Sweet Girl

My sweet Ribbit. You are constantly talking or singing. You want everyone's full attention when you are doing either. If you sing a song and then decide that you have a "different" way to sing it you wait until everyone is watching you before performing. You aren't afraid to sing or dance in front others and you do everything quite dramatically.

You are very emotional right now and can cry at anything. You love people and animals very easily and hand out kisses constantly. You love to act like the mommy and tuck me into bed while singing. You love to ask me questions about when you can be a mommy when you get big. You always say "awwww" when you see something cute and you die laughing when one of your brothers is acting silly.

You are finally understanding adoption. You talk about your birthmom and how she had you and then you think me and daddy watched you and wanted you to be our baby :). You talk about how I had only two babies for a while and then Baby Boy was born and we "dopted" him too. You ask if your birthmom held you or sang to you, if she played with you, if she sang.

In the mornings when I get dressed and close my door you always know to knock to come in. When I ask who it is you yell your full name as if your first name wasn't enough. You demand snuggles from both parents almost every night. You point out everything that you think is not fair and you feel as if anything pink or purple automatically belongs to you.

You are starting to come to big church with us and you love to clap and sing during worship. Your favorite songs are "God's not dead" and "fishers of men" and you sing them constantly...you claim they are our songs on the video (radio) in our car. You love to dress yourself and 99% of the time its so stinking cute and girly that i don't change things....except when you put on gloves, high heels and your swimsuit this winter.

You are THE MESSIEST CHILD. Your room is NEVER CLEAN...never even where you can walk through it. You would rather me throw all your toys away then clean your room. You claim you are "so tired" when we ask you to clean it. You say that different parts of your body "hurt very badly" when we ask you to help with anything around the house....except cooking or helping me get things on the table for meals...you and your siblings fight over that.

You pray beautifully. I love that all 3 of my kiddos beg to pray at dinner and have specific requests that they pray for consistently until God gives us an answer. I love that you pray for "Bennett to come alive with the angels in heaven" now that he has passed. You talk about God non-stop and how he made us and how he wants us to live with him when we die. You are a beautiful child, flawless skin and beautiful ringlet curls. Your daddy is so stinking worried about you already :).

Big Man

We had a family photography session about a month ago and I wanted to write a personal post for each one of my precious kiddos to go along with the fantastic pictures.

My Big Man will start 4th grade next year and is turning 10 in June. Double digits. How on earth did that happen. I remember how little he was on his Homecoming Day and how he lacked a whole lot of teeth. I remember how he made up all kinds of rules to the game of Uno and how he still makes up rules as he goes about Pokemon cards and Beyblades. He loves to play any kind of card/board game and wants to learn games that are far beyond his age.

He loves all things baseball/football and basketball. He asks us quite regularly "what do you want me to do when I grow up?" We always say "whatever God asks you do". Then he says "yeah, but if you got to choose between football and baseball which one?"...to which mom answers "baseball --less contact". He ALWAYS has a ball in his hands, ALWAYS. He throws to himself if no one is around to throw with him. He still loves to dramatize every catch and fall and flip and act as if he is just won the superbowl. In fact at one of his last football games he ran a touchdown and SPIKED the ball with both hands when he got there :).

He scores exceptionally well in science and math. Since everything is a competition to him, reading and spelling get lower grades, but only because he doesn't read for comprehension and he doesn't want to slow down to study spelling. He actually scored off the charts in economics this past year...???. He is very creative and loves to learn how to make art projects and draw.

He is a friend to all. In their 3rd grade class each person made a page about all of the other students telling them what is special about them and drawing a picture to go along with it. Almost every student complimented Goober and how good a friend he is to them. The girls said that the included them and wanted to play with both boys and girls. The boys said that he is nice and fair. EVERY child drew him with a huge afro and big circle glasses :), and a BIG GRIN!

He loves to watch movies on anything....especially animals and cars. He is into anything Disney and can watch the same movie 45 times in a row. He loves to make things on his loom and make lego machines. He loves to read, especially books about dragons or boys who play sports. We clean out his toys for yard sales pretty regularly and he will easily give up toys, but hardly ever books! He loves for me to read to him out of book about famous animals in history!

