Rocky-A-Sauraus

Wednesday's homework...to the tune of "I love Rock & Roll." Funny because as were driving to pick Ellie up the song came on the radio and he started singing and I thought...oh, he will be singing that today during homework! And he did! Not as funny as "Aunt Pearl" but he did sneak in an "I love Rocky-a-saurus..." Don't forget to mute!

Aunt Pearl

Make sure you scroll down and mute the music...here is Flip doing his "homework." In case you can't tell, he is singing "if I could be sweet, sweet, I know that I'd be aunt Pearl, aunt pearl." After you watch his version, unmute and listen to the real version...enjoy!

Ellie Pretty?

Not too much out of the ordinary happening around here. We stayed busy this past week with life. On Saturday, we watched football and on Sunday, we went to church...Adam and I had our week with the twos. It is always a joy...I usually go in thinking, "man, I have nursery today...I always leave feeling blessed...there are some really sweet kids in there...including our Ellie. After church we, meaning, I decided we wanted to get Ellie's ears pierced. She was really excited! She just didn't know what she was so excited about!

Cautiously optimistic.

This is not what I signed on for.

A lolly-pop can cure anything!

Ok, so, she didn't love it! She hated it...for about 3 minutes she thought we were torturing her. Then she got a lolly-pop and all her worries seemed for naught. It was funny because when we got Ruthie's ears pierced, she was 6 months old and we were first time parents. I wanted to hold her because I didn't want her to see me when the pain hit...this time Adam wanted to hold Ellie so that she would have to look at me while the pain was brutally inflicted upon her ear lobes...I'm pretty sure you can see whose arms she is in...but she got her lolly-pop and Daddy whisked her up into his arms and she looked at him and asked, "Daddy? Ellie pretty?" Oh yes, little girl, you are beautiful!

The Good Stuff

Rusty is in first grade and this week, homework started. We had our first day at the table this afternoon...working on math, going over sight words, working on handwriting. None of this is anything we haven't done together before but it was the first time we did it as "homework." And, I really liked it! Good stuff...

You might be a redneck if...

Ruthie has been faced with some challenges over the past few weeks...nothing academic, or athletic but personal challenges. She was excluded recently at a party and was bullied out of some food at lunch...she didn't like it too much. We had a little talk about not giving people the "power" to hurt us....recognizing a bully or someone who thrives on hurting others and looking them in the eye or staying away...the next day, she had a workout at the gym and I had the chance to talk with one of her coaches about her progress and low and behold, the only thing her coach wanted her to work on was her communication with her teammates. It seems that she was occasionally and without malice taking on the roll of coach in critiquing the other girls rather than taking the role of encourager. So, we had another little talk about "not being that person." You know, the corrector, the know it all or the girl who excludes others from the fold. We talked about the impossible task of getting rid of a bad reputation and although sometimes our motives are not to hurt, we can easily do so with words. Sometimes, we can keep our thoughts to ourselves. Over the past week, I have seen her take the high road many times with her brothers...I know that having been put into those positions herself so recently, it made her see how her own words and actions may have been seen as "mean." Growing pains...good stuff...

Brace yourself...

Flip is obsessed with all things "poop." Pooter, poop face, poop bottom, pooter face, diarrhea head...you get the picture. Now, having had a daughter first and a somewhat quiet second child, I was completely unprepared for what Flip would bring to our world. But this past weekend we had a road trip up to Adam's parents place and the car ride left a little to be desired in terms of conversation. The child is never quiet unless he is unconscious and frankly, if sound effects are not coming from his mouth, "potty-talk" is. I just want to know...when will he be finished with it? I ask that completely understanding that the answer is of course, never...since he is male and all things bodily are hilarious to this version of the human race...good stuff.

Ellie had a very busy weekend...she learned how to watch TV...no, I am not kidding...the child has never sat down long enough to pay attention to an entire show but alas, in the car, there is no where else to go...so, with head phones on, she was forced to sit and watch a movie on the way. She also got to see the horses and meet her cousins, Karen and Greg for the first time...and see the nine 2 day old puppies...check out Karen's blog to see pics (Keepin' up with the Kasjaniuk's). She's started to seek out her own entertainments over the past few days and she is talking so well. But my favorite...she is tattling! The best is when she tattles on Daddy...Good stuff...

Adam had a birthday yesterday...32...we always celebrate it with the opening of college football season. He looks forward to this weekend from the last second of the national championship game...when the polls start coming out toward the end of summer, he starts talking about who is saying what about the Tigers...where we are ranked and in which polls, which games are on TV, "Should we get tickets to a game?" "If we beat them and they beat them, yada, yada, yada..." So, it is that time again...WAR EAGLE!!!Good stuff.

