No Place Like Home

Just returned last night from my California trip to say good-bye to Gwen. I will post a few pics, all in all it went well. It is hard to let her go. It was so much fun to see my old friends again, but when it comes right down to it, there IS no place like home, my home now that is (even if the previous home IS sunny, beachy and darn near paradise). I missed my guys and my life here. It's good to be back and have that behind me. I feel like I can move forward with life now, like it just all had to wait until I could get this done. We got a very sweet note from her Mom, and I think Gwen loved every minute of it. So, now on to 2010! Let's get this party started!!!

Sticks and Stones

Went to pick up the little man from school only to walk in right in the middle of a scolding from his teacher about making his friend Larkin feel bad. Apparently there were words uttered in the heat of battle and Connor was completely unrepentent. He refused to apologize! The offending words? He called Larkin a "diaper". Apparently, in toddler speak, thems is fightin' words. I was appropriately apalled (as you can be when you are trying not to laugh) and told Larkin that I am sure Connor is sorry. Once in the car, I asked him WHAT UP with calling Larkin "that" name and he retorted with great indignity "Well, (which is how Con starts every sentence these days) she called me POOPY!!" (Are you sensing a theme here?). Tried to tell Connor that he needs to turn the other cheek (so to speak) and not let it get him down. Ah, the life lessons, starting already. Good to know he can hold his own, though!

Zoo Dates!

Atomic Amy has just secured three dates at the Hogle Zoo for this spring. Mark your calendars!
April 24th - Party for the Planet (times to be determined, watch for posting) Hopefully it won't rain this year!
May 8th - Macy's Mom & Me - make sure you stop by AFTER the Race for the Cure (I am going to try and do both, why don't you? We can run together!) Probably from 12-3....
June 26th - Dari's 50th Birthday Party - This is to highlight Hogle's African Elephant! She is the oldest African Elephant in North America! It will be a 60's theme party at the Zoo.

Hope you can come to one (or more) of our dates!

Up and Running!

I have our "other" blog (am I cheating?) that is focusing on adoption or other ways for us to bring a child into our home going. It's called Born in Our Hearts and we would love for you to visit (and tell your friends!) and please please pretty please, add a link to us on our blog, facebook page whatever! Ch ch check it out!

http://adoption-amy.blogspot.com/

The (Mini) Martians Have Landed

Connor is just finishing up a winter gymnastics class. His class are called the Mini-Martians. Connor was so excited when we first signed him up. I told him "Go tell your Dad that you are going to be a Mini-Martian". A couple of minutes I hear him yelling "Daddy! Daddy! I'm going to be a MARSHMALLOW!!!!" He loves his class, especially that he got to take it with his good friend Grayson. He will be moving on to T-Ball after our Disney trip. Here are some highlights:

Honoring My Friend

Today, Jim and I have been spending time brainstorming how we can say good-bye to our friend Gwen. I am very excited that we may be able to plant a tree in her memory in Huntington Central Park (or Stuck Duck Park, to those of us who spent countless hours there). I have been dreading this, but it is acutally bringing comfort to us both. There are a lot of tears, but a lot of laughter (Gwen used to collect Penguins, or Pen-Gwens - get it. I think I said I would like to have a penguin there, but he missed the part where it was stuffed and we could send it to her son, and so he has been looking up penguin rentals - 'scuse me Zoo, can I rent your penguin by the hour?) but mainly I feel that we are making her proud. We want to be very creative (as Gwen was) and am wondering - what special ways have you said good-bye to people you love (and you can send ideas to me directly if you don't want to post them here)? Was there a special reading or song? Love to hear from you....
And California folks - the service will be on March 13th at Huntington Central. Not sure on time yet - just save the date! Jimmy says he's got the perfect spot.

PS - does anyone else think that Logan looks an awful lot like another little boy we know? That's an honor in itself!

New Year's Eve

Because I am throwing blog posts out there left and right, I have given up any order - so here we are New Year's Eve. We decided this year to have a very quiet one (if I ain't got a gig, my favorite thing to do is hang out at home, just our little family, eat, do puzzles and just quietly anticpiate all the good things to come. I remember doing that very thing, New Year's Eve 2006, and that June, the most amazing gift I ever received came to me - here's hoping for a repeat this year)Kind of went with a "Hat's Off to New Year's" theme... Lookin a little gangsta...
The not so quiet portion of the evening - midnight (well, 10:00 technically, we were celebrating with New Yawk!) - lighting eh hem, perfectly legal firecrackers then hiding in the house hoping the po-po are a no-sho!
We had a great time together. We are looking forward to what is ahead for us...and for you. May all your dreams come true in 2010.