The Dreaded D Word

For you non-military readers...I'm referring to "deployment."

We received a phone call on Friday night that has totally ruined our weekend. Danny was supposed to be leaving Tuesday for a 4 week TDY to Ft. Hood and Korea. Instead, he was told he'd be staying home since he's been selected to deploy in November for 9 months. Arrghhh...He's only been home 21 months from his last deployment. I know I have no right to complain. This will only be his 2nd time over there when we have friends who have been 3-4 times. It's also 9 months instead of the 12-15 months that other people are spending. We've been blessed and we know it, but we still don't want him to go. To try and stay positive, we are trying to think of it as a compliment. It sounds like an important job and they picked Dan for it. It's not 100%, but he should know something next week.

If he does go, we'll be putting our fostering plans on hold. That makes me really sad, but I am totally aware of my abilities. It'll be a stretch for me with just the 4 of us. There's no way I will be able to manage a child/children coming in and out of our house while juggling court dates, doctor's appointment, visitations and everything I have to do for my own kids.

As with all things, I know God really is in charge and I'm going to leave it in His capable hands! I don't have the energy to do anything else.

Smiles All Around

The school counselor called me back this afternoon. She met Allie on Wednesday when she was struggling so much so she knew who she was. She had already checked with her teacher and Allie was having a great day today. 0 meltdowns! We talked about Allie's fear of men and how she could facilitate Allie meeting the special area teachers so it wouldn't be so traumatic on Allie. She's going to spend a few minutes with each teacher and Allie throughout next week. I feel much better and think, with help, Allie can do really well in Kindergarten.

After talking with Mrs. E., I was very excited to get Allie off the bus. She came down the steps with a big smile on her face and immediately told me she had a good day. We high fived and then she went on to say she didn't have to see "the music man." That's not the music teacher's official name of course, but I'm sure it's what Allie will call him from now on. Miss Burriss wrote us a note saying she had a "great" day. I am so proud of Allie. Not only did she earn her first sticker (of 5) towards her mouse princess, she also earned donuts for everyone. She seemed very proud to tell Jaelyn and Caden that we were going to get donuts because she had a good day!

Thank you so much for your prayers. I'll keep you posted next week!

Caden's Bucket

Our preschool uses buckets instead of backpacks and I think it's a wonderful idea. It makes bringing home projects so much easier. Last year, Allie's bucket was by far the cutest in her class. It was totally girly with a pink boa glued around the top and hearts and jewels on the sides. I've been pondering how to make a boy bucket cute without it being too cutesy. Inspiration struck at Michael's today. I found foam pirate faces for a dime each. I added a rub-on pirate map and treasure chest and used a sharpie to draw a dotted line and an X. He loves it and tells me he can't wait to go to school. I'm sure all that will change when it comes time to actually go in the room without Mommy, but for now, it sounds good. Arrrrrr!

A Letter From Jaelyn's Teacher

I received an email from Jaelyn's teacher this morning. I have met dozens of people who know her and have not heard one bad thing yet. Everyone loves her and I'm so thankful Jaelyn is in her room.

Thank you for sending in your letter about Jaelyn; I enjoyed reading it. Jaelyn is adorable and cute but don't worry...I am not a sucker for a big smile :) She has had an amazing first week of school! Jaelyn is participating and engaged in our lessons. She has been a great helper in the room and seems eager to follow the rules. I will certainly let you know if I see any changes in her behavior. I look forward to a great year!

She Doesn't Want to Talk About It

Allie had another tough day and she came home saying "I don't want to talk about it." My heart just hurts for her and I think I feel the same way she does. I don't want to talk about it either.

I'm adding calling the school counselor to my list tomorrow to see if she has any ideas to help Allie adjust! :(

Caden's Cooking!

Caden and I have had a good day. We've gone to the library and the vet with Zack, read books and played with spacemen. He's even helped with cooking. This morning, he helped me make play dough. He dumped in the ingredients, mixed it up and chose the color. Then once it was cooled, he helped kneed in extra flour so it wouldn't be sticky.

We both miss the girls, but we are having fun together.

Vinegar and a Willing Heart

I've used vinegar for a very long time as "fibby juice." I've also used it as "sassy juice." It's always been a fight to get the kids to take it though. I recently had a discussion with some friends about how they use it effectively with their kids. I've learned the phrase "willing heart" and I'm using it. I no longer have fibby and sassy juice and instead am calling it what it is: vinegar. The other day, Jaelyn was being rude and was mad at me for getting onto her for something. She stuck her tongue out at me and I decided it was the perfect time to teach them about having a willing heart. I told Jaelyn she would get a dot of vinegar on her tongue. Of course, she clamped her mouth shut. I took her to her room and told her she could come out when she was ready to take her vinegar with a willing heart. It took her about 45 minutes to come out of her room (and thankfully it didn't escalate - it must have been after she'd eaten). She came out and said she had a willing heart. She took her dot of vinegar on her tongue, drank her water and went on her way.

