Hungry Bellies

This is going to be a myriad of thoughts as I am tired, want to get these ramblings off my mind, and need to read my new book (which means turn off the MAC).

We stayed the night in Springfield at a Courtyard this past week in order for Jason to have his AAA store Grand Opening. The night before the event, which by the way went terrific, Moose and I were at the hotel. We were without a car and due to bad planning on my part ended up way past dinner time with nothing to eat. The hotel had a vending machine, but this was not a suitable dinner for us and I had not a penny in my pocket.
I called the local pizza delivery joint and ordered a pizza and some greens. Moose was exhausted and his little tummy was rumbling. It was already 8:15 pm and he usually goes to bed at 7:30pm. The man on the other end of the phone took my order and then repeated it back to me followed by a, "that will be about 45 minutes to an hour..." Yikes!
The situation was simple. I had a hungry baby and no food to fill his tummy.

Trying to take his mind (and mine) off of the hunger I turned on the TV. The news channel was highlighting the current world food crisis. In case you are not familiar with this it is also simple. There is plenty of food to go around, but people can not afford to purchase it. In Haiti, for example, the streets are lined with vendors selling staples such as rice. Less than one cup of rice now costs more than $1 USD. The average laborer in Haiti makes less than a dollar a day. The streets are violent because people are hungry.

I watched intently. Moose tugged at my leg and I was able to find some goldfish crackers hiding in the pocket of my bag. He was momentarily content, but his eyes looked up at me with hunger for food, sleep, and the security that comes in our normal routine.

I watched the show more. All over the place hunger exists. I think it is truly difficult for us to understand this hunger. I grumble when lemon's are jacked up in price, when milk is at an all time high, when the avacado's are smaller than usual.
I menu plan on Tuesdays, shop on Wednesdays, and fix a variety of meals for my family. There are families all around the world that use ONE staple food as the base for all that they prepare. Menu planning goes like this: Rice, rice, rice, and more rice. So, when rice TRIPLES IN PRICE in less than one year crisis occurs.

Moose started to verbally express his need. "Eat, eat", he said in a whimper. "I know. I know Moose. Mommy knows you are hungry. I am trying, buddy. Hang in there."

Mom's and Dad's all over the world tonight do not have to tell their children that there is no food and listen to them whimper with hunger. I can not imagine their pain.

There was a knock on the hotel door. Pizza was here. We sat ecstatic on our bed munching on warm fresh food, that although was expensive, did not take our days wages to purchase.

Families that can not afford rice any more in Haiti are now mixing together a new staple to fill the bellies of their children. The women work to blend together butter, water, and dirt into a paste. The paste then is formed into a pancake shape and sits in the sun until it is hard.

Children are eating dirt tonight so that they do not have hunger pains. Please take some time to learn more about the World Food Crisis and how you can help.


http://www.bread.org/get-involved/one-campaign/learn-more-about-one-issues.html

Ethiopia - Dessie's Dream

The village of Dessie is very near the birthplace and stomping grounds of our Moose. Please take a moment to watch the video, learn a little about village life in Ethiopia, and consider giving your Mom a really meaningful mother's day gift this year...a donation in her honor!

Resolutions.....

Katie B. is making some changes. There is a new sheriff in town and her name is "oh my word you better get things together before you truly go crazier than you already are!".
Here are my resolutions:

1. I will take babysteps, remembering that I can make real progress towards my goals by doing it step by step rather than all at once which ends up leaving me overwhelmed and far from my goals. Elmo said it best in Elmo's World on Fast and Slow~ slow and steady, slow and steady.

2. I will actually READ rather than scan.

3. I will NOT check my email when I am in the middle of something simply because I hear the little "ding" on my computer. I will complete what I am doing first.

I have a TON more to add to the list, but if you will refer back to item #1 I am keeping my word here and taking those baby steps.

KLB, who had a wonderful day and even got some sun on her face. Finally.

