Me Time Tuesday

Hmmmm, let's see there must have been something...

Just kidding! The kids were out of school for FIVE whole days plus there was a holiday. I had tons of me time. Alright maybe not tons but there were some moments.

Like, Thanksgiving dinner, I was surrounded by all the people I love. And my heart was happy. That's me time !

And later that night, It's A Wonderful Life, went on, as always. No Thanksgiving is complete until I've had a good cry watching my all time favorite movie.  

And much later that night I got to snuggle and doze, well I think it was a coma brought on by too much Turkey, but we'll say doze, with Max our new cat and miss Bella. Peter took a picture of us, but there would have to be a lot of money involved for me to put it up on the blog! If Olga reaches her goal I'll post it!

Yes, for those who remember We were adopted. Our new friend is still here. I guess it's safe to say he isn't leaving. Our cat hates him!!! They will never be friends so Max has taken ownership of the sunroom. 

 And of course my quiet time in the mornings. Could not even begin my day if i didn't get a quiet cup of coffee and some quality blog time first. 

And my new favorite me time... driving to get the girls from ballet at night. The traffic is gone and the highway doesn't give me pains in my chest like it does at rush hour. I get some great time to take with Jesus, tell Him what's going on and what we need. I put MY music on and just chill out. 


let me hear what you're up to!

I'm Becoming a Pain In The Butt!!!

OK anyone who sent me an address , except Courtney could you please resend it. I don't think I was getting the ones from the link. Sorry for the inconvenience, hehe  Tis the season, you know!  

Rarefindings@verizon.net

Christmas Cards

Due to my impeccable organizational skills, the addresses I collected from you all last year, are scattered to the four corners of the world. Some are here, some are there, some are no where.  That sounds like a line out of a Cat In The Hat book. Maybe Thing One and Thing Two have been about.


I'm asking that any one who would like to receive a lovely card from our family to please email me your address. Especially if you have moved from last year! 


send it here:


Rarefindings@verizon.net


And Rochelle!!! Because I know you are here every time I post, could you do me a favor? I put my email address in my sidebar, could you use that link to test it out. I'm not sure if it works or not.  If I don't get your address I'll know something is wrong. Thanks.


Here's a preview of the Christmas photo. 

It gets more and more challenging every year...

Thankful Sunday

We just walked in the door from our DSSRI Christmas Party. It was wonderful!!  Emmie had a great time, all the kids did. There was an overload of cuteness everywhere. Today I am so thankful  to be able to share the joy of Ds with others who are as blessed as I am. And know it!!

 We got there early so Em "helped" decorate the tree. Yup, she stole a little decoration. 

The Toe Jam Band was awesome!

Of course Santa and Mrs. Clause were there.

And this is so funny. Santa and Em had this private conversation going on. I think he was letting her in on all his secrets. She was entranced. If I didn't pick her up from Mrs. Clause I think they would still be looking at each other. It was a very special moment for both Em and Santa.

 After that conversation with Santa, Em was all done. I never saw her fall asleep so fast.



AND, I'm thankful to say...

We got our tree!

And someone was caught red handed rearranging the lights. 

I'm thankful for the goodies I got to take home from the party, as it saves me from cooking tonight. 

And I'm so thankful for this break from the everyday running around. Next break Christmas! Can't wait. 

 Enjoy the rest of you Sunday!!
 And please keep Miss Olga and the others from RR  in your prayers.

Some Took The Challenge!!!

Thank you to all who took the Five Dollar Challenge!!!  I checked Olga's account on RR and it went from 60.00 to 124.00! 
And thanks to all who posted about her. I really think if we get the word out there she may have a family by Christmas. Wouldn't that be wonderful!!! Could you all spread the word about Olga? You just never know who it will reach. And check out Patti's giveaway, in honor of Olga, over at A Perfect Lily


And I'm keeping the challenge on!  


Come on! We can get this baby girl home !!!!!  

A Five Dollar Challenge

I have 112 followers. I also have  198 FB Friends.  That equals 310 people. I also have an orphan named Olga who needs a forever family.   For those of you who follow me and are unaware of what I'm talking about , I'll catch you up.  


Olga is an orphan in Eastern Europe, she was also born with Down syndrome, just like my Emmie.  But instead of being the Belle of the Ball like Em, Olga was put into an orphanage. 

