Almost Anniversary

Coming up on 10 YEARS of marriage! Wow! And they said it'd never last. (Okay, not sure who said it but I'm sure someone did)

Here are some pictures of the best things 10 years has brought into my life:

Thing 1 is hidden behind things 2,3 and 4.Things 2 and 3:Thing 4
I'm certainly blessed to have such a wonderful husband and 3 amazing children.

And for an added bonus to today's post. Here is a picture of the flowers the kids made during Sawyer's therapy session. Aren't they pretty?

Used Car Salesman?????

I went into the boys' room today, only to find out there was a sale going on. (Judson being the salesman) I bought a bed for $25 which I thought was a good price. Then I bought a xylophone for a mere $2. I thought that was great until I found out in order to play it, I'd need to pay $50 for the mallet. Wow, that's how they get you. Then he tried to sell me things from the 'clearance' rack. His sister's "Very Nice Stuffed Rabbit" was on sale. It was marked down from $3 to $1.50. Her blanket was 'free'! Amazing, all of her 'stuff' was on clearance. There were some really good deals!

Updates

Haven't posted many pictures lately, so I thought I'd post a few. Don't have much time because Ansley's friend Olivia is coming by today. I might need to pick up a toy or 2 or maybe 100!

Ansley's potty update:
She actually is doing quite well (as long as she's wearing the cloth diapers AND I catch her before she goes and hides in a corner).

Spring is in the air and the bicycles are out:


The flowers are starting to bloom:My all time favorite flower! It's a happy flower! It's a hopeful flower! AND it will forever remind me of my Grandmother.

Only At My House

Now, I'm sure lots of fathers discuss stocks with their sons. I suspect we are one of the rare households where the son in the discussion is only 5 years old. Yet, that is what I overheard today. Dad explaining dividends and splits to his son by pretending to set up an imaginary company. They set up Judson's Bungee Jumping business. Randy goes through the whole procedure of getting 'investors'. (Nana, Pop, Jim Morris, Momma, Daddy, GiGi, Aunt Jennifer, etc) How they'd pay dividends when they made 'extra' money. How they'd 'split' the stock if it got too expensive. Blah Blah Blah. They go through the whole explanation for about 15-20 minutes.... Dad explaining, Judson asking questions. In the end, Judson says, "but Dad, I'm too young to run a business".

AMEN!

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/03/02/an_ambassador_against_fear/

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (long)

Every knows raising children is tough work. I'm not complaining as it's the best job in the world. Just sharing some of:

THE GOOD

I LOVE 5! It is such a great age. I wish Judson had a twin brother. It is that great. (Anyone who remembers the first 6 months of J's life, knows I would be dead now had he been twins) He has his moments but overall, I'm loving this age. On Saturday, I took him to the mall. I was looking for some clothes for me (BTW, who over the age of 30 wears the MOD SQUAD look that is in the malls these days) I told him AFTER we looked for mom some clothes he could go bungy jumping. As we were walking through the department store, the conversation went like this:
J: "Mom, I'm feeling so misunderstood"
M: "Why's that?"
J: "I REALLY want to go bungee jump"
M: "I'm feeling misunderstood too"
J: "Why"
M: "because I REALLY want to find me some clothes"
J: "I know, I know but I really want to go bungee jumping"
M: "I know, I know"

Later on, after bungee jumping and a snack, we're in another store and I"m trying on clothes. He hasn't stopped talking since we entered the dressing room.
J: Do you wear that size?
M: Not sure, that's why I brought in several sizes.
J: Do you need to lose weight?
M: Yes, I do
J: Do you need to lose 100 pounds? Maybe you need NutriSystem
M: Maybe, but I just need to lose 20 pounds
J: I'm pretty sure if you use NutriSystem you have to lose 100, or 90 or 80 or 70 pounds or something.
M: How bout I just try to eat less and I try to lose 20 pounds on my own
J: Okay. Mom? Do you think anyone knows we're in here?