My life is filled with the good stuff...

The Rocky Road...It's Torture

I knew that once school started, we would be very busy...I was right. Over the weekend we had Jessi's 5th birthday party...looking back over the years with all my girls and their children, each time one of the kids turns a year older, it is hard to believe that I held just about every one of them in the hospital the day they were born (or the day after). I can't believe how time is flying by. Jessi had an 80's rockin' roll party so the kids (and some of the mid-lifing mothers;0) dressed up. The kids looked adorable...and so did the moms. It was a good time.

On Sunday, I woke up feeling sort of ill...I had spent the night kind of feeling like I could throw up. By the time our pastor started his sermon I was begging to just be done with it. (I'm 99.9% sure it wasn't the sermon:) I finally ended up with and have now recovered from the 24 hour stomach flu that our family cannot seem to knock...Adam is the only one who has not had it at least once.

I had to meet with our social worker feeling like a mac truck had rolled over my back...I could not believe the aches shooting through my back and down my legs. Anyway, Vicki came for our first post placement...I can't believe it is already that time but none the less, we have had this little miracle almost 5 whole months! Vicki wanted to know all about her sleeping and eating habits, her social skills, language development, etc. The only things we reported to her as what we see as a problems are her obsession with eating...she constantly asks for snacks and drinks and her inability to initiate self-play. Ellie will sit beside me doing nothing, while I work on the computer. I have to tell her to and sometimes go get toys and play. Both of these things seem to be security issues that I know will fade over time.

Today after school we went back to the orthodontist...and we got the first of Ruthie's "hard wear." She is wearing what is called a high rack on her upper jaw. There are metal bands cemented to her molars on both sides of her mouth and a metal do-hickey going across...every night we will insert a key and twist it to further spread her jaw...this looks to be phase one of achieving a beautiful smile for her and it will last about 2 years. We will affectionately call it the "torture rack" instead of the "high rack." To let you know how painful it was: Ruthie sat through all of her kindergarten immunizations without uttering a single protest and at the very end, a single tear fell from her eye. When they were finished installing the torture rack, she cried the whole way home...bless her little heart.

The kids sang in church on Sunday...as usual, Ruthie smiled and was a complete ham the whole time, Rusty...well, we'll just say that we decided not to torture him that way anymore...we agreed that he would go to choir but that when the kids went on stage, he did not have to go. He loves to sing but not in front of everyone...This week starts the madness of all madness...we will just have to see if I survive this rocky road...stay tuned!

Fay, and The First Day...

We had no effects at all from Fay. Just a nice overcast, somewhat breezy day...not a drop of rain and no storm surge. I'm not sure why but this storm bothered me more than any other...perhaps the thought of being cast from our home with 4 kids and a cat and dog. Not so much evacuating, but the thought of having to stay away for an extended period of time while repairs were made...trying to maintain the status quo from a hotel room or a rented apartment...We were blessed again to not have to face that reality.

We did miss the first day of school as the powers that be thought it best to postpone until Fay declared her path...So, we started Wed. instead of Tues. As usual, the first day was a mad house but the kids got the teachers we were hoping for and I feel really excited for them this year. They each have a few friends from their classes last year and their teachers are both young and enthusiastic about the start of another year. We are in uniforms this year...voluntary and I confess I was surprised to see how many kids were not wearing them! I got up and I pulled out a top and a bottom for each kid and that was that! We did spice Ruthie up a bit with some sequin tennis shoes and some scarves that match her duds...and new lunch boxes...how fun!

In Stitches

We had a good weekend...we meaning, I. I had my first break from the kids since we have been home from Russia. Women of Faith were in Tampa this weekend. Some girls from church went and it was a refreshing weekend filled with laughter and tears. It is always such a good time and this year it was relaxing to just just get a way for two days right before the madness of back to school begins.

On the way home on Saturday, I received a pix message from my family. It was a picture of Ruthie's forehead with a gash in it. I called Adam on his cell..."what's up?" My little gymnast was doing back flips into the pool at Nana's house and didn't quite clear the deck...so, a few hours in the emergency room and three stitches later, (picture to come) I concluded my relaxing weekend by crashing on the couch to the tune of the Olympics.

Now on our plates is weather or not our home will be under water in the next few days as Fay bears down on us. She is supposed to make landfall on Tuesday which is, in fact, the day school is supposed to start. Since we are just one block and only four feet above sea level, storm surge is in fact a real and true nightmare for us. I am having visions of my wood floors buckled and my couches floating down the street.

The End of Summer....

