dynamom's blog

1. Getting the fire re-started with no match usage
2. Finding a few sticks for kindling (quickly and easily) instead of trying to use the axe to chop pieces off of a log (which I hate to do and shouldn't without a full cup of coffee in me at least)
3. Vivid dreams
4. Pink striped sky sunrises that rapidly change to orangey-yellow stripes
5. Can't find the dog downstairs means she snuck up to sleep with dd again. Dh doesn't like this but I think it is cute.
6. The xmas tree in the dining room...it's so much better in here than the living room. Doesn't get on my nerves at all.
7. Kids' piles of loot under the tree. I used to love to have my own stash under the tree for awhile that didn't need to be put away...
8. Playdate planned for this morning means I won't be all cabin-feverish again today
9. Little guy's recent language explosion
10. My two older kids' blow-by-blow accounts of their individual sleepovers and who had a better one. I like that my dd kept mentioning that she had a lot of butter as her selling point.

Yes the East Coast got walloped with snow over the weekend. I've never been a huge fan of winter but even I have to admit it is just so pretty when it's new.
My dh took these after he finished shoveling the driveway (while I was inside peeling all the cold wet layers off of 2 crying kids and 2 non-crying kids and then hanging all their stuff of and making them hot chocolate)...this is my yard. I am blessed.

I forgot how much more...lady-like, for lack of a better word...I feel when I have two distinct eyebrows. And my hair feels very soft...though my sister (my beautician) cannot stand that I won't let her cover up my grays!
Now to schedule that chiropractor appointment...but I don't think I'll get that in before Xmas. Baby steps...

Just like in the good ol' days. Feel free to join in:

1. Puppy sleeping with her head on my lap as I balance the laptop next to her.
2. The blower fan on the fireplace insert that keeps the house toasty warm.
3. HM reunion.
4. Nerdy online word games.
5. Regretsy.com. So freaking funny.
6. Truly nice dinner at the in-laws tonight.
7. Getting our xmas tree tomorrow.
8. Having most of my holiday shopping done.
9. Four kids squished into one bathtub.
10. Super cute gingerbread house that my dd and dh made at a special school event.

If I had a few more hours in the day, would it be easier to find time for myself or would that time be filled with more laundry and whatnot?

This down time in the afternoon (bigs at school, littles napping) is good for me. I'm sipping tea and messing around on the computer. But I'm fighting off a headache right now, AGAIN, and am reminded that I really need to get to the chiropractor. I have not been in ages. I'm hoping he can knock these headaches right out of me. But oh to find the time to take care of myself...pffft....maybe if I put it out here in on the interweb I'll actually get around to scheduling it.

I double dog dare myself to schedule a chiropractor's appointment AND an appointment at my sister's salon before xmas.

Can it be done?

In case anybody remembers/wonders about me and mine...
Dd is 9 years old and still a mini-me to my secret delight. She just finished a glass fusing workshop at the art museum and made an ornament for Santa there.
Ds #1 is 7.5 and a great cartoonist. He stopped kissing me cold turkey but is still a great snuggler.
Ds #2 is 3.5 and is loving preschool. Sings the Lion King soundtrack at the top of his lungs and cracks me up.
Ds #3 is 1.5 and is so, so, so cute and charming and so, so, so naughty. He has just been declassified as medically fragile (having shed all the maternal antibodies for HIV and Hep-C) I still drive him to visit his bio parents every other week. It was such drama at first, so hard for me, but has turned into such a blessing. We have a good rapport. We are happy to see each other. I am working up my nerve to ask her some big questions--especially because this won't last forever. Come April there is a trial to terminate their rights to him (with several possible outcomes but most likely we'll be adopting him some time in 2010) Now I hate to think of our last visit together. I hope to always stay in touch but I don't know how that will pan out.

Oh and E's begun to have some realizations about what being adopted means and talks a lot about his bio-siblings. Wish they weren't so far away.

As for me, besides being busy with four kids and the puppy we got last Xmas (and the cat and the house and the yard and the cooking more-more-more from scratch and making gifts and being crafty in general)...I'm my dd's Brownie leader and Iove it and am now the President of the diversity organization I've been involved with for several years and we are doing a lot of great stuff together.

Winter's descending which means fires roaring, bread baking, kids getting on my nerves by 5:30. Need to adjust my attitude and dust off my winter survival techniques.

And that's my update

Here's Z loving a goat at the Zoo in October

I'm going to bump up a million old recipes so you'll click on my link to my own website! Yeah! There's something that hasn't been done before!

