Three Sons and A Princess Family Blogspot

The Value of Female Friends

2012-02-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

I told you I was going to blog more, so here I am again... thinking over my life.

We will start with last night.

In my town you can drop into yoga or zumba classes for about $10-$16 per session at various locations. I always wondered why you would pay that much for one class when you can get yoga and zumba classes on DVD for the same price and then you can use them over and over again.

But last night I thought - there must be a reason and I am going to go find out why. So at 7PM last night I dropped into a zumba club. Imagine a darkened room with a whole bunch of people dancing with disco-like colored lights flashing and loud, danceable music playing - yes it was like a dance club except everyone was zumba-ing. On top of that we were all dancing in front of a large window that covered the whole front of the club, so everyone outside could see us all inside. Since the club was by a restaurant there were a lot of viewers. It felt very surreal. But it was fun and I felt it was worth it. Strangely you feel a connection to the others who were there even if you don't talk to each other. There is something about being in a group with other women that makes you feel like you have a life.

I was recently at Panera Bread with a group of women. All were 35 yrs old. or older. Some were single and some were married and we were discussing the pros and cons of marriage and singlehood. One women who was single and about 50 yrs. old was lamenting that at this point she felt so lonely that she would marry anyone at all that would ask her. I told her that marriage was not necessarily a cure for loneliness. Girlfriends in many ways fulfill a women's social needs better than male companionship. I think this really did make her feel better.

And that is one reason some of my long time friends who live in various parts of the U.S. are all getting together in Las Vegas in a few weeks. It is just for a weekend, but we are going to have a great time. I am really looking forward to this.

I never watched Desperate Housewives when it was on TV, but a good friend of mine told me to check it out on Netflix, so I watched the first couple of episodes on my Ipad while I exercised on my elliptical. I have to say that the show really reinforced my thoughts about the value of female friends. I realize that the show is not reality and is a bit over the top at times, but it shows something that is true - that sometimes only female friendships really nourish us and give us what we can't get from men.

That is not to say we don't get anything from men. For example, this morning Brook refused to go to school and nothing I was doing helped, so I woke up my husband and he picked her up on his big strong back and made sure she got on the bus. My husband refuses to do work around the house, but he pays for a housekeeper service. Also, my husband and I go on trips together alone and we go out to dinner just the two of us each week. We also see shows, movies and attend festivals together. Men can be great, but they are different than women. They aren't as nurturing. They don't LOVE conversation. They think differently. They often have different priorities, so even though they can be fun I feel that female friendships are essential to a rich and rewarding life.

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari Resolution: Start Blogging More

2012-01-30T17:53:00.000-08:00

January is not over yet, so I can still make a resolution to blog more... although I have made this before - we will see if it sticks this time.
My motivation? I am reading an interesting book called: The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams & Reaching Your Destiny by Robin S. Sharma and it recommends keeping a journal to help reflect on your life. So let's start with today.

I woke up early (6 AM) which I have been doing lately. The book says that this is a good thing. This gave me some time to read emails and facebook before I did my usual routine of getting the kids up and ready for school and working my job for 4 hours. Sometimes my work gets hard, but I like having a job because it gives me enough money to make my own financial decisions without having to discuss them with Mike. It is also a way to feel like I contribute to society. The hours are fairly short and flexible, so all in all it is a good job. In my last job I learned one thing about myself: I don't like working with men. I had a man boss and ALL of my co-workers were men. In my current job I work alone and my boss, co-workers and supervisors are all women- so it is perfect.

After my work I thought about some of the things I had learned from my book.

1. "Think of your mind like a garden. If you care for your mind, if you nurture it and cultivate it like a fertile garden it will blossom far beyond your expectations. But if you let the weeds take root (negative thoughts) lasting peace of mind and deep harmony will always elude you." It suggests that you stand guard at the gate of your garden and do not allow negativity in. Only let the best information in. The quality of your thoughts equals the quality of your life.

2. Awaken yourself to the power of your own mind to make things happen. Once you do, the universe will conspire with you to work magic in your life.

3. Quiet your mind through meditation, yoga, natural surroundings, and positive visualization, imagine a place you can go in your mind for a retreat (like by a clear lake, or on a mountain, or on a swing over a bed of flowers, etc.)

4. To be happy (feel good) you need the following: healthy/natural food (vegetarianism), daily exercise, community (social), nature, cleanliness, self-love, knowledge (from good books), creativity, good relationships, financial stability, and spirituality.

5. Set goals using the list above and work toward achieving those every day by keeping a journal and making a plan.

My goals: lead a simple life (do less, spend less money), read and study good books and take classes, maintain friendships and meet new people, blog more (take pictures too), exercise 6 days a week (elliptical, zumba and yoga classes, DVD home workouts), try vegetarianism and see if it affects my mood, enjoy my kids, do well at my job, don't interrupt people, don't have a temper, don't worry or regret, be calm, plan outdoor activities, no negative thoughts (this doesn't mean not ever getting upset - it means not harboring bad thoughts/feelings), live in the present, increase spirituality (through gratitude, prayer/intention thoughts, compassion, humility, patience, honesty and courage), treat others as if it is the last day I will see them, be silly sometimes, listen to great music, have a calm-down time before sleeping (no TV, arguing, etc.).

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I also finished watching a movie today called, " What The Bleep Do We Know?" on Netflix instant. I was surprised to see how much the movie and my book parallelled each other.  They also tied into a movie I had seen before called The Quantum Activist. Basically the ideas are that your thoughts are as real as what you see around you (based on quantum physics) and they make up who you are and what your life is. Your thoughts and beliefs greatly influence your reality and manifest in your life in various (sometimes unpredictable) ways, so take great care of them.

After my movie, I offered to take the kids out to pizza. Like usual, everyone wanted to go except Brook who refused to budge. Usually in these situations I think of something that is coming up that she wants and I say she will not get it if she remains stubborn. This almost always works.

Yesterday at church Brook was in a rage because she wanted the Internet on the Ipad during church and we said no- so she was kicking and squirming and being loud, etc. She also refused to go to her class, etc. So she got to spend the entire Sunday with me after church. We played finger games, read stories, did a word search and watched Veggie Tales movies. I think it helped. We haven't been spending every day doing this like I wrote in my last entry, but rather periodically when she needs some mom time. I think she acts out when she hasn't received enough attention.

Anyway, back to today. We went out to pizza and as usual talked about politics, history and future plans. This reminded me how much I dislike Newt Gingrich. I am completely baffled by his popularity. I can't even look at him without gagging. Mitt Romney has not been impressing me lately either. I don't like the way he talks about war/military (increase) or our foreign relations. He doesn't sound diplomatic at all and he talks like America is elitist, etc. Anyway, I have started to think I might vote for Obama. I am still not completely decided due to the economy.

