the lost dog and cat

Here is another gem.  I was flabbergasted to realize it is an adoption story.  Flabbergasted because a year ago, mention of any number of adoption related terms (forever family, China, adoption, birthmother, etc.)would send NiNi into a full on panic attack.  Now she is writing stories about it. 

 

 

The story spanned several pages, but goes like this (spelling corrected:)

 

"Once upon a time, there was a lost dog and cat in the woods and the dog and cat were hungry.  The cat said lets have mouse tonight.  The dog said no thanks. So they had nothing for dinner.  And they went walking and they saw a castle and they went inside and saw a pretty queen.  And they asked the queen if they can stay and she said yes!  They played dog and cat tag and made "forever home at last" hats.  The queen made a name for the dog and cat.  The dogs name is Lily and the cats name is Fluffy. And they did swimming training and they both passed. And did other fun things.  The end."

She told me I was the queen in the story.  I'm so glad she gets to be my forever girl. 



 

 

Meagan is in Florida this week with her friend's family.  It's a little torturous hearing the updates about the beach and sunny weather, but glad she is having a good time.  The rest of us on the other hand are missing her a lot.  This is the longest she's been gone since church camp last summer.  Every morning Ethan asks, "Yea-yea at Florida?"   I am having a stay-cation of sorts.  Off work Mon-Weds.  NiNi has been gone on several sleepovers, so it's just been Ethan and I for much of the week.  No lunches to pack, no buses to catch, no cracking the whip over homework.  Just playing with my boy, watching the travel channel and catching up on two months worth of blog posts. Much to Chris' dismay I haven't even been cooking.  Cereal for dinner anyone?  Yesterday I stayed in my pajamas all day, never even left the house.  My kinda vacation, which is so indicative of my introverted, homebody nature.  Hey, it takes all kinds!

the voice

 

 

This poem was written by my very artistic 7-year-old.  It was not a school project or homework assignment.  I just found it laying around.  Something tells me it is a metaphor for her life...and this girl is ready to be heard:)

 

"The voice is a roar.  It is steam.  It is just rock red and hot.  It is so red and orange to be seen from far away.  From New York all the way to me.  To Alabama to South America to Alaska to everywhere to be seen even from space.  Even to Marsh (Mars)" 

Easter (part II)

 

Easter (part I)

 

 

 

funnies

 

Remember the movie Monster's Inc.?  The kids have been watching it a lot lately.  There is a scene where the monster world is contaminated by the human world...the loudspeaker calls out "2319" and men in hazmat suits rush over to decontaminate the unfortunate monster.  NiNi now likes to use "2319" as code for anything dangerous or gross that needs immediate attention.  For example, Ethan sneezes and green goo is hanging from his nose...2319.  Or Ethan is poised with scissors in one hand and my work paper in the other...another 2319.  You can imagine there are many opportunities to call a 2319.  Ethan also likes to say it although does not understand the inside joke.

 

More NiNi quotes:  "Oh mom...it looks like you're growing a mustache. (than adds hastily) But it looks nice on you!"  

 

Ethan quotes:  "God made my car blue!"  (said of his toy car in classic epiphany style after learning in Sunday school about all the things God made)

Chris likes to wrestle with Ethan and taught him to say, "You wanna piece of me old man?"  He now tries to fight all our male friends who come over for a visit, spouting off this phrase.  Recently Chris says, "Ethan needs to cut that out!"  Yeah right!  Fat chance dad!

NiNi taught Ethan what "pinky promise" means.  It requires all of the fingers on his opposing hand to hold down the fingers on his left hand, leaving only the pinky out.  He asks for a pinky promise when we say things like, "you can watch cartoons later."  I have to admit it is one of the cutest darn things I have ever seen

He still has trouble getting in all of the syllables in words like slippery.  The other day I had just mopped the floor and he fell saying, "Woah!  Slipley!"

Ethan needs his cuddle time when he wakes up in the morning.  Not terribly convenient when I am upstairs trying to get kids dressed at 6:30am.  If I say, "I can't hold you right now"  He says, "Mama, hold me downstairs"  As in, "hold me even when we go downstairs."

Ethan is into pretend play right now.  He of course does the typical fighting of bad guys/crashing of cars, but also plays with NiNi's dolls.  It is very sweet to hear him talk to the baby and say, "You're ok, don't cry."  The other day he was playing the role of "frazzled daddy", holding the baby with one arm and doing a load of laundry with the other.  Kept opening the dryer and checking to see if the clothes were done.  When I asked him, "What's your baby's name?"  he said "Jesus."  Baby Jesus is probably the most famous baby he know.

 

Snow day

Snow day...3 days before spring break.  So the girls went sledding with their cousins!