Random Acts of Kindness

As some of you know I'm Catholic and I'm doing some Random Acts of Kindness this Lenten season. I've given up chocolate in past years along with popcorn, going out to eat, doing take out and more. This year I wanted to do something for others.

Act 1 will be done this weekend...I can't say what it is but hopefully you'll hear about it afterwards on here. I'll need to chat with the other person to make sure it's okay with him/her.

As for Act 2, I'm open to suggestions...I'm thinking of a few things (clothing donation to my local domestic violence center, donating food to our local food pantry, donating pet food to our local food pantry and more). Anybody have some different ideas??? Please share them...

A bit of Korean News...

A doctor here in the US (that I think we met at the KAAN Conference in Boston in July 2007) is working on getting help for single moms in Korea (read the article in the Korean newspaper). I am hoping that his efforts there will help others in the same situation in Korea so that the First Mom won't have to choose between her child and their social status. I hope that more and more single birthmoms will be able to parent their child if they so desire without feeling shunned by society and have the financial ability to do so.

This particular AP (adoptive parent for those of you not up on adoption lingo) thinks that his efforts are a good thing.

Adoption Fundraiser for a Friend of Mine

First some background as to who this is: Beth is a mom who is fundraising to adopt a little girl from Korea that she and her husband have affectionately named Jocelyn. Jocelyn is a biological sibling to one of her other children (so you can see how this hits home for me). Beth is also somebody that I know through a group of women who have adopted either domestically or internationally. We are helping her do some fundraising. I hope that you are willing to help.

Please visit her fundraising website for more details. I'm hoping that you will help her out.

Thank you from my heart and from Beth's heart as well...

~Jen

Bella's 2nd Birthday...Where Oh Where Did the Baby Go???

Soon I will have a 2 year old in my home. She knows how to operate a mouse, click on things on a computer, and play some computer games. She knows how to host a mean tea party. She loves eating Kimchi and is finally learning that veggies are a wonderful thing to eat. She loves to be a Mommy to her dolls and stuffed animals. She loves her Hello Kitty (otherwise called affectionately Kitty). She still loves to hug. She still loves to be held. She is still very much a Momma girl but loves her Daddy as well. She loves her big brother and sister. She loves to talk on the phone.

She sings the ABC song, can count to 10 on occasion, , loves to smile and lights up the room when she does, has an infectious laugh and so much more. She loves her Omma and I know that her Omma loves her. She loves her puppy (and her puppy loves her too!!) and when she calls her puppy to come Maggie will go to her (but not to the other two kids).

We talk about puppy dogs, butterflies, Dick and Jane, letters, Elmo, Hello Kitty, her dolls, music, flowers, her wanting to help, Korea and more. We talk about her mentor, Jen, and how she came from Korea too. We still wave hi to the First Lady that Bella is on a first name basis with when she says Hi Michelle all while waving at the TV at the First Lady.

My little girl who came home 2 days before Thanksgiving was so afraid of us and then afraid that I would leave her sight so much so that she had a deathgrip on me for about 48 hours. Slowly that grip loosened to the point where she felt comfortable to have me out of her eyesight but within hearing. She took no time to warm up to her siblings and her siblings took no time to warm up to her. She slowly started solids and has had little problems except for a few allergies/intolerances that she seems to have to dairy and to berries. She disliked most veggies at the beginning but now loves beans, corn, broccoli, and a few more. My little girl who tells me every day love you and then smiles. My little girl who tells me hug me please and then says thank um afterwards.

Where did my little baby go???

She grew up into a wonderful 2 year old

~Jen

PS You'll see the traditional photos we take after the party this weekend with our family and friends.

Today's Events Part II

This afternoon, after the kids napped, we watched the Inaugural Parade. Jeff and I had to convince the kids to have dinner at the big table (the one in our Breakfast Nook). After dinner, they could watch the parade. Bella sat on my lap after dinner on the floor of our family room and waved at Michelle Obama every time she saw her wave. My littlest one then started in with "Hi Michelle" every time Michelle waved. I'm not sure if Bella thought The First Lady was waving directly at her or not. It was so cute just the same.