After pizza we all watched a movie and had a treat. I looked over the kids report cards. All of our boys are doing well in their AP, gifted and honors courses. Brook, on the other hand is performing below grade level across the board. She gets lots of extra help with private tutors, but she is just not doing well. I am wondering if I should hold her back a year.

And that leads us to right now. I have the rest of the evening to read and relax before bed. We will see what tomorrow holds.

January Family Update

2012-01-10T10:28:00.000-08:00

Life is good.

Everyday has something to look forward to. At least for me, not so much for my husband who is in a highly stressful fellowship at Johns Hopkins, but for me - life is pretty great and pretty ordinary.

Every day I get the kids up and off to school. Then I work at my job until 1PM. After that I exercise on our elliptical while I watch Revenge reruns (series on ABC.com) or a Netflix movie on my Ipad or I listen to a podcast of some sort.

After a shower I hang out with Brook - at least this is the new thing we are trying in order to help her with her Reactive Attachment Disorders. We just watch TV together or read books, etc.

On Monday nights we have Family Pizza night and then we watch excerpts from Chicken Soup for the Soul and then have a family treat.

On Tuesday night I go to a meditation group - sometimes my husband comes with me. It helps me stay calm and less reactive to life events. It also helps me to live more in the present. This Tuesday I am excited about the New Hampshire primary. Although I am not a Republican I haven't been happy with Obama and so I hope a Republican takes over until we can get a decent Democrat or Independent in office. My first pick would be Huntsman, then Ron Paul and then Mitt Romney, but any of those three will do - the others not so much.

On Wednesday Brook and I go to therapy where we discuss all of her attachment issues and problems. Our therapist uses Neurofeedback which has been interesting. Basically the goal is to lower our anxiety levels so we can connect better. We do various attachment exercises.

On Thursday I often go out with various meetup.com groups that I belong to. They do activities all over the Baltimore area. It is fun to get to know lots of different people.

On Friday our family goes out to dinner - using coupons that come in the mail. We like to talk about politics or philosophy.

On Saturday I do the laundry, go to the grocery store and my husband and I go on a date somewhere together.

On Sunday we go to church and then I often tidy the house and we play family board games.

That is basically our life right now. My husband is hoping these couple of years go by fast because his fellowship is grueling, but I am taking my time and enjoying life.

Catching You Up On Our Family Reality TV

2011-09-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

I realize that we have been living in the U.S. now for about 3 months, so there is no excuse as to why I have been absent from this blog for so long.

Well, the reason is that I got a job. A real job. Last year I did not have a real job, so I had a lot of extra time to blog. So I will probably post in this blog once or twice a month to keep people up to date on our family, but that is about as much time that I have to do that.

So, what has been going on with us?

First, I got a job as a Peer Review Assistant. I invite scientists to peer review submitted research papers for publication into a scientific journal. This is not as easy as it sounds because the scientists are not paid to review the papers and I have to find peer reviewers for every paper submitted. I also have to make sure the scientist's specialty relates to the paper and sometimes that is not clear to me because I am not a scientist.

OK enough of that boring stuff.

In other news, we have had a lot of rain. This rain included a hurricane (Irene) which blew down the only tree in our front yard. OK it blew down half of the tree and we had to pay someone $500 to get the other half of the tree removed. Then another $120 to buy a new replacement tree. But to look on the bright side, the tree did not fall on our house.

We have been fortunate to have a lot of visitors in this new house. We were happy to have had our cousins and parents visit, but unfortunately the other visitors have been as follows: a cricket in our bedroom, ants in the kitchen, roaches, mice, spiders and a snake in the basement. In Korea we rarely had any insect problem. I think it is because we lived on the 5th floor of an apartment building. Maybe. And yes I did say snake.

We have some travel plans coming up: Ocean City, MD, Park City, UT and Disney World. So some things to look forward to (minus the actual traveling part). It is strange that traveling to places like Thailand, Cambodia, China and Malaysia was normal for us and now it seems so remote.

We are loving the many restaurants in America. We have also attended a lot of festivals and shows. There is so much to do here!

I have just started a new social group - it is like a book club except we watch documentary films and discuss them instead. Our first meeting is in Oct. I hope it goes well. My son Adam thinks it is so nerdy.

Wow. I'm boring.

I am reading Bossypants by Tina Fey (who I love partly because she is my age- OK she is one year older than me - I have to point that out) and anyway- her life seems so pathetic too, yet interesting somehow. OK I realize that she is the boss of 30 Rock which is not so pathetic, but if you read the book you will understand what I mean.

I am painting our old kitchen furniture all purple. I was doing that the other day when I saw the snake. Don't ask me why I am doing that.

Tonight is exciting because all the new season TV shows start this week. That is what I look forward to. I also love that we have an elliptical machine in our house, so I can exercise and watch TV at the same time. Then, after I can do some sit-ups and push-ups on the floor side by side with the snakes, mice, roaches and spiders in our basement.

I also go to a meditation group most weeks. It helps me to be calm and centered. We all sit in a circle in silence for a long time. My husband asked me why I couldn't just do that at home. Sit in silence for a long time at home?? Are you kidding me???? I would get interrupted every 30 seconds.

That reminds me of the other night. I took Brook to her ice-cream social at her school. It was a zoo. No parking, crowded, long lines- all just for a little scoop of vanilla ice-cream. But she insisted that we go and stay. She got ice-cream and a Popsicle. She ate the ice-cream and then accidentally dropped the Popsicle so she cried and screamed and screamed and blamed me and told me she hated me and I was the worst mom ever and she was never going to talk to me again. I am talking about nonstop screaming at the top of her lungs for an hour. Even though I had nothing to do with her dropping her Popsicle.Ya- that is what I get to deal with on a regular basis because she has issues about being adopted and being pulled away from her birth mom and from spending the first 2 years of her life neglected in an orphanage. I get drama every single morning before school as well. I do have to say that she did come and apologize after her tantrum though which is a first for her.

And for the good news- this blog post is about done. My next one will be where I stand on political issues. Thousands will be waiting for that information, but for now you will have to wait.

Carolyn Flynn Counseling Services : Two Downloadable books on Grief and Loss

2011-09-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a shout out for my sisters new website: Carolyn Flynn Counseling Services

She is really excited about it. In her own words:

"I have been putting my therapy techniques into book and workbook forms to help a broader number of individuals, especially those who can't afford therapy. I now have two downloadable books available on my website: "Heal Your Grief" a guidebook with 12 effective therapeutic healing techniques for coping with death and loss with special instructions on how to help children cope with grief and loss, and "How to Communicate Your Emotions and Desires" a communication workbook that helps individuals learn how to effectively express themselves. I will be adding more workbooks and other self-help products in the near future.

So spread the word and help those who need these services and information. Thanks!

