Birthday reflections by the ocean

It's my birthday today, and my Mom's too.  Happy Birthday, Mom! 

Last year on my birthday, I biked from our house to Venice Beach early in the morning.  It's about a 2.5 mile bike ride each way and it took me 20 minutes.  

This year it took me about 10 minutes longer because I had a certain little boy joining me for the ride.  J and I headed out of the house at 6:00 a.m. and when we got there, the beach was nearly empty.

J had a bit of time to frolic on the beach and I had time to sit and watch the waves roll in and out as they crashed along the shore.  I enjoyed the cool ocean breeze, the shrill cry of seagulls as they dipped and dived for their breakfast and the cloud-filled sky that changed colors as the sun rose.

Birthdays are a time of reflection for me and where better to reflect than by the ocean?!

On this day, I am particularly grateful for the blessings in my life.  Spending nearly 4 weeks in the hospital and then another 4 weeks to recover certainly puts things into perspective and reminds me of what's truly important.

I am blessed to be alive to celebrate this birthday.  I am blessed to have a husband who loves me dearly.  I'm blessed to have two intelligent, beautiful children who are still at the age where I'm the center of their universe...for a little bit longer.  I am blessed to be a mother.  I am blessed to have a large extended family to love and support me, especially in my times of need.  I am blessed to have old and new friends, near and far, who rally around me when I need them most.  I am blessed to live in a breathtakingly beautiful part of the U.S. where people come to vacation.

As I pause and reflect on this birthday morning, I am incredibly thankful for all that is important in my life.

The Venice holiday boat parade

This Saturday we are entering our sailboat in the Venice holiday boat parade. We will be boat #30 of approximately 42 boats participating in the parade.

Last year we watched our first Venice holiday boat parade from the sidelines. I remember that G and I put the kids in the wagon, walked them down to the inter coastal and found a spot near the bridge to spread out a blanket and watch the pretty power and sailboats go by.

Hard to believe that this year we'll be one of those boats!

We're members of the Venice Sailing Squadron and they've graciously offered to lend us tons of lights and a generator to light all those lights for our sailboat. Thank goodness we don't have to spend a lot of money during the holiday season just to enter the boat parade.

Thank you Venice Sailing Squadron!

So, tomorrow and Friday G and I will be stringing up the lights. I'll be hoisted to the top of the mast, I'm sure. It'll be scary but fun too.

We'll do our best to take some pictures of our sailboat after she's all decked out, but I'm not guaranteeing they'll be all that great, since we'll be on the boat.

I just love everything about the Christmas season!

A friendly dolphin, up close and personal

Today we decided to go out on the sailboat right after picking the kids up from school. It was overcast and a bit windy, so perfect weather for sailing.

We got an amazing surprise while we were out on the Gulf intercoastal with only our jib sail up. A friendly dolphin popped out of the water, right next to our sailboat! She stayed playing under our boat for quite a while, surfacing frequently as if to say, "Hi!" She really seemed to be trying to keep our attention.

She was so close we could've reached out and touched her, but we were afraid to do so. Instead, we took a video of her and snapped a lot of pictures.

So, here she is in all her glory. The kids dubbed her Flipper.

A backward glance at summer fun.

School started back up this week and J and C were eager to return and see their friends!

Yes, they enjoyed their leisurely summer of swimming at the Y, playing at the beach, hanging out at the library and partaking in all of those scheduled activities, reading more, sleeping in late, staying up later, sailing, fishing, visits from family and friends, and all that.

For me, this summer was precious because it was the first time ever that I was able to stay home with my children for any good length of time. (Thank you, Hubby, for your lovely support.)

I've been a working mom since the day that we brought J home from the hospital at 3 days old. In fact, because I had started a new job just one month prior to his birth, I only got two weeks of unpaid time off for uninterrupted bonding. Heading back to work that soon was a miserable experience for me. I got no time off with C's arrival.

These past 3-months I have relished the extra time with the kids. Despite being nervous about how I would do as a "stay-at-home mom", things went well. We got into a groove, it was relaxing and fun and I feel like I've gotten to know them a little better; their likes and dislikes and what makes them tick. What fun 4 and 6-year-olds can be! I'm certainly thankful for this quality time we've had together.