THE BAD

When you are raising your children, in your head you constantly have the debate: "Is it genetic, is it age or is it something I'm doing wrong" With Sawyer, his tantrums bring on yet another dynamic. Is it Down Syndrome? He has some really 'bad' tantrums! He sounds possessed, like something from the Exorcist. I know it's a combination for genetics (Right, Pop-pop?) and age and Down Syndrome. Then you come to "How do I handle it" because with DS, that extra wrinkle comes into play. You can't overreact because that just fuels the fire. Punishment has very limited success, if any. The thing that works the best is THE STARE. So when his head starts spinning and THE VOICE starts coming out (in public or at home), the best thing to do is give him the best Pat Summit stare you have. And that's what I do...and I'm GOOD at it.

THE UGLY

So if parenting a child is hard and you ask yourself all the afore mentioned questions, then add the 'adoption' dynamic. You lose some of the 'genetic' dynamic (At least in our case) because I have no idea about the genetics. You add the adoption dynamic because you say, is it age or is it something that she's not resolved in her past? Ansley has such an artistic side to her. It was obvious from day 1. On our first post-placement visit with the social worker (at 1 or 2 months post placement), the social worker asked if we'd noticed any 'talents' she might have. I said then, "Artistic". It was obvious from the way she touched the keys on a piano. Not the typical 18month old banging, but a gentle touch as if she was listening to and memorizing each sound. Even now, she'll take a box of 24 crayons and lay them out in order in a very neat line. Not only is the line very orderly, the colors are grouped together. Not only are the colors grouped together but they are grouped by hues, with the red-orange hues together and the red-blue hues together and so on down the line. She can spend an hour getting these just right. In some ways, this is easy. I can say to her, "I wonder if your birth mother was artistic". Lord knows she didn't get it from Randy or I. We can only give her opportunities to grow that talent. We didn't impart that talent to her.

Then you have the stubborn, controlling, angry side of her. She's been this way since day one. Easy to chalk it up to change in her world. After 18 months and it's still here, what do you say, Still adoption adjustment issues? Age? Gender? Genetics? It's frustrating. We've really hit a wall lately with potty training. I'm sick of diapers. So last week, I decided to take dire measures. I started using cloth diapers. Not just 1 but 2, then a pr of training pants, then rubber pants. Makes it impossible to get into her skinny jeans. It has helped on the pee-pee. (Not so much the poo-poo) The flip side, she is feeling she has lost control. Oh the battles we are having for control......Oh the tantrums.....They've grown into some major battles. We've tried to show her what will come from going to the bathroom as far as positives. BUT I think she only sees she has lost control. She is frustrated to say the least. So we push on. We can't give up now as we've gotten this far but it's tough, IT'S UGLY right now.

Who'd of Thunk It

MontessoriMom.com - You're an Artsy Mother Hen:

"I'm an artsy mother hen"

Check out this website to see what type of mother hen you are:

http://montessorimom.com/what-type-mother-hen-are-you/

On the same website is a survey to determine what 'gifts/talents' your children have.
Here's what we came up with: (Sorry for the underlines...can't get rid of them)

Judson: Language
Ansley: Creativity
Sawyer: Adventure

Our Typical Week

This is what our typical week looks like. This just seems normal to us. It is our life and we love it. I think our life will be much busier as the kids get older and start doing more 'extra' things. It's funny how we sometimes think our life is the only way to define "normal" but the reality is, everybody's 'normal' is different. So how can their NORM be normal when our NORM is normal? Deep, eh? OK, maybe not so deep. Here's our week in a nutshell:

Sawyer has speech class twice a week at the local elementary school. He also has a 'special instructor' that comes to the house twice a week. We are still trying to get his OT back once a week. Do you realize 4o-50 years ago, this type of education/early intervention was unheard of for a child with Down Syndrome? It is still unheard of in most other countries in the world. He is thriving! His skills are far above what he would be without this intervention. How lucky we are to live in the country and era we live in. This kid has many talents/gifts. He shines!Right now, Ansley has her Dumpling Gang that meets every Sunday for a couple of hours. She loves it. And of course, she is dragged along to everything the other 2 are doing.Judson has karate once a week. He and Sawyer are also starting swimming lessons twice a week for the whole month of March. We also try to take advantage of the things around us. Like last nite, he and his dad when to the Seuss birthday celebration.In addition to the above, we also home school our kids. Luckily, right now nothing has to 'formalized' as they are too young for the state to want to know. Anyone who knows us, knows we do not fit the stereotypical mold for home schoolers. (If there is one) We are not fundamentalist nor are we granolas. We just feel STRONGLY that based on our children and their needs and our abilities (at this point), we can do a better job than the school system, public or private.

