Keesler Chaos

Oh, Yes We Did

2012-01-30T06:34:00.000-08:00

On it's way to the trash, our fridge box, former fort, spaceship, castle, spy headquarters and all around fun, lived one last incarnation:

Exhilarating,

and a bit dangerous,

and OH, so much fun!

No bones were broken during the making of this fun.

And yes, I had a turn too!

How Nerds Make Snowflakes

2012-01-28T06:28:00.000-08:00

Can you name them all?

Wanna make your own? You can find them here.

His name is....

2012-01-25T06:31:00.000-08:00

So, I've received a few requests to know the new cello's name, which I forgot to share!

The old cello is Big Bill, because I added a new bill to the already big music budget when Mimi started playing him.

The new one is Arthur Dent, a joke because it has some dents in it. Also some fun for fans of the Hitchhiker's Guide books!

Just for fun, the other instruments in our house: Rudy the flute, Max the sax, Isobel the violin, Squeaky, Mac's violin (and boy does it ever!) and the poor piano has no name!

We also have a couple new guitars that need names. Any suggestions?

Mimi's Cello

2012-01-23T06:49:00.000-08:00

Mimi has been saving up to buy her own cello for almost a year. We've been borrowing Big Bill (Yeah, we name all our instruments) and it(he?) works great, so we weren't in any hurry to replace it. And them more she saved, the more she'd have to spend later, right?

Then there was a cello on Craig's list. And it was REALLY cheap! We drove over to check it out, and the owner was so nice. Once he heard Mimi was buying it with her own money, he started telling her all about it, and knocking the price down. I wasn't sure if we should buy it, as it was kind of beat up, but it sounded great. And as it was Mimi's money, I let her make the decision, and she bought it.

It does need a bit of work done, so it's already at the shop, but the fix-it guy assures us we got a steal!

And she's already named it!

Foster Care?

2012-01-20T07:13:00.000-08:00

It was never my intent to be a foster parent. Not because I'm opposed to the idea, it's just not the path we wanted to take. See, I grew up in a household that fostered about a dozen kids. Not all at the same time, although the neighbors would despute that, cause we pretty much had kids coming out the windows!

When I was a kid, I assumed I'd do foster care when I was a mama, because that's what all mamas do, right? But both Hubs and I worried about getting attached, and loosing that baby, and neither of us thought we could handle it. Instead we made the choice to go with straight up adoption.

And you've seen how that's been going!

So a few months ago, when a foster care "recruiter" came to speak at our church, I laughed. Out loud. Then I turned to Hubs and told him "You know I'd do it, in a minute. And I know you don't want to, so I'm not going to talk to them." and I left it plopped in his lap.

So as I gathered out herd, he did what I didn't think he'd do. He talked to them. Then he filled out the info card. And a few days later, he took the phone call. And made an appointment for us.

We start classes next week so I can play with a baby while God takes his time delivering ours!

Adoption Update

2012-01-18T07:40:00.000-08:00

We showed our profile again this week, and, once again, we didn't get picked. I was a bit ambivalent about showing it in this particular situation, and felt nothing but relief when we didn't get picked, which is a strange feeling for me.

'Cause I ALWAYS want that baby!

Then we had an opportunity to show to two other mamas, but we chose to say no to both. Neither was even close to what we were looking for, and the details were pretty murky about how things would work out legally in their home states, along with Texas' rules. As hard as it is to say no, I really feel like it was the right choice for us.

It looks like they won't have any new mamas for a while, so we're back to waiting!

And after our most recent roller coaster rides, I'm feeling nothing but relief about this waiting!

Is It Over Already?

2012-01-16T06:29:00.000-08:00

Can I call it a Christmas break if we still did school work? Because, although we not only caught up, but even got ahead a bit, it still felt like break to me! It was so awesome to have extra time to go skating, to the indoor playground, have jammies day, and do some baking together with out our usual running around!

Alas, it is finished.

Our usual activities are building back up now, putting Mom's Taxi back into business.

I'd love to show you pics of all our fun, but I pretty much left the camera sitting for weeks now! Bad mama!

Strawberrybutter? Peanut Jam?

2012-01-11T06:34:00.000-08:00

The topic of discussion at supper tonight:

Why is squished strawberries called strawberry jam, but squished peanuts not called peanut jam?

Why had I never thought of that before?

I bet you can guess who thought of it!

Finally!

2012-01-09T06:37:00.000-08:00

After a very loooong wait, our agency finally got back to us:

Mama #1 wants only african american families, which puts us firmly out the door.

Mama #2 wants a local family, which also puts us firmly out the door!

Man, do I wish they'd decided those things before they had us go through that especially long wait!

But, on the heels of those e-mails, another mama! She won't be looking for a few weeks, so I can breathe for a bit before I start holding my breath again. Sure hope she doesn't come up with any last minute hoops we can't jump through!

You Know You're the Mom...

2012-01-06T18:45:00.000-08:00

You know you're the mom of a seven year old boy when......

You don't just say "Take a shower." No, you must get specific. VERY specific:
"Go take a shower. Use soap. Wash your hair. Use shampoo. Rinse it off. Dry off. Use a towel. Yes, right now."

You have to specify that dirty clothes go IN the hamper, not next to it.

Polka dot socks, striped pants and a plaid shirt all "match" in the same outfit, because they all contain a shade of blue. Any shade of blue.

For the question: "Did you hang up your coat?", Yes means it's laying on the floor next to the closet.

