Three Peas in a Pod...
Friday, June 30, 2006
Portraits from May...
Every year I try to get each of the kids photographed just after their birthdays. Rayna's fourth birthday was February 25th...and I didn't get around to taking her for photos until MAY...and, even then, it wasn't a PLANNED portrait. We were just out on a "Mother/Daughter Day" and happened to notice there wasn't any line at the Wal-Mart portrait studio, so we said, "Why not?!" Silly me...I bought the floppy of the portraits, but, after I got home, I discovered my current computer doesn't HAVE a FLOPPY DRIVE!
I just purchased a "plug in" floppy drive last night...and, this morning, for the first time I was able to view the floppy of Rayna's May portraits...anyway, here they are for you to see, too...
Since I didn't want to be tempted to buy any of the extra poses (just the initial pose that is in the value package), I didn't have the photographer change the backgrounds or try for different looks, really, with Rayna...and I just said, "Yes. Keep it!" for every shot she took--not retaking any of them. But, even though I tried for 'rotten pictures' for all but the first one, I still got tempted in the end and broke down and bought the floppy so that I would have a copy of each of the poses. (Then I came home to discover I didn't even HAVE a floppy drive to access them with! DUHHHH!)
¶ 6/30/2006 07:19:00 AM 0 comments
Every year I try to get each of the kids photographed just after their birthdays. Rayna's fourth birthday was February 25th...and I didn't get around to taking her for photos until MAY...and, even then, it wasn't a PLANNED portrait. We were just out on a "Mother/Daughter Day" and happened to notice there wasn't any line at the Wal-Mart portrait studio, so we said, "Why not?!" Silly me...I bought the floppy of the portraits, but, after I got home, I discovered my current computer doesn't HAVE a FLOPPY DRIVE! I just purchased a "plug in" floppy drive last night...and, this morning, for the first time I was able to view the floppy of Rayna's May portraits...anyway, here they are for you to see, too...
Since I didn't want to be tempted to buy any of the extra poses (just the initial pose that is in the value package), I didn't have the photographer change the backgrounds or try for different looks, really, with Rayna...and I just said, "Yes. Keep it!" for every shot she took--not retaking any of them. But, even though I tried for 'rotten pictures' for all but the first one, I still got tempted in the end and broke down and bought the floppy so that I would have a copy of each of the poses. (Then I came home to discover I didn't even HAVE a floppy drive to access them with! DUHHHH!)
¶ 6/30/2006 07:19:00 AM 0 comments
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Alfalfa Doug now has a U.S. Passport!
This morning as we were getting ready to head out to the library, I asked Darcy to comb and part and comb her brother's hair for me. She did. And when her brother stepped out of the bathroom, he put me in mind of ALFALFA! Is it just me, or does a center part really give him an ALFALFA quality? (you know...the lead character in "Our Gang")
Good news on the passport front....yesterday we received Doug's U.S. passport in the mail! Yeah!!! Now we won't have to leave him in Canada at the border on our way home from our vacation! He's been a U.S. citizen for almost two years now...but yesterday was the first day we could PROVE his citizenship. I am relieved that that is taken care of. ¶ 6/29/2006 02:27:00 PM 0 comments
This morning as we were getting ready to head out to the library, I asked Darcy to comb and part and comb her brother's hair for me. She did. And when her brother stepped out of the bathroom, he put me in mind of ALFALFA! Is it just me, or does a center part really give him an ALFALFA quality? (you know...the lead character in "Our Gang")Good news on the passport front....yesterday we received Doug's U.S. passport in the mail! Yeah!!! Now we won't have to leave him in Canada at the border on our way home from our vacation! He's been a U.S. citizen for almost two years now...but yesterday was the first day we could PROVE his citizenship. I am relieved that that is taken care of. ¶ 6/29/2006 02:27:00 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Back in Uniform---Duty Calls Yet Again
Well, this morning Doug was back in the same outfit he had been wearing when his sister tried to amputate his finger...so, I thought I would snap a photo of him and put in on the blog so you could get the full effect of his appearance in the Emergency Room a few nights ago! This is how he looked (minus the smile and with the addition of an impressive amount of blood on his hand). He charmed the whole ER staff...they were delighted to get to treat Superman! When the doctor told him he was going to send Superman (as Doug insisted they call him) to X-ray, Doug's face brightened and he announced to me that he would then be a "Superman/X-Man!" (He has been BEGGING for us to let him watch X-men...which we won't...but, never having SEEN X-Men doesn't stop him from KNOWING they must be really, really cool!)