So there you have it. On top of all the formalized 'stuffs' we do, we also have lots of fun just playing as you can tell by the pictures.

Bad Karma Week

Well....having one of those weeks. I head over to the gym last nite and see all the people standing outside. Apparently, my gym is closed, for good. It was my solice! It was the few hours a week I got to 'get away'. I'm feeling tense already. Help!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then, today we go to Judson's karate class for the parent watch day. His Sensei announced he would not be returning. (after I signed Judson up for the next session, of course) There is supposedly another teacher going to be teaching next session. We'll see how it works out. I really liked Sensei Lawson though. He had a very easy way about him and handled the 4 and 5 year olds very well. More importantly, Judson loved the class. It was good for him and he did well in it. So, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that Master Taylor will be equally good with the kids and Judson will continue to like karate.

Judson's last basketball game was last week. So at this point, we're an impaired exercise family. Hope things pick up in March!

Another Chance to Help

My friend Andrea is doing another fund raiser for her kids on Reece's Rainbow. She's trying to raise money for those kids most at risk of being sent to a mental institution. Kids have very little hope of surviving in a mental institution. Many don't live even 1 year. So if it is in your heart (and pocket book) to help, please check out her website.

http://www.reecesrainbow.com/giftoflife.htm

If you don't think your donations will help, check out the homecoming page. Many of these kids would not be with their forever families had it not been for donations to Reece's Rainbow. Check out the before and after photos of these kids. Amazing what love can do.

http://www.reecesrainbow.com/homecomings.htm

We Survived!

Oh yes, we survived basketball season. J's team went 7-1. Woo-hoo! AND, J got a trophy for "Most Improved Player". He's so excited.

We also survived our first (Hopefully one of the few) trip to ChuckECheese. Can you believe in my many years on this earth I had managed to avoid that place? Talk about your sensory overload....
J was overwhelmed to say the least. So was his dad for that matter. (Like father, Like son)

This is what you do when the buzzer is going off.....

Perfect!

For some time now,I've been searching for something that is just for Ansley. I think we hit upon our opportunity. I took her to our local university to try out the Dumpling class. It's basically a 'play date' for little ones her age. There were about 4 or 5 other girls there. All were adopted from China and all were around 3 years old. The class was run by students who were majoring in Chinese studies. Most were of Asian descent (Taiwanese/Chinese) while some were Caucasian. Like most students, they kind of flew by the seat of their pants. The kids loved it. Today they learned about the year of the Rat and played games and learned nursery rhymes. ("learned" being used in the loosest sense of the word.)

It was pitiful as I was pulling out of the driveway. Ansley said, "Mom, you bring me back home when we are through?" I almost started crying. I, of course, assured her we'd be coming home. The flip side of that was as we were leaving the classroom, she said, "Mom, we come back next week?" Again, I assured her we would.

So it was a success. I love it when a plan comes together!

Been Quiet

Nothing much going on. We are just doing what we normally do. Sawyer has therapy. Judson has basketball and karate. Ansley is her typical drama queen self. Just the usual.

Judson has 2 more basketball games. They lost their first game last week. Some of the older boys were quite upset about that one. Judson was oblivious. He knew they lost but it really didn't bother him. I think he's ready for round ball to be over. He wants to take more days of karate.

Reading to brother: (We really do feed him. He's just skin and bones)
Sawyer has therapy 4 days a week. Twice he goes to the local school for speech and twice they come to our house for 'special instruction'. He's doing great. We took him to the eye doctor this week. His left eye is turning up and in. Apparently, it's not enough to require treatment at this time. It's only enough to freak mom out.


