Five for five

Wow wow wow... It's been eight months since I've blogged.  I want to write more.  I have good intentions.  But time gets away.

The best way to break in is of course Five Favorites over at Moxie Wife!

1.  I would be remiss if I didn't name this new little love my #1 favorite thing!  Meet Jack!  July 23rd we learned that we might be blessed with a third child.  He was born August 16th.  It was a crazy and fast and wonderful addition.  We are so in love and feel so loved.

2 and 3.  My second and third favorite things are my girls.  They love their brother so much.  I can't mention him w/o mentioning them.  Not once... not even a smidgen... have they said anything less than loving about their brother.  I can't explain how wonderfully smooth it has been going from two to three.

 (This is MJ post Halloween. She has her kitty cat whiskers on.  She had the most wonderful night being a cat!)

(and this is Miss Betsy.  She found my reddest red lipstick in my purse and decided to wear some... in her hair, on her face, all over!)

4.  Totally random shift.  But I love these.  These wonderful scents, especially the stress relief smell.  It really is relaxing at a cheap price!  Wallflowers from Bath and Bodyworks

5.  Lastly, we are loving our Little People by Fisher Price Nativity Scene.  There is something about telling Betsy to not put baby Jesus in the toilet that makes me cackle.. and who doesn't need a good laugh every day.  Little People Nativity Set  My only wish was that it showed a bit more diversity in the people.

Have a great day.... off to my sweeties!

Five Faves!

1.  Mad Men!  So glad it is back.  It's my indulgent television show.  I love the look of it.  I like watching the dynamics of office place set in the 60s.  Some of the characters bug me.... but I still love watching it.

2.  Wednesday Mass.   I am in my work office three days a week, including Wednesdays.  They recently added a mid-Week mass.  I will admit I was not anxious to go today.... too many things on my plate... but I went and I am re-energized.

3.  Names.  I am obsessing over names for a new baby.  We are waiting to be matched... it could happen today or a year for  now... but lately I can't stop thinking about names.  My daughters are Mary Jane and Betsy (Elizabeth).  Names that are topping my list for boys are John Paul (use both names), John Charles (use both names), Charles, and an all time fave is Patrick.  Girl name faves are Catherine and call her Cit/Kit or Kitty, Dorothy and call her Dot or Dora, Clara, Alice... oh and Francis.  Lately Francis is a fave :)

4.  Baked Garbanzo beans.  They are yummy and healthy!

5.  These tees from Lands End ... perfect fit and nice weight for a tee.

Enjoy your week!

Five Favorites

Oh, how I love this new feature at MoxieWife.com!

1-  I recently switched my to-do lists and organization over to pretty binders.  Just seeing them in all their prettiness makes me feel calmer about what I need to get done.  I am loving them!  No splurging... just prettiness from Target.

2.  I am toying with new flooring in our our very old kitchen and small bathroom.  I am really digging the idea of old black and white checkerboard.  But maybe it's just too much.  Still on the fence about it.  My cupboards are a retro green in our kitchen but it's small... and may just overpower it.  Still deciding but I definitely would call this look a favorite this week!

3.  Preppy Sneakers.  I had an orange pair of Sperry tennis shoes.  Now that I am 40, I think I'll mellow out w/a birch color for summer.  They are comfy w/lots of padding so they feel better than Keds.  I love them!

4.  Don't know why but I really really really want to replace my coffee maker and get a Keurig Vue.  The idea of at home lattes is fantastic.  

5.  I love reading. I read slowly and don't get more than a few minutes a day.  Right now I am loving Unorthodox:  The Scandalous Rejection of my Hasidic Roots  by Deborah Feldman.  The author is in her late 20s and takes us back to her ultra-conservative Hasidic childhood.  Fascinates me!

Have a great week.... we are headed to Utah for vacation... I can't wait!

7QT

Happy Friday...

1.  This video just ended up in my feed. I love it.  I am so excited for Pope Francis.  I feel his warmth already.

2.  We were excited on Wednesday!  Here's a clip of MJ:

Mary Jane and Pope Francis

I watched a bit of the coverage of the conclave with her and she now seems to be able to identify the difference of a Pope and a Cardinal... but she still thinks everyone is Fr. Jim.

3.  I posted this on FB--- My "Who's on first" moment.... trying to explain to Mary Jane that her new tee shirt says "The Who". Me: It says "The Who". MJ: Mary Jane! Me: No, "The Who". Mary Jane: Besty? Me: No, "The Who". MJ: ME! 

Fun times in toddler land!

4.  Being a mom of two toddlers is so much fun.  That's all :)

5.  I attended  retreat last weekend. It was Created for Care, a Christian retreat for adoptive mamas.  I was blown away... it was so nice to meet women whose hearts understood my heart.  I have so much admiration for the women with huge families.  I feel so blessed by the experience... everything from sharing a car w/a random stranger turned friend to the music we heart... it was moving and inspiring and I do feel like I am a better mom.

6.  In one week, we leave for a family vacation... My parents, sister and her family, and my aunt.  We are all headed to Utah.  It's so exciting!  I can't wait for R and R, and time w/my family.

