Fire

Two weeks ago we experienced something I would never wish on anyone. A house fire. Our house is a three bedroom, two bath double wide. Right behind it sits a studio building that is about 600 square feet. A few years ago we repurposed the once music recording studio, and made it into a rec room, art space and sewing area. It also had beds for the kids. On a Friday afternoon while I was sitting at the computer at work, I got a call from J. He calmly told me the studio caught on fire and was destroyed. I shrieked out loud and spent some time trying to handle my shock and emotions. I maintained a strange balance between staying calm and freaking out in front of my co-workers. I finished up my newsletter publication and headed home in a rush. I came home to find J, L and C. I felt thankful that the 13 or more emergency responders had left and it was just us left to deal with the aftermath of a very hot electrical fire. So many thoughts were going through my head. I was grateful no one was home or hurt. I was sad for the kids who lost the majority of their possessions. I was curious how my trauma affected children would react to this traumatic event. I was fearful, worried and a huge ball of emotions. We dealt with the insurance company the best we could on a Friday afternoon and tried to go back to as much normalcy as we possibly could that weekend.

To be continued.

Solar Oven

My daughter C. is working on a science fair project. She decided to build a solar oven and see how effective it is when baking brownies. I am quite interested in the outcome. She is using this design, which really got me excited to see how this inventor is trying to improve lives in Africa.

She is painting the inner box right now and soon we will start checking the internal temperature. Can't wait to see if it works!

It's approved!

S's Make A Wish for a playground was approved by his pediatrician. So now we are trying to work on getting a local contractor out to look at the yard and see what needs to be done. I really want to give you a peek of the set S. selected. But that would ruin the final reveal.

Here is the backyard before (taken from our roof):

When we told S. he was going to be getting his playground, he said "Me want a BIG playground!" I think he is going to be one active little guy this summer!

ramblings

I know on my last post I said I would see you when I am home. I am not home yet, but just couldn't stay away! Blogging really helps clear the head and kill some time.

The other day I met up with some friends I met online. Another adopting mom and a mom who lives here with her family. They are both wonderful ladies. We hung out for most of the day. They offered support and love, and I offered...well I don't think I really brought much to the table. Beth was planning a Halloween party at her house, and was driving back to the city that night. She offered a place for me to stay for a the rest of my trip if I wanted. It sounded really great to have a change of scenery, hang out with some great new friends, and get a ride closer to the airport so I wouldn't have to travel so far alone on Tuesday. So, I took her up on that offer, went back to HSH, packed my bags, said goodbyes, and left. M. did not seem sad or upset at all. She was really excited about the things I was leaving behind. New to her clothes, books, little toys, etc. She forced a hug and a kiss, which was better than the last time I left!

Last night was the Halloween party. A group of adoptive families who are here in country attended. It was the second time I had seen them. And for some reason it was so hard to be around them. Most of them were young. The children they are adopting are young. And I felt so dang jealous. They have been here for a small amount of time, with court way behind them, and some are ready to go home very soon with their precious kids. They didn't really have a lot to say to me, and I ackwardly escaped to my room a few times throughout the night. I did have a good time visiting with several women who are missionaries here, and learning more about the way things work. We ate homemade chili, coleslaw, cake and lots of candy! The kids went from door to door inside the house trick or treating. They dressed up as characters from Lost. So cute!

Last night I was tired and fell asleep early. Then I had some dreams. Weird dreams that seemed to last the whole night. I woke up around 4 am thinking. I thought about homesteading; raising animals and gardening. I thought about Christmas gifts and how I should shop for some while I am here. I thought about what foods I want to eat when I get home. I thought about my family and how excited I will be when I see a few of them at the airport. I have one full night left before I board that plane. I can't WAIT.

Taking care of things at home

When I am a gazillion miles away.

