Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Stuff
Old Jow
K wrote a song titled Old Jow. He makes up his own music on the piano and I asked him to write this one down. This is what he came up with on his own.
He just finished reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Even I have never read it before. I guess that can be my next read.
Crazy Hair
How crazy can your hair get? I just laughed when Chris got up from laying down and I saw this. It looked cooler/funnier in person....just like a flame. Yeah, o.k. it's not that funny. But it was in real person. You'll just have to trust me.
Photoshop
Before
After
I can get really addicted to photo editing and be neglectful of other things. I must remember BALANCE.
Chewie
I'm realizing more and more that poor Chewie may actually not be overjoyed and thankful to be living with us after all.
Earlier today, L was working on this really cool cage for him. He spent quite a bit of time on it. He had a doorway, bedding, and food all ready for Chewie to enjoy. Somehow he got out of it and when I went to catch him he looked weird. REALLY weird, like he had swallowed a couple of eggs kind of weird. I freaked. I thought he was going to explode or something. I put him into his real cage and did an internet search. I found out that hamsters will stuff their cheeks with food if they think that they will not have access to it for a while. When I went to check up on him he looked normal again and sure enough I found a pile of his food that he had spit out, in the corner of his cage.
The poor guy was probably thinking it was a repeat of the last time he was trapped in a dark closet without food and water for 8 plus hours. Here I was thinking "oh cool, L made this house thingy for him and all" when in fact it was another one of his ploys to torture the poor thing.
This was the moment I realized and have come to accept that Chewie is really in survival mode and just trying to get through one day at a time.
Nursery
And I will relate our nursery experience from last Sunday. It was the worst I've ever experienced. All babies crying at the same time and at different times throughout the 2 hours. One kid booked it like he usually does. Upon his return he wanted his coloring page. When he didn't get it he started throwing hard plastic toys, cars, and even a chair. Who said working in the nursery was the easiest calling ever?Next week I'm bring my ammunition: Candy. Crying baby? Candy. Runaway child? No problem. We'll lure him back with Candy. Not Sharing? Here have some Candy. Not getting your way? Piece of Cake. I have just what you need.
*Sigh* I guess I need a real game plan.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Date Night ( last Saturday)
3 boys and 3 girls, It doesn't get cuter than this.
So the parents of these gals could go on a long overdue date without kids I offered to watch them. Besides Chris had big plans for the garage and it would be a perfect day to tend the girls. The kids played soccer, jumped on the tramp, and completely destroyed the house before settling down for a movie and treats.
Chris had been talking about organizing the garage and I was excited for him. I figured I'd help him by assisting with the clearing out of the garage and sweeping (the boys helped with this) and by having these ladies over for the boys to hang out with it kept them clear out of Dad's way. It worked out nicely.
BEFORE
AFTER
Friday, February 20, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
My experiences with Adoption......
are few but with a recent reminder of them, I decided to share.
Natsume
The first was when I was in Hiroshima, Japan as a missionary. My companion and I would go to the local orphanage once a week and play with the babies and toddlers. They were housed in a very large room, maybe half the size of a basketball court. There were lined up cribs and beds, an area for children to play, and rooms to quarantine sick kids. There were maybe around 10 babies and at least that many pre school age kids that were usually away in activities or school. Two of the orphans I remember vividly was one covered in eczema and how I felt so sorry for him and the second was Natsume. I was drawn to her and like many of the babies, they just wanted to be held. She was 9 months old and I would hold her every week.
Orphanages in Japan are kept secret. In fact, many Japanese people including some in my own family were unaware of them and in fact flat out denied the existence of them. Koji is the word for orphan. It is impolite to use that word. And many of the kids at the orphanage actually have parents who come to visit them but are unable to take them home for reasons such as financial or medical conditions. In fact I remember one day when the father of one of the little boys came to visit him and the little boy cried and cried when he left. I can't imagine the hurt that little boy was experiencing and I was pained for him. One of the workers patted his back while he lay crying, maybe even screaming.
Well, over the weeks of visiting the kids, I became quite attached to Natsume. I did manage to snap a picture of her before I was told that was a no, no. I may get a scanner soon to be able to share the picture. After my return to America I inquired of her. A friend who went back to inquire of her for me said that Natsume has parents and is not available for adoption. And that was the end of that. She would be around 9 years old today.