We've had name calling issues, which is what has made me rethink how I use vinegar. This weekend, Caden called one of the girls a name and he earned a dot of vinegar. Man, he didn't want it and sat on the step just bawling for at least 10 minutes. He finally calmed down and said he was ready. He took the vinegar (gagged a little, poor guy), drank his water and went on his way. I haven't heard him call anyone a name again.

I'm really hoping my new approach will cut down on some of the issues I've been seeing. Thanks to all of my friends who shared their thoughts and ideas.

She's Bored

Will you please pray for Allie today? She told me a little more about her day yesterday. She apparently declared she was bored several times. One time during circle, she says she was sitting indian style and leaned forward with her head on the floor and her arms out straight and then yelled "I'm bored!" No wonder her teacher called me. We've talked and talked about following directions, listening, not being sassy, etc. She knows what she has to do to stay out of the thinking chair and what she'll earn when she has 5 good days! Pray she takes it to heart. It's killing the perfectionist side of me this morning. I don't even want perfect. I want her to be her, but the good her, not the head strong her! Thanks.

Wednesday: Great, Better and Worse

Caden did so good in the gym today. Not only were there no tears, he actually had fun. Every time I peaked in, he was laughing and playing with 2 other little boys. It was wonderful. I also had fun with him this morning. We put together puzzles and played with his cars. I'm going to enjoy my time alone with him!

Jaelyn had a better day too. She made a new friend, Nikki, and saw several old friends on the playground. She liked school today. I might have to remind her of that in the morning, though.

Allie did not have as good of a day. She said she had a good day, but then her teacher called. She had to go to the "thinking chair" three times for little meltdowns. Miss B said in the morning when they were sitting down to do work, Allie declared "I'm bored with school. When's lunch?" I know it's funny, but it's not. I want her to do well. I couldn't figure out what triggered her meltdowns other than it's a big transition and Allie doesn't do change well. I made up a sticker chart for her tonight and have a much wanted mouse princess stuffed animal to use as a prize. I'm praying she'll have better days.

Servant???

Our friend Lyssie came over to play this afternoon. We went on an outing and Lyssie and Caden were in the car discussing what they were going to do when we got home. Here's how the conversation went:

Lyssie: Let's play restaurant.
Caden: I want to be the cook
Lyssie: Okay
Caden: and you can be the servant
Lyssie: Okay

Ummm...I really think I need to explain a thing or two to Caden about male/female roles or maybe I need to teach him the word "server" OR maybe Daddy should help more around the house :p!

Tuesday

Sorry to keep you waiting, Mom. I am impressed that you were checking ;).

Caden and I were very anxious to get the girls off the bus yesterday. As soon as Allie came down the steps, Caden ran to her and hugged her saying "I missed you so much today, Allie." It was really sweet.

She said she had a good day. They ate lunch, played at recess, talked about a fire drill, had circle time and had rest time (I'm sure not in that order). There was only one time when she said she cried a little and got sad. She was worried about me. I assured her today that I would be okay and she didn't need to be sad or worry. Jaelyn said she peeked around the corner and watched Allie go into her room without any trouble. They saw each other in the lunch room so I'm sure that made Allie feel good. She didn't make any new friends that she was interested in talking about. That doesn't surprise me though since she's always been pretty good at keeping to herself.

When we asked Jaelyn what she did yesterday, she said she sat all day and went to lunch and recess. "Did you do anything while you were sitting???" "No," she said. I mentioned having to call her teacher and ask why they did nothing yesterday and she quickly started telling us about her math games, number book and the reading they did. Silly girl. I'm afraid this year might be a struggle. She started her day today by whining and crying that she didn't want to go to school. It's only the 3rd day. I convinced her she has to finish 1st grade, but she said after that she's done! No more school! Oh dear.

Caden and I are heading to the gym this morning. It'll be his first day by himself. I'm only planning on staying about 30 minutes. I'm going to drop him off with fruit snacks and a lollipop in his pocket (as a reward afterwards to doing well). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he'll do okay. He got weepy on Monday without Jaelyn there.

