tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-132574232008-05-11T10:01:52.561-05:00Ellennoreply@blogger.comBlogger622125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-62691573614820355162008-05-11T09:36:00.004-05:002008-05-11T10:01:52.587-05:00

I am feeling a little better. I think that the antibiotics are kicking in. You know, a virus is nasty, but an infection is just so much worse. It's kinda like Lord of the Rings. The initial virus is like the skirmishes that the nine have in The Fellowship of the Ring. At the time, it seems really bad, with the Orcs in the cave and all that. But then, when you get to the infection, it's

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-49703975895654930032008-05-10T19:03:00.004-05:002008-05-10T19:14:34.032-05:00

I am getting nailed by this thing. I went to the doctor yesterday ("bronchitis") and got some antibiotics. I felt better for awhile today, but now I've got that fever back and I believe that I blew out the remaining chunk of my energy with that last tissue honk. I keep calling my mommy who lives two time zones away and telling her that I need her and to please come over right this minute.

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-81046341377486946582008-05-08T15:55:00.005-05:002008-05-08T16:07:52.896-05:00

Anna caught a nasty flu virus with high fever and a cough two weeks ago. It lasted for about four or five days, then she was finished. I don't like having a sick daughter, but I must say, sometimes it's a bit nice having the wind knocked out of her sails for just a few days. She curled up on my lap for several days, stroking my cheek (actually the mole on my cheek-- it is her "comfort mole.")

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-28275566774827200292008-05-01T08:43:00.003-05:002008-05-01T09:06:36.232-05:00

I'm discovering that I have an Etsy problem. Herein lies my Etsy problem... I have about fifty items that I have finished, but have not gotten my butt in gear to list. Listing involves setting up lighting, taking a photo of the artwork, downloading it onto the pooter, Photoshopping and cropping it, uploading it to Etsy, writing out a listing and description and pressing "Finish." It doesn't

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-16730481074243386592008-04-28T21:58:00.002-05:002008-04-28T22:03:30.053-05:00

This one is a doozy. After telling my newly gender-differences-aware daughter that her two best friends are coming to play later in the day, this exchange transpired: Anna: Caleb and Micah are coming?! Ellen: Yep! Anna: Are they bringing their penises with them?

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-13055264313510191802008-04-22T21:18:00.002-05:002008-04-22T21:21:52.996-05:00

I've just been hit with the worst insult that my three year-old can muster. She doesn't want to stay in her bed and it is 9:19 at night and I am not relenting... "I've got a YUCKY MOMMY!" Well. There you go. I am officially Ellen the Yucky Mommy. Nice to meet you.

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-64216299878192309272008-04-11T06:46:00.002-05:002008-04-11T06:47:38.900-05:00

Jason: Ellen, you are a little bit mercy, and a little bit fire and brimstone. Ellen: Wasn't that a Donny and Marie song?

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-62271396893174872442008-04-08T08:12:00.001-05:002008-04-08T09:34:31.852-05:00

I have a child who is... well, let us say, a bit of a handful. Actually, possibly two handfuls and another footful or so. There are many other "labels" that the books use: strong-willed, high needs, high energy, spirited, challenging, precocious, active, attention-grabbing (er, attention-demanding.) But she is just Anna. As my father says, "She is a full-time kid." Pretty much every

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-86352936366288073842008-04-07T07:52:00.002-05:002008-04-07T07:54:35.678-05:00

My husband just handed me an article entitled, "18 Five-Minute Decluttering Tips to Start Conquering Your Mess" and then walked off quickly. Hmmmmm. I wonder if he is talking about my house or my emotional mess.

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-83915341471301786772008-04-05T09:55:00.000-05:002008-04-05T08:48:04.685-05:00

Wade and Alice have had Lily for about six days now (they are 12 hours ahead of us right now, and I can never figure all that time zone stuff out) and things seem to be going really well. She just turned eight months old last Friday, which is really young for a Chinese adoption. She is very small and developmentally delayed, normal for a child from an orphanage. She had some good nannies,

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-16057455525078259382008-04-02T08:32:00.004-05:002008-04-02T09:56:30.477-05:00

Oh yes. The cats. For those bloggers out there who are similar to the blogger that I have become (busy, lazy and prone to start about 17 posts a day in your mind that you will never actually sit down and type out because you tend to drift over to FreeKatie.net and get lost in the Tom Cruise/Steven Spielberg conspiracy theory forum when you should be blogging or going to bed), you might identify

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-70686902660382667912008-03-31T21:15:00.012-05:002008-04-02T08:35:34.012-05:00

I think that this photo is what happiness feels like for me. Sleeping on the couch with my favorite blanket, my favorite kid (plus her favorite blanket, cup and tattoo, as well) and three lazy cats. Just thought I'd share. [F.Y.I.-- Lily just joined Wade and Alice today in China.]

