Busy with Projects

Tuks flying her kite. We went to Kite Fest last Sunday. That is where the new header picture was taken.


I am not very blogative lately. The weather is looking so much better that I may be able to take my gourds and other plants back outside permanently as of this coming Sunday. I hope to till up some ground in the dogs enclosure..it's big, and the only place I could possibly hope to grow veggies with all my deer around. I'll take the deer, but I need to be creative with my growing. I have also decided to break down some of the perennial beds until I can spend more time in them. Save the plants that I can and mow the others under. I have some big projects going on right now.
1. for school - arranging a GPS training with the science teachers by my friend E.
2. for home - this is what I will explain at a later date
3. for Haiti - the lia sophia party is coming up next Wednesday
4 my backyard - planting trees, growing veggies from seed, and getting the garden ready

Tuks has had good days and bad days with her "tudes". When she is bad I remind myself that we are in terrible twos, and when she is good I tell myself this is who she really is under all that sprouting independence. She seems to be much better when I take the time to explain to her what we are going to do, what behavior I expect from her, and then what rewards or consequences she will receive depending on how she acts. Now it may seem obvious to you, but it is something I am getting slowly better at. Remember I have been living by myself for many, many years. Once off of work, I could go or do anything without explaining it to anyone. Then when Tuks was younger, I again didn't really have to explain anything, she just came along for the ride and fun. BUT, now with her budding personality, she definitely has something to say about what we do, and she does let me know if I did a bad job of informing her. LOL

6 weeks

Remember this, well it looks nearly that bad today. I think this is the latest that I can ever remember we have had snow on the ground. Snow on the ground, and only 6 weeks left of school...just ain't right

FFF - Spring has Sprung

This year, Spring is wishy washy, even calling for snow this coming weekend. So I am posting from last year.


My girls in Haiti..pic taken last month..surely it must be considered spring there. Right!!???

Tuks one year ago, navigating around the yard. She had only been walking about one month by this time.

Occupied

Some major stuff is on my plate right that is keeping me occupied. Once I get it sorted out a little, I'll be back to regular blogging.....

Earth Day

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New Backyard Inhabitants

Two new backyard inhabitants. I have lived here now for 15 years and this weekend is the first I have seen these two (below) in my yard. They may have always been there, but somehow slipped my sighting, or they are new. Not sure, but we sure did have a great weekend outside. The gourds are outside hardening as we speak. According to the weather I may be able to leave them out overnight up til Thursday, then the temps will dip to the high 30"s. Too cold for my precious gourds.


Northern Flicker spotted foraging on my front lawn


Red fox sighted trotting through the woods

I am Meme

I saw this on several blogs, and so I decided to do it and turn it into a Meme

I tag.. Kerri and Ruby
......Jen C from Finding Wil
......Casa de King
......Small Town Girl
......Asha's Mama
......Blessed Life
......Mandy from Three plus Three


the I am Meme

i am: a lover of Christ, a Mama, and a naturalist

i think: life is going by too quickly

i know: that I will grow older with each passing day, so I won’t hold back from what I can do today

i want: to meet and be attracted to a good, honest man who knows how to make and keep a commitment

i have: great friends and great family members

i wish: people would stop telling me how to take care of my yard. I like it the way it is…natural and wild

i hate: mean and dishonest people

i miss: my parents

i fear: life will be over before I have done everything I want to try

i feel: the most deeply intense love for Tuki

i hear: Tuks playing tea party with Bear bear

i smell: nothing at the moment

i crave: the outdoors, a good run, and hugs from those I am close to

i search: for inner peace and contentment at all times, yet still hard to find sometimes

i wonder: if I will ever get there

i regret: not noticing the good men in my life when they were there, thinking I always had more time to find a commitment minded man who I was compatible with

i love: Tuki and my life

i ache: for the finalization of the adoption process for my girls in Haiti

i care: to be a good person who can help others, through actions or financial contribution, but I need to get out of debt (for the sake of my family) before I will allow myself to make the financial contributions

