Confessions of a Kitchen Challenged Mom.........

I am hosting Thanksgiving this year--and lots of family will be in attendance. Lots of family--like Grandma--who actually CAN cook. I can do the basics--turkey is not so hard--stuffing--a little harder, but do-able. It is the idea that everything has to be and taste perfect that I have the problem with.

In our house--a perfect meal is all relative. A perfect meal to me--means something entirely different to others. Here are some confessions of my more "memorable" favorite meals:

1) Breakfast for dinner--it's a free for all--cereal, eggs, pancakes--it's nuts!

2) Peanut butter and nutella on wheat bread--with a side of grapes--(always great in a hurry!)

3) Spaghetti--with jar sauce and frozen (costco) meatballs--a family fav!

4) Pigs in a blanket--aka--hot dogs in a crescent roll. Kids think I am a GENIUS when we make this!

5) Grilled cheese and tomato soup--nothing better in cold weather!

6) Mac n cheese--Kraft style

7) "homemade" chicken noodle soup via Costco (this is actually really good!)

8) Shake n Bake chicken/pork with a side of Stove Top--(my personal fav)

9) Chinese food--ala Chef Wongs delivery

10) and the oldie but goodie--Chef Boy R Dee---Ravioli, spaghettio's--and when we go REALLY nuts we get the Princess or Spongebob shaped Spaghettios!!

So now I know you are asking yourself--where are the veggies--I actually do include some sort of veggie at EVERY meal--it's just getting them to consume it that's tricky!!

I know you would just LOVE to attend my Thanksgiving dinner in light of reading the above--but in my humble opinion--Thanksgiving is really about the PEOPLE--not the food anyway. (I have a feeling that a big dollop of lumpy mashed potatoes might be thrown at my head for that comment!!)

What's your dirty dinner secret??

And remember--dollar a comment continues!!! Just go HERE to leave a comment of what you are thankful for and I will donate a dollar in your honor to the Starfish Foster home!!

till next time......

Amy xoxoxoox

Why oh Why??

Having a three and a four year old in the house can be entertaining and maddening and spectacular--all within a five minute timespan. One of the things that has gotten me as of late--is both of their incessant need to ask "Why" about every single thing. This is good--their little brains are expanding, they are learning, curious little beings. However--it can be exhausting answering all of their curiosities--especially when they ask every 5 minutes.

For example--we had a rare November thunder and lightening storm last night--and my conversation with Charlie (3) went a little like this:

Charlie: "Mom why is it wightening out?"

me: "Well--(because I am NO meteorologist) because lightening usually follows thunder."

Charlie: "What IS wightening?"

me: "It is like a shock from the sky."

Charlie: "What's a shock?"

me: "--like something that is hot" ( I know--pathetic..)

Charlie: "wike a burn?"

me: "sort of...."

Charlie: "did Sam getted hit by the wightning?"

me: (ugh!) "no sweetheart--probably he got burned by something else--"

Charlie: "I fink (think) Sam got hittted by the wightening 'cause then it was wike God was givin' him a big kiss!"

me: "Charlie--I think you are very,very smart...."

SO sometimes--the "why" conversations can lead to incredibly sweet observations........I guess that they are not that maddening after all....

till next time....

Amy xoxoxo

*****Thank you for the continued response to the "thankful" post--if you haven't already--heck--even if you have--go on over to my post entitled "THANKFUL" (scroll down the left column to find it) and leave a comment of thankfulness and I will donate a dollar in your honor to the Starfish Foster Home. What are you waiting for.....go.....now.....hurry up!!!! :-)

Thrilling Thursday!!

So today I have to thank all of you that have commented under my "Thankful" post--at this point we have raised $182 dollars for the Starfish Foster home! While this is a nothing to sneeze at--it falls a bit short of my goal--which is.......ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS! Can we make it happen?? To quote one of my kids favorite shows--"YES WE CAN!!"
****and remember--the THANKFUL comments should go under my post entitled--you guessed it..THANKFUL!!

I love reading about all of your thankfulness--it is inspiring, and humbling. You are thankful--everything from a warm bed--to a loved one's remission from cancer. You are all a reminder that we can always find something to be thankful for--even in our darkest days.

So today--can I ask a little favor?? Can you give this blog a shout out?? Either by linking it on your own blog--or e-mailing it?? If you have already done this--I thank you very much!!

Now--onto what I am thankful for today.......in pictures! Here we go.............

It worked!!!! I got the pics to move! hooray! Thanks for the advice!!

Till next time.....

Amy xoxooxox

Define "Special"

Special??

Absolutely!!

Positively!

Lately I have pondering the term Special Needs. I happen to have two children that are considered "special needs"--but I don't really care for the images that the term brings to mind. I think that in our country it seems to be a bit of a scary term. When you look at the majority of children available from China through the special needs program--they certainly are SPECIAL--but as far as putting a "label" on them--well--I just don't like it.

Special Needs in America implies different--and while I thrive on being different--and look at is as a positive attribute--I think that kids don't really like being different--they like being normal. And guess what?? Kids with special needs are most definitely normal--they have a heart and feelings just like the rest of us. They live-they breathe-they need love, they need affection--just like any child would.

My daughter Hope happened to be born with Amniotic Band Syndrome. This is a need that occurs in-utero. Fibrous bands break off of the placenta and act as tourniquet's around limbs and appendages. Kids can be born without limbs--or like Hope--just with shortened fingers and webbed toes. This also can cause a child to be born with a club foot--as Hope was. Hope had surgery last year to separate some fingers and tendon lengthening for her foot. Hope happens to be the most agile child around--way more so than my other children. She dances, flips, runs, jumps--you name it! She also is incredibly bright--amazingly so! Just look at her cute little self....

above--cause I can't figure out to get the pic down here!