Baby Angel
Maybe a year after I met Natsume I met "baby Angel." My mom was watching the news one day and heard about this baby who was found next to a dumpster. Someone had heard crying and checked it out. He was just a newborn. Being a foster parent, my mom thought "I hope they call me to take him." A couple weeks later he was brought to our home. While the paper work was filled out, I held him, for 2 hours. I didn't move. He had a terrible diaper rash from not being bathed properly.
Every night I would get up to feed him. And we bonded quite well. In fact, when I left to return to school, he cried and cried that night. He was about 4 months old and my parents could not console him. This was the happiest, most grateful little thing. He NEVER cried. When he was hungry he grunted. Perhaps that night, since my parents weren't use to getting up in the middle of the night, they didn't hear the grunting noises that would wake me every time that signaled his hunger. I don't know. But I know babies are more aware than people give them credit for.
In fact he was left to respite care for a week while my mom and I traveled to Utah. When we picked him up, tears rolled down his face, no noise or wimpers, just free flowing tears. His hair was completely matted and tangled up. The lady was an older lady with health problems and apologized for not being able to pick him up. I was really, really sad and pretty sure he was upset with us.
He was adopted at 7 months by a family he fit right into. He weighed 27 lbs. at 7 months. His adoptive father was very tall and looked just like him. I think he was really happy and felt right at home with them when they picked him up from our house. His sister who was probably in her early 20s was absolutely gorgeous and the mother was a nurse. And I just felt really happy for him. I was lucky to be there (perhaps on break from school and I think Chris was with me). He would be around 8 years old today.
Moses
Was around 5 when we met him. He was one of a few siblings who my mom took in. He was smart, well behaved, quick to obey, and in fact sought to be loved therefore quick to please and impress. Chris absolutely adored this kid and talked often about adopting him. K was a toddler when I inquired about adopting Moses. However, the agency was adamant about keeping the siblings together. We were just students living in apartments and that was out of the question. They were finally adopted. (Moses would maybe 10 years old today).
LDS family Services
While an intern there, I had the opportunity to sit in the exchange of a child. The mother of this particular baby could not take care him. She already had one child, the older sibling. Words and gifts were shared in a short meeting between the mother and the adoptive parents before they went separate ways. I was the last to leave, shutting the door behind me to give the new parents a moment with their newborn.
The last thing I saw was the father break down in a silent burst of tears. I lost my breath. What a happy moment. And what a relief it must have been to finally be through all the stress and possibility of it not going through. I have no idea how long this couple waited for this moment. They weren't a young couple and I speculate it was not an easy process.
So there you have it. I'm obviously open to adopting in my life. I've never had the desire to adopt just to have more kids or to take in unwanted ones or a certain child of a certain ethnicity but I have had the desire to take in kids that have been in my life and that I have known for a while and have fallen for.
Natsume
The first was when I was in Hiroshima, Japan as a missionary. My companion and I would go to the local orphanage once a week and play with the babies and toddlers. They were housed in a very large room, maybe half the size of a basketball court. There were lined up cribs and beds, an area for children to play, and rooms to quarantine sick kids. There were maybe around 10 babies and at least that many pre school age kids that were usually away in activities or school. Two of the orphans I remember vividly was one covered in eczema and how I felt so sorry for him and the second was Natsume. I was drawn to her and like many of the babies, they just wanted to be held. She was 9 months old and I would hold her every week.
Orphanages in Japan are kept secret. In fact, many Japanese people including some in my own family were unaware of them and in fact flat out denied the existence of them. Koji is the word for orphan. It is impolite to use that word. And many of the kids at the orphanage actually have parents who come to visit them but are unable to take them home for reasons such as financial or medical conditions. In fact I remember one day when the father of one of the little boys came to visit him and the little boy cried and cried when he left. I can't imagine the hurt that little boy was experiencing and I was pained for him. One of the workers patted his back while he lay crying, maybe even screaming.
Well, over the weeks of visiting the kids, I became quite attached to Natsume. I did manage to snap a picture of her before I was told that was a no, no. I may get a scanner soon to be able to share the picture. After my return to America I inquired of her. A friend who went back to inquire of her for me said that Natsume has parents and is not available for adoption. And that was the end of that. She would be around 9 years old today.
Baby Angel
Maybe a year after I met Natsume I met "baby Angel." My mom was watching the news one day and heard about this baby who was found next to a dumpster. Someone had heard crying and checked it out. He was just a newborn. Being a foster parent, my mom thought "I hope they call me to take him." A couple weeks later he was brought to our home. While the paper work was filled out, I held him, for 2 hours. I didn't move. He had a terrible diaper rash from not being bathed properly.
