World AIDS Day

December 1, 2011 / Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

It is easy to live in our own worlds of work, stress, life and forget about those a world away who suffer because they are forgotten. This day–World AIDS Day–is such an important day to our family. This is a disease that has touched our family. The touch is far removed, but I feel it against my heart, skin and life every day I look into my daughter’s eyes.

Today is a day to think, ponder and act.

This is a disease that we can help children be free of. There is no reason why children are still born with HIV. Other than greed and an unwillingness to help those who need it most. The ones we so easily forget.

More here from last year

Progress and Pride

November 29, 2011 / Dawn Kasal-Finley / 2 Comments

Yesterday the kids had their first ice-skating lessons. I was looking forward to it, but was also a bit apprehensive. We don’t have the best track record with ice skating. Which is sad because my mom and brother run an ice-skating rink. Noah has never been able to skate. The first year we took him (2008) he cried the entire time he was on the skates. We forced him to be on the ice and his uncle’s held his hands, so that I could get a picture–but really he hated it.

The next year, we tried again and I held him up and he hated it–we made it about 10 yards before he started crying and wanted to be done.

Last year, both of them got on skates without tears, but were both completely unable to stand much and not at all able to skate. Again we made it about 10 yards before they were both done. But at least there weren’t tears.

So, it was progress. But I really want my kids to be able to ice skate. I never got to take lessons as a kid and I can sort of ice skate–enough to get around the rink and have some fun (and by fun I mean not fall on my ass–because no matter how much “cushion” one has, it still hurts to fall).

I was talking to my mom about signing the kids up for ice skating lessons. My mom’s rink has lessons, but only for kids 5 and older so Zoë wouldn’t be able to take them and she gets short changed enough with activities that I wanted her to be able to take lessons too. So, my mom asked one of her skating instructors to give my kiddos private lessons and my mom is going to pay for them–which is awesome.

The lesson was awesome. Noah was a bit worried before we went and was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to stand up on skates. As you can see that was not a problem at all. He was up right away and did amazing. Zoë held on to the instructor the entire time. She had a few moments of solo walking on the ice–but very few. Noah fell down a lot but he got right back up and never asked to be done. I was amazed and couldn’t have been happier and more proud.

I have a lot more pics that I took with my camera, but I haven’t transferred them to my computer yet. But what you see in those pictures is a little boy who is having a blast and so clearly proud of himself and what he was able to do.

Awesome. I can’t wait until next week.

So Close

November 28, 2011 / Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

I almost made it. But I failed. I made it 26 straight days of posting. Totally forgot yesterday. I woke up at 4am and was momentarily crushed–but then felt this huge wave of relief. I can now only post when I want and when I feel like I have something to say. I like NaBloPoMo because it usually comes at a time when I am struggling to find time to blog and it forces the issue. But, about half way through the month–it becomes forced and not so much fun anymore.

I don’t know that I do it again next year–I’m too busy and this blog is a place for me to write. I don’t feel the need to be forced to write. Maybe next year I’ll create NaDissWriMo (National Dissertation Writing Month) as I will need to get that done and written. Anybody in?

Doing Time

November 26, 2011 / Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

The month is almost over and the end of posting everyday. I am three days away from completing another NaBloPoMo. Things have all of a sudden gotten really busy-judo 3x per week, gymnastics 1x per week, ice skating lessons, piano and work, etc.

I don’t know how all of this happened. I’m just thankful that my trip to Thailand has been postponed for one year due to the decestating floods that have struck Thailand. I don’t know how we would have done it all.

I’m overwhelmed just thinking about it. I can’t even think about my new job and that starts this coming week.

Can’t wait for Christmas and time to relax.

A First Attempt

November 25, 2011 / Dawn Kasal-Finley / 2 Comments

So, one of my brothers lives in Chicago and he and his partner love to do things with the kids when they come in town. They alternate holidays–this year Thanksgiving, next year Christmas, etc. My brother did some searching and found this awesome class he could do with the kids making gingerbread houses. There was on catch–it was in Texas and well that isn’t where we live. My brother isn’t the most attentive to details. But we thought that would be fun and decided we would do gingerbread houses at our house.

I have never made a gingerbread house–and I now know that my brother hasn’t ever made one either. Well, I spent an hour yesterday making the dough, then I had to cut it out and bake each of the pieces (sorry no pictures of that–thankfully I am not a food blogger). My brother and his partner showed up today with way more stuff than we needed for the two small gingerbread houses we were making. With all they brought, we could have decorated quite a few more.

But we had a lot of fun and the kids thought it was so much fun.

Zoë’s masterpiece in process