A RUSTY MONKEY WRENCH AND OTHER MUSINGS

A Day of Hiking

2010-08-29T06:12:00.001-07:00

Mike and I headed out to Stone Mountain to hike the Cherokee Trail. Much like life, there were several wrong turns and some confusion, but when it was all said and done, we crossed the finish line. It was a beautiful hike!

First Day of Second Grade

2010-08-29T06:06:00.000-07:00

Maggie started second grade at a new school this year. Much to her shock and horror, I didn't make "breakfast casserole," which has been a long-standing first-day-of-school tradition. I was optimistically hoping to break free of that tradition, but she wasn't feeling the love for that option.

Churillo Family Reunion

2010-08-29T05:48:00.000-07:00

After more than a year of not "blogging".....I am resuming my habit of chronicling the events of life....from the mundane to the superb!!! So...here we go. In the first week of August, we packed out bags and headed to South Carolina for The Churillo Family Reunion. Here are few highlights:
1. Beautiful Architecture
2. Amazing Food
3. A Ghost Walk
4. Boat Ride to Fort Sumter
5. The Ocean
6. Amazing Food
7. An Awesome Outdoor Market
8. and Amazing Food!!!

The Indigo Girls

2009-09-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

Hayden, Shana and I went to the Indigo Girls concert despite the rain...and flooding. It was well worth getting wet. The best was that Matt Nathanson was there, which we had not expected, so that was just icing on the cake.

Hayden is 21

2009-09-26T19:03:00.001-07:00

Pink Flamingo's Soccer Season Opener

2009-09-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

Hurray for Maggie...The Pink Flamingos U-8 Soccer Team won their season opener today..6-3. Mag made 3 of the 6 goals. However, she first had to stop crying over the fact that 2 of the 3 points for the other team were scored on her watch as goalie. When the girls weren't playing, Autumn, Mag, and Mac had quite a few sideline antics going on. Josh has taken Brenn's place as assistant coach. He isn't exactly feeling the love for the experience.

I'M TOO SEXY FOR THIS HAIRCUT!!!!!

2009-09-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

Due to the fact that Leo's hair was matted beyond the point of no return, he fell victim to his first haircut. Even the "Furminator" was of no use. We had no choice but to take him to the groomer for the "Lion Cut." His reaction to this has left us with the impression that he is humiliated and victimized. We had hoped that it would put him in touch with this leonine ancestry, but he apparently feels that he looks more akin to a poodle. Of course, this is speculation on our part. We have noticed that Lou is walking with a new swagger...probably counting his lucky stars that he is a short-haired cat.

Mag's First Day of First Grade

2009-08-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we got Brenn off to college...today it was Maggie's turn..to go to first grade. She had a wonderful day. The best part of the day was lunch. Her favorite subject is P.E. and recess is too hot. So there you have it. She is my little angel. On a somber note...I don't know what it is with our return to school and the demise of our pets. Last year Milo bit Mark on the first day of school. Today, our beloved cat almost died. Saturday he was fine. Today he is knocking on death's door. After the outpouring of considerable cash and the day at the vet, we were told that he is "not out of the woods yet and has to return tomorrow for more tests." Translation: The vet gets richer, I get poorer!!!! That cat better make it!!!! Is it too late for me to go into vetrinary medicine.

Brennan Goes to College

2009-08-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

Forgive the quality of the pictures. I tried to take as many pictures as possible without embarrassing Brennan. Since the van is the largest vehicle we own, it necessitated that it be driven to college...loaded with Brennan's college paraphernalia. He was mortified at having to make his grand entrance to college inside the 11 year old Ford Windstar, with all its dents, dings, and bumper stickers. All kidding aside, I am extremely proud of him. He is an awesome young man, and I have little to no worries that he will do something rash or irresponsible. He has a good head on his shoulders. Note from the pictures that he took his guitar with him. If we could just get the drums moved out of the house, it would be a fairly calm and peaceful house. I will miss Brenn though, not the jam sessions, but I will miss him. Check out my shirt...I am officially a West Georgia Mom!!!

Third Annual Playgroup Back-to-School Photo

2009-08-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

Lest we ever forget the blessing of friendship...

"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures."
Kahil Gibran

6 Days and Counting

2009-08-03T10:42:00.001-07:00

Brennan leaves for college in 6 days. Despite the joy I feel for him, I am surprisingly sad that he is leaving. With him, I feel like it is truly the first flight from the proverbial nest. I don't expect him to come back home to live as a child, I expect that he will be fairly emancipated and on his way to becoming the adult God created him to be. Although all of parenting is in preparation for this, it doesn't make it less painful.....merely bittersweet.

Last Hoorah!!!!!!!!

2009-08-01T18:26:00.001-07:00

Our last day in PA is drawing to a close. Momentarily, I will pack my computer into its carry case loading it into the Chevy Tahoe for the 12 hour and 24 minute trip back to Atlanta. So, today we spent the entire day lounging around the pool surrounded by Carolyn's family. The children played, swam, made bracelets, laughed and argued, and swam with the family Portuguese Waiter dog, who is capable of walking on water. I, on the other hand, almost read all of Twilight in one sitting. I am going to try to finish it before heading out in the morning. As a matter of fact, in the course of this vacation, I have read 4 whole books. What a treat that has been. Not to mention spending time with my little blessing, Mag. Tomorrow life, as I know it, will be back to normal....

Family Dinner

2009-07-31T19:40:00.001-07:00

Food, family, and fun with the Kemp clan. This is the way summer is meant to be...children running in the yard, playing hide and seek, hula hooping, kicking a soccer ball and catching lightening bugs. It doesn't get any better than that.

Lehigh Valley Zoo

2009-07-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

Today we adventured to the Lehigh Valley Zoo instead of the Philadelphia Zoo. This was probably a good thing since Mag was exhausted and was less than disinterested in seeing the animals or enjoying the GREAT OUTDOORS....not to mention the fact that it was hot - as evidenced by the sweaty picture of Grace Ingram. At least the animals seemed happy, healthy, and non-plussed by the heat.

THE BOARDWALK

2009-07-31T04:11:00.000-07:00

Under The Boardwalk

When the sun beats down
And burns the tar up on the roof
And your shoes get so hot
You wish your tired feet were fireproof

Under the boardwalk
Down by the sea
On a blanket with my baby
Is where I’ll be

From the park you’ll hear
The happy sound of a carousel
You can almost taste the hot dogs
And french fries they sell

Under the boardwalk
Down by the sea, yeah
On a blanket with my baby
Is where I’ll be

10 Lessons Learned while Crabbing

2009-07-30T19:00:00.001-07:00

1. Ocean City New Jersey is really, really, really humid.
2. All seagulls are named George or Georgina.
3. Male crabs have a skinny triangle on their stomachs and females have a fat one (that figures).
4. Carolyn LOVES the ocean.
5. Carolyn could live on a boat and be content.
6. Carolyn never says "die" while crabbing unless a child is running a 104 degree fever, then she will call it a day.
7. It is illegal to feed the sea gulls in Ocean City (OOPS).
8. Carolyn's dad is funny.
9. My hair looks the worst it ever has in Ocean City thanks to the humidity.
10. Carolyn is an awesome friend, even when Mag is picking on GI under the radar.