You've stopped telling him not to do flips off the couch, and now giving advice to perfect his form.

Happy Birthday Buddy!

2012-01-04T07:04:00.000-08:00

My baby:

Still my baby:

My baby turned 16 this week.
A fact that made me feel very old.
No, he will not be getting his driver's license.
A fact that should releave all drivers in a 200 mile radius.

Happy birthday Buddy! I love ya dude!

Unbelievable

2012-01-02T06:36:00.000-08:00

Today was the biggest roller coaster ride of all this adoption journey.

Texas called. They wanted to know if we would take TWINS!

The only problem? These babies were not with our agency. They were with a lawyer, and one that wanted a LOT of money. More than double what we thought we'd need to finish up all our expenses. Actually, almost triple.

He wanted the placement fee, legal fee, state fee, etc. for EACH baby. PLUS the fees that our agency would charge.

We don't have that. We can't even imagine how to come up with that in the next 24 hours.

We asked if he'd be willing to take half now, and the rest in a few months, but the he was unwilling.

So we had to say no.

That was the hardest no I've ever said in my whole life.

After saying no, our worker let us know that the moms from last week,
remember them?
Yeah, turns out they haven't chosen yet. They haven't even looked at profiles yet.

So all those tears I dripped were for nuthin. And we're back to waiting. AGAIN!!!

Wanna know the funniest part?

When we hadn't heard anything about those two mamas, after two days of stressed out waiting, I climbed into bed for a good cry, and told God that if He didn't give us either of those babies, I was expecting twins.

Insert hysterical laughing.

Charming the Ladies

2011-12-30T06:52:00.000-08:00

Some friends of ours had an adoption celebration tonight for their boys. After two long years of fostering, their boys are theirs forever! What a delight it was to see them walk in proudly wearing their new name on their chests!

The party was at a local restaurant, and the kids took over a table for themselves, and had fun giggling and telling jokes. As we were getting up to leave, I noticed an adult sitting amongst the kids, and apparently having a marvelous time. Mac was smitten with her, telling me she was his new friend.

Later, as I was tucking him in, he told me all about his new friend, and how funny she was. Then he told me he told her his best joke, but she didn't laugh. So, I asked him to tell me his best joke.

Why did the chicken cross the road?
To get to the fart factory!

I can't imagine WHY she didn't laugh!!

Waiting Stinks

2011-12-28T06:50:00.000-08:00

I spent the day waiting. Again.

When 5:00 hit, we had received neither the call telling that we'd been picked, nor the e-mail letting us know we hadn't.

I tend to think that means they chose the other families, and the office was so busy setting up travel details with the lucky ones they didn't have a chance to shoot us the "so sorry" letter.

I feel a bit sick.

Pile on the Stress!

2011-12-27T18:47:00.000-08:00

So, it turns out Mama #1 hasn't looked at books yet.

She's looking tomorrow.

Along with Mama #2!

So, not only are my fingernails in jeopardy, but so is my hair, cause if we don't get picked by someone, it's all going to fall out!

Oportunities Galore!

2011-12-26T06:57:00.000-08:00

We got an e-mail yesterday telling us about a Mama and, as always, we jumped. I'm so glad we had things to do, because otherwise I spend the whole day chewing my fingernails to the nub! So, while my kiddos had a ball at the water park, I compulsively checked my phone.

When we didn't get a call by 5:00, I knew we hadn't get chosen, even without the official notice.

But, after 5:00, we got ANOTHER e-mail about ANOTHER Mama!

Streeeeeeeeessful!

Goodbye fingernails!

Nativities

2011-12-23T06:55:00.000-08:00

Some people have traditional nativity scenes,

Some have elegant ones,

And some simple

But ours........

Let's just call it.......unique.

Adoption Update

2011-12-21T07:01:00.000-08:00

Hubs and I took a first aid and CPR class last night. That's the last hoop we needed to jump through to finish up our adoption file for our new agency, and it feels sooooooo good to be done with it all.

At least until they come up with another hoop.

Cause they will.

They've got several babies due in the new year, and we're sitting at the top of the list, which also feels pretty good. Being at the top doesn't mean we automatically get the next baby, just that we get to present our profile whenever we want (and we always want!), and that if a mom doesn't want to choose a family, we're automatically chosen.

So, for now we wait. Some more. Cause we weren't waiting enough already.

Relax!

2011-12-19T07:07:00.000-08:00

Last week was our first week of "Christmas break", which doesn't mean we didn't do school, but that most of our weekly activities are on break, giving us lots of free time.

I love free time!

We slept late, took our time on school work and music practice, did some cooking, read some books, went on a leisurely trip to the library,hit the indoor playground with some friends, and talked and laughed for hours! It was so awesome!

And you know what makes it even better?

We get to do it again this week!

Tractors!

2011-12-17T08:27:00.000-08:00

Mac's buddy had a very cool birthday party this week.

It was at the tractor museum, and it's better than any other museum, because they lit the kids CLIMB all over the tractors!

Mac had so much fun that when the party was over, we stayed to play some more!

Clean

2011-12-13T07:11:00.000-08:00

I walked into the kitchen just in time to see my son (I bet you can guess which one!) licking peanut butter off the counter.

"You're going to clean that up, right?" I asked.

"I just did." he said as he walked away.

Now I'm wondering how many times he's "cleaned up" the counter!

Play It Again Mimi!