Now, it's back to the task of trying to eke out a living to help support our family finances. At least I'm currently able to do that within the confines of the kids' school schedule. Thank goodness for that.

Making new friends & getting involved.

People in Venice, FL are proving to be rather friendly, especially when they learn that we've recently moved here from another state.

On the first day of school for J and C, a mom struck up a conversation with me as I was signing C out for the day. She offered me advice on where to catch a sale for school shirts and we exchanged emails so that she could send me that info.

Amelia promptly emailed me that day, not only about the sale information, but she also mentioned that there was a Literacy event happening over the weekend and she invited us to join her and one other school family to meet there and attend the event together.

Once there, we met up with Amelia and her 2 boys and with Nicole, her husband, and their 4 children. We all jumped right into the activities that were being offered.

The kids in our group gathered round a table together and painted fish prints onto wash clothes and t-shirts. In another area, both J and C had sat quite patiently to have their faces painted (J requested a green saber tooth tiger design and C requested a pink flower design).

There was a treasure hunt, a puppet show, a book swap, and many fun kid games to keep them occupied that day.

There was even a good band playing and a couple of belly dancers performing, which enthralled C.

What I wasn't expecting was swimming. Amelia and Nicole asked if I had brought swim suits for the kids, explaining that the park had a lake that the kids were allowed to swim in. I hadn't realized that, so the kids had no other clothing and no towels.

That didn't stop J and C, of course. Once they saw the other kids getting into the water, J striped down to just his shorts and C just took off all her clothes and hopped in (ah, to be 3 years old with no concept of modesty). They were happy to be in the water, showing off their swim moves to the other kids. It was so hot and sticky out that day, that I'm sure the water felt wonderfully refreshing!

All-in-all, it was a fun day and we appreciated being included by these two school families.

This week, I attended my first parent association meeting and learned about some of the projects the school is trying to raise money for. There's quite an ambitious list and I'm certain I'll be donating some time and talent with other parents to see that these worthy projects come to fruition.

I invited Amelia over for a visit yesterday morning, now that the house is mostly unpacked, and filled her in on the content of the parent association meeting that she was unable to attend. We learned a bit more about each other and our families. Amelia and I get on quite well thus far and I intend to continue to work on building a friendship with her.

This week I also discovered that each classroom has a "room mom" or "room dad" assigned to help out the two teachers in various small ways and to communicate with all the families in that classroom. When I learned that J's classroom had no one assigned yet, I volunteered to be the "room mom". What better way to get to know other parents, right?

Yesterday after school, while we waited for G to return home from work, the kids and I went to the little neighborhood park that's only 2 blocks from our house. It's shady and had enough toys to keep J and C entertained for quite a while.

Here are some pics and videos from that little jaunt.

9-16-10 J & C climbing. Notice that daredevil C is up on top! (click to enlarge photos)

9-16-10 J & C having a bit of a snack in the park.

Amelia has invited us to join her and her family tomorrow morning for the Nokomis Beach Youth Fishing Tournament, where the bait and prizes are supplied for a $1 per child entrance fee.

J is literally begging us to take him fishing, now that he's seen the fishing piers. G and I are really rather clueless when it comes to fishing, but Amelia has assured me that if we show up tomorrow morning with fishing poles, she'll make sure the kids get the hang of things.

Tomorrow evening we'll be joining the drum circle again on Nokomis beach. This time we'll come prepared with glow sticks and drums for the kids.

There certainly are a lot of outdoor activities to choose from here in Florida. Of course, most of them center around the outdoors and water. I like that.

Life in Venice thus far.

We've made it to FL, all of us and our possessions in one piece, pretty amazing, all things considered! Even the three turtles survived the drive and are happily grazing in the grass.

It took us 3 1/2 days to drive to FL. We had a bit of trouble on the way...one of the tires on the U-Haul blew out and had to be repaired (thankfully no injuries resulted but it set us back 3 hours) and then we got stuck for an hour in stop-and-go traffic outside of Biloxi due to construction. But other than that, the cross-country trip was bearable. The kids did FANTASTIC! They were troopers the entire time on the road. I was amazed!

We've been in Venice for 5 days now. Somehow it feels like longer. We miss our family and friends but we're beginning to get settled in here.

