We did it!

It's official! Mike's employer ADC Telecommunications have implemented an adoption benefit for FY2008! On November 12 we will find out how much it is for, but at this point I just want to celebrate! Mike & I worked so hard on the proposal for THREE years, and finally our hard work has paid off! Keep your fingers crossed for a number that will help ALL families as they navigate through their adoption journey!

Today when I picked up Piper from pre-school she was in a particularly bad mood...just tired and grumpy and what I term 'ready to blow'...within minutes she was yelling at me and telling me all sorts of silly things like

"no no no no we don't eat feet in THIS family" (we tell the dog to stop licking her feet in the morning when she wakes up)

and

"I am NOT your best friend Mummy!...I am too tired to be your best friend"

"I AM NOT TIRED"

I usually try to deflect, and asked her who she played with...lately she has been playing with a little girl called Hailey. Here's how the conversation went...

"Mummy, Hailey isn't married is she?"

"No Piper"

"weeeellll, whe she gets bigger maybe I can marry her okay?"

um...I had to think about how to answer this one...

"you'll have to ask Daddy"

Piper has also informed me that she is going to marry Daddy when she gets bigger and that we can come and live with her. Such a relief!

So..the concept of marriage is a little beyond her, but she has a definate grasp on the concept of love which is wonderful!

Once in a while I come across a piece of art that I fall in love with. Today I found Suzanne Woolcott, a Scottish artist who paints these...






I had to pick up a few for Piper and Paisley, especially one called 'daughters' which will hang on the wall outside their bedrooms. What a talented artist, I love the slight darkness of her pieces. If you'd like to check her out click here or here

Grant me a Chance 'Home for the Holidays' fundraiser

The wonderful charity 'Grant me a Chance' is trying to raise funds to help five children come home to their forever families. Please click hereto make a donation!



Please consider donating to Ethan, our wonderful friends the Novaks received his referral 'out of the blue' and the sheer speed in which they will need to raise the funds for this adoption is breathtaking!

November is a month for being thankful, it is also National Adoption month...how wonderful the two are paired together!

November is National Adoption Month

this quote is attributed to something Isabella Rosellini said, I like it, and I think it's a great way to start the month of November! I will try to post a positive adoption quote every day this month.

Quote of the day

"Adoption has the dimension of connection - not only to
your own tribe but beyond, widening the scope of what constitutes love,
ties and family. It is a larger embrace. By adopting we stretch past
our immmediate circles, and, by reaching out, find an unexpected sense
of belonging with others."

Isabella Rosselini

Ready to trick or treat Lola?

Piper was ready at 6.30 this morning, this girl is awesome! After our full day and a lovely long nap, all Piper wanted to do was get her costume on and hit the pavement! She would not answer to Piper, I had to call her 'Lola' and she was basically jumping up and down for a couple of hours before it was time to set out. We couldn't even get dinner into her she was so excited! She practised what she would say when she knocked on doors "trick or treat" "Happy Halloween" and the ever important "thank you very much!"

A pose for Mummy



As soon as it was dusk Piper and Mike headed out to collect candy...



an hour later they were back showing off their booty!



Our neigbors Gae & Randy gave Piper a very special cupcake with a ghost ring on it...acting against my mother's intuition, and the advice of our friend Patricia in NYC...we gave our almost 3 year old a cupcake at 8pm...





This is what happened!

Hoppe's Anatomy

featuring Dr McHunky and his intern Dr McCutie!

Scene: on the slab today...Mr Pum Kin. Operation: a complete seedectomy, and image reconstruction.

"Nurse McClicky, scalpel please"



"Dr Cutie, can you see the bleeder?" "No Dr McHunky, I just see weird orange gunk with seeds" "good, get the extractor"



"it's no good Doctor, it's too big...I'm going in..."



"last one...it's never good to leave anything inside"



now for the plastics team



"we will rebuild him..." (theme from six million dollar man playing in background)

meet Mr Batpum Kin...a shining example of amateur surgery!