Grocery Shopping With One

Dan and I jumped into the deep end of parenting without knowing how to swim. I've always envied my friend who did it one kid at a time. They had time to get their feet wet and get used to the water while I've barely had a chance to come up for air. Maybe that's a bad analogy, but 0-2 instantly and then adding a third 13 months lately was really hard work and a little bit crazy! I've always dragged my kids with me where ever I went. I haven't had the luxury of babysitters (well, I did for that 18 months, but I tried really hard to not abuse it). It was great going from three to two when out shopping last year. Well, let me tell you...two to one is even easier!

Caden and I went to the commissary this morning and I must admit I've been looking forward to it all summer (after shopping with three). With two, I usually could make it out in under an hour with $200 worth of food, but I would leave feeling like I'd run across rush hour traffic. Very stressed! Today it took me an hour and a half. We leisurely wandered up and down the aisles. I took time to look at prices and go through my coupons. I even back tracked for items I missed. I left feeling relaxed which is something I haven't felt when grocery shopping in a very long time. I think I'm going to like this one kid thing.

Allie's First Full Day

It took a while to settle, but everyone got a good night sleep last night and woke up after 7:00 well rested for another exciting day today. Dan was able to walk with us to the bus stop this morning. It wasn't quite as hard as putting Jaelyn on the bus for the first time last year, but it was sad. Allie climbed right up and Miss Cathy had her sit in the front seat. She looked out the window kind of sad and then gave me a thumbs up with a big smile. They'll be home in about an hour and I can't wait to hear how the day went.

Allie's First Two Hours of Kindergarten

Allie bugged me all morning..."When do I get to go to school?" One o'clock took so long to get here. We dropped Caden off at a friend's house and then headed to school. I feel much better about her teacher today than I did on Friday. She seemed so young and inexperienced on Friday. Today, I'd say she's a few years out of college. It makes me feel much better to know that this is not her first year teaching. There's so much to learn that first year and kids get lost in the cracks (speaking from experience). I don't want Allie to be one of those kids.

We met half of Allie's class. They seemed to all listen and follow directions or maybe that's just because they were scared and their parents were watching. My biggest worry is Allie getting to and from her room and the bus. I'm going to ask Jaelyn to walk Allie to her classroom the first day and pray someone helps Allie find her bus in the afternoon.




I did run into Jaelyn's teacher in the hall and she told me Jaelyn was having a good day. Jaelyn also reported having a good day. She says she likes Mrs. Meerholz and is really excited that her friend Catherine is in her room. Liam didn't talk to her today, apparently (I couldn't resist asking).

I think the hardest part of the week will be tomorrow morning when I put Allie on the bus and watch it drive away. I was fine with Jaelyn today, but there's something about sending your Kindergartener to school for the first time.

Funny at the Bus Stop

Allie is totally infatuated with a girl who lives across the street. Allie likes to tell me that Taylor is her best friend. Taylor is in 4th grade and is really nice to Allie (thankfully). She has a new baby sister and her parents walked with her and the baby to the bus stop this morning. Allie went right over to them and said "My Daddy is going out of town and when he gets home, we are going to get a baby." They gave me the weirdest look, but I didn't say a word.

And Off Jaelyn Goes

Today is the big day. We picked out clothes last night and Jaelyn and Allie were up bright and early getting dressed. I stuffed Jaelyn as full of food as I could get her (waffle, cheese stick, yogurt, apple juice and raisin bread) because she won't eat lunch until 11:30. She's going to really miss that morning snack. I think she was excited this morning.

Allie was happy with her 1st day of school outfit, but then she dropped her lollipop from the gym on her dress and has had to change.


Waiting at the bus stop. Look - her backpack matches her outfit. We didn't even plan that.
The bus came right on time and we were so thrilled to see Mrs. Cathy driving it. She looked just as thrilled to see Jaelyn. Allie's excited to be allowed to ride the bus tomorrow!!!

I'll post later with pictures from Allie's first day of kindergarten.

School Starts Tomorrow

We start back to school tomorrow! Jaelyn is not excited about it and pretty much doesn't want to go. We've had too much fun at home this summer. I might have to drag her to the bus stop in the morning. Allie is super excited. She only goes from 1-3 tomorrow with me and then her first entire day will be Tues. What are Caden and I going to do???

I Love Garage Sale Finds

The kids and I were on the way to the gym this morning when we passed a garage sale. Well, actually I guess I should call them yard sales now since most people don't have garages and just lay things out by the side of the road up here. Anyway...I've seen lots of baby things over the last few months and passed them all by because I just wasn't quite ready to start buying stuff (especially the big stuff since we don't know what age we'll be getting). This morning, I saw a pretty bassinet on the side of the road. It was just irresistable and I stopped and bought it. $20 (talked down from $30) for a really fancy, well kept bassinet that we might or might not need. If we can't/don't use it, I'm sure I can find someone to pass it on to. I washed all the fabric on it on the sanitary cycle in my washer (LOVE my washer - it deserves a post all by itself) and then Caden and Jaelyn had a fine time cleaning it with wipes. Of course, I'll go back over it with something that'll actually kill germs, rather than just getting the dirt off ;). I think Caden and I might hit the thrift store next week to start looking for clothes.

