Our Little Ladybug

Friday, June 29, 2007

I've Been Tagged!

Well, I have been tagged by Kim, so here goes:

The rules are simpleā€¦Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

So here are mine:

1. I am fascinated with England. I think perhaps I must have been British in a former life! Ever since I was maybe ten or eleven, I remember having a fixation with the country. I first visited there in 1997 and have since been there five times, but I remember my first visit, thinking, "I don't care if I see anything outside Heathrow airport. I would even love to just sit in the airport and listen to the accents." I think a British accent is so lovely, and the pound symbol makes me swoon! Yes, it's crazy!

2. I am a people watcher. I am fascinated by people, and I love to sit in the middle of a park or mall and just watch. I especially love airports, where I can sit and watch and create stories about people's lives. I envision where they are heading, whom they are meeting, where their travels may take them. I think I should perhaps become a fiction writer, as I've created fictional adventures for many strangers in my day.

3. I have a best friend in Ireland whom I've only met in person twice! In school, my teacher offered pen pal matches to us, and I ordered five foreign pen pals. Four fizzled out, but my friend Anna in Ireland and I kept writing over the years. We have been friends through high school, college, marriage, the birth of her two kids, and now our adoption of Jade. She and I have been writing for over twenty five years. Our first visit was in Ireland in 1997, and our second was in NYC in May of this year. We hope to have many more visits and still faithfully write and tell each other everything!


4. I love to travel. I have been bitten by the travel bug so badly I need insect repellant! I remember having the travel bug even as a child. I remember how even the foreign countries in Epcot thrilled me, and I would pretend I was in the real countries. My sister and I tried to speak in the accents of each country as we moved through Epcot! I will say I pick up foreign accents pretty well and could even as a child. I dreamed of someday visiting all of those faraway lands. We have since been to a number of foreign places: England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Germany, and Canada. Next week we will add Bermuda to that list and soon...China! I hope to be able to travel for a long, long time. I just love experiencing other cultures.

5. I have a strange fascination with the dark side of things. I was probably a Goth wannabe in high school, but I went to a Catholic high school and so I wasn't allowed. I think Robert Smith and David Bowie are cool. I love The Crow and think he's pretty cute! I love vampires and I think New Orleans is the most amazing American city!

6. I am NOT an outdoorsy girl. I like my life climate-controlled, thank you very much. I do not like heat or humidity or bugs. I don't like to sweat. I can be a baby about it sometimes. I do love rain and snow as long as I am watching them from my window!

7. We have two dogs whom we love dearly. I love all animals and think sometimes I should have become a vet rather than a teacher. I think it might be hard for me to see animals in pain, though, if I had become a vet. I cannot stand any mistreatment toward animals and I would have fifteen dogs if we had a big sprawling farm and we had the room!

8. I love to create things. I have a need to make things, especially artistic things. I therefore love home decorating, scrapbooking, arts and crafts, etc. I make a lot of things for my classroom and love to design activities and bulletin boards. I think I am creative and imaginative, and sometimes I feel like I haven't yet found the perfect outlet for that. I feel I could make a million if I only found the perfect outlet!

Okay, I now tag the following people...No pressure, though, if you don't want to!

Kristen
Connie
Krista
Christine
Elisa
Doris
Heather
Carol

Monday, June 25, 2007

Thank You To Our Secret Pals!

Our Winter Blossom Secret Pals for June were the Hoppe family, and what wonderful secret pals they are!



I can't seem to get the photo to rotate no matter how I try, so I apologize for that! We were AMAZED and so touched by the beautiful and patriotic blanket made by Hayley and Piper themselves! What a cozy and very special gift. I know Jade will enjoy snuggling with it, and it will be even more special when I tell her where it came from! The other two gifts were wrapped up so prettily, one with an adorable tag for Jade with love from Piper and Paisley (their soon-to-be daughter)! I have saved the tag and the wonderful Olivia card for Jade's scrapbook.

One of the other gifts was an adorable blue outfit for Jade that says All- American Sweetie on it. It is so cute! The other was a hardcover, beautiful Disney book of Americana classic stories. I can't wait to read them with Jade. In addition, our pals really spoiled us with five extra quilt squares and wishes (!), all of which are very beautifully made and special. I really can't thank them enough for their truly touching and treasured June gifts! Many, many thanks to the Happy Hoppes!