Doug was also very impressed with the various scrubs worn by all the nurses. For some reason, the doctor's white lab coat didn't impress him nearly as much as the variety of scrubs. By the end of the visit he was telling everyone that he was going to be a nurse, too! ¶ 6/28/2006 09:29:00 AM 0 comments
Well, this morning Doug was back in the same outfit he had been wearing when his sister tried to amputate his finger...so, I thought I would snap a photo of him and put in on the blog so you could get the full effect of his appearance in the Emergency Room a few nights ago! This is how he looked (minus the smile and with the addition of an impressive amount of blood on his hand). He charmed the whole ER staff...they were delighted to get to treat Superman! When the doctor told him he was going to send Superman (as Doug insisted they call him) to X-ray, Doug's face brightened and he announced to me that he would then be a "Superman/X-Man!" (He has been BEGGING for us to let him watch X-men...which we won't...but, never having SEEN X-Men doesn't stop him from KNOWING they must be really, really cool!)
Doug was also very impressed with the various scrubs worn by all the nurses. For some reason, the doctor's white lab coat didn't impress him nearly as much as the variety of scrubs. By the end of the visit he was telling everyone that he was going to be a nurse, too! ¶ 6/28/2006 09:29:00 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Injured Doug
Last night we spent three hours in the emergency room. But, let me start at the beginning!...
As most of you know, my littlest one is quite the drama queen. Her special talent is caterwauling. As I was browning the spaghetti meat last night, the two younger ones were driving me nuts wanting to come graze through the cabinets and refrigerator. So, I banished them from the kitchen....assigning them to clean their rooms instead of worrying about their stomachs. Well, Doug's room was already clean. I solved THAT problem by telling him to help his little sister clean HER room, then! So, off they went. Two minutes later, Rayna could be heard howling loudly. I ignored it for a while and finally went up to investigate. She was hopping mad at her brother because he wouldn't get out of her room (after all I had TOLD him to be in there cleaning!)...but, SHE wanted to change into more suitable attire for cleaning, first (out of her jeans and into her princess ball gown), but her brother wasn't willing to risk his mother's displeasure by LEAVING the room he had been assigned to help clean. I was so busy trying to sort all this out (through Rayna's sobs and hysteria) that I didn't even NOTICE that Doug's right hand was profusely dripping blood. In fact, I had sent him to HIS room as I dealt with the dramatic one, totally in ignorance that he was INJURED. Only as I started back down towards the kitchen, did Doug quietly mention, "Hurt. I hurt, Mom," as he apologetically held out his bloodied hand. Talk about GUILT. Turns out, little hot-headed sister had slammed the door in her attempt to drive her older brother from her room--catching his little finger in the hinge. The crush injury had been so severe that the BASE of his fingernail had been forced up and out through the skin. His fingernail was only attached by a slim margin near the END of his finger, but completely torn loose at the base. What was so hideous is the fact that the unbroken nail had torn upward through the skin that normally grows over it and was sticking out as the blood poured forth from beneath it. I have a strong stomach, but, it was turning my stomach as I cleansed it and covered it with 4x4s before we took him in to the ER.
The whole time I was cleansing his finger, he was so stoic. Never showed any sign of pain--though his finger must have been throbbing hideously. (It was really swollen, to boot.) I called Rayna in to show her WHAT she had done to her brother (up to that point, I don't think she even realized he had been hurt). That was probably not the WISEST thing to do...I realized as the horror covered her little face and she ran sobbing and crying from the room. That was it. Doug could take PHYSICAL pain, but he couldn't BEAR to hear his little sister sobbing broken-heartedly over his injury. The tears began to slip down his face as he tried to run after his little sister. I held him back, determined to get the bleeding to subside. Doug was frantic with worry over his sister sobbing in the next room. He kept telling me, "Hug Rayna! Hug Rayna!" I finally had to let him go to her, because he was just getting so upset that she was broken-hearted. He hugged her and patted her gently and told her over and over, "Okay. Okay. Just no more!" Bless his heart, he was telling her it was okay that she had slammed his finger in the door...just please don't do it again, any more. Once Rayna dried her tears, Doug was just fine, too. His heart is so tender to his sisters.
