Christmas Spirit

I was talking to my friend Courtney and the conversation quickly turned to our kids and the Christmas season already upon us. We were sharing our family's traditions and swapping ideas when we both concluded that we should blog our ideas to share with others in hope that we could hear what others do to keep Christmas Spirit going through December. I hope that if you read this entry you feel led to comment and share either an idea or just a great story to bring some Christmas Cheer!

In our home we have an Advent Calendar. Really it's an Advent Box. Our oldest had dubbed it the 'Magic Box' and both of my kids delight in it every day in December until Christmas Day. Our first Magic Box literally fell apart last year. I forgot to get a new one until Dec 3. I told the girls I found a package on the front porch, couldn't believe what it was..a New Magic Box!! K was over the top with excitement! Made me feel guilty I didn't send it before then. But her excitement was contagious and before I knew it I was giddy thinking about the treats that wait inside. Our Magic Box magically produces treats daily, at random times. The girls may check that little house (looks like a house) 10 times before the treat arrives. I try to sneak it in sometime around dinnertime, before bedtime at least. The cubby holes for each day are pretty small but I can usually squeeze in 2 small items like small chocolates, stickers, mini fingernail polish, bell necklace, tatoos (nothing says Christmas like a Poinsettia on your kids face!), a special note(could be on the day Rudolph is playing and the note read "ask Mom to pop popcorn and watch my Favorite Movie, love Santa), and even those little snowmen you place in water and watch grow. I also include some items that are too big for the cubbies and those may have a string running from that date around the side of the box to reveal the treat. This year there will be a Grinch Christmas DVD, Christmas Coloring Book, lollipops, Christmas socks, hairbows and a new Christmas book. This simple little 'magic' box has the ability to light up my children's face each and every time they discover their treat. They believe Santa has some sort of direct line to their Magic Box. In a way I guess that's not a lie now is it? Santa's real helper is Target as they have Magic Boxes on sale right now...HO, HO, HO!!

One more...this is not from my family but one that was shared by an acquaintance...

One Christmas Santa left her nephew a bell and a letter. The letter read something like "Please listen to the bell for when it rings I will know if you are being naughty or nice, and so will you. If you hear the bell and you've been nice then there will be a treat for you. If you're being naughty there will be no treat and Santa will know." This lady lives with her sister, nephew and their mother. Lots of Santa's helpers around strategically locating that bell throughout the year to remind the little boy that Santa is always watching. Apparently it works pretty well too!

Giving Thanks

To recap our Thanksgiving holiday: We spent the day with my family and over eating (as is custom), followed by several nodding off on the couch while others perused the sale ads making plans of early morning shopping sprees. My girls went to my parents for the night so that me and hubby could conquer the crowds. At 6 a.m. our neighbor called, she was only hoping we were up..we were, even dressed to head out! She offered a bit of Target shopping advice and off we went. At the end of the day we had purchased more for ourselves than anyone else. "Isn't that against the rules?" I asked. Hubby assured me his purchase of 2 coats (1 for work 1 for play of course), jeans, slacks, shirt, 15 inch t.v. and dual d.v.d. players were too good of a deal to pass up thus allowing us to save more money allowing us more funds for Christmas gifts. I love him. Those same kind 'Target Advising' neighbors came to our rescue half way through our morning. Dear hubby dropped me off at the entrance of Target and went in search of the best parking spot. Apparently it was during this time that he realized his wallet was missing. In his search for the wallet he stepped out of the van, to look under the seat, and laid his keys on the seat. For whatever reason he decided to give up the search, hit the locks and close the door. Keys still on the seat. We were 30 miles from home. I did not have my keys (lesson learned). Kind Target Advising neighbor picked us up, took us home, returned us to the scene all without once saying anything slanderous. Good neighbor. Wait...he did point out that HE had NEVER locked HIS keys in HIS car. Karma is a bitch, hopefully his good deeds will deflect her!
All in all our weekend was fabulous. We went in search of the perfect Christmas Tree and found her. I'm quite sure it is a "her", she's very pretty and truly appreciates all of the bling. We snuggled on the couch and enjoyed a 2 hour movie...with both kids! Enjoyed left over turkey and ham all weekend and loved it!
What a perfect weekend to kick off a Thanks Giving attitude for sure! I am always excited to enter the Christmas giving season, especially now with my girls at ages 6 & 3. What a blast this will be! But before I move to that mind set I just want to remember my blessed life, my truly wonderful husband, these 2 little angels in my home, friends who light my path daily (especially those that drive 60 miles to get my keys), my family who make holidays the best!, the food that nourishes our bellies, the word that nourishes our soul, the farm that took the time to grow and trim our tree, the teachers that assist us with imparting more knowledge in our angels, the clerks who woke early and still offered a smile (wow!), and as always I am in thought of the woman whose son she will soon share with me...the blessings keep pouring down and my grateful heart continues to overflow!
Although Thanksgiving is gone I am still in a 'Thanks Giving' mood. I believe there is no coincidence that such a lovely holiday precede such a giving holiday!

