This has nothing to do with raising kids except for the fact that I do want my daughter to taste our local fish.  I've lived here most of my life, and when I was younger I used to fish with my dad.  But I don't want to fish right now;  I just want to eat the fish, rainbow trout that is. (Not that anyone can fish in the Kern right now -have you seen how muddy it is?- so sad!)

Anyone know of a restaurant here in Bakersfield that serves Rainbow Trout?

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My little sis just graduated from the Bethel School of Worship in Redding, CA.  We took a quick trip up there for the grad ceremony.  Another lovely lady we know and love also went with my sis.  After the graduation celebration, the ladies were happy bugs, and I took a pic to capture the moment.

And while we were staying at the hotel, the kiddo got to jump on the bed.  She has learned that jumping on the bed in only allowed in hotels, and she  takes full advantage of her hotel stays.  ( We did not teach her that.)

So that is our recent excitement.  Life is good.

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A few months ago we participated in the Relay for Life with some dear friends.  For those of you who don't know, each team is assigned a campsite on the C.S.U.B. soccer fields.  As we brainstormed what our team would need to take, my first question was "What is the toilet situation out there?"  I soon learned that the American Cancer Society supplied outhouses for all the participants.   Well, that just wasn't going to do for out preschooler.  I was not going to have her use an outhouse - it disgusts me enough when I have to use one.  I could not imagine my being in that 2 x 2 foul smelling area trying to hang onto my daughter so she wouldn't fall down into the sewage. 

My brilliant friend, Superha (here on RB) had a simple solution to my potty problem:  Potty on the Go by Fisher Price.  She kept hers at the campsite for the weekend, and all the kids used it.  I'd never seen it before the Relay weekend, but I had to have one.  This thing is beautiful.  It is a life saver.  It is one of the greatest inventions. 

This little potty has three sturdy legs which fold up under the seat for storage, and it comes with a neat carrying case.  A bag fits between the seat and the potty base for catching the wee wee and poo poo, and an absorbent pad is placed at the bottom of the bag to prevent free flowing urine.  When the child is finished doing the duty, the bag can easily be tied and thrown away.  (When we're on the road, and there is no trash can around, I double or triple the bag, and then I toss it later.)

So this last weekend, the hubby, kiddo and I traveled to Redding.  I've always preferred taking I-5, but the 99 has more pit stops.  However, with Potty on the Go, we didn't have to worry if there was  a decent pit stop.  In fact, I've pulled over to the side of the road, whipped out the Potty, and had the kiddo pee right there.  (It sure beats an accident in the car seat!)  So, this trip, it was I-5 all the way.  The POTG makes traveling so much easier.

Also, I've used the POTG in the Target parking lot.  We had just returned to our van, unloaded the bags, and the kiddo yells, "I need to go weeeeeeee!!!!!"  I had just asked her inside the store if she needed to go.  I was trying to get home in time for I don't remember what, but I was in a hurry.  So instead of going back into the store, I simply took out the POTG.  So simple.  Everyone was happy. 

And what else is great about POTG?  It's only $20.  Yeah.  An absolutely amazing invention such as this is so cheap.  Gotta love it.

If you take a look at the potty, you'll see that there are special bags  and pads that come with it.  Truth be told, those are not necessary.  A good ol' Target or Vons bag will do, and instead of a pad, stuff a couple of paper towels in it to soak up the pee.  There is no need to special order anything for this potty.

I highly, highly, highly recommend the Potty on the Go if you travel with a toddler/preschooler or you are repulsed by many public restrooms like I am, and you'd rather have your child pee on a bush than use a filthy toilet.

The kiddo has a solution to everything.

Yesterday we had some friends over for dinner.  They have a little boy whom the kiddo adores, and so she was excited that he was coming over.  About an hour before their arrival time, the kiddo started asking every minute, "Are they coming?  Will they be here soon?"  Over and over and over - the same questions.  Ugh.  But I just assured her that they would arrive soon like we'd planned. 

Finally the kiddo just gave up and came up with a new plan for us. She threw up her hands and announced, "Let's put our dinner in the car and take it over to M----'s house!  That's a good idea, yeah?"

We laughed. 

So the kiddo is comin' up with stuff that stumps us at times.  She must see my jaw drop when she dishes out a good one.  Tonight she wanted me to stop cleaning  the kitchen and go with her to the bathroom.  This is a recap of our conversation:

Me:  Honey, why don't you go potty before we get you ready for night-night?

Kiddo:  I want you to come with me.

Me: Sweetie, I'm in the middle of cleaning up the kitchen.  You can go by yourself (which she does all the time), and I'll be here in the kitchen.  I'm not far away.

Kiddo:  But I want you.  I can't go by myself.

Me:  You go by yourself all the time.  Now go potty so you can get ready for bed.

Kiddo: (whining)  Nooooooo.  Those aren't  MY RULES.  You have to come with me.

Me:  What rules?

Kiddo:  My rules.  My rules say I can't go by myself.

Me:  Who taught you about rules?  Who else has rules?

Kiddo:  Eloise.  (This is her imaginary friend.)

Me:  I'm going to have to talk to Eloise.

So I don't know where this "rules" thing came from.  Maybe she invented it on her own.  She has been trying new tactics.  I tell you, the kiddo changes her strategy for getting what she wants all the time, and I'm constantly having to make adjustments.  She certainly keeps me on my toes.  And she keeps me laughing.