Later, in the Emergency Room, they had to administer an anesthetic block to him (numerous sticks with a needle while a large amount of lidocaine was injected into his finger). Lidocaine burns like a wasp sting (in my opinion) going in. The doctor put so much in that, soon, the base of his little finger was as swollen as the end that had been crushed in the door. Doug winced, but no tears and no sound from him. Fifteen minutes later, the doctor gave the exact same sort of block to the thirteen year old boy on the other side of the curtain who needed some sutures in his finger. He yelped at the beginning of the injection and gasped and sobbed a bit through the remainder. Again I was struck by how stoic Doug is when it comes to physical pain. Both boys had a good time comparing fingers and high fiving each other after the doctor had stitched the one's finger and clipped extraneous tissue and forced the fingernail back down through the rest of the tissue of the other's finger.
As I sit here typing, I can't help but think how ironic it was that RAYNA was doing all the caterwauling (in anger)...totally oblivious that Doug was HURT...and then, once she DID realize he was hurt, it was her that sobbed and wailed...while HE tried to console her! Poor guys...they get the short end of the stick coming and going!
(To keep the record straight, I guess I should add here that this is the first actual INJURY Rayna has ever inflicted upon her brother (this almost complete avulsion of his fingernail)...but, in lovingly rough-housing with his sister, Doug has displaced the ligament in her arm three times (an injury commonly called nurse-maid's elbow). They love each other dearly and get along beautifully, but they sure are hard on each other. (Well, Rayna WAS mad at Doug this time when an injury occurred, but they are almost NEVER put out with each other, ever...usually they just get so wound up in their playing that someone comes away injured.)) ¶ 6/27/2006 05:41:00 PM 0 comments
As most of you know, my littlest one is quite the drama queen. Her special talent is caterwauling. As I was browning the spaghetti meat last night, the two younger ones were driving me nuts wanting to come graze through the cabinets and refrigerator. So, I banished them from the kitchen....assigning them to clean their rooms instead of worrying about their stomachs. Well, Doug's room was already clean. I solved THAT problem by telling him to help his little sister clean HER room, then! So, off they went. Two minutes later, Rayna could be heard howling loudly. I ignored it for a while and finally went up to investigate. She was hopping mad at her brother because he wouldn't get out of her room (after all I had TOLD him to be in there cleaning!)...but, SHE wanted to change into more suitable attire for cleaning, first (out of her jeans and into her princess ball gown), but her brother wasn't willing to risk his mother's displeasure by LEAVING the room he had been assigned to help clean. I was so busy trying to sort all this out (through Rayna's sobs and hysteria) that I didn't even NOTICE that Doug's right hand was profusely dripping blood. In fact, I had sent him to HIS room as I dealt with the dramatic one, totally in ignorance that he was INJURED. Only as I started back down towards the kitchen, did Doug quietly mention, "Hurt. I hurt, Mom," as he apologetically held out his bloodied hand. Talk about GUILT. Turns out, little hot-headed sister had slammed the door in her attempt to drive her older brother from her room--catching his little finger in the hinge. The crush injury had been so severe that the BASE of his fingernail had been forced up and out through the skin. His fingernail was only attached by a slim margin near the END of his finger, but completely torn loose at the base. What was so hideous is the fact that the unbroken nail had torn upward through the skin that normally grows over it and was sticking out as the blood poured forth from beneath it. I have a strong stomach, but, it was turning my stomach as I cleansed it and covered it with 4x4s before we took him in to the ER.
The whole time I was cleansing his finger, he was so stoic. Never showed any sign of pain--though his finger must have been throbbing hideously. (It was really swollen, to boot.) I called Rayna in to show her WHAT she had done to her brother (up to that point, I don't think she even realized he had been hurt). That was probably not the WISEST thing to do...I realized as the horror covered her little face and she ran sobbing and crying from the room. That was it. Doug could take PHYSICAL pain, but he couldn't BEAR to hear his little sister sobbing broken-heartedly over his injury. The tears began to slip down his face as he tried to run after his little sister. I held him back, determined to get the bleeding to subside. Doug was frantic with worry over his sister sobbing in the next room. He kept telling me, "Hug Rayna! Hug Rayna!" I finally had to let him go to her, because he was just getting so upset that she was broken-hearted. He hugged her and patted her gently and told her over and over, "Okay. Okay. Just no more!" Bless his heart, he was telling her it was okay that she had slammed his finger in the door...just please don't do it again, any more. Once Rayna dried her tears, Doug was just fine, too. His heart is so tender to his sisters.
