Disneyland... Anniversary Style

We took Adjoa to Disneyland for her first visit.  Everyone always says this, but Disneyland with kids is a whole different experience.  She LOVED it.  And she was convinced that everyone was real in Pirates of the Caribbean.  She wanted to go on it again and again and kept saying, "look mommy!  That man is still sitting there!  He should go home."

I encouraged it.  What can I say?  You don't have very many years when you just simply believe.

Of course she was all about getting her autograph book signed.  We did the breakfast at the park one of the mornings, and she got to meet a lot of classic characters then.  Actually, I was a big fan of the breakfast and I think we would do it again next time.

Adjoa's favorite ride was "the train" aka Thunder Mountain, and her favorite character was, of course, Ariel.

On our second day there we ran into my cousin and his family.  We were actually in the same line for the same ride at the same time.  Totally crazy.  You could be in the park for days and never run into someone like that.  We spent the day with them, and Adjoa loved it.  Having two more girls to enjoy the magic with sure made a difference to her.

We also met up with Kevin and Gail and Hayden enjoyed showing Adjoa all his favorite rides.  Those two are so funny together.  Adjoa is looking forward to playing with Hayden again on our next visit.  And of course, Karen met up with us while we were there.  You can't live in LA and miss your niece's first Disneyland experience, after all.  Adjoa even got to have a sleep over at Karen's apartment - something she was looking forward to for weeks.

Thanks to everyone who made our Disneyland trip a fun one!
 

 Ariel Is Adjoa's all time favorite.  The Little Mermaid was the first movie she saw when she came home and she memorized the songs almost immediately!  Adjoa was so busy staring at the princesses, I don't think she every really looked at the camera!

 Adjoa and Karen on It's a Small World.  Our first ride at Disneyland.  Adjoa was mesmerized.  It was so cute.  Around Christmas, they have Small World all decked out for the holidays and each country sings a Christmas song from that area.  It makes the ride more bearable.  You aren't guaranteed to have the song stuck in your head for the rest of the day - more likely it will be a Christmas carol or two mixed with "It's a Small World".  Great.  Now I have that song stuck in my head....

 Adjoa and Hayden in line for Thunder Mountain.  At night, that ride is AWESOME.  It's sooo dark you can't really see anything.  The kids had a blast.

You probably can't read it, but I'm pointing to a Happy Anniversary pin we received at the gate.  In case you didn't know, Robert proposed at Disneyland.  This was our first time back since then!

 Adjoa and Anika with Ariel.  This was Adjoa's second time seeing Ariel, so I was able to get her to look at the camera, but I'm obviously intruding on her big princess hug.

 Disneyland brings out the kid in everyone.  Not that it's terribly hard to bring out the kid in Robert...

 The Princesses taught Adjoa how to pose.  She's practicing.  She'll be practicing for months.

I think this picture of Adjoa and Woody is so funny.  She's trying to mimic his stance.  What cracks me up most is that Woody is soooo huge.  It's like Adjoa is his toy.

  Belle is my favorite princess.  Again, I love the look on Adjoa's face.  Pretty much every princess picture turned out like this.  She couldn't take her eyes off of the princess.  Funny girl.

Did Your Adopted Child have a Tough Start? It Matters

I received this notification of some online classes offered by Adoption Learning Partners. I thought it particularly appropriate this month and wanted to share it with some families I know would love and appreciate the information.

It's so important to recognize some types of behaviors for what they are and what they are not. And sometimes it's very difficult as an adoptive parent to help your child work through things they don't even understand - or can't really even remember. Frankly, saying "you just need to love them" doesn't really cut it.

New Courses From ALP:

Does your child resist affection, lash out explosively or react unexpectedly to social situations?

He may be suffering from having experienced some form of trauma in his early days --- a "tough start" in life.

Many adopted children, whether adopted domestically or internationally, have lived through early days that were far from ideal. Poor prenatal care or substance exposure, or being born into a neglectful, chaotic or abusive environment are all examples of tough starts adopted children may have faced. Even if they are fortunate enough to come into a loving and nurturing home at just a few months of age, the effects of this tough start may linger in the form of persistent and troublesome behaviors. These behaviors are often so challenging that even experienced parents can feel puzzled, frustrated and even disheartened in their ability to raise this child.

