Because some days are random

I just sat here for 20 minutes listening to my two little boys in their beds yelling, "Go Buckeyes" at each other. For 20 minutes! I had to laugh. And then I had to turn down the monitor. Turner is totally a sport lover already and Quinn, well, he just loves whatever everyone else loves. So today, he loves the Buckeyes.

This has been the barfingest week and our house, and I'm ready to move on.

I did the adoption webcast last night and it just re-confirms my philosophy of life... perfection is over rated. I'm REALLY glad that I didn't spend *too much time* preparing because I was on the phone for about 5 minutes and NOBODY asked me any questions. Maybe if I had planned, my story would have been much more riveting, begging people to ask for more. Probably not. So, I'll just keep sliding by in life.

Steve and I are going on a date tonight, thanks to our church that is offering FREE BABYSITTING to anyone. I'm anyone, so I qualify. 6-midnight. Sounds great, right? Except my kids go to bed between 7:30 and 8pm and we might get crazy tonight and not even pick them up until 8. Looks like we're gonna paint the town red!

I'm getting my hair cut at a fancy-shmancy salon tomorrow morning. My girl, Aimee, is still doing it but she can't come to my house, so I get to go and be pampered. Don't be too jealous, I have to take O with me. It's gonna be hard to enjoy the surroundings with a 3 year old who will most likely cry when I go to the shampoo bowl.

Just a few more days until Thanksgiving... and I can't wait. I'm breaking my own cardinal rule of THOU SHALL NOT PUT UP YOUR CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS UNTIL THE WEEKEND AFTER THANKSGIVING
this year. Since we'll be gone that weekend, I hate to wait a whole other week, so I'm doing it early instead of late. If I'm gonna break my back "redecorating" we're gonna enjoy it, by golly.

Hope your Friday isn't so random.
Go Buckeyes!

It's my story and I'm stickin to it

It's kind of weird but tomorrow night our adoption agency has asked me and Steve to be on a webcast where potential adoptive parents can call in, here our story and ask us questions. In some ways I'm kind of looking forward to it (even if it IS right in the middle of Survivor!) and in other ways I don't really know what to say.

In fact, I just looked across the room where Quinn was playing with his cars. (He SHOULD still be taking a nap, but that's for a different post.) He was telling me that Olivia and Turner are sleeping. He just held up his shoe and said, "MY shoe!" He jabbers on ALL DAY LONG in English. He even loves our dog (and he *might* be the only one in this family who does.) When he first arrived he screamed bloody murder at the sight of him. He has a funny little dance he does to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star that he must have learned at the orphanage, because he didn't learn that from me. He is my little boy and he is full of contradictions and delights rounded out by a few annoying traits. As I took it all in just now and thought about that call, I got a bit overwhelmed with what the heck will I share to people contemplating adoption?

We didn't adopt because of infertility. We didn't adopt because we have this righteous cause for saving orphans. We didn't adopt because we had extra money we didn't know what to do with. We didn't adopt because we wanted more kids. We didn't adopt because its the sexy new cause. We adopted because God told us to. And for some people, that's weird as heck.

Our experience was unbelievably amazing. We got a great kid with so few "issues" that I'm STILL waiting for the other shoe to drop. He has a new and improved smile and was a trooper through it all. In a heart beat I'd do it all over again. But that's not always the case with adoption for the kids or the family. I don't believe adoption is the right thing for everyone. I can't promise it will be easy and blessed and a joy.

So, I'm still trying to figure out what to tell these people. I guess I'll just go with our story and let that tell itself. It is SO good to reflect on the blessing of the past year! Because sometimes it gets lost in the day to day.

Home sweet home

I'm doing something this morning that I'm not very used to, or very good at for that matter. I'm spending a quiet morning at home with the boys. Last night we were hosting our small group from church where we hire some college students to babysit the 9 kids that attend. The group was just wrapping up when Olivia came downstairs and announced, "Quinn just threw up."