Every night I would get up to feed him. And we bonded quite well. In fact, when I left to return to school, he cried and cried that night. He was about 4 months old and my parents could not console him. This was the happiest, most grateful little thing. He NEVER cried. When he was hungry he grunted. Perhaps that night, since my parents weren't use to getting up in the middle of the night, they didn't hear the grunting noises that would wake me every time that signaled his hunger. I don't know. But I know babies are more aware than people give them credit for.
In fact he was left to respite care for a week while my mom and I traveled to Utah. When we picked him up, tears rolled down his face, no noise or wimpers, just free flowing tears. His hair was completely matted and tangled up. The lady was an older lady with health problems and apologized for not being able to pick him up. I was really, really sad and pretty sure he was upset with us.
He was adopted at 7 months by a family he fit right into. He weighed 27 lbs. at 7 months. His adoptive father was very tall and looked just like him. I think he was really happy and felt right at home with them when they picked him up from our house. His sister who was probably in her early 20s was absolutely gorgeous and the mother was a nurse. And I just felt really happy for him. I was lucky to be there (perhaps on break from school and I think Chris was with me). He would be around 8 years old today.
Moses
Was around 5 when we met him. He was one of a few siblings who my mom took in. He was smart, well behaved, quick to obey, and in fact sought to be loved therefore quick to please and impress. Chris absolutely adored this kid and talked often about adopting him. K was a toddler when I inquired about adopting Moses. However, the agency was adamant about keeping the siblings together. We were just students living in apartments and that was out of the question. They were finally adopted. (Moses would maybe 10 years old today).
LDS family Services
While an intern there, I had the opportunity to sit in the exchange of a child. The mother of this particular baby could not take care him. She already had one child, the older sibling. Words and gifts were shared in a short meeting between the mother and the adoptive parents before they went separate ways. I was the last to leave, shutting the door behind me to give the new parents a moment with their newborn.
The last thing I saw was the father break down in a silent burst of tears. I lost my breath. What a happy moment. And what a relief it must have been to finally be through all the stress and possibility of it not going through. I have no idea how long this couple waited for this moment. They weren't a young couple and I speculate it was not an easy process.
So there you have it. I'm obviously open to adopting in my life. I've never had the desire to adopt just to have more kids or to take in unwanted ones or a certain child of a certain ethnicity but I have had the desire to take in kids that have been in my life and that I have known for a while and have fallen for.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Some things I love About My Boys
Chris gives amazing hugs and he doesn't hold them back. They're the kind of hugs that completely engulf me with warmth and make me feel safe. When he gets home, he loves for us to welcome him and he is known to have treats ready for us when we do. All of what I just mentioned I don't take for granted. I can't imagine my hubby coming home and not acknowledging us or the other way around, especially not exchanging those simple acts of love.
He's also very warm. It's instantaneous body heat whenever I want. Crawling into my sheets to be welcomed to toasty, comforting, relaxing heaven is soo, soo nice.
And what did he do when he got back from a long and dreary day from work? He joined us for K's Basketball game. He looked so weary and I offered him to stay home and relax. "But, I love being with my family," was his reply. I'm so lucky. Upon our return, the bedtime and winding down begins. Some people might head straight to the t.v. or something but Chris was so kind to clean up our after dinner mess.
K is reading a lot lately. He makes me so proud. He started reading a series called The Secrets of Droon.http://www.booksforkids-reviews.com/2008/09/secrets-of-droon-hidden-stairs-and.html There are tons and tons of books in this series. He flies through them. Tonight he read for 1 hr and 15 minutes. Granted, he does everything possible to avoid bedtime and I'm o.k. with him reading. I asked him about the books and his reply was "I love them!" He has such a good attention span and is a blessed little boy. One of his teachers said this about him "He is the perfect student and I wish I could clone him." I'm a proud mama. The best time to bond with him is when he's in bed and we can just chat without interruption. He loves this time and becomes the sweet little boy I know is in there.
