OOPS

A couple of nights ago, there was a big, huge, what do I do now kind of OOPS at our house! Our wonderfully happy, carefree, exuberant and just plain LOUD 9 year old was playing WEE in the playroom. In my blissful ignorance (which is where I try to stay most of the time!!), I was cooking supper and ever so sweetly calling (hollering) for said 9 year old to come down for dinner. I think my exact words were something like, "Turn off that thing and get down here this instant or you will never, ever play WEE again!!" But, of course, spoken (hollered) in my sweetest Mommie voice, complete with a southern drawl and everything, ya'll!! As soon as my precious child came into the kitchen, my Mommie radar started beeping and I knew sumpin' was up!! The loudest of my children (although Lizzie is giving him a run for his money on that one) was suddenly and inexplicably, the quietest!! Oh yeah, something was not right in Charlie land! Now you have to know that at dinner time, I am bombarded with 5 different voices wanting 10 different things ALL at the same time, so I ignored my radar. However, before dinner was done, the cause of the blip on my radar came to me and asked to speak with me - privately - upstairs - in his room no less!!!!! BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!!!!!! As soon as I got the rest of the gang settled, I headed upstairs. I had no idea what to expect, except that it MUST be BAD!! As I walked into his room, I could see that he was crying. Now this kid cried for the first 5 years of his life (constantly) but the day he turned 5 glorious years of age, the tears stopped and he became my happy child!! It was honestly as if on that date 4 years ago, the clouds parted and the sun came out for our sweet Charlie!! I really think that he was just, finally old enough to give his older brother as good as he would get:) Hehe!! Anyway, since then he has been the one who makes everybody else feel good with his crazy, happy go lucky and just plain funny ways!! So this was unusual. Turns out our happy go lucky kid got mad at the game he was playing on the WEE because he couldn't defeat a certain character (have I mentioned that I am not crazy about video games) and in his anger, decided to chunk the remote. Have you ever heard the phrase, "doesn't know his own strength" or "shoot first, ask questions later?" Well, not only did he throw the remote (bad, bad) but the remote decided to land in the big screen TV (bad, bad, bad, bad, bad)!!!! It left quite a mark on the TV and on Charlie. He felt soooooooo terrible and did have to courage to fess up, which saved his childhood gaming career because if we had discovered this before he told us about it..... I think my hubby (who likes video games) would have banned Charlie from the WEE forever or at least until he moved out and I think, even then, hubby would have found a way to ban him forever!! Hehe!! It ended up being a great teaching moment for all the kiddos. We sat everybody down and discussed the importance of, (1) controlling your anger, (2) taking responsibility for your mistakes, (3) learning from them and (4) having better aim!!!!! Poor Charlie is now off video games for a month and is the designated cleaner upper for the playroom, a fate, for Charlie, worse than oh I don't know - not being able to defeat a certain character on a WEE game!! Hopefully, lesson learned, at least until next month!!!


OUCH!!!!

Rain, Rain Go Away or Maybe Not!!

If the rain went away, then there would be no need for really cute pink umbrellas or absolutely adorable rain boots!!

I believe that just as the trees, flowers and grass need the rain, so do little girls with pretty pink umbrellas and adorable rain boots!!!

n

The Clothes Fairy

The Clothes Fairy strikes again!!! Thank you Kim!! Target must really be hurting these days:) After once again dumping everything on the floor, the chosen outfits of the day were a birthday girl shirt and nothing else, except pigtails for Lizzie and an adorable hat, Mickey Mouse shirt and flannel piggy PJ pants for Em!!!