Boy Names and Board Books

We are still trying to get all of our paperwork done..waiting on a few last pieces and then we'll be able to send off for all of the appropriate stamps. There's a LOT of steps! We recently met a couple who are adopting from Ethiopia and they have recently received their referral. They have a six month old daughter and the adoption should pass the courts in another month or so and then they will be able to make arrangements to go and pick her up. It's so inspiring and motivating to hear how close they are! We are so happy for them! I hope to get some pics of her to share..as she is beautiful! Unfortunately they are not able to "share" any photos until after the court date, that is when they are officially recognized as her parents. That is a precaution that the Ethiopian adoption system insists upon, in an attempt to protect the privacy of the child.
Although we don't yet know him, haven't even been put on the list yet, we don't know where he's from exactly or what day he is (or will be) born, we can't see his smiling face yet...but we Roy's know we have a baby brother out there somewhere. His sisters talk about him as if he is here but away on some extended vacation. It's very sweet really. M has a gift bag she is recycling in her room. In it she puts any book or toy she thinks her baby brother may like to play with that she is no longer playing with. So far she has collected board books, musical books, her favorite crib aquarium toy and various toddler toys. We have bought him a few items...a bath toy (that it is still in it's package is a miracle as his big sisters really want to try it out), some shoes and a few pieces of clothing that my friend was selling and I couldn't pass up! Anyone who knows me knows that I am doing well to not have a closet full of clothes for him already! I'm trying to save that for the end. I'll call it a Celebratory Mission, and shop like crazy!!! K continues to pray for him during her bedtime prayers, for his safety and sweet dreams. She has started listing names that she would like for us to consider for him. One of our neighbors loaned us a baby names book and K immediately took it to her room. About once a week she brings down a list for us to discuss. The last name was Bobby...uh....momma wasn't feelin' it... but she liked it so it stayed on the list. Once we get a true list then I'll blog the names, but until then I'll let her keep the list of names. A few of her faves are Alexander, Aaron (both of these are her cousins names by the way), Billy, Bobby, Brady (her dad likes this one), Colin, Cooper, David, Drew and Deven. Slim pick'ins for her mother's taste! Good thing we're still on D's!

As for B and I, well we just keep pluggin' away at the everyday stuff. We know He has a master plan and we'll keep looking for His direction.

Princess Ball

Once, while watching the tube, I caught Gwenyth Paltrow talking about her dad. She was sharing a special memory. From what I can remember...Her dad had flown her to Paris, took her to the most elegant restaurant and reserved the table with the most beautiful view. He then asked her if she knew why he brought her there. Curious, she admitted that she did not. He explained that he wanted to make sure that she was able to experience the most beautiful city and share it with the man she who she would know always loved her. I loved this. So..being the romantic that I am I told my hubby he would have to do the same thing with our girls. Although he understood the importance, I think he decided that perhaps flying them to Paris would be over the top. We'll see. But this definitely made us both begin to think of ways that he could be purposeful in his quest to be very active in his daughter's lives. Creating a great bond and also giving the girls high expectations for the men they choose in the FAR OFF future.