The Top 7 Problems In America and How to Fix It

2011-08-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

I have been reading articles and watching DVDs about the impending collapse of America.

Different people have different ideas about what the problems are, who should be blamed and what to do about it.

We blame the government, the crazy conservatives and the radical liberals.

I think it makes us all out to be a bunch of whiny, wimpy, spoiled children who feel somebody else should fix everything and give us our way or we will have a tantrum.

Many people list problems such as the moral decline of society and the media, the breakdown of the family and of education. I see the issues as the following:

1. Our bickering and blaming individuals or groups instead of working toward common ground and peace is a major problem. We need to seek to understand rather than putting on blinders while we swing our punches. We need to forgive, forgive, forgive (ourselves and others) so we can fully love others who are different from us. We need to stop judging, blaming, pointing fingers and trying to control others. We need to work together for solutions that protect our freedoms to personally live the life we choose.

2. Our culture is too fast paced. We need to slow down and introspect. We need to stop rewarding people (through accolades) whose lives are crazy and who do too much and start rewarding those who do less, but prioritize well. Our crowded lives create health problems and mental stress.

3. Over-consumerism. Our movement away from the natural world (through unnatural environments, food, and stuff) masks our connection with people, the earth, ourselves and our spiritual connection with God. When oil becomes so expensive that people can not keep up their current plugged-in life-style we might be forced to simplify. We'll see. Excessive love of money truly is the root of all evil. In other words, placing the importance of profit over what is best for people and the earth is always bad for America. We need to stop idolizing the rich and powerful and start idolizing the honest and hard working. Our over-consumerism and materialism creates clutter, confusion and wasted energy (not to mention how much better that money could have been used to help relieve the suffering and starvation of people in countries with fewer resources than ours). Our debt as a country and as individuals is out of control and will come back to bite us (this has only just begun).

5. Media. The media is not necessarily truth. We need to stop accepting it as truth. We need to seek our own truth from our own conscience and and inspiration and weigh that with all of the best information we can find. We need to learn, and study all we can from many different sources, not just one source. We need to balance our research from all sides. Even then we should be open-minded to the fact that our opinions could change with future information. No one should ever be so stubborn as to stick to one opinion no matter what.

6. Education. This is my controversial viewpoint. We need to stop expecting parents to be involved in educating their children. Homework should be banned. This is because it leads to an uneven playing field. Children who are born to uninvolved parents (either because they are excessively busy or on drugs or a single parent or just not interested) are born to lose. They can never catch up. This leads to a chronic division between the rich and poor that is getting wider every year. All children should have the same economic chance. School should start much earlier (age 3) and be longer 8AM-6PM and not involve homework. School should have less busy work and more work that really matters. We need to pay higher taxes to employ more and better educators. I think this idea could potentially transform kids from rough neighborhoods. The less time they spend at home the better. Kids should be divided into classes according to how they are doing so that each child can progress from the level they are on. These classes should not be labeled. The schools should work towards creating a safe and nurturing environment (I also advocate school uniforms). Longer (monitored) recesses with lots of outdoor play should be mandatory, as well as music and art programs. Better bus service should also be mandatory. This idea also helps parents to be able to get jobs to support their families better, rather than being on welfare. However, homeschooling should also be a viable option if the family so chooses.

7. Religion. People need to stop thinking that religion is the answer to societies problems. Asia is the least religious part of the world, yet they have very few social problems compared to many highly religious communities where they have a lot of social problems (such as inner city Baltimore where there is a church on every corner). The main difference is that Asian countries highly value education and discipline. Therefore cultural values and what we praise in the media as good might be more important than religion per say (even though many religions value education and discipline). Praising drug-addicted celebrities and the losers on reality TV is a problem for America. Religion may not be the answer to societies problems, but what is important is that we protect our right to practice the religion that we choose.

Things Are Slowing Down Slowly

2011-08-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

So the first order of business to address after being absent for so long due to our move is that...

our next door neighbor has just put a plastic pink flamingo in their front lawn.

I am not lying.

Will we ever be able to sell our house in two years if that is still there? I will have to think of ways to steal it in the night.

What if I get caught? Stealing the plastic flamingo? That could be a popular youtube video. Speaking of youtube videos I suppose I should show you the latest one that I made with my friend Tiffany. Its supposed to be comedic and we suck. So anyway you can see it here.

Family news: Braden is off to college next week in New York.
Adam is doing cross-country and is scaring us daily learning how to drive.
Conner and Brook are excited for their new schools.

I belong to a couple of fun social groups and book clubs. Most of the people are younger than me and are always shocked that I have 4 kids and an 18 year old. But once we get past that I hope it doesn't make me too weird. Books I have read recently are Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. I am currently reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford.

Anyway- I am excited for school to start at the end of the month and to have some free time.

Mike has had a stressful transition into his neuroradiology fellowship, but he is adjusting. He isn't home as much so we are adjusting to that.

I love not living on a military base. I love not being in the military for 2 years. I really want to get out of the military once we finish our payback time. What we will do? Time will tell. More later... bye.

Here Are Things We Did This Summer....Besides Move To The Other Side of the World

2011-08-08T19:50:00.001-07:00

Living Out Of A Suitcase

2011-05-25T22:19:00.000-07:00

Things have calmed down long enough for me to post something in here.

I am typing on a little lap top because our computers have been taken. Our house is totally empty now except for a few pieces of borrowed furniture and a carry on suitcase for each family member.

One and a half more weeks like this and then we move on to living in hotels for 3 and half more weeks.

Then we get to unpack which is always fun.

I spent the morning listening to this important webinar about child supervision and risk: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/413492483 . Then I emailed it to every person I could think of that is over the child supervision laws here. I don't know if they will listen to it, but I tried and I can at least feel good about that. Please listen to it. It's great and it includes a nice slide show.

Well it is time to get pick up Piney from school and to the park for 2 hours. sigh

And Piney Doesn't Play Soccer Again

2011-05-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

Well the fascination with Barbie is over. Only the scattered pieces around our house keep her memory alive.

But Piney never tires of playing outside. In ordinary circumstances that would be a good thing. I think it is vital that kids play outside every day. I notice that I am the only mother that is at the park with her child every single day after school. At least at the park I go to. So this means that if all kids 8 and younger are required to be under constant supervision from adults- most adults keep them inside. They might take them to the park once a week or once in a while, but they don't want to dedicate that much of their time to outdoor play. Which is completely understandable, but at the same time they are depriving their children of outdoor play which I think is the MOST important thing they can be doing during their younger years. That is why the kids should not be restricted by ridiculous and unnecessary child supervision laws. Four years old and younger need supervision and that is where it ends.

