I thought you would like to know what I do all day.

I mean who wouldn't, right?

ha ha

So, I usually wake up about 7:30AM

Piney puts on her swimming suit and says, "It's swimming day today!" about a million times. Even though it is swimming day every day.

Then I eat breakfast with Piney and Kirby.

After that I let Piney watch Sesame Street. I KNOW that I told you NO TV.

Well, I caved. BUT she is only allowed to watch this one show. She watches Sesame Street and that is it for the day. One show. This allows me to check my email.

Anyway, next we move onto doing family chores. Piney loves to help out around the house. We pick up the floors, clean the counters, do the dishes, water the plants, maybe do some laundry.

Then we head out to the sand park that is behind our apartment.
























Piney has three swimsuits. Two of them are cute and one of them is blue and makes her look like He-Man. You can guess the one she chose to wear on the day I brought my camera. It is not worth the argument to make her change. She loves the He-man swimsuit because it has floats built in.








And now we are off to the pool. It isn't too far to walk to.





































Next Stop:

The library.



Sometimes we skip the library and go to the thrift store or a free movie.


After lunch it is time for a story and a nap.




























Naps vary in length and they are very unpredictable which makes planning hard.

Sometimes I exercise. Sometimes I read. Sometimes I write in here. What I really want to do is sew, but I am afraid of getting out all of my sewing stuff and just getting started and having her wake up and then having to put it all away.

After the nap I usually take a shower and give Piney a bath. Then we make dinner and go to a different park- a bigger one that is further away and lights up at night. I forgot to bring my camera there. Maybe next time.

In the evening I read out loud to Kirby. Right now we are reading "The Mysterious Benedict Society."


Anyway. That's all. The End.

What do you do?

Labels: fun family activities

It's hot here.

For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to load a backpack on my back full of heavy library books and push Piney on her little bike up a long, long hill to the library at the hottest part of the day.

All the while Piney complaining and whining that she was tired and wanted to go home.

Hmmmm. Great plan Jen.

Maybe you would like me to plan your day for you. Any interest?

I could send you on an adventure full of hot, fun, sweaty surprises.

Ha ha

Anyway, we survived home with a few new library books and all is well.

Especially because Piney is napping.

Speaking of surprises.

I am looking forward to receiving Rachel's awesome mugs in the mail.

Thanks to my readers, I was able to support her wonderful cause using money generated from this blog. I hope you all visit her site and show her some love and support for her exemplary efforts. She said there will be more mugs available throughout the month- so keep checking back. All her profits will in some way benefit children living in orphanages during the Christmas and New Year Season. Last year's sales proceeds went towards New Year gifts and cheer to 70 school-age children at a rural orphanage in Leningrad, Russia.

And speaking of more surprises, another pleasant surprise was how well our first official day as volunteers at the Samdong Boys orphanage went.

We meet with a group of 7-8 year old boys there. Wait. They said they were 7-8 which means they were 6-8 ys. old because in Korea everyone is a year older then their American age because they don't have an age 0 here.

Anyway, we taught them the names of body parts, colors, and numbers using games such as a variation of Simon says, Duck Duck Goose and Buzz.

Teaching Body Parts: After teaching the names of all of the body parts- the child has to hit the floor with it after it is called out. If you miss it and get the wrong part then you are out. This is a very exhausting game because you have to (for example touch your nose to the floor) get down and then stand up between each call. They were giggling so hard!

Teaching Colors: Each boy was assigned a color based on the color of their shirt. When that color was called out by the person who was it they all had to run around the circle (like duck duck goose) and then sit in an empty spot. The last person to sit is it.

Teaching Numbers: Usually the game Buzz is played when you each say a number until you get to the number 7 and then the person has to say Buzz. 7= Buzz, 17 =Buzzteen, 27 = Twentybuzz, etc. If you mess up you are out. This was too complicated for the kids just learning English so they just had to say the number based on the number of fingers we held up. Two boys were so good at it we had to use two pairs of hands.

