Chiata Dance

So my stupid camera is really broken and I am still waiting for the new one I ordered to get here. For this reason, I do not have pictures to go with this post. I did want to write about it before I forget though.
For those of you who don't really know Joseph, to say he is shy and clingy is an understatement. He has been getting better though. The other day we were in the grocery store. Joseph was walking beside me and was seriously engrossed in his own world. He invented the Chiata dance. He would say Chiiiii Ata over and over while doing various moves all of which involved shaking his cute little tushy in various ways. It was so cute. As we went along he got more and more brave (oblivious) and louder. He was laughing and have a truely grand time. He kept telling me to watch his Chiata moves.
Well as all good things must come to an end, some fairly young, nice looking, well dressed man came up behind us and passed. He was smiling as he observed for a min. Then said, " Hey dude, really nice moves." Of course that brought Joseph to a complete stand still right behind my leg with his arm around it. It has taken several days to convince him to even attempt to do the chiata dance again and I still haven't gotten the unreserved dance he performed in the store. I am so glad I got to see it, and hope he learns to "let go" a little more often. Everyone should dance to the music they hear without being embarrased. Life is short laugh more often. I love you Joseph and I so loved your fabulous Chiata dance.

Longing

I always used to love the winters and the snow. I must be getting old. My least favorite colors today are brown and white. I miss family and wish I could see the sun today. Here's to Spring arriving early! Everyone think water sports.

Texas

Some of the highlights (completely out of order) were watching Brinton and Ami play at their basketball games. Watching Brinton brought back strong memories of Terry. They look alot alike. Listening to Mom and Dan cheer brought back memories too and I was only embarrassed a couple of times. : ) The Temple was beautiful. The kids were so well behaved, not just in the temple but during our entire stay. I really just can't say just how impressed with the kids I am. I know they were on their best behavior for guests, but I am very impressed.

The spirit was very strong in the Temple, but I felt it throughout the weekend and in the Taylors home. It makes my heart glad to have another family blest with the experience of adoption. I could get all weepy and doctrine here but suffice it to say I consider this experience a great blessing to Patrick and Ashlyn and mabe even more so to everyone else involved. Thank you all for letting me be there.

Ashlyn and Hannah are the "two little girls" They are full of life and energy. Ashlyn is catching up and is such a pretty little thing. She is a sponge just soaking up all she can and has a sweet spirit about her. Hannah is a live wire. Her excitement for life is contagious and hard to keep up with. She is loving and so happy. Ethan is a handsome young man. He is a big helper and is so smart. Patrick is eager to please and do what is right. He loves to give hugs and be helpful. Connor is growing up so fast. He is very helpful and is so good at sharing and teaching by example how to treat others. Ami is such a beautiful young lady. She is a little mother and takes good care of the house and her little sisters. She is so responsible. Brinton is funny and helpful. He sounds just like his dad. None of the kids complained or refused to help or do something that was asked of them.

I had a fabulous time in Texas. Great family, great relaxation, great new place to see, and pretty good weather considering what I came home to. Jenny, Dan, and family, Thank you so much for your hospitality. I miss you each already. I wish Texas wasn't so far away. hoping to visit again sooner rather than later.

10 Things...

I often get told by "people who have been there" to treasure this time with my young kids and that one day I will miss the things that seemed so bothersome now. Well, I have created a list of at least 10 things I am positive I will not miss.

1. Wiping the pee off the toilet seat, back and floor every time I want to use it and several times in between. (Boys)

2. Doing the laundry for 4 very messy people, Little or not. (For the hundreth time Your shirt is not a napkin or a tissue. )

3. Tripping over or stepping on someone elses belonging that were left right in the middle of the walk way.

4. Nah uh....... Yah huh...... Nah uh...... Yah huh........YAH HUH....... NAA UH......YAH HUH.......

5. Mom he's bothering me, ....... MOM he's bothering me......MOOOOMMMM HES BOTHERING MEEE.

6. Cleaning up pee in places other than the bathroom.

7. MOOOM I went Poop!

8. Cleaning bare bottoms that are older than 3.

9. Hearing " I'm not hungry, I have a tummy ach, I don't like it. " at the dinner table only to be asked for something to eat moments after the table is cleared.

10. Washing clean folded clothes that got scooped up into the laundry basket because they never got put away when you sent them to put away the clean laundry.

Now least any of you think that I am not enjoying my children and realizing how fast time flies, I have a list of 10 things I know I will miss and treasure them, even if I have to hide it.

1. How small the fingerprints on the window of every room and car are.

2. Someone needing me in the middle of the night because they had a nightmare.

3. Kissing the owies better even if I had told them to stop before someone got their eye poked out.

4. Washing tiny little baby clothes, (Already miss that one.)

5. Watching my children gobble up dinner and say.... That is the best meal ever. even if it was store bought pizza.

6. The funny way they talk when they don't really know how to say a word. (Dick Donalds and Heckitocker)

7. Watching them learn that they really can do something that they didn't think they could.

8. Them wanting to sit on my lap and play with my hair.

9. Singing bed time songs.

10. Knowing exactly where they are when it is 10:00.

Ok I could probablly list more than 10 if I thought about it, but I could probablly make myself cry too, and that was not the reason I started this entry. Time is going by so fast and I know it and sometimes I wish I could slow it down, but really Can't they at least wipe up after they hose down the toilet that I have to sit on?!!!?

Happy Halloween

Well, the kids seemed to have a happy halloween. We have tons of candy. It is quite the trick to dole it out slowly.

Cakeb was Spok from Star Trek. I kept telling him to be happy, and he would say.... Happiness is not logical. If he ran his ears would fall off so he was slow, but that made Joseph happy, cause he is slow. Trever was Zoro, and he had a blast. And NO this Zoro did not get a sword.

Joseph was Bat Man for the second year in a row. He would wear the mask for a picture and then put it away. It bugged him.

Annie was a Butterfly. She was not to be left behind in the stroller. She would run up to the door with the boys, and get her candy. I was surprized she left he costume on, but she did. You couldn't hear her, but she would say trick or treat, and thaaaank you and I is a butterfly.

Cute cute. Mom got a little tired of trying to keep the kids together (Trever would run ahead, and the others would get so frustrated) but it was a pretty good halloween.

The Pocket

Having three boys, we have no shortage of boy parts stories. When Caleb was potty training, he was found crying one day and asked when I was going to die. I told him not for a very long time and asked why. He was so terribly concerned that I was going to explode because if I didn't have a P@#*, I could not go pee and would explode. Trever is still not sure that life is very fair. He thinks that if girls aren't lucky enough to be born with one, then they definately should be able to grow one when they get bigger. But our latest and greatest story is that of the pocket.
Joseph was having alot of trouble getting his underware on the right way. I tried and tried to show him the tag goes in the back. He was getting a sore bum because of the constant wedgie he had when his tighty whitys were on backwards, so I finally showed him the pocket in the front. I opened it up and he even put his had through it. Then he asked why he needed a pocket in his underware. I told him that he could use it when he is older. Of Course... Trever was very kind in his big brother duties to show him what the pocket is used for. Next thing I know Joseph comes running out of the bathroom with his "unit" poking out of the pocket in all kinds of pride and joy. He then wanted to show every visitor we had for the next few days his new "pocket". I do apologize to any of you who had the pleasure. You just never know what may greet you when you come to our house.
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In other news today, The permanancy hearing for Annie was today. DCFS was requesting that there be no more reunification, and that we move forward with a hearing to terminate parental rights. That was granted. The case goes back to court in Dec. We are hopeful that by the new year Annie will be leagally free, and we will proceed with the adoption. Thank you for all the prayers. Keep sending them. I feel bad for her birth parents, but they truely are not capable of taking care of her.

The Marble

I started this blog as a way to keep a kind of journal about the boys. In that interrest I must tell a few stories that have stood out in the last few months. This one is about the Marble.
The marble in question is (or should I say was) one of those Magnetix marbles. It is slightly heaver than a regular marble, maybe fractionaly bigger, and of course magnetic. Well, no matter how many times you tell your children not to put certain objects in their mouths, some lessons have to be learned the hard way. Joseph swallowed it. He was pretty sure he was going to throw up, or choke, or die. We are pleased to say that he did none of these things.
I called my mother just to make sure my intended course of action(wait and it will come out the other end) was the right one to take. My sister ( I shall not name names) was very worried for Joseph and thought I should take him to the ER, so that his organs would not be pulled out of order or worse by the magnet. I did not see her perticular worry as terribly truthful, so I waited.
About four days later, this is what transpired. It is about bed time and several children have been taking baths. Each time I go into the bathroom I find poo in the toilet that no one claims. I flush. After about the third flush, I complain rather loudly that my children are certainly smart enough to learn how to flush a toilet. It is starting to stink up the bathroom. Well, Joseph say,
"I tried to flush it, but the toilet is broken." So I flush again, and watch this time. It seems to go down, and all is well. Next time I turn around the same darn log is still there. It came back. WTH. I flush again..... and again. Then I peer very closely......... That darn shiny metal marble is poking out the side. Now most of us moms know that pennies, and marbles don't flush. I was very irritably contemplating how I was going to fish out the marble when Trever walks in, says ewwwww, I'll do it and flushes. It went. The boy has an air of authority over poo. I was saved. And Joseph is well, there were no excaped organs or anything. A fairly happy ending.