Take part in ART

Jack started a new art class tonight at Averyboo Arts, a local creativity center for kids. It was a "big guy" class (as he called it) since it was for kids ages 6 - 9. He did super awesome!

The class is Beginning Art and the students learn about elements & principles of design, art history, enhance skills, and use a variety of mediums & techniques while making a new piece of art each week. He was really excited when I told him I had signed him up.

He was a little nervous at first because he didn't know anyone but he jumped right in answering questions and being part of the group. There are only 8 students in the class so that helped a lot with his comfort level as well.

Tonight's lesson and art project was inspired by Sonia Delaunay. The teacher (Ms. Natalie) showed them a few of her paintings and then explained their assignment. They were drawing circles using templates, then using a ruler to draw a few lines. Then they colored each shape a different color using oil pastels.




Although he was very focused and a bit reserved during the class we feel pretty sure that he enjoyed himself and was quite proud of his finished product. We were very proud of him and are super excited to see what he creates during the next 3 classes.

Memorable Moments in March

It's hard to believe that March is over! Where did the month go? Our days get so busy that sometimes I fear that I'm not stopping long enough to really cherish each moment as well as I should be. I also have a bad habit of letting the bad overshadow the good. I have SO much good in my daily life - sometimes it's just the little things that make me smile. Maybe it's something one of the boys says when I pick them up from school or a special picture they drew for me. These are very special moments but sadly they can easily be overshadowed by arguing siblings or vomiting little girls. I feel that sometimes I talk more about those things here on this blog or on Annabelle's and way too much to Branden when he gets home than about ALL of the wonderful things that happen throughout my day. Being able to stay home with our 3 little little ones is a blessing and I know this. There is bound to be lots of great and not so great moments every day - there's a lot of hours in each day :-)

So, in an effort to not let another month slip away without remembering it I've visually highlighted as a reminder for me some of the more memorable moments that happened this past month. There were lots more moments I'm sure but sometimes I just don't have a free hand to take a picture.

Taking my boys to the movies for the first time. It was just the three of us and we saw Gnomeo & Juliet


Celebrating Jack's 6th birthday with the family


Disneyland for Jack's birthday on his birthday!



Grammy & Auntie Mingie joined us! It was so much fun and we even stayed to see World of Color for the first time. Such a GREAT day (and night!)


Playdoh with the littles


Surprise swim days after school - me and all 3 kids!
Although it was nap time for Annabelle she is so great about being flexible when necessary and she really had so much fun splashing and kicking in the water.



Jack going out to lunch and the movies to see Tangled with his best friend for his birthday! (Her mom and I were there too)



Wearing super cute St. Patty's Day hair bows and hanging out with a super cool big brother


Jack's 1st Jog-a-thon. Thank you everyone who so generously sponsored him.


Playing in the backyard together!




Benjamin playing T-Ball - soooo cute!


Reading with Daddy early in the morning


Big brothers teaching their little sister karate before bed


Making homemade vanilla ice cream with dad




We have returned to doing weekday crafts during Annabelle's nap - yeah! The boys were "writing" their name with glue and Cheerios. We also did marshmellow rainbows earlier in the month.


Annabelle becoming more comfortable using her walker at home


Reading together with Daddy before bed


Jack made me this beautiful cross last Sunday because he knew I was sad that we missed church. I love his kind heart.


The kids happily building together (yeah - together!)


My brother and my sister in laws baby shower. They are having their first baby - a girl!


It was a "family shower" and the boys were SO excited to go to their first baby shower - it was so cute. Check out how great this picture came out! What I'd give to get a great family picture like this.


What a GREAT month! Thanks for taking the time to relive some of the more MEMORABLE MOMENTS of MARCH with me!!!

Hoping that April is super great for each of you. Feel free to leave a comment if you wish, to let me know you stopped by. I'd love to hear about any special plans you all have planned for April and how you try to cherish the moments with your families in our very busy world.

So lucky

to have spent my Sunday night with these guys!



It was an awesome night of Bob Books, charades and Yahtzee!
Thank you Sirignano Family for a great dinner and a night filled with lots of love and lots of laughs. You guys are the best! We love you tons and can't wait to do it again soon.

A Message from Borders CEO Mike Edwards

Can you believe it - I got a letter from the CEO of Borders. He must have saw my very unhappy blog post from yesterday. Oh wait a minute, it was an e-mail he sent out to all rewards members to let us know that they filed bankruptcy today. What are the odds that one day after I "announce" that I will not shop there again they file bankruptcy - CRAZY! Not really, but it is an odd coincidence.

I really do hate to hear of any company going under. It's sad for the employees and bad for the economy. However, as upset as I was at Borders yesterday all is better. Not because of anything Borders did - the Manager didn't even call me back like he said he would (guessing he's a bit busy or just totally disgruntled now). All is better because of FedEx.

