jerseyhousewife

"Mommy's getting preg-a-nant!  Mommy's getting preg-a-nant!"  My 5-year-old is running around the house chanting this ridiculous phrase.  I have to correct her.  The last thing I want is for her to say something like that in public. "I am NOT getting pregnant." "Yes you are." "Why would you say that?" "Because we're going to have a baby." "Honey, there are other ways to have a baby." "How?  Do you buy one?" Wow.  To clear matters up, we are NOT getting pregnant and we are NOT buying a baby.  I've been so-called "paper pregnant" for about 21 months now.  Twenty-one months of meetings, paperwork, classes and books.  And still no baby in my arms. King of the Castle with Adoption Dossier  BUT, we do have some good news to share.  Four weeks ago, we were driving through Kansas (of all places) and my phone rang.  It was our adoption worker and she was telling me about a little...

Confession:  I snicker every time I see somebody post "Be careful!" under a status update on Facebook.  The "Be careful!" people are everywhere.  For example: Jill Jones Getting ready to run my first marathon today!      Bill Jones      Be Careful! or: Janet Smith Excited about spending the day in New York City!      Jane Nelson      Be Careful! or: Jerry Burk At the airport waiting for the boarding call.  Can't wait to see my kids in a few hours.      Donna Johnson      Be Careful!    You get my point, right?  I love the "Be careful!" people.  Somebody's gotta warn others of potential danger.  I find myself being the "Be careful!" mom at times.  I'll admit I'm tempted to bubble-wrap my kids on occasion.  I have a "Be careful!" daughter who likes to warn me of potential dangers.  But, I've de...

I am a Tebow hater.   I was given that label during a Facebook interaction on the topic of the Christ-following football player.  I said nothing negative about the guy, I just admitted that I don't have a school-girl crush on him.  He doesn't capture my heart...or my attention span.  Apparently, I'm not a good Christian...because the new rule is that people who love Jesus should also love Tim Tebow. Personally, I don't know the guy.  I've never met him.  I've heard great things about him.  I've heard he builds orphanages.  I've heard he feeds hungry people and visits the sick.  I've heard he respects women.  I've heard he can throw a football.  What's not to like about the guy? I've heard some jabs about him in the media.  Songs have been written about him.  Poses have been named after him.  His virginity is questioned. Here's what I see happening.  Christians see Tebow run.  They see Tebow pray. ...

The King of the Castle and I have talked about adopting a child (or children) since before Miss Mini Boss was born.  But, we didn't think the timing was right until recently.  I've been talking with other adoptive parents, doing internet research and last night we went to our first informational meeting.  My head is spinning with so many questions.  International or domestic?  Are we open to special needs?  Do we want a baby, or are we ok with older children?  It feels really strange to look at a list of special needs and say yes to some and reject others...knowing that there are children who need homes.  They need their basic needs met.  This is going to take a lot of wisdom and prayer.  But, I believe there is a child (or children) out there who belong in our home. Our castle isn't huge, but we have an empty bedroom.  We have three empty seats in the mini-van.  We have access to medical care, education, food and clothing. ...

So, I jumped the food truck craze...and I'm so glad I did.  It's like a crazy addiction.  I'll try food from one truck, and then I find I'm consumed with others I haven't tried, yet.  I get most of my research done at New York Street Food .  You want info about food trucks around the tri-state region?  Go to the website first.  If you're left insatiated after reading the latest food truck news on the blog then follow them on twitter, download their app and stalk the trucks yourself. My first food truck culinary experience was with the Gorilla Cheese .  I smartly ordered the Triple Cream Brie with Prosciutto di Parma & Strawberry Preserves.  The flavor combo was to die for.  All my favorites together.  I found the bread to be a bit soggy, but that's my only complaint.  I'll order a thicker bread next time.   Hint:  Long lines = good food worth waiting for Food Truck Experience #2)  Kelvin Slu...

King of the Castle ran the NYC Marathon in '09 with his brother.  Up until that point, I thought that running was the most ridiculous sport ever.  Three months later, I bought some running shoes and hit the streets.  I enjoyed it, surprisingly enough.  I felt free.  I felt like I could run from anything bothering me...if only for 30 minutes, or so.  King of the Castle talked me into signing up for a NYRR (New York Road Runners) membership and I ran my first race on April 3, 2010.  It was the Scotland Run, a 10k in Central Park.  Yes...THE Central Park.  The one in New York City.  I did OK.  I ran it in 1 hour, 14 minutes and 2 seconds.  I was hooked.  I loved running with the crowd.  I loved the excitement and energy.  I signed up for another 10k and ran that a month later, knocking 4 minutes off my time. Since then, I've run 12 races.  Two of those races were half marathons.  I ran the NYC Half in Ma...

Its been two years since I've blogged.  Enough is enough.  I'm jumping back on the blogwagon.  I do participate in a food blog set up by my mom.  You can check out what's cooking over there at  familyseasonings.net . I'll start this blog thing off with a photo post.  Last Monday I grabbed my camera and went into the city.  I needed some time to reflect and think about some upcoming decisions.  Sometimes the best way to figure out what's important is to get out of your current situation and view life through the eyes of others.  I found myself in the Financial District at the site of the World Trade Center.  Here's what I saw: