Picture Project for Kids

I tend to be on the crafty side and seem to manage to start at endless pile of projects that never quite get finished.  Lately, I’ve been trying to find something that my 3 year old can participate in.  So, this means simple and quick for those with a short attention span.  I also wanted to incorporate some of those cute pictures that get taken and somehow seem to sit inside my camera.  I started out with a couple different ideas for Halloween and eventually came up with this project.

What you’ll need:

• Pictures (I laminated mine so they would last longer)
• Glue
• Foam Sheets (5.5″ x 8.5″)
• Foamies self-adhesive shapes
• Magnets or ribbon

Materials for project

The next step is to glue the pictures onto the foam sheets.  If you have an older child they could help with this next step.  My son’s attention span is still rather limited so I did this step myself.  I went for the asymmetrical look.

Glue photo to foam sheet

The next step is to let your child have at it with the foamies.  You may need to help the little ones peel off the sticker backing.  You will probably also have to limit the amount of foamies on each picture : )  The last step would be either attaching magnets to the back so you could put the picture on the fridge or some other type of hanger.  You could modify this craft for any holiday or theme:  Christmas, ocean/aquarium, Valentine’s day, etc.  Have fun!

Finished picture

Pumpkin Time

I really enjoy this time of year:  the spectacle of fall colors, the last of the summer warmth and bringing in the last of the harvest.  Last weekend we went out to the harvest festival at one of the local farms.  It was a gorgeous fall day, the girls were up for the weekend, and we all had fun.  They had all the traditional things:  petting zoo, corn maze, hay maze, hay slide, etc.  They also had a wheat box (like a sand box but filled with wheat.) which really got me thinking.  Wow, we live in a country where we can actually play in our food–that’s pretty amazing.  Without further ado here are some pictures from the day

A boy and his pumpkins

In the wheat box

Petting zoo

Jen and Ash--They hate having their picture taken!

Choices

I’ve found myself looking at pictures lately…lots of pictures.  I’ve been drawn to look at pictures of waiting children.  There are so many children out there that need loving homes.  It is a bit overwhelming.  I’ve been questioning a lot of things lately:  the age and sex of the child, the country, and even wether or not to adopt.

It all seems rather silly since I’ve already made all these decisions.  We looked at countries and decided on Ethiopia.  We both wanted a little girl.  We decided we wanted to keep birth order, therefore, an infant or young toddler was the only choice.  I know that having another biological is not a good choice for me.  Yet, I’ve procrastinated about turning in my dossier for several months.  So, what gives?  Why is it so hard for me to take the last step?

I think the hardest thing for me is giving up the idea of having another biological child.  It is not that I believe that I’ll love an adopted child any less than a biological one.  It is knowing that I’ll never be pregnant again and have that particular experience.  It is knowing that I won’t be able to see my genetic imprint on the little one in my arms.  The experience I will have adopting will be special and beautiful in it’s own right…just different.

There are so many older children waiting to be adopted that desperately need families.  I’ve considered adopting an older child but older children come with their own unique set of problems.  I would like my son to grown up with a sibling that is close is age.  So, for now the older child scenario is on hold.  At this point I don’t want to have our family adjust to two adoptions in a close time frame.  It still makes me feel guilty.

Ahh, guilt…I feel guilty that I want a little girl.  My son would love to have a brother.  We have all the clothing for a little boy.  At this point I know little boys as well as little girls.  So, why not a boy instead of a girl?  Because now, months later, we would have to update our homestudy to reflect this.  Also, my husband still wants a little girl.  There are so many little boys on the waiting children lists.  I can’t help but see one of them playing with Caden.

Finally, what about the country?  We decided on Ethiopia for many reasons:  lenient adoption policies, relatively quick process, infants available, choice of gender possible and most of all there is a great need there.   I think Ethiopia is a good choice but I worry about what my adopted child will face.  Racism is not dead, it is merely more subtle in this day and age.  What will it be like for her to grow up in a biracial family in a mostly white neighborhood?  What quiet comments may I hear over the years?  Why should the color of skin matter?  Why is it more biracial to adopt an African child than an Asian child?

I think what I’m feeling is something like getting cold feet before your marriage.  There are so many choices and possibilities out there that I feel nervous that I am making the right one for our family.  The children on the waiting list are appealing because you have knowns:  a face, a name, a set of problems.  I think especially having the face is an appealing thing.  So, even though I’ve made my choices seeing all those little faces makes me question it.