Later, in the Emergency Room, they had to administer an anesthetic block to him (numerous sticks with a needle while a large amount of lidocaine was injected into his finger). Lidocaine burns like a wasp sting (in my opinion) going in. The doctor put so much in that, soon, the base of his little finger was as swollen as the end that had been crushed in the door. Doug winced, but no tears and no sound from him. Fifteen minutes later, the doctor gave the exact same sort of block to the thirteen year old boy on the other side of the curtain who needed some sutures in his finger. He yelped at the beginning of the injection and gasped and sobbed a bit through the remainder. Again I was struck by how stoic Doug is when it comes to physical pain. Both boys had a good time comparing fingers and high fiving each other after the doctor had stitched the one's finger and clipped extraneous tissue and forced the fingernail back down through the rest of the tissue of the other's finger.
As I sit here typing, I can't help but think how ironic it was that RAYNA was doing all the caterwauling (in anger)...totally oblivious that Doug was HURT...and then, once she DID realize he was hurt, it was her that sobbed and wailed...while HE tried to console her! Poor guys...they get the short end of the stick coming and going!
(To keep the record straight, I guess I should add here that this is the first actual INJURY Rayna has ever inflicted upon her brother (this almost complete avulsion of his fingernail)...but, in lovingly rough-housing with his sister, Doug has displaced the ligament in her arm three times (an injury commonly called nurse-maid's elbow). They love each other dearly and get along beautifully, but they sure are hard on each other. (Well, Rayna WAS mad at Doug this time when an injury occurred, but they are almost NEVER put out with each other, ever...usually they just get so wound up in their playing that someone comes away injured.)) ¶ 6/27/2006 05:41:00 PM 0 comments
Monday, June 26, 2006
Someone mentioned the other day that they would like to read the story of our journey to bring Darcy home. Today I have created a 'sister blog' to this one. On that blog I will chronicle the journey of bringing home each of our three children. I posted Darcy's journey home, today. (click on this paragraph to see the new blog...or click on the "Trails" link in the right hand side-bar) ¶ 6/26/2006 12:39:00 PM 1 comments
Friday, June 23, 2006
Rayna, delicate flower...
Darcy took these two photos last night as the kids played out in the yard with cousins Adam and Glenn. Rayna was certain that Glenn NEEDED her help to capture Adam! ¶ 6/23/2006 11:18:00 AM 0 comments
Darcy took these two photos last night as the kids played out in the yard with cousins Adam and Glenn. Rayna was certain that Glenn NEEDED her help to capture Adam! ¶ 6/23/2006 11:18:00 AM 0 comments
Courageous horse....NOT!!!!
Okay...we ALL know that Lightening is a fraidy-cat of a horse...but, today's example takes the cake!...
I am accustomed to Lightening veering far out of reach of fearsome, horse-eating trashcans and refusing to step over treacherous lawn hoses...but, this morning as we were riding, he suddenly jumped sideways in terror over....A BUTTERFLY! And 'lest I misunderstand and assume that this butterfly had simply caught him off guard, he drove home the point by frantically avoiding each and every butterfly that fluttered past this morning! Silly horse! ¶ 6/23/2006 10:31:00 AM 0 comments
I am accustomed to Lightening veering far out of reach of fearsome, horse-eating trashcans and refusing to step over treacherous lawn hoses...but, this morning as we were riding, he suddenly jumped sideways in terror over....A BUTTERFLY! And 'lest I misunderstand and assume that this butterfly had simply caught him off guard, he drove home the point by frantically avoiding each and every butterfly that fluttered past this morning! Silly horse! ¶ 6/23/2006 10:31:00 AM 0 comments
She doesn't know she is 1/5 his size!
Meanwhile, the littlest member of our household assumes that she is up to any challenge. In fact, she was overheard issuing a battle challenge to her cousin, Adam, this morning...fully confident that she would surely prevail! ¶ 6/23/2006 10:23:00 AM 0 comments
Meanwhile, the littlest member of our household assumes that she is up to any challenge. In fact, she was overheard issuing a battle challenge to her cousin, Adam, this morning...fully confident that she would surely prevail! ¶ 6/23/2006 10:23:00 AM 0 comments
Thursday, June 22, 2006
In Earnest Conversation
Rayna and Rivendell had important matters to discuss with Aunt Jan last night. ¶ 6/22/2006 01:02:00 PM 0 comments
Rayna and Rivendell had important matters to discuss with Aunt Jan last night. ¶ 6/22/2006 01:02:00 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Weekend in Hannibal, MO
Grant and the kids traveled to Hannibal, Missouri this last weekend. Grant's bluegrass band was playing at the Mark Twain Theater there. (I couldn't go with them since I had to be at work both Saturday and Sunday.) These are a few of the photos that Darcy and Grant took...
