Books!!!

So most of you know what a big animal lover I am and that a dog is something I will never live without!!  As a matter of fact the other day Charlie was suffering from his seasonal allergies and as he was sneezing himself silly (not hard for Charlie), he gave me his little look (you know the one they give you when they are trying to get a reaction out of you) and said, "What if I am allergic to dogs?" 

My reply:

"Well you better not be!"  "I would hate to have to get rid of you!"  Hehe!!!

That promptly wiped that look off of his face!!!  Ha!

Anyway, very often when I am looking for books to get for the kids, I find myself somehow in the doggie book section!  Imagine that!!!

I have found some truly awesome books and I thought I might share some of the heartwarming books we have collected.  My kids love to bring me these books to read to them because they know that every single time Mommie reads one of those books, she is going to cry!  It is as predictable as the rising and setting of the sun and they seem to take some sort of twisted pleasure at watching their dear sweet old mother boo hoo her way through these wonderful stories!  Waz up with that???  At least the girls will wipe my eyes.  All the boys do is take bets on how long it takes me to cry - "I bet she doesn't make it to page 3 today, no 2!!" 

I am constantly telling them that they are "out of the will" but they know what an empty threat that is!  Heh!

So anyway, silly boys aside, here is my list of fabulous, guaranteed to make your Momma cry, books!

First up is a wonderful little book entitled, Puppies for Sale by Dan Clark of the Chicken Soup fame.

This is a very moving book about a little boy who wants to buy a puppy.  He sees a sign that reads, "puppies for sale" and decides to ask to see them.  As the adorable pups come running in, the boy notices a smaller puppy who is lagging behind and limping.  The boy immediately tells the owner that he has found his puppy - that puppy.  The store owner tries to talk him out of it by telling the little boy that the pup is lame and will never be able to run and jump like other puppies.  With that, the little boy holds up his pants leg to reveal a brace.  This is usually the point at which your Momma (aka - me) will start to cry!  The little boy tells the store owner that he doesn't run and jump so good either and that the puppy needs someone who will understand!  Yikes!  Gets me every time!  Beautiful story!

Next is another really sweet book called, The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy by Jane Thayer.

This is the story of a little puppy who wanted to belong to a little boy.  He goes on some adventures during his search and just as he was about to give up, he finds a boy and then some!  The puppy ends up at the local "Home for Boys" and is adopted by not one little boy but 50 little boys and just in time for Christmas!  Very heartwarming story!

Next is a book that we found at the library.  It is entitled, Two Bobbies and is written by Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery.

Two Bobbies is a wonderful book about the plight of two best buddies, a dog named Bobbie and a cat named Bobbie.  The two friends were left and stranded after Hurricane Katrina and the book tells the true story of their survival and how incredibly strong their bond of friendship was and is!  This is a must read for any animal lover and I dare anyone to read it and not come away with a greater respect for these beautiful creatures.

The last one on my list is actually not about dogs - shocker I know!  It is a book called, Owen and Mezee.

It is the true story of an unlikely friendship between an abandoned baby hippo and a cranky old giant tortoise and it is wonderful.  There is even a website dedicated to Owen and Mezee, here.  This one doesn't make me cry as much as the others but it is a touching story nonetheless!

So, let me know what you think and if you have any books about animals that you really love or that really make you (or your momma) cry!!  hehe!

Wordless Wednesday

Apparently the best place in the house to watch TV?

Sunday Snapshot - I am tired...

and Labor Day weekend is not even over yet but boy has it been fun!  Our weekend started in the best way possible!  We met some wonderful new friends..

Sharon and I were "bloggy" friends but this weekend, we were able to actually meet and talk, really talk.  It is amazing how wonderful and reaffirming and just plain "good for the soul" it is to talk to another beautifully crazy adoptive Momma.  Sharon is such an amazing advocate for the precious waiting kids in China and I feel very privileged to have been able to meet her!

She and hubby, Marty are so sweet and funny and easy to talk to and their gorgeous daughters, Brinely and Bailey are full of energy and just down right beautiful!

We met at a spray and play park and the kids had a blast!

Boys!!!!! 

Sigh!!!!

Emmeline!!!

Double sigh!!!!

It really was a great place to meet and play!

As we were leaving Sharon told me that she had a little something for the girls! 

If you read my post, here you would know that the girls sleep in a girly room with a not so girly truck comforter that is a direct result of having 3 big brothers and no extra money!  BLEH!

Well, Sharon read that post too and what did she do????

She brought the girls a beautiful comforter with flowers and ladybugs and butterflies and all things girly!!!

To say the girls are thrilled with the new look in their room would be, well, I will just let them speak for themselves!

That was just the sweetest thing and I am so thankful to have been able to spend some time with my new "in real life" friend and her incredible family!

Thank you Sharon!

Tonight, we decided to invite the neighbors and light up the fire pit and make some s'mores.  After reading one of Stefanie's Sunday Snapshot, here, I could not stop thinking about s'mores!!!  I'll be thinking about ya in the morning girlfriend, when I can't button my pants!!  Hehe! 

It was worth it, though and the kids thank you!!

Well, there is one more day to the long weekend and I'm thinking that some sleeping in might be on tomorrow's schedule. 

Think the kids will go for it????

Yeah, didn't think so!!  Heh!

To join in on Stefanie's Sunday Snapshot just go here,

NOOOOOOO!!!!!

So, if you saw my post last week, Why???, you will remember that our wonderful 2nd son (it's always those 2nd children, isn't it??) loves to push the limits - his and mine!!!  Heh!  He has already had one CT scan and a couple of MRI's done thanks to a makeshift bike ramp and apparently Charlie's desire to um, FLY!!!!

Well, this week, his youngest sister (he has already corrupted his other sister - hehe) decided to try and be more "Charlie like" - YIKES!

In this one, you can hear the culprit in the background shouting, "that's what I did, that's what I did!"  Yeah, thanks for that, Charlie!!!

I really am beginning to believe that this is a conspiracy and that these children are anxious for their inheritance! 

Honestly guys, don't waster your energy!!  Hehe!

Do you remember when...

This...

just somehow magically turned into this...

and this...

and this....

Yeah.  Those were the days! 

Side note :  yep the bed with the construction trucks belongs to the girls (that's what happens when you have big brothers and parents with NO money - hehe) and yep Santa may have to bring them a pretty pink puppy spread (that's what happens when your mother decorator loves dogs) - or a Spiderman spread if Em gets to Santa first!!!  Heh!

A Box of Mints

Yep, a box of mints,

Apparently that is all it takes to cure my sweet Lizzie of the, "I don't want to go to school - I want to stay home with Momma" blues!!! 

Sigh, I am worth nothing more than a measly mint???  Hehe!  I'll take it!

Seriously though, I knew this was going to be hard.  I knew Lizzie would not understand why her sister gets to stay home with Momma and she has to go to school - every day!  How do you explain to a 4 year old that she has to go to school because she still needs speech therapy and occupational therapy and that her brother's school offers that for her - and that her sister doesn't go because she doesn't need all that stuff???

The funny thing is, this time with Em has really helped to get Em over whatever she was working through for well, most of the summer.  The time that Emmeline gets to spend with me in the mornings seems to have renewed her relationship with her sister.  However, Lizzie would beg to differ! 

Sweet Lizzie has worked so hard to feel confident in our love for her.  The bonding that occurred so quickly and so seemingly instantly was real but she has not yet been able to overcome the fear that one day I might be gone - too.  I know that she is 4 and that many 4 year olds go through the clingy, I want mommie stage and some days it is hard to separate the "normal" 4 year old angst from the "abandonment" 4 year old Lizzie angst, but mostly, this is different.  It is primal and it is at the core of her being. 

She knows that we love her and she knows that she is never going to leave us but deep down inside herself in a place where she looses all reason,  I am afraid that she fears we (mainly I) will leave her and that breaks my heart. 

We talk about China a lot.  We also talk about her birth parents.  Sometimes she is curious, other times she definitely is not.  She still wonders why she didn't grow inside my tummy and doesn't seem to be ready to recognize it and ask questions about it, about the tummy she did grow inside.  She can tell me that she didn't grow in my tummy but that she grew in my heart but she is just not ready to make her birth parents a part of her reality by asking questions about them - yet. 

So my Lizzie is sometimes a little bit clingy and sometimes a little bit fearful and really doesn't like me to be too far away from her for too long.  Some days, I cannot even go to the bathroom without my girl at the very least wondering where I am and many times she is parked right outside the bathroom door waiting for my return. 

It can be exhausting some days but I try to remind myself of her heart and that piece of it that I will never be able to repair. 

I know that this is what Em has been reacting to and I know this time apart for them has been good but I also know that being away from me has been hard for Lizzie, so if an Ice Breakers Mint makes it easier for my brave little girl to get out of my car and walk away from me, then so be it! 

Maybe I should stock up for when Lizzie is a teenager!!!  Hey, a momma can dream, can't she???

Friends

OK!  Too cute not to share!!! 



and some people say that animals don't have feelings!!  Shame:)