it's a birthday miracle!

it's my birth-week, and guess what, people!!!??? i got a birthday present from God!

our permanent resident status came today!!

after years of waiting & sending in forms, paying fees, waiting, praying, waiting and sending in more forms, we are permanent residents of the United States! i can hardly believe it! i have been waiting and praying for so long, i don't know what to do with myself!

thank you to those of you who have walked this journey with us - praying, listening to our laments, encouraging us month after month - you are our people, and we love you!

chapter 7 - who says penguins can't fly?!

you're really excited about your piano recital on friday where you will be playing 'joy to the world', so you tell your best friend. but a bully overheard you and said, "i bet you can't do that!"

a lot of people are like, "oh yeah? wanna bet!?" hold your horses! who wants to start a fight?

maybe say, "well, i've tried really hard, so i hope i can!"

here is a poem called "it couldn't be done", by edgar a. guest:

somebody said it couldn't be done,

but he with a chuckle replied,

"maybe it couldn't"

but he'd be the one who wouldn't say til he tried.

so he buckled right in with a trace

of a grin on his face

if he worried, he hid it

he started to sing as he tackled the thing

that couldn't be done

but he did it.

there are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,

there are thousands to prophesy failure,

there are thousands to point out to you one by one

the dangers that wait to assail you.

but just buckle in

with a bit of a grin

just take off your coat and go to it

just start to sing as you tackle the thing

that "cannot be done"

and you'll do it!

see! even poets agree!

before i go to bed....

today, curtis was my white knight....

he brought me hot coffee to work on a cold & wet morning...

he fried turkey at lunch to facilitate my manicotti making for dinner....

he picked up the girls unexpectedly when i had to work late...

and

he hugged me and let me lay my head on his chest for a while... until my neck got sore

all with a smile on his face & love in his heart.

thanks, curtis. i love you.

my daughter is doing drugs!?!

so kyra came home last week and told me she "pledged to be drug free" at school. when i asked about it, she told me that she signed her name to a poster, but since everyone had to do it, it didn't really mean anything. so i turned to her and asked her if she was doing drugs.

"no."

for a second time, "kyra, are you doing drugs?"

"no, mom. i'm not doing drugs."

"KYRA. are you doing drugs!?"

(eye roll)

"yeah, mom... i'm up in my room doing steroids."

HA!

(still waiting for meg's next chapter....)

SO proud!

i am such a proud momma!! my girls both just won buckets of first quarter awards, and here is the list of accolades:

meg won:

• citizenship award
• homework award (no missed homework)
• effort & achievement award

kyra won:

• "A" honor roll - only 2 kids in the 7th grade won this!!
• student of the quarter (citizenship, scholarship, etc)
• highest average in the 7th grade, in all 4 core classes - algebra, humanties, language arts & science

AND kyra won the spelling bee - first place! - in the 7th grade, which takes her to school wide... and then we'll see!

but all around, a glorious week of celebrating my smart & beautiful daughters! :)

my hands are tied

i can only post chapters as fast as meg writes them... and she's in a slump, distracted by her ipod and jason mraz. she is, even as i type this, plugged in on the living room floor singing along at the top of her lungs. i wonder if i should be concerned that she knows all the words to this album? at least she doesn't "get" them all... i hope...

anyways, while we are waiting for her, i thought i would take this time to remind you that it's only 23 sleeps til my birthday! WOOT! if you want to get me presents, obviously that's fine with me. i want a dog... or buckle gift cards... or chocolate... or wine... or oven mitts... but no pressure.

HA!

Chapter 6 - Yikes!

one bright spring morning, your mom walks past your bedroom door and smells a bad smell. "what's that smell?" she says aloud. she follows the scent, and BOOM! she opens the door and nearly faints from the scent (and look!).

"clean your room right now!"

oh no. you can't even walk into it! how do you clean it?

do you have some music? you could listen while you work. or even set a goal. ask your mom if you could have something if you finish, like a candy. but don't eat your candy until you're done, because then you won't want to keep cleaning. because remember, you're going to have to get it done sooner or later. i'd rather get it done sooner than later! if that doesn't work, time yourself. do it every time you clean. let's say today it took you 2 hours to clean. keep track. try to beat 2 hours next time. if you don't, just keep cleaning until you get it done. if you pass your time, reward yourself! soon you'll be a fast cleaner!