Ocean City New Jersey

2009-07-30T18:44:00.001-07:00

Next stop: Ocean City New Jersey where we swam, ate Mac and Manco Pizza (YUMMY), rode rides and rented a surrey on the boardwalk, and went crabbing.

Attraction Number 2: A Trip to the Cabin

2009-07-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

After the Crayola museum, we packed it in again, this time with Carolyn's twin sister, Diana and her Portuguese Water Dog named Colby, to travel to "the caabin." Carolyn has 4 brothers and sisters, all of whom have children. To say that there were a lot of people present would an understatement. I think we had 11 children, ranging in age from 8 to 2, all staying there. We canoed, paddle boated, swam, roasted marshmallow, also known as "marshing," and ate a lot of food. Carolyn's dad had a bday while there, and in celebration we had butter cake. I can't say that I would give it two thumbs up, but it was definitely interesting. I think it might be an acquired taste.

Attraction Number 1: The Crayola Factory

2009-07-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

Our first stop was to the Crayola Museum outside of Allentown,PA. The girls colored, sculpted, and finger painted to their hearts' content. We also watched a demonstration to see how crayons and markers were made. Here is a little trivia: Did you know that Crayola makes Silly Puddy? Just another FYI, Maggie created an orange finger-painted masterpiece that says, "Mom Rocks." Nice to know someone still thinks I Rock.

Girl Only Road Trip to PA

2009-07-30T17:56:00.000-07:00

July 22nd, 6:00 a.m. Carolyn, Mac, Grace, Maggie and I departed from Canton, Georgia, bound for Pennsylvania. Thanks to Carolyn's lead foot, and despite my attemts to test the airborn worthiness of a Chevy Taho, we made the trip in 12 1/2 hours. The girls were troopers, which made for enjoyable travels. All three of them even slept simlutaneously, if you can believe that.

Hurray for Maggie

2009-07-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

Maggie just completed her 3rd session of swimming lesson, and I can proudly announce that she can SWIM. I don't know if the third time's the charm, or if she just overcame her fear, or if it took this many lessons for her to find her "swimming legs." Whatever the case, she had her last class today and will start session 2 on Monday.

SWIM LESSONS

2009-06-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

Maggie started swim lessons today. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Rounds 573 goes to......

2009-06-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

the bathroom drain. Despite my good intentions, determination, online instructions read no less than 7 times, and countless attempts at re-installation, I cannot repair the bathroom drain. I am dangerously close to having to call someone to finish the job. The Dauphin Bathroom Drain DIY attempt is not going well at this point. I need some time to regroup..I guess I will clean the cats' litter boxes and the fish bowl. Perhaps then I will be sufficiently regrouped to go back at it. Round 574!!!

A Day in the Park

2009-05-31T14:34:00.000-07:00

Today was literally a day in the park, both literally and figuratively. We began the day with a heated game or two of the Little Pet Shop Board Game, a few rounds of I Spy, and then we were off to church. After lunch, we went to Roswell Area Park to feed the ducks and play. While there, our sweet friends called to see if we wanted to meet them at the Roswell Square for a free concert. In this day and age, free is good. So we headed out to meet the Smith girls. It has been a wonderful day. Since graduate school starts in 8 days, I am trying to make the very most of my time with Maggie. As I said on Facebook, I love each stage with her more than the previous one. I can never imagine, while in the throws of one, that the next could be more perfect. At the rate we are going, my heart if just going to burst one day from sheer love and happiness.

TAT 2

2009-05-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

Get it? Tat 2. I just got my second tattoo; hence, it is my tat 2....Last year, it was Poopy's. This year it was INKSOMNIA. Hayden, once again, designed it. It has 4 hearts, one for each of my children. Remember mom...the Elton John song?..."Just allow a fragment of your life to wander free..." This is MY fragment that I am allowing to wander free. Pain? On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it about a 5 1/2.

Oh, the pix are blurry for two reasons: 1. Maggie took some of them, and 2. the flash was turned off to avoid blinding Mike,the tattoo artist, which could have resulted in a mistake, which could have resulted in having to have a BIGGER tattoo, or something worse.

And this caveat...it looks bigger than it is. It is probably 4 inches from top to bottom and maybe 3 inches in width.

Last Day of Kindergarten

2009-05-24T06:01:00.000-07:00

Maggie's last day of kindergarten bears witness to the fact that God's timing is perfect. God knew that I could not BEAR to have my youngest child START kindergarten at the point that the boys would be graduating. He took care of that, mercifully, she started kindergarten as they started their senior year. Hence, her last day of kindergarten was also their graduation day. Not only that, Hayden has boomeranged back home, so despite the fact that children are graduating, I still have a house full of kids!!!! I think I probably will have children at home until I am 103 at the rate we are going!!! But that is OK........my mantra, "life is good," still holds true.

GRADUATES 2009

2009-05-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

The boys made it...they graduated from Roswell High School, CLASS of 2009. I lack the words to express how proud I am of them. It feels like they are ready to be launched. When I think back to their rough beginning, I am amazed and awed my God's grace and mercy. It seems cliche to say that time passes too quickly, but it does...This poem, anonymously written, expresses the sentiment well:

I was listening
To time passing
Slipping quietly
Past falling feet
And coffee cups
Candles and kisses
Sheets of paper
Shuffled fingers
Dripping slyly
Fleeing shyly
Minutes
Move
Away

Senior Service

2009-05-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

Same song, second verse. It doesn't seem like two years have already passed since Hayden was recognized at church in her Senior Service. Now it is the boys' turn. It is dizzying to think about how much has happened in the ensuing two years. Nonetheless, today was the boys' day. This was their last time to lead praise and worship as part of the Youth Praise Band. 5 days until graduation. If it weren't for the fact that I had so much of my own school stuff to still complete, I would probably be crying. Sometimes exhaustion can be a friend.

CAT NAP

2009-04-13T14:40:00.001-07:00

I NEED ONE!!!!!!!

CALAMITY STRIKES...sort of....

2009-04-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

So, I went in to work today, on my day off, to get some things done. While there, the power went out, which meant I had lost access to my computer, the printer, and the copier. As we know, the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray. I did what I could, packed it in, and headed for home. Upon my arrival at home, I discovered that a LARGE pine tree had fallen in the yard. Miraculously, Hayden slept through it; however, in its falling, the tree took out a smaller tree and smashed the trampoline. This is the third tree to have fallen since August. Being grown up is overrated. Nonetheless, here is the silver lining: 1. 20 more feet and the tree would have been on the house. 2. No person or animal was injured or worse. 3. The swing set is still in tact. 4. I am sure there are more, I just can't think of them off the top of my head.