Several people who know we are adopting again have recently inquired about where we are in the process.  We appreciate the love and support friends and family offer as we wait for what seems like forever.   We appreciate the prayers on our behalf and our child's behalf.  And questions are okay.  We don't mind answering questions, but what is bothersome is some of the comments we hear like "I don't understand why the Chinese government can't move faster," or "You'd think the Chinese would want to find homes for those children," or "Why do the Chinese have to make it so difficult and complicated."  When these comments are made, we hear presumptuous blame being put on our daughter's birth country, blame that they do not deserve.  It is insensitive at best.  So, I thought I might clear a few things up for those who might inquire as to why the wait time has increased.

Before I share my understanding of what is happening, let me say that there is no one specific reason for the increased wait time. 

First, the number of adoptive parent applicants has increased beyond expectation.  In comparison to other international adoption programs, China has proved to be more reliable.  The process is relatively smooth.  The children are taken care of and healthy.  Overall, China has a wonderful social welfare system.  Hence, many adoptive families are choosing to adopt from China, so the wait has become longer.

And yes, there are many children in China needing to be adopted, but they are not paper ready.  International law requires a child have a birth certificate.  This is not just Chinese law.  And just like in the U.S., processing paperwork requires money.  For every child in a Chinese social welfare institute (SWI), the SWI must pay $300 for the child's birth certificate.  SWI's do not have $300/child.   Also, not all SWI's are legally set up for their children to be adopted.  There is a legal process that must be followed- kind of sounds like the U.S., yes?  The Chinese and others are around the world are working hard to get these SWI's certified and get birth certificates for the children.

Another factor is the increase in domestic adoption in China.  This is a good thing!  Laws are changing.  Many people assume that a one child policy exists for all of China - not true!  In some areas, Chinese families are being encouraged to adopt children from the SWI's. 

 There is also speculation that the Olympics being hosted in Beijing has slowed things down.  I do not know how true this is.  We will see if processing speeds up after August.

I'm not even sure how to end this.  I do know that my hubby and I are somewhat tired of hearing the critical remarks regarding China.  It gets old, and what sounds like arrogance behind the judgments gets old.  But what I do know is that we will continue to try to help people understand the international adoption process, and we will quickly admit that we do not understand it all. 

In December we're taking another trip to Disneyland.  We can't get enough, and this time we're going with the kiddo's prince (they got "married" a couple of months ago). 

Now the Prince's mom is very efficient, thinks of everything ahead of time, and has a plan to avert any possible mishap.  Last time she took her boys to Disneyland (her sister and kids went, too), she ordered brightly colored matching tie dyed t-shirts for all the kids so she could easily spot them in a large crowd.  I appreciate the thought and planning she put into the hippie shirts idea, but when we go in December, our kiddo isn't wearing a shirt that competes with the neon factor of a county worker's uniform.

So, I started thinking about what I can do to keep our kiddo safe.  You see, when we've gone to D-land before, the kiddo rode in the stroller most of the time. Hence, we didn't have to worry about her running off.  And I know she's a smart kid, and she probably wouldn't do anything like that; but a kid is a kid, and sometimes there is a character, a ride, a balloon, a something-so-appealing-it-can't-be-resisted, and a child goes after it without a second thought of checking with mom or dad. 

With all this in mind, I was beyond delighted when a friend sent me this link for Safety Tats.  What a simple yet brilliant idea!  The safety tattoos are like the character ones kids wear now, but the tattoo is that of the parent's cell phone number and a message that says, "If Lost, Please Call . . .."   I do wonder about how long it will last (company states the tattoos last 1-5 days), but I figure for $20, it's worth a shot.  My other option is to use a permanent marker on the kiddo or on her clothes.  I liked the tattoo idea better.

The kiddo came in bed with us the night before last.  So Saturday morning we woke up to this:  "Mommy!  Daddy!  Wake up!  It's sun shiney outside, and I think the moon is asleep!"  Her smile was brighter than the sun.  What a precious moment.

We are patiently waiting for the smoke to blow out so we can go to the new Jastro Park spray park on Truxtun Avenue.  It looks great.  I am impressed with what our city is doing with our parks.  But before we go for some water fun at Jastro, we need water shoes. I don't want the kiddo running around barefoot out there just in case there is glass or whatnot.  Please tell me what you use for water shoes and where you purchased them.  We need to find some soon.  Thanks!

If you read the title and you have kids, you probably already have an idea of what I'm going to ask:  what do you do with all the toys kids accumulate????

Toys, toys, toys, they're everywhere!  I know it's time for a sifting through, but how do I approach the kiddo with that idea?  What do you do?

Also, how do you help your children learn to put toys away, and are you able to get your kiddos to put them back in the right place?

Are your kiddo's toys organzized, or  do you just throw them all in the nearest toy box?

Do you have your kids choose what goes, or does a "toy fairy" come in the night and clean things out that the kids won't miss?

I know some people rotate toys.  I do like the idea.  It would be great to bring out a "new" box of toys every few weeks, but that's not going to happen in our house - I'm not that organized, and we don't have that much room for storing boxes of toys. 

I also love the idea of a play room, but we don't have room for that, either.  And the kiddo's room is not nearly large enough to hold all her toys.  Hence we have toys in her room, the den, the living room, and outside. 

What has worked for you?