Ten Fingers and Ten Toes

Ten fingers and ten toes. That is what you hear from someone who is expecting and close to delivery. As long as she is healthy and has all ten fingers and ten toes…” I remember my Mom telling me how that was hard for her to hear after my brother was born, mostly because she didn’t want him to hear it one day and be saddened by it. My brother has hands and feet very similar to Lizzie’s. I grew up knowing what her struggles and triumphs might be. I watched my brother’s strength and determination everyday and he became my hero. Lizzie’s hands are actually what told my heart that she was our daughter. The minute I saw that picture of her hands, I just knew that she was our destiny and we were hers. It was as if I was looking at someone that I already knew and had been loving forever. I knew instantly and instinctively what her struggles and triumphs might be and I could not wait to witness her greatness, as I have done with my brother. So why, in a moment of panic, did I forget all that I had grown up knowing. Forget all that I had learned from watching my brother figure out his own way and NEVER letting his hands and feet stop him from doing whatever he was determined to do. It overwhelmed me one day when Em and I were enjoying a Mommie and daughter bonding moment!! She spotted my fingernail polish and asked me to paint her fingernails and toenails. Em was so thrilled with her “Mommie like” nails and was showing them off to anyone and everyone. Afterward, I started thinking about Lizzie and what I would do when she wanted me to paint her toenails and her fingernails. She doesn’t have many of either and I panicked. What would I do? How would I handle it? Maybe I should ban ALL polish from the house? Surely Em wouldn’t miss not EVER having her nails painted again?? As I was officially freaking out, my very wise husband (did I just actually put that in print?) looked at me and calmly said, “Honey, you will just paint her fingernails and toenails,” and that was that. Thank goodness I knew to wait for my husband, who balances me so perfectly. He didn’t grow up knowing all this and yet was wise enough to know our Lizzie and know that she would LOVE to have the fingernails and toenails that she does have, painted a pretty pink color and would proudly show them off to whoever would stop long enough to look! To me, they are perfect and beautiful hands and feet and I just can’t stop kissing them most days. We have started to get more and more questions about her precious hands and feet and are responding that there is nothing wrong with them. She was simply born that way. Sweet Em actually asked that question for the first time today, as we were once again painting our nails together in a Mommie and daughter and daughter bonding moment! Hence this post! For now, Lizzie seems oblivious to the comments and questions but I know that the time will come when she will understand a bit more and recognize the fact that her hands and feet are indeed different and will, hopefully, understand that different is ok. I also know that she is tough (like her uncle) and wise (like her Daddy) and will be able to answer the questions herself and ignore the comments (if she so chooses) or be able to tell the very unfortunate person making the comment exactly what she thinks AND that she has 3 REALLY big brothers AND a really overprotective sister who have always “got her back”!! Hehe!! I know that I will probably continue to have slightly (notice I used the word slightly, honey) panicked moments in the future and more than likely some heartbreaking ones, but I find comfort in the fact that my wonderful hubby will continue “have my back!” One of the things my children are teaching me is to never, ever underestimate their strength of character and determination. Some days I think about the fact that Lizzie will have to figure out how to open jars with big lids or learn to swing from the monkey bars with her arms or count to ten without the use of her fingers or wear flipflops (because I know she will) or, eventually, how she will wear her wedding ring. All things that I know my Lizzie will figure out in her own way and I know that I just need to get out of her way and allow her to do it – to struggle until she gets it!! To be able to stand aside and cheer her on but to allow her to struggle is the hardest and best thing I can do for her. I understand completely now my mother’s courageousness at letting my brother struggle and what he gained from that. He seldom saw her sadness, but I did and it touched me in a way that I did not understand until I saw that picture on that waiting child list. I knew at that moment that this was what had been in my heart from the moment I was old enough to love. Lizzie’s journey has not been an easy one but it has been a journey that has grown our family and our hearts. In the months before she came home, we talked a lot about her hands and feet. We researched and discussed treatment and surgeries. We met with doctors and talked about what she might be facing in the future. The funny thing is, her hands and feet are (right now) such a non-issue. Her clubfoot treatment was longer than we anticipated but Lizzie proved to us how strong and determined she is and made what would have bedridden most adults, look easy. She breezed through her hand surgeries and left little doubt of her remarkable resilience – especially when waking up from the anesthesia, she wacked the anesthesiologist so hard she broke her cast!! That’s our Lizzie May!! What has been more difficult for us right now and more of an issue has been her recovery from spending the first 2 years of her life in an orphanage. Getting her through that has been a slow and ongoing process. It has also, however, been such a privilege to witness and something that I have no doubt, our family was destined to do and was handpicked for. I think this journey has grown our hearts to include our sweet Lizzie but it has also grown our hearts for each other and that is something that I will forever be thankful for. Some people say that Lizzie is such a lucky little girl but I know how lucky we are and how much Lizzie has blessed our lives. So now, because of my children and my amazing husband, I look forward to the future with a larger heart and a greater capacity for love and I can’t wait to see what is next for us. I hope that anyone thinking about growing their family will think about adoption (and in particular special needs adoption) and know that it will certainly change a child’s life for the better but it will also change yours in so many unexpected and beautiful ways. A tribute to my brother and my daughter!!!


Lizzie and her favorite pink polish, waiting patiently for it to dry!! Isn't she gorgeous?????

Remember this post????

Re-advocating for this special little girl

I was asked by Lynn at WACAP to please re post about this beautiful little girl in the hopes that she can find a family soon. It is so great to know that wonderful agencies like WACAP truly care about the children that are entrusted to them. Thank you Lynn for being such an angel for these kids!! I was asked to re post about her and of course I will. Please pass the word about this very special soul!!

Girl, age 12, severe burns, speaks English, up to $9,750 grant/waivers, time running out
We need a family to adopt a talented 12-year-old orphan girl from Asia with severe facial and hand burns. Her situation would be greatly improved if she could be adopted soon. This girl has had successful surgery in the United States. According to her host family, she speaks English well. She is also a gifted sculptor and artist who likes to draw. She loves pets and soccer. WACAP has waived its application fee for this child, so there is no financial obligation if you would like to ask for her photo and complete file. Up to $9,750 in grants and waivers are available to an eligible registered family who adopts her. Please feel free to forward this post, especially to families familiar with burn issues.
 She was found with a note indicating her birth date.
 She suffered severe facial and hand burns when she was 2 years old and was brought to the orphanage.
 She cried out for her mother at first but then adjusted to orphanage life.
 She speaks clearly, likes to sing, and has normal development and a good memory.
 She has an outgoing personality and gets along well with others.
 She can draw very well and is artistic, sculpting very fine characters with dough.
 She uses her hands well and cleans very efficiently.
 She is recovering well after her second plastic surgery (completed in the U.S.).
 Her U.S. host family reports that she speaks English well.
 There is a $4,000 Promise Child grant available to eligible registered families for this adoption.
 Please ask about a possible additional fee waiver of up to $5,000.
 The application fee of $250 has been waived.
 The pre-approval fee of $500 has been waived.
 Married couples please ask about a possible exemption from a requirement (determined on a case by case basis).
 YD.0297.16195.01
WACAP (www.wacap.org) is a non-profit adoption agency. Please contact FamilyFinders@wacap.org or 1-800-732-1887 for additional information and to see her photo. There is no fee involved to see her file and photo.

Well it looks like this special little girl has found her family!!!
I just love hearing happy endings like this one and thought I would share!!!

Boys Just Love to Flip

Two of the boys and I spent the day and night with my folks. My Dad's health is deteriorating rapidly and it has been very hard on my Mom lately. My wonderful hubby took the girls home with him (our eldest was spending the night with a friend) and the other 2 boys and I got to hang with JuJu and help with GaDa!! As I watched the boys swim (cause JuJu's house comes complete with a pool and candy), I thought I would try to get some pics of them as they swam. The boys really got into it and we ended up having a great time just trying to get some cool shots. I did get soaked but we did get some pretty neat shots, especially for MY camera:) Have I mentioned that I would like a nicer camera??? These were all taken on the "sports" mode - even the butterfly!!

Boys love to flip



>


and to cannonball




and to dive






and apparently walk on water - this one was taken a night and didn't look as good but it sure does look like Charlie is walking on water!!!



and I just couldn't resist the butterfly!




It was a wonderful and difficult time and I was so glad to be able to be there for my parents. The beautiful man that I was smart enough to marry sent me this before I went to my parents' and I just had to post it. It is wonderfully done and worth watching and can help to remind you of those things in life that matter the most and what is important, even when it wasn't always perfect.

My Bottom is Really Stinky!!

Not mine, but apparently my precious daughter's!! I guess you could say that this is a complimentary post to all the "Big Girl Pants" posts on here lately. We really aren't obsessed with bottoms around here but we have just completed not one but two successful potty trainings (at the same time, I might add) and we do have 4 of the male (alien) species living amoung us, soooo.... We end up with big BOY pants on pretty little girl bottoms AND songs like this from pretty little girl mouths!!! Oh my!!