He recently had the opportunity to take my oldest to her first dance. They attended the Princess Ball hosted by the Girl Scouts. Mothers were only allowed if daddy's couldn't make it, so I was banned from attending. Thank goodness I was able to grab a few pics of the beauty and her date before their carriage pulled away. The girls had a great time and the dads seemed to be thrilled with the night too. Catered meal, a DJ, crafts, pictures and dance contests left these princesses with many wonderful memories! One of K's best friends won the Twist Dance Off with her daddy...proud moment I'm sure. For me, my favorite moment was watching my husband give K a charm bracelet. He himself picked out the charm..the hand sign for I LOVE YOU. Very special to them both as that is a sign often shared between the two. K's delight at the sight of the shiny bracelet was priceless and melted her date's heart (and her mom's too). Brian's favorite part was dancing with his little girl to Butterfly Kisses which has always been a favorite for him. K loved it all, from beginning to end!

Who knew such a simple concept could make such a huge impact. The Princess Ball will definitely be a night they will always remember.

Adoption Update

It seems like the last leg of the process is really dragging out! Last month we had completed our homestudy and after reviewing it our case worker forwarded it to our placing agency for approval. Let me explain that this is just a formality as we had already been preapproved months ago..but it's all part of the process. So, we waited. And waited and waited. Finally after over 2 weeks I began to call. By 3 weeks I was concerned and decided to call the placing agency. Our contact there had not seen our homestudy. So I called our case worker Julie and left a message stating my new information. Upon getting the message she called them, and me, and explained that she had in fact sent it weeks before. For whatever reason the homestudy was sent or delivered (still not sure) to the wrong desk. Apparently it was in limbo, but finally landed in the right hands and was approved the same day. So now that the homestudy has been 'officially' approved we can move forward on all of our notarized documents. I have been working on these and have a few left to complete. Our placing agency will review them before we send them for authentication (there are many steps for each document..let's just say they are well traveled!) and once they are authenticated they will be bundled and our dossier will be created and then sent to Ethiopia. Once the Ethiopian embassy receives and approves them THEN we will be put on the waiting list. Back in May when we first started the time to complete an Ethiopian adoption was 1 year, including the homestudy time. That is to say that adoptive parents could expect to BRING HOME a baby in 12 months time..beginning to end. Now it is running 1 year from the time you get on a the waiting list just to get a referral. Then there is another 2-4 months of waiting before travel. Our dream of bringing home our little guy in 2010 is beginning to fade. However, this international adoption process is a funny thing. Things change so fast. It's hard to predict what will happen for us. We just continue to pray that not one extra day is lost in our time with our son. We know God has laid it upon our hearts to pursue this avenue and so we look forward to the day we meet our next child He has in store for our family.

20 years Overnight!

Aren't we Totally Cool...like...for real!

What would the 80's be without Michael, Madonna and Big Hair Hollie?

Check out those leggings...I'm bummed you can't

see my pink and black tennis shoes!

Oh what a night..
Last night I attended one of our neighborhood Ladies Night Out parties. I should try to be refined and call it a Ladies Night Out Event or Gathering..but let's call it what it is..A Party! The theme was 80's Night. What a blast! I found myself scrunching, spraying, teasing, spraying, lifting, spraying and flat out frying my hair just to get the same effect it had 20 years ago. I bought a bright pink and black animal print shirt, black torn leggings and pink/black tennis shoes(closest thing I could find to Vans). My friend Jo had a black mini and my outfit was complete! I even scared myself. Brian chuckled, Mal was confused and K said I looked like a Rock Star. (Proof that it's never too late to be a Rock Star!) I crawled out to my van hoping I didn't frighten my elderly neighbors and picked up another 80's babe and off we went. There were sooo many great outfits..one lady brought a cell phone from the 80's (ridiculous really), there were many preppies and lots of shoulder pads. Several other rock stars were there. Lots of neon, an Olivia Newton John wanna-be, Michael J had a fan, Madonna was well represented, tight rolled jeans and of course Lots of BIG HAIR!! We just laughed all night! Well..when we weren't singing karaoke to Lucky Star, Summer Love, Brick House and other great tunes from the best time ever! Food was even well represented with chicken nuggets, pizza rolls, and even aerosol cheese! What a great night. Then I woke this morning, 20 years older with hair from hell. Took 4 shampoos and 2 conditionings to make it lay down and soft. Kendall wanted me to style it like that all weekend. I promised her that when her time comes I'll be sure to pass on my technique.
So here it is Saturday night, almost 10:00 and everyone is in bed..while i wait for paint to dry. Seriously. That's what happens when you're 36, married, with kids, on a Saturday night. I woke this morning and decided we should paint the house. Lucky for me my not-so-ambitious husband agreed to only attacking the kitchen and hallway. We have finished the kitchen, but not dipped a brush on the hall yet. He's snoozing, I doubt we're doing much more tonight. I should be grateful, as my shoulders are aching from the rolling but truthfully I am itching to get it done so I'm a bit disappointed. I think I'm still on some sort of adrenaline rush from pretending to be 16 again and the best I can do is paint. (pathetic) Or maybe all of that hairspray has affected my brain? Either way, I guess I'm gonna pack it up for the night. I may be 16 at heart, but my bones are not! Hey..my kid thinks I'm a rock star...that's better than being 16 again!