Our yellow house is about 90% unpacked, in large part due to the fact that my older sister flew in to help me unpack and get organized (thank you, thank you, thank you!). She's got the organizational gene that skipped right by me. She reminds me that I'm more creative.

I'm so sick of looking at boxes and opening boxes. There are more boxes to open and unpack and I'm sorely tempted just to set them by the curb on Friday and let the sanitation truck haul them away! I know G would be just fine with that.

Despite the unpacking efforts, we've still managed to sneak in some fun time. Since we're only about 2 minutes from the nearest beach, we've taken J and C to play in the ocean. They LOVE it! I can't say that I blame them.

The beaches are clean here and even over the Labor Day weekend they weren't very crowded. Tonight, for example, we ran into about 4 people on the large expanse of beach, besides us.

The kids are enjoying looking for fossilized shark teeth on Casperean Beach. They've found quite a few already. Don't be surprised if some arrive in your mailbox one day!

Here are a couple of videos and some pics of the kiddos enjoying the water.

It already feels rather surreal, living so close to the ocean. So far, we've only met and interacted with 2 types of people on the beach:

1) People that are really happy and excited because their vacation is just beginning and they're thrilled to be spending time on the beach.

2) People that are rather bummed because their vacation is at an end and they're leaving soon.

G and I are in awe of the fact that we don't have to leave to get home...this is our new home and we can go back to the beach tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day too!

Now, there is more to life than the beach, as hard as that is to believe.

Before we began our road trip across the country, J had a loose tooth. I told him he was NOT allowed to loose his tooth until we made it to FL. He must've listened because his tooth stayed in until 2 days after we arrived in Venice, then it fell out while he and C were wrestling around. He now officially considers himself a "big" kid because of his missing tooth.

J started Kindergarten on Tuesday and seems to really like it so far. He barely gave me a backwards glance once he was introduced to his new teachers and taken in to see his classroom that first day. I wanted to cry because it's hard to believe that my "baby" has started his academic career, but I held it together fairly well.

C, on the other hand, was a bit more clingy. Once she figured out that she would not be going to preschool in the same building as her big brother, she made it clear that she was not happy! There were no tears but she had to be pried off of me and lead inside by one of the teachers. Poor baby girl. Life has thrown a lot of changes her way lately.

By the time I arrived to pick them both up, it was clear to see that they'd had a great time! They were so full of energy afterwards that they were nearly bouncing off the walls at home.

So, first impressions of Venice? Well, please keep in mind that I have been locked up in my house unpacking boxes these past few days, but here's what I've noticed during the few times I've ventured out:

• Everything looks quite lush here...lots of thick green grass, towering trees, vines, and blooming flowers. It's quite tropical here and I like that!
• The humidity felt really oppressive the first couple of days, but already I'm getting used to it.
• The bugs, mosquitoes in particular, aren't nearly as bad as I expected them to be. We aren't using bug spray and so far we haven't gotten bitten up too badly.
• My dry and cracked skin is already healing up due to the humidity! I'm amazed at how much softer my skin already feels (heels, knees, elbows).
• My naturally wavy hair is curling and getting a bit frizzy in this humidity. I haven't decided if I like that or not.
• The time zone difference is taking some getting used to. Our sleep schedules have been out of whack but are getting better. I really dislike the fact that it doesn't get light out until at least 7 AM! As an early morning riser, I preferred to enjoy the sunrise at 5:30 AM.
• There are a lot of grey-haired people here (I'm not trying to be offensive, just making an observation)! Thank goodness I have a Kindergartener to help me meet other parents or I'd worry about who my kids would have to play with.
• We already have a tentative play-date scheduled for this Saturday with a mom from school that I started chatting with the first day. She has 2 boys the same age as J and C! I'm excited!
• Our yellow house is in a nice, quite neighborhood and our neighbors are friendly thus far. Hooray!
• Venice is quite small, compared to where I came from. Here, there seems to be just one of everything....1 Starbucks, 1 Enterprise car rental, 1 Perkins, 1 movie theater, etc. I take that back, there are a whole lot of Publix grocery stores! Practically one on every corner, it seems.
• Stores and restaurants seem to close rather early here...mostly by 9 PM. Thank goodness for Starbucks for a late-night cup of coffee on our date night.
• There is no cheap theater in Venice. I sure hope I can find one in Sarasota because $18 for 2 people to get into a movie is just too overpriced for my tastes!
• There's a lot of water around here, and I'm not just talking about the ocean. And there are a lot of bridges to go over those lakes, bays, inlets...whatever they're called. I'm really liking all the water!
• The ocean water is deliciously warm...almost like bath water. Not too hot, not too cold, just right! The ocean breeze is lovely too.
• The drive to Sarasota and to Tampa really aren't that bad. And you can't beat the scenery along the way (more ocean views in some parts of the drive).
• There's a cute downtown area of Venice. I must go poke through all the little shops there.
• The seafood tastes outstanding here! Toni and I had some grilled salmon yesterday that was mouth watering! Yum! Oh, and the lobster and spinach dip was tasty too.
• I think I'm becoming addicted to sweet tea, which is odd considering I was never much of a tea drinker before I moved here.
• The people are REALLY friendly here, except when they're driving...then they can be a bit rude with their honking or a bit blind with their lane changes.
• It rains here quite a bit this time of year, but it's usually a gentle, warm rain so we love it. The kids and I are fascinated with all the rain and we do a little happy dance when we see it.
• Speaking of rain, I need to keep an umbrella in my trunk, along with all the beach stuff, for those spontaneous torrential downpours that catch me unaware.

