postpone until mid-April. Instead I will try to briefly put into words our recent experience with something else that has been on my mind...church.

We have been on the hunt for the illusive church off and on since we were married. If we weren't planning on raising kids, we would have given up completely. But, since church was so important to us growing up, we wanted to give our kids the opportunity to be a part of a community like that, sort of an extended family. Finding a church that we are comfortable with has been a major bullet point on our adoption to-do list. However, locating the perfect place for us has been like trying to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. (Woohoo for St. Patrick's Day tie-in.)

We have encountered numerous things that had us running from some churches, sometimes in the middle of service. On occasion they even followed after us...beware of random church ladies showing up on your doorstep and inviting themselves in...we learned our lesson about filling our visitor information cards early on. Most of the time, the experience was not so shocking, but completely predictable and equally abhorrent. It's embarrassing to realize that we have been a part of groups like this. This video pretty much sums it up:

Last Fall we decided we needed to just choose someplace. We narrowed down our options to two places. They were very different from each other, but in the end we chose the small, quiet congregation. We immediately felt embraced by the people. They exist without gimmicks or advertising, but aren't exclusive either. They are a small, truly multi-generational group who share responsibility for maintaining the church. They really care about each other and seem to care about us too. As we learn more about beliefs and practices, I'm sure we will have plenty of disagreement, but we are learning to accept that and hope they will continue to accept us. I don't know that we will be here forever, but this is as close to our version of perfect as we have found, so for now I will try to resist the urge to go chasing rainbows and just enjoy worshiping with and getting to know this neat group of people.

The Vortex

2011-03-01T21:09:00.000-08:00

One of the things we didn't realize when we moved into our new place was that there is a vortex in one of the bedrooms. I like to imagine that it is a porthole to another dimension, when in reality it is probably the reason that our landlord is adamant that no tenant ever paint the walls again. Here's what we discovered covering the bedroom wall when we turned out the lights:

Instead of trying to think up our own theme decor, we're going to expand on the vortex that someone so kindly left for us and create a space themed room. After thinking about it, the space idea really fits us. Chris likes the sci fi genre (Star Wars, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, etc.,) I was in the "Young Astronauts" program as a kid and worked at Space Camp for a summer, and we will probably never completely break our connection to Huntsville, AL, which means plenty more opportunities to hang out at the Space and Rocket Center. So far I haven't done much more to the room, just put little glow in the dark star stickers all over the ceiling. While Chris was out of town on a business trip, he told me to go shopping for the kids, so I picked out a couple of things at the store and ordered some fun stuff online. Right now, the room looks pretty sterile, but I'm looking forward to slowly making my daydreams for the place reality. Chris is looking forward to playing with the toy shuttle stack I ordered...secretly I am too. :)

Thinking About the First Adoption Meeting

2011-02-25T21:41:00.000-08:00

Our first adoption meeting was great. It was specifically for foster to adopt families instead of straight foster care or adoptive families, so we got information specific to our situation. We already knew most of the information because we spent so much time researching, but we really enjoyed meeting other families starting the process, hearing from someone who had already adopted through the program, and meeting the social worker who will be doing our homestudy. When we got home, we did a little happy dance with our certificate of completion, the fist of many documents to be added to our adoption file. We still have a couple of weeks before our next step (foster care orientation,) but the ball is rolling and we are so happy.

Adoption Joys and Concerns:

- Joy -- Washington has a foster to adopt program, which means that children are pre-screened when they enter care so that they are more likely to be put in a home that can meet their needs. Those whose parents will likely have parental rights terminated are put in foster to adopt homes, which cuts down on children being moved around a lot and makes it more likely that when children are placed with us, they will be in a forever home.
- Concern -- There is legal risk. There are times when children are with foster parents for years and end up going back to birth families (less likely in foster to adopt, but still possible.) This is the scariest thing to me as we move forward.
- Concern/Joy -- A lot of our meetings are in West Seattle, which means we have to take days off and leave work early. Fortunately our work situations are flexible enough right now to make it work without too much trouble.
- Joy -- We were informed about a support group (also on the west side) that we are planning on checking out. If anyone knows of one on the east side, let us know!

Our First Class Completed

2011-02-16T20:46:00.000-08:00

We just got back from our first adoption information session!!!!!! We will blog more about it later, but are excited to have the process started "officially"...

The Steps to Adoption and Where We Are

2011-02-05T04:06:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to write this last month, but we had to delay the process a little bit because we couldn't make it to the January orientation meeting. We did take the first step of contacting our local DSHS office and signing up for orientation and classes. Our orientation meeting is in about a week and a half, and we should have better information then. We also signed up for our pre-service PRIDE (Parents Resource for Information Development and Education) classes. Unfortunately, most of these classes take place during the work week, so we opted for Friday/Saturday classes at the end of March and beginning of April. It's later than we would have liked, but this way Chris doesn't have to take a full week off of work. In the meantime, we have been working on setting up our house for kids and trying to figure out the state safety requirements.

There have been a lot of people asking about the timeline, and unfortunately, there really isn't one. That might be the biggest way I envy my friends who are pregnant...they have a due date and have a relatively small window of time when they expect their baby to be born. My boss is especially having a hard time understanding that I don't know anything about our kids and when we will have them...I think it's stressing her out more than me.

So, for those of you who are interested, this is a run-down of the steps according to the WA DSHS website:

1. Contact the local DSHS office and sign up for classes.

2. The Home Study (this is where they delve into every area of our lives to determine whether we are qualified to be parents.) Some of what this includes are:
- The Application
- Classes (PRIDE, First Aid/CPR, Blood Born Pathogens)
- Criminal History Background Check and Fingerprinting
- Child Abuse and Neglect Inquiries
- Collection of Personal Information (reports on our backgrounds, relationships, experience with children, religious/spiritual affiliations and practices, medical and psychosocial histories, home and neighborhood, and support systems)
- Medical Statements filled out by our doctors
- Income and Financial Statements
- References
- Meetings with our Social Worker
- Documentation of Marriage
After the homestudy is approved, the social worker registers us with the Washington Adoption Resource Exchange (WARE), which puts us in a database so that our information is viewable to other social workers trying to match families.

3. Child Selection -- At this point social workers can contact us about specific kids and we can start inquiring about children in the photolistings

4. Visitation and Placement -- They say this process takes from 2 weeks to several months depending on a variety of factors.

5. Post Placement -- We continue working with the social worker to make sure the children's needs are met and we periodically get health and safety home visits.

6. Legal Procedures and Finalization
- Hire an Attorney
- Turn in an Adoption Support Application -- An adoption support specialist is then assigned to the case to determine whether the children qualify for the program and a contract is negotiated.
- The social worker completes a post-placement report
- DSHS provides consent to adopt
- The social worker sends the attorney a packet of documents needed to finalize the adoption
- The attorney prepares the documents, files a petition to adopt, and gets a court date.
- We go to court for finalization. Yeah!