I think most mothers agree with me, even if they won't admit it publicly. The Nazi moms are very outspoken and these are the ones who put these policies in place in the beginning. They heard one horror story of a child abduction and they decided to lock up all young children and confine them to all day surveillance like prison inmates. But most mothers agree with me because I notice that there are usually only a couple of parents at the park and far more children. There are way more kids than parents to supervise. Yesterday there were about 10 kids and just one other adult besides me at the park.

The kids usually range in age from 3-8. They are all healthy, happy kids and I have never seen a problem with any of them.

Yesterday was no different. I took Piney to the park after school. She played until she was ready to go home.

At home our cable TV was hooked up to the video game systems (which her brother was playing), so because Piney wanted to lay down and watch TV I unplugged the cable and carried it into an empty room. I then hooked up another TV monitor to it. This TV was a new digital one that also serves as a computer monitor, so it took me awhile to figure out how to get the cable to work. After about 30 minutes I got a picture. Then I got a mat and some blankets and a pillow and set up a little bed for Piney next to the new TV.

She laid there for awhile. Maybe 10 minutes.

Then she looked out the window and saw her "friends" playing soccer in front of our apartment. Since the grass is above the parking lot it is not near the street and is a safe area with a fence on one side. She wanted to go out and play with them, but there was no supervising adult in sight. None of the kids were old enough to be considered her guardian. Some of the kids were even younger than her. I didn't feel that after taking her to the park and setting up her TV like she asked for that I should have to also go out and stare at them playing soccer.

I don't feel that I should be the beck and call girl for her friends. I don't think I should have to drop everything at any moment that her friends happen to be playing outside or happen to come over and ask Piney to play. I had lots of things to do at home.

So I told Piney that she couldn't go because there wasn't any supervising adult.

She freaked out. Screaming and tears running down her cheeks. She started kicking me and saying she hated me, etc. I was in the laundry room trying to do laundry and when I finally got her out of there she kept turning out the light (there are no windows in there) and then trying to hold the door closed so I couldn't get out- telling me that I deserve to be locked in there forever. I tried to ignore it and kept turning back on the light. After I finished the laundry I was going into Piney's room to clean it since some of the stuff we were saving out from the movers had been stored in there. She yelled at me to never come in her room again. I left frustrated because I needed stuff in there (we have another round of movers coming on the 23rd), but I didn't want to face her screaming. She also started spitting at me. It didn't matter how many times I told her that it wasn't me that made the policy that she can't go outside. I want her to go outside. I think it would be healthy and good for her to be able to go outside and play with her friends. I didn't make the policy. It didn't matter. She blamed me.

So after a break I finally went back in her room and she was doing gymnastics on the closet rod - which she has done before and last time the rod broke off and we had to get a repair man to repair it so she knew she was not allowed to do that. So that did it. I was very angry. She responded in anger to my anger and so she purposely knocked over a container full of crayons and pens all over her closet. I told her that she could stay in the closet until everything was picked up.

She never picked up the crayons. A little while later I came in and apologized for getting so angry and picked up the crayons.

When she was free and able to go outside and play we never got into any fights. Now there is constant fighting every time she wants to go outside and can not. The misguided policy has certainly added to the contention in our home. At the same time Mike had to meet with his commander and he got reprimanded for child neglect again- saying that letting our six year old outside when not supervised by an adult was child neglect and told us that we needed to be in counseling and take parenting classes. We refuse to do either.

I think the commander and the whole FAP department needs counseling. They certainly don't know how to create happy, healthy families.

How Easily We Trade Healthy Nature for Damaging Commercial Icons: Barbie

2011-05-10T20:54:00.000-07:00

We found a replacement for Piney not being allowed to play outside (see earlier posts) : Barbies.

We didn't know what to do for her being required to play indoors in an empty house (see earlier posts), so we went to the store to try to find something for her to do.

At first I thought of a riding toy, such as a scooter, but then we knew she would mark up the walls. So we were at a loss, but then we passed the BARBIE section. Piney has never owned a Barbie before. I have resisted Barbies because they always end up naked and I cringe at naked Barbies. I am also a little uncomfortable with giving my daughter a toy that just exudes objectification and misplaced priorities. Not to mention contributing to lower self-images around the world. (shhh! I loved Barbies as a kid)

But BARBIES are what she wanted. And since she was confined to the house we gave in. She got a Barbie Dream House, a Barbie and a Ken (so they could get married of course).

I tried to get her to buy the dark haired Barbie that looked kind of like her, but she refused. She wanted the blond barbie. Of course. Sigh.

She has been obsessed with these toys- playing it for hours.

Still she is sad because she is playing alone. I asked her yesterday why none of her friends come over anymore. I suggested that perhaps they would like to play with her Barbies too, but she shook her head. "I tried to tell them at school about my Barbies, but they only want to play outside. No one wants to play with me anymore."

So Mike and I try to cheer her up by playing with her for a little while, but its not the same. I feel so bad, but as long as the stupid policies are in place that don't allow my child to be healthy and free by playing outside she gets to play with her damaging commercial icons all by herself.

Pineys Rage : Mothers Day and Movers

2011-05-08T17:24:00.000-07:00

I spent Mothers Day getting ready for the movers.
Getting Ready For The Movers Day is the Opposite of Mothers Day.

Actually things have been going (and will go) like this:

We shipped our Mazda 5 to Baltimore a few weeks ago and Mike bought an old Kia for $500 bucks. He will try to sell it just before we move or junk it for $200.

Our Mazda should arrive around the end of June. They say it takes 8 weeks.

The movers came last Friday at 1PM. This was unexpected since I had scheduled the movers for Monday, but they said they wanted to get started early and would finish on Monday.

Unfortunately I wasn't ready for movers on Friday and all of the kids were getting home from school. I had scheduled the move on Monday so all of the kids would be at school.

So for several hours in panic mode I had to frantically gather everything that I didn't want them to pack at the same time attempting to get Piney out of their way. This was a monumental task as I couldn't send her outside to play (refer to earlier posts) and I was required to stay inside with the movers at all times.

Piney kept following the movers around and telling them to be careful with our stuff. She would go on and on about how much trouble they would get in if they broke our stuff and how we had taken a video of all of the stuff in the house so if they damage anything they will get in so much trouble.

I kept telling her to stop talking to the movers and to move away from the movers and she would for awhile, but then she would go back. She said she wanted to make sure they were taking perfect care of our stuff. "Be careful with that!" she would warn them. I would shout from the other room, "Piney! Stop!" Good thing that most of the movers don't speak English.

The worst came when Conner's friend came to the door. He asked Conner to come outside and play, but Conner was playing his DS and he didn't want to go outside. This put Piney in a rage. How dare he not go outside when he has the opportunity to?!!! She said he MUST go outside because somehow she would get to live vicariously through Conner if Conner went outside and could tell her about it. At least that was something. She was livid. She demanded that Conner go outside and play- Since she was confined to the house and was banned to having any fun in life, someone needed to be having fun in this family. It didn't matter how much she screamed at him Conner wouldn't budge.

