May 31, 2006 (1 year, 2 months old)
May 26, 2009 (4 years, 2 months old)
Thursday, May 28
Boating With Grandpa Carl
First Mate Cullen
"Let's go faster!!!!"
Kieren LOVES the boat!
*scream*
"I love fast!!!!!"
Thank you, Grandpa Carl, for the awesome ride around the lake last weekend!!!!!
(amazing photo by Cullen)
Tuesday, May 26
Kieren's Recital Costume Is HERE!!!
I think she likes it!
Posing.
Thursday, May 21
Cullen's Ballgame This Week
Cullen's team won their baseball game this past Monday! IT WAS AWESOME!!!!! I'm amazed I got decent photos! I was sitting on the playground way behind right field. BTW, Jacob is Cullen's best friend. Kieren adores him and plans to marry him one day.
Sunday, May 17
Enlightening Afternoon
This afternoon was very enlightening. It reinforced my thoughts on why I am who I am. Who am I? I'm stubborn, creative, confident (in some things), and easy-going (usually). I believe in letting my house be a total wreck so I can give my kids and family more attention. Kieren and Cullen aren't going to remember if I mopped the kitchen or scrubbed the toilet. They are going to remember doing crafts, playing together, and just being silly. Where did this epiphany come from? I worked on Kieren's quilt with my mother.
I am finally working on Kieren's 100 Wishes Quilt. Yes, I know we adopted her in December 2005. I've been a bit busy. Anyway, I am making it myself, using my own design. It is completely unique. I have never seen one like it anywhere! It's been a lot of work, but lots of fun. The whole time I've been working on it or designing it, my mother has been telling me I can't do it this way. You know, that just makes me want to prove her wrong.
Now don't get me wrong. My mom is great, but she is a strictly-by-the-rules type of person! Not so much me. In my mother's mind, you have to follow a pattern for everything. I don't believe in patterns. They are too restrictive. They don't allow for...LIFE! I have NEVER followed a pattern. I have made patterns of mine own to use, but they were my designs. This.drives.my.mom.insane!
So back to today. My parents have a large guest room with lots of floor space. The cats are not allowed in so no worries about annoying kitties wrestling on Kieren's quilt as I put it together! Cool! My mom agreed to help me layout the "wishes" (No, I'm not telling you what I'm doing until it's done!). I had everything ready and explained what I wanted. Already, I was getting "the look". The one that says "this is not going to work because you refuse to use a pattern". Whatever.
I start by laying out the strips of blocks. In order to attach the wishes, I need to build the quilt in strips. I explain that we need to safety pin the strips together just so Kieren won't drive us crazy when she walks over the quilt over and over as we work. Of course it's not the way my mom would do it. I ignore her, start pinning my side and toss her some pins for her side. She sighs and pins the quilt strips. (Of course, she would use a different type of pin and would've attached the wishes before building the strips.) The strips are pinned together and Kieren walks over the quilt 20 times! Saw that one coming!!!
Next is laying the wishes out on the strips. I have separated the wishes by color. As I explain to my mother that I want 3 wishes per square, Kieren lays out the wishes where she thinks they should go - all 100 of them. *sigh* I knew this was going to happen. Kieren gathers all the wishes up and "organizes" them. I have to laugh because Children's Services frowns on any other reaction. Finally I get to the point of telling my mom that there will be 3 wishes per square and she can help or I will do it myself ("No need to get snippy!"). Then the debate starts on color placement. ARGH!!!! We find a happy middle-ground (I lead her around to the Darkside, but she thinks it's her idea.) and start the layout. By this time, Kieren has decided to be a team player. I tell her which wish to find and she brings it to me (when she isn't looking I switch it for the one I asked for). She is happy and all is well!
All the wishes are laid out. It's now time to pin them in place. Sounds easy, huh? It should be - except I don't follow a pattern! I want the wishes to be placed casually. My mother wants to measure and align every single one! UGH!!! I just shake my head and tell her to quit being anal. She tells me that I can't do it this way. So I start pinning my half of the quilt and hide the measuring stick under my bag. She gives my side of the quilt dirty little looks and makes her side look like a robot did it. I snicker and ignore her. I will just fix it later at home.