Meet the Teachers

Today was Open House at the girls' school. When I was teaching, I know I looked young and I used to get questions like "Are you sure you're old enough to be teaching?" It drove me crazy because I knew I was the same age as some of the parents. I didn't ask Allie's teacher if she was old enough to be teaching, but she looked so young to me. She was nice and Allie was excited about her room. She couldn't believe there were dolls and clothes. All she wanted to do was dress them. She even asked if we could come back tomorrow so she could play. We only know 1 other little girl going into kindergarten at the school, but she's not in Allie's class. I'm disappointed. I was really hoping she would be. Allie's class is right across from Jaelyn's last year and Jaelyn's is in the hallway leading to the kindergarten rooms. They'll be close which for some odd reason makes me feel better about sending Allie off to school.I was happy to walk into Jaelyn's room and recognize one of our neighbors and their son. Jaelyn's friend, Catherine, is sitting across from her right now and (drum roll please) Jaelyn's former love is sitting across the room. That's right...Liam. She actually didn't recognize him. She asked me who he was and I had to tell her. He's gotten bigger since June and when we got to the car, she asked me what he did this summer to make him so much bigger than her. Too funny. He's a boy! Anyway, apparently, that crush has ended and I'm sure we'll have a new love by Wednesday. Her teacher is very nice and apparently lives somewhere behind us.
(Allie wandered into Jaelyn's picture making Jaelyn very unhappy. I promised to crop Allie out)

Just For Uncle Clifford!!!

I expect a comment from you on this post!!! :p

I had someone recently wanting to leave a comment for me, but they didn't know how. I know there are a few less than computer savy people reading (how's that for politically correct) so here's how to leave me comments. At the bottom of each entry is the word "comments" with the number of comments that have been left. If you click on it, it'll take you to a new screen. There's a text box to enter your comments. After that, you retype the word verification and then you can either enter your google account and password info or if you choose, you can click on anonymous (just sign your name in the text box if you do that or I won't know who the comment came from). Click "publish your comment" and you are all set. No logging in required.

They Don't Look Anything Alike

Usually people go out of their way to tell me my kids look alike or they look like me or Dan. I don't see all the resemblances, but I think people sometimes feel the need to make that physical connection when they know your kids are adopted. I had a different experience the other day from someone who didn't know the girls are adopted.

I was signing the girls up for their dance class at the gym (yea, they start Sept 16th - they are very excited). Angela, the owner, was watching the kids play as I was filling out the forms. She said "you know it's funny, but your kids don't look anything alike." She then went on to talk about how their features are all different while I debated whether or not to tell her why. I finally smiled and said "they don't look alike because two are adopted, but I'm not going to tell you which two." Jaelyn was sitting there and laughed before telling her that she and Allie are adopted. It was one of those funny little conversations that you play over and over in your head. In the almost 5 years the girls have been with us, I've never heard that comment.

I'll Learn When I'm 16

Jaelyn lost her bike last week for throwing a humongous tantrum. She was so excited to get it back this week. She doesn't need me at all now. She can start, stop and turn all on her own. She even rode today without her knee and elbow pads.

Allie was excited to see that and quickly put them on while reminding me I told her she could learn once Jaelyn didn't need her pads anymore. We took the training wheels off her bike and we made it up and down the sidewalk once before declaring very loudly "I want me wheels back on. I'll learn when I'm 16." That got quite a laugh out of a teenage girl who was out washing her car nearby. Of course, she meant, "I'll learn when I'm 6," when she's Jaelyn's age. It was funny. She very patiently waited for me to put the wheels back on and I guess we'll try again next summer.

We Are Done

Our social worker, Billie, came again today for our last interview. She mainly went over the system in our county and how everything will work. We talked a little bit about the type of children we'd like to have and then walked through the house. She asked me if I could locate a copy of our old homestudy from the girls' adoption, but other than that, we are finished. She said she has no concerns about us (not that I was worried she would) and she talked several times about us getting a baby. There have been several in the county lately and they don't have that many "baby" beds or SAHMs for babies that are too young to go into daycare. Starting October 1st, we'll be waiting for "the call!"