Easter Morning

2009-04-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

At the empty tomb, the angel asked, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?" Though I have heard that question countless times, it penetrated my heart today. Maybe it was sitting in the cold, watching the sun rise over the horizon. Maybe it was the music, maybe it was the simplicity of a teenager delivering the sermon, but today I was struck. "Why do we all look for the living among the dead?" How many times do we exchange the very best that God has for us for something that we think we need, but in the end, it just leaves us longing again? I know I probably do it countless times every day. I hope that this conviction will stay with me. I pray that I won't look for the living among the dead.

Mark, the Kids, and Perdido Key

2009-04-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

Mark took the boys, Mag, and the boys' best bud, Rob, to Perdido Key for Spring Break. The weather wasn't quite what they had hoped for, but it didn't not stop them from have a wonderful time. They went deep sea fishing (with only a few episodes of throwing up), went jet skiing, saw the blue angels, played putt putt, and went to the aquarium. When they finished deep-sea fishing, they were able to take the fish they caught to a local restaurant where their fish was cooked according to their specifications, and they had a FEAST!!!! I think they also just had some general fun on the beach. With the boys being Seniors, it was nice that Rob could go with them. It will be hard to sustain their friendship through college, and Rob was one of the boys' first friends when we moved to Roswell. They have managed to hang together through one year of middle school and all four years of high school.

Time Travel?

2009-04-10T16:47:00.001-07:00

So, last Friday was History Day at Heritage Preparatory. I was morphed into Sir Isaac Newton, Susan became John Locke, and Chandler (A.K.A. Jennifer), William Shakespeare. The things we do in the name of education!!! It was a fanatastic day, nonetheless. It also served as a strong encouragement to me to keep coloring my hair, so when all is said and done, it was all good.

American Idol Drama

2009-03-11T19:23:00.000-07:00

It happens every year...Maggie gets highly attached to one of the contestants on American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance, then when that contestant is voted off, she becomes hysterical and nearly inconsolable. The first round of eliminations just concluded, and it has already happened this season with the exit of Jasmine Murray. Upon the announcement of her departure, Maggie began to sob. Thankfully, she was able to be wooed out of her state of disbelief and disappointment with a phone call to her daddy who gave her permission to download Jasmine Murray's two songs that are presently available on I Tunes....Maggie can be seen in these pix crashed out on the couch, clutching her 3 minutes and 22 seconds of Jasmine Murray music on her own CD.

Rusty Monkey Wrench

2009-03-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

A determined soul will do more with a rusty monkey wrench than a loafer will accomplish with all the tools in a machine shop.
Robert Hughes

With a lot of determination and some help from my neighbors, along with some drilling, measuring, and a trip to Home Depot, I replaced Mag's swings, and added a new tire swing to her swing set. Then I successfully removed the torn and tattered safety net (which served no earthly purpose) from her trampoline. I am finding in my "singlehood" that I am capable of doing much more than I realized I could. Sometimes, I just don't feel like digging deeper to learn one more new thing, but once I have, I am deeply gratified and armed with new knowledge that I can carry with me to the next "next time."

College Trip to Berea Kentucky with Brennan

2009-03-01T05:32:00.000-08:00

This past Thursday Brennan and I loaded up and headed for Berea, Kentucky to visit Berea College. The trip got off to a rough start when I learned, less than 24 hours before we left, I was in need of two new tires. After having several more people look at them, it was determined that we could probably rotate the tires and survive the trip. Although the man who rotated them, a stranger no less, said he would pray we would make it there and back safely. We did. Berea College is WONDERFUL. After spending the day there, I determined that I want to be 18 and a college student there. Brennan loved it also. There are approximately 2000 applicants each year and approximately 400 openings. You can do the math...the odds aren't great, but if God wants Brennan at Berea College, he will be there. Unfortunately, I don't have more pix. I didn't want to embarrass Brennan by making him pose in front of signs saying "Welcome to Berea College." I tried to keep my photojournalism under the radar.

Daddy Daughter Dance

2009-02-14T13:46:00.000-08:00

She spins and she sways to whatever song plays,
Without a care in the world.
And I'm sitting here wearing the weight of the world on my shoulders.
It's been a long day and there's still work to do,
She's pulling at me saying "Dad I need you!
There's a ball at the castle and I've been invited and I need to practice my dancin'"
"Oh please, daddy, please!"

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone.

Chinese New Year 2009

2009-01-24T04:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Chinese New, almost. Last night we celebrated the lunar new year with our Chinese friends. As usual, the girls donned their chi paos and the boys, their Chinese pajamas and set out to bring in the new year. I think it was the BEST celebration that we ever had. There were children everywhere. We ate long noodles for long life, oranges for a sweet life, and made our own red envelopes. Of course, the red envelopes were filled with chocolate coins. Maggie informed me that the chocolate coins were her favorite part of CNY. Then we had the lion to chase out the old year and our traditional bubble-wrap fireworks to scare away the "evil spirits." The only thing we didn't have was the dragon to bring in the new year...we will have to work on that for next year. Mac and Grace Ingram, "Ace," joined us. Getting to listen to the three girls talk and giggle in the car was almost as much fun as the actual party. They are growing up so much. We were listening to Raffi on the way there, and I was informed that Raffi is baby music...so there you go...

Maggie Learned to Roller Skate

2009-01-10T14:29:00.000-08:00

The firsts are coming so fast at our house it makes my head spin. Today we met up with our good friends, "Ace" and Mac Kenzie, for an afternoon of roller skating. After a very hesitant start, Maggie mustered up her courage and took off. Once again, I am so proud of her.

Loose Tooth Round II

2009-01-08T17:02:00.000-08:00

When I picked Mag up from school today, she was excitedly waiting to tell me that she lost her other loose tooth today. We had a little scare tonight when none of us could find it, but it finally surfaced...in the garbage can, where I had accidentally tossed it. It's all good, and we are expecting a visit from the tooth fairy later this evening.

Happy Birthday to Ms. Dauphin

2009-01-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

January 5th was the first day back to school. I was surprised at lunch with a lovely birthday cake mader by the mom of one of my students. What made it especially touching was that it was her daughter's birthday as well, so we were able to share our birthday celebration. The whole school sang Happy Birthday, which was quite embarrassing, but sweet nonetheless. The other memorable part of the experience was this: One of my students said, "You are 45? You don't look 45." I responded, "Thank you...I will love you forever for that." Then she reflected a moment more and said, "Yeah, I think you look young because you dress young. Your face looks 45." Out of the mouths of babes...

Shoe Strings and Loose Teeth

2009-01-02T17:04:00.000-08:00

Hayden was charged with the task of teaching Mag to tie her shoes, so that her name (Mag's name, that is) can be written on a shoe and placed on the white board at school. This would indicate that she can tie her shoes, and since 4 of her classmates have already accomplished this fete, Maggie is feeling the heat to learn, too. Since Hayden was under the impression that she was in need of the Heimlich maneuver, Josh stepped in to relieve Hayden in her teaching efforts. While taking a break from the tedious task of shoe-tying, Josh observed that blood was dripping out of Mag's mouth. She has had a loose tooth that has been holding on my a thread for several days....today was the BIG DAY....only Mag needed a little coaxing to pull the tooth out. It was a family effort. The three big kids were all in the bathroom cheering her on, while I sat on the commode and took pictures of the sacred event. Finally, Hayden just reached in Mag's mouth and pulled the tooth out....Maggie didn't even feel it. We concluded the loss of this first tooth with a phone call to daddy to share the news with him.