A little plug for a kid we know

2011-01-25T12:09:00.000-08:00

Once again, this is a non-adoption related post. I've been thinking quite a bit over the past couple of months about some of the kids I've worked with in the past. One of the best things about teaching and youth work is watching the kids grow up and do amazing things. We met Kent when he was pretty young and we watched him when he was just starting to learn how to play the guitar. Currently a high school student, he has started to play some gigs around the Portland area. We haven't had a chance to go yet, but we hope to make it to one of his events soon. Anyway, if you're around Portland and looking for something to do, check out Kent's band, Down Is Up, Up Is Down.

http://www.myspace.com/lifeafteryou/shows

MLK Day

2011-01-17T21:59:00.000-08:00

Today I took some time to read Dr. King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," dated April 16, 1963. While I've read it before, and heard some parts quoted often, I was struck by one paragraph in the middle:

"...I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice....Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."

This part stings. It is so easy to silently agree with those taking serious action for justice, but to take personal and unpopular risks for a group to which you don't belong...I don't know if I had been there if I would have had the courage. I should say, I don't know if I do have the courage. I always think of the civil rights movement as something from a southern history book, but there is so much injustice and corruption here and now...it's overwhelming.

As a Quaker attending a Mennonite church, the concept of peace is always front and center. However, sometimes I think we get the term pacifism mixed up with the idea of being passive, both on the individual and organizational levels. I like how King puts it, contrasting negative peace (the absence of tension) with positive peace (the presence of justice.)

I so want to be someone who stands with people who can't stand by themselves and to be an agent of change in the face of injustice. I have so many questions about who I am and what I can and should do. I think the answers change constantly, so the questions need to be asked all the time. Right now, I teach, I prepare to parent, I learn about the child welfare system and sometimes share the things I'm learning. I always wonder if there is something more I should be doing. I fear that I am a white moderate with a shallow understanding, but I hope that I have the knowledge and the courage to take action. For now, I don't have all the answers for my questions, but I think that's ok. I'll keep asking them.

"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart, and try to love the questions themselves.

Do not seek the answers that cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them--and the point is to live everything.

Live the question now. Perhaps you will gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer."

-Rainier Maria Rilke

Home for the Holidays

2010-12-27T19:02:00.000-08:00

Right now I'm feeling exhausted, but feel the need to blog. We actually crossed a big something off of our adoption to-do list...we found the perfect rental house for us. Everything fell into place just right and we were able to get the keys to our new home a couple days before Christmas. After driving down to Portland for family Christmases on Friday and Saturday, moving and setting up most of our stuff yesterday, and working with busy 4 and 5 year olds all day today, I'm pretty tired, but am so happy and excited to unpack and start moving forward with our plans. We'll have more to say about our new place sometime, but for now I just wanted to yawn out a small happy "yeah"

Home Again: Highlights of the Reno/Tahoe Trip

2010-12-13T21:12:00.000-08:00

I spent the weekend at Lake Tahoe and finished the week down in Reno. The sky was clear in the mountains and we could look down on the clouds filling the valley.

My favorite shot of the lake, taken from the Blue Water Bistro.

My dad and stepmom...the reason for the whole trip and the only thing that could make me want to visit Reno.

My favorite thing in Reno...the automobile museum. Loved it there...so interesting!

Home Again: Highlights of the Poland Trip

2010-12-13T21:11:00.000-08:00

Chris ended up not going to the Czech Republic as he planned because the trains weren't running due to the weather. Instead he took the opportunity to visit the salt mines close to Katowice.

Entrance to the mines.

Chris' favorite thing was the chandeliers made from salt.

I was impressed by the carvings in the walls.

One of three subterranean chapels in the mines.

An Adoption Non-Update

2010-12-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

Recently, several people have asked us how the adoption is going, so here’s the update. Officially we haven’t really started the process. Personally we have been slowly working on preparing ourselves for this journey since last May. I know that you can’t plan for everything, but we want to make sure that we are as prepared as possible. The lease on our apartment has given us a good timeline for when we will take the first “real” step toward becoming parents. During the pre-waiting waiting we have been working on the goals we wrote out a few months ago:

-Right now we are looking for a house and will start contacting places mid-December. We’ve been keeping our eyes on the rental market and have a pretty good idea of what’s reasonable in the different neighborhoods around where we want to be.

-We’re still plugging away at the Love and Logic book. It has been a great foundation for discussion and has helped us get to know each other better in a new way. We spend more time talking than reading, which is what we intended, so getting through the book has been slow going.

-We found a church that we are comfortable with. It’s very small, but has quite a few kids for the size and a good generational mix. It often feels like a family, but not in a cliquish sort of way. They are very welcoming and we have felt accepted and embraced already.

-Our agency research has been all over the place, first leaning one way and then another. Now our leaning is to try domestic fostercare adoption first, and pursue international as a back-up. We are both still apprehensive about moving in this direction. We know that a number of you turned to international adoption after being hurt by the US system, and almost every personal story we hear has had a negative outcome, even from those urging us to go this direction. So, we’ll give it a try, hope for the best, and keep the few positive stories at the front of our minds.

-We have been slacking some on the Polish language learning, but plan to continue trying to learn. We are still interested in Poland and enjoy learning about the culture and getting to know people from the area.

Other than that, we are enjoying spending time together, remembering to cherish the freedom we have now while looking forward to welcoming new members to our family. We’ll keep writing even though there won’t be any real updates until at least January.

Poland again plus some bonus Czech Republic

2010-11-30T12:28:00.000-08:00

Since Chris will be gone for a couple of weeks this time, he will have actually have some free time to explore over the weekend. I've been a bit jealous over the past couple weeks as he's been searching maps and plotting train schedules to decide what he's going to do when he's not working. He finally chose Ostrava, Czech Republic. I think what caught his eye was the "Burning of the Witches" festival. I don't think there are any special festivals happening while he will be there, but I imagine it will probably be fun to go during the advent season. At my ESOL class, I asked our Polish student if she had ever been there, and though she hadn't, someone else overheard our conversation and actually knew someone who had recently moved here from Ostrava. A couple of days later I got an email from her with a list of things to do there and her recommendations. What a small world!

The other interesting thing about this trip is that Chris is there with a co-worker from Alabama who, until this trip, had never been on an airplane. In fact, he's only been to three states: Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. The trips to Ostrava and Krakow will be his first on a train too. What an exciting and nerve-racking experience this will be for him! Fortunately Chris is very patient, does well with travel, and is a good teacher, which should ease his nerves and help the trip go smoothly.

What am I doing while Chris is off traveling the world? I decided that it would be a good time to take a long overdue trip down to Reno to visit my dad. Chris came up with a list of things for me to do while I'm there, which my dad will look through and see what's actually worth doing. I'm hoping I can at least visit one or two museums in Reno and maybe play in the snow at Lake Tahoe. It's too cold this trip, but hopefully I'll make it back down in the summer so that my dad and I can fulfill our lifelong dreams of becoming treasure hunters.

