The Taxi Posse

I try to vary my route to work to alleviate the boredom and to challenge my brain to not go into "duhhhh" mode. Some days my route takes me on a little sideroad by the airport and I have come to rather enjoy this one the most. There is an element of danger driving amongst the planes (sounds more dramatic than it is...), but I most like the taxi "posse" as I have come to think of them. There is an area where the taxis sit and I assume wait to be summoned for a passenger, but it is the coolest little society that I could see a unique documentary being created about.

There are about 40 or more taxis (I am a horrible estimator) that sit parked in very neat and orderly rows, along with a little break house of sorts that I assume houses a restroom, but what is coolest and most fascinating of all to me, is the atmosphere I observe. These gents, not being sexist but I have never spied a lady, get out, stretch, take brisk walks with their friends, chat, and generally demonstrate a camaraderie that is inviting. They appear to be of various ethnic descents and I would love to hear their thoughts on the culture of the US, their thoughts on the politics of now both here and in their homeland, and they discussions about the various passengers they carry to and fro on a daily basis. It is a unique little clique that has me fascinated.

So, my path varies frequently to this route, just because their existence makes me smile and makes me think.

CC

Clean Eating

I have been 2 weeks now on a new way of life that I am just calling Eating Clean. I wanted to share before now, but I have a bad tendency to be really gung ho, and then slack off, so I wanted some time under my belt...and now I feel comfortable sharing.

For the past who knows how long now I have been having a stronger and stronger urge to "nest" or just to be at home with my kids, cooking, spending quality time, just being there...not at work, not eating out all the time, just trying to calm the tenor of my life a bit. Well, I have begun to put those needs into reality slowly...can't get everything RIGHT NOW like I want can I? (or can I...nope).

As for the food, well, you know I have the glaring and rather serious cholesterol issue that medication is helping, but only at the strongest dose...and I still need to lose about 30 pounds...yes, still. And, I must tell you, my journey has been helped a great deal by several blogs that I read, namely Big Mama who does her absolute best to live off the land and to eat locally grown food and healthy food as much as possible, no processed junk for her and her large and boisterous brood. I started reading Big Mama because of the adoption link, but am now a dedicated reader because of her morals in life. And then there is her daughter, Sarah, who has been posting the best recipes and is also focused on eating locally grown food and not the processed junk. And then, you know how the stinkin' internet is, before you know it you have linked from this blog to that and then to that website and there is 100 Cookbooks, and a whole host of others. So, over 2 weeks ago now, I decided to go as cold turkey as possible and to cut out the fake and processed food that was so invading our diet.

So, what does this mean? Well, for one, I am cooking a LOT more and making some very delicious veggie recipes. I will start posting them soon and will get them on here as frequently as possible. I have purchased several cookbooks by Tosca Reno and they are great, even though her blog is mostly about her body building activities which do not really interest me. I also don't like the way it is called a "diet" because this truly has to be a way of life. It just feels right to eat like this. D and the Cherubs are being great sports and are fully on board (I even made chocolate chip cookies with chickpeas in them and they were fantastic)! Now, I will admit that I have spent more money on groceries the last few weeks, I have spent far LESS than normal on dining out. I have also signed up and received 2 weeks so far of local homegrown food delivery from Farm Fresh Delivery and that has been such fun to come home on Friday and see what goodies they have brought, seriously I need a Martha/Betty check as I am so domestic these days it is crazy...especially if you know me!

Okay, enough of all that for now. I am plugging away in school, actually have a B in one of my classes and am not at all pleased about it. I have been trying not to either pay too much attention to or ignore the incredibly frightening financial situation of our country...as of a week or so ago, my 401K was down 17% for the year....bet after this week it is even more. I watched the VP debate with much anticipation and am such a nerd because I was so excited about it. I know my friend Chris is too...although we are not on the same team... I am glad that Palin did not get up there and stammer and have no answers as she was seen on t.v. as doing, but it was very obvious that she was coached in certain areas and those were the areas she was going to talk about, question be damned. She was a little too "golly, shucks, Joe" for my taste, I see that she is trying to be the "average" American but this average American wants a bit more of an intellectual stance out of my VP I guess. I am still glad they picked someone outside of the Beltway and let her into the secret sect, but they still will not be getting my vote.

Cherubs are great, lovely in fact, and I have been going through some of our pics from this summer and thought I should post one here...

Chat more soon - with recipes I promise!

Life is certainly This Good...

