Season's Blessings

There is just so much to say, but I will start with what's on my mind right now. At the beginning of the week, Charlie got sick with a stomach virus. Boy was I worried that the rest of us would get it. I sprayed with Lysol (not the same room he was in.... I waited until he went to bed to spray the living room) and used Chlorox wipes on just about everything I could possibly use them on, including the TV remote and the phone, and I have continually prayed that none of the rest of us would get it. By Tuesday evening, I was feeling quesy and just knew that I was coming down with it. I kept praying and spraying and also decided to eat more yogurt just in case those active yeast cultures would help. Charlie had had some coughing prior to this week but it was manageable but by Wednesday night, he had a significant asthma flare. I think the forceful vomiting from Monday combined with sinus drainage just put him over the edge. So, I didn't feel great but found the strength to remain vigilant with Charlie giving him frequent nebulizer treatments. I also started him on steroids. He wasn't coughing too badly Thursday morning so I sent him on to school (they will give him treatments there) and I went to work. I still felt quesy off and on and this whole time, while I didn't feel like eating, I was able to. I also have kept on praying and spraying and eating yogurt. So, now it's Friday and I woke up hungry! Amazing (but dangerous because I love to eat!). I am very thankful that my prayers have been answered!

Charlie is still coughing but better and is in school today. He has a true performer's spirit. Yesterday when I arrived at daycare to pick him up, he was sound asleep on the couch (he had just fallen asleep). When I woke him up, he said, "Mom, I'm so tired." I told him that we could stay home that night (he would have to miss the production) and he said that's what he wanted to do. By the time we had gotten home and he was more awake, he said, "Mom, I want to go." I gave him his nebulizer treatments, he ate dinner, and was ready and excited about leaving. On the way home, he said, "Mom, I want to be in another show" and he explained that he likes the stage (without using those words but I knew what he meant). My grandfather would have been so thrilled -- he was a minstrel show performer and Charlie is named after him.

So, back to blessings....
The other kids have remained healthy except for some minor cold symptoms. Kyle has been complaining that his "mouth" hurts but I think it is really his throat. I gave him some benadryl last night (thinking maybe his throat hurt from allergy) and he woke up feeling great this morning. I asked him if anything hurt (didn't want to suggest to him that his throat hurts) and he said, "no." He was playful and happy and looking forward to show and tell at daycare. I'm thankful for good health!

These 4 kids of mine...while they challenge me in ways I never thought they would, they are a rainbow of blessings. Their sweetness and goodness amazes me sometimes. I just wish they would consistently show their goodness to others, though! :) I'm thankful for adoption!

My marvelous friends, who know that the slightest change in my routine can upset the apple cart, have been willing to help when I need it...and my family, who will pick up a child (or children) or drop one off when we've had schedule conflicts these past 2 weeks. I am thankful for friends and family!

My neighbors who know that I sometimes need things at the last minute and who don't mind if I call. My neighbor brought honey to me on Monday night so that I could see if it would sooth Charlie's throat (before I knew he had a GI virus). Her daughter had been sick and she ended up sick the next day. Another neighbor offered a patient listening ear this morning when I expressed my frustration over the constant challenge of getting Marcie to cooperate in the mornings and the evenings. All have said to call if I need them and, what's really great, is that I know that I can! I am thankful for good neighbors with a community spirit!

My church ... West End Assembly of God has been my church home since 1980. I couldn't attend regularly from 1991-1993 when I lived in Radford, and then again from late 2003 until mid-2006 because Marcie would not (really, NOT) calm down enough to stay in the nursery. Literally, every Sunday, I would get called out of church to go and get her because she cried so hard, unconsolably. Anyway, by the summer of 2006, Charlie was begging to go to church and one day, he said, "Mom, you have to take us to church so that we can learn about Jesus." I explained that we could go back to church when Marcie could stay in her class. She assured me that she could, and back we went in September, 2006...regularly! Marcie wasn't easy to get into the class, but once in and engaged, she was fine! Those first few Sundays back, I just kept looking at all of the faces I had known for years, especially those in the choir, and realized just how much I loved and missed them. I truly felt like I was home. So, when I hear the song, "Home for the Holidays," I do think about my family home but I also picture my church home. I don't think I had truly realized just how much a part of me that church was until I couldn't attend regularly. Even during that time, though, people would help when they knew I had a need. They've helped, and are helping, with various things, including food when I was sick in 2005, yard work on a couple of occasions when Charlie was hospitalized, gifts, listening ears, inspiration... you name it! So, I am thankful for this marvelous creation of God's -- His church! (For those of you who may be worried, during my time away, I was a regular viewer of Grove Ave. Baptist Church's Sunday morning service on TV, so, yes, I am thankful for that church, too. I felt like I got to know them a little bit by watching the service and I would even see a few other friends in their choir and congregation).

Okay, too much thankfulness is making me mushy, and my lunch time is nearly up, so back to work! I will try to get some pictures posted later (I have some picture CDs). Have a great day!

My Little Performers

Charlie and Marcie each have performance opportunities this year. Marcie was in a Christmas parade last night and will be in another one in 2 weeks. She is dancing with other girls from her dance studio. There's a beautiful float, also, that the younger kids ride on. Marcie looked so cute in her red costume and Santa hat and just had a ball. She knows the dance well and did the entire route without complaining of being tired. She is one of the youngest girls performing. When I picked her up she said that they kept messing up because they couldn't hear the music well, so she was certain that their group didn't win. She said there was another dance group similar to theirs and "they probably winned because they could hear their music." I don't know how she knows that but maybe she's right.

After I dropped Marcie off for the parade, I took Charlie to church because he is in the Christmas production there. He is in 2 scenes and is doing so well. When he came out for his 2nd scene, his wig wasn't staying on right and he walked out adjusting it. I really expected him to get frustrated, and either walk off stage or start crying. Well, he did neither. He sang just like he was supposed to giving the wig a little nudge if it started sliding again. He looked absolutely adorable and was so professional. I'm so proud of him! (and Marcie, too!).

Charlie's Wish

Last Saturday, we went to Short Pump and stopped by the Short Pump Town Center which is an outdoor mall. The kids went into the courtyard area and were immediately awed by the very large Christmas tree and a beautiful fountain. I had to warn them that it was not warm enough for them to get in the water but they were really drawn to it. Nobody got wet, but Charlie wanted to throw in a quarter he had. As he did, I said, "make a wish," and he held up his hands and emphatically said, "I wish for a nice baby.....named Hershel." Keeping my composure, I said, "so, is Hershel a girl or a boy?" He replied, "a girl." Good thing Charlie hasn't asked Santa for a baby sister! On the way home, I was daydreaming about what it would be like to have a girl named Hershel. I could just hear myself calling her inside after playing outside: "Her! Her!" I just had to start laughing. Fortunately, the kids were watching a video and didn't know I was laughing because it would have been too hard to explain.

Charlie has also been talking about things he wants for Christmas. A few weeks ago, he asked me if he could put a gold ring and earrings for me on his Christmas list. I told you he was a sweet boy!

Quick Update

I did get an appointment today and left with a prescription for a Z-Pack. After I picked up my prescriptions and got home to rest for a minute before going to pick up the kids, I turned on the news. The local NBC channel has a segment called "What's Going Around" and tonight they talked about the same symptoms I've been having. Apparently, lots of folks have fever, congestion, cough and sore throat and many are being tested for influenza and the tests are coming back negative. So, I'm not alone.... I am looking forward to getting better. For now, I will keep up with the ibuprofen, acetaminophen, Robitussin and antibiotics. Oh, and sleep!