~Alisha

How many children do I have???

The boys

I went away for a couple of months and my blogroll disappeared…How did that happen?  It doesn’t matter, I’ve got it fixed (at least for now!)  I will write about my summer in another post it was mostly good with a lot of busy and a little ugly thrown in.

We are settling back into the grind in our house as the days shorten.  Jeff has started back teaching and it is a hard adjustment for all of us.  I got so used to having him around all the time, my househusband, that it was a real shock to the system when he returned to work.  Ok, part of it was due to the household chores he takes care of during the summer but not all : )  When he works he leaves the house by 5:30 am and is usually not home until about 6:30 pm.  Last year he was able to work a four day work week and he is hopeful he will be able to do so again…just not yet.  Poor Caden keeps asking me where his Dad is and he doesn’t seem to believe me when I say Dad’s at work.  Dad spoiled him a bit and took him to the pool a lot during the summer.

So, how many of you feel at times that your husband is another child?  Granted a much larger and sophisticated child but a child nevertheless…I’ve had this feeling numerous times over our 12+ years together.  It is usually frustrating and often humorous but it always makes me question how many children I really want!  I mean if you have a grown man torching bugs with WD-40 don’t you worry just a little?  It’s enough work trying to keep the little ones from inadvertently killing themselves.

Now by the virtue of being married I get to look after the much larger, supposedly smarter, beastie who can get into so much more trouble when under the influence of the Y chromosome.  I call the Y chromosome the dumbass gene because of the stupid behaviors I believe it causes.  I have heard others (females of course) refer to these incomprehensible behaviors as testosterone poisoning or testosterone surges.  As far as I can tell it is the same thing and causes the same questionable behaviors.  I have heard stories of fireworks in toilets (No, don’t ask why…Yes, this blew a large hole in the bowl.)  I have heard of trying to get rid of moles by putting gas in their holes (Nasty backflash, big boom and also shook house on foundation.)  There are more but I’d love to hear some new ones.  So, what’s your funny boy man story?  I know you’ve got one : )

~Alisha

Update

Prineville Reservoir on a Sunny Day

Well, I’ve been a bad blogger; it’s been about six weeks since my last post.  A lot has happened since then!  Three people in my Adoption Avenues group have passed court!  Emily and Mona now are legally the Moms of sweet little girls and Meg is the proud Mama of a handsome little boy.  I am so happy for all of them!  Adoption can be a long and sometimes painful process and it it wonderful to see the happiness produced by all that time and effort.

On the home-front things are progressing.  I had to go back in to the USCIS office and be refingerprinted at the end of April.  I was really bummed at the time because I knew that it would set us back about a month and I was right.  We received our approval letter almost a month to the day : )  So, I suppose most people would be rushing to get their dossier to Ethiopia at the point–I’m here to buck the curve!  My logic (or emotion) is this:  We are now going to hit court closure for sure, even if we receive a referral and I have always know that the hardest part for me will be sitting at home looking at pictures of my daughter.  I do not want to extend the amount of time I’m sitting here waiting.  So, while most of my dossier is ready to go I’m not rushing to get the last pieces together.  I will send it off in a couple weeks and then hope we don’t get a referral right away.  Opposite of the usual, huh?  It makes sense in my brain anyway.

The past few weeks have been really hard for me.  I think it’s been a combination of things:  having our USCIS approval delayed, gray gloomy weather, getting sick, work, etc.  It’s been very odd; I’m usually a very even keel kind of person and I’m not usually prone to depression.  I withdrew from the adoption group and pretty much everything else.  Oh well, the sun has come out and my mood has improved drastically.

I have been amazed at how my son is developing!  Wow, you can almost see the little stinkers’ mind developing.  The other day I put him in a timeout.  He was standing there in the corner and soon he started saying he had to go poop.  Hmmm, I wasn’t sure I believed him but didn’t want to take any chances.  So, after about 30 seconds more I let him go and talked to him.  I then asked him if he had to go to the bathroom.  He said, “No!” and ran off…The little fart.  He really is to smart for his own good.  I don’t think I’m looking forward to this one being a teenager : )

~Alisha

Biometrics

So, yesterday we went to the local USCIS office in Portland to have our fingerprints done.  It was interesting…There was about 20 people there at our appointment time.  First you fill at a form and then sit and wait.  Next you get in line, have someone else look at your paperwork and then sit and wait again.  Finally after waiting for your number to be called you actually get your fingerprints done.  Sound familiar?