Cardio Kick Boxing Kicked My Butt

I haven't been doing quite as well on my "getting back to the gym" goal as I'd like. I've managed 2 times a week. I'd ideally like 4-5. Tonight, I tried a new class. When I first did Zumba and interval cardio press, they were hard, but manageable without killing myself. Cardio kick boxing kicked my tush. All my other classes have a 30 second or so down time in between songs so you can breathe. Gail is just mean and her first "song" lasted 45 minute. That's 45 minutes of non-stop punching, kicking and basically bouncing around boxer style. Oh, and I can't forget the 2 million jumping jacks she made us do. It was crazy, but I did make it and that's the important thing!

General Tso's Chicken

I've been on the lookout for a good General Tso's Chicken recipe for a while and I've finally found one that we like.

Mean Guy's General Tso's Chicken from http://www.recipezaar.com/

Ingredients
1 lb chicken thigh, boned and cubed (I substituted chicken breast)
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup cornstarch, plus
2 teaspoons cornstarch
5 dried chili pods (I substituted 1 tsp chili flakes - I'll increase it next time because it wasn't hot enough)
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons rice wine (I substituted cooking wine)
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions

• In a large bowl, thoroughly blend the 1/2 cup of cornstarch and the eggs; add the chicken and toss to coat.
• If the mixture is too thick, add some vegetable oil to separate the pieces.
• In a small bowl, prepare the sauce mixture by combining the 2 tsp cornstarch with the wine, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce.
• First-Stage Frying: Heat 1-2 inches of peanut oil in a wok to medium-high heat (350-400).
• Fry the chicken in small batches, just long enough to cook the chicken through.
• Remove the chicken to absorbent paper and allow to stand (this step can be performed well in advance, along with the sauce mixture, with both refrigerated).
• Second-Stage Frying: Leave a tablespoon or two of the oil in the wok.
• Add the pepper pods to the oil and stir-fry briefly, awakening the aroma but not burning them.
• Return the chicken to the wok and stir-fry until the pieces are crispy brown.
• The General's Favorite Sauce: Add the sauce-mixture to the wok, tossing over the heat until the sauce caramelizes into a glaze (1-2 minutes).
• Serve immediately.
• Serves 4, along with steamed broccoli and rice.

We thought this was great, but definitely needed more sauce. I'll be doubling it next time. Let me know how you like it if you make it!

Jerusalem Woods

We visited one of our favorite places today - Jerusalem Mills. Normally we stick to one path and then throw rocks in the creek. Today, we ventured to the other side of the road and walked on one of the Little Gunpowder Fall's trails. We went pretty far and didn't listen to Daddy when he told us it was time to turn around. At the most, I'd estimate we walked about a mile through the woods up and down hills. There was no complaining or carrying of children. Everyone walked (mostly ran) ahead of us. After our walk, the kids eagerly ran to the creek to commence with the rock throwing. We came home tired and dirty and very happy!

Ikea Cribs Are Hard to Come By

I've been stalking Ikea employees for the last few weeks. Well, not really stalking, but I have been calling the children's department EVERY day. Earlier in the week, I was finally rewarded with a "they are in transit." Yahoo - 7 blue cribs were on the way, but they couldn't tell me what day. So the calling continued as well as the obsessive website stock checking. Today, I finally got lucky. They weren't in when I called at 10, but when I checked the website after lunch, it showed they had stock!

The kids and I raced to a very busy Ikea. No one was too happy. Smallworld was FULL so the kids couldn't play and then I couldn't find anyone in the crib department to help me. It took more patience than I had, but after 45 minutes, we had a crib loaded in the back of the van and were headed home. Jaelyn did a great job of helping me to assemble it. It looks great in the room. I'm really happy with my choice.

We took the doors off the closet and put the dresser in it to add floor space for the room. The dresser, btw, was my great-grandmother's. Kind of cool!

Caden's side of the room.

The new kid's side of the room. I love the sheets I found. They have little construction vehicles that match wonderfully with Caden's transportation themed bedding!