Cold

I will post briefly then must get back to my bed that is calling me. I've had fever since Saturday night and have been attempting to manage it with ibuprofen and acetaminophen (yes, I need both). I've also had a cough and sore throat and headache from time to time. Anyway, yesterday, I had take ibuprofen at 2PM and still felt alright by 6:30PM so I'm thinking that maybe I'm getting better. I started feeling cold again around 8PM and just figured it was because the house was chilly. I turned the heat up, and then when I put the kids to bed, I covered them with their comforters. I was still cold, so I sat down on the couch wrapped in a blanket....still not unusual when the house was chilly. I just forgot that I'm not that cold unless it's below 30 degrees outside, which it wasn't at that time in the evening. I was trying to grade papers while watching "Dancing With the Stars" and just kept shivering. Finally, I got up and put my coat on (yes, crazy, I know). Then, I fell asleep on the couch. After I awoke, I was a little warmer but realized I was feverish, so as I'm heading to get the ibuprofen, Charlie woke up coughing and came into the living room to tell me he needed a treatment. He also asked, "Mom, why did you put that heavy cover on me?" I replied, "because it is cold" and he just said, "no, it's not." Poor thing -- I was cooking him from the outside because I was cooking on the inside! My fever was 103 later on, and then when I got into bed, I could feel the heat just radiating. It was really wierd. THankfully, the medicines finally kicked in. I'm taking a sick day today still waiting for my doctor's office to call me back. I decided to try to go in if I can get an appointment, though, judging by past experience, the chances of that are slim to none. They just don't do well when they get sick calls but they are great with everything else.

By the way, Daniel, I'm so sorry that I didn't write happy birthday to you at the bottom of my last entry. I was intending to do that....so, Happy Birthday! I thought about you all day. I'm looking forward to seeing you soon.

I Can Spell!

Marcie, my little whiz-kid Kindergartener, has learned the joys of spelling. She is so proud that she can spell can, we, like, the, cat; and she is constantly writing in her High School Musical notebook and asking me how to spell many other words. Charlie and Kyle have gotten in on it, too. Kyle says, "look, Mom, n-o, No!" and has also started asking how to spell simple words. A few nights ago, when putting Charlie to bed, he said, "Mom, I know how to spell blue." I took the bait and replied, "how?" He said, "b-l-u-e," after which I praised him and he followed by spelling green, red, and attempting white. After that I told him that he needed to go to sleep and there would be more time for spelling tomorrow. Tuesday afternoon Charlie said, "Mom, I know how to spell YMCA," and then he spelled, "Y-M-C-A" very slowly. He had such a proud look on his face. It was so cute! Then he attempted to spell said, "s-i-d" and didn't even mind when I replied, "oops, there's an A in there -- "s-a-i-d." He just said, "oh, yeah" and wasn't mad (he usually gets mad when he's corrected). So, I'm hoping this phase will last awhile and will help with his reading! Of course, now the kids are driving me a little crazy with the constant spelling but I am not going to discourage them. Pray for me to keep the patient look on my face while I am spelling everything that pops into their little heads. What about Joanna, you ask? Well, so far she is totally disinterested in spelling. She just enjoys writing her name, her teacher's name, and a classmate's name, over and over. When she gets into the mood for spelling, hopefully, the other kids will spell for her and I can take a break!

The Day After

Here it is the day after the election. I have this let down feeling, after all of the build up and anxiety. I had said that I wouldn't miss the political ads, etc., but I had just gotten so used to them. Anyway, I was feeling discouraged for many reasons and wasn't in the greatest mood. I had to take Kyle to his endocrine appointment, and while we were waiting I gave him some paper and crayons to draw pictures. That sweet little boy drew me with a big smile on my face, so either he thinks of me as smiling or he was wishing I were smiling. Anyway, it was just precious.

I had to drive to DC today and stopped in Stafford for a rest break. As I was turning into the 7-11 parking lot, I saw the prettiest rainbow. That really improved my mood as it reminded me of God's promises and that He is still in control, no matter what. Tomorrow is another day, and so we go forward.

A Good Time Was Had By All

I survived trick or treating and a day out with the kids, and actually even had a good time. Last night, we went trick or treating with another child and her mom. We did some houses in our neighborhood and then went to some of this other mom's friends houses and her parents' house in another neighborhood. The kids had a blast, especially riding in the car watching "High School Musical 2." Marcie sang every song -- so cute! I had bought them these fifty cents bags for their candy and by the time we were finished, their bags were slightly less than half full of candy. They also received a sticker/coloring book and some other non-candy treats. They really thought they had hit the jackpot. They did look really cute. Kyle ended up being Bob the Builder instead of spiderman.

Then, today, I decided to take them to see "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" a little on the spur-of-the-moment. Around 10:50AM, I decided we would see the 11:40AM movie thinking I could get home at a reasonable time to get somethings done around the house. NOT! I let the kids get popcorn and drinks and bought a drink for me (I knew they wouldn't finish their popcorn, so I waited and ate what was left) and we sat down as the previews were playing. Not even 15 minutes into the show, Kyle and Charlie had to go to the bathroom. Halfway through the show, Marcie had to go and then when we got back, Charlie fell asleep (trick or treating takes a lot of energy, you know). Charlie slept through the rest of the movie only once waking up to say that the movie was too loud. Kyle was ready to go about three quarters of the way through, but held it together. All in all, they were really well behaved and I enjoyed the movie. Then, we got lunch and walked around the mall. I took them into Payless to look for the Diego shoes that Kyle wanted (he has outgrown the ones he has been wearing). About an hour later and many shoes tried on, we left with "Cars" shoes for Kyle and a pair of Mary Jane's for Joanna. I let Marcie try on some Hannah Montana shoes and told her we could put them on her Christmas list along with the size so that Santa could leave her the correct ones. I ended up bribing her by agreeing to buy her a "High School Musical" purse if she would just try on some saddle shoes. Crazy, I know, but I thought they would be so cute. She cooperated so that she could get the purse, but she clearly hated every minute of it. I'm going to have to try reverse psychology and forbid her to try on the shoes I like....then, maybe she'll like them. After that, we headed to Wal-Mart so that I could buy the pigs in a blanket that Marcie likes and also get Charlie some new jeans. This past winter (late winter), I had to buy Charlie size 7 jeans (he started the school year in a 6) and he really only wore them a few months before he only needed to wear shorts. This past week, I noticed that his jeans seemed a little small and it finally occured to me that he was constantly getting "wedgies" because his pants were too small. So, we bought a few pair of size 8 pants, different styles. Got them home and one pair doesn't fit -- I'll have to get 10s! Anyway, the kids really did quite well. They were a bit whiny and restless by the time we left Wal-Mart and through the early evening. We got home just after 5 PM. They had a burst of energy after dinner and Marcie and Charlie both cleaned their rooms. Marcie really cleaned up -- putting a lot of things in her closet (don't open the door, though!) and Charlie stacked things on the toy box. Oh, well -- at least I can walk in there! Joanna got punished for lying and Kyle for not listening...then, it was bath and bedtime for everyone. Hooray!

OMG -- I've been running into the living room from time to time to watch Saturday Night Live and they just did a take-off on High School Musical. They called it "Night School Musical: Senior Year Equivalent." Really funny. I've actually enjoyed watching SNL these last few weeks. The satire on the election has been hilarious. I think that is the one (and only thing) I'll miss when the election is over. I've been totally amazed at how well Tina Fey imitates Sarah Palin -- she has the mannerisms and voice inflections just about flawless. I've only been watching the beginning of SNL and then going to bed because I have to get up early for church, but tonight decided to watch the whole thing since we get to turn the clocks back. So, no extra hour of sleep for me, but it's worth it.

Oh, one more thing....we have a new record in this household....Charlie has now made it through the first October in his lifetime without an asthma flare!!! Praise the Lord!!! Some of you who know what Charlie goes through every winter will understand just how miraculous this is. He even has a cold, and still no spasmodic coughing or wheezing. I could get used to this!