So, there you have it, a bit of insight to our life in Venice thus far. We miss everyone we left behind, but overall I'd say we're enjoying our new surroundings quite a bit.

I'll leave you with one last picture. The kids and I went to the library today to check it out. Imagine my surprise to find a pond full of lily pads right in front of the library. We parked the car, and then got out to take a closer look. This picture really doesn't do it justice (click on it for a larger view). It is quite a pretty sight with the pale yellow flowers opening up.

Texas and Southern Comfort Food

We're on the road, heading to Florida. Well, right at this particular moment G, J, & C are sleeping in the hotel room while I type away downstairs in the breakfast area but soon we'll be on the road again.

We began our journey on Tuesday morning, after locking up our Woodstock house one last time That was quite sad. I'm almost glad we won't be there to see the "For Sale" sign posted in front of our beloved house.

We headed east and made it past NM and into TX that first day. We spent the night in Ft. Stockton, TX Tuesday night.

Yesterday we continued to drive through Texas. We drove, and drove, and drove, through San Antonio and Houston, and we still ended up in a hotel in TX again last night, this time just outside of Beaumont, TX. We stopped in Luling, TX to have a late lunch with Grandpa John's daughter, Barbara. She was sweet enough to drive an hour just to catch up with us!

We drove into Central Time that first day of travel and J wants to know why he had to eat breakfast in the dark?! We're used to waking up to nearly broad daylight at 5:30 AM. Now, it's not light out until 7 AM or later. This is not necessarily a good thing for us early risers!

Since we've been in Texas the longest thus far, I'm noticing the Southern accent, the extreme politeness and friendliness of the locals, and the delicious Southern comfort food.

Last night, after being on the road for over 11 hours, I was determined NOT to be subjected to fast food again. So G and I grabbed the hands of each child and walked a ways to a shrimp and steak restaurant.

Al-T's had an interesting menu. Fried Alligator was on the menu. I wasn't brave enough to sample that or the frog legs. The menu also showed fried "boudain". I had to ask the waitress what "boudain" is because I honestly didn't know.

In the end, I decided on shrimp gumbo with cornbread. Ummmmmm! It was quite yummy, reminding me a bit of my year spent in Atlanta. I do love cornbread! We played it safe with the kids and got them breaded chicken and fish.

The humidity is increasing as we drive East. My natural wave is coming back into my hair, but so are the frizzies. So far, the humidity hasn't been unbearable, but we have been in air conditioned cars most of the time. G mentioned that he actually likes the humidity. It's repairing his cracked and dried skin.

I'm listening to the news coverage on the eastern storm, Hurricane Earl. It's predicted to reach Category 4 storm. 145 mph winds. At least it's on the Atlantic side. This just reminds me that I will now have to start being concerned with natural disasters.

Okay, time to get packed up and on the road again. We're hoping to get through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and into Florida today!