Birthday Soup and MY Tomatoes

Ohhh, the kids have made me mad. Yesterday, Allie ripped a huge branch off my butterfly bush. The kids wanted to play outside again today. I warned them if they even 'touched' one of my plants, they would ALL be losing 30 tickets (that's a lot of tickets when they need 100 for a special prize tomorrow). I let them go outside and they played nicely for a bit. I could hear them and was checking on them often. THEN it got quiet. I went out to check and every single tomato was gone off my tomato plants. Allie ate the red ones (there were at least 10 that would have been ripe in the next few days) and then they picked the 30+ green ones and put them in their sand box. It rained yesterday and the lid wasn't on the sand box so it's full of water. They also gathered up grass and leaves that were in their "bug buckets" and dumped that into the pot. When I went out, Allie was standing on the edge of the sandbox stirring it with a bat. I didn't find out who's birthday it was before I marched their little hineys inside. They've all lost their 30 tickets. No one seemed to mind too much, but tomorrow when the Little Pet Shop lip gloss, the mouse princess and the frog prince are all still in MY prize bucket, I think there may be some issues. That's what they get for pulling all of the tomatoes off my plants!!!! Arrghh! :p

Finally Losing That Toddler Tummy

Jaelyn thinned out around 3, but Allie never did. She has thin arms and legs, but she's solid in her middle. She had a couple of shirts that were too tight around for her, but that I had left in the drawer for Jaelyn to wear. Allie has one on today and it's loose on her. At 5, she is finally losing that thick toddler tummy she's had for so long. She's growing and is almost an inch taller than Jaelyn now.

Jaelyn's Teacher

Jaelyn got her teacher card in the mail yesterday. She will be in Mrs. Meerholz's class. I know nothing about her. We've seen 3 of Jaelyn's old classmates in the last 2 days and none of them will be in the same class. One of the moms did tell me that she wanted Mrs. Meerholz and was disappointed her daughter didn't get her. The only bad thing is she just had a baby so there will be a permanent sub for the first few months of school. I feel for the sub after having done 2 of those subbing jobs myself!

Skunk Spray

My kids "stunk" all day yesterday. They had watched some cartoon (Curious George, I think) and the main character got sprayed by a skunk. So the kids played "skunk" all day and were spraying everything. Caden came to me giggling and said "I'm going to skunk spray you." I didn't exactly understand what he said so I said okay. He turned around, bent over and made a "ssssss" noise. I "stunk" all day, too, as I got repeatedly sprayed by Caden! They all did it to Daddy when he got home and then rolled on the floor in a laughing fit. Soo Silly! As long as they don't do it out in public, I'm okay with skunk spray play!!!!

Allie's Teacher Letter

Allie's letter came in the mail today. She will be in Miss Burris's class this year. She's a new teacher; so Jaelyn couldn't tell us anything about her. I'm a little sad she won't be in Mrs. D's class, but it's probably for the best with comparisons and all. I just know Mrs. D and you all know how "I" feel about change. We went to the school this afternoon to see if the other grades were posted. Jaelyn is itching to find out which of her friends will be in her class this year. A list wasn't posted so we walked in the office. The secretary saw us and said "well, if it isn't the W... girls" I think it's wonderful that the staff knows who Jaelyn is and will get to know Allie too. I love being in a smallish school. They told us Jaelyn's post card was mailed today so we'll be watching for the mailman tomorrow! Their open house to meet their teachers is August 22 and they start school on the 25th. Summer is almost over!!!

My Little Cook

We made meatloaf for dinner last night. Can you believe that Jaelyn stuck her hands in raw meat and eggs and mixed it all up for me? She loved it (the mixing, not the eating). She continues to be a good little helper when I let her. It's hard sometimes because if I let 2 little hands in the kitchen, I end up with 4 more hands wanting to help. And then that's 6 hands too many!

What I've Learned About Knitting

I learned how to knit a few months ago. Since then, I've discovered that I do like to knit. It's a craft that can be taken with me to do while sitting on the swing watching the kids play. I can sit on the couch and listen to the TV while I knit (I can't watch the TV - knitting definitely requires my eyes). I cannot knit while riding in the car. I tried it on our car trip and got very queasy. The most important thing I've learned lately is that I'm a small project knitter. I can handle scarves, head scarves and hats. I can't do baby blankets. I really tried to make our new child a beautiful basket weave blanket. I spent hours and hours knitting and only had about 7 inches to show for my effort.
I have conceded defeat and Jaelyn's cat now has a warm, cozy scarf to keep her warm this winter. Maybe I'll make her a hat to match!

So I'm off to Joann's to buy fabric. A baby quilt is definitely something I CAN do (and have done for each of the kids).

Day 3 - I'm Impressed

Farm and Friends

Today was FABULOUS! We took a field trip to Clark's Elioak Farm. The farm, while fun, was not what "made" the day. It was most definitely the friends. I met Alaina through Hannah's Prayer in 2002. We became good friends and have stayed in touch over the last few years. They've just moved to Maryland (north of DC). It was awesome to see Alaina and her husband, Kevin, again. The last time we saw them, their daughter, Nora Jane, was a baby, Jaelyn and Allie were toddlers and I was pregnant with Caden. Along with almost 5 year old Nora Jane, Alaina also has a 2 year old girl and a 1 year old boy. Vivianna and Noble were adopted from Guatamala and I've wanted to meet them so badly since following their adoption stories. Like I said, a great day!

(For 2 infertile girls, God did an awesome job of building our families)

We started with the petting zoo. We fed goats and lambs. We oinked at pigs and moo'ed at the cow. Jaelyn petted a donkey and Allie pulled a feather out of an emu (oops). The kids chased chickens and fawned over the bunnies. So much fun. Next we took a hayride which we thought would take us through their farm. We didn't actually see any crops worth mentioning, but did get to enjoy a short ride through the woods and see some pastures. We picniced under some trees and then checked out their little houses and play areas. I'd say the kids had the most fun playing on the pirate ship playground. Nora Jane had even brought a pirate map and used it to "direct" all the other kids in play. She was too funny and my kids immediately fell in love with her. It's great to know we have new playmates and will have friends whenever we make it down to DC.

Riding "Almost" Like a Pro

After lunch, Jaelyn finally convinced us to take her outside to practice riding. We wrapped her up in all her padding and off she went, pretty much by herself:

(Please don't laugh at my silly run. It's hard to run in crocs while trying to keep up with Jaelyn and not kick the back of her bike.)

She rode all the way around the block. She got scared on one long downhill stretch and got to practice braking without crashing; so that was good. Once she figures out how to get herself started, she won't need me.

Allie is chomping at the bit to ride Jaelyn's bike. I did let her try again today, but she totally doesn't get the whole balance thing - which is kind of essential to riding a bike. I think NEXT summer will be Allie's summer.

Straight From the Garden

Last night, I wanted to have zucchini with our dinner. I grabbed a knife, went out back and cut one off the vine. How cool is that???

A Day Without Dan

Today started out bad after Dan left for work and his night long duty and I was sure we were headed for an Alexander day - you know of the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad kind of day. Jaelyn tried her best to push every button I have. Well, she didn't try, she did push them. I had a fun day planned too. The library in the morning and the pool in the afternoon. The kids lost out on the library for the way Jaelyn and Allie behaved in the car. First, Jaelyn did something mean. I honestly don't even remember what. I pulled over immediately and just stopped. There was no way I was taking her anywhere acting like that. I warned her that if she continued, we wouldn't be going to the library and asked her if she understood. All she had to say was yes. I tell you, when she wants, that girl has a stubborn streak a mile long. There was no way she was going to answer me. I gave her about 5 minutes of sitting and then drove to the library, returned our movies through the drive-thru and we came home. Allie and Jaelyn also had a slapping contest on the way home. I've got to seperate their seats.

We got home and Jaelyn and Allie started throwing toys while playing. We don't throw toys because little Caden always gets hit. Sure enough, he got hit twice in the head. Bye-bye swimming pool. After that, I rethought the pool because I really wanted to go so I offered them the chance to earn it back which they did by playing outside together very nicely before lunch. I had one more incident with Jaelyn and she did earn 10 minutes in a chair at the pool watching everyone else swim. After that, things improved. We had a great time at the pool. We spent about 3 hours and went back and forth between the big pool and the baby pool. We did have to share it with 3 other families. Last time we were there, we had the whole pool to our selves. It was "the bees knees" to quote our newest favorite book series: Judy Moody. We ate dinner and played more outside making bug buckets (sand and flowers) for a snail. Everyone is in bed now, but Jaelyn won't give it a rest and keeps yelling at me. She's beyond exhausted. Why won't she just close her eyes??? Because she'd fall asleep. Silly question.

So that's our day without Danny coming home. We miss seeing him in the evenings. He'll be gone most of September (to Texas and Korea). Makes me a little sad. Anyone want to come visit?

1 More Step

We met with our SW for the first time this afternoon. It was a really easy going meeting. We just chatted about lots of things (many non-fostering related). Our next meeting with her is on the 20th and then we are DONE. She said to expect to be licensed 3 weeks after that! AAAHHHH. That's soon. Dan'll be gone the first 2-3 weeks of Sept and when he gets home, we'll be ready for a phone call. We found out there's only 1 other SAHM (stay at home mom for those not into acronyms) with a bed right now. Newborns can't go to daycare until 6 weeks, so she said we'll be one of the first ones to get a call on a newborn. I don't really feel one way or the other about that (sleepless nights are not my favorite), but it would be fun to have such a little one again. I wished away too much of Caden's tiny time and didn't know the girls when they were that age.

