High Waters

We have rain!! Beautiful, cool, rain!  It started last night on our way home from church and rained all night long.  So far we have had 1/2" inch. I know that is minuscule compared to what some of you get, but that is a big hallelujah when you've had about 2 inches total rain for the year!!! I couldn't drag myself out of bed this morning. My alarm went off at 5:30, and I heard the rain pitter patter on our porch's tin roof, and I just couldn't roll out. I just couldn't.  I tried.  Really.  I did roll over and shut off my alarm though. I made it that far.  Would you agree that there isn't anything better than listening to rain and snoozing?  It's gotta be one of my top ten gifts from God.  I know I could be happy in Seattle.

Today's high is predicted to be 55.  Two weeks ago we were nearly 100 after a record summer of 50+ days over 100 degree heat.   Due to this overnight "fluke" temperature, I haven't yet gotten down the kids' next size fall and winter clothes from the attic.  They all had to wear jeans in their closet that were left over from this early spring.  They are prepared should our disparaged and water ravished grounds become so overly saturated that flooding will shortly ensue...

Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry setting a new standard in jean attire this season.

Conversations with Doug

Buckle yourself down. Riveting...simply riveting...

(1)  Our conversation last Saturday as Doug was frying his eggs:
DOUG (as I'm walking into the kitchen):  Smell that green stuff.
ME:  What?
DOUG:  Would you smell that green stuff in the fridge?
ME:  What green stuff?
DOUG:  That salsa stuff.
ME:  You're talking about that green verde salsa that's been in the fridge since the beginning of summer?
DOUG:  I guess so.  See if it smells funny to you.
ME:  No.
Allow me to interrupt this tantilizing conversation for a little background.  Doug is constantly telling me he has a wonderful sniffer.  He can smell things that I simply cannot.  I admit that.  He has this super sensitive nose.  Annsley has it too.  He is continually asking "you cannot smell that????"  No, Dear, don't smell a thing...He can smell Andrei's dirty diaper the minute he walks in the door...he can smell a match that was lit three weeks ago...he can smell a feedlot from 100 miles away...I'm telling you has has a serious nose on the end of his face!  So, since he has this super smeller and I don't, I'm constantly amazed that he is asking me to smell things for him--whether it be his shoes, his shorts, or something out of the fridge.  In case you're wondering, the answer to his pleading is always "NO!" I'm thinking, if he's asking me to smell it, it must be bad, and if I can smell it, it means it's really, really bad. He's just using me for validation...
ME:  You didn't eat any of it did you? 
DOUG:  Yeah, I poured it on my eggs yesterday, but my stomach felt a little funny afterwards.
ME:  It's been opened for over 3 months in the fridge. 
DOUG:  It had white stuff on the top. Here, look...
ME:  (not looking) No thank you.  That's called mold.  M-O-L-D.  You shouldn't eat that. You actually ate that???
ANNSLEY:  Mom, Dad eats tortillas with mold on them. 
ME:  I know.  Don't let him feed that to you.
ANNSLEY:  Oh I don't.  It's gross. He tried, but I said NO WAY!
DOUG:  If you get it hot enough, it won't hurt you...

(2) I announced to Doug Andrei's new word for the day:
ME: Andrei said car today!
DOUG: He said car????
ME: Yes. He walked to Annsley's jeep, said "car" and got in.
DOUG: He really said car???
ME: Well, it was more like c-a-a-a. He sound like he's from Minnesota or something. You know, the East.
DOUG: Well, he really is from the East--way East...

(3) Doug's comment about roast and mashed potatoes:
ME:  Here, give Andrei a bite of those mashed potatoes.
ANDREI:  Uhmmmmm.  (Then he makes the sign for more.)
DOUG:  Looking at the roast left on Andrei's tray.  You like that?  This food reminds you of the old country doesn't it?? Yeah, those mashed potatoes too??
(Doug found out before we left Krasnoyarsk that the country Andrei's birth mother was from ate a lot of lamb.  Anytime we're eating meat that Doug doesn't care for (aka: roast) he looks at Andrei and makes some comment about it being from the "old country."  Quite frankly, I can't understand the connection between the food and the native country.  It just reminds me of two very old immigrants talking about the good old days....)

I know, you're thinking, "it can't get more astounding than that."  What can I say...conversation at it's best.

English Verbage??

My daughter Annsley has always been verbal.  She had something like 100 words in her vocabulary before she was two. Really, I don't know how many she had--could have been 50--could have been 200--I didn't actually count, but it was a lot.  She clearly articulated; we've always been able to understand her quite well from the beginning.  Now, in her ripe age of 7, she is moving on to literary conventions...

