Happy Happy Summer!

While we are on:

We will be traveling like this:

To chase down this:

Back after awhile with posts and pictures.

While away, one friend will land in the States with their beautiful daughter from Ethiopia, while another friend boards a plane with her hubby to Ethiopia to meet their precious daughter.  They both will be on my mind while I am under the sunshine. What an amazing journey they both have experienced and I am so grateful to know, see, and learn from their life story.

Happy Happy Summer!

Donation Drop Off

Last night our family went to the big city to donate our items to *house Wearhouse. We pulled up in our car loaded with awesome clothing, shoes, and a few toys; the luggage rack on top was filled too!! As we began filling up the huge orange cart, and ran out of room, it really hit us how much had been donated. Friends and Family - You Are Awesome!!!

We received a nice tour of the Wearhouse and an explanation of how the store works. Caregivers can access shopping five times a year, select up to fifteen items per Foster Child in their care, and up to ten bonus items. The bonus items are tagged by the Wearhouse with a pink tag and can include such things as overstocked items, or seasonal items. Foster Children also receive a special pass two weeks before their birthday where they can come to the store and select a special item from the birthday section.

The entire store is Free. Clothes and items are sorted in the back by volunteers - a number equivalent to eight full time employees rotate through the back of the Wearhouse getting items ready for the store. Through their Wearhouse volunteer program, they are able to utilize monetary donations to the fullest, by not having to pay employees to do the same task.

Although the clothes are free, everything is inventoried and receives a bar code before going into the store. This allows a tracking system in the Wearhouse to know which items are quick to go, which items they are lacking, which items sit longer than others. And, it is an honest, ethical, and reputable business practice to keep track of the goods received.

As items are sorted through, the volunteers know to toss items that they would not give to their own child, grandchild, or niece or nephew. Anything that is torn, has a stain, not clean, etc are given to the Goodwill. The *house Wearhouse and the Goodwill have a great working relationship. For the items given to Goodwill by *house, the Goodwill will provide a voucher of a dollar amount to *house to come shop at the Goodwill for free. The Wearhouse employees love this time to "spoil" the kids and get the perfect missing item for the Wearhouse.

For those that live in this area - I encourage you to continue to donate to *house. It is a very clean, well run organization that is easily accessible by the freeway. Parking in their secured lot right next to the donation dock is so easy and super quick. For those looking for additional hands-on experience, the Wearhouse does accept volunteers to sort - either individually or as a group. This just might be perfect for your Book Club, Girls Night Out, Bible Study Group ...

We are so thankful for all the donations received, monetarily and items. The staff at Wearhouse were very grateful for the large donation ... the Foster Kids of our area will ultimately benefit from the time you took to clean out your house, take the time to drive it to our Donation Drive, and give with a loving heart. You truly made a difference. THANK YOU!

Orthodontist

I've been brace face free for eighteen months. The days of being self-conscious as I worked on a new smile that didn't reveal too much metal and wire, the rubber bands that clearly were a form of torture, and a lack of motivation to eat are o-v-e-r!!

Today was my bi-yearly check up. The woman two chairs down from where I sat was in the process of getting her braces removed. Ah, the feeling of slick teeth and a beautiful, corrected smile after months or years of metal. I bet her day was perfect.

As I sat and waited for the doc to come to my chair, I went through the timeline of events. From all the stress and anxiety of that first appointment, to all the times when I was so frustrated that rubber bands had been placed in all different, highly visible places, the days I drove home close to tears thinking, "Really?? Really!! He expects me to wear these bands positioned right in the front of my mouth 24/7? Who is this guy?! Does he not see the ugliness to his master plan?!"


I will admit that I had a like-dislike relationship with my Orthodontist. While I knew, hands-down, that he was fantastic in his field with credentials, awards, and scholar titles going out the door, I found him to be a little aloof to the emotional well being of his patients. He was the doctor, and there was no debating any demand he placed upon your mouth.  His accent was succinct, sharp, with an air of authority. Yes, he was intimidating.

But there was a soft-side too. His smile was warm and friendly. He gave genuine compliments that he was pleased with my agree-ability (thankfully, he can not read minds, as I was not wanting to agree on the inside!) because in the end - he fixed my problem perfectly.

Today he sat back in his chair, gave his sunshine grin, and said, "You know. I give you all the credit. You followed everything I asked of you to perfection. And it worked. You proved that I could fix your complicated situation."  Aaaaaa - music to my ears. It was all worth it.

Upon leaving, he caught me at the front desk making my next appointment. He wanted me to sign authorization that he could use my file in his teaching seminars and classes. He could prove that the system he used had worked. I am not positive, but I think the retainer that he is having me use was developed by him. There is a Retainer Patton Certificate hanging in his office - I am sure he tries to use this style of retainer exclusively with his patients.