2011-12-10T07:08:00.000-08:00

This was Mimi's first ever orchestra experience, and she loved it! She's in the junior orchestra, but wants to try out for the senior for next semester. I think they sound pretty good for a bunch of kids!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
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Chats with Mac

2011-12-07T06:20:00.000-08:00

Mac and I chat as he finishes his chicken nuggets:

Mac: I hope I never go to England or France.
Me: What? Why?
Mac: I don't wanna have to drink with my pinky sticking out, and I don't wanna use the heiney washer.
Me: Your pinky.......um, a heiney washer?
Mac: Yeah, the one like a drinking fountain, only for your heiney.
Me: A bidet?
Mac: Yeah, that one.

How does my seven year old know what a bidet is?!

Texas Called!

2011-12-03T07:39:00.000-08:00

We had a frantic couple of days this week! Texas called, and they weren't selling saw blades this time!

There was a mama who looked at our profile to several weeks ago, and we were her second place choice. Then the first place family backed out! Our agency had to show her all the profiles again, but we were so sure we were gonna hit a home run this time!

But the last time we did the big wait, I got myself all worked up, and the crash from that was awful. So I promised myself I wasn't doing that again, and I stuck to it. I kept calm and carried on, even asked a few friends to pray for that for me. After a good 24 hours of me white knuckling it, we got the e-mail that she'd picked someone else. Again.

And unlike last time, when I ate my weight in warm bread & butter, I was fine! It felt so good to get the big NO without being crushed!

Recital Time

2011-12-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's recital time yet again!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
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Crazy Hair!

2011-11-29T07:17:00.000-08:00

Our co-op had crazy hair day this week!

Mac looks great in pigtails!

Another Week

2011-11-26T06:46:00.000-08:00

Well, one week, no e-mail from our agency.

Sigh!

Tradition

2011-11-24T09:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, we ate them again. Thirteen years and going strong! My kids were excited, which is silly, as it's not the only day we eat corndogs, but they were, the goofs.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Farm Fun

2011-11-22T07:20:00.000-08:00

We headed back to Whoville for a bit of fun today. Our friends not only have new calves, but their girls ordered 100 baby chicks, so we just had to go see the babies while we had the chance!

We hadn't seen our friends for so long, and it was wonderful to get to spend the day playing outside (before the snow hits!), and enjoying each others company!

Next week, it's our turn to host their trip to "the big city"!

More Bugs

2011-11-19T07:13:00.000-08:00

Those of you who are long time readers will see the humor in this lil' story!

Mimi's friend gave us one of her praying mantises. She hatched a whole bunch, and only had a few left, so we got one. A boy, as she wanted to keep the girl so she'd have eggs to hatch next year.

See that egg sack? Yeah, this is NOT a boy. We are now the official world headquarters of "boy" bugs having babies.

Mimi's friend got exactly zero egg sacks. So we gave her this one.

Ours immediately laid another.

Great! More bugs!

Back on the Roller Coaster

2011-11-16T13:23:00.000-08:00

I just got an e-mail from our agency. They are showing profiles to three moms over the next four weeks. We're one of five families, so the odds are OK, but it's hard to get excited because we've been here before. Several times.

But Christmas in Texas sure would be fun!

What's in a Name?

2011-11-13T06:08:00.000-08:00

We like unusual names for our kids. Not too weird or strange, just a bit more unique than the average. I like the idea of them being the only kid with that name in their classes. When we chose Buddy's name, he was the only person with that name that we knew. We've met a few along the way, mostly in the christian circles we frequent, as it's a bible name, but there are not many people with his name.

When we chose Mimi's name, we knew only one person with the same name, a crabby old lady. Backfire! Within a year, her name made the top ten list. The same thing happened with Princess, her name was in the top 20 the year after she was born. Beware-we're trend setters for girl names!

Mac's name is still very unique, and we've not met another person with his name. Score!

When we began this adoption journey, two loooooong years ago, we started choosing names. We always struggle with girl names, but boy names come pretty easy and we've had that one chosen since almost the beginning. Problem? We now know 2 babies, and 2 more families expecting babies, all naming their kids OUR NAME!

So now the debate rages at our house. Do we stick with our original name, even though it's ALL over our circle of friends. or do we go with our second place?

Sigh

2011-11-10T07:09:00.000-08:00

It's been one of those days. I'm feeling whiny, and crabby, you know, ick.

It's the one year anniversary of my friend's son's suicide, and I'm mourning for her, again. Sadness.

I was supposed to cook dinner for another friend because she's recovering from surgery, and I took the cheater's way out and got them take out instead. Guilt.

Then the green eyed monster reared it's ugly head when another friend got not one, but TWO new babies, while we sit here with none. Jealousy.

So I did what any good mama does.

I ate my weight in fresh baked bread.

I know I'll regret it later, but for now, pass the butter!

Good Clean Fun

2011-11-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

The boy's bathroom is Lego themed, but we've really struggled to find thing to help us decorate, so we've started making our own!

We have some ice cube trays that look like Legos and Lego mini figures.

And now they've made soap!

And in our cute little containers, they look especially cute. Next, the shower curtain!

Mongols!

2011-11-02T07:35:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite restaurants is HuHot Mongolian grill. Not only do they gluten free noodles for Buddy, and an astounding selection of veggies for me, but once a year they have Dress Like a Mongol day!

This day satisfies not only our love of their food

and Buddy's facilitation with Genghis Kahn,

and a chance to eat with friends,

and wear strange clothes in public

and sport mustaches,

and a FREE meal for my hungry horde,

with a chance to see the cutest Mongol ever!

