Today: *Added teaching the 8 yo to make pancakes *Added opening a bunch of non-Christmas presents from my over-gifting sister. She is awesome, but it took almost an hour. *School the boys *Walk or run *Clean table (halfway through this task, which happened in part because of a drink spill at lunch. ugh.) *Practice (during nap time?) *Deal with Recital emergency for our school on Sunday argh left no time for any of the weekly tasks and now I'll probably have to axe some *make cupcakes for swim teacher's going away party *vacuum aquarium gravel + 50% water change this week: clear out homeschool cubbies & take out wishful thinking curric that we're not actually doing go through boys' clothes and cull for outgrown stuff purge toy sideboard help boys make more gifts *decide about new viola case hair cut? send bills for winter term

Today: *Added teaching the 8 yo to make pancakes *Added opening a bunch of non-Christmas presents from my over-gifting sister. She is awesome, but it took almost an hour. *School the boys Walk or run *Clean table (halfway through this task, which happened in part because of a drink spill at lunch. ugh.) Practice (during nap time?) this week: clear out homeschool cubbies & take out wishful thinking curric that we're not actually doing go through boys' clothes and cull for outgrown stuff purge toy sideboard help boys make more gifts *decide about new viola case hair cut? send bills for winter term

This is normally our cc day so it feels like a free day. Time to get things rolling before Messiah starts and I'm lost to rehearsing. Today: School the boys Walk or run Clean table Practice (during nap time?) this week: clear out homeschool cubbies & take out wishful thinking curric that we're not actually doing go through boys' clothes and cull for outgrown stuff purge toy sideboard help boys make more gifts decide about new viola case hair cut? send bills for winter term

Obviously you've never lived in Baltimore. (Sorry, Bawlmer!) Living there made me forever more aware of my surroundings and raised my expectations of security by a lot. You say your town is nice, but it would still make sense to have a few precautions in place. Panhandling or casing the place, either way that does sound creepy.

I only read about the first five responses but I think you and I are kindred spirits!! So, gently as I can and with complete understanding, if it's causing you to be frustrated and yell then change the whole thing up. I don't think you need to completely ditch the teaching of phonics, just the teaching of phonics with a book. I remember being worried it was a discipline issue with my older boy in particular. I still post freak outs here from time to time- I'm apparently an exceptionally slow learner in this area. So I can tell you, she will totally come around, and you need to adjust to her now, and she's way young. I think my slightly wiser self would use letter tiles, flash cards she herself makes (and draws on with stickers), sidewalk chalk she gets to obliterate with the hose if she reads it, a sticker where a letter should be in about every third word, etc.

Thanks!

*breakfast- grits *church *lunch out *email difficult client and poor beleaguered teacher email everybody about recital week jesse tree with boys make my cc memory flip book for walks with boys start limoncello practice this week: clear out homeschool cubbies & take out wishful thinking curric that we're not actually doing go through boys' clothes and cull for outgrown stuff purge toy sideboard help boys make more gifts decide about new viola case hair cut? send bills for winter term

Totally thought that said, "Snowman KILTS", which is plausible on this board, right? We have done the paint-inside ornaments like these and they are beautiful and easy: http://happyhooligans.ca/pour-painted-christmas-ornaments/ I think they work best with real glass ornaments, though, which might be a bit more spendy than the clear plastic ones. We've made super old-school laminated bookmarks with a drawn picture, a good old hole punch and either a yarn tassle or fancy ribbon. We took pictures one year of the boys on the floor with capes on pretending to fly with one arm posed up high over their heads. Cut them out, laminated, attached a tassle to where their hands were and it looked like they were hanging/flying along on the strength of the string. They really liked those. We did Fridge Magnet microscope slide pictures like these but not as fancy: http://leighsbdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/04/spring-microscope-slide-magnets-for.html We've also done foods/drinks: Chocolate dipped pretzel sticks then dipped in colored sugars, peppermint bark, oreo truffles, kahlua, limoncello, etc.

Jean, can you invite people specifically? I tried that link (I was lurking) and it says you have to be invited. My email is miriamenglish at the mail that is hot. I would really like to join.

I know, me either. But I hear from mom friends that it does get mentioned a LOT and often with little to no tact in relation to the child. And that's where I think it is a bit different generationally, but perhaps that's wishful thinking. We haven't had much mention though we get smiles. She's still little, though, so perhaps the more annoying times are coming.