Bobsica Scale

We opened up the Jeep on Monday. All windows out, wind blowing through. Moose was overjoyed with the closeness he felt to all the passing cars and trucks. He would squeal with joy each time they passed. Mihyla (my faithful lab who goes everywhere I go!) loves not having to stick her head outside of the window, rather having the entire vehicle turn into an open window.
Money is tight partly because of our pending move, saving for our next adoption, and choosing to live a bit frugally. This makes the thought of driving even any distance not as fun as when I did not think about gas prices so much. I have been thinking about my inherit need for adventure and feeling "stuck" within my own community walls so to speak. A recent change in my morning routine led me to an idea that I want to share, especially with you stay at home Momma's. The recent change in my morning routine has been wonderful! I have been getting up before Moose and before Jason. The coffee is ready to go and I sit myself down on my front porch to watch the sun brighten the grass and flowers and budding trees. It is nothing but lovely. Anyway, back to the grand idea....playground hopping. In most communities there is more than one playground. Go to them all! Moose and I go to a different playground each day. We then rate it on what we call the "Bobsica" Scale. We are on the hunt for the best playground in our community. What is the "Bobsica" Scale you ask? It is simple. When our little brown sugar is pleased, excited, and overjoyed he says, "Bobsica". We have no idea where he came up with it or what it really means to him, but he will repeat it over and over when he is happy with something. The more "Bobsica's" the playground get's the higher it goes on the scale. Seriously. Playground hopping get's you outside, get's your child using that wonderful energy, is a good opportunity to meet other Mom's, and is a small lesson in local exploration that is worth the effort.
Anderson Playground and Washington Park Playground have received the most "Bobsica's" thus far. We are eager to see if tomorrow we can find a playground that outdoes them.
Here are some pics of the past few days. Moose got a new pair of sunglasses and he has been wearing them all day long, including when we are inside. What a goof! He gets a trillion "bobsika's' from me!

My Captain

Again, no real blog tonight. I did want to post some pictures of my sweet husband...just because he is adorable and I love him.
So, my blog fans and friends...I introduce you to Jason A. Brabson~ world traveler, cheese dip lover, and eternal pessimist:

Son of a Gun

I am finishing up the last chapters of this great nautical history book called, Women Sailors and Sailors' Women: An Untold Martime History. The author is David Cordingly. Yesterday I learned the most fascinating piece of history that I have to share with you in order to enlighten you on a common phrase that you have probably at one point in time quoted. The phrase "Son of a Gun" comes from when women were in labor while aboard Navy Vessels out at sea. Despite the lack of mention and credit given to women it was actually common for them to be aboard ships during times of peace and war during the 18th century (and many conducted great acts of heroism at sea). The post at sea would be for a great length of time giving pregnant woman no option but to birth their children in their stateroom or on deck in some recorded cases. When a woman had been laboring for a long time the crew would wait for the orders and then shoot the guns, with the purpose of startling the poor woman and causing the baby to be born. Apparently this method was very effective and a child born under said circumstance was known as a "son of a gun". Now you know.

We went to my inlaws house today due to the fact that we had prospective home buyers visiting our home. We sat on the deck chatting in the spring afternoon. We went to a few garage sales and I bought a very large basket. We ate pizza together and watch the Moose dance around the living room. My in-laws have embraced being grandparents in an entirely normal and honestly very comforting manner. There are remnants of this new phase in their lives all around the house. Sippy cups in the cabinets. Photographs on the walls. Cars, balls, and children's books scattered on the floor. They bought an old miniature basketball hoop today and surprised us all with it. Grandpa got on his knees and taught Moose the in's and out's of hoops. They keep a basket of clothes for Moose in their bedroom and the pack-n-play is always ready for a sleepy head. Grandpa has learned how to entertain Moose while watching his sports game on TV. Grandma has learned how to cook dinner with a little soccer player running through the kitchen. They ask for hugs and kisses and have created traditions with Moose that are simple and free and irreplaceable. He enters their home and asks Grandma to "dance" with him to this teddy bear that sings obnoxiously while swaying back and forth. He likes to go with his Grandpa and look at the cars in the garage. Being grandparents suits them well. They have even started asking for more Grandchildren and passing hints our directions. I write about all this because I think today, for me, this was incredibly significant. While at their house the entire family was sitting in the living room. We had full bellies and were waiting for someone to initiate some sort of activity. The TV was on and was playing the music station where there is music but no picture, yet we were all watching the blank screen. The Moose was playing hide-n-seek and I crawled behind the chair silently waiting for him to find me. He did not and instead became side tracked with his Grandfathers sideburns. The normal thing to do would be to stop hiding and return to the "music watching" with the family. Instead I stayed hidden taking an unusual moment to catch my breath from the mommy marathon. My spirit has been incredibly heavy and this hiding behind the chair seemed to give me a chance to consider the heaviness within me. There was this part of me, a part I do not like so much, that was looking to for something to blame my burdens on. "Why are we sitting here watching a blank screen!" I thought annoyingly inside my head. Then the voice of my friend Alisha came to me. She was telling me yesterday that rather than complaining so much she is truly working on finding the blessings in life through her frustrations. "I prayed for a baby and God answered my prayers." she said. "Now I find myself complaining about the baby all day." She was making a genuine change within her heart and from this enjoying and loving her precious children more and more.
I peeked around the corner of the chair. I think everyone thought I was in the bathroom. Jason was sitting next to his mom who was trying to get him to rub her feet. Moose was jumping up and down with his Grandpa, who was trying to tell a story about something he saw on TV earlier in the day. There was no agenda. No conflict. No judgment. Everyone was just happy to be together. There were remnants of family all around me, little signs that pointed to people as different as night and day embracing one another with love and tenderness and loyalty. There is no climax to this story, no clever ending. I got up from my hiding place and sat on the floor watching the music channel with the rest of the family. We shared some laughs and eventually drove home. But, it is this very scenario, drama free, agenda free evening that means the world to me now. It is a blessing.