CC

7 Deadly Zins

Dearest All,

I don't consider myself an expert on many things, therefore I don't recommend products here, just to those in my personal life who should ask or happen upon me during an enthusiastic review about something I have fallen in love with....I am a passionate gal, what can I say...


However, I am going out on a limb and highly recommending that you all run to a store and purchase the following joy juice...it is called Seven Deadly Zins, and no, I am in no way getting paid for this...and yes, I do realize it is a highly cheesy name. Trust me, find this, taste it, you will forever be hooked. This is a blend of zinfadels from Lodi California, simply divine!

My hubbie and I are not really big drinkers, but we have always enjoyed a fine bottle of pinot noir together on a nice evening at home, and even had our nice little jaunt (on the now-defunct Skybus) to San Francisco and the vineyards last July. We discovered this little ditty a couple of weeks ago and now it is a must-have if we are ever both home for an evening, gone, at least for now, is the pinot noir variety. Poor D, he is missing it because he is working as a chaplain intern at a local hospital this evening (all semester actually), and I am enjoying it. myself :)!!

Updates on the daily life:

• Meesta is doing great in school and has turned into quite the little soccer stud all of a sudden, and he is by far the smallest one. He is such a solid and steady little man, he is a great joke teller, want to hear one, okay: Knock, Knock....Who's There?....Interrupting Cow....Interruping Co....MOOOO!!! (seriously, first time he did it I died laughing, very likely funnier in person, trust me on this one)

• Shenzy is determined to learn how to spell and read because she hates to be left behind and since the twins can, she thinks she must. I am trying to be patient and encourage this, but I am so incredibly sick of homework that doing flashcards with her after Doodle and Meesta's homework and before mine makes me nauseous...but I am doing it! She is also begging to get her hair cut, and quite honestly, I am all for it. Her hair grows very quickly and so she could always grow it back out...and she is only 4 for heaven's sake!

• Doodle continues to have some challenges, but still the sweetest disposition and heart. We are in the beginning stages of having her tested for dyslexia as we think that just might be the challenge she is experiencing. She meets a lot of the criteria we have reviewed, but we are going to proceed with formal testing in case we need to get an IEP for her. The little lady is so darned smart, yet her schoolwork is much more of a challenge than it should be, so we are just trying to make sure we are on top of it all.

• D is having a very challenging semester, lots of responsibilities, but he handles it all with a grace that is inspiring. His sermons are so good, they speak to me and many who hear them. I love it when others tell him how his sermons speak to them, he is my kind of preacher. He takes the bible, explains a bit about the context of it, and then takes the scripture and tries to apply it to our life today. I love them. It is fascinating how he becomes my teacher during that time, we are so much partners in every other area of our life that it is odd to have him as such an admired teacher for me.

• I continue to be the crazy whirlwind that I must enjoy being. I will have some food/health posts upcoming as I continue to keep turning my leaf over, hoping it will stick! I had a scare because my student loan information did not apply to a year, rather to 3 quarters, so until that is all ironed out, I have a "hold" on my account at Walden, but fortunately it is just a technicality and I can still continue with my classes. I need to learn to LET PERFECTION GO! I get so ticked off when I miss any points, and trust me internet friends, I was NOT this way in undergrad college. I had a decent GPA in undergrad, became more perfectionistic in my master's program, but now I am just crazy. I should expect little instead of the other way around, because I always fly by the seat of my pants, rarely read all of the required material let alone the supplemental material..., and yet expect near perfection. I am CC at This Good and I realize I have an expectation problem!

Okay, that is the update for now.

CC

Locks/Lots of Love

My Doodle donated her hair, approximately 10 inches of it, to Locks of Love. We had been talking about her doing it forever, but it was finally her decision that it was time. I thought I would miss her gorgeous long locks, but in all honesty, this little chickie has a new lease on life with this short, sassy do! She has gotten about a million and one compliments and she is more outgoing, weird I know, but I think she was somewhat hiding behind all of the hair. So, here she is in all of her adorableness, not that I am biased or anything.

Meesta lost his second tooth tonight, by having some dental floss tied to it and then having the door it was also tied to slam shut. Not my idea and I was not anywhere near when it happened, but the thing had. to. come. out. The adult tooth was almost completely up behind it...will share a picture when I get them downloaded. No tears, just surprise and Dr. Doodle fixing up Meesta like a fantastic doctor/nurse that I could see her becoming.

