Favorite Animals

Top 5 favorite Animals



MaryClare (4)

1. Horses

2. Unicorns

3. Ponies

4. Puppies

5. Sea Monkeys



Lainey (7)

1. Horses

2. Flamingos

3. Dogs

4. Rabbits

5. Ferrets


Luke (7)

1. Frogs

2. Lemurs

3. Monkeys

4. Fish

5. Bats


Ryan (10)

1. Peregrine falcon

2. Sea otter

3. Snow leopard

4. Seahorse

5. Leafy sea dragon


Jake (11)

1. Asian giant flying fox (it's a type of bat)

2. Great horned owl

3. Hammerhead shark

4. King cobra

5. Sparky

Do you Boo?

We do!

What the heck is 'Boo-ing?' you may be wondering. Well basically you make a little sack or two of treats and take the treats and a note like this to your neighbors. You place the treats and the note on the front door step then ring the bell or knock loudly then run and hide!

(scary faces)

We've been doing this in our neighborhood for a few years and our kids look forward to it every October. It's fun to walk the streets at night and hide in bushes giggling with your family.

I love my giant sink!

...And these girls do too! Yes, that's my 4 year old AND my 10mo. old in my kitchen sink!

Neighborhood Field Day

We live in a great neighborhood. There are about 60 homes and we have everything from empty nesters to newlyweds. Luckily, there are several kids my kids ages and as all the parents have gotten to know their familes we all feel comfortable letting them play at each others houses. All summer and every afternoon it is like grand central station around here. The phone ringing, door banging, dog barking... you know the drill.

We are the only homeschool family and our kids were bummed at the end of last school year when all of their buds were getting ready for field day. I always hated field day in school so it was hard for me to relate, but when Lee announced we would host a Woodland Forest Field Day I went along with it and got into the spirit.

First our kids picked some events. here's what they came up with:

1. water balloon toss

2. run around the neighborhood

3. hole digging

4. soccer ball goal kick

5. quick dash down the street

6. timed karate bag kicks

7. swim race

getting ready for the first event

They invited all the kids in the neighborhood. We ended up with way more than we thought and some came after the events had gotten underway.

They're off!

Lainey in the water balloon shotput

We also decided we'd have individual winners, an all-round winner and a sportsmanship award.

The kids were pumped and the big day arrived.

my neighbor handing out some refreshments

here goes Ryan

Head coach and Master of Ceremonies {note the whistle!}

The kids had SO much fun (so did Lee!) and lots of other parents came out to cheer. We had volunteers to do this again next summer, bigger and better! I have to say this was much better than the field days I remember at my schools. Heh.

D'uh!

Sara was having a fussy moment when Anne was here this weekend. {highly unusual, cause she is the easiest baby} and Anne said, "Aw, what's wrong Sara?"

Without missing a beat, MaryClare piped up. "She can't talk, Aunt Anne."

Anne felt pretty stupid. :)

Of course, this is the same four year old who was telling us earlier that we have two heads, our foreheads and our regular heads.

Happy Belated Earth Day!

I like the planet. I am very glad it is here.

I can conserve. I turn off the water when I am brushing my teeth and my kids frequently follow the 'if it's yellow let it mellow...' philosophy. Unfortunately, they sometimes forget the second part (if it' s brown, flush it down). We routinely dig through the dirty clothes for something to wear and thereby saving BOTH energy and water. We recycle.

However, the most important way I contribute to 'saving the earth' is in the area of battery conservation. You see, lots of things rely on battery power these days. Lots of annoying, lousd kids things. Our policy has always been that if the battery on a toy runs out ... oh well!

After several years of this policy implementation, I have decided to go even further and expand the concept. The toy I bought Sara yesterday has this little lightup keyboard section and when I put the whole thing together, I didn't put any batteries in it at all!

I realize this is decision is quite radical, but I think we will all adjust. I know that it in is the small sacrifices we make, that big things are accomplished.

I went out this afternoon to run a few errands. Lee was extra busy today so it was me + 6 vs. Old Navy, Target, Costco, Michael's and the library. You do the math.

I was optimistic as we pulled out of the driveway. Everyone had on clean clothes, the girls had their hair brushed and tamed into pigtails (so cute!) and I even had on make-up and some hip giant hoop earrings.

We hit Old Navy and I made the needed returns, got my money back and we were out of there in record time. Next on to Target and some more returns. I was waylaid by the damn dollar spot, but still we left Target in under an hour and with a bill under 100.00. Beat that!

We make it to Costco and it is slammed! Still, I get in and get my stuff. Same for the rest of the stores. I am a mom on a mission; to complete my quest and make it home for nap time.

Throughout the day we receive our normal number of amazed stares and typical comments. "Are they all yours?" etc... Some nice comments too like "You are so lucky!" I even see an old college friend at Costco and instead of avoiding eye contact and hiding behind a tower of paper towels, I engage and chat for minute.

This evening, my mission accomplished successfully, I relaxed on the couch nursing Sara. Luke, Lainey and MaryClare were playing nicely. I had just put together this bouncy jumper thing for Sara I had gotten at Target earlier today. (She is so strong and loves to stand!) I was enjoying watching them play with the box the toy was in.

Ah, they are so imaginative my children, look how sweet they are and playing so nicely together! I am such a great mom that they play and love so creatively!

I was not too surprised then when Luke jumped up on the couch with me and asked when we could have another baby.

Ah yes, siblings are wonderful aren't they? No jealous whiners in my house!

Smiling, I quizzed him some more about his request. Another girl? Or a baby brother next time? Heck, what about some more twins?