Halloween

Well, Halloween has rolled around again. I still wonder why people call it a holiday when nothing is closed and it isn't designated a federal or state day of no work. (See me smiling). It really isn't my favorite day of the year, but I do realize that my kids enjoy it. We, well I, carved a pumpkin last night. Charlie and Marcie dug out the innerds with their hands (yes, up to their elbows and now I have pumpkin to wash out of their clothes) and managed to keep the mess confined to the pan (to wash out the seeds) and the newspaper underneath. After the innerd digging, Marcie lost interest, but Charlie stayed with me to watch me carve the face. That was quite difficult as the pumpkin was large and thick. Charlie kept a running commentary and it was really funny. He kept telling me "good job" and making suggestions as to how to get the carved pieces to come out. Did I say that the pumpkin was really thick?!!! The "skin" and the pulp was about 2 inches, if not more, thick, so my not really sharp knives needed much elbow grease from me to get through the pumpkin. However, I was successful with Charlie's support and encouragement, and now we have a carved pumpkin on the front porch. Marcie wasn't happy that I didn't zig zag the mouth giving pointy teeth but she'll survive! The kids want me to put a candle in it but I said "no." I can't risk the porch catching on fire!

We are planning to trick or treat tonight. We were going to my church's fall festival, but now I'm thinking that it would be better to skip the driving and stay close to home. Charlie will be Darth Vader, Marcie a bride (!), Kyle, spider man (just like last year) and Joanna, Winnie the Pooh. I will get pictures and eventually post them. Maybe by Christmas, I'll have new pictures on this blog!

I always remember, every year, that today is my grandfather's birthday. He went to heaven many years ago, but still I think about how his mother must've felt having a Halloween baby. He was 1 of quite a few children, I can't remember how many, but I'm sure he was special to his mom. I can't think of anything sweeter and representative of good in this world, than a new baby (a fresh baby as one of our pastors says!). So, here's hugs and kisses to all the fresh babies to be born today and a loving remembrance of my grandfather, a World War II veteran and parent to my daddy. :)

Moments of Sweetness

This morning I had taken Kyle and Joanna to their classrooms at daycare, then went over to the school-age room to ask the teacher a question. During that time I remembered that I had forgotten to give Kyle insulin (through his pump) after his breakfast at home. When I walked into his classroom, I saw him by himself and looking very sad. I went over to him and asked why he was so sad. He said, "because I want my brother" in the saddest little voice possible. It was so sweet!

Back in September, not too long after school had started, Charlie started crying on the school bus because Marcie wouldn't sit with him. We could see him through the window and before the bus pulled away, I mouthed "what's wrong" to Charlie. He replied, "Marcie won't sit with me" and buried his face in his hands. It was really pitiful. I told the other parents at the bus stop why Charlie was crying and then Kyle pipped in and said, "I will sit with my brother."

I have heard Charlie talk about, and have seen in action, his love for his family, but I've never really seen or heard it from Kyle. The teachers at daycare have told me how much Marcie admires Charlie and how she looks after him, and I have seen some of that at home. This is really the first time that I've seen the display of Kyle's emotions. It is just too sweet for words!

Most Improved Player

On Saturday, Charlie was awarded "most improved player" of his soccer team (U-8 division of the YMCA sports program). I was so proud of him! The "prize" was a soccer ball signed by every child on the team. Charlie is so proud of it. He slept with it Saturday and Sunday nights. I will post pictures when I get the film developed.

Life As We Know It

We got back to normal quickly after Marcie's bout with pneumonia. She recovered quickly and is back to her normal antics. She is pretty hilarious from time to time and makes an excellent argument for getting her way most of the time. I really have to try not to laugh when she makes a good point and gets the best of me. That girl is just too smart!

Speaking of smart, she has figured out that spelling is fun. The other night she wanted to ask a question by spelling it. She began "C-a-n U" and then you could see the wheels turning in her mind as she tried to figure out how to spell "get." Of course, they haven't gotten that far in school. So, she asked if I could get her some water. Then, when I took it to her, she spelled "l-i-k-e" and knew it spelled "like." So, now Kyle is trying to spell and this morning asked if I would spell "car" for him so that he could write it in his little book. He has just turned 4!

Last night, Charlie told me that he cried at school and a teacher (he named her) came and got him and took him inside. He was on the playground at recess and couldn't remember where he had put his snack (in his back pack). Since he didn't have snack, he cried. I just wish someone had thought to help him go to his classroom and look in his book bag. Poor thing, he is just so stressed with school this year. They are increasing his time in the special ed classroom but I think he needs some more supports. I just had a conference with his teachers last week but guess I will need to contact them again.

Joanna is still lying about things. I know that is age-appropriate but it is just so frustrating because it is nearly constant. On the plus side, though, she is doing amazingly well with her writing and coloring. She makes her Js upside down. It's really cute.

We are plugging along. There were a few other things I wanted to write about but I've totally forgotten them. Gee -- wish I could find the fountain of youth and a better memory!!!

Update on Marcie

When I picked Marcie up from daycare Friday evening, she looked fine and said she felt fine. She had no fever, and no coughing. She didn't want to eat dinner, though, and was easily aggravated. I finally sent her to bed at 8:00 PM, and within 5 minutes, she was sound asleep. I got all of the other kids in bed by 9 PM and while watching Supernanny, I thought how strangely quiet the house sounded -- no one was coughing! She started coughing around 11:30 but didn't wake up (or at least she didn't seem awake when I checked on her). Her forehead is still cool. I am very thankful for antibiotics and for Marcie's quick recovery. We are not going to do too much this weekend and hopefully, by Monday, she'll be her old self again. Well, wait a minute....maybe she'll be her old self minus about 50% of her strong-willed behavior.... I can always dream, can't I? : )

Rocking Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu

Poor Marcie has definitely experienced feeling really sick and also having to function. She started with this dry, hacky cough last Wednesday and I just gave her some allergy medicine figuring that was the problem. Saturday morning, she awoke with a 104.4 fever, headache, sore throat and stomach ache, so I took her to the pediatrician thinking maybe she had strep (child in daycare had it). The rapid strep was negative but the remainder of the weekend, Marcie spiked fevers of between 101 and 103 whenever the motrin wore off. While the motrin was in effect, she pretty much acted like her normal self. By Sunday afternoon, her cough was tighter, so I started her on nebulizer treatments, which really worked well. Monday morning, her temperature was 103.8, so I took a urine sample to the doctor's office but there were no white cells so we figured no urinary tract infection. I wondered about testing her for flu but this illness wasn't really acting like the flu, so we didn't do the rapid test. (MD and I talked about it and mutually agreed). We also talked about getting a chest X-Ray but Marcie looked so good and her lungs were clear, so, we decided to wait a few more days to see if she got better or worse. Since she was feeling much better after the motrin, I went ahead and took her to the rally (I know, not a great idea). She did really well the rest of the day and her fever did not return when the motrin wore off, so I sent her to school on Tuesday and Wednesday. She didn't have enough energy to make it through the entire dance class Tuesday night, and had a headache when she got home, but otherwise seemed alright. I should've known when she refused breakfast and dinner that day that she was really sick. Her cough was still a bit tight, so I used the nebulizer Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. She was hungry Wednesday morning and ate breakfast then ate a good lunch (her lunch box was empty and she said she ate). When I picked her up from daycare Wednesday evening, though, she was hot and whiny. Her temperature was back up to 102.8, she was grunting when she breathed and her left lung had crackles in it (not normal). So, I gave her the motrin, started a nebulizer treatment and called the doctor. After I got the other kids fed and a babysitter arrived, I took Marcie to the ER. Of course, by this time, she was perky, playful and hungry with clear lung sounds and no fever. We waited 2 hours before they did the chest X-Ray and then it came back -- Marcie had pneumonia in both lungs. I wasn't at all surprised considering her symptoms and the way it progressed, but I did feel bad about sending her to school. She got an IV antibiotic and I convinced the doctor that Marcie would be okay at home and that I would bring her back if she got any worse. We were in the ER until 2 AM and then when we got home, I had to get all of the kids out of bed to take the sitter home. Phew!

