Why My Two Year Old Might Not Go To St. Maarten

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 5 Comments

Because we went to take his passport picture yesterday and it was horrendous and hilarious at the same time.  If you have never met my son–that would be most of you–then you don’t know or understand that there is nothing my son likes more than an audience that isn’t his mother or father.  Minnow is a grand showman and if one person is looking on it might as well be 1000 people, he doesn’t care he is in full-on performing mode.  It took the poor photographer 25 minutes to get a picture that we certainly will not be able to use.  He mouth looks just like this–his arms are down in the picture as I talked him into putting them into his pocket otherwise all of the pictures would have resembled this picture…

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I love my son and his personality is one that makes me laugh as well as others, but sometimes I wish he was a little more introverted–at least when it comes to taking passport photos–it’ll be too bad that he doesn’t get to go to St. Maarten with the rest of the family.  If only he could learn not to show off.  I am starting to prepare myself already for the “Minnow is quite the performer Ms. Dalai Mama but in religion class we really prefer that he not perform.”  I know we will receive a mass amount of phone calls because my son loves audience.  I can’t wait to see what his school pictures turn out looking like. 

Mom’s Night Out

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 3 Comments

I love having my mom’s night out.  I need a mom’s night out.  One of the best things that I have done since becoming a SAHM was joining a mom’s group.  I love my group.  The women are fun and warm and open and easy to be with.  Tonight we got together and played Bunco.  It of course is not about the dice game, but about drinking and eating and socializing away from our children.  Of course we talk about our children, but we also talk about lots of other things–music, clothes, sex, husbands, family, in-laws, etc.  This mom’s night out couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.  I have been home a month now with Peepers and really really needed to get out…

I am always amazed at how good it feels to get out with other women and socialize and not have anyone screaming for me.  I love my kids as all of us do, but it is nice to live a few hours as though you are childless.  But it sure is nice to wake up to those cute smiles in the morning. 

Summer Don’t Move So Fast

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 4 Comments

I cannot believe that it is already the end of July.  I will be back in school too soon to even thing about (three weeks or some crazy shit like that).  I am so happy that I am not teaching this semester as it would just be too much for me with the new baby–who doesn’t believe in sleep.  This summer has been so fun and exhausting.  Minnow has become a true toddler and is so close to being a pre-schooler.  He is talking better and better and is really blossoming.  It is amazing to watch. 

Peepers is growing at an alarming rate.  I had a hat for her yesterday at the park–one that was too big a month a go in Ethiopia the now is so tight it must almost cut off circulation to her brain.  That is good that she is growing–but bad that she thinks she is too big for baby food and only wants to eat cheerios and wagon wheels.  She is going to be a trouble maker, I can tell.

I love summer and I wish it lasted longer.  We have spent a lot of time outside playing in the kiddie pools and on the swing set.  Minnow loves being outside and before I know it–it’ll be too cold to.  Life moves too fast and I wish I was awake enough to move with it.  I am already starting to miss summer and it isn’t even gone yet. 

What will you miss most about summer? 

Calling All Budding Ethiopian Artists

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 2 Comments

We need your kids art work.  Please see the following. 

Hello Friends!

Ethiopian Orphan Relief, Inc. (EOR) needs your help! We will be producing a series of note cards, greeting cards and holiday cards for sale on our website. All proceeds from the sale of these cards will benefit EOR’s Programs, all of which help Ethiopian orphans. We would like these cards to feature the artwork of Ethiopian children, and we have already been gathering submissions from children in the orphanages.

If your Ethiopian child (any age!) would like to make a submission, please mail it to our Vice President Kim Pasion at 3020 SW Christy Ave., Beaverton, OR 97005 by Friday, August 5th, 2008. We will be choosing the artwork to include at our Board Meeting in Portland later that week. The top boy and girl submissions will receive a free EOR t-shirt! We will notify you if your child’s submission has been chosen for inclusion, and let you know what series it will appear in. Along with your submission, please include your address, your child’s name and their shirt size. Also, please prepare a “bio” for your child like the one below. These bios will appear on the back of the art card featuring your child’s submission!

“This work of art was created by Amelie from Colorado. Amelie is 2 years old and was adopted from the Toukoul Orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2007. She was born in Harar, Ethiopia and is of Oromo descent. She loves climbing, running, drawing and playing with her little brother and dogs. The purchase of this card supports projects aimed at improving the lives of Ethiopian orphans. For more information, please visit http://www.ethiopianorphanrelief.org.”

Thanks in advance for your help! We’re all very excited to see the submissions!

We will be deciding on artwork at our annual board meeting on August 8th.  Can’t wait to see your submissions.  If  you plan to submit your kids art work leave me a comment. 

Thanks for you help. 

Time (Mis)Management

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 4 Comments

Let me just start off by saying that I totally suck at managing my time.  Perfect example.  I didn’t have my morning coffee until 11:15am this morning…I’d been up since 7am.  I can’t believe how fast time moves in the wake of two kids.  Before I know it time has moved on and I am still a day behind.  I certainly waste time–don’t get me wrong.  I spend entirely too much time online.  But that is easy to do as my computer is on Minnow drawing table and it calls to me as I play with the kids…Yes, I know that’s horrible and the kids should have my undivided attention.  But when you have two kids, no kid get undivided attention anymore.  I have laundry to do still and I am finally getting ready to have lunch as soon as it’s done and it’s nearly 2:30.  Before I know it, Hubby will be home and I still will not have put on a bra yet.  Maybe that’s too much sharing. 

Both of my kids are asleep.  Peepers is on her second nap of the day in her own bed.   We have switched her to soy formula for a trial run to see if that helps her sleep better.  It has certainly helped with the amount of poop she produces.  We’ll see. The real test will be sleeping tonight.  Well, I am off to enjoy the quietness of my kids sleeping and see if I can’t (mis)manage some more time.