That's right, I met Madame Filth last night (and baby Filth who wondered how I knew her name)...as they drove a bit across the state to my film screening.
Thanks MF. I'm a little disappointed in the sucky turnout but I'm glad to have finally seen the movie and to have been able to share it with at least the ones that did come and really wanted to see it.
Also, you're the one that told me about the movie in the first place, so thanks again.
-Dyna

I've been stalking the law guardian for two days, finally spoke to her today.
And you know, it's one of those conversations where we did speak for 10-15 minutes but I don't really know what we said.
She had never heard of the Aunt until Friday, regardless of the worker C saying that Aunt was brought up last year.
That he is with his brother now is something, but not everything.
Let DYFS see what they can see about this Aunt, she feels like it’s them just doing it to say that they explored all biological family options.

that's to be sung to the tune of "Night Clubbin" by Iggy Pop. Least that's what I've been singing in my head all day.
Here it is, enjoy:

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/blog/2009/....griculture-csa/

I know, I know, it's about time I broke down and updated about myself. I know you see me here lurking, commenting now and again...I have no excuse for not filling you in.
Let's see. How about I get the shitty out of the way first?
I tested positive for being exposed to TB at some point in the last three years. On meds for 6-9 months. Pfft.
Baby's paternal aunt has stepped forward and expressed interest in custody of him. I just found this out yesterday. I'm not thinking about it for real yet. Just getting it out there and moving on to the non-shitty.

Not sure if there are any other Jersey moms these days besides myself and Madame Filth, but just in case (and MF if you are interested)...
I first heard about this film here, I think from Madame Filth herself...tried to go see it, sold out! Dang! So I decided to get my group to host it instead.

To help Denessasma in this terrible time

So here's how my mind works:
I spill some parmesan cheese on the counter.
I use my finger to sweep it into a little pile.
I lick my finger and stick it in the cheese and eat it.
I remind myself of my dad when I do this.
I then also remember drinking some Paxaran with my dad once, and we were eating cheese, after I got back from Spain. Paxaran is a liquor from the Basque country, where I studied, and is made from a berry that grows there.
I think about how I'd like some more Paxaran.
I think about Spain.
I think about Motormouth.
I realize I don't think I've seen her around HM much.

When we had E's big adoption party, we asked that in lieu of gifts party goers donate to one of two charities that we chose. One was the hospital where he was born.
Well it was brought to my attention that the hospital never cashed the checks, so I had the daunting task of trying to track them down. It turned out to go much smoother than I had expected and I spoke to a really nice woman on the phone who did, later that day, actually find the checks.

They live in my area so there's a lot of coverage. Some of it is astounding, some of it is predictable, all of it makes you feel sad for the kids.
First there was this, in which it is revealed they were trying to bring Grandma to court to see if she could have the kids but she was drunk at the time:
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Adolf-Hitlers-Grandma-Drunk-Wh...

And now it turns out Dad's had some domestic disturbance problems in the past and Mom would like a free lawyer.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/01/the_mother_of_three_hunterdon.html

So I just sold something on etsy, this is only my 2nd sale (didn't notice this problem the first time around but maybe I just didn't notice?)
Anyway, it's $10 w/$2 shipping.
I got an email saying
Congratulations on your sale at Etsy! You sold 1 item to -----

item price: $10.00
shipping cost: $2.00

TOTAL SALE: $12.00 (US)

The buyer chose the following form of payment: PayPal

BUT the email from paypal tells me
This email confirms that you have received a payment of $10.00 USD from xxxxxxx

So where's my $2 for shipping?

From the mama who never means to be such a lurker but somehow still is.
Mwah!

1. Overnight sleeping has been decidedly improved. THANK MAUDE.

2. Mornings have been me getting up 40 minutes before anyone else, enjoying coffee and computer time in quiet. Ahhhh....

3. Finally broke down and joined facebook, have had lots of pleasant little interactions with people I haven't seen in so many years and have wondered about.

So I have a nice little light blue tee shirt.
I have some sublime stitching "camp out" patterns to embroider something.
http://www.sublimestitching.com/campout.html

I want to have a shirt to wear when my dd's wearing her vest.
Something, you know, that reflects my, um, non-dorkiness um...or something...

Anything clever you can think up for me?
All I can think of is this shirt my mom had when she was my leader that said "I'm the leader, which way did they go?" but I think I want something a little better than that. Or not, I don't know. Any ideas?

Not surprisingly, my dd went the lovey route and my ds went the random route.
DD: "I am thankful we got to adopt E"
DS: "I am thankful for pickles"

I'm thankful for both of those things, too, though pickles aren't really so high on the list for me. I like me a good pickle, but come on!

My smarty pants 6 yo reading entire anthologies of Calvin and Hobbes that is. Cover to cover. Repeatedly. And he confessed that at school when they say the pledge, he says it the C&H way, which is something like "I pledge allegiance to Queen Fragg and her mighty state of hysteria..."
And his xmas list includes:
cloning machine
transforming machine
anti-gravity belt
hypno goggles...

and one of my favorites, "english muffin ULTRA PACK!"

Forecast says rain all day.

I'm cool as a cucumber.

I'm so bad at the search on this site. Anybody remember who posted it or what it was called?

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) -- A magic wand, a fishing rod or a royal scepter?

The lowly stick, a universal plaything powered by a child's imagination, landed in the National Toy Hall of Fame on Thursday along with the Baby Doll and the skateboard.

The three were chosen to join the Strong National Museum of Play's lineup of 38 classics ranging from the bicycle, the kite and Mr. Potato Head to Crayola crayons, marbles and the Atari 2600 video game system.

Thanks to all the mamas for all your love, vibes and good wishes ever since he came home!