Marcie was better on Thursday with *only* 100.8 fever in the morning and no fever the rest of the day after the motrin wore off. I did give it again in the afternoon because her headache came back. She also was started on oral antibiotics, and her first dose was Thursday afternoon. She only required one nebulizer treatment last night and her cough was even better this morning. I sent her to school today because I needed to work and she felt ready to go, and haven't gotten a call yet to come and get her. I figured since she had had the potent IV antibiotic and had started the oral ones AND her lungs sounded much better that she would be okay at school. I sure do hope that I was right.

Political Rallies

This past Monday, Oct. 13th, Sarah Palin was in Richmond for a rally at the Richmond International Raceway. I decided to go and take the kids (daycare closed that day and school let out early) so that they could experience a political rally. To be totally honest, I also wanted to hear Sarah Palin in person. We got there a little late because I spent too much time trying to find our "ticket" which we really didn't need. There were so many people there that we had to stand behind the main area where others were seated. It was okay, though. I could see the podium and could see her when she came out. The kids did so well in the heat and with a 40 minute wait for anything at all to happen. When she began speaking, I held each child up for a few seconds so that he or she could see her, and then the kids resumed picking grass or walking in circles around me while I was listening to the speech. While it was hot and tiring, I was glad we went and the kids experienced that type of event. I tried to explain in simple terms about the election and why it is important for us to understand each candidate's ideas before we vote. It probably went way over their heads.

The most fun part, though, was when we were trying to leave. The kids were hungry and thirsty and happened to see an ice cream truck so I let them get frozen treats since they really had behaved well. We got to the parking area and I really had no idea where I parked, so I told them to sit on the grass and just eat their ice cream (and I drank a bottled water). As the cars thinned out, I found where I had parked. After we got in the car and got in the line to leave, the traffic just stopped, so I parked again and asked what was happening. The police had blocked all other traffic so that the campaign motorcade could leave. So, we got out of the car and walked to the side of the road. About 15 or 20 minutes later, the motorcade came by and we waved to Gov. Palin. She was in a bus and the windows were tinted, but I'm certain she saw us. It was so cute watching my kids waving furiously not really knowing who they were waving to!

The best part in my kids' minds was the ice cream followed in close second by a trip to CiCi's. That was negotiated by Marcie who felt like they deserved that since they had behaved so well and I deserved it since she was sure I wouldn't feel like cooking. Smart girl!

She Did It Again

Joanna swallowed her conformer again (the porcelain piece that fits in her right eye socket). It had been in for 11 days without problems. When I picked her up from daycare, it was gone. This time no one knew about it. I think it happened right before I picked them up (the kids were on the playground). This time, also, she admitted she had put it in her mouth, though, she could not tell me why she had put it in her mouth. I asked her if it tasted good and she replied, "no." I asked her if it were supposed to be in her mouth -- again, "no" and then I asked what does go in your mouth -- "food." So, then I asked why she would put it in her mouth if it doesn't belong there and she said, "because it doesn't taste good." Who knows what goes through her head but I know one thing -- after this time, I'm not digging it out of poop again. I will ask the ocularist if he has any ideas but I know that most people do not expect a nearly 5 year old child to have trouble with swallowing small objects! Maybe we'll just have to wait a few more years before we start this process again, which isn't good because that side of her face won't grow. More later.

Student of the Month

Guess which little kindergartener in my family has an award already? You guessed it -- Marcie! My little fiesty, spunky girl is the first "Student of the Month" in her classroom (for September). This is what her teacher wrote:

"Marcie is a wonderful young lady and is an excellent student in my class. She works hard to follow the rules and sets a good example for her classmates to follow. She is kind and helpful and always respectful to those around her. I am so proud of Marcie!"

I knew she would distinguish herself early on in school. Look out world, here she comes!

Reasonably Good Weekend

Okay, I promise this post won't be a "vent-fest" since my last one seems to have done that! We actually had a fairly nice weekend after all the madness at the end of the week. Joanna seems none the worse for the wear and actually told me on Friday afternoon that she had told her preschool teacher what happened to her eye. So, I told her that was good and that we didn't have to talk about it anymore; that it was over. Of course, on Saturday, Kyle wanted to bring it up again but I wouldn't let him. I told all of the kids that we were done talking about it; that Joanna had made a mistake and she was sorry and we don't need to bring it up again. So far, everyone has complied.

On Saturday, Charlie played soccer and then we went to a birthday party at Pump-It-Up in Chesterfield. Charlie played really well even getting a few good kicks in. All of the kids had a ball at the birthday party and after that we went to Wal-Mart to pick up Charlie's sport glasses, get a new lense for Joanna's glasses and do some grocery shopping. They were pretty good during that time. (Hard to believe, I know, but they really were!). They were tired out so after baths and shampoos, everyone fell asleep as soon as his or her head hit the pillow. Yay for me!

After church on Sunday, Kyle's preschool teacher came over to continue working on her project that involves Kyle and so all of the kids had a great afternoon playing with her. Since they really did a nice job behaving this weekend, we went to CiCi's Sunday evening and met a friend and her daughter. We stayed a bit late, but I still managed to get the kids in bed by 9:15pm. I also let them have "floats" -- ice cream in caffeine-free coke. I had been promising to make ice cream floats and actually wanted the kids to go ahead and go to bed when we got home, but they remembered that I had promised floats. So, to keep the peace, I said they could have small ones but then they had to brush their teeth and go to bed! They actually did just that. (Yes, I know, still hard to believe!).

After a weekend of fairly good behavior, Marcie needed to act out a little (I guess) so she did that when getting ready for school today. But, at least the other 3 were very cooperative, so we got out of the house on time. Phewww!

Is Livid Worse Than Rage?

I came awfully close to figuring that out this week. At the beginning of the week, I received a call from the daycare that Joanna had lost the conformer in her right eye (it is the piece that will make the space for her eye bigger). She had walked over to the teacher during naptime because she wasn't behaving and the teacher wanted to talk to her. The conformer was in at that time. Joanna then walked back to her cot and continued tossing, turning and meddling with the shelves next to her for about the next 10 minutes. When the teacher went over to Joanna's cot, she noticed the conformer was gone. Needless to say, the whole classroom was turned upside down to find that little white porcelain piece and even the 3 year old classroom got involved in case the conformer had rolled under the door into that room. Joanna was repeatedly asked by several people what had happened and she had no answer. When directly asked if she had played with it, put it in her mouth or her clothes or swallowed it, she consistently said "no." Now, remember this child is chronologically almost 5 years old....she should be able to relate an event that has happened within the past 15 minutes. She simply refused to say what had happened to the conformer despite reassurances that she was not in trouble. The assistant director called me in the hope that I could talk to Joanna and she would tell me what happened. I knew that was pointless so I declined to talk to her. I could already feel my blood pressure rising!

Over the next 2 days, we continued to press her for more information and she continued to repeatedly deny that she knew what had happened, or simply refused to answer the question. This is her usual style -- this stone-faced silence that she often displays regardless of the situation and whether or not there is any risk of punishment. I have to say that I have never met a child that young that could put up such a barrier and simply refuse to communicate, even non-verbally. I tried several ways of asking her or getting her to open up, and I even said that I just wanted to know what happened to it. I asked again on Wednesday night if she had put it in her mouth and swallowed it. She looked me directly in the eye and said, "No." I suggested to her teacher that perhaps they could engage in some puppet play and see if she would talk through the puppets. They did try that on Wednesday, and the teacher thought she had gotten a very small nod that Joanna had swallowed the conformer. On Thursday morning about 10 minutes before we had to leave for the bus stop, Joanna told me she had to go poop. When she called out that she was done, I went in and guess what was mixed in....you guessed it, this shiny white conformer. My blood pressure immediately went through the roof and I was absolutely livid. I don't think I have ever been that angry. I fussed at her for not admitting to swallowing it and let her know in no uncertain terms that I was exceedingly angry that she had not told the truth. I made her tell the people at daycare where I had found it and that seemed to be a good consequence for her because she seemed genuinely upset. Anyway, I drove to work angry, but by the late afternoon, that anger had dissipated somewhat. Last night, I noticed some soreness over my breastbone which has continued through today. I think I was so angry that I tensed up and must've remained that way all day. Needless to say, I am paying the price for that today. I can't imagine being any angrier. I think rage probably just doesn't even describe the emotion, that's why I chose livid. But, I'm not sure that describes it, either. Fortunately, the emotion fades and other than threatening to send her packing and fussing a lot, I didn't act on the anger. Boy, though, I was sure tempted....