i always: leave my shoes and coats laying around the house

i am not: a neat freak, nor am I messy, I tend to maintain a balanced view of cleaning versus spending time with those I love and things I like to do

i believe: good will ultimately win over bad

i dance: with Tuks

i sing: with Tuks

i cry: at happy endings to movies, and when a person triumphs over an obstacle in their life

i don’t always: have patience…LOL

i fight: my anger at others when they make a stupid or negative comment around Tuks about skin color or an adoption related matter

i write: poorly

i win: whenever I can forgive others

i lose: whenever I let mean or insensitive people change my outlook on life

i never: understand why people don’t want to know about bad things, because the more one knows, the greater the chance that the bad thing can be changed

i confuse: manipulation with kindness, I just assume all people’s motives are pure, unless I find out otherwise

i listen: to the call of the birds and songs of the frogs

i can usually be found: at my house every evening since Tuks is in bed sleeping, I am therefore housebound for the night

i am scared: of the day I will die and the effect it will have on my daughters

i need: Christ, food, water, and heat in the winter, and to know my daughters are happy and healthy

i am happy about: where my life is and where it is heading

A Potty Training break through!!!!!!!!!!!!

Upon waking this morning, Tuks tells me that she has to go potty. So, I rush her to the potty and ....YES...we have a break through..she pee peed on the potty. I could tell she had control of the "kegal muscle", because when I made a big deal out of it, she pushed some more, and more pee pee made it to the toilet!!!

I also realized that today it was two years ago that her paperwork was signed out of PGN. I guess the 19th is a big day all around. Oh wait, today is only the 18th..Now you see why I have to keep an eye on all my balls in the air..I lose track so easily....LOL

FFF is Sibling Love---

Tuks has 3 fur siblings at home, but some day she will have her sisters from Haiti to share pictures with.


The complete abandonment and trust Heathcliff and Einstein has had around Tuks has always amazed me. Pic taken March 2007


sMurph and Tuks has always had a special relationship, right from the start.
Pic taken October 2006.

Singing for sex in the mud water

is one of the things that frogs do best.....

Their singing is one of the true signs that warm weather has arrived.

Two of the most vocal frogs in the spring...

Spring Peeper


Chorus Frog

I first started hearing them a few nights ago. Sometimes they are so loud that it is quite a lovely, yet deafening sound. Besides the singing of wild birds, I think frogs calling in the spring are some of my most favorite sounds.

lia sophia gives to Haiti

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention on the earlier post. I am planning a lia sophia party on May 7th as a fundraising party for the girl's O in Haiti. I have been planning it since April 6. As you may have surmised by now, I am NOT a big jewelry wearer. Ear rings and occasionally a necklace, or ring now and then. So after consulting the lady who displays the jewelry (what do they call themselves??). She said I could do this as a fundraiser, so any commission I receive will go directly into donation, and then add that to her commission, which I guess is around 40% and that will go directly as a donation..So keep your eyes open for the total for the O after May 7th.

Adoption Update

New pictures of the girls taken by a visiting mom. Thanks A!!!




I guess Panda is close to getting signed out of Parquet. maybe a late summer/fall homecoming??? Hopefully, but don't really know for sure.


I have been doing good in distracting myself from being consumed with the adoption process. I have found myself getting excited at the thought of home coming, yet terribly scared and worried due to the riots and food shortage. So I have mentally stepped away from the situation all together, so that I can function and enjoy the here and now with Tuks. I have been involved in the adoption process either with Tuks or my Haitian girls for over 3 years now, and I will probably in process several more years before Cheetah is home. So, I realized I needed a mental break from it all. That is why you didn't see me post much about the riots. It wasn't that I don't care, I really was worried and concerned for the country of Haiti and the people, it is just too over whelming for me. I have many demands on my time, energy and money right now, and I want to get things more settled before Panda gets home so I am keeping a more inward, around home approach...for the time being any way. It is my way of keeping an eye on each of the balls that I have juggling in the air.