The Kindness of Strangers

Isn't it what we pray for daily...please let this day be a good one, keep us safe and watch over our loved ones. I know that we are asking our God for help in these requests, but in the grand scheme it is man's actions we are hoping He influences right? We want the driver beside us to use his turning signal, the teacher to keep sharp scissors away from the preschoolers, the grocery clerk to pack our eggs separately (PLEASE!), and maybe even a few bigger requests like a salary increase, a free trip to the Keys and a the cleaning fairy. (Then there are the really serious prayers that I will save for another post.) And more times than not we get what we ask for, within reason of course. Unfortunately unless you are standing in a corner with a note pad there is no way to measure all of the good things that happen in a day. I've heard it said that without the bad we don't know what is good...so we must endure the 'rude' disruptions in order to have a gauge how 'good' good can be. But even then we risk getting stuck on that 'rude' thing and forget to be thankful for the smaller things in between. I think that is why we are given these 'Strangers' with a servant's heart. Those folks who find joy in giving their services, offers of kindness, seekers of everyday actions turned extraordinary.
The other night I was out to eat with my daughters and our quasi-cousins and their mom. We had been to the park, it was hot and humid and we looked pretty rough! But we were hungry so off we went to the local meat and 3. It was a slow night for them, just a handful of tables, but they had a band and chicken fried chicken so we decided to stay. The girls were laughing and dancing, acting silly really and causing us moms to roll our eyes. We were almost finished when a gentleman walked up to our table, pointed at our daughters and laid down a $20. Said he wanted to buy their meals. (We would like to think he wanted to do so b/c of how cute and well behaved they were being, not because their mothers looked like we had emptied our ashtrays to gather our last coins for dinner! However, we fear the latter!) Needless to say we were more than shocked, totally grateful and left feeling blessed. Come to find out this gentleman was known to do this sort of thing, kind of has a reputation for sharing his wealth. He's given waitresses 3 digit tips and for whatever reason insists on buying dinner for others when given the chance. I love this man. Really. That's who I want to be. I bet he doesn't stop at money though. Giving doesn't stop with money that I know. As he laid the bill down and motioned to the girls letting us know his intentions he was glad to hear our thanks but quickly moved on. He wasn't there to talk, to share some wisdom (I'm convinced he has much), or to get information. As a matter of fact, he laid the bill down, said a few words then moved on to the next table where he stopped to greet a couple of friends and then continued walking toward the door. Now that was the best, most powerful part of the whole exchange to me. He offered more than money, he offered kindness in many forms.
So here it is days later and he still has put a smile on my face. I wonder if he knows that? I hope he does. I hope we put a smile on his face! If our words of gratitude and surprise didn't do it then I hope the four bouncing, dancing angels at his feet did!
In my family we were taught to fear strangers. I just had a 'stranger-danger' talk with my girls last week. Our society spends millions on child watch/Amber Alert/school security because of our fear of strangers. Growing up we spent the day on the street in our neighborhood, bouncing from house to house with our friends. Now I don't let my 6 year old walk to my neighbors for a cup of sugar without me standing on the front porch. Is it really that bad? I remember once my mother in law saying to me that in general most people are decent and want to do the right thing. That was a huge relief to hear and made even better that someone I trusted really believed it! I try to keep that in mind, I hold tight to it when I realize my child is away from me in the hands of stranger that I'm supposed to trust because another stranger told me that I could. Then I am given a token of kindness from a man at a cafe that reminds me to stop and look at all of the good that strangers do for me and for my family everyday. I am given a moment to reflect, to relax and to enjoy the humanity around me. And I know that the next talk I have with my girls will center around ways to pay it forward, because make no mistake that is what it is all about.