Great! Naturally, I was concerned about Quinn (he hasn't spent a day sick since he arrived home, and I even include the day of surgery and the day after) but I'll go ahead and admit it, I may have been even more concerned for myself. Did I just catapult into the role of *that mom* who has the barfing kid that launches barf fest '09 throughout my group of friends!? "I swear I didn't know he was sick before having all of your sweet little ones in his midst and sucking on his toys for the past 2 hours... sorry."

The 2am wake up call with a son raging a 103.8 degree fever. Crap, I TOTALLY am that mom. Although it was sweetly pathetic to hold a human inferno from 2-3am, selfishness was intermingled with selfless compassion. Thoughts of "Who did this while he was in the orphanage?" ran through my mind followed close behind, "Guess I won't be going to Pilates in the morning, or that really fun birthday party for our friend Sophie tomorrow."

So here I am, thinking "Gosh, I'd just now be doing my leg workout at Pilates right now" as the clock hits 10am (and I have rather mixed emotions on the subject) but realizing its just kind of good to have a quiet morning with the boys, playing with their toys, watching Sesame Street as I clean my house and am not rushing here and there. Is this what *normal* stay at home moms do? Hmmm... maybe there is something to this whole stay at home part that I should practice more often.

PS. as an added bonus of staying around the house this morning, Turner tinkled on the potty for the first time ever! He was pointing at his diaper and mentioned his bum, so I asked him if he wanted to sit on the potty. He said, UH HUH and the rest is history. I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle that one yet but the dawn is on the horizon.

House for Sale

Steve and I were packing our kids up to head over to some friends' for dinner last night around 5:15. I poked my head out the front door to see what the temperature was and this is what I saw.

I had looked out the window five minutes before and there was nothing. But when I popped out this time there were 8 cop cars, a canine unit and an ambulance. Okay, that was not normal.

A couple was walking their dogs and I stopped to ask what was up. They said a man had threatened his girlfriend with a gun one street over. I asked them to describe the house. It's the one that is across our alley and our garage backs up to theirs.
Within the next 5 minutes, most of our neighbors were out and about trying to figure out what was really going on. Our next door neighbor went to take a closer look and got shooed back into his house by an officer with a shotgun. Okay, really not good.

It became pretty clear real quick that we were going to be late, at best, for our dinner. So I phoned my friend, told her to turn on the news and see what was going on. I called back 15 minutes later when it became apparent that this thing was not going to be settled in the next 20 minutes. In fact, our alley, the street and pretty much the whole neighborhood was shut down. No one allowed in or out.

It was gorgeous weather for the middle of November so I sat in our window with it open and watched it all unfold. Within the next 30 minutes the news crews showed up and 45 minutes later the Dayton SWAT team showed up. I could hear an officer on a bull horn telling the man inside to lay down his weapon, turn on a light to let them know he was alright. I continued to listen to that same message for the next 2 hours. They also informed him they were not leaving until they talked to him.

Meanwhile, the wife/girlfriend who reported the whole thing was standing with the cops across the street from my window. We know her. She had a kitchen fire not even a month and a half ago. The kids and I were coming home after picking O up from school. We went to see if we could help. I ended up praying for her and later gave her some gift cards to some restaurants while their kitchen was out of commission. And now this; being threatened with a gun. I can't even imagine.

Because we had planned to be at our friends' house for dinner the kids got PB&J's and chips. Steve and I had nothing. I never felt like our family was in immediate danger, but I did find my knees knocking at points (like when the SWAT team arrived). I was nervous that we would hear gun shots and they would carry our neighbor/others out dead. I could explain all this other activity as the police trying to help a sick neighbor, but I didn't know how I would explain gun shots and body bags.

FINALLY 7:00 rolled around (thank God) and it was bath/bedtime. I just wanted to get the kids in bed in case this continued well into the night. I have to say because the weather was nice, it was like a stinkin' block party around here. What's with that? A bunch of boring Ohioans who don't get much excitement? Seriously, there were neighbors huddled together with wine glasses and snacks. As for me, I just sat at my perch in my window and talked with them from the comfort and safety of my own home thankyouverymuch.