Finally around dinner time the movers left and Piney had fallen asleep with boredom.

Then it was Mothers Day weekend and I spent most of the time getting ready for the movers to come back on Monday. They say that it will take 45 days for the house hold goods to arrive, so our things should arrive at our new house around June 22.

So, Mike said we will celebrate Mothers Day next Sunday since this weekend was pretty much shot. Don't you love how we can just move holidays around if we want? I think next week should be Christmas too. What do you think?

We don't actually move from here until June 9. At that time we will fly to visit family for a little while and then stay at a hotel until our stuff arrives. I am so excited to move back to America.

Meanwhile we get to live out of suitcases for 2 months. And that is where we are.

Child Protective Services Protecting Kids From Exercise, Friends and Ensuring Misery For All

2011-05-04T22:18:00.000-07:00

We have worked out a schedule for 6 year old Piney. I take her to the park for 2 hours directly after school, during which time I always fall asleep out of sheer boredom.

Then I take her home and Mike takes her out in the back yard for 30 minutes just before dinner.

This seems to work OK, except yesterday around 6:30PM two boys, one 5 year old and one 7 year old came to our door wanting Piney to come out and play soccer with them at the park like she always did before (FAP/CPS got involved).

It was a gorgeous, sunny evening. But of course she couldn't go with them anymore, so the unaccompanied, unsupervised 5 and 7 year old went outside and had a great time getting exercise and playing while Piney was forced to watch TV and feel sorry for herself. Of course I would never report these children as I think there behavior is good for them. O how I love the child protective services. Protecting children everywhere from getting exercise and having friends and ensuring that kids stay inside more and more. Sorry- still venting about this.

It is Wednesday and the movers come on Friday and Monday to clear away all of our household goods.

I have gone through every room and closet in our house decluttering and dejunking so that we only move essential stuff and not trash and junk. It took me one week to go through everything.

I am nervous. I am nervous for how I will live in a mostly empty house for a month. Will it depress me that nothing is on the walls?

We will be able to keep our computers and two TVs for two more weeks. No desks though. After that we will live out of suitcases for two weeks. It will be interesting to see how things go. For now I need to focus on getting ready for the movers.

Piney Confined To The House: Not Going Well

2011-05-03T00:58:00.000-07:00

Keeping Piney confined to the house has been a colossal disaster.

I take her to the park directly after school, but I can only stand sitting there for about an hour and a half so then she has 5 hours indoors.

The worst part is that the weather is beautiful outside and optimal for outdoor play. She also has friends who come over and want her to go play with them outside. She invites them inside, but they don't want to play indoors so she gets left alone.

She has been acting out with bad behaviors that she didn't have before since she has had to stay indoors. She whines incessantly, gets into things she's not supposed to (because she is bored) and follows people around who don't want her to (her older brothers).

It is just going to get worse. Right now she has her her crayons, her books and her toys, but on Monday the movers will be packing up our stuff and moving everything. Even though we don't actually move until June 9. The reason that they come so early is because it takes 2 months for the house hold goods to arrive at the new house.

So Piney will be stuck in a empty house for a month with nothing to do. Is this not child abuse?

We will get to keep a small TV, but she hates watching TV. She has no attention for it past 15 minutes.

She is too old for the indoor playgroups that they have here for 0-5 year olds. The swimming pool is not open yet. So there is nothing for her.

I honestly don't know what to do.

Six-Year-Olds Should Be Able To Play In Their Unfenced Yards Unattended

2011-04-27T00:38:00.000-07:00

I am having a big problem with anal, nosey people.

Yesterday my husband and I were accused of child neglect and reported to the military equivalent of child protective services.

Why? Because we let Piney (6 years old) play at the park behind our low-rise apartment building and to go over to her friends by herself in the apartment building without adult supervision.

My defense: We live in a gated U.S. military/embassy-only community. I know many of the families with children in our building and kids are always running in and out of the apartments and down into the park that is behind the building. Everyone in the gated community has been cleared by the military to enter the community.

I think there is a large group of irrational, overprotective parents in the U.S. who need to be hit over the head. I believe that these parents misperceive risk, assuming that some things are much more dangerous than they really are.

There are four reasons people reach unreasonable conclusions (conclusions that do not meet the criteria of being rational). 1) Our preconceptions control our interpretations, 2) We are swayed more by anecdote than statistical facts, 3) We misperceive correlation and cause, 4) Our beliefs bring forth their own conclusions and create a closed circle of reasoning.

Therefore they are IRRATIONAL. They are like the people who won't let their kids swim at the beach because there might be sharks.

This is why I love the website: Free-Range kids. "Free-Rangers believe in helmets, car seats, seat belts — safety! We just do NOT believe that every time school age kids go outside, they need a security detail."

Honestly, the most dangerous thing you can do with your child is drive them around- whether in child seats or not. Yet, no one is reporting parents who drive their kids around.

And what about parents who allow their obese children to sit home all day watching TV and playing video games. Sorry- no neglect reports for these parents. Only the parents who do not follow their school-age children around outside with a leash get reported.

No wonder it sucks to be a mom in this day and age. Moms are blamed for everything. They are required to absolutely have no life until their child is 10 because every waking moment they are told to hover over their child. Since my oldest child is 18- that would be 18 years now of no life.

I grew-up in the 1970's when everyone was a free-range kid. This was a true childhood. The childhoods we give our kids now are stifling and wrong.
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Check out "The Benefits of Risk: Why Giving Kids More Freedom Helps Them Grow" on Head Start Body Start

One of the biggest barriers to children getting the exercise and play that they need is fear of the dangers in their environment. But what if we are chronically misperceiving the risks they face, and our over-protection is actually stifling their growth and even harming their health? Appropriate for both educators and parents, this free webinar will challenge some assumptions about danger, and provide statistics and guidance to encourage allowing age-appropriate freedoms to kids.

Time: May 24, 2011 from 1pm to 2pm

Location: Online (Eastern Standard Time)
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Check out these statistics:

•Children today spend an average of 6 hours each day in front of the computer and TV but less than 4 minutes a day in unstructured outdoor play. (Chesapeake Bay Foundation)

•Almost 50% of children aged 8-16 years watch 3-5 hours of television a day. These kids who watch the most hours of television have the highest incidence of obesity. (Word on Health, “Childhood Obesity on the Rise”: Torgan, Carol, June 2002)

•Obesity in kids is now epidemic in the U.S. The number of children who are overweight has doubled in the last two to three decades. Currently one child in five is overweight”. (Word on Health, “Childhood Obesity on the Rise”: Torgan, Carol, June 2002)

•Obese children now have diseases such as type 2 diabetes that used to only occur in adults. (Word on Health, “Childhood Obesity on the Rise”: Torgan, Carol, June 2002)

•Increased study of science and nature, especially in the very young, has proved in studies extremely beneficial for cognitive functioning, reduced symptoms of attention deficit disorder, increased self-discipline and emotional well being. (Chesapeake Bay Foundation)

•The effects of videophilia are substantial and include obesity, attention disorders, lack of socialization and poor academic performance. (P&G)

•A report by the Children and Nature Network warns that the mental health of 21st century children is at risk because they are missing out on the exposure to the natural world enjoyed by past generations.