While sitting there it was interesting to look at all the people and wonder what their stories were.  The service was on par with your local DMV office…Yep, the charm of government offices.  One person was actually told they would have to leave if their baby started crying.  Oh well, we are one step closer.  Once we have our immigration approval we will just need to get our authentication from the secretary of state and we can drop off the dossier to Radu.  I’m thinking we will see our girl this winter.

~Alisha

Rainy Day

It has been one of those days today.  You know the kind, the days where you just want to crawl back into bed and forget about the world.  So NOT an option for a mom though.  The unfortunate part about Oregon weather is the greyness of winter and most of spring.  We had a couple of beautiful sunny days and it got my hopes up.  I know better, really I do, I have lived in Oregon for most of my life.  The unfortunate truth is that we will not see the sun in the Willamette Valley on a daily basis until late June.  This is the trade off for having mild winters and little humidity.  I know spring is on its way because I have daffodils blooming and all the trees are budding out.  I just feel rather impatient for it to actually get here.  This is when I find myself annoyed that Jeff teaches and can only get off during specific times of the year.  Florida is sounding really good right now.

The house is quiet now except for the intermittent sound of raindrops on the roof.  Caden is taking a nap and I am having some sorely needed Mommy time.  I don’t think I would make it as a full time stay at home mom.  You know those funny pictures with the kid duct-taped to the wall?  I just might be tempted.  I don’t know how my baby sitter does it.

My darling son has been a first class little turd today.  I did not sleep well last night and that really hasn’t helped my patience but…Eehhhh!  The little guy managed to get a hold of my concealer stick (while I was getting dressed) and then took it and smeared it with a plastic knife under the dining room table.  Looks really good on the carpet.  It never fails to amaze me how much the little nippers can accomplish in 3-5 minutes.  I know kids will be kids but that was just the tip of the iceburg today.

He is currently obsessed with guns, swords, any kind of weapon.  Why do boys do this?  My stepdaughters never had a thing for violence.  I finally gave in and got him a toy gun and sword because he made everything into one (and I got really tired of trying to find my hairbrush.)  Our rule has been that he can’t point the gun at people–hard to make that one stick.  I have confiscated all weapons today because I am tired of having them in my face (literally).  He is really a rough little guy and I sometimes worry when he plays with other kids.  I have to wonder what I have or haven’t done to contribute to this.

So, what’s a girl to do…A little spring fever, a stinker of a little boy and I’ve got the blues.  Tomorrow morning we go in for our final fingerprinting in Portland.  Excuse me, I meant biometrics (big word, big price tag.)  It is going to make for a really long day though because I work until 10:30 pm tomorrow night.  Hopefully, a couple weeks after that we should have our USCIS approval and can turn in our dossier.  It is getting closer.

~Alisha

Ethiopian Orphan Relief

EOR Lights of Hope Benefit Auction

For every child  who is adopted in Ethiopia there are thousands left behind in the orphanages that are still parentless.  Ethiopian Orphan Relief, EOR, is an organization committed to helping the orphans who are left behind in Ethiopia.  This organization was founded by Moms who were adopting from Ethiopia who wanted to do something more.  The more has turned into funding playgrounds and building foundations for new orphanages.

They work on various fundraisers throughout the year.  The latest is Lights of Hope a benefit auction and evening of fun in Portland, Oregon on May 5, 2009.  We are donating a couple of items for the auction since we do fused glass.  Unfortunately, I am working that weekend and cannot attend the auction.  How about you?  Could you donate an item for the auction or make a cash donation?  If you can please contact Kim Pasion at kim@ethiopianorphanrelief.  If you have a chance check out their website.  They even have an online store full of cool things…guilt free buying.

~Alisha

Deciding On An Adoption Agency

Note:  This is a post that I placed on the Adoption Avenues Yahoo Group.  I am placing it on my blog as well because I feel that it is important.

International adoption is not for the faint of heart.  Choosing an agency that you feel is ethical and fulfills your own requirements is a daunting task.  My advice to you is remember that we live in a society where sensationalism is the norm and not the exception.

In my limited time on the big Ethiopian adoption board I have seen many agencies accused of many different things.  I believe all of us want ethical adoptions where everything is clear cut and defined but that is not reality.  Ethiopia is a developing country where much of the populace is uneducated (unable to read or write) and I believe that some of the “confusion” stems from this.  Also, think about the 80 or so different languages that are spoken in Ethiopia–could this cause difficulty?  Finally, consider that some of the children pass through multiple orphanages before being adopted–yet another opportunity for things to become confused.

