Here Comes the Sun

You looked like you could use some sunshine!

Perhaps I spoke too soon..

A totally new shoot is coming out of the scotch taped part!!! [Note: Picture taken with my Blackberry camera so not as sharp as the old reliable Kodak EasyShare P850.]

Didn't think it would work, but I had to try...

As I was packing up my orchid to bring back into my office, I accidentally brushed against the new stem whose buds hadn't bloomed yet and snapped it almost completely off. I was very upset because I was looking forward to enjoying the beautiful blooms in my office. I performed minor surgery and scotch taped the stem back together at the office and prayed that the graft would take.... several days later I was sad to see that a bloom had fallen off and the rest looked like it was dying as well...

Trip to PI!

My sister and my mom are going to the Philippines this week and I'm jealous. I wish I was going! As my daughter would say, "Waaaaa!". This will be my sister's first trip there and she's understandably nervous. About the water, the food, the language barrier, yada, yada, yada. I wish I could be going with them on this adventure. I would LOVE to meet more of my family there and I'm dying for some place warm and tropical. [I could use an escape from my life right about now.] I will post pics from her trip in a few weeks!

On the Flip Side

So I got Flippin' Out by Charmaine Clamor for Christmas (from Santa) and I was listening to the song that my mom says is her favorite, Usuahay, which is written/sung in Visayan, my mom's native language. It's a hauntingly beautiful song before you know what the words are ... and upon discovering what the words meant I couldn't keep the tears from coming. (Now I know where I got this part of me.)

Usahay nagadamgo ako (Sometimes I dream)
Nga ikaw ug ako (That you and I)
Nagkahigugmaay (Are in love with each other)
Nganong damguhon ko ikaw (Why do I dream of you)
Damguhon sa kanunay (Dream of you always)
Sa akong kamingaw (In my loneliness?)
Usahay nagamahay ako (Sometime I regret)
Nganong nabuhi pa (Why I was born)
Ning kalibutan (In this world)

Nganong gitiaw-tiawan (Why do you make fun of)
Ang gugma ko kanimo (My love for you)
Kanimo day (for you)
Ang gugma ko kanimo (My love for you)
Kanimo day (for you)

Fairy Princess Tea Party

Last night we hosted a Fairy Princess Tea Party for Emi and 4 of her friends. 3 of the girls stayed the night. ALL NIGHT. Have I mentioned that they are Kindergartners? I think my first sleepover didn't happen until middle school...7th grade. Not sure what I was thinking (or IF I was thinking) when I suggested we have a tea party and then went on to suggest we turn it into a sleepover. [NOTE: In my 38th year I have finally learned that it is possible for me to take on too much and I have decided to try to keep that in check from now on....so I can make it to my 39th year, etc.] I had a whole slew of activities lined up to keep the evening moving along and we actually got to do a few of them.

The girls were so cute coming home from school together with Daddy and screaming over the Fairy Princess Tea Party (sing along songs) DVD that I had playing for them when they got inside. They watched that and sang a few songs, then disappeared to the playroom for a bit. We decided to dress up in princess outfits and that's when the first round of fights began. Not enough princess dresses to go around. I dug around in my closet and found a dress I only wore once, got out the scissors and made it a princess dress for Emi. The girls found tiaras and headed to the Gathering Room for tea and snacks.

More princess sing-a-long and dancing in the living room before decorating their pillow cases. This activity only ate up about 33 seconds of time.

We tried to play a hand of "Slap the Queen" (think Slap Jack) and that resulted in lots of complaining from the girlies because not everyone can win this game. We had to stop that game early and put on High School Musical 2, also the sing along version. I think the last girl went to sleep around 1am.

And the first girlie woke up right before the doggies woke me up. So, I got about 2 hours sleep, but not all in one chunk.... so when's the next sleepover?

Identical Strangers

Just finished reading that book and I was so amazed! What a wonderfully written account of these twin girls being separated at birth as part of a psychological study of Nature vs. Nurture (officially) and inheritability of mental illness (unconfirmed). I came across this book on NPR's "Talk of the Nation" one day recently and immediately reserved the book at the library. Of course I already had have Blindness checked out but was having a hard time getting back into the book each time I put it down (but I haven't given up). Identical Strangers was so interesting and I found myself making time to read it. Reading about their struggles to find information on birth family strengthens my position on open adoption.

Ingrate

I am torn between being really proud of my little Kindergartner and insulted. During the course of dinner Emi was asking us how to spell "but" and "like" and as we were sitting in front of the TV eating our second helpings, we weren't really paying attention to her until she got our attention by clearing her throat. Brava! Now go to your room! Click the picture above to see what all of the fuss is about...

The Children's Hour

Three weeks ago I was Googling around trying to recall the name of a collection of red books we had as children in the 70's. I was trying desperately to recall the first book I ever read and my mind kept coming back to the Best Loved Poems book in this collection.

Two weeks ago my sister was checking up on the pups for me and she left me a box of books for our new library. When I came home the next day, I was pleasantly surprised to see The Children's Hour collection of 16 books waiting for me!

Last night I was sorting through old photos I noticed that these books were in the Christmas loot photo too!

Christmas Past

This evening I was looking around for a particular picture of me as a toddler and I found some other pics of Christmas past. I was looking at all of the stuff my brother and I got that Christmas 37 years ago and when I flipped the page I found a picture of me in my dollie's clothes. I don't look happy either...Maybe it's because those are her shoes too!