One of the daycare teachers has graciously offered to give me a break from the kids for a few hours this weekend. I can sure use that!

I Have Your Eyes

At the end of last week, we had gotten in the car and Charlie commented that eyes are shaped like footballs. He asked to look at my eyes and when I looked at him, he said, "yes, like footballs." I told him that I thought his eyes looked like footballs, too, and then said, "Just like mine!" It always pleases Charlie to think that he is like me in some way. During this time, Kyle had walked up to my other side in the car, and I heard this little voice saying, "Do you have my eyes, Mom?" I looked into those sweet little Asian eyes and did what every mother would do in a similar circumstance, and said, "Yes, Kyle, I have your eyes." How could I have said anything else?

Sometimes They Surprise You

After dinner last night, we went to the grocery store so that I could get ice cream, my favorite toppings for it, and bread. While we were walking through the store, Charlie said, "mentos." I stopped and said, "what," and he repeated it. I said, "where did you see that," knowing that he doesn't know about that kind of candy (I've never given it to him). He said, "Right here," and pointing to a sign, said, "see, Mom, Mentos," and then underscoring the word with his finger, said, "Men - tos." I was so proud of him...you see, reading is difficult for him and he prefers not to even try to read aloud, so for him to read the word on a box was amazing....and it's not even a word wall word! That just made my whole day and I needed something to do that because Marcie had been a bear at dinner and I had made my nieces cry, so I wasn't a happy camper going into the grocery store. Then, later on after the kids were in bed, I had some of my ice cream and felt even better!

This morning after putting Charlie and Marcie on the bus, one of my neighbors walked by with her dog (retriever type dog). Kyle just stood there and Joanna kept backing up trying to get away from the dog. The dog was not close to her nor interested in her at all but she was terrified. Kyle, who is also scared of animals, decided that the dog must be okay and followed my neighbor's lead in extending his hand to pet the dog. Then, he got brave and allowed the dog to lick his hand. Well, Kyle was won over and then started talking to my neighbor about the dog and was really interested in her. Then, the dog licked Kyle's face and he started giggling. When the dog licked him again (on the nose), he was really enthralled. By this time Joanna was crying and my neighbor and I were both trying to help her understand that the dog wouldn't hurt her. I asked her if the dog had bitten her ("No," she says), if the dog had hurt her ("no") or if the dog was even close to her (again, "no"). I told her that the dog was friendly and liked Kyle and that I would not allow her to be around the dog if I were afraid she would get hurt. (By the way, she never saw animals as pets when she was in China and she has never been hurt by a dog or cat since she's been in the U.S., so I have no idea why this fear is so extreme). Then, Kyle took her by the hand and said, "It's okay, Joanna, the dog is nice," and at one point, he was holding both of her hands. It was so sweet! She just cried harder so we left. I praised Kyle for being brave and for figuring out how to make friends with a dog. I told him that I was so proud of him, and he, of course, being a true child, asked if that meant he could have a special treat after supper tonight. I think he has earned that! :) As for Joanna, she cried again at daycare and I made her sit in the classroom by herself for a minute to regain her composure (I was with her), then reminded her again that she wasn't hurt. After that on the way to work, I wondered why I spent so much time trying to rationalize with a 4 year old!

All is not lost for Joanna, though. Last night at Wendy's she did order her own kid size Frosty and remembered to tell the waiter that she wanted chocolate. Kyle then paid for his and Joanna's Frosties while I sat at the table. Maybe I shouldn't expect 2 new positive behaviors that close together. Of course, I may find out in the future that she will need therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder because I wouldn't allow her to run away from the dog. Guess I better save some money for that. Sigh.

Lying

Our new thing at home with the younger 2 is lying. Usually, they lie about stuff they've done wrong, but Joanna is also lying about relatively minor stuff. I thought at first that she just wanted to tell me what she thinks should be the "right" answer, but there are times when it wouldn't really matter what she said. Today I got a call from the daycare saying that Joanna's small eye was watering and she said it hurt. They said that children had been throwing sand on the playground and they thought that it had gotten in her eyes. When they asked her about that, she said, "no" but then couldn't say what happened. So, I spoke to her and told her that she's not in trouble, that the teacher just needs to know what happened so that she can help her. I asked again, "were children throwing sand and rocks on the playground?" Answer, "no," question, "did you get sand in your eye?," answer, "no." So, who knows what happened. That's how it is with EVERYTHING you ask Joanna. She's also very sneaky and even when caught red-handed, will lie. Kyle usually lies about more important stuff, such as, "Are your pants wet?," "No," and they are soaked; "Did you wash your hands?," "No," and they are dirty, etc. So, I'm pretty fed up with it. At this rate they will both be in time out until they're 10, no, make that 30! Hopefully, by that time, Kyle will be keeping his pants dry. I don't think wetting his pants will go over well in college.

Calgon, take me away!!!!!

Flying High

The kids had a great time playing on the water slide this weekend and were getting bolder each day. On Monday, the kids and one of their friends were playing (another mom was supervising) and I was in the house working when I heard the door open and someone yell, "We need you, Marcie's been hurt!" I went outside not knowing what to expect and saw my friend holding Marcie in a towel and blood on Marcie's mouth. When I looked closer, I saw this gaping hole where one of her upper front teeth was. So, I got ice and after she calmed down, noticed that her lower tooth was a bit wiggly. I ended up calling the dentist because the hole where her tooth was was so big and then I gave her some motrin. She recovered quickly though and asked to go to CiCi's for supper so she could get a brownie and she even ate some pizza. Boy, kids sure are resilient!

So, you ask how this happened....well, my little daredevil decided to do a flip and rather than just rolling over as she was sliding down the slide (which even Kyle who just turned 4 was doing), Marcie decided to jump and flip. My friend said Marcie ended up flipping twice and going over the side of the slide rather than down it. She landed in the water but as she was landing, Marcie said her knee hit her mouth. So, now Marcie has a cut and bruised lower lip, a wiggly lower tooth, a hole where her left front tooth should be AND still her daredevil spirit!

Ups and Downs

I seem to have the mistaken notion that if the kids have a good evening they will have a good day the next day. NOT! On Monday evening, I took them to buy a waterslide. I had promised them one when I got my tax refund and kept waiting for the durn things to go on sale in mid to late August like they usually do. I never could find one on sale so I used a 20% Toys 'r Us discount coupon and bought a nice one. The kids were thrilled and begged me to let them try it out on Monday night. So, even though it was getting dark by the time we finished dinner, I told them they could slide for about 20 minutes. It was so neat to see them so happy and enjoying something so simple....and I'm thinking life is good, the kids are happy, this is a good substitute for a vacation, etc. About 10 minutes into their happy play, we see lightening and Charlie tells everyone to stop playing in the water (he's learning!). So, they willingly get out and as we were going into the house they asked if I would pick them up from daycare early on Tuesday so that they would have more time to play on the water slide. I tell them I would try... and then they are so amazingly good for the remainder of the evening and go to bed without any difficulty. Sweet little children they are, I'm thinking. I should've known something was lurking...