Expressive Speech Re-evaluation

Tonight Tuks was re-evaluated, 9 months after her first evaluation for expressive speech. The Speech Pathologist from Birth to 3 was down right giddy for how well Tuks was speaking. Her articulation was a little off on some letters, but totally understandable. Many of the words expressed were above average for her age. So that means Tuks caught up from her 5 month delay in her expressive speech, and has now surpassed the average for her age. SWWWWEEEETTT!!!!!!!!!!

The Pathologist kept telling how very lucky I was to have such an incredibly sweet, observant and social little girl. I must say I agree!!!

Our Phoebe is Back

8 weeks and counting until the end of the school year,

AND

I sighted "my" Eastern Phoebe today. It was sitting on the electric line just outside our kitchen window. Tuks and I watched it for some time as it was sitting there singing its heart out.FEE BEE, FEE BEE......I think for us....but then again maybe not.

Sun is shining

After church, we tagged along with another surveyor, S, in the salamander research. She/we managed to catch 9 at her site today. I think the total for her site was between 60 - 80 when considering all six days. All the kids were very excited to see some, after a week of "NOTHING". OK, honestly, the adults were just as excited too....


The gang (minus me and R) looking at the trap.


Blue-spotted salamanders in the trap.


One blue-spotted salamander and two water boatman(bug) in the viewing container.


Young Central Newt.


Z emptying a trap.


Tuks checking out a salamander.

The snow is melting, the sun is shining and it looks like temperatures are suppose to be in the high 50's and 60's this week. All is GREAT in Greenville!!!!!!!!!!!!

SPRING???

HAPPY BIRTHDAY friend M!!!!!

and

HAPPY BIRTHDAY neighbor A!!!!!

My yard, this fine mid-April early spring morning, funny thing is the birds were still singing their hearts out..have to love their spirits!!!

Loony Friday

Well we pulled the salamander traps tonight, and the most exciting catch was a small blue gill fish. We may check out another surveyor's traps tomorrow. They caught 33 salamanders today..and us nothing!!! But we did see this sight below...


MY FFF ---Tuks and Z watching the Common Loons


Tuks checking them out...you can see them on top of the picture


Two Common loons on a nearby lake, hanging out for a rest on their way to the north.
They came in closer because R was mimicking a loon call and they came in to try and figure out who was vocalizing..

And as for the weather..it has been raining and snowing off and on for the last 3 days...................

Riots in Haiti

(CNN) -- The World Food Programme on Monday appealed to the international community for money to support its operations in Haiti, where at least four people have died during two days of rioting over the price of food.


A man walks past burning tires set alight during food price protests in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Monday.

"Riots in Haiti underline the additional need for lifesaving food assistance," said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran in a written statement. "At this critical time, we need to stand with the people of Haiti and other countries hardest hit by rising food prices."

Thousands of demonstrators on Monday marched through the streets of Haiti's capital, Port au Prince. Their dissatisfaction was underscored by piles of tires belching thick black smoke into the air.

Several stores were raided and looted and some cars were torched, said Samuel Madistin, a lawyer in Port-au-Prince.

"We're hungry, there are no jobs," said Joseph Orange, an out-of-work translator in Port au Prince. "It's really a problem."

"The cost of living is kind of high, and people don't have any purchasing power," said Georges Brunet, a professor of economics in the capital, where students made up many of the demonstrators. "They are university students with no future," he said. "They are hoping to get some revenues to make ends meet.

"Maybe the government will wake up and start making some long-lasting commitments to people," he added.

Don't Miss
Food prices rising across the world
On Friday, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti said the situation was tense in the southwestern town of Les Cayes a day after demonstrations over the rising cost of living there led to an attack against the U.N. office.

Protesters broke into the U.N. compound, ignored warning shots and stole from two containers, the mission reported.

They burned shops, threw rocks and fired weapons at some of the U.N. workers, though none of the U.N. workers were injured.

A report by the secretary-general on the U.N. stabilization mission in Haiti, written March 26 and delivered Monday to the U.N. Security Council, noted that Haitians' hardship had been exacerbated by recent price hikes and said, "The political situation remains fragile."