L is my helper. When I'm cleaning up he is quick to do his part. Even when he was a teeny, tiny tot he preferred throwing out his own messy diaper. If I'm cleaning, he wants to help. Today he asked me if he could sweep the floor. When I clean the hamster's cage, he is right there to help. If I'm vacuuming and I ask him to pick things up, he is done in a jiffy. This isn't always the case. But, boy he is such fresh air in so many respects. There is so much more cajoling and coaxing not to mention drama with hmm, hmmm, I'm not mentioning names.
A is pure sugar. He is the sweetest little thing. He is my pleaser. And always wants to make sure I'm happy. If I ask him to do something and he says no and I respond with a sad face.....he can't have that....he'll be quick to do what I've asked. He looks at me and tells me "I love you" several times a day. He such a cuddly kid and I eat it up. I admire his agreeable personality and he just melts my heart.
Being able to affiliate with the aforementioned people is such a privilege. I have a lot more growing up to do but they've helped me to be a better person in so many ways. I've learned so much about love, showing love, and receiving it from being a wife and a mother.
I remember as a kid having such a hard time making Valentines and writing mushy stuff to my parents. I just couldn't do it unless it was in 3rd person. I know, I know, I'm a freak, Super freak. Not to mention I can't say "I love you" to anyone but Chris and my kids. I know, I know....Super freak, Super freak. But hey, I think there are people just like me out there. I'm not alone in this.
And even though I struggle to do this with certain people, I don't have any problems with my own little family, thank goodness. I also make sure to do it a lot (o.k. I can't help myself) and I'm hoping that my kids will feel comfortable saying "I love you" to us and others they love. The older boys are starting to get a little uncomfortable with the mushy stuff. K won't kiss me on the lips anymore but I'm pretty sure that is normal. (Chris doesn't like kissing the boys on the lips and only lets them kiss him on the cheek. I kiss my kids on the lips). In fact I remember seeing people my age still kissing their parents on the lips and I almost freaked, super freaked.
I thought I'd mention my family of orientation. My younger brother was my best friend for years. We were really close and were inseparable. Since I can remember I always looked up to my older brother and watched his back at my expense. Although we've all gone our separate ways we've always been friends and watch out for each other. It's not unusual that one calls another because of "premonition" and just wanting to make sure he/she is o.k. My parents are good, hard workers. My mom is the affectionate one and my dad is not at all. Although he was the one that would check up on us when we were sick. And I really like how he respects our privacy and doesn't push things on us.
O.K. I think I'm done tinkering with this post.
He's also very warm. It's instantaneous body heat whenever I want. Crawling into my sheets to be welcomed to toasty, comforting, relaxing heaven is soo, soo nice.
And what did he do when he got back from a long and dreary day from work? He joined us for K's Basketball game. He looked so weary and I offered him to stay home and relax. "But, I love being with my family," was his reply. I'm so lucky. Upon our return, the bedtime and winding down begins. Some people might head straight to the t.v. or something but Chris was so kind to clean up our after dinner mess.
K is reading a lot lately. He makes me so proud. He started reading a series called The Secrets of Droon.http://www.booksforkids-reviews.com/2008/09/secrets-of-droon-hidden-stairs-and.html There are tons and tons of books in this series. He flies through them. Tonight he read for 1 hr and 15 minutes. Granted, he does everything possible to avoid bedtime and I'm o.k. with him reading. I asked him about the books and his reply was "I love them!" He has such a good attention span and is a blessed little boy. One of his teachers said this about him "He is the perfect student and I wish I could clone him." I'm a proud mama. The best time to bond with him is when he's in bed and we can just chat without interruption. He loves this time and becomes the sweet little boy I know is in there.
L is my helper. When I'm cleaning up he is quick to do his part. Even when he was a teeny, tiny tot he preferred throwing out his own messy diaper. If I'm cleaning, he wants to help. Today he asked me if he could sweep the floor. When I clean the hamster's cage, he is right there to help. If I'm vacuuming and I ask him to pick things up, he is done in a jiffy. This isn't always the case. But, boy he is such fresh air in so many respects. There is so much more cajoling and coaxing not to mention drama with hmm, hmmm, I'm not mentioning names.
A is pure sugar. He is the sweetest little thing. He is my pleaser. And always wants to make sure I'm happy. If I ask him to do something and he says no and I respond with a sad face.....he can't have that....he'll be quick to do what I've asked. He looks at me and tells me "I love you" several times a day. He such a cuddly kid and I eat it up. I admire his agreeable personality and he just melts my heart.