Enjoying the Sunshine

I think this is a sweet picture. Zack has settled right into our household. He even has his favorite sleeping spots already.
I bought this Hibiscus in October. The lady at the farmer's market promised me it was hardy enough to make it through the winter and she was right. It's a dinner plate hibiscus and is about 8" across. This was our first bloom on it.

My Work-outs This Week

My goal, for several weeks now, has been to get back into a routine at the gym. This is the week I'm going to meet that goal. I started out the week right with cardio and weight training yesterday. The kids, Caden especially, did great in the child care. We went back this morning and I did cardio and just enough weight training and stretching to stop the soreness from yesterday.

As if that weren't enough, we came home and took the training wheels off Jaelyn's bike. I spent 30 minutes in the morning and afternoon pushing/balancing/running behind Jaelyn's bike helping her to learn how to ride it in the blazing, hot sun. She did really well and even made it 15 feet or so without me. I think we'll just need a few more sessions of me running behind her and she'll be zipping up and down the sidewalk. Allie had a go at it once and even though she's gung ho enough to try, I don't think she's anywhere near ready balance wise.

Here's Jaelyn after her first ride. I love her rosy red cheeks.

What is a Ringmaster?

I've called myself a ringmaster for a long time as a joke. I looked up ringmaster on Wikipedia tonight. I think I actually meet most of the job qualifications.

The ringmaster or ringleader is often the most important and most-visible performer in the modern circus.

Not to toot my own horn, but I definitely think I am the most important performer with the kids in this household. Danny is an awesome stand-in a pinch though.

In the days before modern lighting equipment, it was the ringleader's job to literally "direct" the attention of the audience to the appropriate sections of the performance area, even as the previous act was being torn down or the next act was being set up in another area.

I might not actually direct an audience, but I do direct the clowns to stay in the "performance area" and to stay out of the areas being torn down and set up.

Most performances were mute by nature, accompanied by resounding brass music. Therefore, the ringleader's big, booming voice was important as it cut through the clutter and excitement to announce the act.

Sometimes, a booming voice, is the only thing that'll cut through the clutter and excitement around here.

The ringleader is responsible for maintaining the smooth flow of the show — or at least the appearance of it. He may be called upon to fill time if an act isn't ready for their entrance in time.

I love this one - responsible for the "appearance" of a smooth flow. I'm like a duck most days. Smooth and serene on the surface and paddling like crazy underneath.

A ringleader is traditionally attired in a bright, gaudy topcoat and tails — often red with gold trim — with a tall top hat.

I need to work on this one :).

Help Me Pick a Crib

It's time to start getting ready for a baby or toddler to arrive. The biggest item we need to purchase is a crib. I have 2 cribs I like. Help me decide. They are about the same price so that's not a deciding issue.

Crib #1 from Ikea:

• Pro: I LOVE the color. It would be perfect in Caden's room
• Pro: It's 13" lower than a traditional crib so it'll seem like it doesn't take up as much space in the room
• Con: It's lower than a traditional crib so there's not a lot storage underneath. Ikea does sell boxes that will slide under it.
• Con: The side doesn't drop down.
• Con: A screwdriver is required for assembly, to adjust the height (only 2 settings) and to convert to a toddler bed
• Con: No wheels so I can't roll it out to get a paci, but I have kids to crawl under for me
• Pro: Did I mention IT'S CUTE!!!! And the blue matches perfectly with the other accents in Caden's room.
  
  Crib #2 from Walmart

• Pro: It has wheels
• Pro: It's super easy to assemble, adjust and convert to a toddler bed w/o tools.
• Pro: There's storage underneath
• Con: It's a traditional crib so it'll seem bigger than the other one
• Con: It's boring white (it comes in oak, but I don't want oak. I either want a color or dark wood to go with everything else in the room)
• Pro: 4 height adjustments

So, which one? The white one is obviously the more practical one, but I just love the blue one. Can I work around the cons? I'm really handy with a screwdriver!

Which would you pick?

Under the Breath Mumblings

I've been meaning to blog this story for a while, but keep forgetting - maybe because it's not even my story. When we were home in Florida, the kids slept on air mattresses in my parents room. One night, we all went to bed at the same time. The girls would not give it up and after yelling at them from my room a few times, I finally got up and took away their new lovies. After I got back into bed, my mom heard Allie grumbling under her breath. She said, "Great! Now all I've got to sleep with is this stupid elephant." And then Jaelyn piped in "and all I've got to sleep with is this stupid cat." Hilarious that at 5 and 6 they've already mastered sarcastic mumbling under their breath.

Blog Redesign

I was getting tired of my boring blog, so I decided to update it. Special thanks to my friend, Annie, who directed me to a wonderful website with step by step instructions. I love the new changes. What do you think? Let me know!