Don't you know that as we were getting the kids to bed, all the cops left. By the time we got back downstairs all of the excitement was over. Just like that. I called one of our neighbors to find out what happened. She said that after all that the police decided he was not a threat, broke no laws and no longer posed danger to the neighborhood. So they left. With the crazy man with a gun IN HIS HOUSE RIGHT NEXT TO MINE. The news at 11 said he will be charged with a misdemeanor of inducing panic.

While I'm glad to say it ended peacefully, I have to say I'm not exactly thrilled that as I write this there is a crazy guy next door!

How about you? What did you do with YOUR Friday night?

The good, the bad and the talented

The good? Who else... our little trooper is healing up nicely from surgery. The bruising on his face is nearly gone. It's now just kind of a greenish hue running down the side of his face. Lovely. We go in two weeks to get the tube inside of his nostril removed. Can't wait. It remains to be a boogery, bloody mess. Gag.

Quinn continues to be a delight, although he does love to do whatever anyone else next to him is doing. So if that said someone is throwing a fit, then by golly, Quinn's gonna match it, and raise you a double. That's the kind of week its been at my house. A hair raising, whiny good time!

But one cute thing the boys started doing this week was making funny faces. They get a laugh and they know they are funny. This picture is Quinn just coming out of his funny face (he likes to squint his left eye, thus the half squint.)
And its a good thing Turner found something cute to start doing this week, because other than "Make a funny face, Turner" its been non stop, "Stop hitting, Turner." "No, Turner." "Time out, Turner." "Do you want a consequence, Turner?"

Can't you just see it in those eyes? I'm pretty sure he's plotting pure evil in this picture. In fact this week he has decided he will no longer wear socks. It was a 20 minute power struggle as we were getting ready to head out to the Y this morning.

In one of my finer parenting moments I *might* have gone into the other room and used the F word. Not sure when the last time I dropped an F bomb out loud was. Seriously, I'm not proud of this but I figured that was a better route than bodily harm. Do you think someone at our house is full on into the terrible two's?! (Hey, I was talking about Turner!)
My daughter, who you may mistake for Hannah Montana in this photo (don't ask), on the other hand has turned into a dream boat.

My very own little miss lippy from two weeks ago had a break through moment the other day. She and her brothers were going to the park with Steve. It was cold outside so I said she needed to wear her winter coat. Here was her response, "I don't really like wearing that coat, but I'll say okay." And SHE DID. What the...??? She got an automatic congratulation prize for that.
She's also been a great helper recently.

Here are the two of us "couponing." She didn't get real ones, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her, right?
In one short week she learned to draw and to snap. Thank you Dayton Public. This is O with her self portrait. The fingers are a bit spooky, but the detailing on the dress is superb.
Since I went ahead and admitted a personal failure, is it okay if a brag for a short moment too?

Steve and I went out on a date last night and we put a major dent in our Christmas shopping. We got some awesome deals and are more than 1/2 way done. After that, we went for some Indian food. We always have an in depth conversation on where to eat without the kids... then we almost always end up at an Indian restaurant. I ordered Indian hot. Living on the edge, what can I say.

I also bought nearly all of my stocking stuffers this week. FYI, I don't know about your Target, but our Target has TONS of Princess and Hello Kitty stuff in their $1 section. I HIGHLY advise getting there soon if you have a little girl in your life who loves all things pink, sparkly and Disney. Santa's not getting caught with his pants down this year!!!

That's it from here. May the rest of your day be fun and family friendly. Wish me luck as I try and do the same.

It just doesn't add up

I've said it before and I'll most definitely say it again... I have some organizational *challenges* in life. And as of late, things are falling through the cracks left and right. If you are among the dozen or so friends who have asked me to do something lately (Stacie, sorry about that babysitting list. Susie, sorry about that 360 form) and I have TOTALLY forgotten, accept this as my public apology. It's not you, it's me.