We also did some silly races and other games (such as telephone- whispering a word from person to person and seeing if it comes out like the original word).

All in all it went well.

Next time I will bring my camera!

Labels: fun family activities

Thailand was pretty amazing.

You can see our photos HERE.

The photos are backwards. The first pictures you see are the last ones of the trip- but since it is backwards I will talk about our trip backwards.

The first picture is a man just standing in the middle of crazy busy Bangkok with his elephant. Not a strange occurrence. Bangkok was hot. There were markets everywhere. You can buy Pad Thai and other Thai dishes on the street for $1. Beggars are everywhere. We started giving them money until we realized the line of them was endless.

The slums that we saw as we rode wooden boats through the canals were in stark opposition to the Grand Palace and the opulent reclining Buddha.

We saw a couple of movies in Bangkok- the Dark Knight (which I hated) and Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3-D (unrealistic but very fun).

Next is Pattaya. This is a place where the bars are full of prostitutes and they are everywhere. I recommend staying at your hotel if any of you ever travel here. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel which was very exciting for my kids and very family friendly. Piney loved the Lil Rockers Club.

After that is Phuket. This is where the great beaches are. We stayed at Le Meridien hotel because it was the only place that accepted 3 year olds into their kids club. There were a lot of activities by the beach such as rock climbing, giant chess, mini golf, and swimming. They even had a pet elephant that roamed the grounds. Out on the street everyone wants to sell you a custom suit, give you a massage or give you a ride in their Tuk Tuk (sort of like an open taxi). You could also buy a t-shirt that said "No I do not want a custom suit, massage or Tuk Tuk ride."

Next was Chiang Mai. Here is where we rode elephants and zip lined through the jungle. Even Piney! She had a great time. I have never heard her laugh so hard. This is also where we saw a snake show. They told everyone that they had a jumping snake and then they threw it into the audience. Everyone screamed, but it was a joke- it was only a piece of rope. We went to a fancy spa here called "Let's Relax". M and I got full body massages for 2 hours only $20 each! We also saw more amazing temples, monks and buddhas.

Well, if that isn't enough to get you all to visit Thailand, I don't know what is!

Labels: fun family activities

Yesterday I was with friends at Starbucks discussing our upcoming trip to Thailand (leaving tomorrow).

And Yes I feel guilty for spending this amount of money on ourselves when there are so many starving people in the world. And Yes I feel guilty for polluting the air with our airplane travel.

And Yes I did just see the WALL-E movie to make me feel worse about that.

But family trips are not the same as buying (for example) a wasteful $10,000 designer handbag or polluting with activities that have no value.

Family trips bring families together. They can open your children's eyes to new people and cultures that can't be experienced locally. They create memories that last lifetimes.

And with rising gas prices, family trips may soon be a thing of the past (unless you can walk there). Our travel agent said our air tickets would have cost $600 more the week after we bought them due to a fuel charge increase. If prices keep going up like they have been airlines will not be able to stay in business.

So, to sum it all up. I think family trips are awesome. We will be riding elephants (Piney will love that), meeting the locals, staying at hotels that were devastated by the 2004 tsunami (and learning more about that), exploring new sites, smells and places, and enjoying quality family time.

I don't know if I will have Internet access, so I may not be back on line for awhile, but when we return I will tell you all about it.

I am also excited because we found an orphanage to volunteer at here in Seoul. Our whole family will be going there twice a month to play games and hang out with the children. That will be starting in August.

So there will be lots to share!

-till then (P.S. My Simple Green World Blog is Finally working again HERE)

Labels: fun family activities

We were having a lazy Sunday....


(That is Piney reading the paper under the coffee table, wearing Kirby's karate shoes.)

But then the conversation turned to what we would do tomorrow and since we aren't going anywhere we thought we would rent some funny movies.