Anyway--she is special INDEED--but because of her strength,her smile, her spunk, her intelligence--but her "need" doesn't have too much to do with it--it's just who she is.

And Sam--my almost two year old sweetie--had a rough start. He was abandoned at two days old with a very severe burn covering his hip and foot. His foot is very disfigured--and he needs two pretty major surgeries (coming up in January). When we met him--he couldn't eat--had never had food--he couldn't walk--had little to no strength in his legs. I wasn't sure if he would ever walk--but walk he does--he runs, climbs--and eats now like a champ! He too is special--but you guessed it--not because of his scars--but in spite of them. For his brave and strong little soul--his AMAZING smile--his kisses, and his beautiful little lips. He is for sure one special little guy--who will do great things one day!

just look at him----(again--above--how in the heck do you get the pics to post here!)

My kids are special--all 6 of them. They are special in so many ways. But it is not their NEEDS that define them--it is their heart.

Looking to adopt?? There are many special children out there--could one of them be yours???

till next time.......

Amy xoxoox

****have you signed the comments in the Thankful post yet??? If not--go,run,sign it and I will give $1 in you honor--if you already have THANK YOU!! You can even sign it again--I won't tell!! :-)

Happy Tuesday!!

****See the above faces?? They are just a few of the babies that are being cared for at the Starfish Foster home--if you haven't left a comment under my "thankful" post--there's still time!! In honor of November being National Adoption month--I am going to continue my offer all month. I will donate a dollar in YOUR honor for every comment under my "thankful" post--so spread the word--you can link my blog, plug it to your friends--whatever--let's get some money raised so that Amanda at Starfish can have an additional reason to celebrate the holiday season!!

Now--onto serious business---I am in the process of holiday shopping for my kids--and I have a tendency of going a bit--ahem--overboard....! I am TRYING desperately to cut back--but I have visions of the Norman Rockwell Christmas dancing through my head as I head down the aisles of Target!! We are surprising my eldest with a puppy for her b-day--which happens to fall on Christmas eve--so that should be fun. But I just wonder why I feel the need to continue to OVERdo!! Why? After I saw what I saw--feel what I feel?? Is there a support group for this??

I need help--I am a holiday OVER-shopper!!

Anyone else have this problem??

Please tell me I am not alone!!

till next time......

Amy

Thankful............

This morning--this MONDAY morning I am going to start with what I am thankful for. Thankfulness for the simple stuff---I know all you moms out there can relate..........

1) thankful that Sam slept all night
2) thankful that for this very second there is no screaming or fighting in my house (well three are at school already so that helps)
3) thankful that only ONE of the six is currently sick
4)thankful that I have coffee
5)thankful to the person who created coffee
6)thankful that the pumpkin spice latte is at Starbucks right now--and I will be getting one after I drop off Hope and Charlie
7)thankful that my wash is done for the moment
8)thankful that I have a frozen lasagna ready to pop in the oven for dinner tonight
9)thankful that all my kids are wearing matching socks today
10)thankful that I have SO much to be thankful about!

What are you thankful about today???

Leave a comment and I will send $1.00 to the Starfish foundation for every comment of thankfulness.....just because I am.... ya know...thankful!

Crazy or remarkably sane?

Well--I am just going to delve right in and begin documenting thoughts--that hopefully someone can relate to!

I have been pondering as of late--my incessant need to think about, do something about, read about, all things relating to orphans. I have, of course, a major part of my heart invested in these thoughts, being that we have two former "orphans" that I am now lucky enough to call my children. I guess the experience of seeing the children's faces in China. Seeing the desperation. Seeing the helplessness, the HOPElessness. It has affected me in such a profound way. I see these children in my dreams. I think of how I can help--by means of donations, of a foundation that I am starting, of church-related awareness to just how many suffer.

I think about how many more we can adopt--(yes-I admit I do think that) how many we can fit in our house. How many children we can love. But I guess what I have realized is---in the eyes of every single parentless, hopeless child that I see--I see my own children's eyes looking back at me. Am I crazy? Am I incredibly sane?

I like to think that I am the latter of the two. Shouldn't we look at all children--or all PEOPLE of this world as our children--as our brothers and sisters?? Shouldn't we feel compelled to help ANYone in need? Should I feel "odd" that I think about this so often--or just incredibly lucky that I am now so aware?

It's pretty heavy stuff--this stuff that rattles through my brain--and not so pleasant to think about and to see. But what is the outcome? By caring--we propel ourselves into action--and therefore do something altruistic to better the life of someone else--and therefore--our hearts are calm with satisfaction.

In this upcoming holiday season--can I beg anyone that reads this to think about the "hard stuff"--the thoughts that we don't like to think while trying to indulge ourselves in the excess that has become our "Holiday". The faces that lie freezing in cribs in China--no heat--not enough food. The children in need of medical care--not receiving life-saving surgeries simply because there is no one to pay. The children that long for a mother's warm arms around them--a father's strong hand to hold.

I don't have to look too hard to think about these children--I just look down the hall at their tiny sleeping bodies warm in their beds--that for my son Sam--just one year ago slept in a snowsuit--because there was no heat in his orphanage. One year ago--he never swallowed solid food because there was not enough. Think of that as YOUR child--or a child that you love.

Help me-help them!!! Consider sponsoring a child through two of my favorite organizations--

They both provide medical care to orphans in China--and help love these dear one's until they are matched with their forever families---

Here are the links:

www.thestarfishfosterhome.org/

and

www.chinaorphans.org/

What a neat way to give back--to have your family help! And it has the added benefit of making you feel pretty darn good too!!

OK--I am happy I got that off my chest--now the next post will be a little less heavy--I promise!!

Amy
xoxox