•Studies have shown that people deprived of contact with nature were at greater risk of depression and anxiety. They also never develop a relationship with the natural environment and they are unable to use it to cope with stress. (C&NN: Derbyshire, David)

•“At no time in human history have children spent less time outdoors. Attention deficit disorders, obesity and a variety of other physical and emotional ailments can be attributed to a decline in exposure to the out of doors and the natural environment.” -Craig Whipple, Director of Vermont State Parks

•“There’s a strong correlation to whether people have nature experiences as they grow up and whether, as adults, they will be concerned about policies that affect nature. -Bill Kunze, Pennsylvania state director for the Nature Conservancy (nature.org)

•Declines in per capita nature participation typically began between 1981 and 1991, are losing about 1% per year, and have so far lost between 18% and 25%. (videophilia.org)

•The National Center for Education Statistics had a survey that describes the use of computer and Internet technologies by age group: 67 percent of children in nursery school were already computer users, as were 80 percent of those in kindergarten. About one-quarter (23%) of nursery school children were already Internet users, rising to about 32% in kindergarten. By high school, nearly all students (97%) use computers and a large majority (80%) use the Internet (USDE, 2005). These trends in Internet use at home have direct implications on time spent interacting with children, and indirect implications for parents as role models and gatekeepers of children’s recreation choices..

Source

What is the current State of Maryland law pertaining to unattended children ?

A. Maryland Family Law Art. 5-801 states:
"a) A person who is charged with the care of a child under the age of 8 years may not allow the child to be locked or confined in a dwelling, building, enclosure or motor vehicle while the person charged is absent and the dwelling, building, enclosure or motor vehicle is out of sight of the person charged unless the person charged provides at person at least 13 years old to remain with the child to protect the child.
b) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $500 or imprisonment not exceeding 30 days or both."

NO mention of school-age children playing outside in their yard unattended. HMMMMMM. Maybe because it is FINE.

I find it interesting that on the military base in Germany 6-year-olds are allowed to walk to school unattended and they can also play outside unattended as long as they have immediate access (availability) to an adult (ie someone is at home to access while they are outside). See here.

I was also looking at the signs of neglect:
SOME SIGNS OF PHYSICAL NEGLECT

• Missing school a lot

• Begging/stealing money or food

• Lacking needed medical or dental care

• Being frequently dirty

• Using alcohol or other drugs

• Saying there is no one at home to take care of them

Sorry, none of these signs are present in our daughter. In fact you would find a completely healthy, normal, active child who is doing well in school and takes a bath every day.

The FAP man (CPS equivalent) I spoke with said that I needed to take parenting classes. Hello!!! My oldest son is about to enter college. My middle schooler has been on the 4.0 Presidential honor roll every quarter since the 3rd grade. All of my kids are well-adjusted and normal. I've been parenting for 18 years.

My other consequences: Piney will have to stay indoors watching TV and playing video games much more than she ever did before. Neither my husband nor I can ever work in any capacity in child care or coaching kids for the U.S. military. So Ridiculous.

I'm just angry that people think they know what is best for my child and think they should be controlling and anal.

And just one month before we move from here. Grrrrrr.

Cute Things My Kid Said

2011-04-24T19:01:00.000-07:00

First I wanted to show the picture that we took at Braden's 18th birthday. Cute huh?

If you were wondering about the pathetic cake we have there you have to realize a few things. (1) the cake was still too hot for frosting, (2) you can never have enough of those little plastic celebration decorations, (3) the little plastic celebration decorations don't melt into the cake like candles do, (4) you can see that there are 3 obnoxiously placed candles which we did light. These candles clearly indicate that he is turning 18 if you add the number of plastic celebration decorations and then add 6 to that. This is our common family logic. See how happy it makes our children?

You can see the family logic carried out into our kids lives as well:

Piney: "Mom! We planted flowers today at school."

Me: "Really?"

Piney: "Ya and I talked to the flowers."

Me:"That's nice."

Piney: "And the flowers were talking to me."

Me: "Of course!"

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Piney was rough-housing on my bed last night.

Me: "Get off my bed please!"

Piney: "No!"

Me: "You can rough-house on your own bed. This is my bed so you need to get off."

Piney: "This is not your bed!"

Me: "Whose bed is it then?"

Piney: "It's Jesus'es bed!"
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I suppose that is the kind of response you might expect from a child on Easter Sunday.

Free-Range Kids : Yes!

2011-04-19T22:16:00.000-07:00

We just returned from our trip to Malaysia. You can see some photos of our trip here.

We traveled without our kids. This is the nice thing about having a child who is about to head off to college and can babysit the younger ones. Braden has officially decided to go to Stony Brook University in New York because they offered him a scholarship. However, he thinks that he wants to transfer to University of Maryland after the first year.

We are encouraging this as we will be living in Maryland. Adam is also hoping to attend University of Maryland which will be good if they can both attend the same school.

The kids did great while we were away and we came home to a clean house. The kids all chipped in to clean it before we arrived home. They even vacuumed and took out the trash.

Before I left on the trip I discovered a great website I want to share. It is the best. It is called Free-Range Kids. I totally agree with it. I think that kids should be free to be kids and parents shouldn't be so overly protective and doing everything for them.

First see this article (the case for having more kids) and then check out the website (Free-range kids) here. Let me know what you think about the article or the website. I love it.

Only seven more weeks until we move..and counting!

Don't Make Long-term Commitments

2011-04-07T23:21:00.000-07:00

The lesson I learned this week is not to commit to anything long-term. I actually get taught this lesson over and over, yet I keep committing to things.

If I do sign up for something long-term I need to make sure that it won't be a big deal if I miss it here and there or that I can easily terminate the situation if I need to.

My stress comes when I feel locked into situations that I can't get out of. Especially when the situation was someone elses idea in the first place.

So I learned not to hire a weekly housekeeper, not to join a club that gets upset if you don't show up one week, not to get a job that someone else wants me to have, not to sign up for classes that charge money if you can't make it, not to sign up for anything due to guilt and not to do anything to please others if I really don't want to. I need to be able to steer my own ship as I see best at the time. I don't want to waste years doing things I feel miserable about.

