Don't feel bad at all. Yes as you know it is easy to spot childern that are from different countries that have been adopted. But there are many kids that are adoped because of divorce and other situations too.  And well your situation is beautiful. 

I personally am a child of a adoption as a little one.  My mom lost a child at birth and then adoped me when I was 5 days old.  15 months later she had my sister.  Then 10 & 13 years later adopted my 2 brothers.  I am not ashamed to be adopted or anything.  I know I have loving parents and am in an amzing family.  You shouldn't be afraid to talk to your kids about being adopted.  I found out from my mom that I was when kids at school said I wasn't really sisters with my sister because we looked different.  I went home crying because well of course she was.  And my mom sat me down and talked to me. 

Sometimes people and kids just don't know what to say.  It is just sometimes when people ask a mom just after having a baby and they still have baby fat when they are expecting.  They don't know they are sending that person home crying and feeling bad.  If a person asks why about the color of your kids eyes...all this person did was notice your little one has beautiful eyes and was just maybe trying to find a way to let you know how beautiful they are.  Or maybe they are trying to find a way to come over and talk to you.  Don't feel so bad. 

You don't have to feel like you are constantly labeling them.  Just acknowledge that they are adopted.  And accept that they are different and have special emotional needs. 

I know familes with natural kids and one has black hair, one has brown hair, and one has blonde hair. You would think in some ways they are adopted but they aren't.  Just know that you adopted your little one with all the love in the world and no matter what color eyes, hair or anything they are yours.  Don't think so bad about things just take everyday as a blessing and love all your kids they are yours and you have been blessed to care for them and love them.  You will always be their mom.

This year we have tried Princess in her first dance class.  At first we tried a mom & tot dance class at a real dance studio.  But well that wasn't working out so well.  She really loved it and wanted to dance but well she was the only kid showing up and well didn't want to preform by herself.  And the instructor wouldn't let her move up to a class with more kids in it and let her try it to see if she could actually follow along.  So we just moved along.
 
So we tried another smaller place and finally settled at Little Gym after a bit. And when we finally got there they were in the final months of prep for the recital stages.  So they were cracking the whip on the kids focusing.  But since our daughter really wants to dance she is the only one that will actually follow along and do the things.  Sometimes she stands up with the instructor to do them with her.  While the other kids are crying, rolling around on the floor and leaving the classroom.  It is quite funny some days to watch the class. 

  I was hoping to expose her to the arts, develop her sense of rhythm and movement, and entertain her for an hour a week.  But well this hasn't quite gone as planned this year.  She loves to dance and I know will find something someday but well we just have to keep at it. 

But now we have the recital that we have been practicing for all Spring.  And yes it is conveniently  scheduled on Father’s Day weekend too.  At least it is on Saturday afternoon so that is OK. 

This has been a busy weekend.  I kidnapped a girlfriend and her son and we hung out this weekend.  It was so fun. We went shopping at toys'r'us for a 3 year old birthday gift.  Then we went to a skate park and park for the little kids.  Before heading to a birthday party.  Then after the party we headed into Seattle to find a cupcake place we saw on the Cooking Channel but it was closed.  So we took my friend and her son to the top of the Space Needle.  She had not been up there since they moved up to Seattle like 4 years ago.  She said she is not so good with hights but she had a good time.  It was so fun to see them having a good time and to be enjoying the views.  Then we went down and took them to Dick's Drive-in in Capitol Hill.  By this time it was late so we had to abandon the last idea to go try out one more place.  But that was OK.  We had a blast.  On our way home we just blew by the exit to take her home so we had to turn around.  We finally dropped her and her son home at about 11pm. 

