Dear Diary

Philipians 4:something. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. No kidding. I used to think I would be a single, fat smoker who died alone with no one to find my decomposing body. My aunt, Sister Marie Therese who is a Sister of St. Joseph (ha ha Tara) used to bother me about my calling to be a sister. I knew that was not in the cards, but I never knew that I would end up so blessed with my job, my family and in better health than I was 15 years ago. I went yesterday to have an ultrasound on my thyroid and ended up having a funny conversation with the tech who was so interested in my job and the kids and my buddy BC who, I believe, has a bright, bright light shining in him, but his poor little body will not allow him to tell us or show us. My girls are doing great -- Frannie and I talked about going camping this summer (big mistake) because she wants to go camping RIGHT NOW. At 8:30 at night. Please Mom? When are we going? What should we bring? Can I bring my Dora sleeping bag? Pretty please Mom, Mom, Mom, MOM, MOM!

I started working on a new vanity for our half bath and now my OCD brain won't let it go. I'm working today, but I just want to be home working on cabinet doors. I love working with wood, thinking of Joseph and Jesus. Hokey, I know.

My Dad is staying in a rehab place to help him recover from his last hospitalizations. I have been talking to Frannie about him and making sure she understands that he is sick and he may be going to live with Jesus one day. I don't want to scare her, but she talks about him a lot and I don't want to confuse her either. I know my Dad will die one day, and I'm not saying it will be soon, but my Dad thinks it might be so I'm preparing Frannie. By the way, my Dad was the first one to get me interested in carpentry and bought me my first drill when I lived in Beacon Hill. Thanks Dad.

Grace has this strange-looking hole in the roof of her mouth, right behind her two front teeth that needs to be blocked up in order for her to stop shooting milk out of her nose. Last week, the hospital pic was just a procedure where they knocked her out for a few minutes to make an impression of her mouth. She will be fitted with this device in the next few weeks and I pray she will miraculously start to sound less nasal when she speaks and no longer shoot STUFF out of her nose.

Six more days of school for me. I love my students and I love my co-workers and all (bless your hearts) but get me outta here. I want to sleep in. I love when the girls toddle downstairs with messy hair and crusty eyes, and we watch cartoons and eat toast with butter and honey in bed. Meeting friends at the park and having cookouts and going up the east coast to visit friends! If the Apocolyse doesn't occur this Saturday, that is what we will be doing.

My friend

I have this friend from Massachusetts, Tara, who is such a strong, strong, wonderfully intelligent Christian, mother and friend who should be famous for her writings. I love how she speaks out when it's not popular, she speaks the truth and most importantly, she does God's will. She reminds me of the analogy Mother Teresa made about her life: she compared herself to a mere pencil that God uses to create His works. She allowed herself to be used by Him without question, as does Tara. See here.

I hope you don't mind that I posted this, Tara. Kevin, the girls and I will be blessed enough to visit Tara and her family this summer and I cannot WAIT to hug this tiny lady. Like Mother Teresa, Tara is elf-sized (I think she's actually a Lephrechaun) and a powerhouse to boot.

Ballet Recital, Anesthesia, Life

Busy Day

Emotional Day

I woke up to read an e-mail about my Dad being in the hospital again with an irregular heartbeat and breathing issues (again). Poor guy just can't stay away from the hospital. When I got to work I read that my AP, Deb's Dad died over the weekend. We all thought it was imminent, but horribly sad nonetheless. About 30 minutes later, an e-mail popped up on my screen from my co-worker and buddy, Eileen marked "Kevin." Eileen and I have a lot in common -- we are both Irish Catholic, we both have Kevins for husbands, we share the same humor and we are both blessed with girls who happen to have been born in China. Her daughter is also a ballet dancer. My dear friend Eileen lost her Kevin this weekend in a tragic accident. He was a mere 51 years old. I wanted so much to jump in my car and speed right over to her, just to wrap my arms around her. But I knew she did not need that right now. She needs to be with her kids. My principal's retirement party was all set for 4:30 and I had signed up to help set up. On my way out the door to get some more soda, I got a call from my dear friend Norma, informing me that our neighbor had fallen over, apparently having a heart attack. His wife was at the hospital near my school, could I go over and sit with Rosemary? I love Rosemary dearly and would have run right over if I could, but I felt like I could not run out of school. Norma called me 30 minutes later to inform me that our dear neighbor Ron had not even lived to make it to the hospital. Dear, dear Ron was just this month retiring from the Army after serving in Iraq and spending so much time away from his family. It's so strange how it happens like this -- so much in one day. Fast forward to the retirement "party," with Kevin and the girls along, I cried to see dear David leaving us, albeit for less stressful and more relaxing times FOR HIM, but with broken hearts for us. My Kevin was grieving for Ron -- I was grieving for Eileen, Ron, Rosemary, the loss of David and worried about my Dad. Give me strength and the right words to say to all these friends, Lord. Protect these families and be with them on this day.