We have an adoption date!

After anxiously awaiting for this outcome over the past 2 years, 5 months, and 16 days (not that I'm counting or anything), we finally have an adoption finalization date for C!

Although she's been our daughter in our hearts for that long, this sassy, strong-willed, beautiful, beloved little girl will legally become part of our family on August 30th at 1:30 PM!

As most of you know, our attempts to adopt her through the foster care system have proven to be much more of a challenge than we ever imagined. But against all odds, we are so thankful to be basking in the light at the end of the tunnel!

We feared we'd never get there, but the day is almost upon us, in large part due to the amazing support of family and friends. We love you all so dearly!

Later that evening, we'll be celebrating C's special day with a casual BBQ party in the park. We found a splash park that she loves (thanks to Terry and Chole for the reminder of that park) so I've just secured a reservation there.

Specific details will be shared for all who are interested in being a part this joyful day!

Exploring new surroundings!

G is spending some time exploring his new surroundings. He tells me that it doesn’t get dark there in FL until around 9 PM, unlike the 7-7:30 PM time frame here, so he has plenty of time after getting off work to go hang at the beaches.

He took an amazing picture of the Venice Fishing Pier yesterday that I want to share. Believe it or not, this great picture was taken with his iPhone camera, not his nice professional camera!

7-16-10 Venice Fishing Pier

And although G didn’t take this picture (I found it while scouring the internet for info on the new place we’ll be living), it still does a wonderful job showing how breathtaking FL sunsets can be!

Venice Beach sunset

G’s taken some videos of the ocean as well to share with the me and the kids (they love watching videos on my laptop). As you’ll see, it’s not always bright and sunny in FL, but it sure is beautiful, even during the rainy, stormy season!

7-14-10 Windy day on Venice Beach.

7-15-10 Venice Fishing Pier

He has airplanes on his mind.

(Click to enlarge.)

I have always loved children's artwork so I was thrilled when J started drawing stick people last year!

Over time, his drawings have become a bit more detailed.

Here's his latest masterpiece.

J explained to me that the man at the front of the plane is the pilot and that Daddy is sitting in the chair next to the second window.

Yes, J definitely has airplanes, and his Daddy, on his mind!

He's just gone and we already miss him!

Our little family arose early this morning at 5:30 AM. G finished packing a few last items while I woke the kids up and got them ready to go. I reminded them that today was the day that we'd be taking Daddy to the airport so he can fly to FL.

J's response was, "So he can find us a house to live in, right?" C's response was, "Can I go back to sleep after we take Daddy to the airport?"

The entire ride to the airport and the entire time at the airport, J bombarded us with questions.

"When are we moving to FL?"

"Will Daddy find a house with a window in my bedroom?"

"When can we adopt C?"

"When is her lawyer coming so we can adopt her?"

"Why can't we go to FL now?"

"How do we get to FL?"

"Are we going to fly to FL like Daddy?"

"When can I play on the beach?"

"Will Erin give us swim lessons in FL?"

"What will my Kindergarten school in FL look like?"

"What's a job?"

The kids did pretty good in the airport, overall. They were distracted by the novelty of riding the elevator up to the ticket counter, helping G carry his bags, watching as he checked in at the counter, peering into the nearby gift shop, and scoping out the airplanes visible from windows.

When it came time to hug Daddy goodbye and watch him walk through security, it became clearer to them that Daddy was really leaving us.

On the ride back to the house, J relentlessly launched questions at me, many of the same questions as earlier.

My heart is aching today as I see the look of worry and sadness on J's face. He seems much more aware of what's going on than C, which is to be expected since he's 2 years older.

When the three of us were all snuggled up together reading books in my bed, J looked up and said, "There are two girls and only one boy. That makes me sad."

When I laid him down to nap, I struggled to keep the tears from my eyes as J told me, with a quiver in his voice, "I want my Daddy. I want to go to FL now."

This temporary separation is obviously going to be hard on the kids, especially J. He understands what's going on but he doesn't yet grasp the concept of time so when I tell him we can't move to FL until probably the end of August, it means nothing to him.

He asks me, "How many minutes to get to August?"

"When can we pick Daddy up?"