We get all the wishes pinned down and I am feeling just a bit evil. I tell her that I changed my mind and have her switch some of the wishes around. It drives her crazy! I also reach over and move one of the wishes to disrupt her perfect pattern. Muhwahahaha!!! I believe I made her eye twitch! My mother is not happy with me. Cool! It was fun to tell her we had to remove all the safety pins. I thought for a moment she was going to refuse. Anyway, we carefully fold the strips and clean up our mess.
So what did I learn today? My mother is anal and needs to loosen up (yes, I told her in those words). Where I am relaxed and believe in letting things happen, she needs patterns and structure. I like surprises and she likes predictable. Not just in quilting! This crosses over into the way we parent and every other part of our lives. Is she wrong or am I? Neither one of us is wrong. We are just different. I love and respect my mom, but some days she drives me nuts!!! She needs to learn that I am a 40-year-old woman AND her daughter. If I want to make a quilt without a pattern, then that is what I'm going to do! I will ask her opinion, but I'm going to do things my way. I'm never going to fit in the pattern for who she wants me to be. I just don't think she is ready to let go of her patterns yet.
I am finally working on Kieren's 100 Wishes Quilt. Yes, I know we adopted her in December 2005. I've been a bit busy. Anyway, I am making it myself, using my own design. It is completely unique. I have never seen one like it anywhere! It's been a lot of work, but lots of fun. The whole time I've been working on it or designing it, my mother has been telling me I can't do it this way. You know, that just makes me want to prove her wrong.
Now don't get me wrong. My mom is great, but she is a strictly-by-the-rules type of person! Not so much me. In my mother's mind, you have to follow a pattern for everything. I don't believe in patterns. They are too restrictive. They don't allow for...LIFE! I have NEVER followed a pattern. I have made patterns of mine own to use, but they were my designs. This.drives.my.mom.insane!
So back to today. My parents have a large guest room with lots of floor space. The cats are not allowed in so no worries about annoying kitties wrestling on Kieren's quilt as I put it together! Cool! My mom agreed to help me layout the "wishes" (No, I'm not telling you what I'm doing until it's done!). I had everything ready and explained what I wanted. Already, I was getting "the look". The one that says "this is not going to work because you refuse to use a pattern". Whatever.
I start by laying out the strips of blocks. In order to attach the wishes, I need to build the quilt in strips. I explain that we need to safety pin the strips together just so Kieren won't drive us crazy when she walks over the quilt over and over as we work. Of course it's not the way my mom would do it. I ignore her, start pinning my side and toss her some pins for her side. She sighs and pins the quilt strips. (Of course, she would use a different type of pin and would've attached the wishes before building the strips.) The strips are pinned together and Kieren walks over the quilt 20 times! Saw that one coming!!!
Next is laying the wishes out on the strips. I have separated the wishes by color. As I explain to my mother that I want 3 wishes per square, Kieren lays out the wishes where she thinks they should go - all 100 of them. *sigh* I knew this was going to happen. Kieren gathers all the wishes up and "organizes" them. I have to laugh because Children's Services frowns on any other reaction. Finally I get to the point of telling my mom that there will be 3 wishes per square and she can help or I will do it myself ("No need to get snippy!"). Then the debate starts on color placement. ARGH!!!! We find a happy middle-ground (I lead her around to the Darkside, but she thinks it's her idea.) and start the layout. By this time, Kieren has decided to be a team player. I tell her which wish to find and she brings it to me (when she isn't looking I switch it for the one I asked for). She is happy and all is well!
All the wishes are laid out. It's now time to pin them in place. Sounds easy, huh? It should be - except I don't follow a pattern! I want the wishes to be placed casually. My mother wants to measure and align every single one! UGH!!! I just shake my head and tell her to quit being anal. She tells me that I can't do it this way. So I start pinning my half of the quilt and hide the measuring stick under my bag. She gives my side of the quilt dirty little looks and makes her side look like a robot did it. I snicker and ignore her. I will just fix it later at home.
We get all the wishes pinned down and I am feeling just a bit evil. I tell her that I changed my mind and have her switch some of the wishes around. It drives her crazy! I also reach over and move one of the wishes to disrupt her perfect pattern. Muhwahahaha!!! I believe I made her eye twitch! My mother is not happy with me. Cool! It was fun to tell her we had to remove all the safety pins. I thought for a moment she was going to refuse. Anyway, we carefully fold the strips and clean up our mess.