Christmas Day

2008-12-30T16:48:00.001-08:00

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...

2008-12-30T16:36:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-30T16:20:00.000-08:00

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!!!!

2008-12-24T07:08:00.000-08:00

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!!!!

2008-12-22T05:11:00.000-08:00

"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

2008-12-21T10:18:00.000-08:00

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

2nd Annual School-Age Playgroup Gingerbread Build

2008-12-21T10:00:00.001-08:00

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

2008-12-09T02:08:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2008-11-26T14:52:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-26T14:43:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-16T16:39:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-09T05:41:00.000-08:00

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!!!!

2008-11-09T05:21:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

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

2008-11-01T05:10:00.001-07:00

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.

BACK TO SCHOOL

2008-08-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

August 11, 2008, a day that will live in infamy. Fogas family infamy anyway. The boys started their SENIOR year of high school, Mag started kindergarten, and I had my first day of teaching 3rd grade (which went remarkably smoothly). If you discount the fact that Milo bit Mark ("attacked" may be a more accurate description) when he came in the house, and that I started my day at school with one of my students throwing up,the morning was rather uneventful. Mag sprung right out of bed, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. The boys, seemingly plagued with a vicious case of senioritis, didn't fare so well. Hayden, however, managed to pull herself out of bed to witness Mag's first official bus ride, which was, by the way, Maggie's favorite thing about her first day of school. Note the pictures of the boys leaving through the garage: the mountain of carpeting blocking our coming and going is the carpeting from the Fogas Edition of Trading Spaces. Note again, the boys bought our neighbor's old Jeep, thus they have a new ride. They are no longer driving the 10 year old Ford Windstar.

2nd Annual Back-to-School Photo Shoot

2008-08-04T18:19:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that another year has already rolled by. Last year we got the girls who were going into kindergarten along with the pre-k girls together for a photo shoot. Though it was BLAZING HOT, we decided it would be a nice tradition to continue from year to year. It is hard to say if it was hotter this year than last, but it was HOT today, for sure. These are just a few of the photos.

The Richardsons Came to Town

2008-08-02T18:14:00.000-07:00

Our friends, the Richardsons, who we visit every summer for the baby reunion. For those of you who don't know, the baby reunion is an annual get-together with four of the families that we traveled to China with when we adopted our daughters. Anyway, The Richardsons had been to Key West for vacation, and they were driving home. We were so happy that they decided to stop in and pay us a visit along the way. As fate would have it, our AC went out, so we had 11 people in the house with fans running full blast all over the place. If it had been anyone other than them, I would have been mortified, but they have 5 kids themselves and are some of the most gracious people I know. So we all persevered through the heat, and I am happy to say, we all survived the night. Mag was so happy to see her friends. I was happy to see my friends, too. The dog did really well with the extra people,too, if you don't count when he bit Jay...but that is another story.

Our Baby

2008-08-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Josh's persistence, we have added a new baby to the family. Let me rewind just a bit. While the girls and I were in Illinois, the cats were left in the charge of the three Fogas men. Under their ever-watchful eyes, one cat disappeared and has yet to return. It was Charlotte who went MIA. As a side note, she WAS our favorite kitty. Fast forward in time. Josh had been borderline obsessing about wanting to get a dog. When he found Milo on the Internet, there was no turning back. We all fell in love with him. Despite the fact that I had to grocery shop, clean house, prepare for school....we loaded up Mag, Brenn, and Josh to drive into the HOOD, in the torrential rain, to go see Milo, who was living at a local animal shelter. Fast forward again, an hour after arriving, we were swimming back to our car with dog in tow. Mind you, we were in the Prius, so Milo and Mag's car seat took up the whole back seat. Brenn sat on the floor the whole way home. I think he is a keeper though, Milo that is, the verdict is still out on Brennan (Just kidding, Brenn). Milo is already crate-trained. We haven't had any accidents, and he likes to play fetch, no attempts at climbing onto the furniture. He is a real lover, too. With the kids gone this weekend, he has been my shadow.

The End Justifies the Means....I Think

2008-07-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

The rearranging of rooms is nearly complete. My "new" room, the sun room, playroom, and den need to be painted. All the above mentioned rooms need to have artwork hung, and some day the hardwoods will need to be refinished,etc...but for now, I am calling it done.

While The Older Fogas Family Members Were Hard At Work.....

2008-07-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

While hard at work, we noticed that we didn't hear Maggie playing. We immediately sent out a search party. Sleeping Beauty was simply catching up on her beauty sleep.

TRADING SPACES-FOGAS EDITION

2008-07-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an' pretend
'cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor (LITERALLY)
No one's ever gonna keep me down again

Oh yes I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong
I am invincible
I am woman

Phew!!!!! Time for my daily dose of Alleve. The Fogas Edition of Trading Spaces in nearly complete. We (well, the boys and I) have torn up all of the carpeting in our upstairs, pulled up countless staples, nails, and floor boards. I actually see them when I close my eyes. The boys are in the master bedroom now. I took their room. The study has been made into the playroom. The old playroom is now the sun room. The den has the furniture from the study in it. Who is conspicuously absent from these pictures....Just a hint at who did most of the work.

You Have to Kiss A Lot of Frogs Before You Find Your Prince

2008-07-08T01:32:00.000-07:00

Much to my surprise, and delight, Hayden (aka. the Frog Hunter) rescued this enormous amphibian from certain death by chlorine after fishing him out of the Richardson's pool. She then released him back to the pond on their property from whence he came.

The Baby Reunion

2008-07-08T01:23:00.000-07:00

Leg two of our journey to Illinois involved our annual trek to Yorkville where we get together with the other families that we traveled to China with when we adopted our daughters. This is our fifth year to get together. One family wasn't able to make it this year, which is sad, but we had a WONDERFUL time nonetheless. There are no words that can express the joy I have in my heart over the fact that we have been able to remain close to these families and that we have been able to continue to get together year after year. It is truly the highlight of my year, every year. As usual, we attended Yorkville's 4th of July parade, the best hometown parade in America and went to the firework display in the evening. Every year, we take the girls to the same little Chinese restaurant for lunch. And of course, last, but not least, we have the annual boccie ball tournament. The rest of the time was spent around the pool and in a comfortable ebb and flow of fellowship.

WHEN IN ROME.....

2008-07-08T01:14:00.000-07:00

"I opened up my window, and my soul flew free.
I hope she'll take some video to show me.
She's gone for now, She's gone for now.
Gone, Gone..
I hope she's back before dinner.
She's been asking to get out more,
But it's a dangerous world....
She's gone for now. She's gone for now
Gone, Gone,
I hope she's back before dinner.
Maybe she went to the horse track
Maybe she went to the show.
Maybe she's staying out all night dancing
at a couple of clubs I know.
I opened up my window, hoping she'd return
and show me all of her video and the lessons we learned.
She's gone for now, She's gone for now
Gone, Gone...
I hope she's back before dinner."