Being able to affiliate with the aforementioned people is such a privilege. I have a lot more growing up to do but they've helped me to be a better person in so many ways. I've learned so much about love, showing love, and receiving it from being a wife and a mother.
I remember as a kid having such a hard time making Valentines and writing mushy stuff to my parents. I just couldn't do it unless it was in 3rd person. I know, I know, I'm a freak, Super freak. Not to mention I can't say "I love you" to anyone but Chris and my kids. I know, I know....Super freak, Super freak. But hey, I think there are people just like me out there. I'm not alone in this.
And even though I struggle to do this with certain people, I don't have any problems with my own little family, thank goodness. I also make sure to do it a lot (o.k. I can't help myself) and I'm hoping that my kids will feel comfortable saying "I love you" to us and others they love. The older boys are starting to get a little uncomfortable with the mushy stuff. K won't kiss me on the lips anymore but I'm pretty sure that is normal. (Chris doesn't like kissing the boys on the lips and only lets them kiss him on the cheek. I kiss my kids on the lips). In fact I remember seeing people my age still kissing their parents on the lips and I almost freaked, super freaked.
I thought I'd mention my family of orientation. My younger brother was my best friend for years. We were really close and were inseparable. Since I can remember I always looked up to my older brother and watched his back at my expense. Although we've all gone our separate ways we've always been friends and watch out for each other. It's not unusual that one calls another because of "premonition" and just wanting to make sure he/she is o.k. My parents are good, hard workers. My mom is the affectionate one and my dad is not at all. Although he was the one that would check up on us when we were sick. And I really like how he respects our privacy and doesn't push things on us.
O.K. I think I'm done tinkering with this post.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Friday, February 06, 2009
Some Songs....
that make me feel good, happy, alive, thoughtful, faster, motivated, feel like dancing, and can take me to La La land if I need to go. "Sexy Love" may be appalling to some of you but I really actually like it. It picks me up when I run. If there's a song you think I'd enjoy, let me know.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Play Group
This is one of the best things I got involved with this school year. Every Fridays the boys get together and play at a friend's house. It's a small group of boys but big enough to engage in play and enough that I host once a month. And also with K's busy schedule it covers the playing with friends part of his life that is important but hard to do with a busy schedule and not having a next door neighbor to conveniently play with. It's during L's preschool time and A's naptime so they don't have the "annoying" younger brothers to deal with. Here we are on a walk on our way home from picking L up.
For L, we call a friend to come over. I really want to have his friends over more regularly. It's so good for them.
A is content and so far hasn't really shown a need. He always has someone to play with anyways. He's very attached to us and flipped last Sunday when K gave a talk during primary and Chris and I left to go see it while someone sat with the nursery kids. I hope he grows out of it seeing that he'll start preschool in the Fall.
Chewie Incidences
Soon after we got our hamster, L woke up in the middle of the night extremely itchy. We soon discovered he was allergic to Chewie's bedding. We put it's cage in the downstairs shower and it's been there alot. We did figure out how to deal with the problem and L had been fine ever since. I change it's bedding every other to few days. His bedding now is shredded homework, mail, and ads.
L put Chewie in his running ball and then put him in a teeny tiny closet stuffed with books. It was there for hours until L remembered. Poor thing was starving amongst other things.
The next day L was holding the hamster, for a while, when Chewie bit his thumb and left a hole. Since then L has been a little leery.
I was doing laundry and forgot to close the stair gates while Chewie was in his ball. Chewie fell down the stairs.
Little A threw Chewie across the room while he was in his ball. I wasn't in the room but Chris witnessed it. I just heard the commotion afterward.
So far the hamster has been resilient; But, I don't know how much of us it can take. We do try to take care of it but sometimes things happen. It's definitely on the bottom of my list of priorities but nevertheless I do what I can.
L put Chewie in his running ball and then put him in a teeny tiny closet stuffed with books. It was there for hours until L remembered. Poor thing was starving amongst other things.
The next day L was holding the hamster, for a while, when Chewie bit his thumb and left a hole. Since then L has been a little leery.
I was doing laundry and forgot to close the stair gates while Chewie was in his ball. Chewie fell down the stairs.
Little A threw Chewie across the room while he was in his ball. I wasn't in the room but Chris witnessed it. I just heard the commotion afterward.
So far the hamster has been resilient; But, I don't know how much of us it can take. We do try to take care of it but sometimes things happen. It's definitely on the bottom of my list of priorities but nevertheless I do what I can.
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