My child is just under 2 and has only been home a few months. She is also a Chinese daughter in a white family, so there is no pretending either way. I only mention this because there was a LOT of training in the process to adopt that talked about how to help her with feelings that might come up because of this. It sounds like your relationship with your dad might have benefited from a bit of that kind of thing, and there are counselors who specialize in helping adult children of adoption and their families. The question "how do they feel when you discuss their adoption" will probably have a different answer through the years. I hope to navigate those years with our girl in a way that helps her most because she is completely and entirely my beloved child. I hope to keep thinking about the answer to that question any time I choose to discuss her adoption. ... Sometimes I think people are excited to talk about their loved one, or they want to talk on a deeper level with you, or they think you might have a kindred experience. And then sometimes people are just insensitive or selfish. It's hard to tell which reason caused that man to talk about it, or your dad for that matter. I don't remember people talking about adoption much until we were in the process ourselves. Suddenly so many friends, family and acquaintances were volunteering information about their own experiences. I love it, but I can only imagine if you have any raw emotions that might grate on you after a while. It would stick out and sting any time anybody mentions it. I'm sorry. ... My take is that maybe (best case scenario) your dad didn't know what to say and had various good motivations and intentions. He may never have thought twice about what it meant to you or how it made you feel. That's too bad, and in our generation most people are taught to consider those things. Is it possible your dad didn't think or intend to hurt you? And please know I don't mean in any way to minimize your painful experience. It's just that for me, parenting my daughter is already one of the greatest privileges of my life. Her adoption in our family began with such deep losses for her, I hope despite my own glaring imperfections to do everything we can to help her know she is treasured where she is now.

Yay! Congrats to you and your whole family. We are at 14 weeks home and I have so loved suddenly noticing the transracial adoptive families all around us. So fun to hear about your Family Day. Love and hugs to you!

Christmas cards *Pictures to costco *Piano argh!

*School *Run *Concert (a super-glad-it's-done concert) Order pictures at costco for mom tomorrow Do Christmas cards tomorrow *Call piano guy

*School Run Concert Order pictures at costco for mom Do Christmas cards *Call piano guy Feeling so tired after last night's late and annoying rehearsal. I'm throwing in the towel and taking a nap with the toddler. We can go for a run when we wake up. I'll have to do the picture order and Christmas cards tomorrow. Thank goodness hubby is off work.

School Run Concert Order pictures at costco for mom Do Christmas cards Call piano guy

Wow this would be incredible. Thanks for sharing this!

*CC Christmas Party *Work email *Call piano movers + piano donor *Figure out podcasts for my phone *Get CC review going *Work tonight (try not to hate the Moldau any more...) We didn't play it YAY! We finished rehearsal with shouting and eye rolling from our conductor BOO! *School- math, spelling, music practice, writing

The boys were so nutty/naughty yesterday that we ditched most of our school list and postponed a trip to Grandma's. Sigh. *CC Christmas Party *Work email Call piano movers + piano donor Figure out podcasts for my phone Get CC review going Work tonight (try not to hate the Moldau any more...) School- math, spelling, music practice, writing

*6 yo cello lesson *swimming lessons *Get new tree lights *email realtor *mountain of laundry *tidy kitchen download new audio for cc find new audio for my ipod short version of school (don't forget advent tree thingie) pack for symphony week at mom's house finish Christmas decorations *= done

Unless the kid is super-on-top-of-things I almost always request the parent be there until they are about 12. Some of my students do strict Suzuki. A few have done better without the parent. Some have sent the nanny who will practice with them. I plan to be in my own boys' lessons until they are about that age. I practice with them, and even though I could teach them (at this stage anyway) without the cello or piano teacher, it helps me to know what exactly the teacher wanted the kid to notice or focus on. Notes in a book are never enough to really get the nuances. If you want to be there, be there! Just follow the teacher's direction for how involved to be.

Congrats, heartlikealion!! Run Get tree Moving to tomorrow and Monday's lists: Put up lights Practice Print week's school pages Laundry

Google visual aura migraine. I get them and they are no fun. Sometimes become a headache, sometimes don't. Eta: here's a link- http://www.brighamandwomens.org/Departments_and_Services/neurology/services/NeuroOphthamology/VisualMigraine.aspx