And unlike orphanages here in the States, Miss Olga will not be cared for until she gets adopted or turns eighteen. By the time she is five will be placed in an institution along with every other little sweet who wasn't lucky enough to get a forever family.  


Once she is in that institution, she becomes un- adoptable!! EIGHTY- FIVE% of all orphans placed in institutions DIE!!!!! And forgive me for saying this, but the other fifteen percent probably wish they would! IT is not a LIFE it is a death sentence. They receive no love or attention. No sun will shine on their sweet faces again. LIFE is OVER!  They will never be held or snuggled, they will never hear a lullaby. No one will kiss them goodnight. No one will ever ask them what they want to eat. They will get just enough to keep them alive. There will never be a sweet treat or surprise. No new dress or doll to hold. NOTHING!!!!!!!


I am in no way exaggerating. These children are not considered worthy . Think about my Em. You all love her so much.  Olga is no different. None of them are, but they are considered "throw aways"!!

You may also be saying to yourself, "what about the orphans with Ds right here in the States".  And yes here to unfortunately, we are still burdened with ignorance, and some people still consider kids with a special need "throw aways" and yes, we should bring them all home too. But here there is a wait to adopt a child with Ds. And they will not be put in to an institution to die. Thank God we are above that. Let's hope it stays that way. Sometimes I do wonder.

What I am asking for right now is Five dollars. If everyone donates five dollars to Olga she will be able to add $1550.00 to her adoption fund. With the cost of international adoption being so great, (around $25,000) a child with some money in their account has a better chance of being adopted. As Andrea Roberts, founder of Reece's Rainbow said, there is no shortage of families who want to adopt, it's the  high costs of adoption that stand in the way. (I'm paraphrasing here)


I'm certain if Olga gets donations to her account she will get a forever family! 


PLEASE HELP!


I feel a tugging at my heart to help this little one. I cannot even explain the feeling. She is on my mind all the time. I can only figure God has planted the seed in my head. I absolutely must do whatever I can to help her. I cannot stop until I know I've done everything I can to help her.

Of course if you feel compelled to donate more than five dollars I won't try to stop you!!!


No amount is too small. Please don't think that your five dollars won't make a difference. I know it sounds like donating only five dollars when she needs at least 25,000 to be fully funded is like trying to empty the ocean with  teaspoon. But every single dollar helps. And God can do great things. I've seen  orphans get fully funded in a week because a plea went out , people responded and God did the rest. It can happen and it can happen for Olga too!


How awesome to be a part of saving a life for only Five dollars.!!!

You can donate from my blog with the chip in or you can go directly to Olga's account on Reese's Rainbow. 


The video below is what most orphans face. A birthday to Miss Olga means one step closer to something like this. This video is from Serbia but i assure it it is the same in other countries too.  I warn you this video is not pretty. But it's their reality, and five dollars can give them HOPE!  

btw,  scroll down and pause my music to hear the video.

A Boatload of Thankful...

What has twenty seats?

Five pies? 

Homemade name cards and napkin holders?

One chocolate peanut butter bomb?

Two families , two turkeys and 15 pounds of mashed potatoes?

And one Little Indian?

 

One very special and wonderful Thanksgiving day. Thank you Cavanagh Family. It was a blast!!  I'm so glad we joined forces.!!  A beautiful memory was made today. 

Happy Thanksgiving !

Miss Em was determined to "help" me yesterday.  let's just say this bag and it's contents were"helped" all over the house.   



The turkey is in the oven, the house is clean, the pies are baked. Soon the house will be swarming with our much anticipated guests. But right now I have a quiet moment to say thank you.


Thank you first to Jesus who never lets us fall. He has had His protective hands on my family and has made His presence known. I can see Him leading us and I am eager to follow.


Thank you sweet blogworld for being my constant strength and support. You all are always there for me whether it be a prayer request or a need to vent. You have never judged me. I love you all!


Thank you family for putting up with me.I know the words crazy and lunatic are often on your tongues but never spoken out loud. I appreciate that! 


And sweet friends who have always been by our side, from the bottom of my very grateful heart, Thank You!

I wish you all a Thanksgiving surrounded by family and friends, a new memory to be made. A day filled with laughter and love. 