Happy Traveling!

Giving Thanks for Bad Real Estate Agents Who Finally Admit Some Fault

2010-11-24T20:08:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to quickly give an update on the Alabama realtor. Although we didn't get an actual apology, we got a couple more excuses followed by an "it was my fault because I made the wrong assumption." (The assumption being that it would be better for us if he didn't take care of this stuff at closing (July) and instead waited until just before the holidays.)

Thank you all for the encouragement and advice. In the end he backed off and said to ignore the bill...we don't owe him anything.

Giving Thanks for Good Real Estate Agents

2010-11-23T20:19:00.000-08:00

After my last post I've taken some time to cool down and reflect on our past real estate adventures. I've realized that one of the biggest things I am thankful for is good real estate agents. Our first home buying and selling experiences were as close to perfect as anyone could hope for.

When we bought our first house, there was so much we didn't know, and our first agent was the best thing for us. Peter Tsiorba, a friend of an acquaintance, was so patient with us and did an amazing job explaining things and walking us through each step. We were small fish looking for a small starter home, but we never felt unimportant or pressured to make a fast decision. Peter did a good job asking us the right questions, ultimately leading us to a house that we had overlooked in the MLS. That house fit us perfectly and we loved the time we spent there. (link is to Peter's guitar making business...don't know if he's in real estate anymore.)

When we sold that house a couple years later, we wanted someone who was very familiar with our area to represent us. We were a little hesitant to choose Christina Becker because we knew her and her family personally, and were afraid a bad experience would hurt those relationships. We took the risk and were so glad we did. Christina was very organized and professional. She really did her homework on how to price and market our house and went way beyond our expectations. The only thing that kind of disappointed me was how quickly our house sold...I didn't want to move to Alabama that soon. Right after Christmas the first people who looked at the house put an offer on it and wanted a quick closing (2-3 weeks if I remember right?) I am also thankful that Christina has kept up with us and has continued to be a real estate resource for us even from far away. Big Thanks! (link is to Christina's current location as part of the TRFC family.)

Finally, we haven't used her professionally, but if we ever get involved with Portland area real estate again, Kim Dittler, a former college classmate, would be at the top of our list. She has become a sort of superstar in her field. She has earned several prestigious awards and is ranked in the top 3% of agents across the country. As a facebook friend, I've enjoyed reading about her successes..."30 under 30," teaching college students, giving interviews, being asked to be on House Hunters on HGTV. But, the thing that makes me want to buy a house so that I could hire her is the combination of how much she loves her job and how obvious it is that she genuinely cares about her clients. Nicely done Kim...you are exactly where you should be.

This Thanksgiving we are thankful for realtors who are patient, kind, good, knowledgeable, professional, organized, ethical, who love their jobs and care for their clients. We have been so blessed by you. Thank you!

Auburn vs. Oregon

2010-11-16T15:49:00.000-08:00

I don't know anything about football, but it seems that Oregon's success may have contributed to the resurgence of a problem that we thought was long since resolved...our Alabama realtor.

After about a year and a half on the market, months of negotiating, and a deal that almost didn't go through because of problems on the buyers' end, we finally sold our house in Alabama in July. What a weight off our shoulders! Little did we know, the nightmare was not over. There had been so many times during the selling process that we considered firing our selling agent and starting over with someone else, but because we were across the country, our hands were tied, and our agent knew it. Now, I'm wishing we went through with it.

I'm not going to go into all the things that we went through with this guy while we were selling...I had let all that stuff go. We are grateful that we were eventually able to sell our house even though it meant that we spent a lot of time and money upgrading the home and had to take out a loan to pay off the mortgage. What's making my head feel like exploding now is an email that we just got from the realtor.

A few weeks after closing, our realtor told us that he was going to be sending us a bill for some extra things that had not been dealt with at closing. We questioned him on whether we were actually responsible for those items and told him that if he was going to bill us, we would need to have the receipts for the things he was claiming. He then said that his bookkeeper was on vacation and that he would figure it out and send them when she got back on August 16. Chris followed up again in September after we didn't hear anything and asked for the the info ASAP. The realtor never even responded, so we figured it was over and he realized that he didn't really have a claim.

Well, it turns out it's not over yet. It seems that our realtor remembered us and is again asking for money, again without receipts. What jogged his memory? I'm pretty sure it was the possibility of Oregon playing Auburn, as that was the opening to his email.

What are we going to do about it? Probably nothing. We'll go back through our old emails and contract, maybe argue down the amount a bit, but in the end it will just be a drain on our time and energy. "So what I'm gonna do is piss and moan like an impotent jerk then bend over and take it up the tail pipe." And if I'm ever in his office again, I might steal some of his pens.

PS -- I hope Oregon crushes Auburn. Go Ducks!

The Past Month

2010-11-11T22:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a little of what we've been doing this past month (out of order and not adoption related.)

Halloween/Treating

Chris has been waiting for the day the odometer on the car hit 100,000 miles. It happened on Halloween morning, somewhere around Olympia, WA.

Our small treating group. We were all shocked when my mom announced that she was going to dress as a stripper for Halloween...Chris was relieved when we found out that she meant she was going to attach leftover strips of quilt fabric to her clothes. Her stripper idea later turned into a strip mummy. I think we were all grateful when Kyle remembered that he had an extra pirate costume...much easier to explain. Mom looked pretty cute. Chris was a scarier looking pirate. I never did figure out who my brother was trying to be...Moses or Noah I think? And I donned the ugly bridesmaid dress to be a fairy princess.

We went to multiple neighborhoods in Hillsboro and Newberg and decided to crash a birthday party and see some old college friends. Happy birthday Charles!

In my opinion, Brandon had the best costume.

My favorite moment of the experience was when our friends' neighbor/landlady chased us down after reading our note and invited us to the adoption support group at Newberg Friends. Oh how I miss Newberg! If we ever move back, we will definitely go.

Eastern Washington/North Idaho

Last weekend we took a trip to the Spokane area to visit Chris' sister, but stayed in Coeur d'Alene because it's much more fun. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take any pictures with Dorothy, but we did have a nice visit and she seemed to be happy. After our visit we spent a little time being tourists. Chris especially enjoyed documenting our moose walk.

Chris took a picture of himself with every moose statue. He would not let me take the pictures because he thought his self-snapshots would be much more interesting. Now we have a whole collection of pictures that look pretty much like this one.

So, the walk takes you on a journey through town, following the story of Mudgy and Milly, a children's book written by a local author.

I particularly liked the moose painted on the ground to show you which way to walk.

More directions leading you through town, making sure you pass by every shop and restaurant along the way.

Spokane falls...the only semi-interesting thing in Spokane.

