Secret's out

I was cleaning the other day and found this post-it note in the girls' secret hiding place (behind the couch). In case you can't read it, it says, "Wait till the third time my parents call for us till we come out...ok." I've always suspected that they are conspiring to drive me crazy, but now I have proof.

NiNi quotes:

"I have a new word to say at bedtime, it's "pen-yah". So instead of saying goodnight, we'll say pen-yah. Pen-yah mommy!"


"Do you know how to play hackysack? You don't? Ok, I will be your hackysack teacher"

She brought me a ziplock bag full of socks and said, "Mom these are for Haiti. Pack these for Haiti" (Chris recently went to Guatemala to do a work project at an orphanage. The girls sent a few toys and outfits for him to give to the kids. I guess now she thinks that daddy is going to travel around distributing her clothing to various parts of the world. Very sweet.)

And, last but not least, it's a good thing I don't struggle excessively with low self-esteem...here are some of the girls'comments to me lately:

"You kind of look like a cow-girl today....are you trying to look like a cow-girl?"
(Meagan)

"Why are you wearing make-up? Because you think if you're pretty, people will want to look at you?" (NiNi)

"Mommy, those panties are WAAAAAY too small for you...you need to give those away."
(always a little discouraging when someone tells you you're outgrowing your underwear)

Referral week!

So thrilled to have pictures of our new son, Ethan Wesley. He is 11 months old and living in a foster facility in Beijing. Still hoping to travel by the end of the year...wish we could go scoop him up right now! More details later..

Grrrrr....

Homestudy is now in week FOUR (4) of the "editing" process. Why so long? No good reason really....faxed to the wrong fax machine, someone on vacation, internet down, misplaced documents, you name it. Now I remember why this paperwork is so agonizing. How could I have forgotten? It's kind of like childbirth....18+ hours of excruciating pain, then a month or so after the baby is born you begin to think, "Now that wasn't so bad...I could do that again" It's a funny little trick God plays on us....not that God is tricky but he does have a sense of humor. Pray that mine will return to me.

A few funnies...

The girls sometimes get tired of me swiping their toys to use for my "therapy kids". The other day, I had one of NiNi's old sippy cups in the van and she asked what I was going to do with it. I said,"One of my therapy kids can't drink very well, so I want to see if it helps her." She replied, "Well, let her suck out of her OWN cup!"

Alina was digging in the garden hunting for worms. She found one and brought it to me, "Mom, this is a Chinese worm...I can tell because it's wiggly"

I was taking a load of stuff to Goodwill, which included our old Guinea Pig cage. NiNi said very solemnly, "Jasmine's not in that cage anymore." I said, "No, she's not. She's in heaven." (mind you the jury's still out in my opinion as to whether or not animals actually go to heaven....don't tell my mother I said that...but I always cave and say it anyway) NiNi very matter of factly said, "No she's not, she's in the DIRT. Remember, you put her in the dirt!" Separation of body and spirit is a difficult concept for a 4 year old.

The other day I was yelling down the hall for NiNi to pick up her toys. She yelled back, "No thank you!" I repeated my request and she yelled back, "Sorry, I'm gonna be busy!" Completely disobedient but at least she's polite about it.

NiNi's favorite past time now is listing all of the things that she can do, but "baby Ethan" won't be able to do. So far her exhaustive list includes:

swim
cross the monkey bars (because he will "crack his head")
go to school
write his name
do gymnastics
sleep in a big bed
sit in a big chair
eat candy
carry the milk jug

Poor Ethan...he's going to have some work ahead of him to break free of his older sisters' tyranny!

Happy Spring (part 2)

Happy Spring