"I'm energizing my undies!"
How can you NOT smile when you hear that in another room? A certain 6 year old needed new briefs...his mom couldn't resist when she spied Spiderman undies that GLOW-IN-THE-DARK. What boy wouldn't want THOSE?!
Apparently, they work best if you hold them up to a light source before trying them on. Too funny!
My second favorite quote of the day? "You're the BEST mom ever!" :-)
1.08.2010
Adoption Fundraising
Wow! You guys have some great ideas! I've spent the last 24 hours busily dialoguing with my business partner (go to www.WellSaidCom.com) and we believe we may have landed on a fabulously delicious idea. We can't WAIT to tell you all about it! But first we must flesh out the plan, work out the kinks, and then use our communication magic on how we share the concept. We'll need help from all of you to make it happen, BUT it will be SO worth it when our friends ransom two beautiful girls and bring them home.
Would you ask God to open your heart to what's coming? And enjoy the suspense!
Would you ask God to open your heart to what's coming? And enjoy the suspense!
1.07.2010
How 'Bout This One?
(Just keepin' it real, my dear wife. Not everything in this house is the "smell of homemade love.")
J. is taking one child to the doctor. I'm home with one napping, and the sicky watching a video in his bed.
I just saw something AMAZING!
Pictures of the city in which our daughter was likely born and of the Social Welfare Institute (orphanage) in which she spent her first two years. AND a picture of the hospital she likely went to for treatments. wow.
We are in a "Yahoo Group" with others who have adopted from the same Welfare Institute. One two-time adoptive mom of Chinese daughters took her daughters back to China on a "Heritage Tour" last April. One of her daughters was from the same place our daughter is, and they arranged for them to visit. That's how she got the pictures. In an email to me she noted that the numbers in the orphanage were less compared to several years ago. "Only 70."
Only 70. At this one Social Welfare Institute in the HUGE country of China. 70. And this orphanage was quite a bit smaller than the other one she visited for her older daughter.
A few things struck me as I watched the slide show:
1) These (mostly) girls are clearly loved by the SWI director and the staff. We perceived that when we met them on "Gotcha Day." The brief glimpses and interactions we've had consistently reinforce this point.
2) All those little faces. They looked well-cared for, but no where near as radiant as M. now looks.
3) All those little faces. M.s's would have been among them just 17 months ago. She was THERE. Likely in THAT hospital. In THAT hallway. In THAT crib-room. In THAT courtyard.
4) The orphanage is on the third floor of the building. I believe they all went down three flights of stairs to ever go outside. From what I see in these pics and from what I've seen in others, it seems that there's a courtyard with a small bit of grass and some bushes and a tree. No visible "play scape" or anything one would normally associate with a preschool or child-care center in the US. Understandable. They are in the midst of a city, but....I wonder how often these kids actually get outside?
5) She had some great shots of the drive to the city and inside the city. Rice Paddies with high rise apartment buildings in the background. Cars and Mopeds and a woman pulling a HUGE cart by hand. First world meets third world. Common sights to us in our limited China experience.
6) Were any of the people in the street related to our daughter? Unlikely. But you do wonder.
7) What will M. think when she's older and looks at these pictures? What (if anything)does she remember now?
8) and finally--what will my wife say, when she finds out I've seen all these pictures and even blogged on them before her? :-)))
J. is taking one child to the doctor. I'm home with one napping, and the sicky watching a video in his bed.
I just saw something AMAZING!
Pictures of the city in which our daughter was likely born and of the Social Welfare Institute (orphanage) in which she spent her first two years. AND a picture of the hospital she likely went to for treatments. wow.
We are in a "Yahoo Group" with others who have adopted from the same Welfare Institute. One two-time adoptive mom of Chinese daughters took her daughters back to China on a "Heritage Tour" last April. One of her daughters was from the same place our daughter is, and they arranged for them to visit. That's how she got the pictures. In an email to me she noted that the numbers in the orphanage were less compared to several years ago. "Only 70."
Only 70. At this one Social Welfare Institute in the HUGE country of China. 70. And this orphanage was quite a bit smaller than the other one she visited for her older daughter.
A few things struck me as I watched the slide show:
1) These (mostly) girls are clearly loved by the SWI director and the staff. We perceived that when we met them on "Gotcha Day." The brief glimpses and interactions we've had consistently reinforce this point.
2) All those little faces. They looked well-cared for, but no where near as radiant as M. now looks.
3) All those little faces. M.s's would have been among them just 17 months ago. She was THERE. Likely in THAT hospital. In THAT hallway. In THAT crib-room. In THAT courtyard.
4) The orphanage is on the third floor of the building. I believe they all went down three flights of stairs to ever go outside. From what I see in these pics and from what I've seen in others, it seems that there's a courtyard with a small bit of grass and some bushes and a tree. No visible "play scape" or anything one would normally associate with a preschool or child-care center in the US. Understandable. They are in the midst of a city, but....I wonder how often these kids actually get outside?