Jason is creating his own blog now. I can not wait to read what he is writing. It is going to be great getting to know the "blogger" in my spouse. I am going to continue reading my book for tonight. If I find any other delicious bits of history I will pass it on to you, you son of a gun!

A Sneak Peek of Adorable.

Today was great. Actually it fluxed between great and disaster, mostly because of my raging hormonal state, but let's focus on the great here. I had the pleasure of teaching my son about the world of playgrounds and most importantly that he is capable of much if he only tries. Here are some pictures of the day. The rest are posted on our family website under 'April Photos'. View them at: www.brabsonfamily.com

No real blog for tonight. My Dad is in Singapore. My brother is spending the week as a homeless person for the experience. My sister is pregnant again. And, I....well I have to go get a glass of milk. That's it.

Salem.

KLB

Mashed Potatoes, Cookie Dough and Arizona

My son took me on a date today. Actually, in rush to get out of the house so that it could be shown to a potential home buyers the Moose and I headed ourselves to my favorite lunch time dive~ Kelly's Bakery. We shared a knock-out sandwich, chips, and cottage cheese. The date took my mind off of questions such as: "Will the people notice that I forgot to vacuum the dog hair of the sofa?" and such. It also gave Moose a wonderful opportunity to work on his flirting skills, as if he actually needs more practice with this! That child gets people slobbering over him everywhere we go and he eats it up.
I have been thinking today that I wish more things tasted like mashed potatoes and cookie dough. When there is cookie dough in the fridge, which there often is, I am incapable of passing it over. I see it, I eat it. I think about it, I eat it. I go to the fridge for something healthy and detour to cookie dough lane. On the same note, I could eat mashed potatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This little diddy here has absolutely nothing to do with anything, just thought I would share my thoughts on this. I also think that absolutely everything tastes better when eaten outdoors, especially when one has been outdoors for a while. This summer in addition to making huge strides towards self-sufficiency and becoming localvores we are also going to muster up our outdoor dish creativity. If you can put it in foil, heat it over a fire, and eat it with a stick then it is right up my alley.
Yesterday at lunch, Jason announced that he was going to search the fridge for various "dipping sauces". He then proceeded to make a spread on our table of everything ranging from BBQ sauce, to honey, to ranch, to ketchup and so forth. The man was excited about his sauce. He has already passed this fascination onto the Moose who now truly believes that food is just a utensil we have in order to eat more sauce.
We did decided over this lunch, based on a conversation spurned by the movie "Into the Wild" that we need to become "hobbyists". We need to have something that we truly do together, with great effort for at least a couple of years. I have suggested lots of things over our years together that my darling hubby responds to with a loud "ehhhnntt (insert game show buzzer for wrong answer here) ennntttt".
For example: Let's move into a sailboat and circumnavigate the globe. EHHHHNNNTT!
Let's move to the Phillipines, buy ocean front property, and become fishermen. EHHHNNNNTTT! Let's move into a tent so we can always have fresh air in our living room. Ehhhhnnnnnttt! Let's just start walking one day and keep going until we reach some place amazing. Ehhhnnnttt!
Perhaps it was the savvy sauce selection before him spurning him onto the idea of questing into the unknown but he agreed. We dialogged about our dream trips, hobbies, bits and pieces of those things we which most enjoy about adventure and exploration. We came up with a plan. Jason loves to dig. He loves to discover. He is not much of an aimless wanderer, but he will wanderer endlessly if he is searching for something~ sharks teeth, fossils, gems. So, the first part of our plan is to visit a public diamond digging mine in Arkansas and then drive down to Arizona to visit the airplane graveyard. While in Arizona we are going to camp at Lake Havasu and take the hike down to the Havasu Indian tribe. This is the first trip for our new hobby~ which despite many years of me adamantly refusing this hobby I have agreed on~ motorhoming. Yes, I said it. Here is the argument that Jason used that finally won me over. One of the things I love most about sailing, apart from the water, is the sense of community shared among fellow sailors. Jason says that this very thing is what he loves about motorhoming. We are not buying a motorhome, we are however going to purchase a used pop-up camper. Jason says he will enjoy this significantly more than tent camping and it will be easier with the kid(s). We are now hobbyists, we are the Brabsons, we are pop-up people. Were we roam so shall our home. Arkansas, Arizona, Pop-ups...perhaps not my dream adventure, but adventure none the less. I can just see us now, happy and content, smelling of camp fire under the Arizona sky. Jason will be proud of his pop-up like a man with a hobby is. He will put his arm around me, smile at the Moose and ask me if I remembered to pack the cheese dip.