Our Tough Starts Matter series is specifically designed to help. Each course offers research-based insights, practical advice and encouragement from experts who have dedicated their lives to helping tough start children and families thrive.

Brain Development Matters gives a thorough background on the impact that early trauma is likely to have had on a child's brain chemistry, brain development and sensory processing. As challenging behaviors often are rooted in altered brain development, this fundamental knowledge paves the way to more informed parenting choices. Learn More and see a preview from this course.

Treatment Matters provides strategies for seeking professional help. Learn about the benefits of an early diagnosis, treatment options and therapy approaches. Learn more and see a preview from this course.

Parenting Matters applies a strengths-based, therapeutic approach to helping parents connect in order to heal their child. The goal is to help parents respond to their child more insightfully, therefore shaping behavior more effectively. Learn more and see a preview from this course.

The individual courses in the Tough Starts Matter Series can also be purchased as a package with a 20% discount! Click Here to learn more.


http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Did-Your-Adopted-Child-Have-a-Tough-Start---It-Matters.html?soid=1101165322195&aid=J1IaEbdPheU

Cowpokes

It was Western Days at Adjoa's school.  She wore a hat Lil gave to her and selected a pink and green plaid shirt to wear.  Hey, just because you are a tough "cowboy-girl" doesn't mean you can't wear pink.

This is her little buddy, JJ.  They were in the same class last year too, and Adjoa LOVES JJ.

The first day of school she came home and said, "There is a boy and he is the same like me."

He is now fondly called "My JJ."  Honestly, I think he's about the only boy in close competition to Prince Eric.

It's Football Not Handball

Or, if you live here, it's also known as Soccer.  Either way, someone needs to teach my daughter the rules!

Ahh, MUCH better.  She scores like a pro!

Adjoa did really well for her first season.  It just ended and she was disappointed.  For about 7 seconds.  Then she informed us that she would be taking Ballet and Swimming Lessons.  I tried on the swimming lessons, but there aren't very many people too keen on jumping in a pool when it's below freezing outside.  Adjoa being an exception.

She starts ballet today {yeah}.  I tried to suggest something more suitable to her body type, like gymnastics or another form of dance.  She said she was sure she wanted to do Ballet.  I figure, what heck, let her wear a tutu and be a ballerina while she can get away with it.  All little girls deserve to wear a tutu and point their toes at some point.  I even did.  And I ain't got no ballerina body either!

Don't fret.  I'll have pictures and vids up here soon enough.  She does look awful cute in her leotard!  And their spring performance promises to be be adorable.  Do you hear me? A-DOR-A-BLE.  You will all want to come.  I can promise you that.

Soccer Mayhem

Adjoa started soccer this fall.  She is a fierce little tiger out there on the field.  Or rather, DRAGON.  Since that's their team name.

At this age, she has the blessing of being faster than everyone else {I hope she STAYS faster than the boys. I don't want one of those rascals catching my baby!}.  She excels at stealing the ball away from the other team and driving it down the field.  When it comes to scoring, her aim is a little off, but that's ok.  It's her first time playing.  She typically gets the ball down the field and another team member can help her score if she doesn't make it in.

She has been loving it.  This Saturday is her last game until Spring comes around, and I haven't had the heart to tell her.  I'll probably have to sign her up for something else to keep her busy during the winter months.

Here are a couple pictures I shot at the game last week.  I've been bringing my camera, but I just get so in to the game I forget to take any pictures.  I made myself snap a few in a hurry at the end of the previous game.  They aren't the greatest pictures, so please excuse them.  I was just too busy cheering!

 Blocking out the other team so Max can score.  Never mind they are halfway down the field! 

 Throwing elbows with the boys.  Oops!  That one is on your team!

 Stealing the ball and making a fast break away.

Team cheer.  GO DRAGONS!

I have an easy one for you: Which Came First - The Chicken or the Dinner?

Adjoa's Hair 2

I've had a couple requests for info on Adjoa's hair: products I like, etc.

Here's a quick run-down of what we have found that works really well for Adjoa's hair.

I pretty much never use shampoo on her hair.  Nearly all shampoos strip oils, etc. from the hair {which is what you want if you have straight, white hair, but for black hair, you need those oils to moisturize and protect}.  When we wash Adjoa's hair, I typically do a co-wash {conditioner wash}.  It still cleans the hair, but does not strip the oils.