Happy New Year Baby!!

Today is the first day of the new year in Ethiopia. Ethiopian New Year (Enkutatash) is still very alive and celebrated in Ethiopia. Below you will find the information sent to us regarding this holiday from our adoption agency. It's so hard to imagine another group of people just few miles away (ok, a little further than that), still hanging out in year 2002. The neatest thing for us to think about is that our son, whether born last year or this year will be able to say he was born before his big sister Mallory and only a year (or 2) after Kendall. I imagine that will be turned into a great debate between the three of them for many years! Wonder what year his birth certificate will list??



September 11th Ethiopia welcomes in the New Year ! The year 2002!!

Ethiopia still retains the Julian calendar, in which the year is divided into 12 months of 30 days each and a 13th month of 5 days and 6 days in the leap year.



The Ethiopian calendar is 8 years behind the Gregorian calendar from January to September and 7 years behind between September 11 and January 8. Enkutatash means the “gift of jewels”. When the famous Queen of Sheba returned from her expensive jaunt to visit King Solomon in Jerusalem, her chiefs welcomed her back by replenishing her treasury with inku or jewels. The spring festival has been celebrated since this early time, and as the rains come to their abrupt end dancing and singing can be heard at every village in the green countryside; but Enkutatash is not exclusively a religious holiday. Today’s Enkutatash is also the season for exchanging formal New Year greetings and cards among the urban sophisticated - in lieu of traditional bouquets of flowers. It is a time to express hopes and dreams for the future. Meskerem (September) is seen as a month of transition from the old year to the new.

Summer of Fun

Our summer was full of family time, friends, water, dancing, and lots of great (not always great for you) food! I was sad to see the 8 weeks steal by so quickly. Admittedly it was me who dreaded the first day of school. My lazy days of summer were gone..but luckily not forgotten. This summer marked the beginning of "growing" our family. Seemed like everytime we found ourselves doing something special with the girls we were reminded that next year we will get to share these moments with another eager little soul. We are looking forward to the fall, but the summer has always been our favorite time of year. We still have a trip to the beach to look forward to...it's not over yet!!!

Toothfairy Time!

My oldest has lost one of those precious things you never get back...and her mom is a bit sad about it. To her delight she lost her first baby tooth yesterday!! She has been wiggling this tooth for weeks, over a month I know, and yesterday was 'the last stand'. She climbed in the van and with her head turned away from me asked "Mom, do you noticed anything different about me?" and she whipped around showing that precious smile minus a tooth! I was thrilled for her, what a milestone it is to loose your first tooth! Plus the fact she has been harassing our dentist since she was 4 years old about losing her tooth...I might just call them today so that he can celebrate with her!
This tooth was lost more than once yesterday. We began thinking that this tooth had had enough of the Roy's and was determined to flee the scene first chance. Once in the van K placed it in the cup holder for safe keeping when we stopped by the park. Her little sister's curiosity got the best of her and within mere seconds of close inspection the tooth was gone! K didn't know and I wasn't about to tell her. Feeling sure I could find it, I sent K home with a friend (the mom knew my dilemma..she was buying me time..thanks Ang!) and began the painful search. It was a seek and rescue mission made nearly impossible by the lack of details from the perpetrator and the fact that we had recently eaten popcorn in my van causing me to encounter many hopeful but unsuccessful discoveries. My desperation was enough that my friend sent her pre-teen daughter to my house to help me look for it. She even offered one of her daughter's old teeth as a stand in...with the agreement I would return it of course. I LOVE MOMS!! You may be thinking EWWW...but hey, we were grasping at straws here folks!! In my last ditch effort I wiggled some stuff out from my seat/console area and there it was. The smallest, shiniest, most precious baby tooth ever...at least yesterday it was the most precious ever. I was so relieved I took it inside, placed it in a sandwich bag and put it up high so that the baby sister couldn't reach it! When K arrived it was like I had taken special care of her tooth, knowing her one wish was to keep it from her sister and safe for the toothfairy to find. I had found a cute toothfairy book with a little velvet pouch to stash her enameled treasure into and again Kendall thought how very exciting this was, and I gained even more points of course! Right before bedtime Kendall wrote the Toothfairy a letter. It read:
Dear Tothfary,
I wod like to kep my toth plis. Wiy do you want to kep it? I wod like to kep it bekus it is my threshr. May I ples have a gift even tho I'm not giving you my toth? Thank you. love Kendall.
She even drew a pic of the two of them..smiling happily.

