Saturday, October 18, 2008

FOLLOW ME!



Okay people...I know you are out there. I added the guestbook and no one signed it. So why am I adding a followers list you ask??? I have no idea but someone JUST HAS TO FOLLOW US!!! Maybe I am bored??? Come on everyone is doing it ;^)

Look Ma...No Cowboy Hat




I'm not sure how long the blue plastic bowl AKA the helmet will be considered cool but for now I think it is super cool! Okay-maybe a little "special".

Fun at COSI





We took Collin to one of his favorite places to play-COSI- The Center of Science and Industry. I think most cities have a place like this. I remember COSI from my childhood and let me tell you this COSI is nothing like what I remember. A complete change of location didn't help. At first I was disappointed that it wasn't exactly the same as I remembered but now that Collin is here I see that it is a place that is fun for kids of all ages. The little kids play area is the best! And the only thing better than that is that Elmo has an exhibit there through January. I know where we will be all winter.









I'm not sure if Collin had any fun...let's see





Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Time for some changes

I have noticed that some things on the blog need a little updating. I also think we are ready for a new look so keep checking back. I have lots of new people to add to my list of blogs that I watch and unfortunately need to delete the first blog I began to follow.


I met Rebecca, of "The Adventures of Adopting Owen", on our first trip to Guatemala, pretty much as soon as we stepped off the plane. We spent some fun times with Rebecca and Owen and I had hoped to stay in touch. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. At the time, I was new to blogging. I had heard about it but didn't really understand it. I found that after we got home I really enjoyed checking her blog everyday to see how things were going.


She stayed in Guatemala to foster Owen until he could come home. I was selfishly hoping that she would still be there for my second visit trip. I thought I would be going by myself and I thought I could hang out with her and the other Antigua moms. Luckily for Owen and Rebecca they were gone by the time I returned and luckily for me, my mom went with me which ended up being a true blessing.


One of Rebecca's last posts was that she was pregnant. I guess she is that person that causes everyone to say that annoying phrase "as soon as you adopt, you will get pregnant" =*) I was thrilled for her and her family but she stopped updating the blog and I miss seeing pictures of Owen and what his life is like now.




It is such a striking contrast between life in Antigua (Guatemala) and life back in the States.Sometimes, especially in bad economic times like this, I wish I could go back again and see that we all could live with so much less. I know that a lot of the reason that Antigua seems so magical is that it is the place where our life with Collin began. But, I also think that I really could enjoy living that very simple life. I'm not kidding myself, I realize everything is simple on vacation and the government there is a nightmare etc. etc., but I choose to keep Guatemala as a very special place in my heart. I learned a lot of lessons and a lot about myself there. I met a lot of very special people there, many of them are still there.


SO ANYWAY...by starting with Rebecca's blog I found lots and lots of other blogs of interesting people with interesting stories. These were people I had never met but most of us shared the love of a child and that was a common ground. I also learned about blogging by looking at other blogs and found that once you clicked on to another blog they had thier favorite blogs linked and on and on and on.


I am what is referred to as a serial "lurker". I will not be able to keep that status for long since meeting several of the people who's blogs I follow. Also, the fact that I have recently figured out how to subscribe to blogs so that I can read all of my favorites without surfing around aimlessly. Blogging is a learning process just like everything else. I hope that Collin will be able to look back at this blog someday as HIS story from his momma's perspective. We learn together about life and about eachother-it is our big adventure.


I hope Rebecca and Owen are doing well and maybe she will start blogging again some day.

We're Back!















We are home from Myrtle Beach finally-what a long drive!We had a great time and met lots of nice people. It was neat to actually see people you have never met in your life but you feel like you know them because you follow their blogs. It is even more interesting how we even find each other's blogs and then end up attending the same event. It is a small world.