We started reminiscing about our favorites.
This is what we came up with:

M's funniest movies
1. Meet The Parents
2. Mother
3. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
4. Caddyshack (edited)
5. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World


Our boy's funniest movies

1. Zoolander
2. Monty Python and The Holy Grail
3. Napoleon Dynamite
4. Blazing Saddles (edited)
5. Rat Race
6. UHF
7. The Benchwarmers
8. Elf


My funniest movies

1. The Wedding Singer
2. Office Space (edited)
3. Fun with Dick and Jane
4. Happy Gilmore
5. Mr. Deeds
6. Evan Almighty
7. Starsky and Hutch



After deciding on a few Piney kept us laughing with her marching hat show...



and our day ended with making homemade pretzels and playing cards....
Then the conversation turned to the best ever music bands.

But thats another post.

I love long holiday weekends.... stay up late... sleep in tomorrow...

Watch some movies. Have a picnic. Maybe go to the pool.

MMMMMMMMmmmmmm.

Summer can not come soon enough.

Do you have a favorite funny movie?

Labels: fun family activities

Have you seen a really inspiring documentary or movie lately?

I have been trying to add some informative and enlightening movies to watch in between the usual blockbusters.

This has been kind of hard because sometimes I just don't feel up to a deep or difficult subject.

Sometimes I don't want to face the content in the movie.

Sometimes it is much easier to just get a relaxing, fun mainstream movie.

Don't get me wrong. I love documentaries. Really I do.

But it is often easier to sit back and be entertained, rather than be inspired or informed about the truth that is going on in the world. Past and present.

On the other hand, I feel strongly that hard topics should be faced and as we face them, we can see our lives clearer, avoid mistakes, help those in need and appreciate our life and our world so much more.

So I am persevering in my goal and I have a long list of documentaries that I plan to see.

I feel that these two movies we recently watched have really enriched our family's lives.

Highly Recommended:

Emmanuel's Gift narrated by Oprah Winfrey







In case you can't read it well it says: "I think every parent should go take their children to see this movie because it will change the way your children think about what they can do and can be"....this is the story of a disabled orphan whose father abandoned him, whose village dismissed him and whose country thought him better off dead. This is the story of Emmanuel Ofesu Yeboah, who had nothing, but gave everything- and changed a nation forever

and


God Grew Tired of Us narrated by Nicole Kidman about the Lost Boys of Sudan.




This movie was made by National Geographic. It will make you experience every emotion. At some parts it was so funny we couldn't stop laughing. Both movies are excellent to show elementary age children and up. It will open their eyes to the world.





Other recommended DVDs:
Everythings Cool, Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price, Brians Song, Rudy, Lorenzo's Oil, Remember the Titans, Votes for Women, Miracle, Gracie, The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio, Hotel Rwanda, The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till, Is Walmart Good For America? Frontline, The Day After Tomorrow, Dead Poets Society, Its A Wonderful Life, Ghandi, Super Size Me, Who Killed The Electric Car, The Fog of War

My list TO SEE:

A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash
Peaceful Warrior
Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral
The End of Suburbia
The Corporation
A Man For All Seasons
The 11th Hour
Too Hot Not to Handle
Inside North Korea
Planet in Peril
The Devil Came on Horseback
Seoul Train: Independent Lens
Deepak Chopra: Seven Spiritual Laws
Magnificent Desolation
America: Freedom to Fascism
The Nazis: A Warning from History: Disc 1
The Nazis: A Warning from History: Disc 2
Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion
The Peace!
This Is What Democracy Looks Like
Commanding Heights: Disc 1
Commanding Heights: Disc 2
Commanding Heights: Disc 3
Manda Bala
Lost Boys of Sudan
Little Buddha
My Flesh and Blood
Resurrecting the Champ
Nanking
Sacred Planet
The Great Debaters
What Would Jesus Buy?
Blue Vinyl
4 Little Girls
Dark Days
Troublesome Creek
Brother's Keeper
Gaza Strip
Out of Balance
Planet Earth


Coming DVDs:

We Are Together
Flow: For Love of Water
Fields of Fuel
Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox
Hear and Now
Shake Hands with the Devil

Have any of you seen any of these films? Yea or Nay? Or do you have any to recommend? I am always looking for more to add to my list.