The next day we got up after just a few hours of sleep and went to church.  We ran into a old friend and that was cool.  After church 3 families we all went out to lunch at Denny's and got some lunch.  After lunch we packed my friend and her son from yesterday back into our car and headed off to a soccer game.  After the soccer game we took the kids to SkateBarn to go skateboarding.  The tiny ones fell asleep on the way down for a much needed nap.  While we were waiting my friend and I tried out this cool application on the Ipad for taking pictures.  Some of the pics we took almost made her pee her pants they were so funny.  After, we went to grab the kids some dinner and we went to a place that had really good rolls and Coke.  I don't know why but that is what we felt like for dinner.  It was another amazing day of fun.

Now today we are celebrating Memorial Day and heading off to a Baseball Game.  I am starting to feel like I want a relaxing vacation but well the kids are having a blast and so oh well here goes another day!!!

My close friends are so cute.  Some for a while now have been telling me oh Michele you should have a site or something that people can go to and just ask you questions because you just always seem to have the answer.  When they need to know where to go buy something I know right where to get it, when they need a perfect gift I give them a few ideas, I am always full of resources on things.  Let me give you just a couple examples...
I was in the scooter shop with my son (Mothership Distrabution) and they were all talking.  In just moments off the top of my head I hooked them up with a place to go check out this summer when traveling in OR (US Sports Plex - ussportsplex.net ) that is a really nice indoor skate park.  I also hooked them up with Skatermom.com that also has a facebook page too.  And this was just a few things just in a few min just among the chit chat before leaving the shop.

I also, at the bus stop talked to a mom that was looking for snorkel equipment to go to Hawaii with.  I told her a few locations to go and pick it up from.  She told me she knew she could ask me and I would know.

I get this happening to me all the time.  My friends and people ask me things and I just have this bank of information.  I wish some days I could write it down but well I can't.  But I do my best to try and help when I can.  So you never know if you have something you want to ask and need a friend well give me a shout.

Tonight I decided to go to a MaryKay meeting with one of my new recruits.  I haven't actually been to a meeting in years.  It was a fun meeting.  I really enjoyed it.  You know I love MaryKay and have for many years.  I started using it when I was about 13.  I signed up to get the discount over 7 years ago now. 

Now I am not your typical consultant.  I have tried other products and I love to test other products.  I love to do this so I know what my customers and potential customers are buying.  I like to know how it feels, what it does, how it compairs, etc.  I love to test out all of MaryKay's product too.  I love to know how it all looks, feels, how to use it, etc.  I also really do care about my customers, their skin, what they need, what they want.  I listen to them and want the best for them.  I am really not the type of consultant that wants to push you to have a party all the time if you just want to order something.  I am not the consultant that makes things hard or difficult.  I am not the type of person to be pushy. 

I have realized that I really do love what I do.  And that I have loved the flexible business, the fun I have, the great friends.  I love the money that I make and the great gifts I get.  I love that it is something fun as a job and not something I have to dread doing. 

I just wish that more people would realize that well I love to give away FREE things!!  I would love to show you how to save money on getting your make up.  Yes you can save 50% on all your makeup.  And I would love to offer you a fun birthday party with your friends!!!

So if any of this sounds fun just check out my website www.marykay.com/michelegrant

I was at the physical therapy office today. This is something I have to do every week 2 times a week because of being in a car accident. I have a bad neck and back and am trying to work out the pain from the accident. I was pretty tight today when I went in could hardly lift my right arm to point out where I hurt. But as I started my treatment the thing I noticed today was the chatter in the workout area. A couple of the tech folks were talking about nutrition and diets with each other and it was interesting to just listen to them.

One of the girls is a young girl in college that is taking some nutrition classes in school. She was trying to give the other one who is a mom advice on dieting. And the strange thing is the mom is the one that really doesn't know how to eat well or diet. She was just thinking to loose weight for her summer bathing suit she could just eat yogurt or all veggies or something like that. She didn't realize that she really needs to balance out her meals or that she is starving her body.