Bless their hearts, instead of going straight home, they stopped off at the hospital where I work and waited in the lobby for two hours until I got off duty. Then we all had pizza together in town before heading home. Darcy wanted to take a picture of the family after we had eaten, so she took the photo of the four of us. Then I took the photo of her and Grant...and Grant took the photo of Darcy and I. I can't believe how TALL Darcy has gotten this past year! She still wears size 7 (she is very petite), but, even though she is short for her age, she still seems so tall for her, these days!
¶ 6/21/2006 10:01:00 AM 1 comments
Grant and the kids traveled to Hannibal, Missouri this last weekend. Grant's bluegrass band was playing at the Mark Twain Theater there. (I couldn't go with them since I had to be at work both Saturday and Sunday.) These are a few of the photos that Darcy and Grant took...
Bless their hearts, instead of going straight home, they stopped off at the hospital where I work and waited in the lobby for two hours until I got off duty. Then we all had pizza together in town before heading home. Darcy wanted to take a picture of the family after we had eaten, so she took the photo of the four of us. Then I took the photo of her and Grant...and Grant took the photo of Darcy and I. I can't believe how TALL Darcy has gotten this past year! She still wears size 7 (she is very petite), but, even though she is short for her age, she still seems so tall for her, these days!
¶ 6/21/2006 10:01:00 AM 1 comments
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Countdowns:
It's been really windy all day, today. The east and south walls of our home are almost nothing but windows and there is a steep drop-off to our backyard, so, our living room and dining room windows allow us a fairly high vantage point. I love sitting here at the dining room table looking out over the trees as they sway with the wind. It is so beautiful!
Today, the girls and I were discussing what "count-downs" we have going on.... it is just two weeks until Darcy's birthday (the Fourth of July!), then six days hence to Doug's birthday, then exactly one week until we leave for our vacation in Canada!!! We have never done BIG things on the childrens' birthdays (well not since Darcy's fifth birthday, anyway!)...but, we always have family over for a potluck and cake and ice cream (and fire-works on Darcy's birthday since it falls on Independence Day). Planning the same this year. In addition to family, Darcy is having her good friends' family from Lebanon, MO up for her birthday. She and Faith will have an over nighter together. We became friends with Faith's family shortly after Doug came home from Taiwan... Faith's family was in process to adopt Doug's best friend from the Children's Home in Taiwan. Faith and Darcy (same age) became quick friends long before Faith's little brother, Aaron, was able to come home. Of course, Doug was delighted to see his old friend from Taiwan again! So it will be a double treat when they come up for Darcy's birthday...both of the older kids will get to have a good friend spending the night!
Then, on Doug's birthday, his best friend from school, Luke, and Luke's family will be coming over to our home for supper. Luke has an older sister that Darcy has a lot of fun with...so, again, it will be a treat for them both. Rayna, just loves company no matter 'whose' company it is. She never winds up being a third wheel...she gets right in the middle of everything and her presence is enjoyed by all!
Then it is off to the Canadian wilderness!!! ¶ 6/20/2006 11:42:00 AM 0 comments
Today, the girls and I were discussing what "count-downs" we have going on.... it is just two weeks until Darcy's birthday (the Fourth of July!), then six days hence to Doug's birthday, then exactly one week until we leave for our vacation in Canada!!! We have never done BIG things on the childrens' birthdays (well not since Darcy's fifth birthday, anyway!)...but, we always have family over for a potluck and cake and ice cream (and fire-works on Darcy's birthday since it falls on Independence Day). Planning the same this year. In addition to family, Darcy is having her good friends' family from Lebanon, MO up for her birthday. She and Faith will have an over nighter together. We became friends with Faith's family shortly after Doug came home from Taiwan... Faith's family was in process to adopt Doug's best friend from the Children's Home in Taiwan. Faith and Darcy (same age) became quick friends long before Faith's little brother, Aaron, was able to come home. Of course, Doug was delighted to see his old friend from Taiwan again! So it will be a double treat when they come up for Darcy's birthday...both of the older kids will get to have a good friend spending the night!