Thanks!

Labels: fun family activities

Before visiting Japan Piney would always tell us that she wanted to go home.

Soon we learned that "home" was Minnie Mouse's house in Japan. (At least that was her most consistent answer after Santa Clause's home on the moon)

So, I thought it was fitting to take a photo of this "Welcome Home" sign that we saw after arriving at the Tokyo airport.

Here is our only family photo that we were able to get on my digital camera. Unfortunately, I didn't read the battery level correctly and my camera battery died on the first day. I had to use a disposable camera for the rest of the trip. You have to realize how sad it was for me to be on a once in a lifetime trip to Tokyo, Kyoto and Nara with a disposable camera! The next photo was taken at the Ghibli Museum (a museum in Mitaka created by Anime Studio Ghibli) This is a picture of the famous Laputa robot from the Castle in the Sky movie)
Finally, we have some Disney photos. This is where my camera died, so I only have a few, but Pineapple was in dreamland there! Just today she was asking to go back again!

Labels: fun family activities

It's January.

In case you haven't noticed it's cold and dreary and everyone is sick.

So what do you do?

I will tell you.

You buy this CD and then you turn it up really loud in your car.

It is akin to sitting down to a whole box of Godiva chocolates.

At least to me.

And I need that because I am one up on you in the misery category because I have two big research papers and finals this month

and they are trying hard to suck the joy out of my life,

but don't worry about me. I have plenty of highs in my life right now too.

Such as...

1. Seeing poop in Piney's little potty. That is a big one.

2. Keeping up with all the blatantly biased, slanted, corrupt news channels and Internet sites about the primary election (I should really stop)

3. Scaling down the stress in our lives by buying less stuff and appointing Sundays as a "NO- T.V., Computer or Electronics day" and instead a "Family Togetherness" day.

4. Making little homemade boats for home-school and floating them in the bathtub to see which motor works the best. Why is it always the boat which is supposed to go the fastest is the one that sinks?

5. Learning about each continent in depth- we are currently learning about Australia. Did you know that the Aborigines did not "discover" Australia, but rather England did (according to our really stupid workbook). But despite that moronic part I have learned a lot. Anytime you want to quiz me on the capitals and stuff... I'm good.

6. Getting to pretend to be Elmo every night (we have a puppet which Piney loves)... singing in my best Elmo voice, "If you are happy and you know it scratch your nose, etc, etc." Nothing like a good sore throat and a nose scratch every night.

7. Planning our Japan trip. We were able to get a five star hotel in Tokyo on priceline for really cheap. I love that site. It might actually put a dent in the extravagant prices that Tokyo thinks is normal and O.K.

8. Reading my environment books that are telling me to only use 2 squares of toilet paper at a time and buy all my clothes at goodwill. I don't think they would have said that if they had visited the thrift store on my base. All of the clothes are from the 1960s. We bought my son's Halloween costume from there. Then again. They would probably still want me to shop there. If you see upcoming pictures of a bag lady. Those are me.

9. Funny moments like this- Pineapple tells me it is time to go. I say, "Really?" She surprises me by pulling up her arm sleeve, bending her arm and then bringing her wrist up to her face as if looking at her watch and announcing, "Yes! It is 8:00! Time to go!" (And IT WAS 8:00!)

Well, that's about it. Any highlights in your life?

Labels: after adoption: transitioning successfully, fun family activities

I have decided to listen to Mary's advice about my referral. She said, "Keep busy. The things you wait for come when you least expect it and have stopped thinking about them...even if just for a moment."

I suppose it is like watching cold water heat up and boil. It will never boil if you look at it, only if you busy yourself with other things. So today I am thinking about summer and our possible summer plans. I am going to pretend that we are not even going to Russia. That way it will be an unexpected surprise. So today’s list is some possible summer activities. I think what I will do is get a big calendar and write everything down so everyone can see it. I think it is important that we have stuff to look forward to. Keep in mind that these activities are in addition to summer camp, karate (Adam and Conner) and swimming lessons (Braden). Let me know if you have any ideas to add to this list.

Summer Activity Ideas

1. Try some new summer recipes
2. Take the kids to an amusement park
3. Volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House
4. Make a movie with the kids
5. Go to an outdoor market to buy fresh produce
6. Give the kids lots of chores (lawn mowing, vacuuming, cleaning)
7. Give the kids summer homework packets
8. Play family board games
9. Play croquet
10. Get together with extended family
11. Swim at the local water parks
12. Take photographs- experiment, let kid’s try
13. Art supplies- do something creative
14. Celebrate holidays
15. Family Trip
16. Library for summer reading for all
17. Work on photo albums
18. Appreciate the ordinary


Do you have any summer time memories that you remember to be really special? Any favorite vacation spots?

Labels: fun family activities, waiting for referral

We are having a snow day here in Maryland. Everything shuts down in the east with even the thought of snow. Not being originally from here I find it odd, but kind of nice.

On to my main subject for today. Here are some ideas of things to do while waiting for re-accreditation and/or a referral.

1- Plan a short trip (besides the Russia trip, not too elaborate, but somewhere fun).
2- Enjoy more dark chocolate (My favorite is Godiva Chocolate: Dark Chocolate Truffle Hot Cocoa, $10 from Amazon).
3- Purchase an electric toothbrush (My favorite is Philips Sonicare).
4- Get outside (take a walk, make a snow fort, ride a bike, take pictures, hike).
5- Start your child's Life Book (Click here).
6- Create a list of the adoption books you want to read. Check out what is available from your local library, put the rest on your Amazon wish list and purchase them as you can.
7- Take more hot baths- with bubbles, candles and music.
8- Purchase your favorite magazine.
9- Play video games.
10- Eat more whole grains.
11- Study about Russian culture, history and learn some phrases or (Click here).
12- Study from a spiritual book daily.
13- Watch more comedy.
14- Don't let email and the internet distract you from your life.
15- Start an exercise program mixing aerobics with strength training.
16- Pray and meditate. Yoga is optional.
17- Take an online international adoption course (Click here).
18- Sing in the car.
19- Purchase some Russian Toys (Click Here).
20- Add your phone numbers to the national do not call registry to end telemarketer calls (Click here).
21- Contribute to charities after you have researched them here (Click here)
22- Look through my favorite links and find some of your favorites.
23- Learn how to pay all of your bills online.
24- Cancel your credit cards that are not good deals. Research cards here
25- Get Skype and make calls for free. (Click here)
26- Give your spouse or significant other a massage. Go all out with music, oils, etc.
27- Keep all of your important documents in a large firebox.
28- Purchase a DVR if you are one of the last people in the nation who don't have one.
29- Forget housecleaning. Purchase a Roomba and a Scooba.
30- Commit to being more truthful.
31- Research your family tree and learn about your ancestors.
32- Spend some time at the library or bookstore and find something that speaks to your heart.
33- Set some goals and think about what you want your life to be about.
34- Don't eat anything that has transfats (like margarine).
35- Plant some flowers in the spring. Bring some indoors.
36- Make sure you have a living will and trust.
37- Collect more of your favorite music.
38- Join a support group (such as your local FRUA chapter).
39- Get your visa paperwork filled out as much as possible.
40- Start to pack your luggage for Russia.
41- Subscribe to Google Alerts (Russian Adoption), Yahoo international adoption groups (Russia, orphanage region, your state), A-PARENT-RUSS Digest
( http://www.eeadopt.org/index.php?option=com_facileforms&Itemid=48 )
42- Start an adoption blog at www.blogger.com. Read others.
43- List your priorities and stick to them.
44- Start to write a book.
45- Participate in your favorite sport.
46- Make something for somebody- be creative.
47- Decorate your new child's room.
48- Plan out the steps you will take once you receive your referral.
49- Do the laundry.
50- Spend time with family and friends who love and support you.

Just some ideas!

Labels: fun family activities, waiting for referral