Occasionally I follow the co-wash with a deep conditioner treatment or even a leave-in.  It just depends on the day and what her hair has been like lately.  I have found that pretty much any natural conditioner works well at this stage, and by avoiding shampoo, you eliminate a lot of the synthetics that strip the hair.  We have tried, and liked, some of Curly Q's products and various organic stuff from Whole Foods.  I've also used natural or organic stuff from the baby isle at the grocery store.

Everything I've tried that I purchased at a salon or in the black hair care section I've been 100% dissatisfied with.  Adjoa's hair looses it's shine and it more difficult to work when we use those products.  Most also leave a film on her sleep caps or pillow cases that doesn't come out.

Miss Jessie's and Carol's Daughter get a lot of traction in the Natural Hair Care world, but a lot of their products aren't really "natural" or organic.  I've found those products to be a little too hit and miss for the price.  Some parents swear by them, but they are pricey and such a waste if you don't like them.

What I've done that I really like is make my own sprays, etc.  We use coconut oil, shea butter, tea tree oil, olive oil, etc. here and there.  I will typically put some conditioner in a spray bottle, add some water, and add one or two of the oils listed above.  I spray that on Adjoa's hair as a moisturizer.

If I'm putting her hair in braids, I will typically use the coconut oil and apply it directly to her hair.  I have found if I add the extra moisturizer or oil before I braid, the hair preforms so much better when the braids come out.  I can usually even get a few days of a "twist out" or "braid out" if I have used an oil before I braid the hair.

Here are some of the websites, etc. that I like to visit:
http://www.happygirlhair.com/
http://www.afrobella.com/
http://motowngirl.com/

I LOVE youtube for hair care info.  There are a TON of videos on natural hair care.  I usually search "natural hair care" or "natural hair care styles".  I can spend hours watching videos, jotting down other home-made recipes for hair care products, making lists of products, and checking out new hair styles.

People ask constantly how long it takes to do Adjoa's hair.  Most styles {unless I have it loose for a bit} take about 2 hours.  I pop in a movie for Adjoa, and we sit down for some mommy-daughter movie-hair bonding time. 

She holds still better {which is crucial for me because I'm not used to these hair styles and haven't done most of them before} and she loves watching the movies.  We have our moments.  I get frustrated sometimes {usually at my own ineptitude} and she gets tired of sitting there.  But she's always so proud of her hair and loves it so much when we are done.

Her favorite styles include beads and/or lots of colorful barrettes.

Personally, I think she looks beautiful no matter how her hair is styled, but I do love the afro.  It speaks independence and pride to me.  And it's the one style that white hair simply cannot do.

Adjoa's Hair

So I received a comment on my blog about Adjoa's hair.  It made me laugh, it was so stupid.

In case anyone else wants a justification from me, here I go.

I have spent HOURS researching the best hair care methods for black hair.  I KNOW the hair care is different.  Give me a break!  I was researching about hair before Adjoa was even home with us.

I opted to do natural hair care for her.  Most of the way black salons and many black women care for their hair is extremely damaging.

I use all natural products on her hair and we have a system that works wonderfully for her hair and our family.  Part of that system involves an afro style every once in a while.

Anyone who has actually SEEN my child and her hair knows what good condition it's in.  I have black people stop me in stores and make comments about how soft her hair is, and what great condition it's in.  I have black mothers go out of their way to tell me what a good job I'm doing.

I'm proud of the care we take with her hair.  We've experimented and some things work great, others don't. 

I only ask 2 things before you pass judgment on my child's hair:

• Look at more than a couple pictures of her.  It's obvious we take care of her hair.
• Look at her hair in person.

I guess I shouldn't be offended by it - it's been one uneducated comment in the 2 years I've been caring for her hair.  I just feel if you are really trying to be helpful, you leave a name or contact info, or you suggest valuable help.  Not just "AA hair is different than your hair and you need to care for it differently.  You are damaging her hair." 

Stupid.

Oh.  And for the record, I have taken her to salons and had black women do her hair a couple times.  When braiding, they pulled so hard I was worried about damage to the roots, and they put a bunch of chemicals on her hair that dry out and damage black hair.  When I asked about natural products, they just gave me a blank stare.  I figured I was better off with my Hair Care Yahoo Group, Youtube vids from women and mothers who care for their hair naturally, and reading books.

Besides that - she's FOUR YEARS OLD, PEOPLE.  So what if her hair looks a little tired at the end of a day of playing.

