PicNic

Sawyer's class had a picnic today at a local park. How fun! The kids loved it and the parents got to visit too. Here are some pics. (remember: Click on the pic to make it larger)

His Teachers/Therapists

Re-Run

Rarely a day goes by that we don't speak of Ethiopia. How can we speak of it and not think about the ones left behind? What can 1 person do? Maybe not much but several people joining together can make a huge difference. So, take a look at the video again.

Can Anyone Help? ***EDITED***

This is a long post but this family needs help getting their daughter home. They don't need money. They are caught up in red tape. Any ideas? Any connections you might have? (CDC, Congressman) Read their story HERE and see what you can do. Thanks.

***NOTE*** This issues is affecting many adoptive parents from Ethiopia. Many have already been awarded custody by the Ethiopian govt. However, the CDC is preventing them from bringing their children into the country. While the rules may have been implemented with the best of intentions, the fallout is growing and the children are in limbo. It does not appear the rule is being implemented with common sense. (That's the polite way of saying what is happening) So if you have connections, please put in a good word for the children caught up in this new rule. I'm sure there are other countries involved also.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Happy Mother's Day

Hope all you moms have a great day today. Many thanks to my Mom for being such a great mom. Thank you to Randy's mom. You done good!

Here's a couple of pics of the kids at the mall yesterday. They all wanted to ride the train, UNTIL, it started. Then one little one wanted off.
What am I doing today? Going to my favorite Ethiopian restaurant with my beautiful children and wonderful husband and meeting one of my favorite moms along with her lovely children. Can't wait!

Friday's Flower

She says it better than I

http://anotherespressoplease.blogspot.com/2009/05/look-closer.html

Did It

Got Randy's ticket to Guatemala for the mission trip. Been holding out for fear of strikes and H1N1 flu. Today, we just stepped up and said, "Just Do It". This weekend, I feel a good shopping trip coming up to buy orphanage donations. Hey, I've got to do my part too!

For those thinking, oh boy, here go those crazy Stricklins. They're trying to add to their family, AGAIN. Nope. You can't adopt from Guatemala anymore. They have A LOT of changes to make in their system before/if it will possible to adopt from there. Good thought though.

Happy Reminder

This iris is from my Grandmother's yard. It is now in my yard. I love it when it blooms. It reminds me of her.

In the Kitchen This Morning

Mom: Turner, do you want grits for breakfast?
Turner: Ummmm.......no, no, no.
Ansley: He's going to be mom when he grows up.
Mom: Why's that Ansley?
Ansley: Because he says "no,no,no"

Alas, that is what they remember.

Oh the Things a little man can ask

1. Did God ever raise anyone else besides Jesus from the dead?
My answer, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. No Mom, not Jesus, did GOD ever raise anyone else?
oy vey!!!!

2. Did God ever kill anyone? Yes was my answer along with a brief explanation. His comeback, So why doesn't God kill the Somali pirates?

3. Was Leah a hero? Who were other heroes in the bible? So I told him about David and Moses and Noah.

4. Enough about heroes, he interrupted. What about villains. Who were some of the bad guys in the bible?

5. Why were Adam and Eve kicked out of the garden? Where did they live then?

It's HOT already....

But that doesn't stop us from playing outside.

Where does this come from?


Riding her bike, "All by MYSELF"


Needs a new bike soon. Maybe for birthday #7.


The funky coloring on his face is a combination of sticky sunscreen and sidewalk chalk.

Our own little Gene Kelly.

Conversations and Things

#1 A conversation

J: Mom, I want to have a lemonade stand. I want to charge 50 cents per cup. (Using an actual measuring cup, of course) It has to be homemade lemonade. That means we have to grow our own lemons, too.

Mom: Okay

J: Mom, you know what I'm going to do with the money at the end of the day? I'm going to share with you and Dad. (So Dad won't have to work so hard. Gotta quit telling him how hard Dad works)

A: (who is eaves dropping on the conversation) Whoa, whoa, whoa Mr Smartee. Who's making the lemonade? Who's selling the lemonade? (apparently she wanted a cut too)

#2 Conversation

Upon hearing a scream by the baby of the house (as only a baby can do when he wants to get someone in trouble but he's not REALLY hurt), I enter the room. Now, I know what happened but I 'investigate' anyway.

J: Ansley hit Tee. (Yes he tattled. Drives me CRAZY!)
A: No, Judson did.
Mom: (ever so slyly) Ansley, why did you hit Turner?
A: Well....well....he hit me first.
Mom: Ansley, why did you tell a lie and say that Judson hit him?

The look on her face was priceless.

#3 A brag.

We (Judson, Turner, Sawyer and I) were walking out of the grocery store tonight. We passed a landscaped area that was littered with trash. Judson yelled, "wait, wait we HAVE to pick up this trash" So I tell him he can pick up while I get the groceries loaded. He gets the vast majority picked up. I tell him how proud I am of him. He says, "Mom, if we don't pick up the garbage we'll soon be up to our knees in trash" How come a 6 year old gets it but the rest of us don't?

The other three are doing great too. Ansley had her first REAL visit to the dentist. She did so well, the hygienist said she'd do a fluoride treatment next time. Turner is making huge strides in language. He amazes me how fast he is learning. Sawyer's language is also coming along. He's really taking off too.

Thursday (Post #400, man I talk a lot)

Going to the Dentist!

Eating in the "new" dining room. (Even though it's not finished yet)
The kids LOVE it! (as does Mom)

How Is It....

That girls come up with the 'eye roll, head wag, hand on the hip' sassiness but boys do not. (Or maybe it's just delayed as it hasn't come out in my 6 year old boy yet) Is it a learned action? From whom do they learn this behavior? No one else in the house does it. Is it inborn? Do they outgrow it?

I have to confess, I do know where Tee gets his "finger point, eyebrows raised, lecturing" pose. I'm working on changing that behavior, in him and in me.

A Mission Trip

These teens 'get it'. Awesome to see. Randy is going to go with them this year to help out. What a blessing that will be for Randy. More when the details become available. The video is long but worth watching.

We're Addicted *UPDATED*

Hello, we're the Stricklins and we are addicted to this:
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/braingames/castledefense/castledefenseAS2.htm

HELP!!!!!

Update: Judson finally beat the game. Now maybe we can get back to normal. We LOVE the Sheppard Software. They games are great. We especially love the geography games on there. To top it off, it's free!

Way Cool!

Only the best feel good story of the year!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Great Cause

http://www.kidmia.org/

Love This (stole it off someone's FB)

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. Helen Keller

Easter 2009

Love Spring!

Azaleas

Dogwoods

Oh yeah, and snow! (You have to look very hard but it's there)

Don't Bother

If you are glaring at me because my 4 year old is throwing a fit in public, don't bother. I'm immune. I am aware my son is throwing a fit. I am aware if it were you, you'd take care of it.

Are you aware that I know my son better than you? Do you know that my son is only screaming because his stroller stopped rolling? (while you may think that is a bad excuse for crying, he happens to think that is a perfect excuse for screaming) Are you aware by talking to my son in a very soothing voice (as opposed to threatening him or 'yanking him up' or taking him 'out') IS the best way to handle him? I know this through trial and error many times over. You don't because you do NOT know my son.

Next time you're out and someone's child starts throwing a fit, give them the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they do know how to handle their child. Don't glare. Besides not being effective, they (like me) probably do not give a hoot what you think.

Dumplings

Serenity Now!!!!!!!!!!

So, I emptied the contents of the china cabinet out and they are ALL OVER. The plan was to move the china cabinet from the kitchen to the dining room while the kids were napping yesterday. However, a plumbing emergency took over. No problem, just do it today. Right? Nope. The plumbing emergency has now taken a life of its own and is still being worked on.

Now, I have a bathroom that is a shambles. (truthfully, it isn't much different than most days) No hot water. An empty china cabinet. A dining room table and floor that is covered with china cabinet contents.

I have 3 kids and a mommy who need a bath but not much inclined to until the hot water is back on.

What to do? Come up with a Plan B!

Pollen

Nuff Said!

Coming Together

I have a dining room table!!!!!!!!!!

The color is more like the one on the right, antique white, not the yellow it appears in the photo on the left. The chairs will be in after Easter. I still have to paint the credenza and get the china cabinet moved but we're on our way! p.s. The table cloth is for protection against the elements, namely, Ansley, Judson, Turner and Sawyer. Not for aesthetics. That'll come later.

C-R-A-Z-Y!!!!

Randy headed out this morning to keep score at a martial arts tournament that our dojo was putting on. It was pouring rain, so I decided to stay at home with the kids. Then the weather slacked up a bit, so I decided, 'head 'em up, move 'em out'. We are going to the tourney too.

BIG MISTAKE.

The rain began again in earnest about half way there. After parking the car and getting all 4 out, we head to the door of the gym. Get right to the curb and there's a river running thru it. All 4 walked right through the mini-river.

Get in the door Judson goes running in and slides on the slick wet floor. Sawyer heads right towards the gym and the demo that is going on. It was 'his turn'. So while I'm chasing him to stop him, Turner heads back out the door. Only, I thought Turner was with me and didn't realize he was heading in the opposite direction. So, I'm wrestling Sawyer to keep him from getting on the demo floor where kicks are flying as well as boards breaking. (I did try the new wrist wrap containment system. Didn't work. He tore the velcro right off his wrist) Meanwhile, a man comes up to me with Turner in tow. "Is he yours" he said. "Yes". The man sternly said, "he was heading outside". I said, "Okay, thank you". Apparently, I wasn't alarmed enough for him. So he repeated, "He was heading outside". So, I repeated, "Okay" Then added, "sorry". I guess that was enough because he said, "no problem".

Meanwhile, two VERY nice ladies from our group offered to help. One took Ansley and one took Sawyer. I was able to breathe a sigh of relief for a brief moment.

We stayed for the demo. Got a snack. At the time for the competition to begin, Judson declared it was time to go. So we waddled our little duck selves back to the car through the river again.

So happy to be home!

Three Brothers and A Sister

One, trying to find a quiet place to read.

One, trying to practice his music. (everyone is a critic)

One trying to scale new heights!


One can do anything they can do ... better.

The Down Side to all the Rain (Which we desparately need)

Oh my, the cabin fever is at an all time high today. Judson tackled Ansley and started pounding her. (He was provoked but still, sheesh) Yes, Ansley can take care of herself and can throw punches pretty darn well. Sawyer and Turner were also exchanging blows. I did what any Mom would do, Turned my back and pretended not to notice. Then when all was over and the whining started, I put them all to bed! Hmmm, I sound like the little old woman who lived in the shoe...

New Bed

So Sawyer (at the age of 4) finally got his own 'big boy' bed. Why you ask did it take so long? Simple laziness on my part, mostly. He never tried to climb out of his bed. (Unlike his sister who would leap from the top of the rail on her baby bed) He liked his baby bed. I didn't have to worry about him wandering the house in the middle of the night. Finally, I decided enough was enough. He needed his own bed. So, I got on Craig's List and claimed this little toddler bed for $10! (So as to slowly transition him into a twin bed) It's low to the ground and HE LOVES IT. Two of my most important criteria for choosing his bed. The first night, he slept right thru the night, not a peep. Second night, I heard him fall off. Went in there and he was curled up on the floor right where he fell and sound asleep. I put him back in bed. The next morning, he was curled up next to Turner's baby bed on the floor. At nap time, he doesn't always sleep but he does stay on the bed.Each one of the panels has a super cool giant pocket for storing great treasures! Notice the fantastic Thomas Pjs. Only the bestest Pjs in the whole wide world. Of course, if we could find some with Elmo or Sam Wiggles, that'd be pretty awesome too.

Mission Trip

Anybody doing the Gladney mission trip in August? Randy is seriously considering it and just wondering who might be going.

For Lucia And Kelly And Kimmy And.....

You inspired me today with your blog post. I do live with clutter most days. It drives me crazy and yet, seems necessary at the same time. We're in middle of changing our dining room back into a dining room after 10 years of being an office. (believe me, with 6 of us, we need a dining area)

I can only work on the room while the kids nap and at night. So it is a very slow process. So, what do you do with 10 years of 'office' junk? Right now, it is in the middle of the floor upstairs and downstairs. It is so NOT ZEN.

Hopefully, within the next month or so, I can post pics of the finished product. For now, the 'in progress' product is quite stressful. (with one completed wall)

The idea is European Countryside meets 1970's ranch meets the needs of a 6 person family. More to come....

And just for Lucia, the picture of my kitchen table (as it stands 99% of the time)

Happy Down Syndrome Day!

www.worlddownsyndromeday.org

Check this out!

http://sarahely8989.blogspot.com/2009/03/late-breaking-news-letter-to-president.html

Foto Friday

Friday

Big day planned! Randy is taking a much needed Mental Health Day/Vacation from work today. We're dropping Sawyer off at school and the rest of us are going to eat bagels and then shop at REI. THEN, (Mom's favorite idea) if we have time, we get to go to Lowes and pick up paint for our dining room. WHOO-HOO!!! I might even sneak in a peak at a particular back splash I'm scoping for our kitchen! Why not live on the wild side every once in a while!!!!!!!!!

YOU CAN HELP!!! (Additional info from my previous post)
http://www.thereisnomewithoutyou.com/blog?op=view&id=63

A Sad Day

Ms. Haregewoin Teferra died today. To those who know Ethiopia and their orphans, she was a beacon. (Not a saint but a light, a hope) She did more than most of us would dream about doing. She brought the plight of AIDS orphans to the world. Not only did she talk about it, she walked the walk. If you have never read, There is No Me Without You by Melissa Fay Greene, you should. (but have a box of tissue ready) It details the life of Haregewoin Teferra. I feel sad for the orphans she leaves behind. She was a mighty voice and a wonderful advocate for them. She will be greatly missed.

Not to be Left Out

Pooh is still being Pooh. Here she is at her Dumplings class, singing the 2 Tigers Song and doing art work.

Questions on a Little Man's Mind

1. Back in the olden days, when you were about 16 Mom, do you remember when they invented the light bulb? (Blame that one on Dad for saying back in his day, you had to go to bed at sunset because there was no light bulb. My next task is to introduce him to inventors, most importantly Edison.)

2. When was the very first battle, ever? (Which war?)

3. Were there people in the early Permian world? There wasn't that much land. (You'll have to look that one up)

4. How far did people have to dig to find dinosaur bones? How did they know they belonged to dinosaurs?

5. Did the Germans help the British or the Americans in the Revolutionary War? (He now knows the answer because he looked it up) Why did they say the shot was heard around the world when it really wasn't that loud? What is a figure of speech? Why do they use those? (for a boy who thinks literally, it can be very confusing)

6. Why was Maine once part of Massachusetts?

This is just a sampling. The questions start the minute he wakes up and do not stop until he goes to sleep. These are just the ones I remember from last night as he was trying to go to sleep.

It's Almost Time

For what you ask? The summer hair cuts! I feel one more 'winter' haircut and THEN, the summer shave down. Why do you ask would I do that to my babies? Let's face it, I'm lazy. I don't want to have to 'fix hair' every morning before going out. My motto is, "you can have your hair the way you want when you are willing and able to fix it yourself". Simple. Is that all? No, members of the jury, there is more. I submit to you the following evidence.

Exhibit A: The Single Swoosh Cowlick (notice the video of him 'fixing' his hair)



Exhibit B: The Double Swirl Cowlick (He wants hair gel so he can make it stick up more. He likes his cowlicks!)

Exhibit C: Permanent Cap Hair (hoping this one eventually rectifies itself)

So you see, members of the jury, there is more to it than simple laziness on my part. There is not enough mommy spit to 'fix' the above mentioned issues. Nor do these babies see their hair as 'issues'. So why drive me crazy over such stuff. Yes, I know, I'm already crazy but why go any farther. That is why I shave my babies heads.

Yes I Can

A video worth watching!

What To Do on a 75 Degree Day

Play Outside!

Yes, Pooh is wearing a jacket.
She also has 3 pony tails and a Christmas barrette in her hair.