And please remember Olga from RR and all the other Sweets who are alone today and everyday until they get their forever families.

I'm In Love!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Meet Miss Olga!! Isn't she a dream???  Well she's been causing me some sleepless nights. I cannot get her out of my mind. When I get a nagging like this I just cannot ignore it. I bought an ornament from Reeces Rainbow, I said a prayer, then a few more, but she was still in my every thought. Miss Olga's birthday is in January. Not a really good thing when your days are literally numbered. Every birthday brings this sweet one, one step closer to a life in an institution. A life where the light of day is a thing of the past. Where hope is dead. And to be brutally honest , so are 85% of the orphan's who are put into institutions.  

There is no one to hold them or tuck them in. No on to even remember they are alive. All the Sweets on Reece's Rainbow are amazing , but as you all know sometimes there is one, that just grabs you. 


Miss Olga did just that. She grabbed me! And I need to do whatever I can to help her. Believe me if we would qualify I would be committing to her right now! But we do not. So I am on a mission to save this little one.  


Here is the info from RR on Olga, click here to go directly to Olga. You can also donate through paypal
Girl, Born January 2006
Gender: Female
Eyes: Gray
Hair: brown
Character: mobile, sometimes assertive
Olga is a beautiful, blond haired, blue eyed little girl. She is very high functioning and healthy! No heart problem at all. She feed and dresses her self, is working on her potty training, and even has several words. She is confident and a leader in the group.

PLEASE SAY A PRAYER THAT HER FOREVER FAMILY FINDS HER.

AND IF YOU CAN ,PLEASE CHIP IN!

THANKS!

Happy Birthday Andrew!!!

The boy!!

Look at those curls!

Aniela's Bday last year

Exhausted after, "Pirate Day" at school

OMGoodness! My Little Man is SEVEN years old today!!!!! How I love this crazy boy!  This wonderful little boy who is holding his own and finding his way. Who has a heart of gold and a sense of humor that can bring me to my knees . Who makes faces that can rival Jim Carey, and goes around the house singing hymns from church. 
My little man who loves Thomas the Tank and Toy Story and drawing! Who is a whiz at math and is learning to read. 


He can swing a bat and plays some mean hoops, but is gentle on the piano. 


And when he pats my shoulder and tells me he loves me, all is right in the world!


Happy Birthday Sweet Dewey!
I love you more!!!!!

Thankful Sunday

 The weeks are just rolling by. The trees are just about bare and I'm anticipating the first snow of the season.It sure feels cold enough.


This week I'll keep it short and sweet.  There are some people doing wonderful things in our lives and I just want to say thank you and God Bless you all! 


Now I'm going to go and watch the ending of It's a Wonderful Life ...again.  maybe some hot chocolate too. 


Enjoy the rest of your Sunday

Placenta????

Seriously, I don't know where this is going, hopefully just to a good laugh. All the girlie girls in our house  take our  hair pretty seriously.  Running out of condition can cause an uprising.  Last week the unspeakable happened and for several days thanks to a very absent minded mom, we were left with shampoo only.  Of course I remembered we were out of conditioner right after I shampooed, rinsed and went to reach for the conditioner that wasn't there.  Only to make a mental (useless) note to remember to get conditioner. Finally Olivia, "calmly"and "politely" reminded me for about the fiftieth time that she could no longer live with out conditioner. 


Peter was out so we made the call to Dad to please pick up  some  conditioner on the way home so life could resume it's tranquil flow in our home.  Now let me state that Peter has picked up everything from conditioner to nail polish remover for his "girls". I can say with confidence that he is pretty darn good and comfortable with himself on the "girlie "isles in the store. 


But something must have distracted him this time. We are a Suave family.  We use the shampoo, conditioner, kids products and hairspray, and body wash. It smells good and fits into our budget. But Peter deviated from the well worn path of Suave and came home with something different. I didn't care or notice at first. It was a huge bottle and I figured it was on sale. Good shopper, Peter! 


after Olivia took her shower she came into the kitchen to announce that the conditioner Dad bought smelled like poop!  "Come on Olivia, it can't be that bad" I said. Stop complaining!!!

Well, I eventually got a shower and was very thankful when I saw this enormous bottle of conditioner. I lathered up. Then I could smell it. What was that smell? The conditioner? EWWW! It did smell like... what Olivia said!