7.  We are really at a crossroads... I feel badly... I was a bit tough on the mister this week but I feel like we need some certain plans for our future.  Is CA where we want to be or should we move closer to my parents in AZ?  How does someone make these tough decisions?

7 Quick Takes

Happy Lent... it's been a while since I've logged on.  I had a seven quick takes prepared for last week or perhaps the week before but "bubble nose" entered our home so everything was slightly askew.

For those wondering what "bubble nose" is... it's your common cold among my toddlers.

So onto this week's 7-Q-T:

1-  FINALLY I have two baptized toddlers!! It's crazy making.... the Archdiocese of Los Angeles had me jump through a million hurdles to prove that my sweet peas were "okay" to baptize.  I guess they've had issues in the past w/foster parents (which we never have been) baptizing children that wouldn't be forever with them... .it's crazy that private adopted kiddos had the same scrutiny.  But we did it... it was lovely... and while I was a crazy person pushing to get this done (like for two years!), it was especially sweet because I do believe MJ will remember her special day of entering into the Church.

2-  Fun baptism related story--  So MJ is a bit skiddish and I was worried that she'd freak out during the baptism so I googled YouTube videos so she could watch.  For a 26 month old, she's pretty perceptive and wants to understand things.  So fast forward to the Monday after she was baptized.  We were cuddling in bed in the morning and she proceeded to tell me that she was going to baptize her panda, her monkey, and her giraffe.  She got water and wet their heads down.  Loved it :)  Makes me happy that she has a pleasant association with her first sacrament.

3-  Weight loss is going.... down 3.5 lbs and 4 inches!  Slow progress but in the right direction.

4-  So excited about a retreat next weekend.  I am going to Created For Care in Atlanta.  I am combining the trip and doing business too.  I will hate to be away from my family but I so look forward to some time to reflect on my blessings.  Created for Care is a retreat for Christian moms who've adopted.  (I do get the since that I may be one of few Catholic moms... but I'll wear my faith with pride.)

5-  I'd be remiss not to mention Pope Benedict XVI.  It's funny how I've grown to love and respect him.  I was like a child that was sad when Blessed JP left our earth and I didn't want to have that deep connection to Pope B... but I do and will miss him.

6-  On that note... so excited to watch the conclave unfold.  Exciting times.

7-  Looking forward to a Spring vacation with all of my family.  Utah here we come!  Moab and Bryce.... I hope this SoCal girl doesn't have to deal w/snow but either way it's going to be so nice to spend a quiet week with my entire family.

XOXOOX

40 YEARS

I just can't bring myself to use the word anniversary for describing the 40 Years since Roe Vs Wade. Anniversary seems celebratory. Roe v Wade is anything but something to celebrate. This day can't pass, though, without some celebration... celebration for the women who chose LIFE when choosing LIFE seemed like the hardest choice. I don't think it's my place to share the intimate stories of Mary Jane or Betsy's birth moms.... but I will say they are worth celebrating! In the face of the most difficult days, they chose to bring my girls to life. It was their most selfless decision ever. There are not words that I can use that describe my gratitude. I can only offer prayers for them and hope they know that they are my hero.

May God bless the courageous birth moms in our world, especially Miss G and Miss J.... my world is vibrant and alive and full of hope and love because of you!

Inspiration

Off topic all together.... I can't figure out the formatting of this blog. Everything gets mushed together. Ugh. Another day when I have more time to fiddle, I figure it out. Until then, links are broken and paragraphs are mushed. I am getting New Year's Resolutions, which will be highlighted during Lent, together as well as a word for the year (a word to meditate and inspire me). But before I get there, I want to start a new series which I hope will inspire me to blog more often. The series will be reflections on my readings from Sex, Style, and Substance, edited by Hallie Lord (of Moxiewife.com). I love this book and I am going to reread several essays which I read last year, and read the essays that I've not read too! One of my issues is that I have limited time so my reading is done in short spurts which is actually ideal for what I plan to do here... read and reflect to get the most out of it. SO... without further adieu.... I am currently reading Simcha Fisher's essay on motherhood titled "Receiving, Creating, and Letting Go: Motherhood in Body and Soul." She writes: The job that women have, whether we have ever given birth or not: to be a mother to the whole world. God knows the whole world needs us. Wow... this hits me on a few different levels. One-- as an adoptive mama, I do feel that my whole world, aka Mary Jane, Betsy, and dear daddy, need me. They came into my world from the great outside world. Not of my flesh, bone, or blood... but they are part of the world that need me. And then I think beyond just mothering.... my staff at work need me. Not to be a work leader... but sometimes I know that I am the only Christ that these women meet. Half of the women have no religious background or affiliation and it's sad. Now just typing the words that "I am the only Christ".... makes me itchy. To think that I need to be a human example of Christ for someone is beyond comprehension. How can I do that? I am not worthy. I am flawed. BUT... I may be it. I need to be the best example I can be for these women living w/o faith. That's the mother I need to be in the world. One that shows compassion and extends encouragement. I need to show my trust in them and my expectation for success. Loving my sweet daughters is the easy part. Loving the world and being a mother to the world is a greater calling and task, and I need to remain steadfast in my desire to be the best me I can be.