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-63516729951080862382008-03-12T10:33:00.003-05:002008-03-12T14:54:12.258-05:00

Whew! Sorry it's taken a few days. My internet was wonky, and we've had a family friend staying with us. First of all, here are the WINNERS of my contest! I have prayed that these little artwork pieces will be a blessing to those who receive them (and I've actually prayed that they would go to those who needed the most encouragement right now...) If you are a winner, please email me (ellen@

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-51343995433329396422008-03-07T22:35:00.003-06:002008-03-07T22:54:19.340-06:00

Hello, all! It's been a bit crazy around here. Jason and Anna got a nasty stomach virus this week, and I've been up to my eyeballs in vomit and diarrhea. Well, that's an exaggeration, I suppose. More like up to mid-fingertip. But I think that we can all agree that's one mid-fingertip too much. Wednesday night, we used up every towel in the house, changed the bedsheets twice and almost ran

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-43517852392647163692008-03-04T23:02:00.003-06:002008-03-04T14:35:28.737-06:00

Without further ado, here is my beautiful, much-loved, long-awaited new niece, Lily Rolaine... Isn't she gorgeous?!!!!!!! You have no idea how many miracles have occurred during Alice and Wade's process. I will let them tell the whole crazy, God-designed story soon. About Lily: Chinese Name: Guo Jiang Xin Date of Birth: 7/29/07 Place of Origin: Beilu orphanage in Guangxi province (

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-79520427959555098782008-03-03T15:35:00.004-06:002008-03-03T23:18:59.086-06:00

The agency just let Alice and Wade know that they will be getting The Call tomorrow! They should get Lily's photo by email shortly after that. Alice is flipping out, pacing the house. (I'm sure that Wade is internally flipping out, but being the good Air Force officer that he is, he's probably not letting it show.) I told Anna that we will finally get to see Cousin Lily tomorrow and she

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-68414835069660232572008-03-03T08:51:00.003-06:002008-03-03T08:54:29.207-06:00

Alice has heard reports that "the stork is in the air" (which is "adopt talk" for referrals being in route to the agencies.) We'll probably see our Lily by Wednesday at the latest. Sooooooon!!!! Yippeeee!

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-91312208609607198842008-02-27T20:23:00.003-06:002008-02-27T20:31:49.773-06:00

On the way home tonight, Anna and I had quite the conversation. After driving in silence for twenty minutes, Anna took her milk sippy cup out of her mouth and began the conversation (probably brought about, might I note, from when Anna walked in on me changing Micah's pull-ups today while I was babysitting).... Anna: I have a pagina. Ellen: Uh, why, yes, you do. Anna: Caleb and Micah have

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-81180065585756430262008-02-26T16:10:00.001-06:002008-03-03T08:55:39.221-06:00

Since Alice and Wade's blog is currently defunct, I will be hosting the referral information of my wonderful new niece, Lily Rolaine, when they finally receive their referral this week. Many many people have been waiting a long time for this kid, not to mention the hordes that might pop over from the Rumor Queen on Referral Day, so it's going to be an exciting time around here. [Also, funny

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-66392462741540654342008-02-25T20:35:00.004-06:002008-02-25T21:55:49.447-06:00

Well, Anna certainly didn't get that athletic prowness from me, but maybe the fashion sense...

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-13472403718815192532008-02-23T13:39:00.004-06:002008-02-23T14:39:44.004-06:00

Okay, I must admit. I am officially addicted to Etsy. Put me in Celebrity Rehab. (Dr. Drew: "Ellen, are you surfing Etsy again?" Ellen: "I swear, I was just checking to see if there were any new Cheezburger cats, and my hand slipped, and suddenly there I was, searching for Lloyd Dobbler finger puppets. I can stop anytime. Really.") It seems like the things that "stick" in my life (i.e.

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-14921965672330148352008-02-18T15:04:00.000-06:002008-02-18T15:05:06.876-06:00

Me: Who made this mess?! Anna: Anna made some... mistakes.

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-62659145507905909442008-02-15T07:37:00.007-06:002008-03-03T08:55:55.441-06:00

Only two more weeks or so until I see my niece's face from China!!!! Hopefully, Lily's referral photo will be here by the beginning of March! Huzzah! We have been waiting for stinkin' forever (i.e. 2 1/2 years) since Alice and Wade started the process. I made Lily's scrapbook when Anna was six months old, if that gives you any clue. Certainly not the longest adoption "pregnancy" in the

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-36033905861745219482008-02-08T22:22:00.000-06:002008-02-08T22:58:13.115-06:00

I feel like a wee Calendar Groundhog opening the hatch door to my hole (yes yes, I know Calendar Groundhogs don't have a hatch doors, but I would certainly ask for one if I were a Calendar Groundhog, if there were such a thing as a Calendar Groundhog), squinting at the light of day and tossing out a newly completed 2009 Activity Coloring Book Calendar. That was the tightest deadline I've ever

Ellennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13257423.post-30824836996381016482008-01-31T08:43:00.000-06:002008-01-31T08:46:34.238-06:00

I'm not dead! I'm fervantly working on a tight deadline calendar project! Not dead! Just deadline! XOXOXOXOXO me (also checking every hour, waiting for my niece's referral from China-- come on, LID 12/29/05!!!!)

Ellennoreply@blogger.com