I would blame it on my stage of life. On three little kids who literally suck the life out of me leaving me little energy at the end of the day to do little else but lie comatose in front of the idiot box. I'd blame it on 14 other things going on in my life, but the truth of the matter is, I've always had great intentions but my follow through, well, it just kinda sucks. Am I chalking it up to, "That's the way I am and I'll never change"? I don't think so. There is nothing more I'd love to do than transform into a type A, perfectionistic kind of person. But instead, we're stuck with lazy me who is *trying* to shape up.

So, why is it then, that I LOVE to do laundry??? It just doesn't make sense based on who I am. Is that not the weirdest, most go-against-the-grain kind of thing you've ever heard? I mean, probably your most reliable type A kinda gal wouldn't say she *loves* to do laundry. She may tell you her system, show you her chore chart and come hell or high water, her family will have clean undies to wear. But as for me, laundry is a bit of a release. And I'm embarrassed to say, I love it.

Maybe its because so little actually gets done, finished, accomplished in my life. Maybe its because I have so much yummy smelling laundry detergent stockpiled from my couponing/CVSing and I feel the urge to use it all. Maybe its the folding. Oh, I love the folding and the sorting part of it all. I love to fill up my little wicker basket and have it all neatly piled (God forbid one of the kids TOUCH my folded laundry.) Wrath have no furry like a woman whose had her clean laundry messed with. Maybe its that when I'm done with the load or two for the day there is an empty basket on the floor ready to be re-filled. And for those 3 hours before something makes its way into the empty basket, it makes me feel good. Really good.

Maybe I'm just a complete nut job who is in need of a hobby and some friends. Don't know. Don't want to know. Because all I know right now is, laundry makes me happy. And if laundry is my current lot in life, I may as well be happy with it.

As for you, Stacie and Susie, you'll get your list and your form... someday! But right now, I've got to go put a load from the washer to the dryer... ahhhhhh.....

W.O.R.D. Up!

So, I've included some pictures of the kids that really have nothing to do with this post, nor really have/need any explaination. So enjoy the kids and please put up with my drivel- I really need you today.

Things around here have been ridiculously good. In light of a kid who is a week out of surgery, things are business as usual. Loud. Fighting. Whining. Crying. Laughing. Singing. Eating. Stuff like that.
As for Quinn's lip... amazing. Even with all the swelling, bruising, crusty blood and boogers, he looks amazing! (Spoken like a true mama, cuz right now he's got a nose situation only a mama would think looks amazing.) I will post pictures when he is more pleasant to look at. Until then, take my word for it. This kid continues to be a walking, giggling, talking miracle.

Speaking of talking; both boys are amazing me with their linguistic skills as of late. I know I'll soon regret this statement, but it has been SO fun recently to have both boys increase their vocabulary. Turner just this morning held up his cup and declared, "Milk!" I know that shouldn't be news worthy, the kid IS nearly 2. But he is a man of few words so when he declares milk, cookie, Baxter, movie, pumpkin or NO! it is fun for me.

And then there's Quinn. He is a virtual parrot and it annoys Olivia to no end. "Quit saying what I'm saying" is her mantra these days. I keep trying to explain to her that this is how Quinn is learning English. And boy is he picking it up! His favorite new phrase this week, "Thank you, Mama." EVERY TIME I give him something (and it doesn't matter what it is) he responds with a heart melting, "Thank you, Mama." I told Steve that Quinn is liable to be 300 lbs. soon because I'll give him whatever he wants to hear that (I *might* be a tad bit emotionally needy, I'm open to that.)

The only one who is not melting my heart these days is Olivia (with her words that is. She melts me in tons of other ways.) I've recently had to soap my finger and "wash her mouth out" twice. Please don't contact Social Services on me. Desperate times call for desperate measures. And I KNOW Super Nanny would not approve. But I've been at my wit's end with Miss lippy. I warned her. And then I followed through. Let's just say, she thinks twice now about sassing back.

Well, with all the words around here, its a wonder I've got anything left to say here. But really, this is the only place I get a word in edgewise. Thanks for the adult conversation, blogosphere. I appreciate the listening ear.