I arrived at the daycare Tuesday evening to pick them up, not early since it was overcast and a little too cool to play on the waterslide. One of their teachers asks to speak to me and shoos my kids away while she talks to me (bad omen). It turns out that Charlie spent most of the afternoon hitting people without provocation ... just walking up to them and hitting them. The teacher confronted him about it and he lied saying the children had hit him first which she knew wasn't true because she witnessed everything. So, he spent some time by himself but everytime she would allow him to rejoin the group he was hitting again. Marcie also hit a child in the 4 year old classroom (Marcie has the remainder of this week with that group). She walked up to the child and socked her hard in the deltoid area leaving a bruise. This is a new child to the daycare and I've noticed that she seems to go to Marcie for answers to questions (like the names of other children or teachers). Evidently, though, she was not even playing with Marcie when Marcie went over to her and hit her. Marcie also at some point started screaming for the teacher to call me to come and pick them up and was sassy and disrespectful with several of the teachers. So, the teacher that Marcie is most attached to (who is also a friend of ours) put her in time out and when Marcie still didn't behave, she made Marcie write sentences. (I can't wait to see those!) I also found out that Kyle wet his pants in the morning (he is usually dry until late afternoon) and he was disruptive at nap time.

I can't figure it out...they got what they wanted Monday night and they are thrilled with it, behave really well.... and the devil comes out on Tuesday. I told them maybe we should take the waterslide back and Marcie says we can't because we took it out of the box (smart aleck!)...so, I said we could give it to someone like maybe one of the children they were hitting. And to beat it all, I can't even really deny them playing time on it in the immediate future because it will be raining in the evenings the rest of the week. By the time I can use not playing on it as a punishment, it will be too far after the fact. I hope the little monsters get it together today. I hate the "I need to talk to you" message when I arrive at the daycare!

Milestone

Yesterday, I realized that I have reached a parenting milestone. I was reviewing a class assignment with my students that requires them to find a child between the ages of 12 and 48 months and perform a Denver assessment on the child. Every semester we usually have a few students who do not know any families with young children in the Richmond area so they ask the faculty for help. For the last 6.5 years, I've been able to offer one of my children for the assignment (of course, then, I would not be the grader!). When I started to say that I have a child in that age range, I stopped short realizing that Kyle was 4 on Aug. 17th, just leaving the 12 - 48 months age range. Wow. I now have 2 preschoolers and 2 school-age children. I wonder if I'll know how to act now?!!

Busted!

Discipline is most effective when done immediately after the infraction, but usually when something has happened at daycare I hear about it too late to do anything about it. Wednesday, I got lucky or Joanna got unlucky, whichever way you want to look at it! Joanna has boundary issues and some social immaturity. Recently at daycare she's been a little too touchy-feely with the other children either by using her hands to touch them or by pressing her body up to theirs. The teacher told me that some of the children were clearly upset by this and they didn't know quite how to handle it. Apparently, the teachers tell her to stop and she either giggles or just doesn't respond. They then move her away from the situation but I guess she just finds another child to aggravate. Wednesday morning, I dropped Joanna off in her 4 year old classroom and Kyle in his 3 year old room (he can't move to the 4's until he keeps his pants dry -- I guess that may happen by the time he graduates from high school!). I took Marcie and Charlie to the school-age child room and chatted with that teacher while I fixed Marcie's hair. When I took Marcie back to the 4 year old room and opened the door, I saw Joanna with her body pressed up to a little boy whose back was to her and his face was practically against the wall. She was putting her arm around his chest when I sternly said, "Joanna!" She quickly stepped away and whirled around to look at me. I ordered her to come to me and had to repeat that about 4 times because she did not want to come across that room. The teacher said she had already told Joanna to stop and Joanna hadn't responded. I took that little girl out to my car and gave her the fire and brimstone talk (well, not exactly but she knew I was MAD) and told her that she has to do what her teachers tell her and that she may not touch the other children. I reiterated "NO TOUCH" several times and then cornered her so that she couldn't move and pointed out that that does not feel good. She agreed with that point and repeated to me "no touching." Of course, she was also crying pretty hard after this. I think she got the message because she was much better behaved the rest of the day and all day Thursday. We'll see how long that lasts!

Well Child Care

Kyle had his 4 year old well child check-up on Wednesday afternoon. He was in his usual, goofy mood, and, of course, didn't perform like I wanted him to. For example, he knows how to write the first letter of his name, and he just chose to be silly when I asked him to do it. So, I gave in to goofiness and just tried to make him behave. When it came time for his immunizations, he wasn't exactly sure what would happen, so he just watched. After the first 2 shots, he seemed a bit more apprehensive but had not cried at all (he thinks all shots are kind of like his insulin shots). After the 3rd shot, he was getting a little tired of the whole thing but with his 4th shot, he really felt the sting (the MMR). He wailed as though his heart were broken for maybe a minute and a half, then was soothed by the "treasures" he was given. He was still missing one thing, though, and that was a sticker. He was happy as a clam when we left because he had 2 new little toys and a sticker (yes, he's easy to please!). When we got back to the daycare center to pick up the other 3 kids, I asked him to tell the teachers what happened at his doctor's appointment. He put on his little pouty face and in a very sad voice slowly said, "They shot me." It was all very pitiful. :)

I'm Not Making the Kids Happy

I think I've created little restaurant junkies. Nearly every day when I pick them up from daycare, at least one of them will ask, "Where are we going tonight?" We had gotten away from the at least once a week trips to someplace to eat dinner because I just didn't have the money for all of that dining out. Then, I got my tax refund and we have eaten out a little more often. Now the kids just don't want to eat at home. Their favorite restaurant is CiCi's which is a pizza, pasta and salad buffet with all kinds of candy and trinket "machines" in the back (along with a few arcade games). However, they also like any fast food hamburger place, Applebee's and O'Charley's, which Charlie thinks is named after him. These past 2 mornings Charlie asked if we could go to "Pizza Hunt" tonight because the last time we went we didn't have Marcie with us. Yesterday morning I said no and he stormed off angry. Today I just said, "I'll think about it," and he seemed satisfied. I guess if I could win the lottery we could eat out every day, but that's not the healthiest option or the most likely one. What am I going to do with these little people?!!

Happy Play

The other night, I was fixing dinner and I heard Kyle say, "I want some milk for my baby." I thought it was sweet that he was playing with a doll, or so I thought. The next thing I heard was the sound of the McDonald's play set cash register and Marcie and Joanna trying to "push" chicken nuggets on Kyle. Then he said, "No, I want milk for my baby." Then, I heard Charlie making baby noises. It was so cute! Kyle started treating Charlie like a baby saying, "here, baby, here's your milk." This morning when Kyle got up, he came straight into the living room and yelled to the others, "Donald's is open!!!" Unfortunately, no one else was interested in fast food play this morning. :)

And Last But Not Least!

I have introduced you to everyone but Joanna, so now it's her turn! I brought Joanna home from China last May, just a few months after she turned 3. I had seen Joanna's picture on an agency photolisting and when I read her bio I thought she would fit right into our family... not because she was described as shy but because she enjoyed being around her "brothers and sisters" in the group foster home. The bio also noted that she was afraid of men though seemed to be overcoming that a little bit. I thought our family would be good for her because she would be living with a female single parent but would have the opportunity to develop healthy relationships with adult males in my extended family. I applied to adopt her -- really kind of thinking my application wouldn't be accepted since I was single with 3 children already, but God had other plans and now Joanna is part of our family.

Joanna is sweet and very shy, though, she really has come out of her shell these past few months. She is a much different child this summer than last summer. She has a good sense of humor and even teases a little bit from time to time. She loves Dora the Explorer and princesses. She likes carrying around little toys or folded up pieces of paper. She seems to have adjusted well to our family and often says that Kyle is her best friend. Just this summer, she has begun to play more interactively with the kids and seems to enjoy playing (yes, it has taken that long!). She still has moments of retreating into her shell but that doesn't happen as often as it used to. We still have some issues that need to be addressed but I do think she is happy. She enjoys being around our extended family and friends and gets excited when I tell her we are going to visit her grandparents and/or her aunts and uncles, as well as some of our close friends. When we combine a visit with some sort of ice cream event, she is even happier! She loves ice cream, which definitely qualifies her to be a part of our extended family. She even scrapes the bowl to get the last bit of it and did that before she ever saw me doing it, so I know it's a sign of a natural ice cream lover! So, yes, she really is one of us and we'll keep her!