Not a bad way to check in with your Orthodontist - that you are now a subject and case study for his seminars and classes in a positive light.  He got a thumbs up from me today (wink).

Taekwondo Gift

The newest edition to my son's room is this amazing Taekwondo belt holder that my dad built with his woodworking skills and supplies. The belts are wrapped in order from bottom to top around a pipe that can be replaced with a longer pipe as my son continues to test through future belts.

He made it a flat top on purpose so that his grandson could place his Taekwondo Outstanding Student of 2010 on top.  I think it looks fantastic right next to my son's wooden box that my dad also made, and the Taekwondo certificate on the wall.

Thank you, Dad, for creating a perfect memory for your grandson! You did a fantastic job!

Another Blog

Even though my hubby suggested that I didn't start another blog, and friend's comments throughout the years stating that keeping two blogs is a lot more work, I am going with my gut on this one and have decided to start an additional blog.

The title of the new blog is Paws for Independence. My instinct says to keep Elle J Thoughts as it currently is - our life happenings and family journal. My sweet husband turns this blog into a book every Christmas. I love the blog books greatly for the memories of our family, and the growing up specifics of our children.

Our Puppy Raising adventure will surely be a major focus in our life for a year and a half, but I do not want to steer Elle J Thoughts in that direction. Because while this pup will be part of our life, it will not be our whole life. I want to keep Elle J Thoughts as is. For myself, and for my readers that are hooked into whatever genre one would consider this blog.

Paws for Independence will be specifically the happenings of our Puppy Raising experience. Unlike Elle J Thoughts, I will not be focused on daily writing, it will only be posts related to all-things-puppy, and it will have guest blogging from my children.

At the end of our commitment with CCI, we will publish a Paws for Independence book for ourselves, and with the hope that when our dog graduates - we will pass the dog's leash and the book to the Handler at Graduation.

If we continue with Puppy Raising, then the blog is set to continue with our next pup, and the next, and the next.

I certainly would be grateful if you read both blogs, of course, but I understand if you pick and choose too. Because I don't see us blogging every day, it is set so you can Follow Paws for Independence via email -  a message will be sent to you when a new post is written.

Thank you for joining us on our family adventure - and for reading one, or both, of our family blogs.

Ketchup, Catch-Up

Today we held our *house for Kids Donation Drive at our neighborhood bus stop. My son kicked off the morning by BBQ'ing package after package of hot dogs at our house. Then we transported them to the  Drive's locale and warmed them up piping hot on our Coleman Stove. It worked brilliantly.

Getting passer-by's to stop and donate for a dog - and then welcoming our family and friends who were donating clothes, shoes, and toys proved to be a fun family event. We had a good time chatting with strangers and sharing the vision of *house for Kids and how their donations will help Foster Kids in our area. It was a bonus to hang out with friends that stopped by - enjoying the afternoon together.

We collected a car load of donations and $132 in cash to take to the Wearhouse on Tuesday at 6pm. We are scheduled for a tour that will share more about the organization first hand, while we provide them with all our collections from the Drive. What a great family day!

Last night we took my parents to a farm team's baseball game of a Major League Baseball team. Having never been to this new stadium before, we were surprised to find that less than 80% of the stadium has no cover. Since we are not considered a warm-climate state, we were surprised to find the openness of the ballpark. It was beautiful, but not practical.

We survived and laughed our way through as we wrapped in our blankets and hoods as the rain poured down. Thankfully, we all had just finished our traditional baseball dinner of pizza or hot dog before the downpour began. We got moments of dry, but we dared not unwrap as everything was soaked and we didn't have a place to put it.

A highlight was when one of the first foul balls hit to our section and my husband grabbed it - it bounced out of his hand, hitting my dad in the head, and my husband snatching it before it hit the ground. He gave it to my dad as his souvenir - and for being such a good sport.

The other highlight was having our family on the jumbo-screen three times thanks to my son's crazy-mad dancing skills.

Fireworks after the game ended our soggy evening, but it was well worth the extra time out in the elements. The display was just long enough to get in some magnificent "oohs and ahhhs" before wrapping up our soggy mess and heading home.

Example

We had our first phone interview with CCI this morning. I think the best part was that I found I had done thorough research - nothing the interviewer said came as a surprise. Whew.

She said that there were no right or wrong answers as the interview was just your opinion about puppy raising, about your family, answering why you chose to Puppy Raise, your feelings about turn-in, your feelings about raising your pet alongside a CCI Puppy, your plans to socialize the pup and your daily routines, sprinkled in with her list of sharing the rules, responsibilities, and expectations of their Raisers.

If we passed this first phase, then we will have another interview conducted at our home with the kiddos and our dog. At that time we can ask specific, how-to questions based on our house and family. It is the final prep. If you pass that interview, then you are placed with a puppy.