Rules

2011-10-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

Every family has "The Rules", those things that you are not allowed to do, no matter what. There are the common ones, like no hitting, or no running in the house, and then there are the ones we never even thought of. Here are some of our more recent additions:

No sword fighting at the table.

You may not lick anyone besides yourself.

Don't make ninja moves while naked, or wearing only a robe.

Reptile Revisit

2011-10-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

Just thought you'd like to know. Still no snakes.

I've been peering under big objects with a flashlight (not a light saber).

The only benefit is that the floor underneath my fridge is spotless!

Critter Conundrum

2011-10-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, there was a darling, although admittedly quirky, family living in suburbia. They just happened to be hosting two adorable baby garter snakes in an aquarium, as a nice learning opportunity for the children. The even named them! Severus Snake and Nagini. Clever, eh?

One night, as the mama was on her way to bed, she decided to give the little wigglers some dinner. She reached her hand in to remove them from their usual hiding spot.

To her surprise, they weren't there! The mama, at first with mild surprise, then building up to panic, began searching the tank.

Either they'd turned invisible, or.....the great escape!

The mama searched frantically, in her jammies, lightsaber in hand. What? Why a lightsaber? Well, she couldn't find a flashlight.....and it they light up, OK?!

Back to the hunt, crawling and peering under every couch, shelf and fridge. The lil stinkers were nowhere to be found! The next morning the mama announced a bounty on the squirmy outlaws, and the hunt continued.

No luck.

Now that poor mama is lamenting. How will she ever invite guests in again? "Welcome to my home! Please sit, can I get you a drink? Oh, by the way, there are two baby snakes loose in my home. If you see one, let me know, there's a big reward if you do...........What? You just remembered you need to be where? Right now? Oh.....Well, thanks for stopping by!"

The poor, poor mama! First the squirrel, now snakes! How do these things keep happening to us....um, I mean them?

Not Falling, Flying!

2011-10-19T06:58:00.000-07:00

I got hit by a squirrel today.

Yes, you read that correctly, the squirrel hit ME.

It pretty much fell out of the sky. Waaaaay up in the sky.

Onto my car. As I drove it down the street. The busiest street in Who City.

I saw it plummeting out of the clear, blue sky, tiny arms and legs waiving well.... exactly like you'd imagine they'd wave if you fell out of the sky. I swear I heard it screaming.

So I braked, gasping. Then giggled...then laughed......then roared in uncontrolled hilarity as it landed gracefully on my windshield.

And slid off

And scampered away.

At that point I was laughing so hysterically that I could barely drive.

*swiped the pic from here.

It's like I'm a chaos magnet or something.

Do these kind of things happen to you too?

Done Again

2011-10-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

Another week, another e-mail. No baby.

Honestly, I was kind of relieved. There were some things about this baby's story that made me uncomfortable, and I prayed all week that God would make this work out in His plans, and of course He did. It was nice to get that e-mail and not feel sad! We're at the top of "the list" now, and will be getting more opportunities to show our profile, and hopefully find a mama who isn't opposed to their baby being one of many. Who knew being experienced parents was a bad thing?!

I know there are several more babies due between now and February, so I'll be riding the rails again soon. I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the peace....well, as much peace as one mom can have with four kids!

Mac is Seven!

2011-10-13T07:23:00.000-07:00

Somebody around here has been counting down the days. Being seven is a pretty big deal!

And loosing your front teeth just in time for your birthday pictures? Prefect!

Ditch Day at the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-11T09:28:00.000-07:00

Today was the perfect day to ditch the school books and head out into the warm sunshine! We really needed a day off, and the weather was perfect.

Wat fun to play with friends, enjoy nature, and bury the children up to their chins in corn kernels.

A Bed for Buddy

2011-10-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

This week's project with dad: Building a bed! Since Buddy is now SIX FEET TALL, he no longer fits in his lil boy bed, so we upgraded him this week. And since the bed was for him, Hubs thought it was entirely appropriate that he help build it.

Let the chaos begin!

And since were here, everyone else may as well help too.

A couple hours, a few bruised thumbs, and Buddy's bed was done! Now if only I can get him to make it......

Out of the Mouth of Babes Keeslers

2011-10-06T07:09:00.000-07:00

Things said at the Keesler home this week:

I can't get this squirrel out of my pants!

Somewhere in the world there is a naked ninja.

Oh yeah? Well, then I'm the queen of England!

The Roller Coaster

2011-10-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

I'm NOT a big fan of amusement park rides. I hate that stomach-drop feeling, the slam from side to side, the wind in my face, the whole thing. So when I say that this adoption thing is like being on a roller coaster, I don't mean that this is fun!

We finally heard from our new agency. We were not chosen. Again....sigh After a good, ole fashioned cry, I spent the day feeling pretty lousy. Sometimes I wonder what exactly the plan is, and when, exactly, I get to know what it is!

Later, as I sat with my girls at our "girls night out" dinner, I checked my e-mail. Another mama, another baby. And they need a reply quick.

Do you hear that...tick....tick....tick? That's the roller coaster cart going back up the hill!

aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

The Call

2011-09-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

This morning as I sat reading on the couch, my phone rang. I looked down and saw an area code I didn't recognize, and answered. As soon as I picked up, the line went dead. So I looked at it again, and saw it was from TEXAS! Texas, where our adoption agency is! The one we're waiting for a call from!!!! With my heart pounding in my chest, I called back.