Back Before Dinner, by Fingers

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Since everyone is Savanna seemingly has a tattoo, or two or three or four...Hayden and I decided to get tats. I set out to get a heart with my kids' names in it. However, I had to go first and was afraid of the pain, so I started small. Hayden designed mine and hers. It turned out to be quite the family affair, before it was all over, my dad, aunt, uncle, cousin, his wife, and Maggie were all there to witness the sacred event. Now that I know the pain is totally manageable, I will get the original one I set out to get. The real kicker is that we got the tattoos at a biker bar called Poopy's...yes, Poopy's. My cousin has had several of his tats done there, so he was there to oversee the whole event.

ROAD TRIP TO ILLINOIS

2008-07-08T01:01:00.000-07:00

The Fogas girls made their first "official" road trip. We left Roswell on June 28th and drove to Savanna, Illinois, the rural, farming community where I grew up. There, we visited my dad, aunt, uncle, cousin, grandma and grandpa. The whole time we were there, we were without a phone signal and very LIMITED access to a computer. As it turns out, there is one place in town (population 3,500) that has WI-FI and is owned by someone I went to high school with. Not only that, but his sister and I were cheerleaders together. Small world......but in a town the size of Savanna, those words take on a very literal meaning. These first pix are of the farm that my mom grew up, what is left of it anyway. The brook is just down the road from there farm. AS a child it was always such a peaceful place, and we used to throw rocks into it from the bridge. Life was much slower then. The picture of the Dry Goods store is across the street from the gas station we finally found after almost having to put the Prius to the test to see how far it could actually go with no gas and just running on the battery. Suffice to say, no trip home would be complete without getting lost out in the country in the middle of farms and corn fields with only gravel roads to lead the way.

Mag's First Sleep Over at Her House

2008-06-26T16:59:00.000-07:00

Phew!!!!!!! What a busy week. We are finishing up VBS, which has turned into an acting gig for me...watch out Meryl Streep, here I come. We are preparing to leave for Illinois, and just generally running around like there is no tomorrow. But in the midst of it all, Mag's little playgroup friends are here to spend the night. After a busy day, the girls are bunked down, with movies, coloring books, popcorn, sprite, and each other. This has been a thrill and a delight for Mag to have "her" friends here to spend the night. And since it is a thrill and delight for her, it is a thrill and delight for me. I see many more nights like these in the future...

I AM A TEACHER

2008-06-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

These are a few pix of the school where I will be teaching next year. For those of you who don't know, I will be teaching 3rd grade. The school is called Heritage Preparatory School. For you teachers, it is a Christian, classical, Charlotte Mason-influenced school. In a word, it is awesome. The architecture is beautiful French Gothic. The picture of my class room is blurry, but you can see my timeline, my desk, and a little bit of a bulletin board that I still have to finish. It is a busy summer, not only do I have prep work to do for my classroom and for the actual teaching, I also have to read 2 assigned books and write reflection papers on them, and read a bevy of educational articles. All are good, and all help me to catch the vision of the school's vision. BUT being a mom, co-leading playgroup, doing VBS, along with some other life challenges has left me stretched THIN. I really am blessed because I will have a teacher who will be my mentor. Literally, we will work hand-in-hand with one another. And I will benefit from her experience. Additionally, we really seem to be a good fit with each other. She and I seem to approach life very similarly. The next year will have it's challenges, for sure, but I find comfort in this simple adage: "I may not know what the future holds, but I know the ONE who holds the future."

Chinese Culture Camp

2008-06-06T10:54:00.001-07:00

Maggie attended Chinese Culture Camp this week for the first time ever. She did crafts, learned some Kung Fu, and some Chinese dances. She even wrote her Chinese name using Chinese characters using a calligraphy brush all by herself. All the girls got shirts that say "It's my heritage" on the back. Mag asked what heritage means. I told her that it means your life history or where you come from. She gave me one of her winsome smiles and said, "I am from China." This was a wonderful experience for her. She has already told me that she wants to go next year and has asked if she can take Chinese dance classes this fall. I think she would really like Kung Fu, but I don't know where that is offered.

End of Year Picnic

2008-05-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

Tonight we celebrated the end of the school year with our school-age playgroup friends. I found a quote that says, "The past holds the beginning, The future holds the end, but somewhere in between, we became the closest friends." That sums up what Maggie has with her playgroup friends. They all started out engaged in parallel play as toddlers and have moved their friendship into this incredible sisterhood.

Student-led Service at Creekside Church

2008-05-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

Today was the day that the church recognizes the graduating seniors, and, in doing so, the youth lead the entire service. It truly was an amazing service. I am really proud of the boys...but I was also reminded that in one year, we will be sitting in the service with graduating seniors. The boys lead the youth praise and worship band. This is the first one the youth group has ever had. We are proud that they have worked so hard to make this dream come true. And we are thankful for the youth leader who has worked with them through the rough patches and taught them with grace. Due to the funky lighting, it was hard to get good pictures, but this is what we got.

BALLET RECITAL 2008

2008-05-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

The time is finally here....Mag and her little classmates have practiced long and hard for their end-of-the-year ballet recital. Since her ballet class is through Perimeter Church's Academy of the Arts, all the dances are done to Christian music. It results in a performance that is God-exalting, inspiring, and very moving. Someone suggested that through their dance, we can almost catch a glimpse of the grace of God. I would tend to agree with that. The finale begins with two girls carrying another girl in the splits across the stage. The image is supposed to be that of Jesus. Following them is a procession of dancer who jubilantly dance behind them across the stage. I cried the first time I saw it. I am very proud of Mag, too. Normally, she doesn't like to have all the attention focused on her, but she said that dancing on the stage makes her feel like a famous ballerina....You go GIRL. Dream Big!!!!!

Mom's Moment

2008-04-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

Today was Mom's Moment at Maggie's preschool. I spent a little time at her school learning about what she does when she is away from me. I learned that her favorite center is housekeeping, no surprise there since she is the queen a make-believe. We did a craft together, and ate a snack. I love my girl. She is my heart and soul....

Spring Soccer. Go Gators!!!

2008-04-27T06:31:00.000-07:00

Finally, an update to the family bog. Mag is playing soccer again this spring, as are the boys. Mark continues to be Mag's coach along with Brennan and Mag's best friend's dad, Kevin. This season, Mag and Mac continue to be on the same team, but they are joined by playgroup friend, Autumn, and two school friends, Karen and Ann Marie. Joseph Yoo, who we have known for about 3 years now, is also on the team this season, so she is really getting to play with some really sweet litte friends.

Lunch at the American Girl Bistro

2008-02-27T10:11:00.000-08:00

Mag's dear friend, Mac, is turning 5 this Saturday, but her family will be on a family vacation in Mexico, so the girls had a little early bday celebration. Mac's two friends, Mag and Meghan, along with the moms, Mac's little sister, and her grandma, Gigi, all met at American Girl to help Mac celebrate. It was an enchanted lunch, and each of the girls brought the American girl dolls to join them for lunch. Even the dolls had their own little chairs and menus. As if the lunch, presents, and cake weren't enough excitement, Gigi offered to take each of the girls to the beauty salon for their dolls to get their hair done. She didn't have to ask more than once, she had three ready takers. So off they went to the beauty salon. Julie, Maggie's doll, was in need of the salon and looked lovely once her hair was freshly coiffed. We couldn't have asked for a nicer afternoon.