Here is a glimpse into what it means to the quality of life of a Handler to have a CCI dog. Independence. Although CCI dogs are well bred for temperament and quality to work - they are still just born as puppies. They must be molded into the final outcome of an amazing service dog. Without all the steps of a fantastic Breeder, Puppy Raiser, Advanced Training Instructor, and all the folks behind the scenes pulling this all together, there would not be dogs to give away (yes, free of charge) to Handlers who ultimately benefit from every one's hard work.

Our first training

Our first phase of CCI (Canine Companions for Independence) has begun. We mailed in our application to be a puppy raiser last week, and today we received a phone call to set up a phone interview. That will be tomorrow morning. The phone call to set the appointment came literally as we were walking out the door to observe a Puppy Training session at the CCI training center in our area. Perfect timing.

Puppiness in all its glory from 6:30 to 7:30pm - what a great way to end the day. Golden labs and black labs, all round bellied and perky with tails wagging and tongues hanging out. Aged eleven weeks to a few months old. I could have grabbed them all at once and smothered them with kisses and hugs.

Completely laid back and entirely social, the Raisers were wonderful about volunteering to introduce themselves to us, and to answer any question about CCI. The biggest take-away is that there is a kid's training session through CCI that works as a 4-H Club. The students are of Kindergarten age to 12th grade who are  CCI Puppy Raisers and CCI Puppy Handlers (those who own a Canine Companion for their use to aid them in their disability).  They work as a team in one class.

This is fantastic. My children will learn life lessons beyond anything they would have encountered outside of this valuable training program. We didn't see this class tonight, they meet on a different day of the week - we will be returning to observe.

Before we left, I told my kiddos that I wanted to thank the instructor for letting us observe her class. We had arrived on time - but she was a very busy woman closing one class and starting another, I was not able to introduce ourselves beforehand.

And, like it had started, the next class was coming in, we were stopped by another sweet member to get acquainted (again, friendly crowd), and before you knew it, the next class had started with out us getting across the room to the instructor. I really did not want to leave with out a proper thank you - because after all, this woman will be our instructor if we are accepted into the program.

Soon, however, the sweet member was introducing us to the entire class. Wow. The instructor came over and shook our hand and offered my children her (trained) dog. My son beat my girl to the punch and answered a very confident and quick, "Yes, please."  Thankfully, my girl was okay with her lil'bro taking charge.

Off he went.  And we were stuck (thankfully) staying another 90 minutes.

Not fifteen minutes into class and the instructor casually passed, gave me the thumbs up sign, and said, "He's a natural."  I was beaming. This was just the reaction our family needed to hear for a variety of personal reasons. It was fantastic. My son was taking his role with confidence and with great listening on what he had to do as a Raiser.

Some photo-ops.

The smile says it ALL.

We finally got in our appreciative thank you's and were handed training paperwork and a training cd. She must be confident that we will "pass".

Our first training - this is going to be a lot of work, but all for an amazing cause and outreach.

Our Beagle Cora

This cutie can snuggle like a cat, snore like a piggy, and hop like a bunny. She is the best lap dog ever, although a little passive-aggressive at times.

For example, if you happen to sit in the corner of the couch, she will literally crawl slowly into position of your lap, or no kidding - she will walk slowly like a cat on the back of the couch to position herself on your shoulder, and then get super close to your face. 

A firm No only lasts for about 2.5 seconds, because her hound eyes immediately go sulky and you can't help but say, "Fine - Come On" and she's right in your face cuddling, or down in your lap finding that sweet spot to settle. Her personality is huge for her little 12.5 inch frame. 

Not a dog to fuss, or cause rowdy chaos. Simple. Quiet. Well mannered. Princess. We love her!

Look at those eyes. See? How can you fault us for giving her what she demands in life?

She danced!!

Through prayer and a lot of determination, our girl found the courage and strength to get on the stage and dance last night in the year end performance. Truly a miracle that she went from not standing on her right foot in ballet shoes on Saturday, to dancing across the stage on Sunday night. Thank you, God, for my girl feeling Your strength.

There are a total of six performances from Friday evening to this evening. Between shows on Saturday, I was able to get in touch with my daughter's dance instructor via our very dear dancing friend. The message was just what my daughter needed to hear: If nothing is broken, they would really like to see her dance. They have a replacement for her Helper dance, but they have no replacement for her Maid's dance. If she can find the strength to give the best she can for 2.5 minutes, then they will take care of her with ice off stage.

Now, at first my daughter was in tears hearing this news. She felt like the biggest battle was ahead of her and she was not sure if she could do it. She felt as though more pressure was placed on her shoulders. Further,  she felt the Kindergarten class would be disappointed if she was not out with them (even though the studio had a replacement for my girl). She was a Helper for this part of the show: the mentor on stage who dances with the Kindergarten girls to help them remember their dance, get in the right places throughout the routine, and help eliminate stage fright. 