Ring

Ring

Ring

Do I want to buy saw blades?
Wrong number!

God really does have a sense of humor!

Reply By

2011-09-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

So, last week we got our first profile call from our new agency. That means they wanted to show our book to a mama. We were feeling pretty impressed at how quickly we were showing, and of course we jumped at the chance to show. Although we had a while until the reply-by date, we immediately sent back our eager answer. The reply by date was a Friday, so I assumed they'd be showing books on Monday.

Monday came, and I spent the day checking my e-mail. Every hour or so in the morning, and more frequently as the afternoon went by. By 5:00 we'd heard nothing, so I knew that meant we hadn't been picked. I was a bit disappointed that our new agency had not let us know we were not picked. One of the things I hated about our old agency was that they NEVER let us know we were not picked, leaving us wondering for daaaaaaaays. Not knowing, then finding out a mama had picked days ago, but no one had bothered to tell us was unbelievably frustrating!

After the kids were in bad, Hubs and I had a chat about this experience, and our frustration with their lack of communication. So Hubs decided he'd e-mail them just to let them know how we felt. I dug through my e-mails and read the original one. Then I read the reply-by date. It was for NEXT WEEK! Yup, went through the whole stressful mess for nothing.

And now we get to do it again next week!

In the Closet

2011-09-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that dreaded time again: The changing of the seasons. The day I spend sitting in closets all over the house torturing kids by making them try on "just one more thing". The day when I valiantly attempt to figure out what clothes I think will still fit next year so I can pack them up, and the ones I know won't fit to give away. It's also the time when I see how well I did on my predictions from last spring.

This year I bombed on my predictions. Mac completely skipped a size, and all the pants I bought on clearance last year are too short! The girls are OK, only needing a few things. And then there's Buddy. That boy is determined to break the clothes budget! Because he's got the legs of a young giraffe, his pants are impossible to find, and he needs a new size AGAIN!

Anyone need some nice hand-me-down jeans 28W 36L? They need a good home with another young giraffe boy.

Air Show

2011-09-19T08:01:00.000-07:00

Usually the fact that we live under the flight path of the airport in Who City is a bummer. This weekend, it was a bonus! We had the best seats in town for watching the airshow, and our seats came with cold drinks, flushing potties and squirt guns!

While we waited for this:

We did this!

And when one of these flew RIGHT over our house, it was amazing!

I think I see a new family tradition starting!

And that pink stuff in the tub? It was a HUGE hit. It's called H2Goo, and it's......well, it's goo. The kids spent the whole afternoon, well, actually the whole morning too, playing with the ooze, scooping it, slipping around in it, having a great time in general. And the clean up? Hosed right off! Great messy clean fun!

Surprise Part 2

2011-09-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

And then the fun began!

Surprise!

2011-09-13T07:29:00.000-07:00

The plan was that we were going to take the kids to somewhere special for a couple days, and not tell them where we were going. We'd sneak the suitcase into the back of the van, load up the kids and start driving. I was very curious to see how far we'd get before anyone started asking questions

What actually happened was that WE got the surprise! We got everyone into the van and....it wouldn't start! So Hubs limped it to the fix-it shop, and my friend Jill's husband started poking around. After a few hours and much stress on my part, our adventure began. Again.

We told the kids we were going to a new restaurant for dinner, and started driving. After an hour, the questions started. After two hours, Mac started crying. So, we crumbled. A bit. We didn't tell them our destination (although Mimi figured it out, the stinker), but we did give some clues. When we crossed state lines, they got VERY curious, and when we entered another state, they were frantic!

So, we told them we were going to McDonalds. It was a very special McDonalds, and worth the drive. They didn't believe us! Can you imagine?!

And then we arrived!

May the Force Be With You!

2011-09-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

Sandwich

2011-09-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

Mom: Mac, what do you want on your sandwich?

Mac: Can I just have a bread sandwich?

Real Life

2011-09-03T06:26:00.000-07:00

As I followed Mac up the stairs on the way to his bedtime story, I noticed his jammy pants were on inside out. So I told him. and he said:

"A least their coverin' my butt!"

Mac: Keeping it real every day.

Captain Mac Sparrow

2011-09-01T09:25:00.000-07:00

My toothless pirate rockin' out!

Sledding-It's Not Just for Snow

2011-08-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

This was such a fun activity, and it was all by accident!

We were watching Baby M for the day, and it was incredibly hot, so I filled up some buckets for him to splash in. Pretty soon Ms. Mouse came out to watch the fun, then ran to put on her suit so she could cool off. When Mac and Princess saw, they joined in. But then I was running out of buckets. As I madly scourged the garage looking for big, empty, tubs, spotted the sleds, and ran with it!

The funniest part was when the school bus dropped off a load of kids right across the street, and there sat my kiddos "swimming" in their sleds! Yup, we're already earning a reputation for being the weird neighbors!

Adoption Update-Finally Good News!!!

2011-08-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

Big changes a-commin'!

We made the big jump and switched to another adoption agency this week. I was a bit frustrated that the old crummy agency wouldn't release our paperwork to us, but only to the new agency. I felt a bit like when my doctor's office refuses to release my file to me. It's MY info, shouldn't I have access to it?! In the end it won't matter, as our new agency will send us whatever we want.

The new agency will allow us to multi-list, so if we want we can send our profile to multiple agencies. We won't do that, at least not now, but it's delightful to have the freedom to do so. More good news, this is a fairly new program, and we are currently one of four families on the list. This is pretty awesome, as we were one of twenty-five before. Essentially that increases our chances of getting chosen astronomically, plus if a mom doesn't want to choose a family, the list goes by first-come-first-serve, so we'd automatically get chosen eventually, and we're fourth in line!