Louching

Louching. It is what we do now from 8:00 each night until a little after ten. Jason received his work laptop and thus louching was created. It involves the following: Katie, MACDaddy, Jason, Jason's Dell (which does not have a cool name like "MACDaddy" as there is nothing remotely cool about Dells. It also involves a couch, TV background noise, and the dog comfortably by our feet. We sit side by side, peering occasionally at one another screens, and chatting the evening away while filling our minds and fingertips with the wonders of media. It is called "louching" as we are laptoping on the couch. Tonight King Kong is on in the background. I am blogging, Jason is checking his sports, and King Kong is getting ready to eat a innocent bystander.

The Moose and I have not seen Jason since Tuesday. We met up with him at a Pizza joint tonight and it was Moose that recognized Daddy's car in the parking lot. Squeals of joy were coming from the backseat. We had a great little evening together as family. Pizza, mall walking, wrestling, and time together in our bed spent reading, laughing, tickeling, kiss-giving, and glowing with contentment to be together. Samuel will now repeat the entire alphabet letter for letter in his own little translation of the way they sound. He did this for us tonight as he was sandwhiched between us on the bed. The thing is it brought us to near tears. We glanced at one another and our hearts said the same thing: We are so happy to be this child's parents. When we said our prayer we had Moose repeat us as we thanked Jesus for Daddy, Mommy, shelter, friends, family, and for the miracle that is adoption. "Kanky Podtion", he said. Translation: Thank you for adoption. Amen.

On another note while at a friends house yesterday we put the kids into the bathtub with fingerpaints, hoping they would have a messy blast. Addison did not touch the fingerpaint, she just stared at it. Moose reached out and touched it. He then looked up at me with pathetic eyes and fingerpaint on his hand and said, "icky icky icky". This was enough for me to decide that we need to go on a camping trip and this boy of mine needs to play in some mud.

The house has been on the market for one week now. Yesterday a couple came and looked at it in the morning. They then returned in the evening and looked at it again. Perhaps this is good news for us! We know that their realtor told them to take the weekend to consider making an offer. We can hardly take the suspense.

Kanky doption. Kanky doption. Kanky doption. From the bottom of my heart and soul and all that I am Kanky doption. Those little stubby legs, brown cheeks, and that tender sweet spirit has changed my life and given me the greatest adventure I have ever embarked on~ letting my heart venture out of my body and forever run around as a little boy that calls me "Mama".