My oldest two were excited...they waved their flags and jumped for joy. I printed off Obama paper buttons for them to wear and they wore them for as long as the tape lasted.

So I hope that President and Mrs. Obama know that my 4 1/2 year old son wants to work to rebuild America and my nearly 2 year old just wants to say "Hi Michelle". All of my kids loved to wave their flags, both of them...their Korean flags and their American flags.

~Jen

Thoughts about Today's Events

As soon as I came down the stairs of our home and went into our family room, I turned on the TV for today's events. I mention to the two oldest that I know of somebody who is there...who is in that sea of people that look like little ants since the pictures are coming from buildings like the Washington Monument. My oldest was shocked that I knew one person in that crowd of people...that his Mommy knew of somebody who is there right now.

We watched history unveiling herself in front of our eyes today. My kids are too young to understand it all yet...too young to comprehend what this means. We are decked out in our Red White and Blue today...just like the colors that I vote in.

We heard that the National Mall reach capacity of 1.2 million people and is closed to more people at 9:15 this morning. We heard the cheering of the crowds who lined the streets as the motorcade went from the White House to the Capitol Building. We watched in awe that these events were happening right in front of us, in front of the world to see. We heard the heard the words from Bruce Springsteen "no retreat baby no surrender".

We saw the eyes in the crowd fill up with tears of joy to see this event.

Katie had to dress up for the occasion with her tiara, butterfly wings, high heels, princess wand, necklace, and pink princess skirt on.

The kids waved their flags. They saluted all of the former presidents just like the military guards did. They cheered with the crowds. They screamed out OBAMA (OBAMA-MAMA, or OMAMA) all on their own. They pointed at each time an American flag was on the TV and waved theirs in return. Bella waved hi to Michelle Obama as she waved at the crowd there. Ryan and Katie took the oath of office just like Vice President Biden did. They took the oath of office just like President Obama did. They cheered, they jumped around the room, waved their flags, and screamed out OBAMA afterwards. Bella "sang" to our National Anthem.

During Obama's speech my kids ate lunch in the family room (something which we rarely do) but it was important for them to see him in this historical moment for our country. Obama had mentioned that starting today, and I'm paraphrasing here, we need to work to remake America...so Ryan pushed back the chair from the table, stood up and put down his spoon and said "okay I'm ready to work". My four and a half year old was serious and wants to help...so where do I sign him up to help our country??? I'm thinking being a good citizen, being helpful and kind towards others, clean up the world around him, and more.

At the end of the speech, Katie screams out that she sees Kathaleen there and Ryan says and I see Maggie. It was too precious. I didn't have the heart to say that I didn't think so...not after seeing them with so much pride.

So today we had the fanfare...we had the pomp and circumstance. We had the jumping for sheer joy that Obama is president. We paid respect to the former Presidents that are still living. We waved hi to Michelle Obama. We stood and took the oath of office ourselves. We saw and cheered with the crowds there. We are decked out in our red, white and blue.

Now we have the lull until the parade so we are playing with toys until then.

My Dream...

Like MLK, I have a dream. Like him, I hope that one day that our founding forefathers' words on the Declaration of Independence will ring true...that all men (and women) will be created equal.

I hope that one day my children will not encounter racism anywhere and to dream big (and if the dream of theirs is to become President of the US that is fine with this mom).

I hope that my children will be able to have open adoption relationship with their First Mom.

I hope that one day all children that are given up for adoption are truly orphans and aren't sold or stolen from their First Families.

I hope that one day men, women and children aren't bought and sold into slavery.

I hope that we can live in a society of peaceful existence without any prejudices or stereotyping.

I hope that one day I can say that I don't have any white privileges since all races have the same rights and privileges as I do.

I hope that my readers do something to help the world that they live in whether that be the world inside their homes, outside their door or the online world.

I hope that my readers understand that racism does indeed exist (whether it be subtle or not so subtle) and do stand up against it.

These are my hopes and my dreams today.

~Jen