GUNG HAY FAT CHOY

2008-02-10T04:49:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year....February 7th marked the beginning of the Year of the Rat, the first year in the Chinese Zodiac. Naturally, this called for celebration with our playgroup friends. So on Thursday, we got together with over 60 friends for long noodles and other traditional Chinese dishes. The girls donned their QI PAOS (traditional Chinese dresses), and the boys wore their Chinese pajamas. The celebration was marked by crafts, story time, red envelopes, and ended with our annual dragon parade and fireworks. The fireworks are actually accomplished by rolling out big rolls of bubble wrap for the girls to then jump on. The popping noise really sounds like fireworks going off. Our friends, the Duncans, came down for the big event. And we had lots of fun getting to see our friends. Then we did it all over again Friday night with a little over 40 friends from our school-age playgroup. We are blessed to have so many adoptive families to share these experiences with....and for these families to truly be genuine friends. We are blessed.

The New Guitar

2008-01-22T16:01:00.000-08:00

Finally, Brennan's new guitar arrived, so if you gave him money or a Ken Stanton Gift Certificate for Christmas, this is what your money "bought." He is really happy with his purchase, and Mag is the benefactor of the old acoustic electric guitar.

WINTER WONDERLAND

2008-01-17T05:19:00.000-08:00

The naysayers said it wouldn't happen, but, nonetheless, it snowed here last night. So, despite the fact that it was what should have been bedtime, the boys, Maggie, and a handful of the neighborhood children donned their winter garb and braved the elements to make snow angels, roll snowballs, and have snowball fights. The boys were hysterical because they waxed and waned between gleefulness over the possibility of no school today and despair over the possibility that Fulton County would not call off school and they would have to go. Guess what, they grudgingly went to school today. Fulton County never canels school!!!!!!!!!!

POLAR PLUNGE 2008

2008-01-01T18:02:00.000-08:00

It was a balmy 35 degrees outside today with the water in Lake Lanier a soothing 45 degrees when Brennan and mark launched themselves into the diminishing body of water. Holy mackeral!! Was that COLD!! If you ever wonder if you are alive ... really alive ... participate in a "Polar Bear" event. The senses are definitely heightened when you jump into a cold lake in January ... no wet suit, so warm water, no warm blow dryers nearby. So, New Years Day was eventful in the fact that Brennan and Mark not only jumped in the lake with about 50 other people, but that hayden went as the official documenter of the events. After the jump, they were interviewed by an Atlanta Journal reporter who seemed oblivious to the tempereature and their shivering ... that was funny in and of itself. If you get a chance look online at the AJC site to see if they are quoted or pictured ... It did take about 30 minutes after the event for the guys to get feeling back into their extremeties but that wasn't enough to keep them from already starting to contemplate next year's event! So, write it down on your calendar ... if you want to participate, let us know and we can work out a "plan" ... as a side note, emergency personnel were on hand in the evnt anyone's heart stopped for longer than the few moments after your body met the water ... good times! :-)

Haircut....Lost in Translation

2008-01-01T06:57:00.000-08:00

Maggie and Hayden both went to Kids' Cut and Play for haircuts yesterday. Mag got 7 inches cut off and Hayden got a "swoop bang" cut. Sayed, the hair cutter, whose first language was Moroccan, must have suffered from the language barrier,and cut her bangs in his version of a swoop bang. She even showed him pictures of Ashley Tidsdale and Jennifer Garner. There was nothing to get lost in translation, unless, he was blind, too. Hayden is trying to figure out if she can sue for "pain and suffering" or "mental anguish," as she thinks it looks like the bangs she had in 3rd grade. I personally think it looks great, but then I am only a 44 year old mom who liked how my daughter looked in 3rd grade!!!!

Moral: Take heed before getting your hair cut at a place called Kids' Cut and Play..."kids" being a Red Flag, so to speak.

GUITAR HERO

2007-12-30T17:07:00.000-08:00

The Guitarist Tunes Up

With what attentive courtesy he bent
Over his instrument;
Not as a lordly conqueror who could
Command both wire and wood,
But as a man with a loved woman might,
Inquiring with delight
What slight essential things she had to say
Before they started, he and she, to play.

-- Frances Cornford (1886-1960)

Well...maybe it isn't quite that poetic. The boys bought Guitar Hero today ( a video game for their new X-Box 360). The person playing the game is a "rock star," and it is similar to the game Simon where you have to hit the colored sequence in the right order, only it is in real time, and you are playing guitar chords, so to speak. It is hysterical. I tried my hand at it. My stage name was Pandora, and I resemebled Posh Spice. Fantasy and reality did a little merging for me, but I think we can safely conclude that I won't be hitting the rock concert circuit any time soon.

Meet Julie 2

2007-12-29T17:04:00.000-08:00

December 29th, 2007: After no less than 40 calls to the American Girl Store over a 17 hour period, and getting no answer, we decided to try our luck again, this time with Mark, Hayden, Maggie and me. Much to our excitement a new shipment of Julie dolls arrived sometime between 11:00 a.m yesterday and 6:00 p.m. today. Maggie was jubilant, Mark was overwhelmed, and Hayden had fun deciding which American Girl "Just Like Me" doll that she looks like. I just had fun taking it all in. Mission Accomplished, we have Julie.

MEET JULIE...Well Almost

2007-12-29T16:59:00.000-08:00

December 28th, 2007: Maggie and Mommy head out to the mall to buy Julie, the American Girl Doll from 1974. (It is a bit serendipitous that my daughter would want the 70s girl). Maggie has been saving her money, and with the money she got for Christmas, she finally had enough to buy her. As we entered the mall and approached the store, we found a line that started at the door, wrapped around the corner and then snaked down a corridor of the mall. We joined the masses and took our place in line. After nearly 50 minutes of waiting for our turn to enter the store, we discoverd that all the Julie dolls were sold out. This news was greeted with a rush of tears. I think the girls who were the bearers of this bad news would have moved mountains to get Maggie her Julie doll.

Christmas Day 2007

2007-12-25T18:31:00.000-08:00

I think the pictures say it all..We had a wonderful and blessed Christmas day...and Christmas still came despite the fact that I didn't get any "Christmas baking" done this year or much else done in the way of preparations.

Ted and Gretchen Celebrate 50 years of Marriage

2007-12-25T18:19:00.000-08:00

When I get older losing my hair,
Many years from now.
Will you still be sending me a valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine.
If I'd been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door,
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four. ...or so
From: When I am 64 by the Beatles

December 21st, 2007 marked the 50th wedding anniversary of Mark's parents, Ted and Grechen Fogas. In today's world, that is a HUGE accomplishment. Those 50 years included the births of five children, who then gave birth to 13 Fogas grandchildren (cumulatively), and all of which birthed countless shared family memories. We had a big party at Chris and Heather's house (Chris is the oldest grandchild). All five of the Fogas children were there along with their spouses and children, which made for a total of lots of extended family. The youngest grandbaby is only 9 weeks, and the oldest is "30 something." We have grandchildren spanning 3 DECADES!!! Other family and friends joined in the celebration, and, in the end, all were blessed by Ted and Gretchen's commitment to one another through the good times and the bad.....they made it 50 years!!!!!!