Well of course since having my last one and then having my cancer surgery a year after she was born well my body hasn't gone back to what it was before I had my daughter. So sure I am not a stick figure but well it doesn't mean I don't know about diet, nutrition, or anything. I have been an athlete most of my life. Between kids I ran marathons and was training for triathlons. I even had friends that thought I should have been a trainer but well then I had my tiny one. I wouldn't have traded her in for the world and you never know maybe one day in my spare time.

But I just think it is strange how the topic of conversation happens around you but then no one will talk to you about it or want to listen to you if you do talk to them just because you don't look like you came out of a magazine. Just because I don't have the looks right now doesn't mean I don't have the smarts and the brains to do it. I do. I just have other things in my way at this moment in time.

my own words and thoughts

It is my feeling that many of you that read my blog also have something to say, but you may not have your own forum (i.e. your own blog) to say it.

Maybe you are another blogger, and you would like to boost traffic to your own blog by bringing awareness to what it is that you blog about... or another mom that wants to bring awareness to a particular topic that you are passionate about... or maybe you would like to tell a story about one of your life's realities that is misunderstood ... or you are one that wants to just share something you feel with the general public that maybe could be educated someone about something...


...whatever it is... we all have something we would like to say, and trust me, writing about it is cheaper than therapy.

I just love the mind of a tiny person. It changes in a flash. They can be talking to you about one thing and then flash it is on to another thing. They can switch gears so fast and multi task so quick if you don’t keep up you will be lost in the dust. Their little minds are just taking in so much information and processing it I just love to watch and see it all processing. And to have a conversation or negotiation with them is crazy. They are genius. Wow the little minds are amazing little sponges. Some people don’t give them that much credit or realize how much and how fast they are really taking it all in. But they truly know way more than you think.

Why do you think that kids these days are having computers, gaming systems, cell phones and more at such early ages. And why do you think that kids are getting into sex and drugs before they even talk about it in schools. Kids are learning and growing up way to fast. Kids are seeing things like this is what I have dreamed about my whole life. And well they have only really probably understood it for a few years. And were as an adult we have had years to soak it all in and realize things. Yes I think that we should let our kids know it is OK to slow down a little and that there is a lot of learning to do over their whole lives. But as a parent you don’t need to slow down your kids growth to do that. You both can grow together, learn together, enjoy life together.

I love my kids each and every day and love each thing they learn and do. I love watching them and helping them grow. But I am not a parent that wants to stand back and think I can be their best friend or that I will know everything. What I need to do is make sure they have the tools to grow and know the next steps. I don’t want to keep things from them. So giving them the opportunities and love to grow and shine is what I can to. Because the mind of my tiny people is so fun to watch and learn from. Kids are just so amazing and I am so blessed to love kids and have a heart for them. I am so blessed and thank God everyday for the 2 that I have. They are both miracles.

1. I love to cook, bake, fry, you name it
2. I love my kids! They are the BEST in the WHOLE WORLD!!
3. I love going to church
4. I love the sunshine
5. I love walking on the beach and having deep thoughts
6. I am the oldest of 4 kids
7. I was adopted when I was 5 days old
8. I love Italian food and to travel there
9. I love to travel
10. I love to do random family outings
11. I have a big heart and like to keep friendships for a long time
12. I like to clean and keep things nice and organized
13. I have been told I don’t know how to cook small amounts.
14. I like taking pictures especially of my kids
15. I love music
16. I like to go shopping even to the market
17. I try to keep in touch with my family and friends. I don’t like to be out of the loop and like them to know I care and am in their lives and love them.
18. I like sitting outside or by an open window during a rain storm. I like to hear the rain. It is just calming.
19. I like drinking a coke and having little smokies brings back so many memories of my childhood.
20. I like big trucks, throaty engines, muscle cars, the sound of power under the hood. I have a need for speed



To me “Living Italian” is a great way to live. I think it is one of the greatest ways to live. But I think that living French and living Spanish and Greek also are incredible. For me, it’s almost about “living Mediterranean,” that-it-as-it comes lifestyle that appreciates the fine things in life, whether it’s food, wine, sensuality, or the scent of the sea.