The picture of her was taken a few months before I picked her up last May. It really shows her personality.

See, I big.

This one's about Kyle today. He definitely has the cute thing going and once he figures out how to use that to his advantage, he will be sailing through life! This past weekend, I decided that Kyle and Joanna were now tall enough to forego the high chair and booster seat. So, I removed them from the table. Kyle went to his place, now minus the high chair, and stood right where the chair would be up against the table. All I could see was his little face and shoulders. He said, "See, I big" and looked at me with those serious brown eyes. There was an expectancy to what he was saying and after I affirmed that he was getting big, he followed with, "Can I pass out the plates now?" He has been waiting for the day when I would let him carry to the table the plates that I fix in the kitchen. I had been telling him that he was too little to do that, so I guess, he's been waiting for the day when he was "big!" How could I say no to that face? So, I let him carry the dinner plates in while cautioning him to be very careful. He was and no food was spilled. Yay! So, now I will have 3 kids arguing over who gets to pass out the plates at suppertime. Oh, boy!

Kyle is a nearly 4 year old bundle of energy, adopted when he was 11 weeks old. Kyle has diabetes (from birth) and he handles it like a pro. He willing produces a foot or finger for blood sugar checks and recognizes that he is not supposed to have too much sugar. He also recognizes the feelings he gets when his blood sugar is low and will ask someone to check it if his belly feels bad. He wears an insulin pump and hasn't complained at all -- ever -- about having the pump on all the time. He doesn't even complain about the pump getting in his way while sleeping.

He loves Thomas the Train, Spiderman, Diego and anything about cars and trucks. He is exuberant over even the smallest little pleasures in his life. He loves his siblings and here lately has been soaking up all the hugs he can get from them. He gives the sweetest little kisses and can say your name with so much love in his voice, it's really indescribable. He is such a sweet little boy but also a very stubborn one. But, that's okay, because I'm really stubborn, too.... so, he's met his match! :)

I've attached a picture...sorry, these are a little bit old. I'll try to get some newer ones on before Christmas. Ha! Ha!

Okay, No Sociopaths Here!

My children have developed empathy and I saw it in action just yesterday (actually, I've seen it before at fleeting moments). Last night, I decided it was time to try to remove 4 splinters from Kyle's feet. I had some cream that can numb the skin surface, so I applied that to each of the spots and covered with a plastic dressing. Unfortunately, Kyle couldn't hold his feet still for 45 minutes (the time it takes for the cream to work) and 2 of the dressings came off. When I removed the first splinter from a site that the cream had stayed on, Kyle was fairly happy that it didn't hurt. However, as I began working on the 2nd one, he started complaining, and within a few minutes was crying, punctuated by intermittent screams. Joanna had been sitting next to him from the beginning and telling him it would be okay. She started holding his hand when he started screaming. Charlie came over to check on him and then prayed for him (it was so sweet!). Marcie tried talking to him while Charlie held the flashlight so that I could really see what I was working on. After a minute or 2, Charlie put down the flashlight and left the room. I just figured the screaming was bothering him. He came back a few minutes later with a "card" he had made for Kyle. On the front was a stenciled car with Charlie's name on the paper (something he had done in daycare) and on the back was a heart with I Love You written on it. Charlie folded the paper and gave it to Kyle. Between working on the 2nd and 3rd splinter, I let Kyle calm down and he opened it. He saw the car and said, "can I have a heart on it?" Charlie was so proud to say that he had drawn a heart on the back. Both boys hugged each other and then Marcie and Joanna got in on the hugging. While I was working on the next splinter, Charlie and Marcie went back to making cards and ended up taping candy to the envelopes (I still don't know where they found envelopes ... I'm afraid to look). Kyle netted 3 cards, 1 fun size skittles bag, 1 pack of 2 starburst candies and a jolly rancher. Needless to say, after I finished removing the splinters, he was all smiles holding his cards and candy!

How A Year Has Changed Things

I'm going to copy into this post excerpts from an email I sent to family and friends while I was in China. I wrote it after a bad bout of homesickness I was having, knowing that my kids left at home were also struggling. I am happy to say that I was able to get beyond that with the Lord's help, and while this past year has had its ups and downs, my children have recovered from their ordeal last May. I think Joanna still struggles with homesickness herself from time to time, and I have to remember how I felt last May when mine was just temporary. My sister had emailed during that time that the way I was feeling was how Joanna would feel only she wouldn't be able to go back to "get over" her homesickness. I was glad to go back and read that email because it reminded me of how I saw my child with new eyes. Here it is:

>
>Today started out pretty well. Si Mei and I are getting to know each other.
She is very sweet and quiet. When we are around other Chinese people, she
gets really quiet. her fear of strangers shows up == it shows that now I'm
not a stranger to her, so she does come to me when Chinese people she
doesn't know approach her. She is making excellent eye contact, which is
great for bonding. We took a plane to her province early this morning, and
shortly after we arrived in our hotel, we ate lunch (she largely played)
and then attempted to take a short nap. She had ice cream at lunch which
she loved! She will definitely fit in with my family! She kept scraping the
dish trying to get every last bite. Kathy used to tease me for doing that.
Anyway, a woman from her original orphange came today with some documents
that i needed to sign. They were very much like the documents that I signed
for Kyle and Charlie for the period of time that they were placed in my
care while I was in the process of supervision and finalization of their
adoptions. (Marcie's adoption was different as it was a parental placement,
or "open" adoption). The difference, though, is that tomorrow I will sign
the final papers and they will order her passport. They also took a picture
of Si Mei alone and one of me with her for some type of certificate I will
get. Anyway, after the signing of the documents, we changed our hotel rooms again (the
first 2 were just too smokey) and then Si Mei and I went for a walk. When I
talked with katie this morning (last night in Virginia) the kids had just
gone to bed so I didn't get to talk with them. Katie told me that Marcie
had a rough night Saturday night and was crying for me. That just broke my
heart, especially since i didn't get to talk to her and tell her that i
love her again. Well, all afternoon, i just kept thinking about marcie.
When it got quiet this evening and i didn't have anything occupying me, the
tears just started coming. So, I decided to take Si Mei to McDonalds. I
thought that would distract me enough, but it really didn't. So, we are
sitting there eating, and I'm trying to eat my french fries and this nasty
grilled chicken sandwich, and the tears were just streaming down my face.
What a sight we must have looked! Imagine it -- this American woman, with a
pretty little Chinese girl with a deformed eye, eating dinner -- the girl
quietly and the woman crying. People have been staring a lot at us (also
smiling and patting Si mei's head), but they were staring even more. The
security guard kept coming over and smiling at me. Poor Si Mei, she just
didn't know what to do. Silently, I was just praying for Marcie, Charlie
and Kyle, and that I would have peace... that God would watch over them,
etc. I was also thinking that maybe i am doing the wrong thing, I should
just give her back and come home as soon as possible, just forget the whole
thing...and also berating myself for leaving those children at home. i
looked down at my food, then the most amazing thing happened. i looked back
up at Si mei...Joanna, and i saw my daughter. She didn't look any
different. She was still quietly eating her food, but it was really wierd.
I just knew she was my little girl....as though she looked like me, but of
course, she doesn't. I was really "seeing" her with different eyes. It
actually made me stop crying for a few minutes. Then, I got a little
side-tracked because a woman and 9 year old child sat down at the table
next to us, and kept looking. Then the woman got out her daughter's English
book and motioned me over. She kept calling me "English teacher." So, I
went through some of the things in the book and corrected some of their
pronounciation. They were excited. It was really cute. By the time I left I
felt a little better, though, was still teary from time to time. Well then,
on the way back to the hotel, I was reminded of the parable of the lost
sheep. How the shepherd would leave the others to go find the one. That was
really moving. When Si Mei saw that i was a little better, she started
trying to play with me, smiling, and giggling a little. It was very sweet.
I know her brothers and sister are going to love her!