Giggling madly he replied. "Oh it doesn't matter, as long as we can get more boxes to play with!"

So apparently, new siblings are only worth the boxes they bring with them.

My mommy ego is now back to it's normal size, thankyouverymuch.

Unfortunately

funny meme: try typing your name and unfortunately into google and see what crazy things you have been up to:

Unfortunately, Tracy is not eligible to benefit from the reforms because of the date she was arrested.

Unfortunately, Tracy has been on the show before, and on that occasion he tried to stab Conan.

Unfortunately, Tracy didn't have her camera with her.

Unfortunately, Tracy makes it worse by crying about it, just like last year.

Unfortunately, Tracy was dogged by a not unusual demon of the gifted: booze.

The Office

Last week the kids used most of their free time to play office. I think Ryan started the trend. He set up a corner in his room with one of those plastic storage bins on wheels, an old cell phone, an old laptop bag that Lee got from one of his conventions and a chair. Soon, everyone was setting up their offices. They were staged mostly in the corners of the room. I guess they like the cubicle concept. Very cozy. However, Jake decided it wasn't big enough so later, he took over their dresser and bargained for an old keyboard a neighbor was throwing out. He is such the executive. For computers they have taken hardback books and then they lift up the cover, turn it sideways and pretend it's a laptop. The yellow octagon pattern block is the mouse of choice. We also made telephones from string and paper cups, but they did not last very long.

Ryan surprised me when he came into the playroom one afternoon dressed in his church clothes. He looked very handsome, his shirt was tucked in and he had a belt on. He had combed and slicked his hair! He announced he had an important meeting at the office. (!!) For the record, he still claims he wants to be either a priest, or a professional football player when he grows up for real. Jake is looking for a career in stand-up. Laine wants to be a cheerleader, but Luke and Mary Clare are undecided.

Is this Meez?

Pretty accurate this morning!




HT: Marjorie

Conversations

Ryan: I wish it wasn't illegal to marry your sister.

Me: Why?!

Ryan: I really want to marry Mary Clare, she is so cute. Oh well, since I can't marry her I guess I will be a priest.


............................................................


Me: Good morning Laine! Did you have a good night's sleep?

Laine: Yes. Is today tomorrow?

Finally Legal

Overheard

Me walking into the boys bedroom: Hey, where's Luke?

Lee: Oh, he's under the bed.

Voice from under the bed: no I'm not!

Next Generation

This was taken this summer at Lee's cousin's wedding. The kids include my 4 (the pasty ones) and their cousins. Will and Jack are Paul and Kim's twins. Paul is Lee's cousin and Kim is his wife. Kim was adopted from Korea and has graciously endured my pesty questions about being an interracial adoptee. The beautiful little girl on the bottom step is Isabelle. She is 5 and she is Alicia and Noe's daughter. Alicia is Lee's cousin. Alicia's dad (Lee's uncle) is from Chile and Noe is from Mexico.

On APC lately, race discussions have pretty much dominated the list. When we first decided to adopt, race just was a non-issue. I did talk with Kim and was able to get some insight on being an Asian American adoptee, but she is just one lady, as sweet as she is. Her reaction to the adoption was very positive and so for the next few months the inter-racial aspect of the adoption really was put further on the back burner. I was tucking this thought into the back of my mind; "Hey c'mon, I talked to Kim! She was adopted from Korea and look how great she turned out!" Yeah a kind of cop out I know, but we were pretty busy with the paperchase, then the move etc....

Now with all of this new time to kill waiting for the damn referral I guess I will reluctantly get my head out of my ass. I should start paying more attention to this issue and internally address the realities my daughter might encounter living as a Chinese adoptee. Thanks CCAA, like I need one more thing to obsess over. Great.

I understand that I do need to be more aware(?) of the ding dongs who might think less, or more, about my daughter because she is Chinese. What I am confused about though is exactly what I can actually do. Do I need to sit down with my kids (7,6, 3 and 3) and have a briefing or something on how to handle Racist Jerks who might dis their baby sister? That just doesn't seem authentic to me though. Honestly, I don't want us to become a a very special episode of Family Ties or something.

I think in the reality of our family they will all learn (Baby Smoosh included) to deal with the racism as they see us doing. And we will always talk openly with them when the questions and comments happen. Our social worker mentioned that we are already dealing with being Highly Visible Family and that is certainly a good thing we have going for us as an adoptive family (yay us!). She was referring, of course, to the fact that we have 4 small kids, including a set of the oh so adorable and coveted boy/girl twins.

We hadn't thought of it before, but we do have experience dealing with some highly personal public questions regarding our family status. We get plenty of looks (usually ranging from looks of pity to looks of admiration of which we feel very unworthy. the pity ones of course.) Strangers have asked me intimate details about my sex life and fertility, sometimes in loud and insistent tones. Usually though our encounters with the Curious Strangers are more harmless, just annoying. At times when we are approached by a CS, my wary and jaded older boys break into a set routine with sometimes deadpan delivery.

CS: Say there, what a big family you have.....(pause while we wait for the comic genius)........You must have your hands full!

Jake, answering for Mom: yes sir, full of love.

Ryan: My name is Ryan. I am 6. They are Luke and Lainey. They are twins. They are three years old. That is Jake he is 7. He is the oldest.

Jake: We are not twins. We are 14 months apart.

CS: So are the twins identical?

Ryan: No,man! Luke is a boy!

CS: Are you sure? Cause they look an awful lot alike.

Jake semi discretely rolls his eyes. Ryan not so discretely sighs and looks up at me.

Patient Mother, trying to herd her flock of cats through the crowded parking lot, in the rain: Yes, we are sure. Have a nice day!