So what did I learn today? My mother is anal and needs to loosen up (yes, I told her in those words). Where I am relaxed and believe in letting things happen, she needs patterns and structure. I like surprises and she likes predictable. Not just in quilting! This crosses over into the way we parent and every other part of our lives. Is she wrong or am I? Neither one of us is wrong. We are just different. I love and respect my mom, but some days she drives me nuts!!! She needs to learn that I am a 40-year-old woman AND her daughter. If I want to make a quilt without a pattern, then that is what I'm going to do! I will ask her opinion, but I'm going to do things my way. I'm never going to fit in the pattern for who she wants me to be. I just don't think she is ready to let go of her patterns yet.
Thursday, May 14
OUCH!!!
Check out the goose-egg on the forehead and the new cut under Kieren's right eye. School is a dangerous place somedays! The new injuries happened in the last hour of school. Kieren slipped on a plastic puzzle piece and fell, hitting her head on a wooden box - they think. Poor baby cried for a long time and then started again when she saw me. Good thing I didn't have a photo shoot lined up!
Wednesday, May 13
Brrr! Getting The Cold Shoulder!
Oh the drama continues!!! A couple of weeks ago, "W" (another adoptive mom) and I voiced our concerns with "B" and Kieren's teachers (click here for the link for that post). We asked to come into the classroom to talk about adoption, our daughters, and to answer any questions the kids might have. We have been ignored and told "they never heard anything so it didn't happen". Yeah, sure.
Tuesday morning, "W" gave "B" a very pretty brown and white shirt to wear to school. "B" got very upset and didn't want to wear it. Why? Because the last time she wore it, "H" in her class told her "I don't like your brown shirt OR your brown face"! Who knew we would be dealing with racism with 3- and 4-year-olds! "W" spent the next hour repairing as much damage as possible. But you know, I'm sure it didn't happen because the teachers didn't hear it of course!
At "B's" in-class birthday celebration, "W" was introduced as "B's" mommy. A number of kids loudly commented that she couldn't be "B's" mommy because they didn't look like each other. The teachers quickly shoved it under the rug and hushed the kids. But I'm sure we are just being too sensitive about this matter.
Most of the incidents seem to only involve "B", but we can't be sure what is being said to Kieren. "B" has a "Typical" spot in the class (no IEP). She talks more than Cullen (hard to believe!). Kieren doesn't have the ability to tell me if something is said to her. Kieren is also more happy-go-lucky than "B". She lets slights and confrontations roll off her back. I really don't know what has been said to her. What I do know is Kieren is a lot more sensitive about "matching". She was looking at a picture the other day of a baby animal and a mommy animal. She said the mommy wasn't the baby's mommy because they didn't match. Of course we had to have another big talk about how we don't match, but that doesn't mean I'm not her mommy. But the teachers don't see this as a problem.
After 2 weeks of this crap, "W" and I have had enough of being ignored. We stopped the school counselor in the hall and had a meeting. She was very upset by everything we told her. She asked if we had gone to the principal yet. We told her it was our next step. She offered to speak to the teachers and talk to the class (she gives a talk to the 3rd and 4th Grade classes about diversity and accepting differences every year). BTW, she was appalled that the teachers suggested pulling the girls out to talk to her, but not do anything about the class! She must have talked to Kieren's teacher because I sure got the cold shoulder at pick-up!
Our IEP meeting on Monday should be loads of fun! I'll let you know what happens!
Tuesday morning, "W" gave "B" a very pretty brown and white shirt to wear to school. "B" got very upset and didn't want to wear it. Why? Because the last time she wore it, "H" in her class told her "I don't like your brown shirt OR your brown face"! Who knew we would be dealing with racism with 3- and 4-year-olds! "W" spent the next hour repairing as much damage as possible. But you know, I'm sure it didn't happen because the teachers didn't hear it of course!
At "B's" in-class birthday celebration, "W" was introduced as "B's" mommy. A number of kids loudly commented that she couldn't be "B's" mommy because they didn't look like each other. The teachers quickly shoved it under the rug and hushed the kids. But I'm sure we are just being too sensitive about this matter.
Most of the incidents seem to only involve "B", but we can't be sure what is being said to Kieren. "B" has a "Typical" spot in the class (no IEP). She talks more than Cullen (hard to believe!). Kieren doesn't have the ability to tell me if something is said to her. Kieren is also more happy-go-lucky than "B". She lets slights and confrontations roll off her back. I really don't know what has been said to her. What I do know is Kieren is a lot more sensitive about "matching". She was looking at a picture the other day of a baby animal and a mommy animal. She said the mommy wasn't the baby's mommy because they didn't match. Of course we had to have another big talk about how we don't match, but that doesn't mean I'm not her mommy. But the teachers don't see this as a problem.