The U.N. food agency first appealed last month for $500 million to help offset an estimated 55 percent increase in the price of food and fuel since last June.

Unrest linked to the cost of food and fuel has occurred not only in Haiti -- the poorest country in the western hemisphere's --but in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Mozambique and Senegal, according to the program.

Malnutrition is particularly acute in Haiti, where the average Haitian diet contains just 1,640 calories, 460 calories short of the typical 2,100 daily requirement, the agency said.

WFP said it has received only 13 percent ($12.4 million) of the $96 million it needs to help 1.7 million people in Haiti.

"What we see in Haiti is what we're seeing in many of our operations around the world -- rising prices that mean less food for the hungry," said WFP's Sheeran. "A new face of hunger is emerging: even where food is available on the shelves, there are now more and more people who simply cannot afford it."

Eighty percent of the 8.7 million Haitians live in poverty and 54 percent live in abject poverty, according to the CIA's World Factbook

Are you ok Mama?????

I don't always dress her in blue, but I am not gender specific in her wardrobe, and I like for her to have rough and tumble clothes for outside play and wear so I am not worried about her getting dirty while having fun. Some days she is dressed in all pink.....

Tuks and I went to check the traps by ourselves tonight. I told her stay on the shore while I went in the water with the hip waders to check the traps. At the most we were about 6' from each other. Nothing but three minnows were caught, but the neat thing about tonight was seeing Tuks empathetic and sweet heart. After the third trap I was heading to the other two, and somehow my footing slipped and my left side went into the water flooding my hip wader and drenching my leg ,and arm. I, of course said "crap", and then I righted myself right away since the water is just above freezing. Once I was up, I hear Tuks say "Are you OK Mama??" and I said "yes, Tuks I am OK" she repeated it several more times with a very worried look on her face, and then she said "sorry". I think her way of saying I am sorry it happened. She then followed me along the shoreline making her way through the thick underbrush to make sure I was OK. It was very touching to see her show so much caring when she thought I was in trouble or hurt. It is especially nice since we in the middle of the TERRIBLE TWOS more times than not..LOL

1 Killed in Haiti Food Protests

1 Killed in Haiti Food Protests
By JONATHAN M. KATZ – 1 day ago

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Protesters angered by high food prices flooded the streets of Haiti's capital Monday, forcing businesses and schools to close as unrest spread from the countryside.

Witnesses said at least one person was killed by hotel security guards during a protest in the southern city of Les Cayes, where at least three people were killed Friday in food riots and clashes with U.N. peacekeepers. Police said they were investigating.

Thousands of people marched mostly peacefully past the National Palace in Port-au-Prince. "We're hungry," some called out. Others carried posters reading "Down with the expensive life!"

Haitians are particularly affected by food prices that are rising worldwide. Eighty percent of the population lives on less than US$2 (euro1.27) a day. The cost of staples such as rice, beans, fruit and condensed milk has gone up 50 percent in the past year, while the cost of pasta has doubled.

"Some can't take the hunger anymore," the Rev. Gerard Jean-Juste told The Associated Press. "As a priest, I encourage all government officials to do their best to find ways to solve the near-famine situation."

The U.N. World Food Program made an urgent appeal for donations Monday to support its operations in Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned last week that the food crisis could threaten Haiti's already fragile security.

Whoa....................

The last two days have been very eventful...First work for me, and Angie's school (what we call daycare)for Tuks, then yesterday I picked her up and we immediately took the dogs to the vet for their yearly vaccinations. Tuks was good as gold in
the exam room and helped in counting the number of shots each dog received. Plus, we talked about the dog's ear, spinal cord and knee joint using the models. She practiced cleaning dog ears with the cottonballs and Q-tips. The vet was so impressed with her behavior that he gave her a cookie. BUT then we went to check out, and Tuks started growling at the receptionist, so I immediately said "I will take the cookie away as quick as you just got it, if you keep that up" She then quickly said "I'm sorry". So I know she knows the behavior is wrong......Now I know this is rather typical toddler behavior, but I won't accept my children being disrespectful to adults...Again I have seen too much of that in my line of profession, I won't accept my kids being that way to others, she does not have to interact with strangers, but I do expect her to be polite. So we are still working on it.....with small improvements every time.