They have several mamas on their list right now, and more in the works but not ready to look at profiles, so for the first time in many months, I'm feeling hopeful about the whole thing!

It's Still Summer Here!

2011-08-24T21:14:00.000-07:00

Dare I admit this?

I LOVE it when school starts!

For us, it means the pool to ourselves, taking over the sprinkler park, and for me personally, grocery shopping in peace! Does that make me selfish? I hope not, but in the mean time, we're having FUN!

Pelegro Polo in El Banyo

2011-08-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

We went out to dinner tonight for sort of a goofy celebration. See, today was the first day of school here in Who City, and we were celebrating that we're not going. We headed to our favorite Mexican restaurant, where they know us so well they bring me my usual drink, half iced tea and half lemonade, without me even explaining. So we walked in feeling pretty giddy, and decided on a whim, that we'd speak only Spanish during our meal. The problem? We have a limited vocabulary in Spanish. A VERY limited vocabulary.

So, using a vocabulary consisting of farm animals, colors and three verbs, we began to chat. Our composure went down hill fairly quickly when Daddy stated that there was a dangerous red chicken in the bathroom, using up every Spanish word he has in one blow.

It's a good thing our usual waitress was busy, or we'd loose our favored customer status!

Mac's Some Kid's Funny

2011-08-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

A little person I know has recently become blog shy. Every time he says, or does, something funny enough to make us all laugh, he immediately declares that I am NOT to put it on the blog. So in order to retain his dignity, I will tell you about his antics anonymously.

So, this kid I know is riding in the car with me. We're listening to a book on CD (Mysterious Benedict Society-very exciting!) and one of the characters has narcolepsy. I hit pause to explain what narcolepsy is, to which he replies:

"Is that what great grandma has?"

Getting Busy

2011-08-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

It took almost a full week to recover from that crazy weekend! And our lives didn't slow down to let us recover much either. Big changes are coming for us in our adoption situation, but I'll explain that later.

Over the next few weeks all our school year activities slowly start building up, with some from last year dropping off, and some new stuff adding in. Mac and Princess got the opportunity to try out homeschool gymnastics class this month. I admit I was a bit skeptical about how it would be, but there are only four kids in the class, so they are doing a LOT of fun stuff!

I'm struggling a bit with wanting my kids to have all the opportunities living in the big city comes with, and still keeping our at home time too. After much deliberation, I've opted out of the public school's band and strings classes. Sure, they're free, but they are EVERY morning smack dab in the middle of our school time. It was making me crazy trying to figure out how we were going to get it all done! When I finally just said "I can't do this" and let it go, it was like I'd been holding my breath....and finally exhaled.

How do school mamas get everything in in just the few hours they have after school? And homework too?????

One Crazy Weekend

2011-08-10T11:08:00.000-07:00

The happenings of this weekend are so chaotic it's hard to know where to start!

On Friday we were contacted by an adoption agency, and through them made contact with an agency in Texas that had a baby needing a family as quickly as possible, as mom was already over due. We jumped at the chance, and started playing phone tag. Of course our adoption worker was out of the office, and the agency was closing at noon! After much frantic phone calls, we were able to get our homestudy sent over.

We started researching Texas, as their system is VERY different then ours. There, birthmoms ask for living expenses, and those must be paid up front, if you want your profile shown. If mama takes the baby and goes home, she gets to keep the money. Ripe for scamming? You bet!

On Sunday, our agency informed us that if we chose to work with the Texas agency, they'd be dropping us like a hot potato. Ummm, what?! We're finally up for a baby and you want to bail on us?! Yup, they want exclusivity now, even though it's not in our contract.

On Monday, we finally spoke to birthmom's social worker. Their opinion was that birthmom was probably scamming. They were incredibly honest and up-front with us about her, and encouraged us not to submit. We let them know that if birthmom did sign, we'd be there in a heartbeat, but until then, we would not be sending them a check. They supported our decision, and we had a very informative chat about what adoption agencies are required to provide to their families, and what ours was failing to provide.

It was an eye opening chat to say the least. Comparing our experience with our agency to our experience with theirs was night and day. We've made the decision to seek a new agency, even though it means we will be losing several thousand dollars. We're praying that our agency will be honorable and release our info without a fight. If they don't, we will have to re-do our home study, which will take months, and cost yet more money.

Oh, and did I mention we were at Coco Keys water park with Nana and Papa the whole weekend too?

Yup, it was one crazy weekend!

Promises

2011-08-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

I'm not a big sharer of my feelings, especially out here in the big, wide, internet world, but I needed to share this story: A few days ago I was having a bad baby waiting day. We've been paper ready and "officially" waiting for 15 months, but really waiting 27 months as we saved up for the adoption expences. It's been a lot harder than I thought it would be, and I thought it would be hard. I know that as we are not ordinary adopters, already raising four kids, and that will make our wait longer than average, but that doesn't make it any easier!

So on my bad waiting day, I was crying out to God, just wondering if this baby was every REALLY going to happen, and why it was taking so, so, SO long, why He didn't wait until our baby was ready before He told us to do this, and so on.

OK really, I was pouting. I want what I want, RIGHT NOW! Oh, so grown up, right?