5) She had some great shots of the drive to the city and inside the city. Rice Paddies with high rise apartment buildings in the background. Cars and Mopeds and a woman pulling a HUGE cart by hand. First world meets third world. Common sights to us in our limited China experience.
6) Were any of the people in the street related to our daughter? Unlikely. But you do wonder.
7) What will M. think when she's older and looks at these pictures? What (if anything)does she remember now?
8) and finally--what will my wife say, when she finds out I've seen all these pictures and even blogged on them before her? :-)))
Now THAT'S Sick!
I don't think that's the kind of post our friends and family care to read, dear husband.
SICK
Our middle son stayed home from school today. He was not feeling well at all. We thought maybe it would pass. It has not. My wife just reported that he's gotten sick all over the bedroom floor. Sorry, babe. But I have to say I'm really glad I'm not there right now.
Hopefully a) he'll have it out of his system before I get home. :-) and 2) will not pass the evil on to the rest of us.
Yes. I do feel slightly guilty for not being there......but not very. ewwwww.
Hang in there J. and J.
Hopefully a) he'll have it out of his system before I get home. :-) and 2) will not pass the evil on to the rest of us.
Yes. I do feel slightly guilty for not being there......but not very. ewwwww.
Hang in there J. and J.
Ideas, Anyone?
God is working in really big ways here in Connecticut to ransom his children around the world; He is moving more people in our church family to adopt.
I have two very special friends whom God has asked to open their home to a child in need. These women are truly amazing. Already moms to bio kids, their homes are busy and loud and full of love. They don't NEED another child. Yet, they're burdened by the knowledge that children wait in orphanages like M's...long hallways with room after sterile room of babies crying for something they can't even name....the love of a mom and dad.
These moms are going to be fantastic parents for two very blessed little girls.
BUT, they're going to need financial help to make the adoptions happen.
Randall and I so want to help them. I have some ideas brewing, but do any of you out there have ideas for how I can raise some financial support for them?
I have two very special friends whom God has asked to open their home to a child in need. These women are truly amazing. Already moms to bio kids, their homes are busy and loud and full of love. They don't NEED another child. Yet, they're burdened by the knowledge that children wait in orphanages like M's...long hallways with room after sterile room of babies crying for something they can't even name....the love of a mom and dad.
These moms are going to be fantastic parents for two very blessed little girls.
BUT, they're going to need financial help to make the adoptions happen.
Randall and I so want to help them. I have some ideas brewing, but do any of you out there have ideas for how I can raise some financial support for them?
1.06.2010
A Little Glimpse
M was adopted at almost three years old. We have no idea how much or how little she remembers. Because of her delay in expressing herself in English, we just parent her with as much love and grace as we can muster.
Today M and I were baking. I know, there I go again with the food. But seriously, want to bond with a child? Bake something.
While we bake, we talk life. Today I began by talking about baking with the boys when they were little and licking the whisks and such. Then I told her how I only had BOYS and no little girl to love. I told her how very much I wanted a little girl to love. And then I said, "And way across the world was a little girl who wanted a mommy to love. God knew we needed each other."
M looked up at me and very quietly but unmistakably said, "I lonely China."
"You were lonely in China?" I repeated.
She nodded as though lost in a dream world. I asked, "What did you do?"
She smiled and said, "Momma come!" Then she leaned over and hugged me, messy hands and all.
This, friends, is why adoption is so very, very important and so very, very life-changing. Please, pray about how you can help God's children.
1.05.2010
A Little Bit of Heaven
Don't they just take your breath away? My husband laughed quite loudly when I told him I couldn't WAIT for the sun to shine just right so that I could take a picture of my favorite Christmas present. This morning, out it popped and I burst into song. My daughter is now used to this habit. When full of joy, ridiculous lyrics come out of my mouth. Just ask my children about the banana song.
There are so many canister sets in the world. Modern, folk, retro, country. But for so many, the true beauty is covered. I wanted glass. Steal-your-heart, see through glass. That way I can gaze at the texture of the oatmeal, the soft, silky wonder of the flour, the sweet sprinkles of sugar.
Each time I look at these jars, I see the possibilities. Will today be a french baguette day? A scone day? A maple cinnamon roll day? Only the jars know. They call me. There I'll be in my kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee or digging through the mounds of paper that come home from school and they'll begin whispering my name. One glance and I'm lost. I'm in my baking dream world.
My husband doesn't get it. Most people don't get it. But I'm ok with that. It's a secret life I share with few. But when my family comes home to the smell of homemade love, they can't help but be thankful that mom is just a little off her rocker. This kind of insanity sure tastes good!
Cute Question
I (dad) was snuggling in bed with G. this morning, taking turns wiggling his newly loosened tooth. He put his head on my chest and asked me if I'd lost all of my baby teeth yet. :-)
1.04.2010
Are you SERIOUS?!
What kind of sick joke is it to have a 90 minute delay on the FIRST DAY BACK TO SCHOOL after vacation? Don't they KNOW how hard it is to get everyone back into the routine?!
:-)
:-)
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