My husband came home with a lot to do, and I am so glad that he had a few days off to deal with things before starting work again. In the last week he has:

• Mowed the lawn
• Cleaned the roof and gutters
• Fixed the fireplace door
• Scheduled and went to two parent teacher conferences
• Dealt with insurance companies and bills for a prosthetic leg for big K. (praise God all the fees are covered!)
• Gotten sick with a cold.
• Cooked and ran errands

THANK YOU for being such a wonderful husband and father J.

I so thankful to my mother in law who has been staying at our house since AUGUST. She is one trooper of a grandma. I am also thankful for my parents for taking kids for overnight visits, for friends who have taken kids to do fun activities, brought over a meal or two, fixed our oven, refrigerator and gave a discount on the repairs for the fireplace door. I am so grateful for your prayers.

Since I really have no idea of when I will return home, I decided to spend a little bit of my time here planning and making lists. I am a list maker! I need some ideas and imput from you.

1. Ideas for easy, healthy meals. I don't really need recipes, just ideas. Throw them out at me, I don't mind. Even if it's just "spaghetti and garlic bread", it may be something I hadn't thought about.

2. Ideas for Christmas gifts for my children and family members. We are on a budget ($25-50 a person) and I won't have much time at all to shop. I most likely won't be able to make gifts either.

3. Ideas for chore assignments for 5-6 kids ranging in ages 13 to 2.

Simplify

I have been working on simplifying my life the last few weeks. So far it's going slow. Here are some things I have done so far...

• Started a token earning system for the kids. They have to do chores to earn them, and can spend them on a special treat or activity, or tv/computer time. They can lose tokens by naughty behavior.
• I am editing my memberships to the several yahoo groups I've been part of. I get lots of emails in my yahoo box and most of them are from group discussions that I never even read. I just spend my time deleting. So I am taking the time now to remove myself from the groups I don't need to be part of anymore (like some Haitian adoption groups) and editing some so I don't get the emails.
• We bought a cabinet like the one below to go in the family room (it's not the prettiest thing but it was pretty inexpensive) to store stuff I don't want the little guys into (games, puzzles, playdough, craft supplies). Now I have the storage space for the stuff to put it where it belongs (dishes in the china cabinet, shoes and coats in the closet, etc.)

• I am going through everything and packing unused or unwanted items in boxes for an early spring garage sale. We are storing all the packed boxes in a room in the studio.

Here are some goals I have for the near future:

• finish painting the girl's room. It's more than halfway finished
• start doubling up on recipes and freezing meals
• continue organizing and purging

Natural cleaners

My friend emailed me this list of natural cleaners. Thanks!

Weed killer: Did you know that dumping vinegar on weeds instead of chemical weed killer will do the same job without poisoning the ground and getting into our water systems? It will.

I have also dumped boiling water on weeds, instead of letting the water go down the drain when straining pasta.

Toilet cleaner: Rather than using the chlorine-laden can of toilet scrubbing powders, take a pint or quart size canning jar, fill 3/4 full of baking soda, put a straw down the middle of the jar into the baking soda, and pour about 20 drops of lemon essential oil (or tea tree, lavender, or orange) into the hole the straw made. Put the lid on and shake, then take a small nail and punch about five decent-size holes in it. You have your own 'shaker' of cleaner that contains NO CHLORINE and works even better!

Antibacterial all-purpose cleaner: Mix 20 drops lavender essential oil with 1 cup water in a spray bottle.

Dishwasher detergent/stainless steel cleanser: Mix 1 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup borax in a plastic sealed container. Be sure to label!

Drain cleaner: Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain and follow up with a thorough rinse with boiling hot water.

Glass cleaner: A solution of equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle - it works great.

Powdered Laundry Detergent:
1 Cup Grated Fels Naptha Soap equals ½ a bar (usually with the regular body soaps)
1/2 Cup Washing Soda or baking soda (buy at a bulk store for cheap, 12 lbs about $5)
1/2 Cup Borax
For light load, use 1 tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 tablespoons. For really dirty clothes add ¼ cup extra borax to the load. For whites add ¼ cup baking soda.

Pioneer wrap up!

Napping. yes, K. still sucks her thumb. We are working on that.

Making fire starters. I was in charge of the melted wax.

Pioneer day was fun. We had the fire going and all stayed warm. We cooked scrambled eggs on top of the wood stove. We taped the light switches so the little kids wouldn't turn them on out of habit. We played with play dough, made some more home made fire starters, colored, played outside a bit, read and napped. We made Navajo Fry Bread. It was great covered in cinnamon sugar!

At 4:30 we wrapped up the day. It was dark, getting chilly and I needed to cook dinner. It would have taken a long time on the wood stove, and I wondered about the safety of that with the little boys. I had many visions in my head of burned children in Haiti. Lights came on, Little House on the Prairie episodes were watched, and dinner was served in the light!

J. was not impressed that we didn't last the entire day. He laughed at us when I told him about the day. He was not here to experience it, and didn't come home from work until after 9 pm. In my opinion, he has no room to comment! It was about the experience, togetherness, and a little education too! We did leave the computer and video games off the whole day (except for a quick email check on adoption updates).

Some thoughts on pioneer living:

• It would be a lot easier if we all didn't know what we were missing. I'm sure the pioneer children were not constantly asking about playing their new video games all day.
• We are all too attached to our electronics.
• A lot can be done without being sidetracked with phone calls, email, Blogger, and Facebook.
• Pioneer women were not anxiously awaiting email messages from their adoption lawyer.
• I am so thankful for our modern technology. Lights, forced air heat, tv, computer, cars, etc.
• Cooking is very difficult without temperature control.
• We are fair weather pioneers! Doing this in the summer months would have been much easier.

Navajo Fry Bread

4 cups flour

1 cup powdered milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 T plus one pinch baking powder

1 1/2 cup warm water

Mix indredients and let sit for 30 minutes. Shape or roll dough into round tortilla shapes. Fry in a pan with shortening until brown on both sides.

Pioneer Day

Tomorrow, we are forgoing all electricity (besides our well pump, and refrigerator) and will celebrate our first annual Pioneer Day. We will heat our home and cook solely with our wood stove, cuddle up with sweaters and blankets, use candles when it gets dark, enjoy some fun crafts and cook some different foods. For entertainment we will read together, play outside if the weather allows, and play indoors the old fashioned way. Spending some time away from video games, tv, and internet will do us all some good..

Summer's gone

But you wouldn't know it here! The kids are outside, K. is dressed up in her bathing suit with a ice cold glass of water in hand laying on the front porch. The weather is certainly a lot cooler now, especially at night. The forecast is predicting NW yuckiness is on it's way soon. We are somewhat prepared with firewood stacked (although still a bit wet) and sweaters out of storage.

Today I took the kids to church by myself. It is the second week I have sat with E. and struggled with his desire to make noise, hit me, whine and walk off. Today he did pretty well for about 15 to 20 minutes. I had to leave with him and give him a time out when the screaming started. A little boy in the hall was clearly concerned and kept asking his mom what was wrong with "that boy?" I was wondering the same thing! I honestly don't really know what set him off. His class was dismissed for Children's Church not long after that, and he was happy again. Anyone with advise on how to keep him still and well behaved during the 25 minutes in church would be helpful! Today he colored on a paper for about 5 minutes before losing interest. Snacks are not really allowed in the sanctuary, so that's not an option. I need to remember to pack some quiet toys in my purse for next week. Would it be a better idea to set up a chair in the foyer instead, or is it important to hold firm and not give him the control to ruin worship?

Also, E. has been asking for water a lot. Is this a novelty or phase? Should I be concerned with this at all, health wise? To go with the water... the frequent trips to the bathroom. Also he had an accident? on the middle of the boys' bedroom floor yesterday. Not sure if it was purposeful or not, but E. happily helped clean it up and changed his clothes.