It is one of the greatest ways to live because no matter where you physically call home-or where you are-it enhances the everyday quality of your life. And that’s a gift we all can give to ourselves.

When did I discover my inner Italian? Well I didn’t discover it til really later really after I got married. Then in life when I started to appreciate tradition and family more. And when I took my first trip to Europe with my husband’s uncle & my mom. That was really when I truly found my heart and myself. I spent time with our family in the hills of Tuscany and we bottled wine, had dinner, went to the local markets, made food. I knew then I was home. Then later I have met a wonderful friend years later here at home from Napoli and we have become good friends for the past 5 years. She is like a sister to me.
What does “living Italian” mean to me?

It means wholeheartedly embracing the simple goodness and sensuality in life.. Taking the extra time, for example, to stop at a specialty market or gourmet grocery store for fine imported cheese or meats rather than dashing into a regular supermarket makes a huge difference. Thinks how special it feels opening these hand-wrapped treasures as opposed to ripping open an industrial-strength package. It’s worth every extra dime I pay. And even when it comes to things that DON’T cost money-valuing quality time spent with family and friends; enjoying the arts and culture just because and not only when out-of-town guests come to visit-this to me also embraces this wonderful way of living and being.

What nurtures my Inner Italian?

Being in Italy of course! But since I am in the United States instead, remembering what made my visiting Italy so pleasurable: good, un-hurried meals with simple yet exquisite ingredients; good wine and conversation; and time spent dining with those I love spending time with. And since I can’t be in Italy I read books, cuisine/wine, magazines that celebrate this wonderful country. I seek out markets, watch cooking shows, read books, friends, cook meals, and more. I also find it by seeking out authentic restaurants.

I hope to pass on the passion of the food, the conversation, the passion of live, the passion to enjoy life, to enjoy the simple things in life. I hope I can show them how simple it is to cook and be passionate about the things you love. I hope that I can show them to enjoy the things around them and to stop and smell, taste, and see everything.

Well I have finally started a blog. I should have done this ages ago. I can never say what I want to on Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere because people always tell me oh I should be careful to not offend someone. Well they are my thoughts and feelings and well I thought people are suppose to get to know you and who you are. A friend of mine is starting to blog to and is being told what and how to blog. I think that is a not fair at all. No one should tell you what to do and what to say. So well I don't tell people in my life to do that and I love my friends for who they are and I don't ask them to EVER be someone they are not. I am who I am and love, live, and laugh. So well I just will keep on doing things I guess.

So I am a mom of 2 beautiful kids. I use to do the corprate thing but I stay at home now with the kids. It took me a while to get use to being at home but I am loving it. I stay busy. Some tell me I have a hard time staying still and not sitting down to relax. But for me that is relaxing. I love cooking, cleaning, shopping, just doing things I want to do and have to get done. I love doing things for my family and kids. When they need me I am here. I love to do small simple things for my friends and family that mean something special to them.  To care and have a big heart is me.

Why is it that some people think that because you have too little money you can't be friends? Or people who have more money are above all others? Well I dont agree with this at all. I dont care about money when it comes to friendships. I like people for who they are and not their money. I honestly want to know you be your friend and love you. I don't have walls like this and don't think their should be walls like this in a friendship.

I want to be a Super Mom.
I want to be the Momma who finds the perfect balance
between being your parent
and being your friend.


when you ask me to go out and ride bikes, scooters & skateboards
or to build sand castles with you at the beach,
or Ooo and Ahhh over your latest pop shove it trick or amazing art project.

I want to be the Momma whose not afraid to make messes,
get my hands dirty,
or create a bit of chaos
all in the name of having fun with my little ones.


I hope that you will have fond memories
of my after school goodies,
my knowledge of all your sports, 
and the fridge I made sure was always overflowing snacks for you and your friends.

Because, thanks to this Momma,
I know how much the little things make a difference.

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