As she climbed into bed she lifted her pillow once more to check on her 'threshr' (treasure) and OMG it was not there. I was REALLY getting tired of this tooth! After a few minutes of searching we found it, in the one inch square, $5 velvet pouch on her dresser. This time I placed it under the pillow, laid her head on the pillow and turned out the light. I was NO LONGER responsible for the tooth!
She woke this morning with a handful of $1's and her 'threshr'. Made for a happy morning! She came down smiling that cute smile, advertising her latest adventure sure to bring many admirers at school.
I know it's not the last baby-like thing about her, but it is a reminder that my time with her is ever-changing and that I am required to pay close attention to this baby. For she is soon to be missing all of her baby teeth, smiling at me with a mouth full of new teeth ready to take a bite out of life! I'm holding on to all that I can.
And to you moms...incase you find yourself in the same situation, give me a call, I may just have a small threshr you too can borrow. As long as I can have it back!

Beautiful Poem

I am lucky enough to have access to some exceptional adoptive mothers(aka 'amom'). They continue to encourage and support me through this process, to which I am deeply moved by. They share my excitement and frustration. These women are strong and gentle, courageous and loyal. They are beautiful. I continue to meet new women in the process of adoption, most recently I met a teacher who is beginning her process. She is single and has decided to take on a second job to finance her adoption. I am in awe of her for I know the task at hand can be very consuming. I've recently found an adoption newletter, via email, and have found many interesting articles/blogs. (Of course I didn't 'find' it, one of my 'a'mom's recommended it...thanks!!) This morning there was a poem listed that I think is just perfect! (see below) Each night I pray for my son's birth family. I pray that his mother has peace with her decision, that she is surrounded by a support group as strong as the one I have. I pray to know her and love her, and I pray that she has a chance to do the same with me. Though we've never met, I'm sure that she is strong, stronger than she yet knows. That she is gentle, lying under the stars talking to her ever-growing belly about the dreams she has for him. That she is courageous, allowing our son his God given right to life. That she is loyal, to the point of securing her heart's safety. That she is beautiful, in the way that the stars shine for thousands of years allowing others to wish upon them and getting nothing in return. My grateful heart is beating strong for this woman and all that she already means to me and to my son and to my family.
Thought that I would share the poem....

The Legacy of an Adopted Child

Once there were two women who never knew each other.
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother.

Two different lives shaped to make you one.
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun.

The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you a need for love. The second was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality. The other gave you a name.
One gave you a talent. The other gave you aim.

One gave you emotions. The other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile. The other dried your tears.

One sought for you a home that she could not provide.
The other prayed for a child and her hope was not denied.

And now you ask me, through your tears,
the age-old question unanswered through the years.
Heredity or environment, which are you a product of?
Neither, my darling. Neither. Just two different kinds of Love.

© Author Unknown

Funny Girls

A few funny conversations between mom and girls:


Banking:
Mom to K: Do you want to participate in the Bank Day at school?
K to Mom: What is it?
Mom explains it is an opportunity to open an account, each month put in money for savings, the bank comes to the school, etc.
K express she doesn't quite understand, Mom tries to do a better job explaining again.
K states again, she thinks she gets it but still not quite sure.
Mom says: The banks comes to the school, you put your money...(K interrupts)
K: I get that part...but why? Why do we do it..I mean..what is the prize?
Mom (grinning): There is no 'gift', you get to save money then when you find something really special to buy then you will have the money to do it.
K (with disgust, and truly astounded I'm falling for this whole bank day): What's the Point!?! You're just giving it to them, they're holding it and we get NOTHING BACK?? That's not right! I'm not doing that! I have my own bank, I'm saving for a dog. I just can't remember where I put that little bank..but I'll find it and keep adding to it!!
Mom is laughing too hard to respond.