Then for the first time I actually took a look at the bottle. I wanted to see what the name was. 

This is what I saw!

Placenta???  Could that explain the odd odor?  OK, now I realize that the word placenta must mean something else in another language. I googled the Spanish meaning and got the same as English.  I thought this was so stinkin' funny! Does anyone know what this word means???  Other than the obvious. 


And as of now, Peter is on probation. because as you can see he bought not one but TWO bottles of Placenta!!

Em's New OT Group

Miss Em started a new OT group. It's really great. We meet once a week, for about an hour. There are five or six children. It is like a day of school condensed into this hour. We begin with a song to welcome everyone. The child is to take their photo from the ground and attach it to a board. Here they are learning to recognize their picture and follow simple procedure. Miss Em doesn't have a photo of herself yet but there is a picture of a baby , she takes it with some guidance and puts it on the board.  Next is music and dancing. no problem there. After that is circle time. Everyone sits for a story. Small issue here about actually sitting for the story. This week she decided to stand in front of the person reading for a better view. 


Next is craft time. I really thought this was going to be Miss Em's favorite part.  The children all sit at pint sized table and chairs. This was Em's first time sitting like this. She looked like such a big girl.  The first time we were there the craft was a tree with a nest in it. All pre-cut pieces of construction paper. Miss Em was "supposed" to glue them onto another piece of paper and add real leaves and acorns and of course the nest. All with help from me.  Well she decided this project was for the birds. The paper was tossed over her shoulder, the leaves were crumbled into minute pieces all over the floor and the acorns, she decided looked good enough to eat! So much for craft number one! This week I really had high hopes for craft time. We were painting!!! What kid doesn't like a good roll in paint!  She looked so cute in her little smock. 


As the children took their seats around the table I new that unfortunately this craft was about to become another fiasco. I just assumed they would be using brushes or little fingers to paint with but, no, no, no! They were using big beautiful APPLES cut in half. 
I cringed because I could see Miss Em already foaming at  the mouth. Em loves apples! She sat patiently as paper was passed to each child, and yellow and red dishes of paint were placed on the table. She waited for her turn to be handed an apple, and as all the other kids were preparing to dip that big apple in paint, my Sweetie delighted in eating her craft!!! Which immediately prompted the other kids to eat theirs too! And yes craft time turned into snack time. They had to hurry to bring out a dish of sliced apples that the kids could eat, but it was too late for Em. She had no interest in painting. 
I can't wait to see what they have planned next.

Wordless Wednesday

A Day In The Life

Erin over at Unforeseen Gifts has this great idea to share what goes on for a day in your life. I'm always amazed at peoples days and what they are doing. I thought this would be fun.

 I chose today because I just happened to be posting today.  My days all have basically the same routine, give or take any unforeseen "fun".


- alarm clock rings at 5:00 am
- I get up before anyone else and make coffee. Then I open my eyes. Make lunches for school and get a few minutes of me time .
- 7:00am, start waking up the kids.
- Today I took Olivia to visit a high school we are really hoping she can attend. We left at 7:30am.
- I got home at 8:30, just in time to take the three remaining school children in.
- at 10:00am Miss Em had a group OT session until 11:00.
- we had an hour to kill between 11:00 and 12:00, when she had PT, at the same place so we sat in the car and looked at each other.
- after her PT, it was 1:00pm, I had time to go home, put an exhausted Em into bed, and do  a quick clean up.
-Throw in some laundry
- pick up Olivia at 2:30 from the high school. She loved it!! Said a quick prayer that God would help make it financially possible and went straight to pick up the other Dumplings at their school. 
- Home by 3:15. The girls did a quick change and we headed out to ballet class that starts at 4:00pm.
-I waited for Miss Bella's class to be over at 5:30, and took her home. Olivia and Sophia are there until 8:30.
- And just in case you thought I forgot about Me Time Tuesday, I did not! I'm having it right now, because Peter is picking Olivia and Sophia up from Ballet tonight. I quit early!
- only thing left is bedtime for the little ones, which will be in just a few moments. 
- And yes in between the ballet runs the kids were fed and homework was done. 

Too Much TV?