He eats everything. He almost always will tell me "mom, thanks for making me lunch/breakfast/dinner/snack" as we are sitting down at the table. He thinks I am the best cook and is always willing to help me stir, get drinks, lay out plates. He likes spicy things, any meat, any sort of sauce and casseroles. He eats more then I do at almost every meal. At Chic Fil A he orders the adult meal and most of the time finishes it, and cleans up his siblings meals :).

He takes out the trash and recycling bin almost daily. He is learning to load the dishwasher and unload it--even though he gags. He knows how to sweep the kitchen, clean his toilet and wipe down the table after dinner. He is a huge help when we are packing to go somewhere, when we are grocery shopping or when its just one parent and the kiddos. He loves knowing things that they babies don't know...anything to make him feel older and special!

He still says "HeyMan" at the end of prayers. He still thinks that its "miles pre hour" and that its totally normal to pay with things in pennies. He loves to be chased and tickled. He loves to have his head and neck rubbed during church. He likes to have his back scratched before going to bed. He likes to go on walks and do exercises with us. He likes to pull "pranks" on us or outsmart us with his newly learned knowledge of rhinos or tiger sharks.

He is starting to remember some things a little more clearly about his past. He remembered the other day that his aunt used to make tamales and that he had gone to a theater to see his very first Disney movie. He remembers some things about Ribbit when she was a baby and how she interacted with his birth family. He loves to pray for people and thank God for giving us "great days".

Summer Break

We have been counting down for so long and we made it! Today is our first day of summer break and we have already had a play date at the park in some beautiful weather, a picnic lunch and made banana pudding :).

The last two weeks of school were busy with end of year plays and concerts and Mothers Day. My family completely spoiled me for Mothers Day. I am always looking for a locket that has 3 spaces for my 3 kiddos picture. Instead Adam got me a necklace with 3 individual lockets on it. Then I got a month of healthy eating, part of a health system that I have been wanting to try. I also was surprised to find that Adam had booked a babysitter and took me out for sushi and a play!

We are gearing up for Disney World in less than a week and I am constantly double checking and adding to my packing list. I think its going to be wonderful and can't wait to see my kids faces!!

Goober is very nervous about starting 4th grade next year. We met with all the 4th grade teachers and they start to rotate classes next year and the homework amount goes up drastically. They even encourage the students to do all of the homework themselves...HALLELUJAH...however, we will have to work up to that. If one of us doesn't help then normally the studying doesn't happen!

Ribbit can't stop talking about how much she can't wait to be in kindergarten!! She was very excited to also know that she can still go give her others teachers hugs if she sees them next year. She had a much better year towards the end and her behavior improved significantly....she even got a DANIEL AWARD and got to be on stage during chapel!

Baby Boy is SOOO advanced! He talks in full sentences, he knows his schedule. He is constantly asking "what dat monny". We have gone to being called monny because apparently mommy takes too much effort when you talk non-stop all day. He loves to be outside and begs to go in the "back and front yard" all the time to either swing, ride his bike or scooter or watch the "diggers". The diggers are anyone working on or around our home. We have been having yard work done, a sprinkler system put on and then several neighbors have had work as well. He runs to the windows and yells "HEYDO DIGGERS" anytime anyone is outside our house :).

Now that summer is here we also have a long to do list on the house.

-Complete the bathroom (order glass for shower, put in toilet and vanity).
-Complete landscaping and back patio, maybe purchase a pergola
-Put in hardwood flooring in living room
-Finish foyer (thats my personal project and after scraping that ceiling I will never do it again!)
-Paint living room
-Reupholster 2 chairs and 2 footstools
-Paint master (maybe stencil one focal wall)
-Finish painting all trim in the house ultra white (my other personal job-I'm about 33% done).

Grandparent Visit

So while the grandparents were here we did A LOT!