At the game:
Ansley is her usual self. She screams 'bloody murder' whether you gouge her eye out or touch her hair. She is starting her very own 'thing' this Sunday. I found a place at the local college where kids can learn about Chinese culture through play activities. (Thanks Alison for passing that on). I'm going to take her this Sunday and see what it is all about. It's geared toward 2-4 year olds, so hopefully it will be perfect for her.

All dressed up with no place to go:
We've had a few unseasonably warm days which make us wish Spring were here. (without all the bad storms)

Tribute to Pooh

With the Chinese (Lunar) New Year approaching, I thought it appropriate to give you an update on our Pooh Bear. What can you say about a 90 year old woman trapped in a 3 year old's body?

She's come a long way since we brought her home 18 months ago. Was it easy? No, still isn't. She has a strong will and still has moments where she doubts her 'place' in this family. Is she happy? I believe so. She laughs and smiles much of the time. She is more spontaneous with her 'love'. She can also 'withhold' her affection if she is mad at you. (such a girlie thing to do)

She's a bright girl with a survivalist mentality. She observes and mimics behaviors in order to 'fit in'. I don't think she feels comfortable enough just to be "POOH", still. We get glimpses of it but we still get a lot of imitation. I think we'll discover the REAL POOH is a very funny little girl with a flair for the dramatic (Ok...we see that already). She is very smart but needs to know why certain 'subject matter' is important to her and her ability to survive. I mean, why bother learning the ABCs if it isn't going to help ME in some way. Two of her favorite phrases: "What about ME?" and "Me, too!". She also has a natural athletic grace about her. I see many hours of dance in her future.

She is STUBBORN. Take potty training...PLEASE. Let's just say Sawyer is leaps and bounds ahead of her in that department. Also, one day she was saying NO to mommy. Bad idea (in the context she was using it). So she went to timeout. Upon emerging from timeout, I asked her to apologize. She said, "Sorry Mom". Then I asked her to say: "I won't say NO to mommy anymore" (or something like that) She said, "Sorry Mommy". (Can't tell a lie mom, I'm probably going to tell you NO at least 1,000,000,000 times in my lifetime)

Speaking of Girlie Girl......
I was wearing one of my rings the other day (not something I do in the day-to-day trenches I live in). The instant she saw that 'sparkle' on my finger, she grabbed my hand and made over that ring like a pro. Her words, "when I get big, I wear a ring like that!" She has 3 pair of 'sparkle' shoes, which she loves wearing. She is always hoping to get a bra, just like mommy. (hate to burst her bubble on that one) She loves wearing new outfits. She'll dig through her drawers trying to 'create' just the right outfit to wear. It doesn't have to match but it MUST be bold and different from how it's been worn previously. And BOSSY (yes, that's a girlie trait she MIGHT have picked up from me, or perhaps it's genetic. Yeah, it's probably genetic.). She likes nothing better than to 'boss' the boys around. She'll tell Judson to flush the potty and wash his hands after he goes to the bathroom. (See the irony in that?) If Judson asks me permission to do something, she'll answer for me. She seems to be a natural!

Each day, she seems to emerge a bit more from her cocoon. With all of my kids, it is a joy to watch as their little personalities develop. She (along with her brothers) makes this life worth while. Enjoying the day-to-day with these kids fills Randy and I with such joy and happiness. We are truly blessed.

Kung Fu Fighter

J sure loves Karate these days. He came home yesterday with a red stripe on his belt. That means he's mastered 4 things he needs in order to get a new colored belt. (For the younger kids,6 and under, they do that to help keep them interested before they start learning patterns/katas, etc) So, I think he's due for his white belt with a yellow stripe, whenever Mom brings $5 to pay for it.He's also loving basketball. You can really tell the improvement since the first of the season. His dribbling and defense have greatly improved. Offensively, well, we still lack the basic understanding. I suspect that will have to wait til next season. Who cares, he's having a great time.