She has begun experimenting with the English language in rather creative ways this last week--and I can't credit "school" with it as we haven't even approached the subject.  Similes have begun to flow out of her mouth.  They don't always make sense, but I'm thinking we may have a national best selling author on our hands if she keeps it up! :)

Example #1:  "That was smarter than a cow on a bell."  (I know, it kinda makes you crinkle up your forehead thinking about it, but it was her first one recorded to date...)

Example #2:  "Mom, you are meaner than a crocodile on ice."  (She said this to me when I dished out some terrible injustice to her the other morning.  And, I have to hand it to her, while I've never seen a crocodile on ice and what he'd be doing on it in the first place has me scratching my own head, I do believe that a swampy, hot natured creature would be a bit miffed to find his behind on a subzero hunk of ice. We then had a moment about being respectful and making sure we exemplify Ephesians 4:29.)

The last of Annsley's latest funnys involves powdered chocolate.  I'm not a fan; they have too much sugar; I dread driving the grocery cart down the coffee aisle because they inveritably spy the Nestle Quick and beg--I mean BEG- for me to get some for them.  I refuse.  Last week I relented.  I decided to use chocolate milk as an incentive for staying in bed once we turn out the lights.  (I blame the sharing of a room and bunk beds as this was never an issue before.) We've had one heck of a time with them, one at a time, tattling on what the other one is doing--or Kennedi coming out just to show us her muscles--.  So, I bought Ovaltine the other night and promised the girls if they stayed in their room and didn't talk, they could have chocolate milk in the morning for breakfast.  They were just giddy.  Then Annsley asked if I bought Quick.  I told her I found something better with less sugar (even less sugar than Quick's 25% less sugar package).  It's called Ovaltine, and  "you will l-o-o-o-v-e it!! It's been around for a long time.  It's so much healthier for you.  And I went into my prepared spill because I knew in their little minds that Quick was "where it was at."  As Annsley walked out of the kitchen, I heard her mumble, "With a name like Ovaltine, it can't be any good."  I have no idea where that came from. 

 I would like to add that when the morning came, Ovaltine was served, and by George, they both liked it.  (Even despite the fact that I put only 1/2 of the recommended 2 scoops in their milk,) I've been amazed since then at how something as easy as chocolate milk gets those girls to concede to their weary parents' wishes. 21 days to make it a habit...right?

Time Out!

I made the decision this week to close our adoption blog--for the most part anyway.  I'll just be updating photos and majorly important info from now on.  I had known for a while what I would be doing it, but I just didn't know when, and it affected me more than I realized.  It was like I was leaving behind something that I had identified myself with for the last year and half.  I had toyed with the idea of keeping both blogs up and running, but that was pure fantasy on my part.  The logistics of deciding what snippet of info to post where was just too annoying and draining, so I knew I had to ditch something.  The adoption is over; I formed that blog specifically for that purpose, and now that it is finished, it is time to move on to concentrating on our entire family.  Maybe I'll be more inspired to write more often here.  I'll certainly have more material to work with! :)

We use a number of discipline tactics around here.  Some work better on different children.  Time out is especially effective with Kennedi--Annsley, not at all.  That girl could stay in a corner by herself all day long without blinking.  Lately, we have been utilizing time out A LOT with Kennedi in an attempt to curb certain behaviors.  It has made an obvious impression on Andrei...

Yesterday, Kennedi was throwing up and was hugging the trash can on the couch. (Yes, vomit made it back around our house this week...) Oh, and by the way, last night when I went in to kiss Kennedi good night, she said to me, "Mom! My tummy isn't cramping anymore.  God put His hands on my tummy!"  I LOVE my girls' faith in their Jesus!!

 Back to the story...  Andrei was very interested in that plastic bag.  I firmly took him by the hand, walked him away, and said, "No touch.  Leave Kennedi alone."  When I released his little hand, he looked at me and with a very solemn look on his face, he walked to the corner and put himself in time out.   He would look at me after about 15 seconds, take a step away, and then go back to the corner with his head hanging. (Mind you, time out has never been used on him!) It was a priceless photo opp!

He stayed here for nearly 30 seconds on his own!

Magenta Cows and Talkin' Watermelons

The world of make believe rides high in our home right now. Our daughter Kennedi has a very active imagination.  She currently has two imaginary friends, Jessie and her alter-ego Carla.  Jessie is the nice one. She is also know as "Jessie, the ruffest, tuffest cowgirl!"  I'm going out on a limb here, but I think her subtitle is from Toy Story 2...It is her that you want to "cut your hair" or fix your meals.  Kennedi loves to play "restaurant" and act like a waitress and then go cook your food.  If Jessie is your waitress, you'll get chicken soup and tasty blueberry tea and some kind of scrumptious never before heard of dessert.  If Carla is your waitress, the restaurant is out of everything you ask for.  Kennedi gets VERY upset when you call her by "Kennedi" when she is in another role.  With all the irritation a 5 year old can muster she says, "IT'S JESSIE!"  Kennedi loves to fix your hair as well, and after one experience with Carla, I won't let her do it unless she is in her Jessie role. 

The other day Kennedi was riding her bike--she is now turning, stopping, and starting all by herself--and Doug called me on the cell phone to come up to the road to listen to Kennedi.  All I heard the entire time she was riding that evening was, "Yah! Horse! Giddy ap!!" She rode that poor horse into the ground.

She has been known to blame things on her stuffed animals or dolls.  If she is caught talking after she is supposed to be taking a nap, she says that it's Puppy.  Her doll Gracelyn has kept her from cleaning her room before because, "Gracelyn wouldn't let me..."  kind of thing. 

Some people have told me that having imaginary friends is a sign of high intelligence.  I would have to agree as I had an imaginary friend as well growing up.  She obviously gets her brains from her mother! :)

Beauty Shop!

The results of living with two big sisters.

 So Annsley and Kennedi got out the nail polish and painted their toenails and fingernails the other day.  Well, Annsley actually did.  Kennedi painted her finger tips and insoles too--and possibly part of the back porch.  Andrei wasn't the only victim of the beauty shop that day.  They also wrangled their father as well.  Dainty Doug has neon orange on one foot and glow in the dark baby blue on the other. They begged to do his fingernails as well, but my husband drew the line there.  I can't imagine why with school starting... 

There is nothing like looking at your husband shave in the morning with his toe nails all dolled up.  Ummmmm....what a man! :) It brings an entirely new definition of sexy to our house!

In other news, Kennedi is starting to ride her bike without training wheels! Whoo Hoo! Go Big Girl! Her poor daddy has had his work cut out with her though.  Her free spirit seeps out even in her biking.  She tends to not actually pay attention to where she is driving.  Her eyes are not focused on the road ahead.  More like the ditch.  And so there she goes.  She leans crazily to one side and has this wild look in her eye as she passes by.  Don't get in her way.  She won't steer.  Doug is in need of a road side oxygen tank after spending a few minutes running along side her.  I wish I could get a picture of her face as she tries so hard not to look at you as she passes by, but quite frankly, I can't get too close because she'll run me over.  But, I am so proud of her!  She is already stopping and starting by herself as well after only a few days of trying! 

Instead, I'll leave you with a picture of Andrei sporting his new "hat".  No, he's not maneuvering the tricycle yet, but if you could will yourself into pedaling this vehicle, he'd be there! The helmet is much too big for his little head. He spent the afternoon having to tilt his head back to see as it kept falling down over his eyes.  But hey, he was a big kid like his sisters!  And yes, it's a pink and purple trike..a hand me down from his sisters.  I've said before that this little guy is going to have to get tough...

Not at all impressed that he can't make it move.

 

Swimming Fun!

Our almost daily routine this summer~ swimmin' in the horse tank.  The girls took swimming lessons again this summer, and Annsley is swimming by herself in the "deep end" at the city pool.  She also conquered a 3 year goal of jumping off the diving board! 

As retold to me by my husband who took them to their morning swim lessons and then stayed the afternoon at the pool...

Doug:  She told me she was going to jump off the diving board, so I said OK. We all three walked over to the diving board area.  She looked at me and said, "You can go now, Dad.  I got it." 

(This is the same child that would put her hand up to you to stop you from coming into the bathroom when we were potting training her.  "Mom--Go!  I got it!"  This from my 2 1/2 year old...)

Doug:  I watched her jump walk up and jump off the board like she'd been doing it for years. She climbs out of the pool, looks at me, and says, "Dad--Go!"  I said to her, "Well, I want to make sure you're OK." 

Annsley:  "See that life guard?  It's his job to watch me.  Go swim with Kennedi." 

Doug:  So I did what she told me to do...

I showed up a few days later to take pictures--I have a little fish! I'm so proud of her! Also when I showed up, he and Kennedi just had to show Mom all of their little fun.  He was throwing Kennedi in the air--too high and too far for her momma's comfort.  When she would land, she would give the thumbs up sign and start her kick float from the point of "impact."  Yes, thrilled with her skills, not so thrilled with her being tossed around like a beanbag.

You can't buy this kind of fun in the winter!

Seconds before doing the belly flop!

Enlarge the picture (click on it) and you can see Kennedi's "thumbs up!"

My big girl little fish in the "deep end!"