We went to an Easter festival and watched eggs fall out of a helicopter. The kids made easter basket cookies with CC. We all went to church together 2 or 3 times.The kids went outside A LOT with Papa and looked at ants, stomped on ants, identified new species of ants. They got picked up every day from school and got to walk home with grandparents. They ate lunch almost daily with CC and CC got to go to chapel and art class with Ribbit. The kids finally had their grandparents here on Grandparents Day and they got to give them presents, perform for them and go home early! They got to eat a lot more sugar...in fact the day after they left Goober went to the nurse complaining of an upset stomach....Adam said "ah, he is just coming down off his sugar high " :). My parents got to go with me to the Fine Arts Banquet and watch me fumble through my awards. They all got bedtime stories, extra snuggles and lots of extra early morning motorcycle racing with Papa. In fact, now anytime a motorcycle is within 20 miles of us all three kids start searching for Papa..Baby Boy points to them and says "MY MOTORCYCLE" very instantly. I took him shopping for more summer clothes and the first thing he spotted was a motorcycle shirt and he held it up and said "see mommy, like Papa!".

My parents and I right after the Fine Arts Banquet.

Riding Papa....the Frog Monster!!

The kiddos with their Easter books. Every Easter in their baskets they find books that reflect on the last year of their life. I wanted to start this tradition with them since Easter is the first big holiday we all spent together as a family! So far, the older ones have 3 books and Baby Boy is on his 2nd.

My mom and I with the kiddos on Easter morning.

Mrs. Diva showing off!

CCwith the kiddos, Papa got a kidney stone while he was here and it kicked in Easter morning :(

Easter morning family picture!

Our friends who have been struggling as they watch their 23 month old deal with a very rare form of cancer informed everyone that they thought he only had weeks to live. Ribbit said " then I will pray that God will heal him, and if not then when he dies he will wake up and get to be with God and the angels".
Their son died the very next morning. I am so thankful for a Savior who would give his life so that neither I nor my children have to fear death....and that we will get to be with God and angels for eternity with no more pain or suffering or mourning!!

Summer Countdown

It has begun...we are at 6 "real" school days....3 1/2 days of exams, 3 in-service days and then....OFF TO DISNEY WORLD!!!

Goober comes home and announces how many days we have left daily. Its obvious everywhere you look on campus....artwork is being sent home, kids are studying for final exams, teachers are looking exhausted and the biggest sign....all of the students clothes are too short and too tight :).

This is the time of year when I really re-think my goals for next year. I tend to start off the year with very grand plans and sign up to do and volunteer for everything only to realize that everything I volunteer with coincides with the end of the year when I have nothing left and I always kick myself for it. It gets so bad that I sometimes double or triple book myself or my family....yes I do use a calendar but for some reason not everything ends up on it.

The kids are very excited about their summer....they have picked out their summer camps, cleaned out the winter clothes from their wardrobe (although we still need jackets in the morning) and talk about Disney daily! They are also thinking forward to the grade they will be in next year....Goober in 4th, Ribbit in kindergarten and Baby Boy has one more year of daycare until he can join us in the PK3 class.

We are also in mourning over the grandparents leaving...Baby Boy still wakes up at night looking for Papa. We will see both sides a lot this summer as we plan on making a 3 week trek (sans Adam) to Alabama in July.

Here are some pictures of our crazy life lately.

Recent art competition....Hand sculpture project with plaster. This sweet girl got a superior ribbon and a silver medal!!!! She also won my service award this year.

This young man won a superior ribbon at this competition and a 3rd place ribbon at another competition for this piece!

This super talented young lady won superior at this competition, honorable mention at another competition for the same piece and won my Honor Award for the year with the highest average in my Introduction to Art class all year!

This young man won a superior ribbon, a gold medal and 4th place at another competition with this piece!

This young lady (who will be part of my family soon .....hint hint wink wink)...my brother is dating her older sister....won a superior ribbon and a bronze medal for this plexiglass etch with watercolor background!

This young lady won a superior ribbon and a bronze medal for this beautiful drawing!

This young lady won a superior ribbon and bronze medal for her photoemulsion silkscreen!

I'll post more pictures tonight!!! I'm backing up everything on my phone so I can erase them all and have plenty of room for Disney pictures!