After 2 weeks of this crap, "W" and I have had enough of being ignored. We stopped the school counselor in the hall and had a meeting. She was very upset by everything we told her. She asked if we had gone to the principal yet. We told her it was our next step. She offered to speak to the teachers and talk to the class (she gives a talk to the 3rd and 4th Grade classes about diversity and accepting differences every year). BTW, she was appalled that the teachers suggested pulling the girls out to talk to her, but not do anything about the class! She must have talked to Kieren's teacher because I sure got the cold shoulder at pick-up!
Our IEP meeting on Monday should be loads of fun! I'll let you know what happens!
Cullen's Field Trip
Last Thursday, the 6th Grade of Cullen's school took a field trip to a place called La Comedia Dinner Theatre. I was lucky enough to go along! The kids had been having etiquette lessons to prepare for this trip. It was fun to watch them try to remember their manners at lunch!
Anyway, the show was High School Musical. We got to see the opening performance. The stage show was a bit different than the movie, but it was well done. There were only a couple of problems (a missed lighting cue and part of the backdrop crashed to the floor - just missing the actors!). The kids seemed to really enjoy it though!
Cullen having lunch with his classmates. Cullen was seated at the table above mine. They were pretty decent seats.
This is the whole ECA 6th Grade (including both teacher!). Every kid was able to attend. And everyone had a great time! (Cullen is in the back row, right side, 2nd in, next to his teacher.)
Tuesday, May 12
And Then She Turns Silly!
After being so serious (previous post), Kieren lets her silly side show!
Some silly dancing.
Some silly dancing.
"You said smile. You didn't tell me not to do a flip!"
"I'm holding still now. Are we done yet????"
Kieren says cartoons are much better when viewed like this!
Sunday, May 10
Thursday, May 7
Kieren's Field Trip To Young's
Last Thursday was Kieren's first field trip! The afternoon Preschool and Kindergarten classes were combined for an outing. We went to Youngs Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Of course it poured all night, stopped for a couple of hours that morning, and started again as soon as we headed for school. It was a very wet field trip!!! Kieren DOES.NOT.LIKE.ANIMALS. other than our cat and dog. She didn't want to have anything to do with the cows, goats or ducks, but she stayed with her group and never complained. The wagon ride was long, windy and wet. The highlight for the kids was the ice cream at the end! The highlight for me was dry clothes (including undies) when we got home!!!
Tuesday, May 5
Cullen's Confirmation
On Sunday, Cullen was confirmed with our church. For those who aren't familiar with the United Methodist Church or confirmation in general, Cullen became a full member of the church. He attended all the confirmation classes (which were held as 4 separate lock-ins), prepared his paper on a subject in the Bible that had special meaning to him, and he had to write a Discipleship Plan. The final decision to become a member is the confirmand's. A number of the kids decided they weren't ready yet and didn't become confirmed. We are so proud of Cullen!!!
Andy, Cullen, Pastor Kim Armentrout, me and Kieren 
After Confirmation, we all went for lunch (Well DUH!!! We are Methodists!!!). We had quite the crowd at church (took 2 of the big tables) and at lunch. (Clock-wise, starting in the upper right corner) Uncle Matt and soon-to-be Aunt Julie (Andy's brother and his fiance); me and Andy; Kieren and Nanny; Uncle Mark (Aunt Heather's hubby); Uncle Jeff (Andy's best friend and Godfather to both kids); Grandpa Carl (Uncle Jeff's Dad and honorary Grandpa to our kids); Cullen and his best friend Jacob (the boys go to school together and Kieren is in love with Jacob - Jacob had spent the night with us); and of course Aunt Heather (a.k.a. Aunty Ex-Lax or The Godmother). Not shown: Ian (who was running amok) and Grandma Carol (Andy's Mom) - not going there...
Anyway, thanks to everyone who came to share this special occasion with us!!!! It made Cullen's day even better!!!!
Little Miss Personality
This is my sweet and innocent look!
How about this pose?
Blowing Kisses.
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
"WEEE!!! I love being me!!!"
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