Shenzy has been great lately and even spent a few hours with me at work today. Our nanny's daughter had some complications from a tonsillectomy and K stayed with her daughter today as that was where she needed to be. D took care of Shenzy in the morning, then she came and had lunch with me at work, then actually came to a meeting with me and drew and was quiet and good for 1 1/2 hours!!! Heck, I was bored!!! But, she did a great job. We then left, went and got Meesta and Doodle from school, went and bought another betta fish (another one went the way of all drains lead to the ocean...).

Here is a cute picture of Shenzy, just because...

And one of Meesta because I don't want to deprive his cuteness from the internet. This picture was taken while we were riding on a tuk tuk in Cambodia and he is sitting next to our friend who was on the build with us. This was the tuk tuk that had the dog who rode along, seriously, a great marketing tool!

Okay, that's all for now, homework awaits!!! Could someone again explain to me WHY I am in school again?

Life is this good (and this crazy)!

CC

17,646 Miles

Our trip to Cambodia had us flying approximately 17,646 miles. That is a lot for anyone, but for two 7-year-olds, it is kind of extreme! The picture above is of us at the Tabitha build site, dripping with sweat, but having a great time.

The trip had lots of interesting twists and turns, as every adventure in life must to be memorable, and this one was no different. Our adventure began in Cambodia with Doodle having a grand mal seizure as the plane was landing, followed by profuse vomiting...now how is that for a grand entrance?! She recovered fairly well though and we all went on to have a nice time, although Doodle is a very western girl now. Meesta had a better time and was a bit more adventurous I must say, with food and exploring the city and all of that. However, both are troopers beyond my wildest imagination and I am so proud to be their mom.

They worked as hard as any adult during the actual housebuilding experience, never complaining, never stopping work, they were involved the whole time and did such an amazing job! It was the most challenging build I had done, mostly because the floors we installed were bamboo and they were a bit difficult to hammer down...but also because I took on the primary responsibility for making sure the kids were safe and okay (lots of nails flying...8 feet off the ground with no walls...you know). I am glad we did it. I am even more glad it is complete and we are safely home and readjusted.

Since we have been home, we have had numerous doctor appointments for the Doodle, echocardiogram, EKG, 24-hour video EEG, and on and on...and fortunately the verdict for all = she is wonderfully healthy, she just has epilepsy. We can live with that and fortunately, so can she.

I had to wrestle with a 12-page paper that was due the week after we returned for my PhD program....I am seriously wondering what in the world I was thinking. But, somehow, I got it done and even got a great score, so all is well. I am enjoying my pitiful one week off between quarters and preparing to head back to the books next week. Once that quarter is finished, I will have an entire year under my belt and I will admit it has gone rather quickly...I pray I can hang in there without needing to take a break at some point.

Now, Miss Shenzy has escaped attention thus far, and that is not intentional. Today is her birthday and she is now 4. It is hard to believe my little baby is such a big girl these days. She was as good as she can be while we were gone and we all struggled a bit with our reintegration b/c she was bent on making us feel her pain for our absence. She has calmed down a lot though and I am once again able to enjoy her silly self:)

Well, that is all for now! Sorry for the extreme delay, but 17,646 miles will do that do a girl!

CC

The Most Out of Life

I truly feel like I am trying to squeeze ever ounce of juice out of life because my days are full and my list of things to do never seems to end. But, the good still outweighs the bad, so I am just whining, not complaining.

Let's see, what has happened in the last month! We went and visited D and I survived the flights with 3 little ones by myself. Barely. Actually, the kids were great, except Doodle, who did not enjoy the flights, but honestly, neither did I! They were fast landing, sharp turning, icky flights. I honestly think the airlines are flying differently b/c of the fuel issue.

Then, drum roll...........D came home!!! I did it, I made it without him for 9 weeks! It was a rough last 2 weeks after we saw him and then waiting for him to come home, but we did survive. I know I can do it now, and while I won't ever like it, I know I can do it.

The last week has been even more of a blur because we are heading to Cambodia tomorrow and trying to get ready has been hectic. Doodle and Meesta are returning to their birth country with us tomorrow for the first time ever; sadly, Miss Shenzy is not going and is staying here with our beloved Nanny and her family. I am really sad to leave her, but it is honestly the right thing for everyone. She is too young still and it would be much more difficult to take her. So, prayers are appreciated for the family given that we are not going to be together.

