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- bushelandapeck's Blog - Raising Bakersfield http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck en-us Safety Tat http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/29491 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/29491 <p>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). </p> <p>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.</p> <p>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. </p> <p>With all this in mind, I was beyond delighted when a friend sent me this link for <a href="http://www.safetytat.com">Safety Tats</a>.  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.</p> Her Sweetness http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/29291 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/29291 <p>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.</p> Water Shoes http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/29239 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/29239 <p>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!</p> Toys http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/29201 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/29201 <p>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????</p> <p>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?</p> <p>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?</p> <p>Are your kiddo's toys organzized, or  do you just throw them all in the nearest toy box?</p> <p>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?</p> <p>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. </p> <p>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. </p> <p>What has worked for you? </p> Adoption Insanity http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/29067 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/29067 <p>For those of you who don't know, we are in process of adopting a child from China.  When we first started the process, we expected the wait time between submitting paperwork and receiving a referral would be about eighteen months.  We knew it would be longer than our first adoption (a seven month wait), but we were prepared.  However, the wait time has steadily increased, and we are looking at a four year wait approx.  I just want to say I Am Not An Elephant!!!!!!!  That long of a "gestation" period doesn't fly well with humans. </p> <p>I'm probably feeling this way because we just started renewing our paperwork - which we didn't have to do last time because the wait time was so much shorter.  There is no binder in the world large enough for all this paperwork.  It's funny, too.  %99.9 of the paperwork is exactly the same, and our answers/responses are the same.  The only thing that has changed is our age!  Our jobs haven't changed, our home hasn't changed, our health is the same, we still have the same educational background we did 18 mos. ago, our criminal records haven't changed (uh, that would be non existant), etc.  I wish all that was required was a new fingerprinting, just to reassure all those involved that we still haven't broken the law.   </p> <p>I am praying that this will be the only time we have to renew.  I really want this process to speed up - warp speed, please!!!!!!!!!!!!! </p>

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Caption: Two Days After Adoption - At the Chongqing Zoo
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Caption: Two Days After Adoption - At the Chongqing Zoo
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HPIM0649.jpg Two Days After Adoption - At the Chongqing Zoo bushelandapeck School Keepsakes (a.k.a. paper overload!) http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/28837 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/28837 <p>At the kiddo's preschool last year, the kiddo would make at least two projects a day.  She attended two monrings/week for about 40 weeks.  Do the math - that's around 160 papers/projects that were sent home!  I love my daughter, but there is no way I'm going to keep all this.  Thankfully, her amazing teacher put together a portfolio and sent it home at the end of the year. But what am I going to do for the remainder of the kiddo's school years?  I like the portfolio idea, but I know I wouldn't get around to doing it myself at the end of each year.  Hmmm, I have one year to figure this out.</p> <p>What do you do with all your child's/chilren's school papers and projects?</p>

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IMG_5451.JPG bushelandapeck Graduation Speeches http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/28663 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/28663 <p>I'm not really big on graduation ceremonies, especially graduation speeches.  They just take entirely too long.  However, if you read my blog, you know that our family did attend the C.S.U.B. graduation a little over a week ago because my lovely little sister graduated.  We are so very proud of her, and we were more than happy to attend to celebrate with her. We were more than willing to applaud the "you are the future" speeches, but to our surprise one speech was unique, unusual and bordering on uncalled for.</p> <p>I'm not sure who invited Bill Thomas to speak, but I'm guessing he won't be invited back.  At least I hope not.  Or if he is invited back, someone needs to proof his speech.  Why?  Because he delivered a doom and gloom graduation speech.  Here's what many people I spoke with walked away with:  your future stinks; you're going to be poor as dirt; good luck 'cause you're going to need it.  Now, he might have sprinkled a few positives in there, but the negatives were so glaring!  Good thing most of the graduates don't pay attention to the speeches (instead they are busy messin' and goofin' and texting friends and family). </p> <p>The speech didn't put a damper on our party.  We had our lawn chairs out, drank our coffee and read the paper (that's for you, Bakersfield Californian).  We chit chatted with our friends, and I waited for my sis to walk across the stage.  It was a picture perfect day, and we celebrated our graduate.  B.T. can't hang a cloud over our day nor my sister's future.  Her future is as bright as the light that shines through her - that' pretty darn bright!</p>

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IMG_5222.JPG bushelandapeck Life Lessons http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/27683 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/27683 <p>Recently I posted about the kiddo and her developing ability to express herself and ask questions that I sometimes don't know how to answer.  She's asked questions about reproduction and Granny's poor health.  She pretended her imaginary friend died after she heard that one of her friends had truly passed away.  I'm sure she's seen me shed a few tears this last week.  Sometimes she tells me she is sad.  Yes, circumstances have been a little tough lately, and the kiddo knows it and has seen it.</p> <p>In the midst of all this, here is what we want the kiddo to learn. </p> <ul> <li>We'd rather go through these times with God than without Him.</li> <li>We are called to heal the sick and raise the dead.  The kiddo didn't get to participate in the latter because she is young, but she saw her mama praying like a maniac this week - praying like I'd want others to pray for my family member.  And yes, I said raise the dead - we don't get to leave that part out.  We keep goin' for "on earth as it is in heaven" and we don't stop.</li> <li>It is <b>not </b> God's will that her young friend is gone.  That might go against what some believe, but, heh, we just don't see a young life lost as somethin' Jesus would jive with.</li> <li>Questions are good, and it's okay to have unanswered questions.  But as our pastor says, we don't let those questions drag us down.</li> <li>Also, God can win with any hand; He can win with a pair of twos - another good one courtesy of our wise pastor.</li> <li>We don't live in discouragement.  It never helps us and it never will.</li> <li>We love and we love and we love.  We love those who are difficult, who are sick, who are mourning . . .. </li> <li>We don't live in fear.  Perfect love casts out all fear.  So, we reside in our Father's love and operate out of that.</li> <li>We live as a community, a body, and we make sacrifices for each other.  We come together in times of celebration and sadness.  We help each other. </li> </ul> <p> So, here we are.  Our little friend is buried, our Granny is recovering the best she can from her latest illness, and we keep on truckin' on together, with love and  hope and a whole lot of prayer.</p> The Milestones Never End http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/28625 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/28625 <p>Monday evening the kiddo tackled another milestone challenge.  She spelled a couple of words:  dad & bits.  Her furrowed little brows indicated her deep level of concentration.  Our wide eyes indicated our surprise!  Now ask her to do it again, and she'll mess with you.  And her enthusiasm to write her letters - zip.  She did this with potty training, too.  She knew how to do it, she was ready, but she just didn't want to.  The kid likes to tease us with a small demonstration of her skills, and then play hard to teach. </p> The Youngest C.S.U.B. Graduate http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/28322 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/bushelandapeck/28322 <p>Yep.  She's really smart.  Just a few months shy of 4, she's graduated from Cal State.</p> <p>Well, at least she pretended she did.  And we went along with it.</p>

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