Then my husband, who didn't even know about my pout-a-thon, called and told me to go outside and look at the sky. He knows I am my father's child, and love a good tornado cloud, and assumed that's what I'd see. I went out onto the porch, and saw the most beautiful double rainbow. It was bright and clear, and compete, end to end. It was also exactly what I needed that afternoon.

God keeps his promises!

(Photo Credit, 'cause I didn't take this one)

VBS

2011-08-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

Our church had it's first VBS this week, and boy was it fun! Exhausting, but fun. I was the snack lady, and got to be as creative as I wanted to, so our snacks were.....well, unique. My favorite was the eyeballs! Take 2 powdered doughnuts, add gummy Lifesavers for irises, and top with an M&M pupil. Yummy!

All my kids got to participate, Ms. Mouse in the nursery, luvin' on the babies, and Buddy was on the drama team. He's so funny on stage, goofy and wild, and the kids thought he was wonderful (so did his mommy!). The two little kids were participants, and had fun all night long.

Now that VBS is done, I'm on to organizing co-op! My sanity is in doubt!

Goodbye Whoville, Hello.....????

2011-08-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

Well, we are officially no longer citizens on Whoville, and that leaves me with a conundrum. Obviously our little town wasn't really named Whoville, but the quirky name fit the quirky place, and kept our privacy and safety intact. So the city we formerly called "Big City" is now our home, yet I don't feel like I can continue to call it that, especially as an even bigger city is just up the road! So I need suggestions. What do you call your town? What parts of "Big City" stand out as it's quirky truth?

ETA-A friend at the park today suggested "driving-slow-in-the-fast-lane" but that seems a bit long, even if it is true!

Doing the Happy Dance

2011-07-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

Please join me in celebrating by doing the happy dance.

We sold our house! Yipee!

Our baby account is filled back up, and now we can have REAL furniture in our living room. Instead of the lawn chairs we've been using. Yes, really.

Hey, vacuuming is a breeze that way!

Too Much Chaos?

2011-07-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

You know how you can tell you life has slid to far down the ladder of chaos?

When you catch yourself making a video of your pet doing something cute....

and the pet is a cockroach!

Braces Off....or Not

2011-07-22T07:09:00.000-07:00

Poor Mimi went to the orthodontist this week thinking the braces were coming off. When she got them on last summer, the doc said a year, and that year is up, so she was pretty excited.

When she walked out to the lobby, instead of smiling, she walked right past the rest of us and out the door. Not only are the braces still on, but they added rubber bands. Poor baby! Instead of our planned celebratory lunch, we had a sympathy lunch. Now the end date is a mystery!

Bouncing Boy!

2011-07-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

Mac got the coolest gift from his cousin! It's a build-your-own bouncy ball kit:

The kit came with a form, and some bags of crystals. You pour the crystals into the form, let it soak in water for a minute, and....

Shazam! A bouncy ball!

Update: They worked great.......for a few days, but once they dried out, no bounce! Oh, well, fun while it lasted!

Happy Birthday Princess!

2011-07-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my Princess in nine! NINE! She's such a funny kid! So determined and serious, and still so funny. When I asked her where she wanted to go eat for her birthday, she aid Famous Dave's, a barbeque place. So did she eat barbeque? Nope! Veggies! A plate full of sides!

And when I asked what she wanted for her birthday she asked for a doll. I reminded her that my rule is one AG doll is my limit, and she'd need to save her money to but one if she wanted one. So, she asked for money! Then she took all her birthday money from us, and her many grandmas, and BOUGHT THE DOLL!

That's one happy girl!

She was also thrilled that her beloved cousin A. from Michigan was coming for a visit on her birthday! What a great present!

Tiny Tim

2011-07-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

We were asked by a friend to babysit their turtle, and he's SO cute!

When I asked what his name was, they said "turtle", so we've been calling him Turtle Dude, or Tiny Tim, after the song.

I think he's available for re-homing, but after our pet adventures last week, I'm to afraid to accept!

So Tired

2011-07-15T05:50:00.000-07:00

I'm so tired today.

Just wiped out.

We've had almost 3 straight weeks with guests in the house, running around, swimming, music lessons, VBS prep, etc, and I'm shot.

Not just physically, but emotionally too.

We didn't get chosen by a birthmom.
Again.

My sweet Matthew scared the living daylights out of me, and still is.

I need a vacation, but someone else better do the packing!

Matthew

2011-07-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

This cutie is my cuddly friend Matthew. He's the best cuddle you'll ever have, planet wide. He curls right into you, tilts his chin up and SMILES like you're the most amazing person he's ever known. He's also a super hero. He's beaten more odds than anyone I've ever known.

Matthew's really, really sick right now. Please pray for him. Please pray for healing for Matthew, and peace and strength for his mom, dad, brothers and sister.

The Children's Museum

2011-07-13T08:31:00.000-07:00

We had a great time with our friends at the Children's Museum! I love it there, because the kids can safely play in many different areas while the mama's chat and keep an eye on the whole crowd. My kids just plain love it!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-07-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

I'm completely flabbergasted as I sit here typing. I don't even know what to say......

Let me start at the beginning:

Several years ago we bought Mac a Madagascar hissing cockroach we named Becky. After several months, she gifted us with a WHOLE lotta baby cockroaches. It was quite a shock, but kinda fun too. We re-homed a few and donated the rest to the zoo. When we got home we found we'd missed one, and decided to keep her, naming her Caitlynn. A year later Becky presented us with ANOTHER batch of babies, and we separated Becky and the newly re-named Calvin. Now living completely seperate lives, they lived happily eating peanut butter and strawberry tops.