Also, Doodle had an MRI last week to make sure that there is nothing more than epilepsy going on with her noggin. She was quite the trooper because they did it with and without contrast so she had to get an injection. The kid is amazing and the best news of all, she has a perfect little brain. Huge relief. When we return, we will be doing a 24-hour EEG and then going to a cardiologist because her new pediatrician diagnosed a heart murmur on the first visit! Good grief. My last month has been spent going to the doctor more times than I can count, mostly for Doodle and Meesta (series of bug bites and swollen eyes). I am exhausted!

Work has somehow been fit into the above equation fortunately! School is still puttering on. I did have to drop a class, but the one I have remaining has been fine. It is an ethics course and some of the discussions have been interesting.

Okay, that is all for now, I will try to write from Cambodia when I get the chance. Please do keep our entire family in your prayers as things in Cambodia are rather tense right now due to elections (happened Sunday in Cambodia) as well as a rather serious stand off with Thailand right now over a temple along their borders. Military poised on either side...pray for peace and rationality for all. We have never been nervous going over before, but this time we are.

See you from 1/2 way round the world!

CC

Catching Up, Yet Again

Well, the last 20 days have been a whirlwind, so for the sake of this being somewhat my journal, I am going to try to recap.

We had our friends from Cambodia over and that was nice to catch up and see the kids hang out with each other. We were 2 moms with 6 kids, and only 1 of them was Caucasian, needless to say we were a spectacle everywhere we went. The kids got along fabulously though and a good time was had by all. We also went and say Kung Fu Panda and the kids loved it and I didn't mind it much either, very enjoyable.

I then took off for the Jefferson Awards in D.C. and they definitely know how to do an event up right. I had a really nice time and so did K, my nanny and friend who went with me. I fell in love with this older gentleman, and I will post his picture as soon as I get it downloaded, he inspired me and I just enveloped him in my heart the minute I heard him speak, it was just something about him. He also said a beautiful prayer that I will get posted here for you all to view, it was magnificent!

I came home on Wednesday, hung out with the kids and then got all 4 of us repacked to take off again on Thursday morning. K took the kids and I drove to the airport to go to D's Navy Officer's Graduation. My flight ended up being delayed so by the time I got there, I was precariously close to missing the Thursday evening shindig, so I did not stop to find my hotel, just drove to Newport and then saw a Curves workout facility and schlepped my dress clothes and make-up in there and kindly begged them to let me use a changing room. They kindly did and I got a bit gussied up and headed over to the Navy base to see D for the first time in 5 weeks! Well, I must tell you all that the word handsome is just not enough for how my husband looks in uniform. Ultra Fine. Wow. I was so proud to be with him all weekend (not that I am ont always anyway), but it was a unique glimpse into our future and it was such a fabulous time. His graduation was full of pomp and circumstance...with the exception that the music was not played live, rather was piped through speakers as a recording...which I thought was a bit of a cheap copout, but still very nice. We relaxed and explored Newport and it is a quaint little town with lots of tourists and lots of mansions! It was a wonderful weekend.

I was scheduled to fly out on Sunday evening, so I tore myself away from D and drove the rental car back to the airport, tried to sign in for my flights and the first one was DELAYED...well, the litany of what happened between that moment and 11:00 a.m. on Monday when I finally arrived home is beyond frustrating. I spent 6 hours on a flight that should have been 2. I was feeling so bad from stress, turbulence, and worry that I cannot believe I managed to keep all my internal cookies from tossing...not pretty, but true. I finally got out of the first airplane at around 1:00 a.m. and then had to stand in a line with a ton of other people to reschedule our flights for the next day, and I was fortunate to get one at 8:00 a.m. the next day. So, without food and/or beverage, THANK GOD LITERALLY that a Starbucks was the sole thing open in the Charlotte airport at 2:00 a.m. and that I got a bottle of water and a crossaint and then took my self to a well-lit floor area with some ladies who sat up and talked on their cell phones all night, which I did not care about, I felt secure. It was a very long night. I finally made it home, Meesta had been whisked off to scout camp by a helpful other mom and K had the ladies. I was exhausted but glad to be home.

The rest of last week was a bit of a blur with work and the kids activities, but the week days go by so much faster, so I prefer them. We now have 4 more sleeps until I make that same trip with the kids to go and see D. They are beyond excited to see him, it will have been almost 7 weeks since they have last seen him. Oddly enough, I am doing worse this weekend even though I saw him last weekend. A bit depressed and ready for this time apart to be over with. And yes, I do realize that there are other times during his military career when he will likely be gone longer, and I won't like it then either. My hope is that if he indeed makes it a career, that the pros will far outweigh the cons. We shall see.

Okay, well that is all for now. I hope to not be gone for so long next time.

CC