Love from us-
xoxo

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Bermuda, Here We Come!







Okay, I woke up this morning and NEVER dreamed that by the end of the day, we would have cruise reservations for Bermuda! It was totally spur of the moment when I saw a great deal online! We will be spending a week in July on our cruise! Luckily, we have Mom to watch the dogs/house for us. I am SOOOOOOOOO excited! Bermuda, here we come!

We were on one cruise before to the Baltic region(Denmark, Russia, Germany, Sweden, Estonia, and Finland) and it was such a relaxing and amazing adventure. I can't believe we will be cruising again!

Monday, June 18, 2007

Busy as a Bee!

Well, summer vacation has started and I have to get busy! I have promised myself that I will get so many things accomplished this summer. I don't know if I really will, but it's good to have a dream! Next on the list is planting the flowers that we bought yesterday:



Here are some photos from our previous NYC weekend:

Ellis Island






In addition, we had a FABULOUS weekend in NYC over Memorial Day. One of my very best friends was visiting for her very first trip to the USA! Anna and I were matched as pen pals in school about 25 years ago, and we have been friends ever since! She now has two daughters and I love her whole family. We only met once in person when we traveled to Ireland in 1997, but we are in contact about every two months. We have grown up together and gone through so many things together. It was so wonderful to spend some time with her and her husband in NYC!

Here we are at Tavern on the Green for dinner:





Here we are at South Street Seaport- having lunch:



I miss her already and I wish we could have spent more time together. When we took them to the airport, she gave me a bag of special gifts including two dolls for Jade. One is an Irish doll right from Ireland and the other is her very first porcelain doll. Anna truly is a special friend.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Attention: Harry Potter Fans!




A theme park inspired by the adventures of schoolboy wizard Harry Potter is to open in the US. The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter will open at the Universal Orlando Resort, in Florida, in 2009.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling said: "The plans I've seen look incredibly exciting, and I don't think fans of the books or films will be disappointed." Touted as a "theme park within a theme park", it will feature attractions and rides based on Harry Potter locations.

Based inside Orlando's Islands of Adventure theme park, which already houses Marvel Super Heroes and Dr Seuss islands, the Harry Potter theme will be spread over 20-acres.

Oscar-winning production designer Stuart Craig, who has worked on the Harry Potter films, is leading the creative design for the park to ensure it remains faithful to JK Rowling's vision. "Our primary goal is to make sure this experience is an authentic extension of Harry Potter's world as it is portrayed in the books and films," he said.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Busy Days

We have been so busy lately! This past weekend, we went to New York City for the FCC Chinese Culture Day at Liberty State Park. We left on Friday and had a really nice time at South Street Seaport. On Saturday, we went to the Culture Day. At the marketplace, we met Grace Lin who illustrates many children's books. We bought two books for Jade and got Grace to autograph!





We bought one of her prints (limited edition- only 50 of them!) for Jade's room. It is from her book Red is a Dragon. We love it and it will look so beautiful on Jade's wall. Grace autographed it to Jade as well. We are going to have it framed.



We also took the ferry to Ellis Island, and that was amazing! My great-grandparents arrived here at Ellis Island, and it is amazing to think that perhaps I walked in their footsteps there.

On Sunday, we went to the Museum of Natural History as well as a flea market where I found a treasure! I found a necklace made from a pre-1940 Chinese postage stamp. It is embedded in sterling silver. I love it!

All in all, it was a great weekend!

Sunday, June 03, 2007

Our Peppermint Pearls May Secret Pal



Thank you so much, Secret Pal, for your wonderful May gifts! The photo album is adorable and I can't wait to have "Jade & Mommy" photos to put into it! I love the book you sent. The quotes by the children are priceless! I've already read the whole thing. The bath products will be much enjoyed. It was great to receive your package and we thank you so much for your kindness!

Saturday, June 02, 2007

LID Anniversary!

Our LID is 5 months old!

"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet,
regardless of time, place, or circumstance.
The thread may stretch or tangle but will never break."
~Chinese legend Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting