Another Week of Pix

Yes, already falling behind on the posting. Yes, I still owe you a couple of posts from some other things (like Adoption Day). Yes, I promise I will post more often...as soon as life settles down again (so, when Mari's about 25ish).

Here is Week 2 in pictures (yes, we are already well into Week 3 and I have some really funny pix for it but you have to wait!). Week 2 was not terribly exciting, sorry. And they are in order from most recent to earliest; can't really figure out what format I want to do but it'll do for now.

Week 2 of 52

-

2010: 01/14

Attempting to reorganize, cleanout, and simplify. Today's task was the hair accessories. This is what we started with....I got it ALL into one large, 3-drawer container.

2010: 01/13

Meet Britney and Alvin

"We're the Chipettes, UH-HUH!"

"Hello, Gorgeous!"

2010: 01/12

Reorganization at it's most complicated. This "Art Cabinet" used to be the pet pantry. The pet food is now in the cabinet that used to hold the vacuum sealer and miscellaneous small kitchen appliances. The small kitchen appliances are now in the big kitchen drawer that used to hold miscellaneous sippy cups, bowls, parts of bottles, etc. All that baby stuff is now in a box awaiting yard sale! That was a 3 hour project that I decided to do spur-of-the-moment.
2010: 01/11
My little Medusa!

2010: 01/10

Mari typically rips socks off every chance she gets. She must have been really cold to go grab two pairs out of her drawer and stick them on her feet.

2010: 01/09

Mari and I went to have pictures done professionally. Here's Mari with her luscious curls waiting on me to get ready.

2010: 01/08

Mari sharing her stickers with Raffey. Guess she didn't want him to see what she was watching on TV.

Wow! Wasn't that exciting?? Welcome to our lives. Day-by-day. Pretty thrilling, huh?

Awesome Art

Do you LOVE this as much as I do?

Click on the picture to check out Jodi's awesome art.

"Even the Mighty Oceans of the World Could Not Keep My Heart From You"

Week 1/52 - A Picture a Day

I've decided to play along with some fellow bloggers and post a picture for every day of the year. I got the idea from Angie, who did this for most of last year...she is an incredible photographer and I have no hopes of coming close to achieving the beauty she does on her blog. But....armed with a new camera and Photoshop Elements (and the Dummies book to go along with it), I figured I'd give it a try. After all, I usually take lots of pix daily and I'm always posting them to FB...now I'm making myself narrow it down to one a day. And it's not always going to be about the best picture of the day...this will document our lives. Our daily, sometimes monotonous, somtimes exciting, sometimes strange life.

Oh, and I don't have the energy to put up with blogger's antics every day, so I will be posting my daily pix on a weekly schedule. I will also be doing regular posts in between when I feel like it.

Here we go.....

Week 1 of 52

-

2010: 01/07

Mari's badly dehydrated hair need some hot coconut oil but I couldn't find the shower cap...

2010: 01/06

Bubble blowing is hard work

2010: 01/05

no caption necessary

2010: 01/04
The best part about doctor's visits? The exam table paper!
Never leave home without crayons in your purse!

2010: 01/03
Little People Parade

2010: 01/02

Adoption Day Gift - Ethiopian Flag

Mari LOVED it, although she thinks it's a blanket!

(more on Adoption Day soon - it deserves a separate post)

2010: 01/01

Could there be any sweeter start to a new year?

Cousins and BFFs napping together after a hard day of playing together

Happy Adoption Day

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Obligatory Christmas Post!

We had a great Christmas, preceded by a record snowfall the week before - our first white Christmas in forever. Mari was very into Christmas this year and totally understood the "naughty vs. nice" list. The only thing she asked for were maracas - easy to oblige - and still her favorite present, although her art desk/easel is a close second. We had a wonderful Christmas and we still have one more small night of Christmas to go (tonight) with the rest of the family.

Enjoy our Christmas video.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Come back soon for more posts....today is the 2 year anniversary of when I left for Ethiopia. Mari's Adoption Day is Saturday, so I'll be posting the annual tear-jerking video (if I can get it done!).

I would post but we're a little busy.....

Future Olympic Bobsledder!

A Love Affair

• Before I knew what a "lovey" was....
• Before I knew what how effective a transitional object could be in helping with attachment....
• Before I even met my daughter....

I met this little guy.

I thought he was a cute, soft, easily packable toy. A gift from my friend/coworker Pam, I planned to take the small giraffe lovey to Ethiopia with me. It fit the criteria of small, soft, quiet, comforting...exactly the kind of non-overwhelming toy that was suggested you take to a baby that has lived their life in an understimulating environment.

Little did I know what would happen.......

The first night....yes, the FIRST night, Mari fell in love with this little guy. It probably had something to do with the fleece blanket that lined her bed at the transition home, the one she sucked on to go to sleep. Which explains why she still, to this day, sucks on fleece to soothe herself.

This is her second night with Raffey

And flying home, to her forever home....with Raffey

Settling in at home....with Raffey


Chilling with Raffey

Falling asleep anywhere with Raffey

Yes, Raffey is green now. We have moved up to a total of 4 Raffeys - 3 green, 1 yellow (which is now in her memory box)

In all kinds of fun sleeping positions

Like I said....anywhere

Anytime

We never leave home without Raffey

Even when naptime is unwelcome, Raffey is there

Raffey keeps me company in hotel rooms in St. Louis

And lays beside me when I'm down for the count

Raffey even likes to snuggle with Granddad

Raffey goes to school with me

And makes a great blanket

And makes me take a nap on Christmas Day even though I wanted to play more

Raffey is always with me, even when I'm a squiggle worm

And he always comes first when I have new friends to sleep with

Raffey helped me when I got tubes in my ears

And helps me get through really long hair sessions

Sometimes it takes more than one Raffey to do the trick!

And when I had pneumonia, Raffey never left my arms

Even a diva needs Raffey

And this is how Raffey helps me when I'm stressed

Barney is great....but he's not Raffey

Raffey loves to play games and always gets my jokes

He understands bad hair days nights

And helps me go to sleep in a strange hotel room when I am dying to just play on the beach outside my window

Raffey helps me with my breathing treatments

But most of all....Raffey is my BEST friend!!!