Consoling her that we still had 23 hours before show-time, and plenty of prayers being voiced from family and friends, we encouraged her to not give up. Twenty-three hours was plenty of time to make a turn-around. 

And we were right. The turn-around was fantastic enough to get her into that fighting spirit. She practiced once at home before we dressed to leave, in order to prove to herself that she could dance with out falling over, or bursting into tears. The pain was present, but better than the days prior. She found a way to compensate for the injury. She covered it up well through her dancing smile and sparkle. It totally worked. 

She went to the theater focused on completing both dances; which she did. She left the theater with a life lesson about faith, perseverance, and determination.

The pictures of her dancing are from the week prior during rehearsal. Any ballet position put stress on her injured right foot as she went into a point, a run, a jump, or a flex. The night of the show was not perfect technique, but she was wonderful. 

I think the only one not with tears when she was finished on stage was her ten year old brother. He was looking up and down the isle of misty-eyed Grandparents and parents with the biggest grin. He was so proud of his big sis - but he just wasn't going to cry about it.  

She is still riding Cloud 9 for a job well done, accompanied with more swelling on her little toe boosting her favorite colors of purple and yellow. She hobbled through the remaining three hours of school today - and now is celebrating the start of SUMMER!!!

She danced!!!

Bump in the road ....

Throughout life there are many bumps in the road, some being more serious bumps than others, but bumps are bumps nonetheless. How we deal with our adversities help us build strength and character for future rising awesome moments, and future bumps too.

The last 24 hours has been less than stellar. Just as I was starting to make dinner last night, my daughter came limping in the house with tears streaming down her face. She had braved the pain long enough. An accident had occurred a short while earlier outside. She thought all was okay. However, when the pain didn't subside, she decided it was time for Dr. Mom.

Unfortunately, a Bee was flying around her and her friend - and in the process of trying to get the Bee to buzz off, the friend accidently stepped on the right foot of my girl with her hard boot-cast. My girl was wearing flip flops. One can imagine the result at minimum.

While we are not experts, we are not thinking that it is broken. While it is throbbing, and weight limit is close to impossible, there are other good signs that make us feel at worse - it is a pretty nasty sprain.

Since then, we have been elevating her foot on the couch and in bed. She has been on Ibuprofen for swelling, ice wraps too. We have athletic taped her toe and foot. We've been on websites. We've talked to fellow friends. We are praying. We are doing everything right - but the swelling and pain is not letting go.

She was brave enough to squeeze into her ballet shoes a short while ago. With tears falling, she tried to do anything ballet related. Not happening today. Her big show is tomorrow.

We are living on question marks for show as good things can still happen. We are not ready to throw in the towel. We have exactly 24 hours before we leave our house for showtime, and anything is possible. A disappointed heart, but with much forgiveness for the accident. Showing lots of love and pampering to our girl, mixed with encouragement and motivational speeches.

Bumps in the road are ones to embrace with fortitude. My daughter will grow immensely from this experience, no doubt. Every year from now, she will look back on this moment focused on her strength and mental attitude, more than if she were on that stage dancing a perfect dance.

Pedicure

I could get used to these ~ Pedicures. I was gifted a very generous pedicure gift certificate from my sister in law and her family for my birthday. I have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to cash it in. Part of the wait too has been because the weather has been so yucky, I didn't want to waste the fun by pulling a sock and shoe over the top.

Today, and the coming week, shows flip flop worthy weather. Today was also the last full day of school for my kiddos. What better way to spend my last moment of alone time than with a pedicure.

I know that my daughter has had more pedicures in her lifetime than I - and she's only twelve. My only excuse is that I tend to spoil myself on other items, not leaving room to include a spoil of a pedicure. Example, my last pedicure was my first pedicure, and it happened to be with the sister in law that treated me to today's lovely day. That was about nine years ago. We had gone in together to get pedi's before we vacationed on a lakeside house as an extended family.

Today I sat in the massage chair with music softly playing through the speakers, the sun drifting through the windows, enjoying my feet pampering and thought, "Oh yes, I could get used to this!"  Maybe I will cut back on my other spoils and start doing this more often.

Still feeling the mint tingle on my feet an hour later, I picked up my girl from school. Her first comment, "Mom, that is the color you always wear. Why didn't you go crazy?"  Because my dear chicka, I don't do this often enough, I don't know when I'll be doing it again, and I wanted the safe route in something I know I would love. Next time, -k?

Because, oh yes, there will be a next time ...

My Son in pictures

Photos captured by my hubby a week ago of our son. A random night. Last ride before settling in. School is coming to a close. All four of us can not wait for Summer schedule, or lack thereof. Lovin' my family.