Toothbrush..
K: Mom, is this a Reach toothbrush?
Mom: It's MY Reach toothbrush. (thinking she was asking if it was her own)
K: Yeah, I know, but is it a REACH?
Mom: Yep, it says REACH.
K: Ha, good...I like their commercials. (she's walking away now) You know..this is like a dental instrument.

Mom is trying to remember how much t.v. she's allowed her girls watch...maybe too much??


Ethiopia:
M is really diggin' Ethiopian food. Her favorite is the injera, cottage cheese and tibs. My Favorite word of all right now is when she asks for Ethiopian....she calls it 'E-P-O-Pia". Melts my heart.

Getting Back in the Swing of Things...

We're finishing our 3rd week of school and boy have we been through the wringer!! We've had hand/foot/mouth, allergy/sinus junk, pink eye, tonsilitis and most recently a cold!! YIKES!! But we just keep putting one foot in front of the other, that's the only way!
K is enjoying 1st grade and doing so well. She was placed in the class she so wanted with her best friend..double bonus! I can already feel the change in pace from Kindergarten to 1st and I'm a little scared that I can't keep up!! ha,ha! M is attending her program 2 days a week and she is trying to figure out how to get there without tearing up. She's doing good once she gets settled in and her teacher is super sweet which makes it a little easier. I know she's having fun, it's just that initial separation. She has such a great, sweet disposition and really loves her mommy, makes it hard for me to walk away.
As for my baby boy... we finished our last visit with Catholic Charities the first of August. Our case worker came to our house for this final visit. The house was in good shape, our kids on the other hand couldn't have been more of a mess!!! The meeting was right when K arrived home from school, never her best time of day anyhow. So as the adults were gathered in the living room the girls were also making themselves known. M was throwing a stuffed animal wrapped in a pillowcase around..it hit our case worker in the head. K was whining about her level of thirst, while hanging upside down on the couch between me and my hubby. Much to my relief the girls dismissed themselves to their rooms (could have been our "squinting eye stares"), only to bust out in screaming/shouting...not in the jubilant "I love my sister" way. I took Julie on a tour while Brian attempted to resolve the issue upstairs. Our home has an intercom system, that I realized was turned on as we entered the master bedroom. I could hear the girls arguing their points while their Dad was attempting to gain control of the situation...I don't think Julie heard this or if she did she was polite enough not to laugh at the entire situation! We made it upstairs to find Mallory destroying Kendall's room and Kendall hiding behind her bed...face red and streaked with tears. Really. This was only about 25 minutes. They couldn't give us 25 minutes of digging deep for the good stuff they've been taught? Really? Thankfully our visit was over and Julie left assuring us that she thought everything would run smoothly for us and our dreams of bringing our son home by next year would happen as anticipated. She left. We decided to 'get even' with the rebel-children by laying in our room, refusing to help them for a full hour. No t.v. No snack. And most definitely no milk!! As if the girls need rescuing... my grandmother showed up unexpectedly. Mallory let her in, without us knowing, so she saw how we spend our afternoons...laying in bed while our youngest answers the door! Yep...I was glad when the day was over.
So we've had our last homestudy meeting, we've had our USCIS fingerprinting done and now we are reviewing our homestudy and making any adjustments needed. Once we finish this document then it will be sent to our adoption agency (Children's Hope International in St. Louis) and then we'll work to pull together another 12-15 documents to complete the dossier. Should take another 6 weeks or so. Once the dossier is completed then it is sent to be accepted by the gov't and once approved we will officially be placed on the waiting list. So all in all we hope to be on a waiting list sometime in November. Right now the waiting process is about 12 months, longer than it was when we started the process earlier this year by about 4 months. I'm praying that the process runs smoothly for all adoptive parents and their children and perhaps even a bit faster!! All prayers appreciated!
I have lots of pics to post, but I'm having a hard time getting them over so I'll make sure to work on those this weekend.
I will also try to do a better job about posting!
Now I'm off to buy a b'day gift for one of M's friends....I think I'll grab some hand sanitizer too!!! Our track record doesn't look so good with the swine flu lurking around!