Woodinville

Woodinville isn't anything out of the ordinary for us...we have some friends who live there and we ride bikes through the area all the time, but a visit from my aunt and uncle forced us to see the area in a different way. My aunt was attending an allergy conference up here a few weeks ago, so we spent a Saturday with my uncle trying to figure out what there is to do in Woodinville. What I discovered is there isn't much to do unless you like to drink. The place is full of wineries. We're not passionate about wine, so that didn't sound like fun. We did decide to visit the Redhook Brewery because they advertised a tour and we thought it would be interesting to see how beer was made. The "tour" ended up being over an hour of sampling beer...we never left the room and didn't get to see anything.

So, if anyone has any ideas for fun indoor things to do on the Eastside that don't involve alcohol, let me know. We would be content to go hiking every weekend, but we need some stuff to do when people who don't like the rain visit.

Rally to Restore Sanity

On October 30 we went to the Seattle satellite for the Rally to Restore Sanity. The beginning of it was great. I love the idea of reasonable people getting together to challenge extremism and oppose negative campaign tactics. I love the idea of civil discourse, of talking rather than shouting, of diplomacy, and of respectful disagreement. The speakers at the beginning of the rally were great. However, we ended up leaving part way through, partly because it was cold, wet, and crowded, but also because the event took a turn for the partisan. Although my views were well represented, it wasn't very balanced. Maybe later there were more right-wing speakers, but I doubt it. I was also disappointed because while we saw hundreds of really witty posters that represented the sensible ideals that we came for, the ones that made it into every news story were the two "legalize pot" posters. Then, the online forums about the rally were the same all caps shouting matches I thought we were disengaging from. Fail. I'm a little embarrassed to have gone because of how the event was perceived, but I think our reasons for going were good, and I'm glad we were there to witness what it was really about.

Chris and I scoured YouTube to find some decent clips from the beginning of the rally to share. I especially like the second one because the guy who was filming it was cracking up the whole time and it made me laugh.

Treating: A Family Tradition

2010-10-14T21:08:00.000-07:00

As the holidays approach and we see seasonal decorations flooding the stores, Chris and I have been thinking a lot about traditions: American, Polish, and those that are more personal. We are enjoying talking about our childhoods and the family traditions that we want to continue and thinking about what new things we want to add of our own.

Since Halloween is approaching, I thought I’d share a tradition that is a little different. When my sister and I were little, we always went trick-or-treating. When we were with Mom, we drove all over the county visiting grandparents and family friends, partially to show off our costumes to loved ones, and partially because my mom bought into the fear of strangers putting razor blades and poison in candy. With my dad, the experience was the exact opposite, it was all about strategy…how to get the best and most candy. His response to stories of psychopaths tainting sweets was to “test” the good pieces himself. :)

When I hit Jr. High, my mom knew that I was too old for trick-or-treating, but didn’t want to end the fun of dressing up, so we came up with the idea of “treating.” We wanted to transform the holiday from one of greed and mischief into an opportunity for generosity. We dressed up in costumes, picked a neighborhood, and went door to door passing out little bags of our favorite candies. We had so much fun meeting different people and seeing their reactions. When I went to college, I took the tradition with me, and for a couple of years got groups of friends together and went treating.

Since then, we have always been busy or had some excuse not to go, but this year we are deciding to start it up again. We plan on taking our own kids trick-or-treating when they are young, but want to teach them how to treat as well. We ordered some Polish candies this year (hopefully they will get here in time) as a special piece of our journey to share with others.

So, here’s the invitation. We’ll go out no matter what, but we would love it if some other people would join us. So, if you’re in the Seattle-ish area, get in touch! Costumes don’t have to be anything elaborate…it’s mostly about getting out, meeting different people, and having fun.

Whatever your plans, have a safe and happy Halloween!

Whirlwind Poland Adventure

2010-10-01T13:17:00.000-07:00

Well, my hopes of actually posting while I was IN Poland obviously did not happen, as I was super busy every day I was there. I arrived at around 1:30PM Polish Time, and had just enough time to check into the hotel and take a real quick shower before heading into the office for a 4:00PM meeting. Then, I was in the office most all day and had dinner with colleagues every night, so I was away from the hotel from 8:00AM till 9 or so PM most days. In any case, I thought for this post I would point out some things that others who have not yet been to Poland and are going soon might find useful (or interesting if anything).

1. Many European airports have a bus that will take you from your plane to the terminal. This is true for most every flight I have had in and out of Frankfurt, as well as for Katowice. Note that the bus for Katowice takes you LITERALLY 10 feet or so to the door (however do NOT try to just walk it or you will be stopped....)

2. In Poland the lunch meal often is the "big meal" of the day, so it is common to get served a VERY large lunch.

3. Poland has a lot of very good food. Here are a few things I'd recommend eating....

Zurek

Wild Boar

A typical Polish Breakfast

A Happy Birthday and Lots of Travel

2010-09-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Chris’ birthday, and since he is flying out of town today, we decided to stay close to home and keep it pretty relaxed. It turned out to be a perfect day to wander around Seattle, and it seemed like everyone else was outside enjoying the weather as well. There were multiple festivals going on, excited tourists heading out on a cruise, and street musicians everywhere. We cut through Pike’s Place on our way up from the waterfront and discovered a shop that we have previously neglected…The Polish Pottery Place. The most exciting part of that for me was that I was actually able to read some of the labels on the food products. After working on Polish for about a month with Rosetta Stone, I’m pretty sure I’ve learned more than I did in my entire first year of German in school.

Chris is actually going to get a chance to practice his language skills this week in Poland. I think he will rack up enough air miles with work that when we actually end up going to Poland together for adoption trips, we’ll be able to use miles for at least one trip…the only problem is they are not all on the same airline. His trips in the next month (that we know about) will be to Poland, California, and Alabama. I expect that there will be another trip added to the list, but dates and location are currently up in the air.

Chris has become quite a master of efficiency when it comes to travel (think George Clooney in “Up in the Air”) He sometimes repacks my bag to save space (you don’t have to pack what you can easily get there, and checking bags just slows you down,) loves flashing his preferred member card and getting the perks that come with it, and is a master at getting through security quickly (never get in line behind families, wheelchairs, strollers, or the elderly if you can avoid it.) There have been times when I haven’t even made it home from dropping him off at the airport and he’s called me to tell me that he will be taking off in just a minute because he flew through security and managed to walk straight onto an earlier flight. The other day we were joking about the fact that he has been to Japan, Poland, and Germany more times than he has been to Canada even though we’re not far from the border. Chris may not always have a job that takes him all over the world, but for now, it’s exciting and fun. While I don’t consider myself a bad or inexperienced traveler, it is nice to have a companion who has been there before and knows the ropes. Sometimes he forgets that I haven’t been to all the places he has, so when I asked him a question about the train station in Katowice, he started off by saying, “Well, it’s nothing like in Tokyo…” and after I reminded him that Tokyo was outside my frame of reference, he related it to something more familiar.

I’m looking forward to hearing the new travel stories that Chris gathers over the next few weeks. Stay tuned for the next blog post, which Chris will be writing from Poland (or the airplane.)

Raising Husbands with Love and Logic

2010-09-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

Rachel and I have been reading through the book Parenting with Love and Logic and today, as I was getting ready, she asked me the question, "Do you want me to cut your hair this week or would you like to go to a place to get it cut?" This question made me laugh, as it is directly from the "love and logic" technique. For those who don't know what it is, the idea is that you give choices, both of which you are okay with. For example, "would you like to go to your room on your own, or do you want me to carry you there?" I'm happy to know that our kids will have a great mom who, without thinking about it, uses the techniques we talked about....with me... :)

Children's Books

2010-09-17T14:18:00.000-07:00

My goal this week has been to finish the Multicultural Children’s Literature class that I have been working on since last spring. I am so happy to be done! The essays are printed, and all that’s left is to stick them in the mail and pray that the professor is pleased with my work.

The fun part of the class was getting to read tons of picture books. This week I followed a rabbit trail and ended up bringing home a handful of books with adoption themes. There were three that I really enjoyed and thought would be worth mentioning here. I liked that each one seemed to have a different audience: adoptive parents, grandparents, and the kids themselves. Here they are:

I remember totally underestimating Jamie Lee Curtis with another of her books, so I was prepared for something special with Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born. This is an incredibly sweet book, telling the story of the parents waiting for the phone call, going to the hospital, and seeing their baby for the first time. The illustrations are colorful, detailed, and humorous. The book is all the more meaningful since I have a friend from college waiting at the hospital today for her baby to be born, and I can see her going through the story now. (Congratulations Angela!)

I liked book number two, Pablo’s Tree by Pat Mora, because it was actually focused on the grandfather’s story, waiting and preparing for the grandson, and then the special birthday tradition that they share.

Finally, my favorite out of the three was We Adopted You, Benjamin Koo by Linda Walvoord Girard. I’m not too keen on the title, and the illustrations are just ok, but it is obvious that a lot of research went into this book. The author acknowledges Benjamin for sharing his story and some folks from Holt International for their help. In this book, Benjamin talks about his history and some of the issues that he faced as an adopted child and how he got through them. It touches on not looking the same as his parents, other kids making fun of him, the sense of loss for not knowing his birth parents, and strangers’ comments in the grocery store among other things. With all of the books that I brought home, Chris and I took turns reading them to each other, and this one actually made him choke up a bit. It is an awesome book for the information and was the only book that I brought home that really seemed like it was intended for a child. Two thumbs up!

What I haven’t found yet are picture books about older child adoption or foster care, and I would be really curious to see if there is anything out there. I’m also curious about traditional Polish folk tales and fairy tales. If anybody knows of any children’s books that fall into these categories, I’d love to hear about them!

-Rachel

Why Poland????

2010-09-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

It seems as if it's my turn to write in the blog. You will have to bear with me, as my writing is no where near as eloquent as Rachel's, but here goes. For this entry, I've been given the task of explaining why we chose Poland. We get asked this question a lot, and sometimes feel as though we don't have a “great answer,” but I'll do my best to explain.

First, at work, I work with our Polish office quite a bit. I like that we know people who live in the country. It is important to us that the kids we adopt keep their heritage. That is something that no-one can or should take away....ever....

Second, as we were looking at countries, Poland's orphanage system stood out to us. From everything we have heard and read we are amazed at how much love and care the workers in the orphanages give the kids. The situation is far from ideal, but seems to work as best as it can. We also like that there is a bonding time with the children in the country. While it may be a lot of travel, we definitely see the value in it.

Lastly, Poland has “felt right” to us. We have felt led to Poland and are excited to be on this journey. The picture is from a road trip Rachel and I took over the 4th of July weekend, where we finalized our decision to adopt, and specifically chose Poland.

The Decision and the Next Steps

2010-08-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

Chris informed me that it is my turn to write, so write I will…

When we started to tell people that we were thinking about adopting, we got some responses that really took me by surprise. Several people commented that it must be so difficult for me working around pregnant women and babies every day, while others (who have been anxiously waiting for us to reproduce) in their surprise blurted out, “So you CAN’T have your own children!” (I’ll write more about the language of adoption some other time.) While we do feel sympathetic toward people who are dealing with infertility, we have felt drawn toward raising children who, for whatever reason, were not able to stay with their birth parents. I won’t speak for Chris, but when I have pictured my someday family, I have never imagined babies, but always saw my kids being older. And I have never wondered about my ability to bond with children who were not born to me naturally because I have loved the children and youth (even the difficult ones) who I have taught or counseled over the years. We have been sitting with the decision to adopt for quite some time and have looked into many options for how our family will come together. Hopefully, in the next couple of years, we will be bringing home a young sibling group from Poland. It will be a while (probably not until early next year) before we even formally begin the process, but in the meantime we will be plenty busy preparing for the journey. Here is our fall to-do list:

-Choose an adoption agency (we have one that we are leaning toward, but are still gathering references and considering a few warnings.)

-Find a rental house that meets our needs (our little apartment just won’t work.)

-Save money (our current project is going through stuff we don’t use to sell on ebay/craigslist/amazon.)

-Start learning Polish (we started working with Rosetta Stone every day and discovered Polish Sesame Street!)

-Find a church family (easier said than done—more about this later.)

-Build connections with other people pursuing adoption (I’ve been enjoying following other people’s Polish adoption blogs for a few months and am starting to feel like I know some of the people…what a great resource and community!)

-Begin figuring out who we are as parents (we are currently reading through Parenting With Love and Logic and finding out more about each other through that—it has prompted some excellent discussions so far—Chris is going to be a great dad!)

-Enjoy the time we have as just us! (Sunday morning coffee dates, hiking, biking, camping, etc., etc., etc.)

Thank you for joining us on the journey!

-Rachel

Adoption Packet #2

2010-08-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

We got the second adoption packet in the mail. Currently we are between two companies, and have had good and bad reviews of both. We're in the process of reviewing the two companies and asking other people who have used them what their experiences have been. Please pray for us as we go through this process. Thanks for all the feedback and support we've received so far.

-Chris

First information packet

2010-08-11T19:31:00.000-07:00

We got our first information packet from one of the agencies today. I, being the nerd that I am, have already itemized all the costs for this agency in a spreadsheet. We are hoping to get information from the other agencies that we contacted soon, and then will be interviewing each agency, as well as asking for references from each place. If anyone who has gone through this process before has any suggestions as to what we should ask, look out for, etc, please let us know. Thanks again for all your prayers and support.

Chris

A Small Announcement

2010-08-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that it has been 10 years since Chris and I met during the first week of college. Since we were married, we have done a lot of growing up as a couple and have been on many adventures together. Over the years we have watched our friends and relatives fall in love, get married, and start families, all the while becoming experts at avoiding the kids question, but we are finally ready to give an answer. In the not too distant future we plan on adding more details to this blog about our decision to adopt, our hopes and dreams, and the adoption process, but for now, we just want to announce publicly that we are going to pursue adoption to add to our family. Just putting it out there, even if no one reads it, makes the decision that spent years as an idea a reality.

Stay tuned and wish us luck!

Meridianville, AL Home for Sale

2010-04-03T01:27:00.000-07:00

We have been so busy getting settled in the Seattle area that we have almost forgotten about the house that we still own near Huntsville, AL. This house was wonderful, the community was great, and if we could pack it up and bring it with us, we would have. However, it is time to sell the place so that we can move on with our lives here. We're hoping that dropping the price will stimulate enough interest to get it sold quickly so that we can stop worrying about it. New Price: $169,900 . Here are some pictures from before the move...

A wintertime shot of the front of the house. Chris thought it would look great decked out in Christmas lights. I really liked it in the summer when the trees were full of leaves and I could watch the birds from the bedroom windows. Out the back windows I had a good view of Wade Mountain (where we enjoyed several nice day hikes,) a small wooded area, and the beautiful Alabama sunsets.

We spent most of our time in the family room since it was open to the kitchen and had big windows looking onto the deck and backyard. We could also open up the pocket doors to the formal living room (which we used as an office) when we wanted more open space.

We absolutely loved the fireplace!

We did the most work on the kitchen. When we got the house, the walls were either pinkish purple or mustardy gold and the kitchen floor's peel and stick tiles matched. One day I decided I hated it and started ripping it up (sorry Chris) and we discovered a layer of plywood and two more layers of vinyl flooring, which was quite a surprise for us since the house isn't that old. We decided to update the kitchen by putting in more modern tile, which then led to buying new steel appliances right before we left. We also discovered that the island was not stationary and we had a hard time choosing whether to use it as an island or make it a counter on the wall as it is in this picture...fortunately it's not hard to move. Cooking in here was great...the layout made sense, and what you can't see in this picture is that there are two pantries in the hall...wonderful storage!

I hated the formal dining room until we changed the light fixture...that made quite a difference! As for the shades, I needed a project while I was helping take care of my grandma and they kept me busy...when the sun is shining through them, it looks like stained glass.

Our big executive desk made this room look smaller than it really is. We had no use for a formal living room, but the space was perfect for an office at the front of the house.

The master bedroom was huge, as was the master bath. What I really wish I had back however is the closet. That space could be counted as an extra room and had it's own full size window. I think the previous owners may have used it as a small computer work space?

This is the bedroom at the back of the house. The view out the window is very nice.

This is what we called the small bedroom because compared to the others it looked small even though it is a standard size. The surprising thing about this room is that it has a large walk in closet as well as a smaller cubby closet. The builders really put a lot of thought into storage in this house.

Finally, we have the bonus room over the garage. We kept changing the function of this room because it worked well for whatever we needed at the time. It's a big space. We also liked that it had easy access doors to crawl spaces that extended the entire length of the room on both sides...once again, great storage. We were able to keep the house very uncluttered there.

Here's a link to the old flyer I made a while back.

Things we liked about the house that I didn't mention:
- 1/2 acre lot
- The house has always been smoke free
- Two car oversized side entry garage
- Easy commute to work at Research Park (via the AL-255 extension)
- Friendly neighbors

My sister in Idaho

2009-03-11T15:48:00.000-07:00

More from the car on the Idaho trip

2009-03-11T15:42:00.001-07:00

From the car on the Idaho trip

2009-03-11T15:39:00.000-07:00

FedEx Ad

2009-03-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

As we descended into Walla Walla, Holly decided that she would go into marketing for FedEx.

Quiz Meet Pictures #2

2009-03-11T15:33:00.000-07:00

Quiz Meet Pictures #1

2009-03-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

Tanks on Trains

2009-03-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

On the way to Idaho we saw tanks on trains in Oregon. On the way back from Idaho we saw tanks on trains in Washington. Wonder where they were going...

Signs

2009-03-11T15:19:00.000-07:00

Signs Holly thought were worthy of pictures.

Holly's Monkey

2009-03-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

On our weekend trip to Coeur d'Alene, Holly had a lot of fun taking pictures. Here you can see her monkey riding on the dash through the gorge, peering out at the snow, admiring hat rock, and then laying there exhausted when we reached our destination.

Mt. Hood in March

2009-03-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

This morning I went walking around the farm and through the woods...very pretty. Of course, I didn't bring a camera. I did think to go get it when I went out to get the mail, so here are a couple of pictures of Mt. Hood from the driveway.

Open House Postponed

2009-03-01T09:38:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately Huntsville shuts down when it snows, even if it doesn't stick to the road. This means that, though the snow is almost melted entirely, the open house is being pushed to next Sunday.

Open House

2009-02-28T10:33:00.000-08:00

For the benefit of those who live in or around Huntsville, AL...

Open House from 2-4 March 1. 204 Old Camp Rd Meridianville, AL 35759.

Virtual Tour

Extremely well maintained home in the desirable Beaver Creek neighborhood, offering an open floor plan downstairs and plenty of updates throughout. New paint, light fixtures, and stainless steel appliances are among the features that make this home special. Your family will love the large fenced backyard, spacious bedrooms with plenty of storage, and friendly neighborhood that awaits you at your new home in Beaver Creek. MLS# 291486

Map

House Flyer

2009-02-20T15:17:00.000-08:00

Having not been too impressed with our realtor's effort to do any marketing for our house, I set out to make my own flyer. I found a sweet website with templates and a virtual tour creator. This is what I did with my free trial...

http://www.guruhomevisions.com/main/virtual-tour.aspx?property=6255

25 Random Things

2009-01-30T19:22:00.000-08:00

25 Random Things

Rules:
Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you. If I didn't it's probably because I just plain forgot. Sorry. Also, some of you already have been tagged, but wanted you to know I posted this.

(To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)

1. I love walking barefoot on the beach. The two summers I lived there, I had beautifully smooth feet.
2. I am inclined to walk north instead of south. My parents say that even when I was just a little thing (living at Happy Camp in Netarts) I would want to go north and then be upset when I had to turn around. Now I sometimes choose to go south so that I can have the joy of walking north on the return trip.
3. I feel uncomfortable in flat open spaces. Driving through Texas was hell.
4. I've become a pretty good handy person working on my houses. I think I'm pretty good at staging to sell too.
5. I have degrees in Youth Ministry and Teaching, but I like working at camps the best.
6. I was really good at schoolwork except for spelling and handwriting...thank God for computers.
7. I am hoping my uncle will teach me some things about farming so that I can help with the vinyard, orchard, and maybe some animals.
8. I don't like to step on cracks. If I do with one foot, I have to balance it with the other. Checkered floors drive me crazy because I have to balance the number of times I step on each color. I'm getting better at not thinking about it.
9. I have a lot of friends who are having babies, and I sometimes feel pressured. Everything in its own time.
10. In college I lived in Hob2, U2 West, Weesner House, and Woolman Apartments. I had the most fun in Hob2.
11. I met my husband in acting class. We had our first real conversation while studying for a test on a bench outside EHS during the first bruin brawl of the 2000/2001 school year. For our final scene in December we played a married couple--it was prophetic.
12. I minored in Quaker studies at George Fox. Strangers have asked me to be in pictures with them and I have on occasion been asked silly questions like "Where is your bonnet?" and "what's it like without indoor plumbing?"
13. 4 years of high school German...2 occasions to actually use it.
14. I graduated high school when I was 16 and couldn't go out past midnight the first year of college because of curfew...a cop yelled at me and threatened to give me a citation the one time I did. Eh...that's Newberg.
15. I have a cat named Oishi (Japanese for delicious)
16. I have a weakness for Tillamook ice cream...mudslide is super yummy.
17. I love walking in the rain.
18. I like to read. Among last years books...Steinbeck's East of Eden, the Twilight series, several teaching books, and part of a book on death in the Grand Canyon.
19. My favorite poem is The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
20. I would like a walking buddy.
21. I think hazelnuts are superior to all other nuts.
22. I often see beautiful things, but rarely remember to bring a camera.
23. I miss my ginkgo tree and herb garden in my old backyard.
24. I really like canoeing, but never do it.
25. My life goal is to be a treasure hunter.