I need to figure out what I enjoy doing and do more of it, while at the same time keeping up with my responsibilities and goals.

I mean there are some long-term commitments that a person needs to make like relationships, buying a house or car, or choosing to have children. But keeping up with these commitments are hard enough without adding to them with a bunch of unnecessary commitments that clutter our lives.

By cutting out activities and simplifying my life I am able to do more things that I enjoy with others and can relax and be happy. This is really what most people want from us anyway. The other stuff is just distractions.

Well that is my soap box for today. I am going out of town and will be back here when I return.

How To Get Your Kids To Do Chores

2011-04-05T20:58:00.000-07:00

My kids do a lot of chores around our house on a typical day, I'll let you know how I do it in a moment.
Because first importance is that today is not a typical day because it is my oldest son's 18th birthday.

Happy Birthday to Braden! Wow. 18.

He is getting ready to graduate from high school, do an internship in NYC and then on to college somewhere in New York State. We will know where by next month.

So I'll probably let him skip a few chores today. We are going to celebrate at a Korean restaurant this evening. We only have 2 months left before we move from Korea to Maryland, so we might as well get that last minute culture in.

Braden

I was just talking to some friends about Braden and my boys (ages 16 and 12). My friends were lamenting that it is really difficult for them to get their kids to help out around the house.
My kids actually do a lot. Even to the point that I wonder if they think I do anything.

My boys do their own laundry, the nightly dishes, and sweep and clean the table every night. They also bring in groceries every week and babysit Piney whenever I ask.

I am lucky to have good kids, but my friends wanted to know how I was able to get them to do all of these things.

My trick for the laundry was to simply stop doing it, and then not give in when they resisted the responsibility.

As far as kitchen duty, I always emphasize to the kids that if we don't have any clean dishes the next day or a clean table to eat on- it will be because they didn't do their job. I find that if they see a purpose to their work, if they see it is needed they are more likely to follow through with it. They hate it when they want a dish and nothing is clean. Lots of reminders help too.

The boys are always willing to bring in groceries and babysit (unpaid). I think they just realize it is part of their responsibility in the family.

I don't require them to make their beds because I just don't think it is that important, and once in a while I will make their bed for them because it just shows I was there and I care.

I also don't like them to clean the bathrooms. I know I should make them, but there are so many germs I worry they won't wash their hands well enough and will spread dirty hands and dirty rags all over the place. Yuck! I really don't mind working around the house. Sometimes I listen to a book on tape or music while I work. I clean for 2 hours once a week. You can see my cleaning schedule here.

I also think it is important for boys to see their dad working around the house. How do you get your husband to set this example (if he is not so inclined)?

I simply stop doing stuff. I discovered that when I stopped making family desserts, my husband took over the job (because he wanted to continue with the desserts). If I don't match my husband's socks then he has no choice, but to match them himself. If I don't hang his clothes like he likes, then he will eventually do it.

If there is anything he really cares about, then that is the job to stop doing and let him take over. However, if you are the only person who cares about it, then you should be doing it. Again, making our bed is the way I show I care. Making beds are easy and go along way to make others feel like you are working hard.

Do you have any tricks for getting your kids or husband to work around the house?

It's Spring Reality TV At The Walden Home

2011-04-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

Piney

I'm going to try to write in here more frequently.

I say that right before I leave out of town next week.

Good job, Jen... Way to get a running start.

So, I've still got a few days to tell you all about our drama.

Let's see. It's Spring. So ya. I actually feel like waking up in the morning. Sometimes.

Sometimes I'm tired because my husband Mike (Radiologist) is on call and gets calls all night long that keep me up. Sometimes these calls get quite heated. Do you know that doctors fight over what care you should or should not receive? And you thought it was all formulaic. No, doctors have to work together, but they also like to be right. It provides for some entertaining drama on my end.

Probably not so much for the patient.

So I wake up in the morning and get Piney up for school (the boys get up on their own).

Since I refuse to fight with Piney about what clothes to wear in the morning she gets ready the night before- she takes a bath and gets her school clothes on. I don't care if you think that is horrible. She is six. Nobody can tell the difference. She sleeps fine.

All she has to do in the morning is get her hair brushed and her shoes and socks on.

She tried to trick me this morning by quickly putting her uncombed hair in a ponytail and presenting it to me like she had completed a glorious feat. TA-DA! Sorry little hair maven, go brush your hair. She HATES brushing her hair. I have tried the following: silk pillow case, Mason Pearson Detangler brush, conditioning shampoo, leave in conditioner and still she suffers from the tangles.

That is the trouble with having gorgeous, thick hair.

Well, thats enough drama for today. I'll be back tomorrow.

Family Love

2011-04-03T18:35:00.001-07:00

Braden, Piney, Conner and Adam

If you analyze this picture closely you can see who the obedient children in my family are because this is the response I got when I was about to take the picture and they were all smiling and then I quickly said, "Don't Smile!"

No, really, they are all obedient children. They all jump immediately at any of my requests. O.K. some of my requests. A few of my requests.

Anyway, I am not sure how Piney missed the memo to wear bright red on the day of the photo. Actually it was a coincidence. They didn't know they were going to be photographed. I took them by surprise when they just happen to all be sitting together wearing matching clothes.

So, what has been going on with us? Well, we are still in Korea for two more months and then we are moving back to Maryland. My husband is starting a Radiology fellowship at Johns Hopkins.

Braden is graduating and going to be doing an internship this summer and then going to college in New York. Adam has been writing some great music with his band. Conner has been getting straight As as usual. Pineapple Princess has been doing great in kindergarten and has a new friend every day.

This week she modeled for my other blog here.

Piney is a work in progress. She is very eager to please and to help out, but she is just as eager to steal money and gum from her brothers and stick the gum to the wall. She is a pro at her healies, tying her shoes and doing her hair. She vacillates between wanting to be girlie to refusing to wear a dress.

I recently made a chart for her to help with her behavior. She earns points by doing the following: sitting nicely during our family meetings, setting the table, cleaning her room and closet, getting ready on time in the morning. She loses points for disobeying, taking things that are not hers, whining, and leaving a mess in the house. If she gets enough points than I take her swimming and to get a treat.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Whatever Happened To Pineapple Princess

2011-04-03T18:33:00.001-07:00

Adam, Piney, Conner and Braden taken Sunday, Mar 20

Dear family, friends, former readers and new readers,

I need to start from the beginning. I started blogging about our upcoming Russian adoption in Jan 2006 about the time Piney (short for our nick name of Pineapple Princess) was turning one in Russia. I started out here and then tranferred my blog over to clubmom.com to continue blogging about my Russian adoption experience. I met a lot of great people who also adopted and were a great influence on me.