Dear 16-year-old Me

Take a few minutes if you are fair-skinned or love someone who is.

Thirty Days

I am leaving one month from today for my cruise! I can't believe it's actually going to happen. I'm leaving my girls for 5 days? What?@! Can I do it? (YES, we can!) I love my family and all .... but... we are talking Mexico and Grand Cayman! And lots of buffets and conga lines and fun girlfriend time (sing Copa Cabana to yourself and get a mental image of me on the LEDO deck with a colorful drink with a little umbrella sticking out....)

We attended the UMDF fundraiser/walk this weekend in lovely downtown Norcross. (UMDF stands for United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, is that right?) which is a dreadful disease which affects a lot of my students. The day's events helped to raise over $100,000! Frannie was cheering the walkers across the finish line with the Georgia Tech cheerleaders (Doug H eat your heart out) and having a blast visiting with friends and playing lots of fun games. Grace managed to toss her bean bag, not into the target hoola hoop, but across the game into the duck pond game, splashing a lady and making everyone around laugh at her aim. When she got to the ring toss game, she overthrew it again and hit the same lady in the leg, prompting the lady to yell "that little kid has it in for me today!" Grace was giggling, but embarassed :)

I'm sorry to state my unpopular opinion on Osama bin Laden's demise, but I must say I hate to see ANYONE burn in hell. Yes, I lost no one on 9/11/01 and he would probably have strangled me with his bear hands just for holding my Christian beliefs, but I still feel bad for the guy, spending all of eternity without any virgins for company and far worse, without the love of God. If my parents had raised me as a neo-Nazi, chances are, I would have turned out to be a neo-Nazi. I'm blessed to know the TRUTH and feel bad for those who don't.

So much Fun

What a great week. Only thing missing was Kevin (he was in Chicago for the weekend)

So Happy to be So Blessed

I usually get choked up at church on days like today -- I'm feeling so blessed -- not just for my family, but for my faith and our God! Simple as that. I have a new student this week who is dying of a brain tumor and just breaking my heart. There are lots of ways for people to go, but this particular scenario has me so grateful for every stinking minute with my girls and Kevin and friends and our country and our weather and my job and the strength God gave me to lose 36 pounds and chocolate Easter cupcakes and raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens....

Lifetime!

I finally made my lifetime goal with Weight Watchers and here are my actual before and after photos!

The Ultimate Peep Show

The Ultimate Peep Show

I used to be into all sorts of cerebral stuff....

I used to be into all sorts of cerebral stuff like reading grown up books (I started to write the word 'adult' books, but that sounded wrong ...) and watching the news and attending speeches on topical political events.... now I think about show and tell (sea shells), insurance claims and pre-k registration, among other things. I also think about my child going through anesthesia, like this morning, when I couldn't be there for her! I know her Dad was there, taking care of her, but I still want to be there to cradle her and give her kisses all over before they wheel her back -- okay, okay, so it's just an ear tube replacement procedure, but STILL!!


Little Peanut playing peekaboo with Dad

Such a Perfect Day

We had such a good time at the Braves game yesterday! The girls are getting older and not quite as needy at the games so I could actually watch the game itself. If you want to find bargain tickets to ANYTHING, go to wwww.stubhub.com. We got last-minute tickets for $3.95! In total, we paid $21 for our tickets and the Braves website wanted us to pay $27 each for crappy seats.

Such sweet Turner Field people let us into the Golden Moon Level (thanks Jamie) and the usher let us sit next to Kevin (thanks Kathy) and Noreen joined us for a beer too! The weather was actually chilly, a far cry from two years ago when Frannie and I both almost upchucked from the heat. It was a double header and the girls were starting to tire out so I packed them up during the 9th and Grace started crying, she didn't want to leave her Dad OR MISS THE GAME. She is so related to me. PS She now asks to watch the "blood show" because she also likes emergency room shows. She pulled up her little mini Victorian chair in front of the tv and sat transfixed while they shoved some guy's brains back into his head, I could weep with pride.

Making the most of Spring Break

We went to church yesterday early, out to our favorite Eagle's Landing for breakfast, shopping, to the park, home for nap, to the carnival for a few fun rides (thanks Dawn) and Kevin came home for dinner, yippee!!

