Christmas Day

As is our annual tradtion, the kids (along with Rascal, who somehow made Santa's good dog list)lined up on the stairs, from youngest to oldest, and waited until they were given the green light to go see what Santa brought them. No matter how old they get, it is still so much fun to see them wait. It reminds me that magic resides in the heart of a child...

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

O Holy Night...or something like that...

Christmas Eve Fogas style. For a second year running, the boys participated in the Children's Christmas Eve service at Creekside UMC. This year Josh was Joseph, and Brenn was a shepherd, who apparently couldn't control his goat. Right when it gets to the part of the story where the angel comes telling of her "good news of great joy," Brennan's goat started bleating wildly. Every time the angel started over, the goat started bleating..it was funny!!! For a second year in a row, we had our Christmas Eve dinner at I-Hop....it is a new tradition for us. It sure makes things easy for me. Mag ended the night conked out on Gammie's lap. Josh wins the selfless award. He sat on the floor and put together Maggie's main Santa toy....a Julie bed. Then he said, "Don't let her get down here before I get down here. I want to see her face." What a sweet big brother.

It's a Dog's World

I have had an epiphany...three dogs all living in this house equates to TOO MANY DOGS. Mom and Scott are here with their two canine "children." If you discount the copious amounts of dog hair that we are sweeping up several times a day, it is amusing to watch them interact, especially Buddy and Rascal, whom we have dubbed Dumber and Dumbest!!!

BLESSED!!!!

An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstances.
The thread may stretch or tangle but will never break.
Chinese Red Thread Proverb

This morning I am up, by myself, with MY music playing on MY I-pod. In
the stillness of the morning I have time to reflect. As I hang up our
Christmas cards, I am surrounded by the smiling faces of all our "China
friends." My heart is filled with gratitude to have all of you in my
life, but then my heart abounds with joy when I look at all these
angels who have found their way to their forever families. I count all
of you among my great blessings. My heart smiles as I reflect on how
all of our lives have become woven together through the threads of our
children's lives - numerous loose Red Threads finding a way to weave a
beautiful tapestry. We are BLESSED!!! Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year.

45!!!!

"Such as I am, however, I have brought
To what it is, this tower: it is my own;
Though it was reared To Beauty, it was wrought
From what I had to build with: honest bone
Is there, and anguish; pride; and burning thought..."

Edna St. Vincent Millay

Mystery Man

Who is this guy that Hayden brought home?????

2nd Annual School-Age Playgroup Gingerbread Build

On Friday night, we were blessed to have our playgroup friends over to build gingerbread houses. It was a WONDERFUL evening if you exclude the fact that the bathroom flooded, Rascal drug garbage over every sqaure inch of the garage, and Hayden brought home a guy, whom none of us have ever met!!! Keeping a sense of humor really helps life running much more smoothly. I have to give props to Hayden though...she fixed the sink, which is what caused the leak in the bathroom, which caused the flood. Flooding bathroom aside, the moms had a great time of fellowship and the children had fun decorating and eating their gingerbread constructs (excluding Jennifer Carter, who may never participate again), and Hayden's mystery man did not have a stroke due to sensory overload.

The Gingerbread Extravaganza

On Saturday, in between the Terra Cotta Soldiers at the High Museum and our annual neighborhood pary, I was lucky enough to slip away and spend some time at the Grauley's annual Gingerbread Party. Apparently for the past 11 years, they have hosted this extravaganza. Christy baked (homemade, no less) and assembled 35 large gingerbread houses. Then there were countless smaller gingerbread houses. The guests came bearing food items that can be used to decorate a gingerbread house. I have to tell you that this experience provided me with one of the most enjoyable afternoons I have had in a long time. 4 of my students were there, and it was so much fun to get to see them outside of school as little people instead of students.

Top Ten Things I Am Thankful For!!!

In no particular order....