The Perfect Storm

We had the most beautiful snow 'storm' today. It was "The Perfect Storm". Perfect, because we didn't HAVE to drive in it. Perfect, because the ground was so warm, it didn't stick around. Perfect, because the kids got to play and make a snowman. Who can ask for anything more?

Someone preferred eating snow to playing in snow.Making the snowman.
Sawyer stayed on solid ground for the most part.
Our Mardi Gras Snowman.
Someone needs a bath and a nail clipping!
P.S. To Kelly: Don't be grumpy just because you guys have 'white out' conditions from November to March! We like our 'once in a blue moon' snows. They are 'just right'.

It's Raining, It's Snowing!

We had our first snow in several years yesterday. It was predicted to turn to rain, so we HAD to go play in, if only for a few minutes. So, we bundled up. Sawyer would NOT keep his mittens on but it didn't matter. We were not out there for very long. They had a blast catching snow flakes on their tongue. Judson said it tasted like DIRT! Now, we need a BIG snow so we can make a snow man. Here's keeping our fingers crossed for that day to come soon!!!!!!

He's a Clown, That Charlie Brown

Every family has to have a comedian. It's a requisite. You have to have someone who is always trying to make you laugh. Judson and Ansley are funny but more in an unassuming kind of way. Now SAWYER, he's the comedian. He's the slap-stick, Moe-Larry-Curly kind of funny. He'll be watching JoJo's Circus (Disney children's show) and they'll be doing clown humor. Sawyer starts running around in circles yelling "Whoa" or he'll throw something up in the air and let it hit him in the head (something soft and lightweight) and then fall on the ground. Then he'll get up off the floor and run around again, yelling "Whoa". Then he'll come up to me and say "That's funny"!
He's always coming up to you saying "LOOK" and he'll have something on he shouldn't or be doing something he shouldn't. The key is NOT to laugh. Laughter is like a drug to a comic. The more you laugh, the more they do to try to get a laugh.

All I ask, PLEASE do NOT teach my son how to put french fries up his nose!

Ansley's Birthday

We celebrated Ansley's birthday today. (All week long she had said, she wanted to have a balloon tied to her tricycle and ride outside. She also wanted a Barney cake. That is what we did for Sawyer's birthday.) Judson was bound and determined to make it a 'surprise' party. So all day, he kept saying Happy New Year to Ansley. He never once acknowledged it was her birthday. Every so often, he'd come up to me (or his dad) and *WHISPER*, "I think it's working. She thinks we've forgotten her birthday"

So I took Judson to basketball practice. Then we all went out to eat. We came back and while the babies were napping, Judson and I made cookies and cream cupcakes. (Thanks to our handy dandy Cake Doctor cupcake cookbook) When Ansley woke up (Still very grumpy from just waking up), we brought her into the kitchen and yelled SURPRISE!. She didn't know what was going on. Then we asked her to blow out the candles. Again, she was confused. It wasn't until I brought out the ice cream and she saw PRESENTS that she snapped out of her fog and came alive!She did NOT have Barney, nor did she ride her trike. We wanted to do something different so that she would know she doesn't have to do everything like her brothers. It's very hard trying to figure out in this situation, did she want Barney because she likes Barney or because Sawyer had Barney. Anyway, she had Curious George and she enjoyed it very much. So I think the 'party' was a success. Happy Birthday, Pooh Bear!


House shoes brought by Santa!

Best Christmas Ever!

I cannot remember a better Christmas. We have had such a wonderful time. We traveled to visit with my family. The kids got to play with all of the their cousins and loved every minute of it. Judson wants to move to Tennessee (or Alabama) so he can be with his extended family. They received way too much (as usual) but it wasn't the gifts that took center stage. It truly was the chance to play with all the cousins.





Trying out Abbey's Easy Bake oven



The cousins!No Christmas is complete without a visit from Santa!