Christmas Eve in Vancouver, WA

2009-01-30T10:13:00.000-08:00

Gordon and Solomon

2009-01-30T10:08:00.000-08:00

Family Christmas Pictures 2

2009-01-30T10:07:00.000-08:00

Family Christmas Pictures 1

2009-01-30T10:06:00.000-08:00

James, The Birthday Penguin

2009-01-30T10:01:00.000-08:00

Christmas Weather on Bald Peak

2009-01-30T09:34:00.000-08:00

Space Camp Barbie

2009-01-22T15:41:00.000-08:00

This Christmas I gave Tim his very first Barbie and told him he would have to fight the urge to take her out of the box and play with her. Since Christmas she has gone everywhere with him (still enclosed in her protective packaging), from church to the hospital, and even to Taekwondo class! She is a great help to him at the office and an excellent conversationalist at otherwise awkward social gatherings. Check out Tim's website devoted to Space Camp Barbie's travels....

http://www.tebege.net/barbie/

The House is Listed!!!

2009-01-22T12:51:00.000-08:00

Our house is now officially on the market! We put so much work into fixing it up that it will be a little sad to leave it behind. However, we are excited about taking this step toward transitioning back to the Northwest. We aren't sure at this point whether we will be back in the Portland area or further north in the Seattle area. In either case, it will be nice to be near family and friends again. Now we just need a buyer....

Our Realtor's Listing on the MLS

Our Listing on Zillow

Chris at Work

2008-12-19T15:39:00.000-08:00

Finished Projects

2008-11-29T16:44:00.000-08:00

X-Camp

2008-11-26T17:33:00.000-08:00

Just spending some time remembering my summer as the tan I had completely fades away. Thanks to other team members who actually remembered to take pictures and post them, I have a few to share. At the beginning of the summer we studied hard so that we could teach leadership and outdoor skills. The days were often long, but full of fun and activity.

This is one of our staff photos. Teaching water activities and lifeguarding all summer made the lake the ideal place for the X-staff photo shoot.

All of us at the beginning of the summer studying for our exam. That was the hardest test I have taken in years.

We also spent a lot of time teaching archery...five sessions each week. I think we were all pretty good by the end of the summer.

Christmas Tree 2008

2008-11-25T23:55:00.000-08:00

Got a little head start on Christmas. The multi-colored lights are absolutely cheerful.

Updating the Kitchen

2008-11-25T23:26:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, after watching way too much HGTV, I finally took a crowbar to the floor I was hating, starting a kitchen makeover. Chris installed a new stove and dishwasher, and I tiled the floor. In the process we found more layers of vinal flooring than we had originally thought and the walls that were a rose color when we arrived had been covered in floral wallpaper before that. We were amazed at how many changes this kitchen has been through in its relatively short existence.

Jars of Clay: Hymn

2008-09-06T10:48:00.001-07:00

Oh refuge of my hardened heart
Oh fast pursuing lover come
As angels dance round your throne
My life by captured fare you own

Not silhouette of trodden faith
Nor death shall not my steps be guide
Ill pirouette upon mine grave
For in your path Ill run and hide

Chorus:

Oh gaze of love so melt my pride
That I may in your house but kneel
And in my brokenness to cry
Spring worship unto thee

When beauty breaks the spell of pain
The bludgeoned heart shall burst in vain
But not when love be pointed king
And truth shall thee forever reign

[chorus]

Sweet jesus carry me away
From cold of night, and dust of day
In ragged hour or salt worn eye
Be my desire, my well sprung lye

[chorus x 2]

Spring worship unto thee
Spring worship unto thee

Oregon

2008-07-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

There aren't words to describe how much I fun I had being back home. Chris and I tried to cover the bases doing things we missed.

On Friday we went to Portland for a few hours...went to Powell's, walked around downtown, enjoyed some frappuccinos and people watched in Pioneer Courthouse Square. I was so delighted to see my version of a quintessential Portlander riding a bike through the square, looking a little scruffy, wearing an orange Obama t-shirt, holding coffee in one hand and steering with the other.

Saturday was spent with family, celebrating my grandma's life. We had strawberry shortcake and plenty of good conversation.

Sunday was the best day. The beach at Manzanita was beautiful...a little windy, but not too cold. After eating lunch at a little pizza shop, we set forth to conquer Neah-Kah-Nie Mountain. It was even better than I could have imagined. (See pictures below)

On Monday we took it easy, hanging out and visiting with some friends. Chris got to have yummy sushi and visit Fry's, so it must have been a good day for him.

Patience

2008-07-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently posted on her blog a quote about patience, and it spoke perfectly to where I am and how I'm feeling...

"Patience is a hard discipline. It is not just waiting until something happens over which we have no control: the arrival of the bus, the end of the rain, the return of a friend, the resolution of a conflict. Patience is not a waiting passivity until someone else does something. Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are. When we are impatient, we try to get away from where we are. We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later, and somewhere else. Let’s be patient and trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand."

-Henri Nouwen

World of Coca-Cola

2008-07-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

For my birthday weekend, Chris took me to a place he has been wanting to go for a long time...The World of Coca-Cola.

At the 4D movie theater(Holly, remember how much I love 4D shows?), we learned that Coca-Cola has done so well because of its unforgetable taste, universal distribution, uniform quality, and you, the consumer.

My favorite part was the art gallery.

Chris enjoyed tasting Coke products from all over the world, including the Italian favorite, Beverly...try it...it'll knock your socks off.

Topher enjoying a cup of the good stuff with the creator himself.

Quarter Century

2008-07-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

Thank you everyone for making my birthday special.

Temporary Smurf

2008-06-30T08:58:00.000-07:00

Last week I temporarily colored my hands blue while doing tie dye with my day campers.