It's Always Nice to Be Home

We had a very, very good time in Florida (I don't always say that), but my ailing father and I got to spend some good time together, discussing the meaning of life and how everyone would be so much better off if they would only follow OUR advice and be more like US. Ha ha. My Dad really misses my Mom and is not too sad about the prospect of leaving this Earth to be with her and Jesus. I'm so blessed to have two parents with such strong faith - neither one ever had any doubt (in the slightest) about where they will spend eternity, thanks be to GOD.

We stayed with my cousin Denise and her very thoughtful family. We were treated like royalty! We got to spend some time with my buddy Laura (my friend for 33 years now) and the girls are still covered in tattoos, thanks LaLa (ha ha).

I'm so thankful for my husband, my girls and all my blessings. I wonder what I've ever done to deserve such a rich life. All the hugging and giggling and love we get to share blows me away sometimes. Grace really loves to look at pictures of Jesus and studies him hanging on the cross, so innocently saying things like "his head hurts" (oy, you're not kidding) or she points to her own hand and says "ouch." I bought them a book of saints for girls and Grace went immediately to the page on St. Terese and squealed "Jesus!" pointing to the crucifix she is holding on the page. When she leaves church she always waves and says "Bye Jesus!" Both of my girls teach me a lot.

Today is a snow day. Nah, it's not snowing now, but I'm at work (working real hard, as you can tell), making up for the week of the snow storm we had in January. Our principal gave us the option of making it up as we want, which was awfully nice. He is retiring in May and I for one am going to be sad to see him go. See pic here


We do have a wonderful replacement in Sara Clifford, also an adoptive Mom, who knows and loves our students like David. Bittersweet. Only 7 more weeks of school (then I get to cruise on Carnival .....yeah! Ooops, I mean, I'm going to miss my husband and girls horribly...)

Spring Break

We are counting down the moments to departure -- we leave for St. Augustine on Saturday morning to stay with Cousin Denise and visit friends and family. I lived in St. Augustine from 1978 to 1988 and sometimes I feel like a local, but my buddies who still live there sometimes unknowingly remind me I've been gone for over 20 years! I was a mere 22 when I left home for Boston and I LOVE St. Augustine now (when it's not stifling hot). I love seeing the old girlfriends and spending time with my sister in her bead shop, eating at the best seafood restaurant in the world, Schooners and watching my crazy girls run around my Dad's backyard, feeding the ducks in the pond. I asked Frannie about going to St. Augustine the other day and she said "We love Papa (my Dad), he loves me soooo much! AND he likes Ariel too" He put The Little Mermaid on his tv once for her and she never forgot that.


Grace is in heaven with her favorite teacher, Miss Stephanie.

We can't wait to meet my friend's new daughter, Elise. Isn't she just gorgeous! They are still in China, working on paperwork and bonding. We are praying for you Donna!

Here's His Mug Shot

Here's the guilty culprit to the vandalism charges. Looks like a hooligan, doesn't he?

I've Got to Go With my Gut

My WISE friend Lisa told me to always go with my gut and that is what I had to do this week. Grace has been suffering from continual strep infections and very high fevers so juggling that and work has not been easy for either one of us. The teacher at Grace's school who has been preparing the kids for Pre-K (like a Nazi if you ask me) gave us a bit of grief about how much school Grace has missed (yes, folks, she is 3 and a half and not really in school yet) so after some deliberation, Kevin and I both agreed that Grace needs to be with the one who truly loves her and to heck with Pre-K prep, we held her "back" and asked for her to be moved back to the baby class with her (and my) favorite, Miss Stephanie! Pictures to come. She hugs Grace all day long and looks out for our little Peanut like a Mom would. Clancy is working off his repair job by taking a job at a rock and gravel plant. He has to repay the drywall and the labor and owes us $267.64. Plus he had to buy a hard hat. Anyone see the Youtube movie with the guilty dog Denver? Priceless

Five Kids?

My buddy Donna (seen here on left) is leaving tomorrow for China for child #5 (lucky number 5), can you believe it?@^&@ She's getting Elise, who will join her family while her two brothers wait here with Grandma. Doesn't it make you want to go get a baby from China?? (I've prayed about it and I'm pretty sure God told me FINISHED!) The girls are outside watering the new azaleas with Kevin, enjoying the gorgeous weather while I count the days to spring break.
Wish I had taken a picture of this, but the strangest thing happened last night. Frannie told me something like "Clancy wrecked the wall" and I had no idea what that meant, but she showed me a corner of her room where a hole had been made right through the drywall into our unfinished space! Shreds and chunks and insulation were everywhere. Nearest we could figure, the dog must have heard a squirrel and was trying to dig to get him, either that or there is a secret treasure back there that is emitting a sound only a dog can hear....