OH NO!!  Emmie has learned how to turn the TV on!!!  Milestone or nightmare?  The funny part is, if it's not what she wants, she will shut it off! Too funny. This morning she put it on and after a few minutes she shut it off and asked me for her Signing Time video.  She can sign"Signing" . That's how I know what she wants, plus that's all she ever wants to watch.

Thankful Sunday

The baby is napping, Peter is putting the walls back in Andrew's bedroom(yes, from the flood ) and the girls are all somewhere, and quiet. And no, I'm not going to look for them. Andrew just got a lollipop and promised to leave me in peace for at least five minutes. And there's a big chicken roasting in the oven.   Now that's all worth being thankful for!


But I do have one more thing.
 These!

I have never seen these before. Courtney was thankful for them on her blog and ever since I've been searching high and low for them. Today I found them!!!! And yum!!!!!!! 




And I'm thankful for the good laugh we had when we came out of the grocery store today. 

Picture this. A family of seven(us), coming out of the store with groceries, then realizing the boat of a SUV they drive is already packed to the gills with boxes.All the seats are filled with children. So what else to do but start tossing the bags on top of the children. Emmie excluded. Mom is in the front seat belting out a yawn that could swallow the State of RI. Dad is running around the car from kid to kid fitting in bags. I turn my head towards the window and notice a young guy just staring at me. Oh great, didn't notice him there before that yawn. Now I'm so embarrassed. But I start to giggle. I lean over to let Sophia in on it. And we look over at the guy. He is watching us very closely and his mouth is hanging open. I haven't seen him blink yet either. Now I'm dying, I can't even try to control my laughter, and it's contagious. we all start laughing. Peter is now in the car, and the guy is still staring!!! Mouth still open, eyes like two saucers. Total shock and awe! 


He stayed like that until we backed out of the parking lot. He may still be like that!  The only thing I 'm wondering is, if it was my yawn, or the fact that we were burying our kids with bags, or the fact that he hadn't heard that Ringling Brothers was in town that put him in such a state of  shock.


I wish I had my camera with me . His expression was priceless.


Wishing everyone a good laugh today!

Check Out Dalton!

My adoption page is up! Go see Dalton!!

Plimoth, Plymouth, Plymoth????

No matter how you spell it, Plymouth MA , is a great place. I went on a field trip today with Bella's class. A very appropriate place for this time of year.  What a blast. We meet Native Americans and Pilgrims too. The kids had a hoot trying to catch a chicken. and I got up close to a rooster. I stopped to fix my sneaker and don't ask why but Mr. Rooster came walking up to me. 

The weather was picture perfect. We had a picnic lunch, what more can you ask for.


As for the spelling? Choose which ever one you like. Another thing I learned today was that back in the 17th century, there were no spelling rules and people just spelled things phonetically . That explains the many different  spellings of the word Plymoth!

The Mayflower Two

Plymouth

gotta get a picture of the Rock

Mr. Rooster,

 

This Guy was just soakin' up the sun

'

Plimoth Village

A lesson in canoe making

Advice Please

I need some advice on my new pages. I really thought  they would be filled with people asking for prayers and putting their adoption fundraisers out there. But they are not. Granted, this is not an adoption blog so most of my followers are not fund raising, but I still thought someone would find it. I do have one on the fund raising page but I was expecting more. 



This is just my way of helping out. I can't possibly donate to everyone, but if my followers see them who knows what can happen. I'm just trying to help spread the word. 

As far as the prayer page, I could fill it myself. It's open to everyone. So if you need a prayer please feel free to post it. I pray daily for everyone already on it and hopefully any one who adds to it or reads them will also say a prayer.

So if anyone has any suggestions please leave a comment. If you know someone who is fund raising please lead them here. This is for any adoption. foreign, domestic, special needs or no special needs. It doesn't matter. 


Also I cannot figure out how to change the color or font of the pages titles. They are so blah people probably don't even notice them. If anyone knows how , please share the secret.


Thanks!

Wordless Wednesday

Feeling hungry...

help yourself.

Me Time Tuesday, It's Back

I definitely have to bring back Me Time Tuesday, if only for the sole reason of keeping my sanity. I didn't post in October because of Down syndrome Awareness Month, and the end result was, there was no "Me Time" in October.


So my beginning attempts for the month of November, was getting in to the Christmas Spirit. I already spilled the beans in my Thankful Sunday post, but  that's OK.  Sunday was a day of baking pies and watching Christmas classics. and of course eating apple and pumpkin pies, for breakfast , lunch and dinner since Sunday. 


I also slept in. Something very rare. We went to church Saturday night.There was no morning rush, no where to go, no one to drop off or pick up.that most likely will not happen again in my lifetime. LOL 


There was no excitement until Sophia's little ordeal at night. But other than the trip to the ER the day was completely relaxing.


So what have you all been up too????

Sophia Update

Thank you for the prayers!!! She is home and I truly believe it is because you were all praying!


Last night around 6:30, I decided she needed to go to the ER. I was planning on taking her to her pedi this morning but she couldn't wait. She was having more and more trouble breathing, and honestly she doesn't complain enough, she was worse than I thought. 

So Peter took her to a closer hospital, Kent County. I figured they would give her a breathing treatment, Albuteral and probably a steroid. Take an x-ray call it pneumonia and send her home. 
I was correct on all counts except the, send her home part. They couldn't keep her oxygen levels up and they couldn't see anything in her x- rays so they wanted her to go by rescue to Hasbro Children's. I do believe they were passing the buck. But I also appreciate the fact that they were sending her into more qualified hands, and did not want to risk sending her home.

Anyway we said no to the rescue and Peter took her himself. He stopped at home first, which is on the way to the other hospital. I didn't go because I didn't feel comfortable leaving Olivia alone with the little ones so late at night. It was already after 11:00 pm.  That was not easy. We were absolutely expecting her to be admitted. and I so wanted to be with her. Thank God for a great Dad, that's all I can say.

Big surprise! At 2:00 this morning she was home!! They sent her home with all the "goods", and we can take care of her here. What a welcome surprise that was. And again, it's because of prayer, thank you!!!!!  

prayers please

My Sophia is headed to Hasbro Children's Hospital. Can't keep her oxygen levels up. Most likely a pneumonia,but they are not sure, Nothing showing in the x- ray. Long night ahead!

One More Thing I'm Thankful For Today!

My dear friend is back in blogland! My inspiration for my Thankful Sunday posts. Scrappy Quilter is back in action! WOO HOO!!!!!

Thankful Sunday

We are heading into the best time of year!! The holiday season is upon us!!! The girls are rehearsing for The Nutcracker, their Ballet School/ Company puts on a beautiful performance every year.  It's a crazy busy head spinning time for us all but we love it!!!!


I am thankful that all three of my girls will be in the same cast this year. And the same scene!!!  Which means they all have rehearsal on the same day and time. That's HUGE!!!


Very Thankful,Miss Em had a very smooth Speech evaluation. We are preparing for her new IFSP. 


Thankful that her signing is really coming along.


Thankful for INCREDIBLE friends in my life.  God has placed the most amazing people in our lives.


Thankful that we have a radio station that is playing only Christmas music!!! Yeah! Sorry Olivia, haha. she's not in the holiday mood yet.


Today I'm baking pies! Apple and pumpkin. I've already sent out the warning that I'm in the mood to watch my favorite Christmas movie, It's A Wonderful Life. Maybe we'll turn it into a double feature and watch, A Christmas Story too. 




Everyone have a wonderful Sunday.


BTW, I'll be bringing back, Me Time Tuesday, now that October is over. I wanted to concentrate  on Down syndrome Awareness Month.

People Are Reading

OK, guys I'm checking my sitemeter, people are going to my prayer request and fundraiser pages. Don't be shy. If you need a prayer, go for it. You can stay anonymous if you  feel more comfortable.  We don't need details and God already knows anyway. 


And if you're fundraising for an adoption add yourself. You never know who might be reading. 


I check in and I am praying for all the requests!!!

Fundraising Page

My fundraising page is up. Anyone who is doing any kind of fundraising for any adoption , please feel free to add your link!

Prayer Requests

My new prayer request page is up and running! All requests are welcome from everyone!!  Check it out and add a request. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know!

I'm Working On It...

I'm adding some pages to my blog. It's a work in progress and may be for some time.I'm trying to figure it out as I go, as to how I want to do this. Stick with me.
 It looks great in my head!

Wordless Wednesday

Peek a boo