The Sign is Up

The realtor put the sign in our yard on Friday night. Our house has been officially for sale for one and a half days.
No one has bought it yet. You know when selling a house you must keep it clutter free, squeaky clean, and all out immaculent. This is just not how we do things! People keep saying to me that it is so hard to keep a clean house with a two year old. "Yes" I agree with them knowing full well that even before the two year old toy tornado came sweeping through the hallways our house looked equally as lived in. It will be a grand day when the house is sold and I can let a crumb stay on the floor until found by the dog a couple of days later.
We have worked so hard over the course of the four (+) years that we have lived in our home. We took something that was run down and made it beautiful. The last month we have crammed last minute projects into our days and nights relentlessly taking up good Wii time and turning it into work time. Yesterday, after an entire back straining day of labor we looked at one another with silly grins and said at the same time, "We are done!!!". The very last "to-do" off of our list was complete. That, I tell you, was a fulfilling moment.
The Moose and I have been sick. It hit me hard early last week and the most excitement in the house was when I got off the couch to go blow my nose. On Thursday night Jason and I awoke to what sounded like seal harping through the baby monitor. We brought a sick and upset baby into our bed. The three of us laid in the dark, eyes open, listening to his labored breathing. He looked over at his daddy and barely got out the words he was trying to say. He sounded the medicine doctor in Princess Bride before clearing his throat. It was terrible. We got up at 4:30 and put him in a hot shower to clear up the congestion. At 6:00am we all climbed back into bed and thankfully slept for a while. I took Samuel to the doctor as soon as possible on Friday. He has Croup, which is a viral infection in the airways and lungs. He was put on a steriod to help clear it up and although we have seen marked improved during the night times he still woke up 8 times last night with coughing fits (this is the kid who sleeps solid from 7:30pm until 8:am every night). I thought I was feeling better but have not been able to kick this head cold. Jason woke up today with watery eyes, sore throat, and a cough. Let's get this overwith and all at once so we can start enjoying the arrival of the long awaited SPRING!
The house that I blogged about several posts back is one that I no longer like. The second time we went to visit it the home did not hold for me the same magic that it did the first time. I saw all sorts of things that I did not like that I completely overlooked the first time around. I did go to another house that I liked, it has great potential, lots of space, and a neat backyard. It is also close to Lake Springfield which means kaykaing and if I ever get the courage up ~ a sunfish sailboat. We go back on Friday to look at this house again.
Jason is playing pirate Wii again. Moose is thankfully resting, poor little man. The most adventure I am having today is a sneak into the kitchen to eat some cookie dough and then I am settling down to read my new book: Women Sailors and Sailor's Women. I think between this book and the Pirate Wii I am having an overload of nautical themed days. Yesterday, talking to myself when I misplace my drink, I said aloud and in complete pirate accent: "Smee, where is me coffee? Yar."

KLB

Preparing for Anini with our little Keiki (kid!)

Anini used to be called Wanini. It is a beach on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. Overtime the park signs began degrading the the "W's" wore off making Wanini just Anini. The locals kept the new name rather then replacing the W's. I like that, a lot. Why I am posting about Anini Beach? Here is the deal: We are heading to Hawaii on a vacation in two months. Although we have trotted the globe this is our first trip to Hawaii and we are pumped. First, we are staying in a cute beach front hotel. Our room is ocean view and has a great balcony overlooking the Eastern coast of Kauai. It has taken MONTHS of pleading but I finally convinced my husband to agree to camping as well. We leave our hotel and pitch tent on none other than, you guessed it, Anini Beach. This is not ocean view, it is just plain ocean! Our campsite is actually on the beach...sands, crashing waves, starry sky, and all. Jason would add: bugs, crabs, bird poo, and Tsunami's but let us ignore Mr. B's list entirely. After we leave camping we are meeting up with our buddies, The Andersons, who will have arrived carefree thanks to Wheel of Fortune winnings. We are then bunking in their resort for the remainder of the time. We go from paradise to paradise to paradise.
I have been staying up way to late researching camping, hiking, and beaches. There are some tremendous hikes from what I have read. I actually found this couples blog who lived in Kauai for a stent and documented all their hikes. There are some hikes that take one down fairly steep and trecherous paths, cliffside. Although this would be a dream I have opted to focus on locating paths that are a bit more family friendly (aka Safe) being that we will be hiking with our little man. The big guy (Mr. B) is much fonder of the safe hikes himself too. The thing that is wonderful about Kauai is that opting for safety is not a sacrifice of beauty. No matter where one wonders it is beautiful and lush.
Mr. B and I are bringing our own snorkel gear. On our honeymoon Mr. B went snorkeling for the very first time on a barrier reef in Belize. A nurse shark came up to our boat and was nosing it. The guide jumped in, I jumped in, and a new husband needing to prove his manhood jumped in right after. Ever since this experience Mr. B has had a love affair with snorkeling.
Thinking about traveling with the Moose brings about concerns and planning I never had before parenthood.
Yes, there will be more to pack.
Yes, we might have a grumpy child en route and return home.
Yes, we might not be able to do all that we would do if we did not have a 22 month old with us.
Yes, there could be added stress at times. Is he wearning enough suncreen? Did he just eat that bird poo? Is a crab going to bite him? Which one of us is going to get off the beach and stay inside during naptime? Was that our kid that just knocked over the buffet table? Etc.

Instead of focusing on those thougths I am choosing to not let traveling with a two year old burden me down and instead finding ways to be a responsible parent while having one heck of an adventure.

Here are some pictures of Anini Beach taken from the official website. Lots more on Kauai to come. Its late and I need some cereal.




With regards to us traveling with the Moose (and the Andersons with their two little ones) Dave Barry said it best:

"And that's the wonderful thing about family travel: it provides you with experiences that will remain locked forever in the scar tissue of your mind. "