Thanks for the rant.  I just had to vent.  Stupid things sometimes make me mad.

Where the World Wide Web Led Me Today

I'm hosting our upcoming book club next week.  We are reading People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, and it's been a while since I read it, so I thought I'd get started on some research.  I spent an obscene amount of time on the World Wide Web, but found some fascinating things.

Here's the path my internet-based quest for information took me on today, as told in pictures - mostly.

Passover Chocolate Torte

Ingredients

1/2 cup pareve margarine
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
5 eggs, separated
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup ground almonds

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan with foil. Grease foil.

2.Melt margarine and chocolate over low heat. Stir until smooth and let cool.

3.In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat whites until stiff; about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat together yolks and sugar until thick and pale; about 1 minute. Blend in chocolate mixture and stir in almonds. Fold in beaten whites, 1/3 at a time, into chocolate until no streaks of white remain. Scrape into prepared pan.

4.Place an 8 inch baking pan with 1 inch of water in it on the bottom rack of the oven (to make the torte more moist).

5.Bake torte on center rack at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes, or until sides begin to pull away from pan and top is set in center. Cover the torte loosely with foil for the last 20 minutes of baking. Note: Don't worry if the cake cracks because the top will be on the bottom later.

6.Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes and then carefully remove sides of pan. Invert onto a serving plate and cool completely.

Apple-Cinnamon Farfel Kugel
Ingredients


1 cup hot water
1 cup matzo farfel
1/2 cup white sugar
2 large apples - peeled, cored and shredded
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2.In a large bowl, combine the water and farfel. Add the sugar, apple, and cinnamon. Fold in the egg whites. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish and dust the top with more cinnamon.

3.Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 45 minutes.
 

 

Marginalia - Billy Collins


Sometimes the notes are ferocious,
skirmishes against the author
raging along the borders of every page
in tiny black script.
If I could just get my hands on you,
Kierkegaard, or Conor Cruise O'Brien,
they seem to say,
I would bolt the door and beat some logic into your head.

Other comments are more offhand, dismissive -
"Nonsense." "Please!" "HA!!" -
that kind of thing.
I remember once looking up from my reading,
my thumb as a bookmark,
trying to imagine what the person must look like
why wrote "Don't be a ninny"
alongside a paragraph in The Life of Emily Dickinson.

Students are more modest
needing to leave only their splayed footprints
along the shore of the page.
One scrawls "Metaphor" next to a stanza of Eliot's.
Another notes the presence of "Irony"
fifty times outside the paragraphs of A Modest Proposal.

Or they are fans who cheer from the empty bleachers,
Hands cupped around their mouths.
"Absolutely," they shout
to Duns Scotus and James Baldwin.
"Yes." "Bull's-eye." "My man!"
Check marks, asterisks, and exclamation points
rain down along the sidelines.

And if you have managed to graduate from college
without ever having written "Man vs. Nature"
in a margin, perhaps now
is the time to take one step forward.

We have all seized the white perimeter as our own
and reached for a pen if only to show
we did not just laze in an armchair turning pages;
we pressed a thought into the wayside,
planted an impression along the verge.

Even Irish monks in their cold scriptoria
jotted along the borders of the Gospels
brief asides about the pains of copying,
a bird signing near their window,
or the sunlight that illuminated their page-
anonymous men catching a ride into the future
on a vessel more lasting than themselves.

And you have not read Joshua Reynolds,
they say, until you have read him
enwreathed with Blake's furious scribbling.
Yet the one I think of most often,
the one that dangles from me like a locket,
was written in the copy of Catcher in the Rye
I borrowed from the local library
one slow, hot summer.
I was just beginning high school then,
reading books on a davenport in my parents' living room,
and I cannot tell you
how vastly my loneliness was deepened,
how poignant and amplified the world before me seemed,
when I found on one page

A few greasy looking smears
and next to them, written in soft pencil-
by a beautiful girl, I could tell,
whom I would never meet-
"Pardon the egg salad stains, but I'm in love."

- Billy Collins

Forgetfulness

And by this time my real life started catching up with me and it became necessary to abandon my beloved World Wide Web for the day and take my daughter to her first soccer practice.

Book club, I'm ready.  And I will have either Passover Chocolate Torte or Apple-Cinnamon Farfel Kugel.  As long as I can scavenenge all local ingredients.