Baby Bunnies in the Backyard

2008-06-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

We have been pretty busy with work recently and have been letting some things slide here at home. This weekend Ethan was kind enough to help us out and mow the backyard (not a small task.) He discovered that in our time of neglect, a new critter moved in...rabbits. Chris supposes that they have been munching on the tomatoes in our neglected garden, to which we always forget to close the gate.

Thanks for the Flowers

2008-06-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Chris' coworkers who sent me the beautiful flowers. It was completely unexpected and I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Ernestine Marie Cook

2008-06-25T03:33:00.000-07:00

A New Housemate

2008-06-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

Not long ago we were contacted by a friend of a friend's friend who was looking for some people to connect with in Alabama this summer while he is interning at NASA. We have so much extra space that it made sense to offer him a room here. He is a super cool electrical engineering student going into his senior year at Fox. Ethan got here on Saturday and will be around until the beginning of August (I think.)

A New Niece

2008-06-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

Avery Marie Santore
May 29, 2008
7 lbs. 5 oz.
20.75 inches

Fireplace Project

2008-06-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

For our first big project at our new house, we chose to tile over the brick on our fireplace. With a smaller surface area, lighter tiles, and more tiling experience under our belts, this was a much easier project than the slate fireplace facing at our house in Newberg.

Our next project that we are working on is painting over the pinkish purple on all the walls with a more neutral color. Chris picked out the shade, which is absolutely perfect for us..."Oregon Coast."

Finished Projects

2008-06-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

While I was back in Oregon I started some quilting projects. I didn't have much of a plan going into either of them, but I made up some patterns along the way, and I am pretty pleased with how they turned out. I finished them up here in Alabama and they are now ready to travel to their new homes.

New Job

2008-05-24T23:00:00.000-07:00

I suppose the title of this entry should be two new jobs. I just started X-Camp training, which is a seriously sweet summer job, but I have also found a teaching position for the fall. I will get to teach upper elementary (4th-8th) grade at a small private school in Huntsville with one or two other teachers. The job is technically temporary through December, but may continue longer if there are enough students to justify keeping me on the team (and they like me of course.) I'm sure that I will learn a lot, as this school's methods and philosophy are far different from public schools.

In other news, I think I finally have all of the paperwork together to apply for my Alabama teaching certificate. It seems ridiculous to have to go through so much effort given that Oregon requires more for initial licensure, but hopefully I've gathered enough evidence to prove that I can teach. I'm crossing my fingers that this thing will pass smoothly through the process.

To my former students--have a fun filled summer!

Cathedral Caverns

2008-05-18T07:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend we really wanted to see some North Alabama nature. I had read that there were limestone caves in the area, so we set forth to check it out. We found Cathedral Caverns and had a fun time on our tour. I think we were hoping for something a little less touristy, but the paved pathway, built-in lights, and cheesy tour guide made it easy to see the beauty of the cave without having to get dirty or exert much effort. Our pictures can in no way do the cave justice.

"Frozen Falls"

part of the movie, Tom and Huck, was filmed here

Space Camp

2008-05-18T07:17:00.000-07:00

I have a super cool summer job! Yeah! I get to spend all summer outdoors as a counselor at a new program at the Space and Rocket Center, X-Camp. WooHoo!

Huntsville in the News

2008-05-18T06:54:00.000-07:00

My new hometown is also home to one of the 7 wonders of America according to Good Morning America. Although there are 2 other Saturn V rockets on display elsewhere, it was here that this wonder was designed. In this engineering hub, if you were to approach a random person and say, "you'd have to be a rocket scientist to figure that out," you might just get the response, "I am a rocket scientist."

Spring in Alabama and Encounters with Dangerous Local Wildlife

2008-05-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

So far 2008 has been a wild ride. We sold our house in Newberg, drove across the country to our new home just outside of Huntsville, and then as soon as we moved in, I traveled back to Oregon for nearly two months. Chris has also had his share of travel...Oregon, California, Pennsylvania. Now, we are finally starting to feel at home, though we still have a lot of work to do around the house.

We were pleased to find that when we finally got back from hopping around all over the country that spring had arrived in the South. The grass is green, the trees have leaves, flowers are blooming...it is really quite lovely. We recently purchased a bird feeder and have all, especially the cat, been enjoying watching the birds chowing down through the living room windows. A robin even built a nest on our basketball hoop (see photo below). There are a few baby birds inside, but the mama covered them up before I could get a picture of them.

The dangerous local wildlife came in a form that I was not expecting. Before we moved here, I researched poisonous spiders and snakes, trying to figure out what critters I needed to be aware of. So far, I have not seen more than a garden spider, and no snakes yet at all. However, when mowing the lawn, I stepped on what I had assumed to be a mole or a gopher hill. Not so. I quickly discovered that it was not a rodent that made the large mound, but an army of tiny ants. One of these harmless little things attached itself to my ankle and started the attack. Now, over two weeks later, the sting looks like a chicken pock and sometimes itches, but is getting better. Since then I have been at war with the fire ants and I think I am making progress. Victory shall be mine.

Home Again

2008-04-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

Chris and I are both back in Alabama, hopefully to stay for a while. It's time to figure out life here...wish us luck.

Pudding

2008-04-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I see something on TV that I really relate to. The other day I was watching the King of Queens (I like Kevin James’ acting…not so much his standup) and I had a sort of out-of-body experience…. Doug was eating a SnackPack (mmm) and started to get depressed when he saw the bottom, knowing that it would soon be over. He spotted Carrie’s SnackPack still sitting untouched on the coffee table and the euphoria leading to sadness occurred all over again. Chris, how many times does that happen in our relationship?

Another character who liked SnackPacks…Billy Madison…like that movie too.

On the Gilmore Girls, Emily ordered pudding to be made for dessert as a gesture for Lorelei and Rory on a special occasion.

It is sad that I love pudding so much that I take note of when it pops up in electronic media. However, there has to be a connection as the most lovable characters are the ones that share this same affection. I don’t know of any villain who has such an admirable trait.

I thought about listing flavors of pudding in order of yumminess, but got a little overwhelmed and thought I might start salivating on the keyboard. Perhaps if I get really bored someday I will venture down that road.

Updated Map

2008-04-16T15:40:00.000-07:00

Bewildered Duck

2008-03-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

My dad found the picture of the Bewildered Duck. He and his college buddies decided to see if they could put sneak a random piece of junk they created into the school's art gallery and pass it off as art. Apparently it stayed up for quite a while and was quite a discussion piece before it was removed by the authorities.

Grandma's House

2008-03-11T12:36:00.000-07:00

Follow the link to see the pictures from in and around Grandma's House

Grandma's House

Back in Oregon for a while

2008-03-05T08:23:00.001-08:00

It's time for a very quick post. I am back in Oregon for a little while to help take care of my Grandma Cook, who was recently put on hospice in her home. I am staying with her for the night shift and running errands during the day as needed. My praise for today is that she slept last night, which meant that I got to sleep too.

Chris is doing well, though very busy with work and unpacking the rest of the boxes at our house. He is the most supportive, wonderful man in the world and I am so glad that he is mine.