1. My Children
2. My Parents
3. My Friends (the best in the world)
4. My Job/My Class
5. Passing the GACE
6. God's Grace
7. God's Goodness
8. My Car
9. Being Adopted as a Child of God.
10. My Life!!!

April Rain
It is not raining rain for me,
It’s raining daffodils;
In every dimpled drop I see
Wild flowers on the hills.

The clouds of gray engulf the day
And overwhelm the town;
It is not raining rain to me,
It’s raining roses down.

It is not raining rain to me,
But fields of clover bloom,
Where any buccaneering bee
Can find a bed and room.

A health unto the happy,
A fig for him who frets!
It is not raining rain to me,
It’s raining violets.
by Robert Loveman

When all is said and done, "It's all good..."

Mag's First School Play

Maggie had her debut performance as an Indian woman in Hembree Spring Elementary School's Kindergarten Thanksgiving Play. She has come a long way, considering the fact that she used to cry just thinking about getting on a stage. She was front and center and didn't shed a tear. We are so proud of her. She never ceases to amaze us. After the play, we were able to attend a little feast in her classroom. I had the day off, so I was able to go. I was thankful for that. It is the small things in life that often count as the biggest blessings.

A Night at the Opera

Mag and her BFF, Mac Kenzie, were escorted to the Opera of Cinderella (sung in Italian) by Maggie's Dad, Mark Fogas. According to an anonymous tipster, Maggie could be seen smiling and laughing throughout the production. For her night on the town, Maggie wore a little denim number with blue leggings, a red shirt, and red Elefant patent leather shoes.

Rascal aka. Gaylor Dauhin Fogas

Meet Rascal, our new, non-biting dog. He is a sweetheart. He is in training to learn not to get on the furniture and to not get on our laps. He apparently has body dismorphic disorder and thinks that he is the size of a cat, which compels him to want to sit on our laps. We love him though!!!!!!!! Oh, an aside to his name....his name is Rascal, but Hayden and I named him Gaylord for 24 hours. The boys came unhinged and insisted that we call him Rascal. Hayden still calls him Gaylord, but the rest of us call him Rascal.

Mag is 6!!!!

Mag turned 6 on Nov. 4th. This year marks our fifth year home with her. These five years have been filled with uncountable blessings. Today, Nov. 9th, celebrates day that Mag entered our lives; today is Gotcha Day. It seems like she should still be the precious, fearful, crying, little baby who was placed in my arms. Today she is a smart, savvy, joy-filled, precocious little whip of a girl. She still is prone to what we refer to as "joy bursts," where the joy just builds up inside of her, and she has to find some outlet for it. Truly, she has a song in her heart and can often be heard making up little songs and singing them as she plays.....So as not to give the impression that she is perfect, I will add that she has a stubborn bone when it comes to clothes. Phew!!! She wears me out on that front. She only wants to wear jeans and t-shirts. End of story.....and she is picky about the kind of jeans and t-shirts. No more cute boutique clothes for Maggie, much to my disappointment.

Yesterday we celebrated Mag's bday at Young Chef's Academy. She and 13 of her closest friends from playgroup, soccer, and school had a tea party. It was a beautiful day.

Halloween 2008

Despite the fact that Miss Maggie has suddenly formed an opinion about EVERYTHING she wears, and despite the fact that up until yesterday, she has refused to wear her Halloween costume (though she picked it out), the lure of candy seemed to rule the day. She opted to dress up for Halloween and go trick or treating with Mark. We first went to our annual neighborhood Halloween party, and then she and Mark hit the road to trick or treat with some of our neighborhood friends.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

As assistant advisor to Heritage Preparatory's production of Alice In Wonderland, the production of the play became a family affair. Hayden was enlisted to paint the scenery. She did a magnificent job!!!! Hayden has a reputation at my school for being quite the artist as she draws all the illustrations that I use in class. All last week, I had countless students coming up to me to tell me how beautiful they thought the scenery was.