I believe that most adoption agency directors try to steer through these obstacles the best that they can.  They end up being responsible for the actions of people who are a continent away from them.  Is this a daunting task?  To me it is.  I believe that the majority of the people who are in the adoption “business” are there because they have a desire to help.  Do I think that child trafficking exists–of course.  However, I believe that it is usually the exception to the rule (and no I am not a cheery optimist by nature.)

I was not aware of any rule regarding saying only positive things when I joined this group and it has never influenced my posts.  In my experiences Radu is a quick but brief communicator.  He often replies to my email within an hour.  His paperwork process could be a little more organized and give more instructions–but if you have questions he responds.  These are my experiences so far.  I read other Adoption Avenues blogs before committing and some of them felt that there was a breakdown in communication when you reached Ethiopia.  If you are interested in reading these look through the blogs listed under links.  In my opinion these are forgivable flaws.

If you have not read There Is No Me Without You by Melissa Fay Greene I would highly recommend it.  Part of the book talks about how the actions of the orphanage director became misconstrued and the topic of many an adoption board.  We only hear part of the story and make a judgment about the piece we hear about.  The majority of us on this board are here because we believe that Adoption Avenues is the right agency for us.  Is it the right fit for you?  Do your research and check your facts but in the end it is a leap of faith.

~Alisha
Waiting for Immigration Approval

Baggage

I finally broke down yesterday and bought my first little girl outfits.  I had decided that I was going to try to wait until we actually received our referral.  No such luck.  I know it is a small thing but now the flood gates have been opened and my husband is scared.  Why is he scared?  Ah, because I am a bargain shopper and it is SO hard to resist a bargain.  So, what did I buy?  Well, most of it was pretty basic stuff:  Fleece hoodies and pants (even in the summer we can use these at the coast), a couple little dresses and one little polka dot pant and shirt outfit.  The best part was all but one item was $3.50 each.  Score!  Jeff just shook his head in despair and asked me how I knew what size to buy.  Such a boy, I bought larger sizes of course–a 2T will fit her when she’s bigger.  I’ve started a small hope chest for our girl and will cut myself off when it gets full.  Here’s a couple of the things I got:

Fancy dress

Polka dot pants & shirt

So, why was it a big deal for me to start shopping for her?  I’ll get to that.  If we are honest we all come to this process with baggage of some kind.  Why adopt?  There are so many reasons for this…For some people it is the pain of infertility and the struggle for a child.  Others feel that this is a calling from God.  Still others feel that they want to help a child have a better future.  The variation of reasons are as different as the people who are  adopting.

My husband and I had been married for almost four years before we decided to have a child.  Oh, the joy I felt when he finally agreed to have one together!  The process however was not smooth:  a lymphoma scare and two miscarriages occurred before our son was conceived.  Those miscarriages left little scars on my heart.  The first time I found out I was pregnant I could not resist buying cute little outfits and booties.  The pregnancy ended at 7 weeks.  The same thing happened with the next one.  Somehow having all these cute little outfits around, and believing that I would never have a child, made it harder to bear.

When I finally conceived Caden I spent the first part of the pregnancy waiting for it to self-terminate.  The statistics are that 25% of all pregnancies end in abortion.  It took me a long time to believe that this one was here to stay and  to start looking at those cute little clothes again.  Unfortunately, I have brought some of those same feelings to the adoption process and have been waiting for something to go wrong.  It was hard to take the leap of faith and buy those little outfits.

So, why are we adopting?  I could try to have another child but I am now 38 years old.  What this means is that my chances of having a child with Down’s Syndrome are now 1 in 175.  I’m not impressed with those odds.  I also was on high doses of steroids with my pregnancy in order to breathe.  While this did not hurt the baby, this type of steroids does not cross the placenta, it was not particularly good for me.  Also, the thought of having more miscarriages is not appealing.

Surprisingly, my husband is agreeable and even excited about adopting because we know we will have a little girl.  I’ve always wanted one of each.  It just wasn’t the same with my stepdaughters because they don’t live with us.  We aren’t the ones raising them.  Finally, we will be helping a child.  While I know this will not solve the problems in Ethiopia it will help one child.  Also, I know some of the funds for our adoption will go to caring for the other children at the orphanage.  Is this an answer to the crisis in Ethiopia?  No.  But it is an answer for me.

~Alisha