February 28, 2010
home again
Royal Resorts- Cancun, MexicoWe had a FANTASTIC time!! So much to say but here are just the highlights:
We relaxed by the heated kiddy pool, lounged on the lanai overlooking the ocean, ate way too much guacamole, read in spurts, swam, collected seashells (who knew jumping into the waves to find treasures would be so meditative?), painted ceramics when the weather was crappy, picked up said ceramics looking far better than how we left them (gracias senorita), and enjoyed many a Happy Hour. Andy cooked a few yummy meals, the dads played tennis, the moms did yoga, and I attended a once in a lifetime hamstring stretching class. We watched the Olympics and alternated date nights. We contemplated why the ocean is salty, why figure skaters bother with the nude nylon on their outfits, and how long Orca whales live (the ones that don’t eat trainers)? We sipped lattes in the morning and collapsed minutes after the kids went to bed at night. A few things we did not do (due to having the children along) include parasailing, scuba diving, and sleeping the entire night through.
The little girls played from morning to night while we chased after them packing and repacking beach bags with supplies and snacks. They played games like “Princess and Stepmother”, "Dora” (the ever present fourth child on this trip), and “Born Baby” Lauren’s game about caring for an infant. The girls has so much fun and were on their best behavior 98% of the time, which is far better than my personal average of 58%. Several older people even commented on how well behaved they were, usually only minutes before a minor tantrum erupted. No one got too sunburned or sick although there were lingering colds and new teeth that caused some issues, mainly at nighttime.
I honestly never thought I would be that parent taking a kid along on a MY beach vacation and I will admit, it was different than the trips of days gone by. But the joy of seeing Norelle go from clinging to us to water wings to splashing around the kiddy pool all by herself singing songs & meeting news kids was so great! She loved waking up every morning to see her friends and spend another day on vacation running through the resort and playing in the water. Watching her have so much fun reminded us what life and family is all about!! We treasure the memories and the photos from this trip and are so grateful we have awesome friends to share these precious times with!
just had Lasik like Dad
playing!
the whole gang
the Ho gang
@ Margaritaville
Kenna climbs like a monkey, too!
Lo, the self-proclaimed Dolphin Princess
beach bums
Mandatory ice cream breaks, enforced by local government
What up?
a double guac Happy Hour
Party peepsFebruary 20, 2010
Adios!
Adios snow in my shoes. Adios scraping the car. Adios frozen pipes and freezing toilet seats. Adios dry skin and stuffy noses. Adios getting dressed for work and rushing out the door!
Adios mittens, hats, wool socks, layers, down coats, heaters, blankets, warming my feet in Jake's knee pits, walking the dog in sub zeros, icy patches. Adios kitchen with no floor, sink, water nor countertops!
Hasta la vista Minnesota, vamos a Mexico!February 19, 2010
Shout outs!
Angela
with her new robotic bladder and house of full of men
Kyle
if Kelly is my alter ego then Kyle must be Jake's?
Jodi
who may not need this credit beyond 2010 if her luck keeps up
My main mom Hol
who took a break from Farmville for this task
A big thank you for contacting your politicos to encourage them to support the adoption tax credit! If your name is not on this list, I hope you don't feel bad. I mean your busy, the Olympics are on, and you probably have the fertility of teenager. No worries!
with her new robotic bladder and house of full of men
Kyle
if Kelly is my alter ego then Kyle must be Jake's?
Jodi
who may not need this credit beyond 2010 if her luck keeps up
My main mom Hol
who took a break from Farmville for this task
A big thank you for contacting your politicos to encourage them to support the adoption tax credit! If your name is not on this list, I hope you don't feel bad. I mean your busy, the Olympics are on, and you probably have the fertility of teenager. No worries!
February 15, 2010
Adoption Tax Credit
ICYDK, adoptions are expensive. You thought diapers and formula were bad, that's nothing. We were lucky enough to benefit from a wonderful tax credit which made our adoption more affordable. But this awesome credit is set to expire in 2010, long before Nori can have a sibling or two to fight with. We don't want that, do we?
If you want to help families like ours (and my good friends Jodi , Kelly and Alisha) be able to afford the fees associated with the adoption, then please contact your senators and representatives by clicking on the links to ask for their support of these bills. A full article explaining this issue can be found here
In 2010 the basic federal adoption tax credit is $12,170. The tax credit is part of a package of laws titled the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) that has a "sunset" clause effective at the end of 2010. That means that if nothing is done before the end of the year, the sun will set on the increased benefits and the basic adoption credit for 2011 will revert to only $5,000. There are currently two bills in congress that propose to eliminate that sunset clause. Those bills are the Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2009 and include H.R. 213 and S. 2816.
Everyone who emails their representatives (and tells me) will get an individual shout out on my blog (or candy, if you prefer to be anonymous). THANKS!!!
If you want to help families like ours (and my good friends Jodi , Kelly and Alisha) be able to afford the fees associated with the adoption, then please contact your senators and representatives by clicking on the links to ask for their support of these bills. A full article explaining this issue can be found here
In 2010 the basic federal adoption tax credit is $12,170. The tax credit is part of a package of laws titled the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) that has a "sunset" clause effective at the end of 2010. That means that if nothing is done before the end of the year, the sun will set on the increased benefits and the basic adoption credit for 2011 will revert to only $5,000. There are currently two bills in congress that propose to eliminate that sunset clause. Those bills are the Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2009 and include H.R. 213 and S. 2816.
Everyone who emails their representatives (and tells me) will get an individual shout out on my blog (or candy, if you prefer to be anonymous). THANKS!!!
February 14, 2010
Happy Valentine's Day!
The illnesses are fading, finally! Norelle got to hang with all her grandparents this week as last night we had Famous Dave's at Papa's & Nana's to celebrate the all winter birthdays (ready for this? Joe,Nori, Jaimie, Sylvia, Linda, Megan and Casey).My pre-vacation reverse diet is in full effect, carbs and desserts non-stop. Not sure how this happened but restraint in not my strong suit. Speaking of suits, thank god for tankinis. Sorry people of the Yucatan Peninsula.
To celebrate Valentine Day I was going to cook and make heart shaped food all day but oops I forgot about that so we went to Punch Pizza instead to devour wood-fired goodness and then to Izzy's for ice cream cones which made Nori's night. She freaked out with joy when we asked her if she wanted to get ice cream. While there we saw none other than Bob Bruinicks, President of the University of Minnesota. No, I did not talk to him. I wonder if he recognized me too?
BFF's
Jake's valentines
Dancing
February 13, 2010
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