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO...WINDSOR FOREST

2007-12-16T15:18:00.000-08:00

Last night was our annual neighborhood Christmas party. It is really quite a treat on a number of fronts. First of all, the people who host it have an absolutely beautiful house that has essentially been gutted and rebuilt. It is like an episode of Flip This House, only everything was done with high quality products and the intent was not to flip it. Secondly, the food is wonderful. Thirdly, the company is great, and lastly, Santa comes to pay a visit to the children who live in Windsor Forest. Maggie would not sit on Santa's lap, but she would stand by him while MARK sat on Santa's lap. Maggie also had, yet another, opportunity to hang with her little preschool posse. As I have previously mentioned, she has three little friends in the neighborhood who are in her preschool class and will start kindergarten with her in the fall.

THE NUTCRACKER

2007-12-14T04:03:00.000-08:00

A day in the life of Maggie Fogas is.....BUSY, FUN, EXCITING, EXHAUSTING!!!! Our day started yesterday with an adventure. We set out with our good friends, the Kesters, to see the Nutcracker. The moms decided that we would ride the train downtown, so we didn't have to be bothered with trying to find a place to park. Of course, we were dressed up (and the girls really were adorable) so we were the target of A LOT of unsolicited attention. One lady felt compelled to spend 3/4 of the train ride informing us that our girls should take viola lessons, not violin, but viola. After giving us the ins and outs of where to find teachers, how much they should practice, etc., she proceeded to tell us that since our girls were Asian, they would be "natural musicians, they have an innate talent." Carolyn and I just nodded and smiled, and cringed on the inside, hoping our girls were oblivious to the fact that they were being grossly stereotyped. Finally, we made it to the Nutcracker at the Wonderful Fox Theater. It is a magical place, and the girls enjoyed the show. Apparently Grace Ingram was so inspired that on the way home she announced that she was the ONLY ballerina (She is 2, and it made her sister cry). Carolyn had to console Mac by telling her that they ALL could be ballerinas.

Then it was time to catch the train again. In our haste, we got on the wrong train and had to ride it all the way to the end of the line. When we reached the end, and asked where we could catch the train to Northsprings, we were informed that we had to ride back to Lindbergh (almost where we started), get off, and then catch the Northsprings train. So we actually had two adventures, the Nutcracker and the MARTA ride.

We stopped at home long enough for Maggie to change her clothes so that she could go to her ballet class. They had a party and did a little dance from, of all things, The Nutcracker. She did a great job and had fun feasting after class.

The day wasn't over yet. We deposited Maggie home with Josh, and Hayden and I took off with two of my friends ( two playgroup moms)to go to our annual Christmas party/ornament swap. Despite being exhausted, we had so much fun, and the ornament swap always turns into a wild pursuit to get one or two prized ornaments. It is amazing how God uses the lives of our daughters to weave together the fabric of our friendship. The ladies from playgroup are some of my closest friends, and the bond that we share because of our children is indescribable. The Bible says "A chord of three is not easily broken." I say, a chord of playgroup moms cannot be broken. I can't imagine my life without these women in it.

So, that is it....a day in the life of Maggie...and Angela

THIRD ANNUAL PRESCHOOL PLAYGROUP COOKIE BAKE

2007-12-11T13:50:00.000-08:00

Once again, we set out with our cookie dough, rolling pins, flour, cookie cutters, parchment paper, and cameras carefully packed away for our annual Christmas cookie baking extravaganza. It was different this year. For one thing, Marsha wasn't there, and she is the one who normally secures the location for us. So we were at Marsha's church with none of the Duncans there. And we missed Jeremy, who acts as our cookie police, whose job it is to remove trays of cookies from the oven, and to replace them with the next batch that is ready to go. And we missed the Witkowski girls, and Annabel. And it didn't seem right when Laurie Smith didn't stroll in an hour late with both of her girls trailing behind her. And we missed Abby and Shelby. I have to say that it was odd not chasing Ryan Ashton all over the place, who in years past was monitored by all the moms there. Because it literally took all of us to keep up with him....and hey, why not, he is a boy, and it is a wide open space. If you are a toddler isn't that an invitation to run like the wind. Maybe the weather cast a melancholy shadow on the whole experience. It is hard to get in the Christmas spirit when it is 79 degrees outside. We did miss our school-age friends and the Duncan's absence was greatly felt.

THE PINK PIG

2007-12-06T15:25:00.000-08:00

After living in Atlanta for almost 5 years, we finally participated in a long-standing Atlanta Christmas tradition. We rode the PINK PIG. We joined our playgroup friends, rode the pig, and had some lunch. Then we were off to meet Josh at the doctor, and off again for ballet. I love the picture of Mag walking into the house with her little ballet legging sticking out of her pant legs, and her hair is still in her "ballet bun."

SWING SWING......

2007-12-04T15:39:00.001-08:00

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
Rivers and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside -

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown -
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

Written by Robert Louis Stevenson

ANNUAL FOGAS FAMILY LIGHTING OF THE GREENS

2007-11-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

Nov. 27th, 2007 was the date set for the annual Fogas Family Lighting of the Greens. Maggie and I spent the day decorating the house, hanging garland both inside and outside of the house, and hanging all of our window wreaths. As is typical for Maggie, she experienced Joy Bursts all day long. Sometimes her joy, wonder and excitement just can't be contained. Today was one of those days. Since Maggie has been home, we have had the gift of seeing the wonder of Christmas (and birthdays) through the eyes of a child. We didn't decorate the tree until 8:00 in the evening, so by then, she was so full of energy and anticipation that she could have taken out the Energizer Bunny out in one fell swoop. Of course, the night was not complete without the Fogas "men" throwing their hats in the ring for a little Fogas Family "Tuesday Night Smack-Down" wrestling tournment...A day in the life of the Fogas Family.

SHE DID IT

2007-11-20T02:48:00.000-08:00

Maggie sang with her class in chapel yesterday. This was a first. In the past she has either sat down on the stage with her back to the audience, or she has broken down in a fit of tears, truly inconsolable. But, as with so many other things, Maggie has found new confidence with turning five. She told us a few days before the BIG DAY that she wasn't afraid because she was five now. She was true to her word, she made it through both songs and even had a little bit of rhythmic groove going on, ever so slight.

BUT, we were supposed to go with friends today to hear a reading of Elf on the Shelf, and then we were going to buy our own little elf. (It is a Christmas tradition where this little elf "hides" somewhere and when the children go to bed, he reports to Santa on the children's' behaviour. Then next morning he is hiding somewhere else, and the children find him). Maggie wanted NO PART of hiding elves. She is afraid of elves for some reason. When I tried the "you are five now...." she told me in no uncertain terms, "You can be afraid of some things until you are six." So maybe we will tackle elves next year.

