Kid Life List

Paul and I took a much needed family day yesterday and went to the beach. It was a wonderful relaxing day full of laughter. Luke was very concerned and didn't want me to go into the water alone because I don't "have muscles". He made Paul hold my hand anytime I went into the water. It was wonderful watching our children play in the sand and water holding hands with my husband. Luke is very protective of me and always wants to make sure that I am safe. It's funny even at 3 years old I can see the type of man he is going to be.

Alanna is so adventurous! No stopping that girl. She was out in the waves, running all over the beach and wanting to explore and touch everything. She would get so excited to find seaweed and would bring it up to the shore and pull it apart. Most people (especially 8 year old girls) hate it when seaweed touches them. She is so full of life. I cannot wait to see where life is going to take her!

All that to say, as we were at the beach yesterday Paul and I were talking about all the things we want to do with the kids. Some will be easier to do than others... I know I need to write this down or it will be gone forever.

1. Go to a fish hatchery - I went as a kid and thought it was the coolest thing ever!
   
2. Go to Colonial Williamsburg
3. Go to Washington, DC
4. Take Alanna to a Broadway musical
5. Take the kids to Corfu, NY to see their family history
6. Go to Sea World
7. Go to Hawaii and go snorkeling
   
8. Go to Alaska
9. Go to San Diego Zoo
10. Go to the Grand Canyon
11. Take the kids snowboarding
12. Go to an NFL game - preferably the Rams in a winning season (that was Paul)
13. Go to a Dodgers game
14. Go to Discovery Center in Santa Ana
15. Learn to sail
16. Plant and care for a garden
17. Go to Monterey Aquarium
18. Go to Kern County Museum
    
19. ????????
    

Saturday Quiz - What's Your Valentine's Personality?

Your Valentine's Day Personality is Practical

As far as you're concerned, Valentine's Day is simply a commercial holiday. You don't place any real meaning on it. You don't think it deserves too much celebration. For you, Valentine's Day is just the day you avoid restaurants and candy stores. If you love someone, you already show it. You don't need to go all out for a silly holiday to prove your love.

What's Your Valentine's Day Personality?

Yes, this is pretty correct for myself.  It feels more like a kid's "holiday" to me.  So I like to do lots of fun stuff for the kids to make it special for them.  This morning I made pink pancakes with strawberries, little gifts and a love letter from their daddy.

Just because

Just becasue I am a mom and I love my kids... Luke and I having fun with the web cam

Cutie Luke and a PB&J face.

Don't you want to pick him up give him tons of kisses and swing him around??

Princess Alanna - I didn't teach her to pose like this, it just comes natural for her.

She lost a tooth! Once again with the pose!

Home Alone

Last night was Back to School Night. Paul and Alanna went to visit her school and teacher Mrs. Papasergia (I help on Mondays so I've been there a bunch). Luke and I stayed home, shared and Tofuti Cutie, had a great bath (with a excited round of the "My Pee-Pee"), then chilled and watched some TV and took some pictures together. It was a good night!

Americans

We have been talking with our 6 year old Alanna a lot about adoption and about bringing another baby into the family. I really want her to feel a part of this process and not that this process was put onto her. (Does that make sense?) So we've been telling her that the new baby might look different then us, different color skin, hair, etc.

Her only requirement was this:

"Just as long as they are American. Because America is the land of the free and I want freedom."

Hmmm...I'm going to visit her school on Monday.

"...And I proudly stand-up next to you and defend her still today, there ain't no doubt I love this land, God Bless the USA"

Adoption

Paul and I have decided to adopt a child. We don't feel like the Eveland family is yet complete but, we do not want to birth any more babies (after two complicated pregnancies & one near death delivery. That makes it sound like we already have 3 kids. Let me clarify, we have 2 kids. Both pregnancies were very hard & involved bed rest and the first pregnancy almost resulted in my death).

ANYWAY... We are going to adopt. We have our first adoption meeting on Sept. 26th. Like so many people/friends in this world of blogging, I will begin our adoption story. After much prayer we have decided to adopt from the foster care system here in Kern County (home of Bakersfield, CA). We will adopt a baby boy, younger than our son Luke - who is 15 months old at this time. We are praying for our son and his birth mother now. We don't know who they are but we are preparing a place for him in our hearts and lives.

Boys!

The differences between boys and girls continues to amaze me. I have a 6 year old daughter and a 15 month old son. Before I had a son, I was passionate that my kid would not play with weapons. He's 1 and can make gun sounds - how did this happen? I have a baby Rambo... He makes car sounds and flips out every time we see a firetruck. When did all this happen?? His newest boy move - taking off his diaper, grabbing his stuff and yelling "MY PEE-PEE!!!"

Arrrg...Sick Kids

Alanna, my darling daughter, is sick. She has been getting hives for about the last 2 weeks. Every time she broke out it was getting worse, more spots over more of her body. On Tuesday they spread to her face and she was vomiting. We rushed her to the Doctor. They don't know what's causing it. They sent us in for a bunch of blood test (4 tubes!) and some other tests. We get results on Friday but till they know what's going on, Alanna cannot be around other kids. She can't go to school so, I'm stay at home mom for the week. Once again, much props to stay at home moms it's a much tougher job than going to work everyday.

Thanksgiving love

Happy after Thanksgiving everyone! It's over and I'm still having a hard time finding the point of the holiday. Yeah, I get the whole be thankful thing but the day never ends up that way. It's more like a stress, cook, yell at the kids, burn my finger, hurry up and get there, wash a ton of dishes, feel sick kind of day. In the middle of it all, we sacrifice a turkey to show our gratitude for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...

Anyway, after all was said and done I did have a nice day. I really love my family and I love spending time with them. It felt very iconic... My husband was asleep on the floor with a football game on, my daughter was running around and me and the other ladies were sitting around the table eating pie (I won't tell you how many servings) and talking about having babies, husbands and cooking. I flashed back to when I was a kids and I saw my parents doing the same thing and thinking how boring they were just sitting around talking. I'm sure before I know it I will be the grandma talking about how things were in my day.

Maybe next year I won't stress as much about the mash potatoes and stuffing and will take a little more time to give my kids a hug. Then again, probably not.