Yes people, FedEx ROCKS!! So you see good customer does not go unnoticed in my book (or blog).

We will return to our regular scheduled programming right after this post. Thanks for baring with me during this slight post detour.

Borders.com is the WORST

I think I might post this every day for a month. I am SO frustrated and disappointed with their LACK of customer service. I have wasted way to much time on the phone with them over the last week.

SUPER POOR SERVICE!

I will NOT be shopping Borders anymore! I hope someone at their corporate office hears about the absolute incompetent "service" I received. It's clear no one at their "customer service" center cares!

Give Love - Guest post by Joanna

One of my dear friends and fellow Spina Bifida mom Joanna put this post together and I asked if she would be willing to share it here on our site. It's just beautiful. We are all still praying for little Shea (the sweet four year old boy living in an orphanage in Ukraine who also has Spina Bifida) to get home soon! However, international adoption is costly and his current situation is not ideal. We have learned that he has been scheduled to transfer to an orphanage in the next few weeks. Thankfully, the adoption is still scheduled to go through but this is not what's best for Shea. Please pray that this doesn't happen. Please pray for Shea's protection and that his forever family will stay strong and have peace. We can all help to save Shea this Valentine's Day. We can help by giving the gift of love. The kind of lave that lasts. Love that can change a little boy's life forever.

Because it's February.

Because I just decorated my house in pink and red hearts.

Because Valentines are not just for couples...but friends, mommies, daddies, siblings, classmates and neighbors.

Because everybody needs love. And not the romantic comedy, butterflies in your stomach, plucking petals off daisies kind of love.

They need the "I'm yours forever" kind of love.

The "we can do this together" kind of love.

The "can't stop starring at you" kind of love.

The "I'm always there for you" kind of love.

The "I can't keep myself from smiling around you" kind of love.

The "I promise to make time to laugh with you" kind of love.

The "everything you say is so important to me" kind of love.

The " I couldn't be prouder of you in this moment" kind of love.

The love that lifts you up....

Squeezes you tight...

Makes even hard times feel alright..

The love that teaches you all that you need to know...

And gives you support you need to grow...

The undeniable you were made for me...

And together we make a family...

What's mine is yours...

I treasure each kiss...

And everyone deserves to feel like this...

Kind of Love.

Because real love is something that cannot be bought - only shared. We need it from the time we are born - and those of us who having loving families know that NOTHING could have replaced that. The love of family - the love I was given as a child - made me who I am today. It teaches us how to love the rest of our lives. It can never be truly expressed in the form of greeting cards, chocolates, flowers, or jewelry. Those sweet tokens and gestures give momentary happiness - it's the feeling love behind them that really means anything at all. So with that in mind, and in the spirit of this holiday of love - I would like to propose the perfect gift for your loved ones.

Give the gift of Love itself.

Give Love.

You can bring joy and love not only to those who hold your heart -

but to child who needs your help.

Give Love.

By helping one little boy come home to the family who is waiting to give him this kind of love. The kind of love every single one of these children pictured above are given every day.

The kind of love so many of us are blessed to have.

The kind of love he deserves.

Give Love.

Shea's story is a remarkable one - and it is only just beginning. He now has a family ready for him - and Shea is WAITING to come home. His family is actively completing the adoption process - eager to give Shea the love, support and care only a family can give. The only thing wecan do to help them bring Shea home as soon as possible is to GIVE.

Give what you have.

$5, $25, $50

It's not the size of the gift, but the size of the heart behind it.

GIVE LOVE.

It is so costly to adopt internationally - so much so that many people say "we can't afford that" or "it's just not possible for us". But this family has given everything they have not once, not twice, but 3 TIMES (read their blog - they are an amazing family)and is making that leap of faith to make Shea a part of their family - but they need help raising the last bits.

(And in adoption language, "bits" = $9,000!)

They need our HELP!

As a friend so honestly reminded me " Let's face it ... we all spend/waste $$$ on this every year. The chocolate is gone...the flowers die... and all you have is a distant memory of the token(s) you invested in."

How much more meaningful - how much more noble - how much more true to what love is all about - to give that money instead to this family - to this little boy -

to bring him home - to give him Love.

So help share the love...with Shea. :)

Isn't that the most adorable Valentine ever?!

It's message is simple - it's purpose sincere.

Make a donation (even just $5!) in the name of a friend or loved one - to Shea's Adoption Grant (through the chipin on the right hand margin of this page) or visit his family's blog and donate through their chipin (it all goes to his account.) Then print out these adorable Shea Valentines(see Donation Gift Cards for the printable link) and give them to your sweetie, your sister, your mother, your friend - and see their faces light up at the sweet face on the card.

I can't think of a sweeter, kinder, more beautiful way to Give Love.

Can you?

(visit www.savingshea.blogspot.com to read about Shea's story

as well as view and print these Valentines)

Thank you. With Love ~ Joanna