Then today after our school, we went to check the salamander traps..in 39 degree weather with 34 degree water(R - did you see this??). It was cold..and guess what, no salamander's. I have a feeling since the weather is taking a turn to the low temperatures and it is suppose to rain for the next 3 - 4 days, we won't catch a thing. Oh well, that is the way it is when working with wildlife. I think the salamanders are not moving yet since it is so cold. The state wildlife conservation employees are saying that everything is about 2 weeks behind schedule in regards to movement because of the colder weather we had this year.


This was her attire today for checking the traps.


So once we arrived home, we ate supper and she did her nightly antics.

Standing on the couch, moving to the edge, and then saying "whoa", then just catching herself from falling with her toes and arms.


Again, but I thought a neat angle to the picture.


She was practicing hopping on 1 leg. We watched Elmo's world tonight and one of the segments was hopping on 1 leg. She practiced for quite a while. Still not quite there, but definitely closer.


She finally decided enough hopping, and started tumbling.

And I guess her new saying is now "Don't touch" I think she picked it up from spending time with her cousin N on Sunday.

Trap check

Day 1, trap check...my boots and legs became drenched and flooded with freezing cold water due to the rising water levels. The snow is practically gone, and the river beds are feeling the effect. I called my brother W to request the use of his chest waders for the rest of this survey. My calf high boots just aren't cutting it anymore.


Running in the wind...



Tree Hugger


Z & Tuks walking off into the sunrise. Tuks thinks the world of her Z.


We caught two of these minnows...Anyone know the name of them. I don't know my fish very well!!!! We tossed them back into the water and they were alive and well.

Weekend Thoughts

Nine weeks left to the end of the school year....YEAH

and

I have decided NOT to go back to Haiti until Panda's pick up trip, even though I do not know when this is yet. I have made this decision from reading many blogs from other parents that are adopting older children. The children seem to have a real hard time when the parents leave, and I don't want to cause this kind of trauma in either of my girl's life. Why start the bonding process before it is permanent. I am already concerned about how Cheetah will feel once I leave with Panda, and Cheetah is left behind. I know it will be explained to her, but what one understands logically and what one feels emotionally are two different things.

and

Tuks took a tumble out of her crib this afternoon during her nap, so I guess it is time to put together her toddler bed, since I have yet to locate a nice and reasonably priced set up bunk beds.......

Survey Adventure

We; Me, Tuks, and Friends R, W, and their two sons R & Z, are involved in a statewide survey using:


these live traps


set in shallow water that has just woken up from the winter doldrums


to hopefully catch these, blue-spotted salamanders, among other types native to our state, to help determine populations.


Tuks enjoying the great outdoors. She loved every minute of it, so we have determined she is an outdoors girl in every way. She didn't fuss or have a problem with any of this mornings adventure. Mama couldn't be more pleased.

Here she is holding down feathers that looked to be from a Barred Owl.


Z & Tuks "busy" at the waters edge


Z & Tuks "busy" at the waters edge--take 2

We will return every day for 1 week to check the traps for salamanders. I will attempt to take pictures if we catch any..

We also need to set out 5 additional live traps, but still need to wait for more thawing in a near by pond.

54 degress outside today

and the snow is about half way gone....spent the evening outside!!!!

Life is Good in Snowlessville, now to to be called Greenville!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Grandma J!!!!

At a loss.........

I am at a loss at Tuks new behavior. It has been going on for a few weeks now. Whenever we are in store and I talk with any sort of sales clerk, check out person etc., Tuks screams "Go away', and then she growls at them. I tell her that she needs to stop, it is naughty., etc., and she just proceeds in telling me "No". So I eventually put her in time out in the store until she is ready to say "I'm sorry". I have her do this to the sales person and to me. We talk about it later, about how naughty the behavior is, and she eventually says she won't do it again...but of course she does.