Like all good things, summer too must come to an end. We are closing out the final two weeks of summer vacation and I am ready for school to start. We didn't take any major trips this summer and we didn't do any major projects...we just kind of hung out and it was nice to be home bodies for a while...but, with the start of school comes fall and all things I love most...new pencils and paper, new school clothes and shoes, new lunch boxes, Labor day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, football season, pumpkins, and aaaaahhhhh..."busy-ness." Gymnastics, baseball, AWANA, meetings, PTA, projects, homework, weekend trips, birthday parties, dinner, lunches, field trips, socials, madness!

I'm not complaining...I can just already feel the schedule closing in...Adam is now in meetings on Monday nights at church, working AWANA on Wednesday nights, men's Bible study Thursday nights and in a few weeks, our Friday night small group will re-start. Ruthie is at the gym three nights a week, Flip will start fall ball in a few weeks and Rusty is looking forward to playing flag football this year. Where does that leave me? Well, I have pretty much become the live-in taxi driver...I am thinking of getting myself one of those really stupid bumper stickers that says "Mom's Taxi." Truer words were never put into print.

With all that said, here is a quick update: The kids, all four of them had healthy check ups at the dentist yesterday...no cavities all around...Ellie cried silent tears the entire visit but opened each time they asked her to....I think she was waiting for them to pull out a needle! She was , however, thoroughly excited about her new toothbrush and little tube of toothpaste. Rusty was able to get all of his molars sealed as they are all the way in...yeh! Ruthie had an orthodontist appointment today and it seems the time to act is now...Our ortho has been watching her teeth for almost two years now and he said it is time to move...so, she goes back in next week for a follow up after having xrays today...we'll see. The kids will all be wearing uniforms this year and although it is voluntary, we are participating...I have mixed feelings about it but, the kids could care less. Flip's school schedule is changing to 5 half days this year for pre-K....uuuugh! PRE-K, wasn't he just born yesterday? I am going to be going into work one day a week starting next week and Ellie will have her own little playroom at the office to romp in while I work. Adam has taken on the position of chairman on the global missions team at church and he is excited to be a part of that. That's about it for now...

Smartie (Dry) Pants

When we brought Ellie home and saw the specialist...we told him she had regressed on her potty training. He explained that the children in orphanages are not so much potty trained but rather "potty-timed." Most children will regress due to the stress, time change, change in diet etc. Since she was only just two, we decided to put her in diapers and let her be for a while...I tried about a month ago to sit her on the potty and it quickly became clear that she did not understand what was going on and that I was going to STRESS out...can I just say that on the fourth child, I still HATE potty training and I am still no better at it! I am convinced it is the only bad thing about being a mother.

Anyway, I decided this week to concentrate my efforts on the potty training...I got a little baggie and stuffed it full of "rewards." I know, I know...all the experts say your are not supposed to reward a child with food when they go in the potty...WHATEVER! It has worked for my first three and they have no weird frued-isms to speak of...yet. Well, this morning Ellie sat on the potty...for 3 hours...and finally, she produced...we had a small party, invited the neighbors (just kidding) and at long last, she got 2 little Smarties for being so smart and going poo poo in the potty...

Not what you signed on for? Well, I am happy to announce that my fourth and final child is on her way to being potty trained, and it feels pretty good!

If Wishes were Garages....

We have the stomach flu...good times...it started with Flip on Thursday...He threw up in the pool at swimming lessons...SWEET! He seemed fine all day Friday and then Saturday night...we'll just say his digestive track was completely emptied at about 10pm. Yesterday, I kept him home from church...you guys can all thank me for that later:0) This morning we woke up and today it is Ruthie's turn...I figure by the end of this week, we will all have paid homage to the privy.

It is stinkin' hot! I mean I seriously don't even want to go outside...forget about loading and unloading groceries. We have been hitting the high nineties nearly every day and with all the rain, the humidity has been unbearable. Speaking of rain...we have been having torrential down pours lately. The other day, I needed to load the kids into the car to take Ruthie to the gym and it was coming down like mad...as I ran out carrying Ellie and then positioned the car so the other three could run out and get in quickly without hopping into puddles, I thought, MAN, it would sure be nice to have a garage!

Then I came home and sitting by the front door in our formal living room is the very nice, very expensive road bike that Adam borrowed from his boss. We can't put it in the shed, it leaks. And so as I looked at it leaning against my furniture, I thought, MAN, it would sure be nice to have a garage!

Then I walked into my room where Adam has been working on base board and crown moulding and I see the huge saw that is necessary for cutting the angles...all around it is saw dust...we can't put it in the shed, it leaks...have I mentioned that? and I couldn't help it, I thought, MAN, it would sure be nice to have a garage.

I wish I had a garage!

Ps...this song goes out to my momma...because I know it always puts her in a good mood.