Perhaps both.  With a side of egg salad.

I Was Famous Yesterday

It's true.  I was famous yesterday.  Oh, and Adjoa too.  I suppose I should share my glory with her.  I got an email from a friend informing me that there was a huge picture of me on page 2 of the Utah section of the Salt Lake Tribune.  I checked it out online, and sure enough, there I was.  Though not quiet as huge.  Oh, and Adjoa too.

The story was about the Wasatch Community Gardens Fall Planting workshop that I attended and blogged about here.  The photographer took about 5 pictures of Adjoa and asked for her name, etc. so I figured if there were any pictures to be seen, they would be of her.  I didn't even realize I snuck into a couple pictures, too.  Too bad the others of Adjoa didn't make the cut - there was a particularly funny one of her licking the garlic like it was a popsicle.

Anyway, here's the article and some of the pictures:

Fall gardening: Keep your green thumb year round


By alicia greenleigh
The Salt Lake Tribune
August 24, 2010 07:45PM



Summer may be coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean you have to put away the gardening gloves.

There are many hearty vegetables that thrive during autumn when cooler temperatures and less sunlight prevail. Local farmer Pete Rasmussen of Sandhill Farms in Eden says fall is the perfect time to plant leafy greens, root crops and garlic — his speciality.

“Many people think they can’t maintain a garden in the fall, but it’s a great opportunity to get some tasty crops,” he said. “Plus so many of these vegetables are high in antioxidants that they help build the immune system in preparation for winter.”

Cynda Donaldson, manager at Millcreek Gardens, agrees. “Some of the best spring gardens start in the fall.”

Before you put seeds in the ground, follow these tips for a successful fall garden:

Size and location • For first-time gardeners, Rasmussen recommends keeping it small. A 4-foot-by-8-foot area is ideal. Even though fall plants can make do with less light, it’s always best to give them maximum sun exposure. A south-facing plot is always best, Rasmussen said. But any sunny spot where plants can receive 6 to 8 hours of sunlight will work.

Soil • Remove all plants and debris from summer crops. If you’re starting fresh, make sure to aerate the ground and amend the dirt by adding a rich compost or manure available at local nurseries. Mulch is another good additive to keep the soil moist during the last days of summer.

Vegetables • Several vegetables thrive in fall weather, including kale, Swiss chard, spinach, arugula, cabbage, collard greens, leeks, Brussels sprouts, romaine lettuce, beets, radishes, carrots, turnips and garlic. Purchase seed packets or seedlings. Garlic plants sprout from individual cloves, and Rasmussen suggests buying garlic from nearby farms to ensure that you’re getting a mountain-hearty variety. Cloves from grocery stores may come from plants that thrive in non-mountainous conditions.

Planting • Sept. 1 through 15 is the best time to do your fall planting, while garlic can be planted between Sept. 20 and Oct. 20. Most vegetables take 30 to 60 days to mature. Follow spacing and depth instructions on seed packets. Individual garlic cloves should be planted six inches deep, and spaced six inches apart.

Watering • Follow the watering guide on back of seed packets. Keep soil evenly moist.

Harvest • For leafy greens, Rasmussen recommends cutting lower, mature leaves to allow the smaller inside leaves to keep growing. This ensures that the plant will keep producing throughout the season. Garlic grows for nine months and is harvested in the spring. Cure the herb by braiding the green stock and hanging to dry for two weeks.

Pest control • Plant a border of garlic around the garden. Its potent smell will help keep bugs and furry animals away.

Weeding • Familiarize yourself with weeds that grow along the Wasatch Front, so you don’t accidentally cultivate the wrong plant. Books to help you identify weeds and plants are available at nurseries and local libraries.

Copyright 2010 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


For the record.  I followed Pete's advise to the 'T and already have my seedlings planted.  Pete gave Adjoa a garlic clove, and although I tried to cook it up a couple times, she INSISTED we save it to plant.  She planted her garlic alongside the kale, swiss chard, carrots, and other veggies.  She's so proud of "her garden."  She keeps telling me that it is for her.  No one else can eat from her garden.  "Just Adjoa.  And Mommy.  And Daddy.  But not Eden!"  She'll be so excited when everything starts sprouting.
 
Here's a few pictures from the article of Pete's farm and produce.  Isn't it beautiful?  I love the garlic!