Wingin' it on Wednesday

My girls left for their mini-vacation with my parents yesterday. They were going to Knoxville to visit family then off to the mountains. Kendall called yesterday to give me the details... a neighborhood dog found it's way to their porch (black and white and in love with Kendall), there are 2 beautiful trees in the front yard(she sounded just like my mother) and a pretty cool pool table. She sounds so grown up on the phone, for a minute I am sad to realize this. But then I remember I am standing outside of TJMaxx where my new shirt is surely waiting for me and my sorrow is replaced by gladness...for Kendall's exciting new adventure and for my opportunity to actually shop!! It is good to step away from each other, even mother and child. Distance makes the heart grow fonder (and Brian would say makes our checkbook grow slimmer). So they are enjoying their special time with Nonna and Pop, I couldn't be more happy for them both. Mallory caught a brim at the nearby pond, they swam in the hot tub before bedtime and this morning they are heading to the aquarium. Kendall's new puppy-love hasn't shown yet, she's sure he will though. I, on the other hand, stayed in bed until 9:45 this morning....with the remote in hand flipping channels. It was great! But now I must do something every mother dreads...clean out the girl's bedrooms. There is no way to do this when they are home so here is my chance, guess I'll peel myself out of the bed and get moving. Or maybe I'll check out Lifetime..it is a rainy day....

Inspiring...

I stumbled upon this clip while checking out another family's blog (they had adopted their son from Ethiopia in June 2008). Mochaclub.org is a great site. Hope you take a second to check it out.

Bubbles

Our friend Kayla shot these pics at our pool a few weeks ago. I must say she is the most technically talented kid I know! I want a phone-camera-radio-arcade-calendar-phone book-email gadget like hers!! Problem is I wouldn't have a clue how to use it! Guess I'll just have bring her and her gadget with me.
Thanks Kayla!

Jumpin' n July

Aunt Amy with Kendall, Mally and Aaron

Catching up on Cousin Time

Kendall and Mally hangin' with (and on) their Nina

July is in full swing here! With Nina arriving on the 1st, July 4th activities and now my sister-in-law's fam in town we are definitely immersed in summer fun! It's always fun to spend summer with cousins. As a child I looked forward to each summer when I knew I'd get to stay at my grandparents for a few weeks. My cousins would meet me there and we would spend hours playing, talking, fighting, and eating everything in site! As we got older we compared music interests, books, boys, schools, etc. Now as adults we don't get to spend full weeks together so the time we do see each other is precious. I love seeing who they have become. Of reuniting with them and again sharing our experiences with our lives, marriages, and kids...and as always there is food! My oldest daughter loves these family reunions, she is much like her mother. At age 4 she really began to understand the term 'cousin' and the benefits of having an extended family. It's the best gift really, knowing you have people in different towns/states who will welcome you no matter the time of day!
So this week my girls get to reconnect with their cousin Aaron. They started it off right, a big hug then they immediately hit the toys, a game of hide-n-seek, chow down at dinner topped off with popsicles. The day ended the way it should..wishing for just 10 more minutes!

Gotta start somewhere...

As most know we are seeking another child through adoption..a son this time. Anyone who begins this process is familiar with the hours you spend searching the internet for other's stories..good or bad. Blogs were the most helpful and most inspiring by far. I am blessed to know several wonderful friends who have expanded their families through adoption and all of them agree that blogging is a great tool for adoptive parents to engage. So here I am...blogging...CJ can you believe it?? It really is not that difficult ( if you don't count the week it took me to simply name my blog...) I have invested mere minutes in set up and then the fun begins! The pressure of the name...UGH!! I searched all cool 'catch phrase sites', sites with family, ocean, waves, parenting, etc. and although I did cross many inspiring possibilities none stuck with me. Then as I was passing through my room I took a glance at a picture my mother in law snapped of Brian and I while visiting RI many years ago. We loved the picture, claiming the sign was our favorite part. Such a great reminder and for us it has become our motto....The Grateful Heart. So it was right here, in a cheap frame on my old dresser staring at me all along. I'm sure there is a lesson to be learned here....hmmm.....
I hope to use this site to keep all of my family and friends updated in our chaotic, non-stop, sincere life. I am hoping to post all of our adoption updates and more information about our experience so check back often. Of course my 2 little beans will be all through this blog...they leave their sticky finger prints on everything, this will be no exception I'm sure! Thanks in advance for your support and encouragement!!