Then, on Doug's birthday, his best friend from school, Luke, and Luke's family will be coming over to our home for supper. Luke has an older sister that Darcy has a lot of fun with...so, again, it will be a treat for them both. Rayna, just loves company no matter 'whose' company it is. She never winds up being a third wheel...she gets right in the middle of everything and her presence is enjoyed by all!
Then it is off to the Canadian wilderness!!! ¶ 6/20/2006 11:42:00 AM 0 comments
Monday, June 19, 2006
Lazy Summer Days
This afternoon, Rayna came blasting into the house yelling with excitement to her older sister, "Darcy! Darcy! Come see what I got!!!" I reached the front door before Darcy and I decided I'd better find out pretty quick what it WAS that she had now! She exclaimed, "a FROG!!! I caught a FROG!!!" Clearly, it was a TOAD, but that didn't lessen her joy a bit!
Later this afternoon, Rayna fell asleep in the tent that is still up in the middle of our living room floor. We removed the rain fly a few days ago so that the ceiling fan could stir the air inside the tent, too.
Sadly, the tent has to come down tonight...since Grant has band practice here tomorrow night.
When Doug got home from school today, he plopped on the sofa and went into brain coma playing the Game-Boy. He may still be there!
Grant and the kids had fun in Hannibal, MO this past weekend...down there for a band gig. I'll try to get Darcy to post some of her photos from the weekend. (I had to stay behind since I was scheduled to work.) (The weekend before this last weekend, they traveled to Iowa for a band job. Grant is getting really good at soloing with the kids on weekend trips. But, he doesn't like having to go without me...nor do I like missing so many trips...which is part of the reason I began job hunting in earnest last Wednesday. It is sure different these days...you can just e-mail your resume...so much easier than it was in the 'old days' when you went everywhere in person and filled out endlessly redundant forms by hand!) ¶ 6/19/2006 08:16:00 PM 0 comments
This afternoon, Rayna came blasting into the house yelling with excitement to her older sister, "Darcy! Darcy! Come see what I got!!!" I reached the front door before Darcy and I decided I'd better find out pretty quick what it WAS that she had now! She exclaimed, "a FROG!!! I caught a FROG!!!" Clearly, it was a TOAD, but that didn't lessen her joy a bit!
Later this afternoon, Rayna fell asleep in the tent that is still up in the middle of our living room floor. We removed the rain fly a few days ago so that the ceiling fan could stir the air inside the tent, too.Sadly, the tent has to come down tonight...since Grant has band practice here tomorrow night.
When Doug got home from school today, he plopped on the sofa and went into brain coma playing the Game-Boy. He may still be there!Grant and the kids had fun in Hannibal, MO this past weekend...down there for a band gig. I'll try to get Darcy to post some of her photos from the weekend. (I had to stay behind since I was scheduled to work.) (The weekend before this last weekend, they traveled to Iowa for a band job. Grant is getting really good at soloing with the kids on weekend trips. But, he doesn't like having to go without me...nor do I like missing so many trips...which is part of the reason I began job hunting in earnest last Wednesday. It is sure different these days...you can just e-mail your resume...so much easier than it was in the 'old days' when you went everywhere in person and filled out endlessly redundant forms by hand!) ¶ 6/19/2006 08:16:00 PM 0 comments
Saturday, June 17, 2006
A Look Back at Thursday...
The night before we went to court to get our third adoption recognized, my seven year old son informed me that he did't WANT me as his mom forever. That caught me completely by surprise. I might had been devastated had I not done some follow-up questioning. Turns out he wants Dale Earnhardt to be his mom...or, if he can't have Dale, he would like Batman to be his mom.
Our court appointment was delayed by over an hour...so we and the kids spent well over an hour and a half waiting in the waiting room outside the court room...but, once we got inside the proceedings went lickety-split. Thankfully no one asked Doug any questions at all...so his desire to have another for his mother (deceased Race Car driver or cartoon super-hero) did not cast a shadow over the procedings! (Actually, Doug was quite somber the whole morning. My wiggly, noisy, extremely hyperactive son was very subdued... and quiet. Shortly after we settled down to wait for our turn in court, Doug slipped out of his seat and came and leaned up against me. After a bit, he managed to sneak up into my lap. And there he sat, so STILL and LONG...just nestled against me. Whatever his WORDS might have said the preceding night, his HEART was saying something very differently. This child NEVER cuddles with me...he just can't sit still long enough... As we waited for court to begin, though, he was didn't even so much as shift his weight in my lap ('lest I set him back down in his own chair)...not the actions of a young man set upon holding out for Batman to be his mother!
We were granted the recognition...and should receive the final paperwork within a week. Then we can overnight Fed-Ex that to the passport office and we should be in business, having a passport for Doug at least several days before we head off to Canada!
¶ 6/17/2006 08:21:00 PM 0 comments
The night before we went to court to get our third adoption recognized, my seven year old son informed me that he did't WANT me as his mom forever. That caught me completely by surprise. I might had been devastated had I not done some follow-up questioning. Turns out he wants Dale Earnhardt to be his mom...or, if he can't have Dale, he would like Batman to be his mom.
Our court appointment was delayed by over an hour...so we and the kids spent well over an hour and a half waiting in the waiting room outside the court room...but, once we got inside the proceedings went lickety-split. Thankfully no one asked Doug any questions at all...so his desire to have another for his mother (deceased Race Car driver or cartoon super-hero) did not cast a shadow over the procedings! (Actually, Doug was quite somber the whole morning. My wiggly, noisy, extremely hyperactive son was very subdued... and quiet. Shortly after we settled down to wait for our turn in court, Doug slipped out of his seat and came and leaned up against me. After a bit, he managed to sneak up into my lap. And there he sat, so STILL and LONG...just nestled against me. Whatever his WORDS might have said the preceding night, his HEART was saying something very differently. This child NEVER cuddles with me...he just can't sit still long enough... As we waited for court to begin, though, he was didn't even so much as shift his weight in my lap ('lest I set him back down in his own chair)...not the actions of a young man set upon holding out for Batman to be his mother!
We were granted the recognition...and should receive the final paperwork within a week. Then we can overnight Fed-Ex that to the passport office and we should be in business, having a passport for Doug at least several days before we head off to Canada!
¶ 6/17/2006 08:21:00 PM 0 comments
Friday, June 16, 2006
Begin each morning with a well-balanced breakfast:
preferably in an icy pool of water
Taking my cue from Mary Mia (in her recent "Livin' the High Life" post), I provided my threesome with an inflatible pool! Actually, I got a great deal at Target yesterday...they were half off...so, I bought two! Side-by-side, they completely fill our small deck. (The only place I could think of where they dogs couldn't get into the pools--at least not once I put a baby gate up blocking the stairs up to the deck!) We inflated them last night. The kids couldn't WAIT to fill them with water this morning and jump in. So, Doug took the day off from school (summer school...he is my only "public school student") today and by 7:45 this morning, all three of them were out in the pools filling them with water! Mind you, it wasn't HOT at 7:45 this morning, but that didn't matter to them!
Not only am I a fun-loving, creative mom, but I am also a paragon of nutrition...so, unable to drag them out of the pool, I brought breakfast to them....chocolate milk and popcorn. (That is a very sensibly balanced meal...dairy product and a vegetable.)
(In case you were wondering, I had an even more nutritious breakfast than the kids! I had sour cream and onion potato chips (that's TWO vegetables) with milk chocolate covered pecan turtles (MILK chocolate being a dairy...and pecans are almost pure PROTEIN).
We're just having Chinese veggie lo mein for lunch, though. Not every meal can be ultra nutritious! ¶ 6/16/2006 08:00:00 AM 1 comments
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
I just now added in Timberline Tours images into my post from yesterday entitled "Because you asked"...so, if you would like to see some of the areas we will be riding through in a few more weeks, scroll back down to yesterday's post about our vacation plans!
¶ 6/14/2006 11:34:00 PM 0 comments
Doug, Rayna, and Darcy spending the evening in the tent eating popcorn and watching old "Rockford Files" episodes on my laptop. ¶ 6/14/2006 04:49:00 PM 0 comments
One BIG Marrionette!
Grant e-mailed me these photos of a giant marionette in the London performance of "The Sultan's Elephant". He says he thinks they walked this thing through London streets to a nearby park.
Pretty cool looking!
¶ 6/14/2006 09:23:00 AM 1 comments
Pretty cool looking!
¶ 6/14/2006 09:23:00 AM 1 comments