We had a good evening after that. i got her bathed and washed her hair.
She's sleeping now, and i'm still crying. Oh, how I wish I had gotten a
panda phone before I left the states. I haven't been able to get a phone
card here. i know they have them but the one the guide bought for another
family didn't work. So, the choices are credit call card from a payphone
(easy to do from the airport), or call from the hotel room and have it
billed to the room (more expensive, but I did it). Amy and Todd....I'll
remind you to plan for this before you go to China!

I know the kids will be okay. I just miss them so much. I can't wait to get
home to them.
>
Wow! I sure am glad to be home with all of my little sheep!

It Was Bound To Happen One Day

There are just some things you know you'd like to avoid dealing with. Well, one of those things popped up this weekend. On Friday, we went to the Dollar Tree (I love that store!) to get some of the water soakers so each child could have one in the pool. Of course the kids wanted other things, so I limited them to 2 items each (well, it got to be 3). Everyone was happy with their selections and we went home to a great day of pool play, then naps, then out to dinner with my parents for my birthday (thanks Mom and Dad!), then to the fireworks which didn't happen due to storms. It was a really enjoyable day all in all (especially that nice steak dinner -- did I say thanks, Mom and Dad?!!). My sweet darlings were getting their pajamas on after we got home and I picked up Marcie's clothes to put them in the dirty clothes (yes, I know, she needs to do this herself!). I noticed the shorts were lumpy, so I checked the pocket. You guessed it -- there was an item from the dollar store that I had not paid for. She claimed that it got there "on accident" then Charlie told the whole story. So, after the birthday party we went to Saturday morning, we went back to the store and found the assistant manager. I made Marcie hand the item back and fess up, which she very sweetly did. The manager just looked at her with compassion and gave her a big hug! Boy, was I surprised! I couldn't decide if I was relieved at how easy it was or a little upset that Marcie didn't get a stern lecture. Actually, I thought the manager was very nice and we chatted briefly before I quickly ushered all 4 kids out of the store before anyone else could pocket something. Okay -- no more store outings if they have clothes with pockets in them!!!!

Oh, What a Sweetie He Is!

Charlie, my first baby, is 7 now and just a joy to have around. Last night he came to me and asked me if I wanted him to dump the bathroom trash can into the kitchen trash can so that "I can be your good helper." That bathroom trash can was full of wet pull-ups so I know it didn't smell so great. I, of course, said "yes," and Charlie walked in with his arms around that trash can holding it close to his body. He emptied it and then returned it to the bathroom. As I walked by the kitchen trash can, I caught a whif (is that how you spell that?) of the pull-ups. Yuk!

Charlie is such a good big brother, too. Whenever the other kids are having trouble with something, he always tries to help. He also is quick to alert me when something is wrong with them. Last October, when Joanna's leg was broken (but we thought it was her ankle or foot that was hurt), I found Charlie carrying her down our front steps to the car. He had heard me say that I was going to take her to the doctor, and he just decided to make things move a little faster. He was just so sweet with her. This is all the more impressive given the fact that Charlie has mild cerebral palsy, and even some relatively light grocery bags are too heavy for him.

Last summer when he overheard me talking on the phone to a social worker about 2 young children who were waiting for an adoptive family, he suggested that we should take them. I wasn't sure what to say because, of course, I wanted them. I just said, "well, Charlie, we don't have enough beds at our house." After a few minutes of thought, he replied, "Well, I could share my bed and Marcie could share her bed." Boy that just got to me. I was heartbroken anyway over not being able to bring them to our home permanently (I had just gotten home from China with my 4th child and committing to 2 more for more than a few weeks seemed overwhelming), and then to hear Charlie innocently offering to share his bed just brought tears to my eyes. Several months later Charlie told me that he wanted us to adopt 2 kids from Africa "because I like that city." I basically said the same thing I had said before then suggested that he could adopt from Africa when he grows up and gets married and that I would help him with the kids. He replied, "but you can't marry your mom! As you can tell, there's no shortage of humor with that boy! :)

Charlie is one of the most delightful people I know in spite of all of the challenges he has faced over the years. He is sweet, sensitive, fun-loving, funny and just an overall great kid. He has the heart of an angel and I think he looks like one, too!

I've attached a picture of Charlie and Marcie.

What a girl! Gotta love her!

So, let me tell you about Marcie. She is a 5 year old bundle of energy, and a no-nonsense kinda girl. When I arrived last night to pick my kids up from Vacation Bible School, the pastor was talking about Jesus and the thieves crucified alongside of him. After the story, she explained to the kids how they can be forgiven when they've done something wrong. Then, she asked any children who had ever done anything wrong to raise their hands. Maybe 3 hands went up. Then, I hear a little voice saying, "Oh, come on y'all, raise your hands. You know you've done something wrong so raise your hands!" You guessed it, nearly every hand went up in the place while the adults were chuckling. That's my girl!

Marcie is a sweet little girl who loves her blankie and tries to save some breakfast for blankie. Fortunately, blankie is still in very good shape so we are not facing trying to keep up with the remnants. Marcie doesn't really play with dolls, instead she prefers jewelry and purses...and make-up and nail polish. Her favorite playmate in our family is Charlie but she also likes to "fix" Kyle's and Joanna's hair. They, for the most part, tolerate this. Marcie takes dance classes and is doing very well. She's looking forward to starting kindergarten in the fall. I would have to say that Marcie is definitely the life of our family.

She loves chocolate doughnuts and Hershey kisses (told you -- gotta love her!) and she is very particular about what she eats when. For example, if they had green beans for lunch at day care, she will not eat green beans at home. She has also figured out that she gets a rash around her mouth when she eats anything with tomatoes, so she now says she's allergic to tomatoes and can't have them (or sauce, etc.). Last night when I asked her if she wanted ketchup with her hot dog, she said, "can't have it." I think she feels important with having a food restriction just like her brother.

She is very pragmatic and matter of fact. She has a great mind and is a good problem-solver. Who knows, she might change the world when she grows up. For now, she's busy keeping the other kids in line at daycare, and at bible school. :)

Adding a few pictures!

I'm sorry this print is so tiny. I will work on that sometime, when I can figure out how to change it! Here's some other pictures of my kids enjoying each other!

Slow to catch up...

Okay, so I'm slow to catch up to "new" technology. After nearly 2 years of saying that I'm going to do this, I have finally gotten around to creating a blog. I also created a facebook page today... woo hoo! Now, I just have to figure out how to manage these communication assistive devices!

I am sitting at the Toyota dealership waiting for my car to be repaired. The catalytic converter went bad (or a component of it) and the repair takes 3 to 4 hours... all under warranty, thankfully! I also need to get my brakes repaired but will take the car to a non-dealership and save about $60. But, that will also involve more time away from work waiting on a repair so maybe I really won't save money after all (if time is money!). The funny thing is that this same dealership sent me an "invitation" to sell my car back to them at 70% of the MRSP and then buy a new car of the same type (minivan) with $ back on the trade and perhaps 0% financing. I looked at the "invitation" and said, "yeah, right, you'll practically give me an 08 or 09 car and take my 05 so that you can resell it...wait til you see the condition of the 05!" With allowing 4 kids to eat in the car and we practically live out of it anyway, you can imagine the condition my car is in... plus it needs front brakes and a new windshield, it has parking garage dings and kid dings on the outside... somehow, I don't think I could "win" on that deal!

So, welcome to my blog! I'm looking forward to keeping connected to all of you in a new and different way for me!