Yesterday was my 11th anniversary

Only by the GRACE OF GOD was I able to quit smoking, 11 years ago yesterday. I prayed and prayed and asked all my friends and every saint that ever lived to pray for me so I could kick this evil habit and it worked. Thanks God for showing mercy on me to help me do it. If I still smoked, I think I'd be paying $5? Is that right? For a pack per day? Wow, that's incredible. We used to drive 20 miles to Idaho from Spokane to pay something like $15 for a carton of generics.

Some days, like during this week in particular, the hardest thing you will do is to stop yourself from hitting your child. Seems like we have had a particularly rough week and on more than one occasion I have had to put the girls in their room and walk away for fear of my temper. Just walk away and pray. It's only nail polish on the carpet, it's not the end of the world. My Mom said to me once, which truly has helped me (when referring to Casey at 3 years old), "She is far more important to me than anything she can wreck in my house." Wow, Mom, that was pretty wise. The girls flooding the bathroom this week or stubborn Grace telling me NO! three hundred times or shampoo being intentionally dumped is not really that important. Is it attention they are after? I'm too stubborn a Mom to give into THAT ole trick. I know the ABCs of behaviorism. Let their memories of this week please be the Gators winning the SEC championship and not their Mom loudly screaming things like "ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME? ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME CRAZY?!!!!!!" The Lord is my shephard....

Frannie's First Formal

Frannie's teacher, Miss Alexia, is so creative with the kids. They had a Valentine's dance with formal dancing and some line dancing too. Her dancing lessons are paying off BIG TIME :)

Climbing a Mountain

The girls and I climbed Stone Mountain yesterday (Grace rode on my back) and YES, I am out of shape. Can't believe Grace weighs 30 pounds (she felt like 50). Frannie did GREAT! We will have to plan some more real hikes!

Fun Fay Girls Day of Adventure

Sounds like Girls Gone Wild, but we wanted to have a DAY OF ADVENTURE so we went to cheesey Helen, GA! The girls and I ate boiled peanuts and saw some pretty North Georgia country scenery. We miss Kevin like crazy, but the Fay Musketeers had a fun day of girly laughs without him (he's in LA working the NBA Allstar junk).

The picture above of Shanghai reminds me of feeling so claustrophobic when we were there! The main shopping street got more and more and MORE crowded as we walked further down and I just had to get the heck out of there! Anyhoo, what a great picture of the Chinese lanterns during the Chinese New Year Celebration. And of course the dumplings are my favorite. I've tried to make some for the girls (okay, really for me) and at least I know for a fact they do not contain earthworms or bugs.

What is it?

Having a long week already. Frannie ended up with some strange hives yesterday. Anyone out there have any guesses? She went to school yesterday morning with no bumps and when I picked her up at 3:00 she had little red bumps from her neck to her toes. Mostly on her belly. Nothing unusual to eat at school or in the morning at home. No new detergent at home or soap. This am she is better, but I gave her some Benedryl anyway. Grace and Frannie are both coughing some, but they are on their way to school.

We are so pathetic

I can't believe it has taken us this long to get a picture - ANY PICTURE - of the four of us. We have a TON of pictures of a combination of everyone, but only one of the four. Here we are. Grace's teacher has been asking for a photo for, oh, 5 months or so.

Anyone out there interested in Medjugorje? If you don't know what I mean, don't continue .... I've been reading this incredibly interesting book called "The Miracle Detective" by Randall Sullivan and I cannot recommend this book enough for anyone interested. I've got about 75 pages left and I wish I could just sit in bed and read!

Poor Grace is home with a fever. Her antibiotics for strep don't seem to be doing the trick just yet so we are praying for her poor little throat.

Getting prepared for St. Patrick's Day

Thought we might try some new apparel for March.

My Co-Worker

Hope you can connect to this. I work with this woman Laura Greenburg and she spends her day helping little kids and cracking us all up. Oy, she kills me. Click on her name above then click on the LISTEN button, don't just read it.

So Many Fun Snow Activities!

Lots of cooking and knitting going on in my life during the last week. Maybe during the next snow storm I will churn some butter and learn how to make jelly.

More Snow Activities

Snow Days

What we do when we are snowbound: