Little Update From Our Big Life!

Things have been SOOOOO Crazy around here.
The 90 DAYS OF MOM is still in full swing. we had t break for a week because Dad was on vacation..but we have made awesome progress.
Rachel finally finished her reader, Mary is about to catch up with her, Ben Hannah and Caleb have almost finished the years school work. Yep! School in the summer does suck...but I bet you a thousand dollars they remember this next fall.
Caleb has decided against a class ring. He's his own man, and can't see purchasing something he will never wear. Anyone who has seen my closet can tell you that he must get THAT from his father.

Our INS application was FINALLY approved!!!
Happy Happy Joy Joy...oh wait..only AFTER it was denied because our homestudy got there 3 days after the deadline....Did I mention 2 of those days were a Saturday and a Sunday???
But Im thankful...no complaints.

Rebekah has turned two and has decided to run the show...Everybody's Show.
"Rebekah, No!" seems to be the "phrase of the day".
She's got a hard head! A VERY HARD HEAD!
..but she's cute..so whatdoya do?

Adam has had his MRI to see if he is in need of a valve replacement, right now.
We 're waiting on the results before we log in for our next adoption.
I'm sure I do not need to explain to anyone how brutal an adoption right in the middle of open heart surgery recovery would be ...the the newest members AND for Adam.
We may have to hold off on adopting for a while or forever..Only God knows.
We'll see .

Our summer is shaping up to be dubbed "Craziest Summer EVER!". as the children have been signed with various agents and are embarking on Acting, Theatre, and Modeling careers.

No! Im sorry..No "Stage Mom" action here.
This is a hobby for the kids.
We refer to it as our "soccer or baseball team".
I think the kids "Que Sara Sara" attitude is what is making them so popular , right now.
They are having fun..and really.. that is the most important thing.

The kids are spending the day fishing with Dad and I will try to get some pics on when I switch computers.

Hope things are well with everyone in Bloggy land and beyond.

xoxo!

Caleb on set-

with his sci-fi thriller sweety, Natalie.

Pardon Me For Bragging!

Ok Im not really bragging...I'm documenting so that my children will see that I REALLY tried to write down EVERYTHING they did.

I did this with Hannah and the Opera House.

http://www.thehappyhippychronicles.com/2008/12/hannah-sings-at-opera-house.html

and now it is Caleb's turn.

Caleb has never been the kind of kid to use the words "One Day" lightly.

He thinks long and hard before he uses the phrase "One day I'm gonna".

As a matter of fact, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I

have heard him say it -since he started talking.

The very first time I heard this from him, He was 5 years old.

now keep in mind he is the oldest child, so when I say 5..

what I really mean is 12(mentally).

He and I were lying on bean bags in the living room and he was watching Star Wars.

He said, " Mama, Do you know that this is not real? "

"Yes", I said.

"Did you know that Harrison Ford wanted to be Luke Skywalker and the director told him NO!"?

" No", I said, "Who told you that?"

"Daddy..He knows everything about Star Wars. Did you know that Harrison Ford is an Actor?'

"Yes I Do..Why?" I asked.

" Well..One day I am going to be an actor and make a movie", he said.

"Really?! That would be cool- but I thought you said you wanted to be a doctor like Daddy and PawPaw and Uncle Greg" I asked.

" I do", he said. " That's my WORK job... I am going to be an actor for fun!"

Here we are- 12 years later- and this weekend Caleb shoots the first scenes of his very first motion picture .

Low Budget, Non-Union..but still a movie... LIGHTS , CAMERA, ACTION..The Whole 9 yards.

He is pumped and I am proud!

Nothing cooler than being around to see your child have his or her "One Day".

GUESS WHO?!?!

Hannah, girl, you make me laugh!

Finding a Photographer who "GETS" your kids is HARD...

But sometimes you get lucky!

Thanks, Jae!
You nailed it!


Caleb 17
Cowboy, Actor, Golfer,Writer, Avid Reader, Humanitarian, and Opera Lover


Hannah 12
Cowgirl, Actor, Athlete,Artist, Writer,Animal -rights Activist, and Movie Critic



Ben 10
Golfer, Collector,Actor, Aspiring Film-maker, Cartoonist
and Frank Sinatra Fan


Rachel 7
Artist, Actor, Dancer,Golfer,Chocolate Enthusiast,and Lover of Broadway Musicals

we love them.

Love Love Love

this book.

It is a short read and not the "same ole'- same ole' ".

Available on Amazon new or used.

WHY I AM AN AWESOME MOM!

I was reading an article in one of my magazines.
It suggested that it is easier for a woman to list the things that make her a " Bad Mom" than it is for her to list the things that make her an "Awesome Mom".
I agree.
The second I saw the words "Bad Mom", an endless array of screw-ups rolled through my mind like the credits at the end of a Spielberg movie.
So what about the "Awesome" part?

I think we wait for someone to tell us that we are good mothers.
I think we are harder on ourselves than we should be.
I think we should all take a few minutes to see how many things we can list.
What are some of the things that make you an "AWESOME MOM"?
I thought I'd list mine here.

What Makes Me An Awesome Mom
1. I always mix M & M's into our popcorn on movie night
2. I give my girls manicures and pedicures
3. I let my kids dip Hershey bars in the peanut butter
4. I let my 2 year-olds chew gum
6. I let my kids wear their Halloween costumes to the grocery store...in April
7. I encourage our children to follow their dreams NOW
8. I believe that a bubble bath can stop any tantrum
9. I listen to Lady Gaga , Sandre' Loche,Ricky Skaggs, Usher, AND Andrea Bocelli
10.I will watch Pirates of the Caribbean 3 times a day and then put in a Barbie movie.
11. I love my children's father and I tell them
12. I teach my sons to sing and my daughters to fight
13. I can quote Star Wars
14. I can name all the X-Men
15. I teach my children to love other cultures
16. I fill my home with music
17. I am consistent
18. I let my daughters wear their biker and cowboy boots to church
19. I refuse to purchase fashion magazines for my daughters
20. I take my children to used book stores and coffee shops
21. I love play-doh
22. I love finger-painting
23. I have no problem with ice cream for dinner
24. I have no problem with cookies and milk for breakfast
25. I think cell phones and texting are BAD for children
26. I think kids SHOULD sleep with their parents
27. I think that if a child begs to stay up late-its because he needs time with his parents...not because he wants to watch T.V.
28. I believe the Bible is the best parenting book ever written
29. I love Disney and Universal Studios
30. I believe in my children

That's all I can come up with.....
NOW you see how many you can think of.

DONE

My Social worker should be done with our home study this week.

I should be excited....but I am not.

I know in my heart that this is the last Adoption Trip that we will make to China.

I have been in denial, but the closer we get to reviewing files...the more I have had to come to terms with it.

I am tearing up, alot.

Very out of character for me..It take a lot to make me cry.

No more dossiers.

No more referrals.

No more packing lists.

No more embassy trips.

No more babies.

Done.

Stacy and I have discussed it and like everyone else who "calls it quits" , we have many reasons- good reasons- sane reasons....but it still doesn't feel good.

It is a strange place to be.

I go from feeling guilty to sad to mad to blessed to humbled to determined to guilty.

I imagine that I will feel differently when I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old and a ?? year old screaming for a cookie at the same time- but right now it just sucks...plain and simple.

Just one more of those "parenting" things that sneaks up on you.

I knew we'd stop having children "one day"-

I just didn't think "one day" would be here so soon.

On a more Perky note- I am off to YOU BELONG to start a new journal for the Caboose/s.

If you are new around here and you haven't had a chance to read my husband's take on our adoption trips- Feel free to hop over to my sidebar and check out the journals from our last two trips.

He really needs a blog of his own....seriously...just a fun guy.

One Tough MOTHER!

O.K...probably NOT the classiest title in the world
but I have a really warped sense of humor and it made me giggle.

Spring is pretty much here , which means we have only a few months to finish
SCHOOL YEAR 2010-2011.

We are not a "by the book" family , when it comes to home education (O.K...when it comes to anything) but I really try to make sure we stay on some sort of path .

We have had a busy year, fun...but busy...so we have found ourselves running behind in our studies.

Not such a big deal if everyone will agree to put forth the effort required for the task at hand.

A week ago, after breakfast, I called the troops to formation (time for school) and I was met with whining, rolling eyes, toddlers hiding the T.V. remote, and a very loud " but I was playing my D.S.". and "I have to get ready for my tennis lesson"

I smiled, nodded my head in approval and told the little monsters..er..darlings to carry on.
They could do what THEY wanted to do and I would spend the day doing what I wanted to do.
A Win /Win scenario.

Of course, that was met with several "woohooo' s & high 5's" and off they went....Skipping Merrily into the Land of Sloth & Artificial Stimulation.

I made myself a cup of tea, grabbed my day planner, a pen, a notebook, & my Lesson planner and I sat down in the library.

Every now and then one of the kids would walk by and say, "Whatcha doing?".

"Oh making plans", I'd say.
They'd smile..I'd smile...Happy Happy Day....so they thought.


During my time with my planner- I scratched out any and every activity that the children had( during week days) for 90 days...weekends not included.
I decided that maybe the problem was not the kids attitude toward education...maybe it was my attitude.
Maybe they didn't believe that I thought it was more important than the DS or the TV or a MOVIE.

So I was willing to take the blame and work diligently to prove to my precious children how important it is to spend your time wisely AND what can be accomplished when you do.


I call this THE 90 DAYS OF MOM!

"For 90 days we will FULLY devote ourselves to our education and wrapping up the 2010-2011 school year. No TV, No Computers, No outside commitments- NOTHING but finishing up our lessons."

"90 days? in a row?!", My 9 year old asked in disbelief. "But the DIARY OF A WIMPY KID sequel is coming out on Friday!"

"Yeah, and You can go and see it on Saturday." " You WILL NOT die if you do not see a movie on the opening night... I promise"

I also gave the kids a new set of ground rules:
*All school work must be started by 9 am and finished by 3p (without exception)Monday - Friday.
*There will be NO OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES (theatre commitments, tennis lessons, play groups, martial arts,outings with friends, dance classes,volunteer work, etc.) during THE 90 DAYS OF MOM.
*Students receive 45 minutes for lunch and relaxation.
* Students are responsible for preparing their own lunches and must use food pyramid on fridge as guide. NO SUGAR NO COLA NO EXCEPTIONS
*Students must clear and clean lunch area before resuming studies.
*Students must complete Fall reading list. Any unauthorized reading material will be confiscated and trashed.
*No artificial stimulation Monday-Friday. This includes(but not limited to): All hand held gaming devices, T.V.'s, portable DVD players, Leapsters, Wii, PS3,DVR,BluRay,surfing web on computer or cellphone.
*Cell phones will be turned in ( to Mom) at 9am (daily) and will be returned upon completion of school work. Texting will cease at 9pm Monday- Friday No EXCEPTIONS.
*Students will not Whine, Cry, Groan, Sigh, Roll Eyes,Pout,Sharpen pencil 1,000 times,work on their "comic drawing skills", make YOUTUBE videos with Legos, go to the bathroom 20 times, or give themselves/ kittens/dogs/Barbies/baby dolls/younger siblings manicures during a school day.
* Students may use computers and Main T.V. for approved educational purposes.
All educational DVD'S must be applicable & approved before viewing.
* All students must comply for 90 days.
Failure to do so will result in loss of Weekend Privileges(including vehicles and cellphones) and a possible stint in a European Boarding School.

****If , by some chance, a student finishes his/her work before THE 90 DAYS OF MOM is over-That student will receive a gift card and the right to gloat and use the "Loser" sign, at will. ****

THESE RULES WILL BE PLASTERED HIGH ON THE FRIDGE FOR ALL TO SEE.

The kids are counting down the days like they were on their way to ALCATRAZ....which is always a good sign.

THE 90 DAYS OF MOM starts April 6.

I'll let ya know how things turn out.

How?

So can anyone tell me how an attachment parent is supposed to make the trip with two...

and by two- i mean if we are matched with 2 little monkeys.

I am having a hard time getting Stacy to consider adopting out of birth order( he is TOTALLY against) so that means that there is a good chance that the newest little trouble-makers....er...sweethearts will be under the age of 2 1/2.

If you look at any of our adoption journals you'll see that most of the pictures

are of me walking around with a little one hanging on like a monkey in a banana tree.

Don't get me wrong,-I think strollers rock...we just use them as little as possible during our first weeks with our new child.

Our parenting style is not for everyone, mind you, but it works for us.

I try to spend those first precious weeks trying to figure out how my new baby ticks.

I watch. I listen. I smile. I let the baby nap on my chest so that he/she can hear my heart beat. I try to establish a rythm. I take mental notes.

'Doesn't like dairy. Mad cry. Hungry cry. Scared cry. Sleepy cry. Likes Daddy if Daddy has chocolate. "

We sleep together, we bathe together, we eat together, and I HOLD, HOLD, HOLD.

Which leads me back to my original question-

How is 1 Mama going to do this with 2 SN infant/toddlers?

What about carriers for 2 children ( One in front- One in back)?

Ive seen this done, but I have to tell ya...I'm not an Amazon warrior.

I have years of wear and tear on my back and hips from sports, horseback riding, and chasing kids... I honestly do not think I could physically carry 2 kids around at the same time.

Not more than ONCE , anyway.

Oh! and do they even SELL double strollers in China??

Do ya just get two?

That just seems like a bad idea... I mean how is Dad going to take pictures,

carry the diaper bags, and the shopping bags if he is pushing a stroller, too? :)

What if the kids "will not let Daddy hold" or worse "will not let Mama hold"?

What if one "likes" Mom and one doesn't??

What if (ala Rebekah) they will not sit in a high chair and they won't let Daddy hold??

How do you feed two kids sitting in your lap ?

Seriously...can you tell I am freaking out a little here?

I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about these things.

The "one at a time" deal has always worked out pretty well for us, so I really have no idea why this is stressing me so.

Maybe it is because Adam is 3 1/2 and Rebekah just turned 2 and I know how hard they can be, at times.

Does anyone have any ideas....or know where I can find a double stroller in China?

You know..just in case I need one. ;)

Life is too short to spend it angry, bored, or dull
-Barbara Johnson

HOMESCHOOL PROM 2011

Great Odds!


Caleb and His Best Girl!



Caleb and Miss Lauren!

Memories Galore!!!

I love my teenagers...just a great bunch of kids.

I am so blessed.

Today...........

My Baby Turns


2 YEARS OLD!

Happy Birthday, Beka- Boo!

You Make Us Giggle!!

We Love You!

BLOOMING..............

right before our eyes.


Gone is the shy little one who was content to
stand behind the curtain and watch the show.



She has decided that she is ready to be SEEN & HEARD.

We are loving every minute of it!


Look Out World!

Mary Elizabeth has arrived!

"The Happiest Place On Earth"

THESE GUYS + 2 Adults + 10 Kids + 7 days = A WHOLE LOTTA FUN!

48 Hours And Counting!!!

FREE TIME

What is that?
Oh Yes..I remember.
That is when I lay everything else aside and spend time watching my little ones play and grow.

It seems that the older I get, the less free time I have..when really, shouldn't it be the other way around?

A few months ago we were watching old home videos and Rachel yells, "Is THAT a kitten in the house?!?! You let them have a kitten in the house?!?! You never let us have animals in the house!!! Why did they get one?!?"

That rant was followed by Mary yelling,"FINGER PAINT!" and "They are playing in the rain in their CLOTHES and getting ALL WET!""

Then Rachel looks at me and says, "Why don't we get to have fun like that?"

She is right. Caleb, Hannah, and Ben got the "FUN PARENT" and the rest of the kids are getting what is left over when I finish doing what everyone else needs me to do OR thinks I should be doing.

So I have written my OTHER activities down.
I have scratched through "What I can live without" and "What can live without me".

I do not know if this will make me " a FUN parent ", again...but it's a start.

We'll See.

PEACE.

THE NUTCRACKER with THE MOSCOW BALLET

Once upon a time

There were two little girls who dreamed of becoming ballerinas.

One day a friend told them that the MOSCOW BALLET was coming to town and that
they were looking for little ballerinas to dance with them on stage.

It would be a production of the Nutcracker!
Dancers of all ages were needed!

The two girls ran to tell their Mother and Father about the Ballet.

"Girls", said Mother."The Moscow Ballet is an Elite Troop. They travel the world performing for millions of people. You are not experienced dancers, and I am afraid that they will be looking for someone who has danced on a stage before."

"Oh Please", begged the girls.

"Alright,"said Mother,"but you have to understand that the odds of you actually being casts are very slim. You have not studied dance like the rest of the girls."




"YAY!", yelled both girls.
They ran off tho tell their brothers and sisters.

Two days later -Rachel and Mary were dressed in leotards,
with their hair wrapped tight in a bun.

The theatre was full of little girls hoping to be picked by the auditioning committee.

As the little girls were called in groups, Rachel turned and said, "I do not know what to do."
"Me, either...", said Mary.

"It's O.K.", said Mother. "Watch the Ballerina in front. Do what she does. Do what she says.
You will be fine."

"O.K." said the girls with smiles on their sweet faces.



2 hours later they were measuring for their costumes.




Weeks of reheasals flew by.

Excited beyond measure.



Rachel , Mary, and eight other little girls were cast as SNOWFLAKES.




Here they are trying not to run their tights or mess up the hair.




Dinner Break for the Tiny Troop.



Rachel waving to the fans while Mary watches and learns.



I was the Stage MOM so of course..I didn't get stage pictures.
Here are a few from a friend.

Mary is in the front....



Rachel is second in line.

Notice she is "watching " more than "dancing".

They had a great night.

We are all very proud of them and have learned a valuable lesson-

Never underestimate Rachel and Mary Elizabeth.

THE END

GO DOWN AND PAUSE THE MUSIC FIRST!

The 4 older kids are signed with an agent.

Rachel was practicing her "Runway" and the little ones were not going to be out-done.

Crazy but fun!

A Hunting We Will Go!

Hannah showing off her Easter mermaids.


People in the South LOVE a party!

Our families celebrate A LOT of holidays.
We have lots of kids, so there are tons of birthday
parties each year, and each family takes a turn hosting
a major holiday.

Easter is at David and Heather's house.


Everyone looks forward to it and
it is ALWAYS so much fun.



Ben and Colton hanging out.



Daddy & Mary



Mary Elizabeth & Rachel



Caleb helps Mary hunt eggs.



Rachel is REALLY good at this.



Showing Mary her loot!



Miss Heather showing some of the children the
winners of the Egg Decorating contest.



It has been a good day.

Peace.

HAPPY EASTER!

PEACE.