HOLY COW FARM

2007-11-16T02:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday our playgroup went to Holy Cow Farm, which is essentially a petting farm. Our neighbor, Michael, spent the day and night with us last night, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to spend time with friends, get some fresh air and exercise, and have some fun. I was correct on points one and two...point three was true for Michael, but not Mag...no matter how you look at it, Maggie does not like animals when they are up in her grill. She spent most of the time asking me to hold her, which I would not because there was animal "waste" everywhere, including shoes, which I didn't want to get rubbed off onto my clothes. I was lamenting the fact that it was "dirty", and one of the moms pointed out that it WAS a farm...farms are dirty...Good point.

After the farm, we joined our friends for lunch, and then went to Sam's where we had a little five year old drama. I put the kids in the grocery cart, where Maggie promptly turned on her fake cry. It roughly sounds like a bellowing baby whale. Hence, the pix of Maggie and Michael in the grocery cart...I just couldn't resist and I still had the camera with me. Oh, the drama was a result of the fact that "five year olds are big girls, and big girls WALK"!!!!

HAPPY GOTCHA DAY!!!!!

2007-11-13T03:33:00.000-08:00

Nov. 9th 2003 is a day that will live in my heart and mind with the strongest feelings of love and hope attached to it for all eternity. It was the day that little Yuan Xiao Guo was placed into my arms. There are no words that can adequately express the joy that is associated with the adoption of a child. The waiting, and wanting, the yearning and the despair are erased, and in their place is the most incredible, uncontainable love....so 4 years ago this day, Maggie came into our hearts and our lives. We thank God for her everyday, our beautiful, and very much longed-for daughter.

The Wait
You first came in an envelope
With letters, forms, and such.
Just a tiny little picture
With nothing warm to touch

You grew in our imaginations,
In our hearts, and in our minds.
You’ve brought us even greater joy
Than we thought we’d ever find.

A phone call started labor pains
Which lasted ‘til we met.
Strangers brought together,
A day we won’t forget.

Our wanting and our waiting
Are finally at an end.
Our precious child is home to stay…
A gift that God surely did send.

MAGGIE IS FIVE

2007-11-06T02:44:00.000-08:00

Maggie celebrated her 5th Birthday on Saturday with 9 of her closest little friends. When all was said and done, the party was a hit. The preparation for the party was another story all together. It started when Maggie announced months before her birthday that she wanted to have a My Little Pony party. I immediately began to brainstorm about what we could do to keep the games and craft centered around the My Little Pony theme. Idea Number 1: Make beautiful horseshoes decorated with gems, glitter, etc. for the girls to take home and hang on their doors. Great idea, however, it did entail calling several horse supply stores to see if I could get discarded horseshoes. The supply stores referred me to some local stables, and the stable hands, in turn, put me in contact with several farriers. In the end, I drove out to a local stable, met the farrier, dug through his discarded horseshoes, selected a dozen, and off we went. They then had to be cleaned (which, Praise the Lord, Mark did for me), and spray painted. With that done, I was on to Idea Number 2: Pin the tail on the horse. In my mind, I envisioned a beautiful horse with a flowing mane for the girls to pin their tails on to. This entailed copying a template that I found on the Internet (Thank God for the Internet), onto a transparency, and then, using and overhead projector, tracing the horse onto a large piece of poster board....oh, but we don't have an overhead projector. Necessity is the mother of invention. I had to enlist the help of the boys who held flashlights up to the transparency while I traced. Idea number 3: Perhaps this was my most grandiose idea yet. I thought that my mom and I could make each of the girls her own little hobby horse. We could have a little relay race using the horses and then each girl could take her own horse home. I won't even go into the all the details of the fiasco that surrounded the making of these little gems, but to suffice it to say, my mom pulled through, and made all the horses. She even enlisted the help of her husband. His job was to stuff the ears. I don't know what I would have done without her help in all of this. In the end, we had 10 of the cutest pink hobby horses that you ever wanted to see. And the girls were elated to take home their own horse. It was a great party. The preparation was killer, but the end result was worth it. The things we do for our children......but I would have it no other way.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM MAYBERRY RFD!!!!

2007-11-01T05:02:00.000-07:00

I love our neighborhood. It is the kind of neighborhood that people who are my age used to grow up in. We can ride our bikes to Mag's school, the store, or Starbucks, so we have the amenities of the city and the feel of a small-town neighborhood. The other thing I love is that it is a generationally-mixed neighborhood. Many of the home owners are the original builders who have raised their children and are now grandparents. But then there are families, like ours, who have moved into the neighborhood more recently and have young children. The older neighbors are blessed by getting to see a new generation growing up in the neighborhood, and the little ones are blessed to be under the ever-watchful eyes of their caring "elderly" neighbors. It is truly the best of both worlds.

So in that vein, we had our annual neighborhood Halloween party last night. The kids played games, ate, and just generally had fun. Once it is dark, the party disperses and everyone heads out to trick or treat. Maggie is growing up, this year she didn't even ride in the wagon once. She walked (or ran) the whole way.

In case you are wondering why Mag is crying in some of the pix. Mark dressed up as Garth Algar (from Wayne's World) dressed as a Satanic Friar, or something to that effect. Needless to say, the skeleton head accessories really freaked Maggie out. Once he took them off, she was good to go again.

PARTY ALL THE TIME

2007-10-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

"My girl wants to party all the time, party all the time." Life is just one big party for Miss Maggie these days. We successfully completed our first school-age mother/daughter sleep over. Phew!!!!! The girls were all conked out by 11:00ish. It was so sweet to watch them sleep. They all were so big and brave afloat in a sea of pink and purple, yet most of them had some sort of security "blanket" that they were nursing pretty hard, whether it be in the form of a sucked thumb, an actual blankie, or some other form of snugly. The moms on the other hand stayed up until 2:00ish (a.m.) drinking wine, playing truth, truth, and a lie, and eating raw cookie dough. It was a Mommy sleepover, and we had a blast. Not to mention the fact that we discovered a lot about each other, and I thought there was nothing left to know. I am a little tired today since I bunked with my dear friend, Carolyn, and her littlest one, Grace Ingram, whom I LOVE. We were awakened at approximately 3:30 with Grace Ingram's request for her "bah" (blanket) and then again at 5:30 with a request for milk. It was a short night for sure, but FUN!

We left the sleep over to go to our last soccer game of the season, which was followed by....a party.

Tonight we are heading out for a church fall festival. Tomorrow we get a breather. Then we head into the final stretch with Mag's school Halloween party on Monday, her ballet party (re-do) on Tuesday and Halloween itself on Wednesday. And, I had hoped that Maggie if I could get Maggie still she might fall asleep...but that doesn't seem to be in the cards for today.

Hilarious Hat Day

2007-10-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

Friday was Hilarious Hat Day at preschool. On Monday, Carolyn got the girls busy working on their wondrous creations, and this was the end result. Quite specatular.