I think this will be an annual event for us. Once Collin gets a little older he will understand the bond that all of these families share but for now he just has a great time playing with all the kids. I felt like we were back in the Marriott in Guatemala City. Everywhere you went there were families with their beautiful Guatemalan babies-now toddlers running wild!! Hopefully a lot of the families will keep going back as well. It will be fun to see all of the kids grow up.



The weather was not great but manageable. It was a little rainy but we still made it to the beach. They had several events planned for us. We went to the Aquarium, Barefoot Landing and the Outlet Mall. We should have stayed far, far away from the outlet mall! As if Collin needs one more piece of clothing-but who can resist The Children's Place Outlet,or Baby Gap, or Osh Kosh, or Gymboree...Heartstrings..Carters-you get the idea!! Obviously not me! We even planned it just right so Collin slept through the majority of the trip.




It seemed as if everyone had some sort of bad health drama during this trip and we were not to be left out. On the way home I received a text message from Wyatt stating that he at the hospital and that he was in too much pain to talk on the phone so that was why he hadn't answered my calls-but-not to worry! Yeah Right! Meanwhile we are only half way through North Carolina!! Wyatt is never sick, feels no pain and only goes to the doctor once a year to get a note so that he can take his work physical fitness test. He would NEVER go to the hospital probably even if he was dying!! All kinds of bad things were going through my head and we were still at least 10 hours away from home! But, there was nothing I could do but drive so that is what we did. He ended up getting released and the issue was pretty minor but very painful. Mr. I Never Get Sick is still in bed recovering and seems to be feeling better all the time.


It is always nice to go away but even better to come back home and sleep in your own bed. I have to say Collin thoroughly enjoyed the beds at the Marriott and is not very happy to be back at home in his crib. I think we spoiled him with the fluffy down comforters and pillows AND GETTING TO SLEEP WITH MOM EVERY NIGHT! Now maybe I can sleep a little better since I won't be pushed off the edge of the bed and kicked in the head all night. That kid is going to be a fighter!


Monday, October 6, 2008

Sometimes,he even shares the hat...but not often!




Collin gearing up in his "Bob the Builder" safety goggles to go outside and help dad clean up the yard after our hurricane in Ohio?!?!




Cowboy boots to go with the cowboy hat. Unfortunately they are not nearly as popular as the hat. He HATES them! When I put them on he just stands there like he forgot how to walk! Trick or Treat will be a blast!



Collin and Mallory (our favorite neighbor) playing out back. Unfortuntely, they will be moving out of state soon so Collin will be losing one of his best playmates =*(




I have been tearing up the seasonal baby consignment sales so Collin has a few new toys. This is one of his favorites! Notice, once again, you simply cannot drum without a cowboy hat!




Collin and his best pal Bosley (or Bozzy in Collin speak) taking a well deserved nap.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

COFLAC outing






THe kids lining up for the sack race







The dads lining up- those poor dads didn't know anything about WT.







Cowboy Collin checking out the cows-he moo's pretty good.

Bad Blogger!!

I have been a very bad blogger lately-sorry! I really have no excuse, just hanging out and enjoying life.


We (me, my mom and Collin) are heading to Myrtle Beach this weekend for Guatoberfest. I'm very excited as this is the first time we have gone. Gutoberfest is a gathering of families from all over that have adopted kids from Guatemala. I just found out that there will be over 100 kids under the age of 3 attending. So if you are at the Marriott in Myrtle Beach this weekend-SORRY ABOUT YOUR LUCK!!


I am really looking forward to the trip-except for the drive. Wyatt is not going and my mom doesn't drive so that means I am the only driver. I hate driving long distance! For some reason when I get behind the wheel I automatically get tired. Anyone who knows me, knows that I can't sleep on airplanes or in cars. The only way I can sleep in a car is if I am in the driver's seat. Scary thought when you are responsible for driving 3 people for 11 hours!! Other than that I think it should be a good time.