Before naptime, I got out a calendar and showed both kids July and August. I told them we would cross off each day that passes until C's adoption is finalized and we get to join Daddy in FL.

J asked me, "Can we Skype with Daddy tonight when he gets to his hotel?"

I assured him we could indeed Skype.

It's obvious that I need to keep the kids as busy as possible, in an attempt to keep their minds off of worrying and to help the time pass quickly.

As for myself, G has just gone away and I'm surprised at how much I already miss him, probably because I know this isn't just a quick weekend trip.

The house is too quiet. Things of G's are out of place or missing, which makes me feel a bit out of place. I feel disjointed somehow.

I have to keep my emotions in check and maintain a positive attitude to help the kids.

This is going to be a long 6- 8+ weeks.

4th of July weekend

G, the kids, and I had a busy 4th of July weekend!

On Friday morning, we drove to see G's parents to attend Peter's retirement ceremony. It was neat seeing people within the community coming together to celebrate Peter's many years of being a lawyer and a judge. There was a nice meal served, stories told about Peter, and gifts given. The kids enjoyed helping their grandpa open his presents.

7-2-10 Peter opening retirement gifts.

7-2-10 Getting some help from the grandkids.

7-2-10 Stories being told about Peter.

7-2-10 Carol's big gavel.

I think one of the funniest comments made repeatedly during and after Peter's retirement ceremony was a portion of a phrase he often used when questioning the dead-beat dads that found their way into his courtroom, "What do you do all day?!"

After the ceremony and luncheon, we went back to the house and spent some time picking apricots off Carol's tree and then everyone joined in to set up Melisa's Smurf set that Carol had saved from when Melisa was a child. The Smurfs were a big hit with the kids this weekend!

That evening, the kids were thrilled to have a "movie night" and then to have a "sleep-over" at Grandma's house, which meant they all shared the same room for the weekend.

After being on the go all day, the kids fell asleep pretty quick. C was the last hold-out but not for too long.

7-2-10 Movie Night (the "Out of Egypt" kids movie is not recommended).

7-2-10 Cousins fast asleep.

Yesterday morning was spent outdoors. The cousins had fun playing together on the swing set and dancing in Grandma and Grandpa's yard (their grass is so cushy).

7-3-10 Cousins on the swing set.

7-3-10 More swing set fun!

7-3-10 Dancing little girls.

In the afternoon, we all loaded into our cars and drove down to the main street to watch the Independence Day parade.

We got there early to get a good spot, you know in case it got crowded, and waited for it all to start.

7-3-10 Waiting for the parade.

7-3-10 Still waiting.

Once the parade started, it didn't take long to finish, but the kids enjoyed it. And they were quite happy when it was announced that the fire station was handing out free ice cream and offering tours of the fire engine!

7-3-10 Climbing in the fire truck.

Last night we drove out and parked by the side of the road near the casino to watch the fireworks display. C was terrified and wanted to stay inside the truck. Thankfully I was able to at least coax her out of the truck, but she sat in my lap with her blanket over her head the entire time. She is only 3, so I guess her fear is understandable.

J was apprehensive of the loud booming noises, but he sat out with the others in the back of the truck and seemed to warm up to the fireworks towards the end.

7-3-10 Waiting for the fireworks to begin.

The fireworks were actually quite pretty and well worth the wait!

7-3-10 Ooooh...aaaah!

This morning, after mass, we loaded up everyone into 2 cars and drove up into the Pinal mountains to escape the heat and to have a picnic lunch, before we had to head back to our home.

7-3-10 Peter grilling sausages for lunch.

The kids had a great time exploring the small nearby stream, looking at bugs, throwing rocks, and building a small damn.

7-4-10 Playing in the stream.

The adults sat around and swapped funny stories about the past and Peter talked about his beginnings as a lawyer. He gave us his rendition of the "What do you do all day?" phrase!

Despite the fact that we were trying to cram as much activity in as possible, while we were all together, it still managed to be a fun and relaxing weekend.

It was bittersweet to see the kids playing together, knowing that once we move to FL these family gatherings will be all too infrequent. I think that's why we all made sure to take a lot of pictures over the weekend, to store up until we are together again.

Of course, we missed Chris and Lauren and their 2 kids. I know the 4 cousins would've loved to have their other 2 cousins joining in the fun!