Christmas Eve Brunch

Last week we celebrated Christmas with our cousins.  We're not often able to reciprocate their hospitality, so we were happy to have them at our house for a Christmas Eve brunch which I decided would feature various dishes representing our family's cultures.  A meatless feast is traditional for Christmas Eve in Eastern Europe, so we prepared accordingly.

From Armenia: wedding pilaf - white rice served with dried fruit and nuts (we know that Ella's birth mother prepares a version of this for Christmas)

From the US: an apple pie variant

From Germany: Christmas Stollen

From Bulgaria: tutmanik (or mesenitza) - a traditional bread made with yogurt and feta and mishmash - a popular dish of eggs, roasted peppers and tomatoes

We also served fresh fruit and a bowl of nuts which are part of many Christmas tables in Armenia, Bulgaria and Germany.

From Our Family To Yours ...

... season's greetings

and warmest wishes for a joyous, peaceful 2017.

A Letter From My Daughter

In case you can't decipher this lovely note I received today, here's a transcript edited for spelling and grammar:

Dear Mama, You have been a wonderful mama for every single day of my life. I mean this to you.  Love, Ella.  Merry, merry Christmas to you.

Want - Need - Enjoy

As many of you know, Craig and I purchase three Christmas gifts for each of our children and we use the following guideline: something they really want, something they need, and something we think they would enjoy.

Here's what we got this year - everything has been delivered (online shopping all the way) and is wrapped.

Ella:

mermaid blanket (want) - $21.00
sewing kit (need - practice fine motor skills and creativity) - $23.00
dollhouse with all accessories (enjoy) - $158

Rex:

cup stacking game (want) - $12.00
socks via an adoption fundraiser (need) - $15.00
two new indoor swing attachments (enjoy) - $364 - covered by Rex's county funds, so really $0

Emilia:

new magna doodle and Llama Llama book (want) - $20.00
birthday cake cutting/pretend play set (need - practice fine motor and play skills) - $18.00
dollhouse with all accessories (enjoy) - $0

The girls are getting the doll house as a joint gift, so the cost of that purchase is essentially split.  Total cost of all gifts this year $267 - very reasonable.

Craig and I don't need gifts (unless it's the gift of quality time), but we have learned that giving and receiving presents is one of Ella's love languages, so we gave her an opportunity to earn some money between Thanksgiving and last Friday with the caveat that she could only spend it on others.  She's made some lovely and thoughtful choices for her siblings (finger puppets for Emilia and a light-up spinning toy for Rex) and has a surprise for Craig and me as well.

Another new thing for 2016 is that only one gift per child is from Santa.  Since we do not know how much longer Ella will believe in the jolly fella, we decided it was time to introduce presents from mom and dad this year to make the transition from one to the other easier when it comes.  It ties in nicely with it being the first year Ella is giving gifts herself, so we shall see how it goes.

Here's to four more days till Christmas!

Marion & Dick

When Craig and I were newlyweds and living in our first house, we made fast friends with our neighbors, Marion and Dick, a retired couple married over 50 years.  Marion and I grew a beautiful friendship through our shared interest in gardening, cooking and baking.  Many recipes were exchanged over four years, pies and breads made their way across the lawns to be tasted, and countless hours were whiled away in Marion's sitting room.  As a new wife, I so appreciated the wisdom and support of my much older friend.

Marion died several years ago of complications from breast cancer.  I wish she could have met our kids - she would have adored them just the way they are, exactly the way she did her own grandson with special needs.  I think of Marion often and definitely every spring when her irises bloom in my front yard and every December when I bake her molasses cookies with a recipe that has been passed down in Dick's family for about 120 years.

This year, I introduced Ella to the art of making Marion's molasses cookies and told her all about my wonderful friend.  Then we packed up a few cookies and sent them on their way to Dick, now nearly 90, in hopes that they would bring back a flavorful hint of his childhood and married years and let him know we love him.

I miss you, dear friend.  A part of you is here with me still and will be as long as irises bloom in spring and cookies are baked at Christmas.

Picture Of The Day

Someone lost her first tooth this week.

Lunch Love

Almost two years into her academic career, Ella still loves to take this kind of lunch to school and I still love to pack it.  Her lunch box is a variation of this combo every day: fruit, vegetable, protein and carb.

Nikolaustag 2016

St. Nick came at night and left the kids the traditional gift of this season's Christmas pajamas.  Being apparently a very practical guy, he also brought each of them an oral-motor tool to help meet sensory needs and further new skills.

And, of course, der Nikolaus made the Christmas decorations appear.  Since we turned our front room into a sensory room, we don't really have a good, safe place for a Christmas tree anymore, so we just made our first ever Christmas ceiling across the entire family room.  All three kids were mesmerized by it.  It's really quite magical.

The best thing about Nikolaustag was the Ella remembered it as one of our traditions before it happened. This is her third Christmas with us and she is aware and excited about what we do as a family this time of year.  She spent a few days trying to decide which boot to put out for St. Nick to fill and said to me yesterday, "None of my friends at school even mentioned St. Nick's Day."  I explained that this is a German tradition that I am bringing to our family and that most kids in the US would not know about it.  Of course, this opened up a whole can of questions about St. Nick being able to find all the German children in America... #ifyougiveamouseacookie

Hohoho & Mistletoe

We had so much fun at our first Christmas party of the season...

Emilia was really busy chatting up Santa
and not wasting precious face time with the jolly fella
by posing for a photo

... and were quite tired after all the excitement.

Totally committed to Rudolph

A+

I am so seriously proud of my youngest child. She's rocking her IEP goals this year.

IAC 373-376 Results

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 373 which was held on October 6, 2016:

1) Spanish dossier from April 2011 referred a female child aged 4 years and 10 months

2) Portuguese dossier from August 2011 referred a ale child aged 2 years and 7 months with features in health status and a family history

3) German dossier from September 2011 referred a male child aged 2 years and 5 months

4) US dossier from September 2016 referred a waiting child (#3197) with a profile on the MOJ site

--------------------------------

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 374 which was held on October 14, 2016:

1) Italian dossier from April 2011 referred a male child aged 4 years and 9 months

2) Dutch dossier from August 211 referred a female child aged 4 years and 7 months with features in health status

3) French dossier from August 2011 referred a male child aged 1 year and 8 months with features in health status

4) Italian dossier from October 2011 referred a female child aged 7 years and 4 months with a family history

5) US dossier from July 2013 referred a male child aged 4 years and 4 months with features in health status and a family history

6) US dossier from December 2013 referred a sibling group of three, male and female, aged 4 years and 3 months & 7 years and 8 months

7) Spanish dossier from July 2014 referred a waiting child (#3245) with a profile on the MOJ site

8) Italian dossier from September 2016 referred two biologically related boys, aged 6 years & 10 years and 6 months

9) Italian dossier from September 2016 referred a female child aged 13 years and 2 months

10) US dossier from October 2016 referred three children (#3125 & #3126 & #3139) with profiles on the MOJ site

11) US dossier from October 2016 referred (#3076) with a profile on the MOJ site

12) US dossier from October 2016 referred (#3287) with a profile on the MOJ site

-------------------------

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 375 which was held on October 20, 2016:

1) Italian dossier from February 2013 referred a male child aged 7 years and 10 months with features in health status and a family history

2) French dossier from October 2014 referred a male child aged 5 years and 6 months with features in health status and a family history

3) Italian dossier from January 2015 referred two sisters, aged 8 years and 1 month & 6 years with features in health status and a family history

4) US dossier from October 2016 referred four children (#2673 & #2674 & #2675 & #2676) with profiles on the MOJ site

--------------------------------------

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 376 which was held on October 27, 2016:

1) Spanish dossier from March 2011 referred a male child aged 1 year and 6 months

2) US dossier from January 2013 referred female child aged 2 years with features in health status

3) Irish dossier from March 2014 referred a female child aged 2 years and 4 months with features in health status

4) Italian dossier from March 2015 referred a male child aged 2 years with features in health status

5) French dossier from March 2016 referred a waiting child (#2760) with a profile on the MOJ site

6) US dossier from October 2016 referred two waiting children (#2682 & #2505) with profiles on the MOJ site

7) US dossier from October 2016 referred a waiting child (#2922) with a profile on the MOJ site

8) US dossier from October 2016 referred a waiting child (#3034) with a profile on the MOJ site

9) US dossier from October 2016 referred four children (#3103 & #3104 & #3105 & #3106) with profiles on the MOJ site

Picture Of The Day

Ella has been very excited to start the holiday season this December, so today I made her a special breakfast of Fairy Toast (aka buttered whole grain bread with Christmas light sprinkles) to ring in the new month.  It was a resounding success.

Pumpkin Soup

What do you do with your fall decorations after Thanksgiving?  Make soup, of course.

Roast

Puree and season

Done.

Prepping For Our Feast

We don't serve the traditional Thanksgiving dinner around here, but we still have lots to prepare.

Cranberry sauce cooking - the girls like cranberry sauce

Homemade hot fudge to go with our dessert -
I left a little in the pot to put on our crepes for dinner last night

Ready to be roasted

Our bird - yes, it's a chicken - off into the oven

Everyone's favorite mashed potatoes

Ham

I have renewed my love for roasted brussel sprouts

I didn't get a picture of the brownies with icecream and hot fudge - they were gone before I could grab my phone.

Our feast was delicious. We only have enough leftovers for about one meal, so I know I planned well and everyone enjoyed the food.

I'll leave you with the things my girls said to me tonight when I tucked them into bed.  Emilia hugged me tight and exclaimed, "I love you. Happy Thanksgiving" and Ella whispered into my ear, "I am thankful for Rex because you can tell him a secret and he doesn't tell anyone else."

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank You, Team Rex

Rex is doing much better these days, so without naming names and in light of the impending holiday, I want to thank the current professional Team Rex for everything they do for our special boy:

1) his classroom teacher
2) his special education teacher
3) his educational assistant
4) his school OT
5) his school PT
6) his school SLP
7) his private OT
8) his private SLP
9) his BCBA
10) his RBT
11) his two bus aides
12) his two trusted babysitters
13) his cranio-sacral therapist
14) his county DDS case worker
15) county family support services staff
16) local groups and organizations offering events for kids just like Rex

Without his village, Rex would not be where he is today.

Picture Of The Day

Today was our first really chilly day of the season with temps struggling in the low 40s. It's quite a shock to the body since we had a record high of 76 degrees yesterday. So what's a girl to do but make a pan of cornbread and a veggie casserole to ease into winter?  Scrumptious!

Wonders For William

Local readers, my cousin Maria and I are selling our now semi-famous sugar cookies again this holiday season.  This year all funds raised will be placed into an agency adoption grant for Ella's friend "William" who still waits for a family.

2 dozen plain for $10
2 dozen decorated for $15

Last day for delivery is 12/16.  Orders can be placed to viviane 8 at yahoo dot com.

Emilia's Together Forever Day

Five years home with us - my heart bursts with love for this child.  I know I am completely biased, but to me she's sunshine personified, pure joy in a pixie's body, sprinkling fairy dust everywhere she goes.

Happy Together Forever Day, sweet daughter, you are loved, you are safe.

Picture Of The Day

I usually toss bananas my family's way when they ask for an afternoon snack, but decided to go a little overboard today with these cinnamon nut thins topped with vanilla mascarpone cream and raspberries.  #onceinabluemoon

Oh, Say, Can You See...

...one Nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Our Emergent Reader

We're so proud of her hard work and progress.

Happy Halloween

This is what Halloween is all about...

Emilia and her little cousin

IAC 368 - 372

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 368 which was held on August 4, 2016:

1) French dossier from February 2013 referred a male child aged 4 years and 3 months with features in health status and a family history

2) German dossier from April 2013 referred a male child aged 2 years and 11 months with features in health status and a family history

3) US dossier from December 2015 referred a male child aged 1 year and 11 months with features in health status

------------------------------------

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 369 which was held on August 18, 2016:

1) Spanish dossier from July 2011 referred a female child aged 1 year and 8 months with features in health status

2) Spanish dossier from July 2011 referred a male child aged 2 years with features in health status

3) French dossier from December 2012 referred a male child aged 4 years and 5 months with features in health status and a family history

4) US dossier from January 2016 referred two waiting children (#2779 & #2813) with a profile on the MOJ site

5) US dossier from June 2016 referred a female child aged 9 years and 10 months with features in health status

6) US dossier from August 2016 referred a waiting child (#3053) with a profile on the MOJ site

7) US dossier from August 2016 referred a waiting child (#3242) with a profile on the MOJ site

8) US dossier from August 2016 referred two waiting children (#38 & #821) with profiles on the MOJ site

---------------------------------------

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 370 which was held on September 1, 2016:

1) French dossier from March 2011 referred a female child aged 1 year and 11 months with features in health status

2) Dutch dossier from June 2011 referred male twins, aged 3 years and 8 months

3) Irish dossier from July 2011 referred a female child aged 1 year and 9 months with features in health status

4) Swedish dossier from August 2011 referred a male child aged 1 year and 7 months with features in health status and a family history

5) French dossier from October 2012 referred a male child aged 2 years 6 months with features in health status and a family history

6) Spanish dossier from November 2012 referred a female child aged 8 years

7) French dossier from November 2015 referred a male child aged 1 year and 5 months with features in health status

8) Italian dossier from August 2016 referred female child aged 10 years and 4 months with a family history

9) Belgian dossier from August 2016 referred a waiting child (#3280) with a profile on the MOJ site

-----------------------------------

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 371 which was held on September 15, 2016:

1) Canadian dossier from January 2011 referred a female child aged 2 years and 10 months

2) Dutch dossier from March 2011 referred a male child aged 3 years and 2 months

3) Danish dossier from March 2011 referred a male child aged 1 year and 9 months

4) Italian dossier from April 2012 referred a male child aged 7 years and 11 months

5) US dossier from June 2013 referred a brother and sister aged 3 years and 8 months & 2 years and 5 months with features in health status

6) German dossier from November 2014 referred a male child aged 4 years and 4 months with features in health status

7) US dossier from August 2015 referred a brother and sister aged 12 years and 9 months & 9 years and 1 month

8) Italian dossier from January 2016 referred two waiting children (#3243 & #3244) with profiles on the MOJ site

9) US dossier from September 2016 referred a waiting child (#3236) with a profile on the MOJ site

----------------------------------

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 372 which was held on September 29, 2016:

1) German dossier from May 2011 referred a female child aged 2 years and 1 month with features in health status

2) Italian dossier from January 2014 referred a male child aged 8 years and 10 months

3) Swedish dossier from July 2014 referred a male child aged 1 year and 4 months with features in health status and a family history

4) US dossier from October 2014 referred a female child aged 1 year and 4 months with features in health status and a family history

5) French dossier from July 2015 referred a female child aged 2 years and 2 months with features in health status

6) Italian dossier from June 2016 referred a brother and sister aged 9 years and 9 months & 8 years

7) US dossier from September 2016 referred a waiting child (#3158) with a profile on the MOJ site

8) US dossier from September 2016 referred a waiting child (#3162) with a profile on the MOJ site

9) US dossier from September 2016 referred a waiting child (#2847) with a profile on the MOJ site

10) US dossier from September 2016 referred a waiting child (#3154) with a profile on the MOJ site

Emilia Is Seven

This is a little late, but I did want to share that my baby girl turned seven a short while ago. Seven?!  What happened?  She has her first legitimate loose tooth and is rocking full-day Kindergarten.  She's becoming more independent with each passing day and fighting apraxia of speech like a boss.  She's joyful and loving and greets even her morning mug of milk with an exuberant, "Oh, hi there, milk.  How are ya?"

Emilia, you are wonderful.

Daddy and I could never have imagined

the happiness and tenderness you would bring to our life.

Your hugs and kisses melt our hearts

and help us through the tough spells.
We couldn't be prouder
of your hard work and progress
and can't wait to see 
what the next year of life holds for you.
We love you.
You are safe.

Bulgarian Adoptees & Families Mini Reunion

This weekend we joined five other families with Bulgarian adoptees for a getaway to a cabin in rural Indiana.  It was a lovely setting, well-suited to packing the weekend full of fun without a lot of running around.

We took time out for friendship, laughter, plenty of good conversation, delicious food, campfires, fishing, hiking, and gorgeous fall weather.

Many hours were spent boating on the pond behind the cabin

Ella was thrilled to be included with the big girls

We made one excursion to a pumpkin patch where we enjoyed a corn maze, hay ride, sand pit, big slide, apple cider slushies, mini petting zoo, and, of course picking out pumpkins.

Feeding the donkey

Admiring her friend's carving work

Our great group

Let's do this again soon, friends!

Picture Of The Day

Emilia's incredible teacher just sent me the above photo with this note, "She is so good at making our sight words and reading them."

The Best Of Times, The Worst Of Times

While I have written here a lot about the fun things we experienced this past summer, from several trips to extended family visits to successful home school to lazy hours by the pool, I have not said anything about the challenges we have faced this season as a family.

I started last year to plan Rex’s transition from his preschool/K program to our school district and private in-home ABA. I did everything in my power to make things go smoothly and in Rex’s best interest, but after he graduated from the private program that had been his academic and therapeutic home for four years, medical providers who were supposed to be part of the new Team Rex failed us and especially him.  Consequently, Rex went for three months without his ABA therapy and experienced a heartbreaking regression in his development.  I don’t want to share too much because it’s painful and still raw, but suffice it to say that Craig and I were less devastated when we received Rex’s complex diagnosis in 2011 than when we were seeing our precious son deteriorate through no fault of his own.  His challenges have placed a strain on our entire family these last few months with the girls going on not enough attention, Craig and I running on little sleep and energy, and the house and yard… well, let’s not even mention how things look in that area of our lives. 

We tried to weather this storm alone at first, but as we were getting more and more worn, we decided to reach out for some help.  I want to express my gratitude to three of Rex’s former therapists who came on little notice to spend time with him over a couple of especially hard weeks, to Rex’s former school for allowing him to attend a partial day for two additional weeks after his official last day, to our cousin who provided Ella with some much needed respite and fun, and to trusted former therapists who guided our search for a new medical provider for Rex.

A few weeks ago, Rex's ABA finally started up again under the umbrella of a different company.  He works between 20-25 hours a week with a therapist one on one in our home and soon, if all goes according to plan, in the community as well.  We hope that he can quickly find his way back to where he was in the beginning of June 2016.  In just six sessions, we are already seeing noticeable improvements which gives us great hope.  If there's a silver lining to this entire situation, we now have proof positive that ABA works for Rex and that without it, his diagnoses escalate into dangerous territory.

Rex is a bright and loving boy who suffered a setback. We know that he will fight his way forward like he’s always done and that we will be beside him every step of the way.

Gyumri Girls Reunion

Even though Ella was not born in Gyumri, she spent the first six years of her life there in the orphanage.  She had many friends in Armenia and remembers them clearly.  Recently, we had the chance to reunite Ella with one of those friends and also visit with another little girl who lived at the orphanage, but was adopted at a very young age and does not remember Ella (even though we have a photo of these two kiddos sitting together in a crib).

A cabin in the way out woods was the perfect, calm, relaxing setting to to let the girls spend time together and to enjoy the company of other adoptive parents who are very dear to me.

Gyumri Girls

 The kids pretty much loved the outdoors, roaming the woods and sitting around the campfire.

Bouquets picked for their mothers

The trees were a patient audience for Rex's musical stylings

Smores and hotdogs and apple cider around the fire

I am thankful for this special time with friends who share a similar path and understand what this journey is about. I also appreciate deeply the significance of Ella's past and the opportunity to keep her connected to those who knew and loved her before we did.

Home School Curriculum

Can anyone recommend a home school curriculum for first grade that is not religiously based or affiliated, very hands-on, and geared toward a child that is already reading?

Picnic Prep

This afternoon we are meeting a fellow adoptive family whom we have not seen in far too long for a hike and a picnic at a favorite park.  We've been preparing our outdoor feast and are looking forward to devouring it later today.

Here's Ella cooking our homemade soft wrap bread.  I'm not entirely sure why she had to wear her Halloween costume for this task, but the wraps turned out great.

Does anyone else save the trays from the prepacked veggie medleys you can buy at the grocery store?  I do because they make great storage for eating on the go.  Craig and I have this tray for the picnic:

Ella's looks like this:

We'll be sharing the wraps and a batch of chocolate chip oat cookies.

Emilia has her own little tray with a sandwich, blueberries and grapes as well as dairy-free cookies and Rex is probably just going to eat potato chips and drink lots of water.  He's easy and predictable to feed, but hard to feed healthfully.

P.S. Here are the kids on our hike and the girls playing with their friend A.

Beautiful fall afternoon with friends.  Always a pleasure.

Picture Of The Day

Post-therapy crash: Here's one tired little boy at 6:00 pm after three hours of school and five hours of therapy.  Of course, he went to his happy place (aka his parents' bed) to pass out. We love our hard-working, devoted son.

The Mommy Bag

Do you have a mommy bag?  At our house, it's sometimes called the Mary Poppins Bag or the Hermione Granger Bag as well.  

With fall in the air, I knew it was time to move the basic contents of said bag from the summer tote into the winter tote, so what better opportunity to share with you what I carry with me at all times when being out and about with my kids.

Diapers and wipes, sensory toys and napkins, Advil, sunscreen, chapstick, lipstick, lotion, hand sanitizer, mouth wash, hair ties and Band-Aids, wallet, library card, pens and snacks.

Depending on the outing, add to this basic stash paperwork, lists, sandwiches, fresh fruit, drinks, tablets, and sometimes books as well as extra clothes and you can bet that carrying my mommy bag is like toting the weight of an additional child.

What's in your magical mommy bag that I might need in mine?

Pictures Of The Day

Emilia (much like her mother) is not a big fan of rollercoasters, but with her daddy by her side, even the Grand Carousel can seem like a huge thrill.

IAC 365-367 Results

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 365 which was held on July 14, 2016:

1) Spanish dossier from November 2010 referred a female child aged 4 years and 7 months

2) Spanish dossier from February 2011 referred a female child aged 3 years and 9 months with features in health status

3) Spanish dossier from March 2011 referred a male child aged 1 year and 6 months

4) Spanish dossier from March 2011 referred a female child aged 3 years and 2 months with features in health status

5) Irish dossier from May 2011 referred a female child aged 1 year and 11 months with features in health status and a family history

6) Italian dossier from August 2015 referred two sisters aged 9 years and 9 months and 8 years and 10 months

7) US dossier from August 2015 referred a brother and sister aged 7 years and 6 months and 4 years and 10 months with features in health status

8) US dossier from July 2016 referred a waiting child (#937) with a profile on the MOJ site

9) US dossier from July 2016 referred a waiting child (#3057) with a profile on the MOJ site

10) US dossier from July 2016 referred a waiting child (#2939) with a profile on the MOJ site

11) US dossier from July 2016 referred a waiting child (#2506) with a profile on the MOJ site

12) US dossier from July 2016 referred a waiting child (#3080) with a profile on the MOJ site


The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 366 which was held on July 21, 2016:

1) Greek dossier from February 2011 referred a female child aged 1 year and 11 months

2) Dutch dossier from March 2011 referred male twins aged 3 years and 6 months

3) German dossier from December 2011 referred a male child aged 1 year and 11 months with features in health status

4) French dossier from March 2012 referred a female child aged 8 years and 8 months

5) US dossier from July 2014 referred two waiting children (#3220 & #3221) with profiles on the MOJ site

6) US dossier from December 2015 referred a male child aged 1 year and 5 months with features in health status

7) US dossier from July 2016 referred a waiting child (#3124) with a profile on the MOJ site


The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 367 which was held on July 28, 2016:

1) Spanish dossier from May 2011 referred a male child aged 1 year and 9 months with features in health status

2) Dutch dossier from September 2011 referred a brother and sister aged 3 years and 10 months & 5 years

3) Italian dossier from June 2015 referred two brothers aged 7 years and 5 months & 9 years and 3 months

4) US dossier from July 2016 referred a waiting child (#3153) with a profile on the MOJ site

5) US dossier from July 2016 referred a waiting child (#3163) with a profile on the MOJ site

6) US dossier from July 2016 referred two waiting children (#2902 & #3119) with profiles on the MOJ site

7) US dossier from July 2016 referred three waiting children (#2964 & #2965 & #2966) with profiles on the MOJ site

Our New Favorite Salad

This summer, we discovered a new favorite salad.  You could certainly make this whole dish from scratch, but in the interest of time, I start with a Suddenly Salad Southwest Grains kit which I prepare according to package directions.  Then I add vegetables on hand, like fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, grilled corn, canned beans and always an entire bunch of finely chopped parsley.  Sometimes we also add feta cheese.  Mix and refrigerate until ready to eat.  If I need more salad for a larger crowd, I stretch it with a few cups of cooked couscous and some extra spices.

I don't know how many times we've made this salad over the summer months, but we're still not tired of it.  It's great in a lunch box, too.

All About Arms

The Best Part of Me

My arms are strang.  My arms feel hugs. I lik my arms becaus stretch and my arms are tan. I can also I can climb trees.  Best of all I lik to use my arms to do stuff my frens.