Today we had an outing with our COFLAC group(Central Ohio Families with Latin American Children. It was at a members farm in Pleasantville. We were a little late getting there but we didn't miss out on all the fun. We arrived just in time for Wyatt to crush the other dads in the sack race-that's a real surprise. I'm not sure that I represented quite as well. I had to play "Poop the Potato". You have to sit in a chair and stick a potato between your legs then run over to the pot and drop it in without using your hands. Then you pick it up and run back to the chair for the next person. My team lost-bad potato poopers!

It was really cute seeing all the little kids do the sack race and even funnier watching the dads! After the games we went on a hay ride. It is funny because so many people think of Ohio as farm country but it was like we were on a field trip to see something we never get to see. Kind of amusing!

When we got back from the hayride we had a wiener roast. It was the perfect October outing. Of course, Collin wore his cowboy hat almost the whole time. For once it was appropriate attire!! Due to his love of the cowboy hat, it was not difficult to decide what he would be for Halloween this year.


We were running late to the outing because mom and dad got a night out last night!! We took full advantage of the fact that Collin spent the night with Nana and Pop. We haven't really been out since Collin has been here. Life is very different, but I wouldn't change it for anything. It was really nice to see some friends that we haven't seen for a long time and to cut loose a little bit! I will have to say the Wilson's are not the party animals they used to be but I am proud to say we closed that party down just like the old days!! Okay, not exactly like the old days (thank goodness)but close enough.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

The Zoo

We took a trip to the zoo with Kahlen and Brylie. I thought he might sleep through the entire trip but he woke up just in time for the petting zoo.

Here is my little goat groomer!




This is the first time Collin has really been interactive with the animals at the petting zoo. I don't think we have been to the zoo since he started walking.All the kids had so much fun it was hard to drag them out!





After the petting zoo we rode the train and ate some pretzels!



I was so impressed that Collin was able to put coins into the coin slots all by himself. The first couple tries were a little sloppy but once he got the hang of it there was no stopping him.That has to be some kind of fine motor skill achievement-I knew he was brilliant!!

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Powder POOF!

I swear I only turned my head for a second...





I turned my back for a couple of seconds to grab diapers and I turn around to this!!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Poor Collin

Collin had to get tubes in his ears today. I'm told it is very common for kids his age but any kind of "surgery" is stressful for everyone. We had to be at the surgery center at 7:30am and his procedure was scheduled for 8:30am.

They took us back and gave him a little medicine to make him relax. They also gave him a little oxygen mask to play with so he would be used to it when he went into the surgery room. By the time they took him back he had put all of his stuffed animals to sleep with the mask and tucked them in with his blanket. He didn't fuss at all when the nurse took him from me, which for anyone that knows Collin, that is NOT the norm!

They warned us that it would be a different story when he came out. They assured us it was not because he was in pain but I guess when they come out of the anesthesia they are very disoriented and to put it mildly-PISSED OFF!

I forgot to bring a sippy cup so I sent Wyatt to get one across the street. I seem to always mess up something important on these occasions. I guess it could have been worse. He was gone all of 10 minutes and as he was walking through the door they called us to the back to see the doctor.

Collin's surgery went fine and we could go back in just a couple of minutes to see him. Well, they were right! I could hear him screaming as soon as we turned the corner. He was screaming and fighting and wiggling, but it seemed like he wasn't even awake. His eyes weren't really open and no tears were coming out. He kept this up for about 30 minutes and then he started to calm down. He drank 2 whole cans of apple juice before we left and ate a big bag of goldfish. I guess he was feeling better.

We headed home and we started to see signs of normal Collin coming back. He ate breakfast and took a nice nap. He doesn't seem to be in pain and seems to be functioning normally other than he walks around like he is drunk. Once again, it's like nothing ever happened-thank goodness!

So for the rest of the day Collin and I are just hanging out and taking it easy. I was concerned I may need to take tomorrow off work but he seems to be right back to normal so I guess he can go to Nana and Pops. What a relief!!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

HAPPY HOMECOMING DAY !!!

Today (well actually yesterday now that I am finally getting to this post) is Collin's 1 year anniversary of the day he came home from Guatemala. The day did not go exactly as planned...of course.

I wanted to decorate his bedroom in balloons while he was asleep so he would wake up to balloons all over. He loves balloons as I am sure most kids do and his Pops had decorated his room with balloons for his homecoming last year. BUT...I ended up getting stuck at work on overtime and Wyatt was called to Children's Hospital because Peyton broke his ankle. So, since we would both be very late Collin had to stay at Nana and Pops which means he wasn't going to wake up at home. The balloons I bought were going to serve double duty at his party. Needless to say only one bunch of balloons made it home. Oh well, maybe next year!!

I got home at 3:30am and had to finish the gift bags for the party so I went to bed at about 4:30am and had to get up bright and early at 6am to meet Amy and Em for our twice annual Kids Resale fun at the Grove City Nazarene Church. We make an event of it! We meet at Starbucks to map out our strategy and arrive an hour before the doors open to make sure we are first (or close to first) in line. Yes, there are other people as crazy as us that show up super early. This is another one of those things I NEVER would have done BC (before Collin).I wouldn't even do it for myself! But I buy his entire wardrobe for the following season for about $100-$200 dollars and that includes a few extra toys to add to the embarrassingly large pile he has already!

Then it was off to Collin's Chick-fil-a party. I was working on an hour and a half of sleep but made it through. We had a great party! Chick-fil-a was great. I'm pretty sure we ended up with more than 50 people but they just kept handing out the food. They are so nice and helpful there. So allow me to plug Chick-fil-a for all of your party needs, or lunch time needs. They even serve breakfast =*)

Collin was in a great mood and worked the room when he wasn't in the playroom. The "eat more chikn cow" even made an appearance and the kids loved it!I think this experience taught me that when Collin gets older to have all of his birthday parties at someone else's place!!!When it is over you just leave and go home to your house that is in the same condition as when you left. Sounds good to me!

We went home to have a little family time with Collin. When we were in Guatemala we bought various things to give him over the years on his homecoming day to honor his culture. Nothing big (except for the one he will get on his 21st) just little handmade items we found at markets. So we gave him his first Guatemalan gift.

We also "adopted" the Discovery Reef at the zoo in honor of Collin's adoption. He loves the aquarium at the zoo. I remember when we were in the hospital in Guatemala (the real one)that he loved watching the fish in the aquarium and it was really the only thing that would settle him for a short period of time so we thought that was appropriate. He got a backpack with some fish and sea creatures and an adoption certificate with a picture of "his" Discovery Reef.

Finally-we got to take a nap!! I HATE sleeping during the day but it was unavoidable this time. It seems to just waste the day especially on a special day like today but Collin needed a nap too so I took advantage of that.

We woke up just in time to eat dinner and then the OSU v USC game came on. Collin was going to stay up late and party with mom and dad to watch the Bucks beat USC. He went to bed at halftime...AND THAT IS ALL I'M GOING TO SAY ABOUT THAT!!!

All in all I think we had a great first homecoming day!




Monday, September 8, 2008

GO BUCKS!!


I should have posted this yesterday but better late than never! Let's just hope the Buckeyes get it together by next week!!

First Leaves of the Season





As you can see Collin was a big help!

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Should I be Concerned??



Collin LOVES his "helmet"! He wears it everywhere. In case you haven't noticed, his helmet is a plastic bowl! We are hoping that he will not be THAT kid-you know-the one that wears a bowl on his head to school everyday!!

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Looking Back

We are approaching the one year anniversary of Collin's homecoming from Guatemala. Looking back on where I was one year ago is not a good memory. It was the beginning of the worst nightmare. Collin was so sick and this would have been the night that we took him to the first "hospital" where my mom and I counted the minutes as we spent the night in the garage full of screaming babies. It was horrible. This day started the bad dream that lasted 10 long days while I stared non stop at that baby we had all fallen in love with, not knowing if he was ever going to come home to us. All I could do was hold him and love him and try to let him know it would be okay he just had to get better so we could go home where we have real doctors and real hospitals.


I also have to think of how many great people we met along the way. People that touched our lives forever with their kindness. People that we will never forget no matter how far away we are. Without our Guatemalan angels we never would have made it through. We are eternally grateful to all of them.


Luckily, that bad dream came to an end and our baby Collin got to come home!! And, look at him now. I can't imagine not having him in our lives. The amount of joy he brings to our lives every day is infinite. Even when he is being a bad boy he is still my little pumpkin =*)


Our life has changed a great deal in the last year.Our living room is now a playroom, our house is in a perpetual state of disarray, and our pristine backyard is filled with more plastic toys than I ever knew existed. I count the days to the next seasonal baby consignment sale. I check out potty books at the library. When people ask how old Collin is I say 19 months instead of 1 1/2. I have a working knowledge of all things Backyardigans and am quickly re-familiarizing myself with an old friend, Sesame Street. Elmo might as well be mommy-he's VERY popular. And, I wouldn't change a thing!!


This has been a fantastic year for the Wilson's and I know the future will bring more fun and good times!

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Monday, August 18, 2008

What a big boy...What a bad mommy!!

I came home from work late last night and found Collin in our bed with Wyatt. Rather than chance waking him at 3am I climbed in with them. I never sleep very well with him in the bed-anyway-This morning he must have climbed out of bed without us realizing it (so I guess I can sleep). I woke up in a foggy panic because I didn't see him in the bed. I ran downstairs and there he was sitting on the kitchen floor with a box of cereal dumped out on the floor. He was just sitting there eating his cereal off the floor and gave me this look like, "WHAT"?? What a big boy!!! Tonight-Back to the crib!!

Guatoberfest Cruise 2009

My soapbox about the Advent Conspiracy

I came across this video on another blog. I have to admit I only looked at it for entertainment value. I assumed with a title like that, it had to be some wacko conspiracy theory and who doesn't need a good laugh. Suprisingly enough it really touched me and made me think. It didn't grab my interest because of it's religious value, because that's not really my thing. I am not the type of person that flaunts religion or believes in pushing your beliefs onto others. It touched me because of it's human value and because it shows me how quickly I forget.

When we were in Guatemala it was truly a life changing experience for a myriad of reasons, only one of which was bringing home a baby! We saw poverty that we could never imagine in this country. I remember thinking when I was there that despite all of the stress of the situation, I was more at peace than I had ever felt in my life. Among other things, there was no pressure to have more...there was nothing to have. People just lived their lives. Families worked together, lived together in cramped housing-if they had a roof over their heads at all-and they were happy! We were forced to enjoy eachother without our "creature comforts" and I loved it. I now remember hoping that once we got home, I would never lose that idea that we don't really need much at all. I realized our society makes us think we need more but we really don't. And after watching the video it makes me realize that I have failed miserably.


I had made up my mind that in order to honor my new found attitude and our sons heritage, we would sponsor a Guatemalan family every year so that they could have food and heat and their children could go to school-things we take for granted on a daily basis. For some reason I can never seem to find the money to do that- BUT- I can find the money to buy coffee every day, sometimes several times a day, Collin will see a room full of gifts on Christmas morning, I can go out to eat, I can do whatever I want for the most part. My priorities have gone right back to where they were before I experienced Guatemala and it makes me sad. That is the reason that I am posting the video in a permenant spot on the blog, so that I am constantly reminded, not only during Christmas but all year to give PRESENCE to my friends and family not PRESENTS and to give back to something that I feel very strongly about. I don't write this to push Guatemalan charity or any charity but to encourage anyone reading this to slow down and take a look at your life and see what means the most to you and see where it takes you.

Advent Conspiracy