So I ask
1.has anyone seen this type of behavior before???

2. What did you do to correct it?

3. How long of a time did this behavior last?

LOVE has many names

She calls him, Meow, Kitty Kat, and now sometimes her Raccoon...she loves to watch the movie "Rascal the raccoon", but never by his name sMurph..come to think of it, that is also a nickname to his real name Murphy.....whatever he is called, he is certainly loved by the Tuks and I think, just maybe sMurph loves her back...........most days anyway.

BTW..if you are thinking..well that is where Tuks picked up the head lice, then I will kindly inform you that human lice do not pass on to or from dogs or cats to humans. The human louse only lives on humans and so are only transferred from human to human....

Days OFF

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NIECE M!!!!!

We stayed home yesterday, today and then again we have to stay home tomorrow..can you guess why.....

HEAD LICE!!!

On the way out of church on Sunday, with the sun shining so brightly, I looked down upon my sweet angelic Tuki, and what to my astonished eyes did see...NITS..Tons of them, except I didn't know what they were, but it didn't look good. So we came home, put her down for her nap and started doing major research on the net. YAOUSIE!!!! She had every sign of head lice. Upon her waking, I went to work and treated everything I could think of..probably 10+ loads of laundry on Sunday. I also treated her and me. I combed many, way too many dead adult louse out of her hair. None from mine. It was nauseating to think that these parasites were in my baby's hair. After doing much reading I realized I need to contact everyone she had been in contact with within the last week. It felt like (by what I have seen on TV) a positive AIDS victim calling all ex-lovers..No I have never needed to do this, it was just an analogy. I called my day care..that is why it is closed until Thursday. I guess all kids positive with a lice infection are still contagious 72 hours after treatment. Many of kids also had the lice, but the question is; did they give it to Tuks or did Tuks give it to them, and if she gave it to them, then where did she get it from.. I will never know for sure.

I called the YMCA and asked if there had been any reports. They said no, so I said consider this a report since we were there 3 times last week.

I also called the church since Tuks was in the nursery. The strongest negative reaction I had was the church secretary..why that always seems to be the case, I'll never understand.

Also now that I know what head lice is and what early symptoms look like, I will be much more on top of this. I am also going to try shampooing her in Tea tree oil shampoo since it has been stated to be a repellent to lice. Better to go at this proactively, preventively, rather than this reactively, treating later type of actions.

I also did a lot of reading about the life cycle of the head louse and saw that I will need to repeat treatments several more times in the next 2 -3 weeks. I may even run it out to 4.

The articles I read pointed out two important facts.

1. Parents are usually too ashamed about this extremely common parasite, (10 - 12 million people get it every year) so they don't report it and the cycle just keeps going. I admit I wrestled with shame, but thank goodness my factual side of my brain kicked in and screamed everyone needs to know to stop the cycle. This is also why I decided to post about it..to inform others

2.Parents tend to relax some of their vigilant effort in getting rid of the lice after they don't see any more adults..BIG MISTAKE...we need to keep at it for many more weeks to again break the cycle of the lice.

I then decided to get Tuks her first hair cut and have the hair dresser look for nits. She only found two. I brought our own combs etc., so as not to pass on nits to unsuspecting innocent people.
I posted two photos below of her haircut. I was always so afraid that she would lose her curl, but no fear, her hair is cuter than ever. I kept some of the cut hair. She did great in the chair. I gave her a sucker and it kept her joyfully occupied the whole time.

So we are off of work and school, and on not too great of weather days. Yesterday, it rained all day and then it snowed. Today it should warm up enough this afternoon that Tuks and I can go for a walk outside and then tomorrow it is suppose to be really nice. I can't wait. The down side of all this is that I am eating up valuable sick days that I wanted to save for when the girls come home from Haiti. I will just have to believe that it will all work out in God timing and in his way.



Too cute..that is all natural curl..I am jealous!!!!!


Again way too cute......