In a few weeks we are having the boys' dedication. There are some bible verses on the sidebar of the blog. Please take a minute to vote on your favorite for each kiddo. We can't decide which one to use! The inlaws are planning a trip over and we are having a brunch at our home after church with some friends and family. The house will be FULL, but it will be fun.

As far as our thoughts on moving, we haven't heard from our realtor friend. So either her client is not interested or they are not in a rush. It's all good. We are thinking it won't benefit us much to move, unless we can get a lot more than our home is worth. We do like living here, but someday hope to build our dream home on this property, God willing.

I have stepped up my workout routine and even signed the little guys up for unlimited childcare at the gym. I figured I am not paying for preschool, so this can be their little time away from me. The play center at the gym is new and nice and perfect for them!

Tomorrow we have a busy day of dentist appointments and the boys are getting their hearing evaluated. It should be fun! L. has another soccer game too. His team plays 3 days a week on most days. It's a lot for school soccer in my opinion. They have lost 2 out of 2 games so far and their spirits are dampened.

In closing, can I say how much I love fall? The little boys went to the apple farm with me and Sarah the other day. I bought a box of apples and we went on a fun golf cart ride between the groves of apple trees. Candy corn is a food staple for us now, and soon we'll enjoy pumpkin pie and egg nog! The leaves haven't really turned colors yet, but soon! I will be sure to post some pictures this year. Happy end of summer....shhh, don't tell K!

To sell, or not?

We were approached by a friend who is in real estate. She has a client looking to buy property in our neighborhood. We weren't really considering moving any time soon, but if the price was right, and we could find a decent house to move into, we would think about it. We think we can get enough for our house and land and may be able to afford a house in the same neighborhood as our good friends. The kids don't want to change schools, so we would have to drive them for the rest of the year for a short distance. Also, utilities would be a bit higher. We are on a well and septic here, and we burn fire wood for heat. So we end up saving a chunk of money on those expenses. We like country living, but all our projects take up a lot of our time. The kids like living here and have a lot to do, but also miss neighbor friends. What to do? Praying is what we are doing right now.

Country festival

We live in the outskirts of the city in a very small town, population around 300.  Today is the local festival to celebrate this small town, and embrace your inner "hick" or hillbilly as my kids say.  It's funny, since we do live very close to several major cities, but the feel out here is so country.  J. took the kids to the festival to see the parade, street fair, lawnmower races, car show, and hick olympics.  They will be missing out on the karaoke contest, since we are headed to a wedding this afternoon.  Bummer.

Cl. is amazed at how slow our internet connection is.  He also was wondering why we can't record his favorite shows.  Life is slower out here in the country, perhaps even slower than Haiti!  I was trying to explain that we don't have cable available, and the only way to get high speed internet is by a satellite provider.   Not on the top of our priorities at this point.  I also said we live out in the country, to which Cl. replied, "You don't live in the county, in America?"  Totally lost in translation!

It's all in a name

I am wanting to name our "homestead".  We live on 4.7 acres, in a rural area, but also close to several small towns.  We live about 20 minutes drive from the biggest city, and 5 minutes drive to the freeway.  I really like our location.  We have a long, narrow lot so our neighbors are close, which can be a good thing or bad thing, depending on who is renting the house on our right.  We have elderly neighbors on our left, who we love dearly.  

We have a garden and are working on some fruit trees and berries.  We grew some strawberries and blueberries this year!  The back 2.5 acres of our property is wooded and thick with underbrush.  It is also pretty marshy and the last acre is wetland.  We have our home, a 600 sq. foot building we call "the studio" (used to be used as a recording studio before we moved in), a shed that our kitty Betty sleeps in, a pump house and a covered parking area that we have used as a woodshed and storage area for bikes and toys.  Our homestead is constantly a work in progress, but we have done a lot since we moved in four years ago. 

Please leave me a comment with suggestions on a name for our place.  I think it will make us feel more at home!