P.S. Last nite, while putting Judson to bed, I asked if he had a good Christmas. He said, YES. Then I asked what the best part was. His answer was, "Playing with Abbey." He also said, "I wish Abbey lived where Miss Barbara lives!" (Miss Barbara is one of our neighbors)

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


Judson quote: After telling him I'm going to a wedding this Saturday, he says, "can I go?". I said no, just Mommy is going. He said, "Are you getting another ring?" I say, nope. Just watching someone else get a ring. He looked at me like I had horns growing out of my head. Like, why would you want to do that.

Ansley quote: While eating mexican yesterday. I give her one of my flour tortillas. I tell her it's a "Tortilla". She is eating it and says, "I LOVE MY TIARA". Ever the princess......

Sawyer quote: (He's beginning to speak a lot) He loves to go commando. If you turn your head, his pants and pullups are down. So you have to keep an eye on him. (I have a lovely picture but I don't want to get in trouble, so I won't post it) So I walk in his room where he is supposed to be down for a nap. Alas, he's tossing the pants over the rail of his bed and easing the pullups down his legs. He sees me and tries to pull the pullups back up. He looks at me and says, "Mommy MAAAADDDD". It's hard to be mad at him. Of course, I came real close last nite as he was easing everything off to hop in the tub. I look down and there he is pee'ing all over the floor (pullups and pants still around his ankles), with the potty 2 feet away.

TWO and OH

Judson's basketball team is 2-0. Their first game was a squeaker but their second was a blowout. The other team "forgot" about their game so very few players showed up. I felt sorry for them. This league is for 4, 5 and 6 year olds. I was shocked to find out they did not try to equally distribute kids by ages. It was more of the 'luck of the draw' kind of thing. So some teams have very few shooters. It can make for some lopsided scores. (Not that most of the kids even know what the score is)

Judson loves playing. He has a basic concept of what he has to do on defense. They have a pretty good system. Each team has 3 different colored wrist bands, red, black, and blue. *They play 3 on 3* Each player (While on the court) is wearing one of these wristbands. So if you are wearing a red band on your wrist, you guard the person on the other team wearing the red wrist band. Judson manages to stay with the person wearing the same colored wrist band as he is wearing. He does a descent job of hawking him so he cannot shoot. However, on offense, he really doesn't get it. He cannot shoot the ball, so he doesn't understand anything else you can do on offense if you cannot shoot. So he merrily follows his opponent (with the matching wrist band) where ever he might go. He skips and dances and has the best time on the court. He makes everyone smile because you can see it on his face, he is having a good time! (The picture quality isn't good (since I didn't have the camera on the correct setting but you can get the essence of his happiness) He's on offense in this picture.
On a different note for this wonderful little guy. He saw a tv show where they gave a surprise party for someone. Ever since then, he has wanted to give a surprise party. It seems like everyday, he'll come up with a reason to have a surprise party. Yesterday, he wanted to give one for Ansley. (I'm thinking for her birthday, since she is having one in the near future) So I say, maybe we can do it for her birthday. J: No mom, we need to do it now. When you are adopted, you are bounced around from place to place. That can hurt your heart. Ansley has a hurted heart and we need to do this to help her heart. She will know how much we love her and her heart won't be hurted anymore.

He's a very special little guy!

Whew, I'm Tired!

Boy, what a active weekend we've had. Friday, Randy spent 4 hours meeting with Sawyer's teachers and therapist and IEP coordinators. Finally, they came to an agreement. Sawyer will not be in school but rather have 3 hours of weekly therapy in the home. We were very happy with that solution. Then Friday night, Judson had basketball practice. They were testing the scoreboard and buzzer. Come to find out, the buzzer was very loud and scared our hypersensitive guy. We stressed about that as Saturday morning was his first game. We were very worried that he wouldn't be able to sit through the game with the buzzer going off. No worries. Saturday morning came and we kept going over that the buzzer would be loud and the people would be loud and if he didn't like it, just to look at us and we'd take him out to get away from the noise. We get there Saturday morning, the opposition shows up in their white shirts with their names on the back and matching shorts. They should have been intimidating. (the only thing provided by the league was a shirt with a number) However, 4-6 year olds do not know to be intimidated. In the end, Judson's team was victorious 28-26. A good time was had by everyone. (and Judson did not get upset about the noise at all)

Saturday afternoon, Randy's folks came up. We took the kids to the mall so they could ride the Santa train and Judson could bungee jump. Bungee jumping is Judson's new favorite thing!Now today, Judson and I are off to a birthday party. It's a busy time but a good time. Everyone is healthy and happy. (except perhaps the little princess. She doesn't quite understand that ALL the presents are not hers. And if she wants to play with brothers' toys, she needs to share her toys. I'm not sure if she'll ever get that concept as she thinks what's hers is hers and what's yours is hers.)

Fun at the Gardens

We met some friends of Judson's, Luyushu and Amelie, (and their parents) at the Botanical Gardens. The kids had a blast. Judson is hoping we can meet them there again tomorrow. (unfortunately, the girls are both in school and won't be able to do that) They rode the train MANY times and had fun each and every time. Then they played and played in the children's garden. What a great time! Yes, I painted them coordinating sweat shirts. I figure I don't have many years(months) left to 'dress' them the way I want to dress them, so I had better take advantage of the situation. (Not sure if you can double click on these pictures and get them larger or not. There seems to be a difference between these pictures and my other pictures, at least on my computer.)

Trip to Alabama

We spent the Thanksgiving holiday in LA. (That's Lower Alabama) We had a wonderful time and ate way too much. It was rainy and windy so we didn't get out very much, so I don't have a lot of pictures. Judson had the best time. He got to feed the cows and ride the 4-wheeler and the tractor with Pop Pop. He could not have asked for anything more. The babies didn't get outside much but they loved being spoiled by Nana. One day, Sawyer got very quiet. We went and looked and he was sitting in Nana's chair putting lotion all over himself and the chair. So in the picture, it's not a giant booger but lotion. Now we spend the next week or two trying to get back into our routine. (If there is such a thing this time of year)

What a difference 3 makes

You know, my mom always said if you can handle 3 kids, you can handle a dozen. It's the 3rd child that changes the dynamic. I do believe she was right. (Bet you thought I'd never say that) It really has rung true these last few days. Like, last week when Sawyer was in school and just Ansley and Judson were home. They played for 2 hours straight without an argument. 2 HOURS!! They put on their swimsuits (40 degrees outside) and pretended to be at the beach. Now today, Judson went with his dad to work. Ansley and Sawyer have been as quiet as church mice. They've had a lovely time playing, together and alone. Not one argument, or bump, or bruise either. Amazing. I have to say, though, today is too quiet. I miss the noise. I miss the laughter. I miss the funny things they say and do. (I don't miss the arguments)

Here the crew is checking out the Christmas tree. We put it up early so they could have more time to enjoy it. (Or tear it down, whichever!) I'm very "Thankful" this holiday season(and all throughout the year), I have 3 'perfect' children.

Adoption Awareness Month

November is Adoption Awareness Month. So, I have taken this month to share with you opportunities that exist to help those who do not have a family to call their own. Adoption touches our family very personally. We would not be the family we are without it. I cannot imagine my family minus our little pooh bear. If you have read much news over the past few weeks, you've seen a report out on the abuses of children in Serbia's orphanages. This is not a unique problem to Serbia. Children without a family to care for them, suffer. So I put the message out there for all to read and hopefully some will help. You may or may not be able to adopt. You may or may not have money to donate. Everyone can pray. Everyone can share with a friend, who may indeed be able to adopt or donate. I ask you to do what you can. Everyone deserves a family!

A video you might enjoy:

http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=43584ff9c987f96c0f0420&source=category&category_id=all

A Time For Giving

I love this time of year. It's a time for family and love and giving. I love my family and I so enjoy spending time with my brothers and sister and their families and my mom and dad and aunts, uncles and cousins and inlaws. I also love that it is a time for giving. Most of us have such a blessed and abundant life. It is this time of year that we seek out ways to help others who may not be as fortunate. I, as always, want to put in a plug for things that are near and dear to me. Orphans and Down Syndrome.

Not everyone feels 'called' to adopt. That is okay. For those who might have thought about it in the past, I would urge you to start checking out your options. It's hard to find numbers for 'orphans' within the United States. The best ones I could find, state that there are approximately 500,000 children in the foster care system within the US. Of those, about 1/5 are legally available for adoption. Each state has their own guidelines for adopting, but you could check with your state family services department and see what the guidelines are. Also, you could check with organizations such at the Dave Thomas Foundation. For those who are hesitant/leary/afraid (I was one of them) of domestic adoption, may I suggest International Adoption. So many countries offer adoption options. Each country has different rules and requirements but I'm pretty sure there is at least one country that will 'fit' your family. You might start by checking out www.rainbowkids.com to learn more. You need only check out the Unicef website, www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html, and see the number of orphans in these countries to know there is a definite need.

For those who do not feel called to adoption, may I suggest other ways to give. A friend of mine runs a program to bring awareness to orphans with Down Syndrome throughout the world. In the US, there is a waiting list of families wishing to adopt a child with DS. In many foreign countries, children with DS are put into institutions. They are looked upon as inferior and are not welcome in the everyday world. Harsh, yes. It is their reality. That is why my friend started Reece's Rainbow. On her website,www.reecesrainbow.com, she has posted a way for you to donate money in order to help those who are willing to adopt these children afford the expenses of adoption. (Adoption is not cheap) Also, a very respected adoption agency in the states has a way for you to sponsor an orphan overseas. This is such an awesome opportunity. The children get to stay in their home country with their families. (nothing could be better) Your sponsorship allows them to have food and attend school and have the basic necessities. The link is: orphan.childrenshope.net.

So, if you are looking for ways to help, please consider these. I have more but I'll stop with this for now. Thank you for reading my blog!

Work Release

Didn't you know, our kids are part of a work release program? (look for us on the side of the road picking up trash) Adorable, eh?

Life with a Drama Queen

It's so hard to tell with Ansley, which traits are ingrained personality traits, which are gender related traits, and which are adoption related traits. (And which are environmentally produced by living in this crazy house with her crazy parents) All I know is she is a Drama Queen of the highest order. A typical day goes something like this:

DQ: enter room(way earlier than she needs to for fear she might miss something) with eyes half open and glares
Mom: Hello Ansley. (Do not be perky. DQ's do not like perky in the morning. I understand this as I too do not like perky morning people either)
DQ: squints and glares some more, then just sits

Mom: Makes sure DQ has fresh water and something to snack on before going to the office to check emails, etc
DQ: in her most whiney voice "I don't want O's"
Mom: That's fine, don't eat them
DQ: in an even higher whiney voice "No, I want my O's"

Through out the day, we have several similar issues over what to wear, what games to play, what tv shows to watch, what's for lunch, which brother is driving her 'crazy',etc.

Time to clean up room (before bedtime)
Mom: Okay, Judson go clean up your room and Ansley clean up your room.
DQ: Sniffle, whine, cry "I need help"
Mom: No, Ansley can clean up her own room
DQ: Crying so much, she starts snorting. She refuses to clean up.
Mom: Clean your room or you go to bed right now
DQ: NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mom: Good night, Ansley. (SHe is now in bed screaming because she suddenly wants to clean her room but it's too late. SHe is in bed.)

Now one might think a mom too hard on her little DQ. Why not let them both clean up together? Good point. However, DQ is also a Diva. Therefore, she will sit and talk to Judson while Judson cleans the whole room by himself. Should you want to divide the chores so they can both be in the same room at the same time, you have the same scenario, of crying, sniffling, snorting, as if she was being asked to do too much.

A glimpse into what the teen years will look like. I was at the gym one night. Randy found DQ in her room, crying. He asks her why she was crying. Her response, (all sniffly and snorty), I don't know. He was shocked by this. Not that girls don't need a reason to cry, he was shocked that they don't need a reason to cry at the age of 2!

Like I said, I don't understand whether is nurture or nature. All I know is it can drive a person crazy. Of course, one might say it was a short drive.