I received 75,000 hits to my blog on the day we brought Pineapple Princess home. It was quite an experience. You can see the videos in my sidebar. My readers followed me through the next year with her until clubmom shut down. I was able to preserve all of my blog writings in Blurb books (you can google: Blurb Jeneflower to find them) but then I had to start all over on my blog right back here at my humble beginnings.

It was about this time that I started learning about all of the problems society was causing to the environment. This became such a strong interest of mine that I started writing more and more about this and less and less about the adoption. This caused me to lose a lot of my readers (why I didn't consider making a seperate environment blog at that time is a mystery to even me). People still wanted to read about Pineapple Princess, but she was starting to integrate into our family and with 3 other children I could no longer make her more special then the other children in our family. She was no longer the Russian adopted child, but simple our fourth child.

At the same time, because she was adopted and 2-years-old she was very difficult. People wanted to hear about the happy ending, but I couldn't write about it anymore. I needed to break away from blogging so I could get through the next few years with her. She was a lot to handle and blogging took too much time. So In 2008 I quit this blog- with only a few entries here and there.

Now Piney is six years old. She is healthy and happy and I have a lot more time. So I have decided to post an update in here about once a week about Piney and the family for those who are interested in whatever happened to Pineapple Princess.

Our Visit to Cambodia: Angkor Wat

2009-11-29T23:23:00.000-08:00

Mike and Jen at Mt. Sorak in Korea

2009-11-14T22:37:00.000-08:00

2009-11-14T22:36:00.000-08:00

2009-11-14T22:35:00.001-08:00

2009-11-14T22:35:00.000-08:00

2009-11-14T22:34:00.001-08:00

2009-11-14T22:34:00.000-08:00

2009-11-14T22:33:00.000-08:00

2009-11-14T22:32:00.000-08:00

2009-11-14T22:31:00.001-08:00

2009-11-14T22:31:00.000-08:00

2009-11-14T22:30:00.000-08:00

Utah and Texas Summer Vacation

2009-09-07T03:16:00.000-07:00

Willard Lake, Utah

2009-09-07T03:15:00.000-07:00

Willard Lake, Utah

2009-09-07T03:14:00.000-07:00

San Antonio, Texas

2009-09-07T03:12:00.000-07:00

Click on photo to read it

2009-09-07T03:10:00.000-07:00

Japanese Tea Gardens, SA, TX

2009-09-07T03:09:00.000-07:00

San Antonio Art Museum

2009-09-07T03:08:00.000-07:00

Wildlife Ranch, San Antonio, TX

2009-09-07T03:07:00.000-07:00

The McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, TX

2009-09-07T03:06:00.000-07:00

Corpus Christi, Texas

2009-09-07T03:05:00.000-07:00

Mexican Market San Antonio TX

2009-09-07T03:04:00.000-07:00

Six Flags Fiesta San Antonio

2009-09-07T03:03:00.001-07:00

Fourth of July Parade

2009-09-07T03:03:00.000-07:00

Best Cousins

2009-09-07T02:53:00.001-07:00

Kids and Cousins

2009-09-07T02:53:00.000-07:00

Friends and Family

2009-09-07T02:51:00.000-07:00

Friends and Family

2009-09-07T02:49:00.000-07:00

Nature

2009-06-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

Flower Series

2009-06-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

Flower Series: Tulips

2009-06-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

Flower Series: Tulips

2009-06-08T16:34:00.000-07:00

Piney and Braden

2009-05-31T02:11:00.000-07:00

Conner and Piney

2009-05-31T02:10:00.000-07:00

Conner May 2009

2009-05-19T22:54:00.000-07:00

Braden May 2009

2009-05-19T22:52:00.000-07:00

Winter Dreams

2009-05-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

Winter Dreams

2009-05-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

Experimental

2009-05-05T23:20:00.000-07:00

Traveling From New York to Baltimore

2009-04-26T23:14:00.000-07:00

Traveling From New York to Baltimore2

2009-04-26T23:13:00.000-07:00

Traveling From New York to Baltimore3

2009-04-26T23:11:00.000-07:00

Russian Friends

2009-04-26T23:06:00.000-07:00

Chinhae Cherry Blossom Festival, South Korea

2009-04-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

I decided to take off to Chinhae at the spur of the moment with my friend Tiffany. We hitched a ride with some fellow travelers and had an awesome time.

Chinhae Cherry Blossom Festival, South Korea2

2009-04-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

Chinhae Cherry Blossom Festival, South Korea3

2009-04-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

Chinhae Cherry Blossom Festival, South Korea4

2009-04-07T18:28:00.000-07:00

Chinhae Cherry Blossom Festival, South Korea5

2009-04-07T18:26:00.000-07:00

Chinhae Cherry Blossom Festival, South Korea6

2009-04-07T18:25:00.000-07:00

Chinhae Cherry Blossom Festival, South Korea7

2009-04-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

Chinhae Cherry Blossom Festival, South Korea8

2009-04-07T18:22:00.000-07:00

Chinhae Cherry Blossom Festival, South Korea9

2009-04-07T18:21:00.000-07:00

Chinhae Cherry Blossom Festival, South Korea10

2009-04-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

San Antonio Texas Spanish Missions

2009-03-31T18:07:00.000-07:00

I had a day to myself to explore the San Jose Mission in San Antonio Texas. I found some interesting subjects. It was St. Patricks day so you will find in one photo a woman dressed with long green socks and big green ears. I also caught a bride-to-be who was posing for photographs and a woman who sat alone in the chapel. The mission has a lot of interesting lines and shapes. Please click on the photos to see enlarged. Thanks for stopping by.

San Antonio Texas Spanish Missions 2

2009-03-31T18:06:00.001-07:00

San Antonio Texas Spanish Missions 3

2009-03-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

2009-03-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

2009-03-31T18:04:00.001-07:00

2009-03-31T18:04:00.000-07:00

2009-03-31T18:03:00.001-07:00

2009-03-31T18:03:00.000-07:00

2009-03-31T18:01:00.000-07:00

2009-03-31T18:00:00.001-07:00

2009-03-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

2009-03-31T17:59:00.000-07:00

2009-03-31T17:57:00.001-07:00

2009-03-31T17:57:00.000-07:00

2009-03-31T17:56:00.000-07:00

Piney age 4

2009-02-24T05:28:00.000-08:00

Piney Window Gazing

2009-02-24T05:25:00.000-08:00

Newborn Baby Photos

2009-01-29T04:26:00.000-08:00

45

2009-01-28T20:43:00.000-08:00

44

2009-01-28T20:35:00.000-08:00

37,38,39,40

2009-01-28T20:34:00.000-08:00

30,31,32,33

2009-01-28T20:30:00.001-08:00

27, 29

2009-01-28T20:30:00.000-08:00

23,24,25

2009-01-28T20:29:00.000-08:00