A few months ago, I noticed that Becky had an egg sack, and I did a lot of frantic research on whether hissers could lay empty eggs, spontaneously give birth without a mate, etc. and found nothing, so we watched carefully, and counted the days, and no babies! Whew.

So guess what I found today? Yup. Babies. In Calvin's cage. We've now renamed them both MARY, and will be soon taking a trip to the zoo!!!

Back to the Zoo!

2011-07-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

It's time for our traditional once-a-year trip to the little zoo! The best thing about this zoo is that you can get through the entire thing, and have lunch, in half a day. The worst thing is, it's only open in the summer, and it's HOT out there!

We saw my faves, the naked mole rats,

and met our friends from Asian Treasures, as we do each year,

and had fun feeding the goats and camels.

This is the very zoo we happened to be at when our friends got the phone call letting them know this sweet princess had a family, and would be coming home soon

And the traditional ending to a hot day, the train!

Fun on the Fouth!

2011-07-06T06:55:00.000-07:00

Oh, how we had fun on the fourth! We've always invited a few friends over for burgers and fireworks, but had to keep the numbers down simply because of lack of space. This year, we had SPACE! I love my new house!

Mac and his "twin".

The kids ran, and ran, and ran, and.....

Sunshine and M.

Princess and cousin A

Ms. Mouse in one of the rare moments she wasn't holding a baby.

And baby M, who I need to stop calling baby!

Thanks to all our friends for joining us in the crazy, chaotic fun!

Another Mac-ism

2011-06-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

Tonight I finally wrestled Mac into the chair for the official summer head shaving. As he sat getting clippeded we had this conversation:

Mac: Do you think it eats too much caffeine?
Me: What? Caffeine?
Mac: Yeah, do you think it eats too much?
Me: Who eats too much caffeine?
Mac: The hair cutter. That's why he buzzes.
Me: The clippers are caffeine powered? Because they buzz?
Mac: Yup! Just like caffeine makes people hyper, it makes the clippers go bzzzzzzzzzzz.

Articles

2011-06-25T06:18:00.000-07:00

Two interesting articles on christians and adoption:

Christians should put up or shut up

Are Christians ready for the abortion laws to change?

An Introduction

2011-06-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

My kids are amazingly intelegent people. They regularly astound me with their understanding of complex thoughts and ideas. So, given that, explain why I had to have this conversation today:

Sweetie, I'd like to introduce you to something today. You know how every day I ask you to pick your jacket/coat/sweater up off the floor and deposit it in this tiny room? This is the coat closet. We've had one for years, well, actually, your entire lifetime, but apparently I failed to properly introduce the two of you. Coat closets are for storing......you'll never guess.....COATS! I'd love it if we never had to have this little chat again, so PLEASE PUT YOUR JACKET AWAY!

Yes, I did mean now.

Sigh.

A Day to Remember

2011-06-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

You know those days where you wake up knowing just what you're doing that day......and it all turns left? Yeah, that was today.

It was supposed to be the day we were meeting my friend Jill and her herd at the water park. Then I got a call from another friend's husband. My friend's gallbladder was singing it's final song, could I take their kids? Of course I can! So, sadly, I called Jill to cancel. She was delighted to cancel, because her little guy was sick, and she's scrambling to get him to the doctor. So my brilliant mind pops in with an offer:

I'll grab mine, plus the bonus kids, and meet her at the indoor playground. Then the kids can have fun together, and she can get the baby to the doctor! So I'm at the playground with NINE, count 'em nine kids, one a baby, and it was going great, everyone having a wild time, until.....

Jill's oldest slam dunked his front tooth straight out of his head! Yes, it's a permanent tooth.

So I'm chasing the baby, sopping up blood, the other kids are on a hunt for the tooth, and I'm frantically calling his dad to rush him to the dentist, because I can't fit nine, count 'em nine, kids into my van!

A mom at the playground tells me to put the tooth into milk to keep it alive, so I go up to the counter with my herd, bloody tooth in hand, to ask for a carton of milk, which they have at the snack bar. And the girl at the counter charges me for it!!! I'm a calm mama, but I almost screamed at her!

By the end of the day the kids are happy, (well, except the one) tired and hungry, the baby's sleeping and I'm almost comatose with exhaustion.

I'm not a drinking woman, so bring on the chocolate!

Climbing.....back....up.....the.....hill

2011-06-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

This was going to be the week we climbed back onto the horse and got back to full time school work.

Did you read the supposed to part? Yeah, it' not really happening. Everyone lost a few days, some a week or two of math. Mac forgot 75% of the alphabet. Again.

After imagining how much fun it would be to take the summers off, I am reminded why it isn't worth it.

Sigh....back to work!

Lighting a Fire

2011-06-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

Wanna know the secret to getting motivated to get your house completely unpacked and looking nice?

Get an e-mail from your adoption worker telling you she needs to do a home visit to update your file. And it has to be this week!!!!

It Is Finished! Getting Started.

2011-06-12T05:40:00.000-07:00

We got everything done, and the house is being listed this week! Yea! It's like a big weight off my shoulders, and now I can relax! Well, except that I have another house that needs to get unpacked, decorated and prettied up.

The problem with that is: I have NO talent in decorating! It took five years for me to get pictures on the wall in my living room, and the mirror never did make it to the wall. I don't want that to happen again, so I've harnessed the talents of a couple friends to help out, and told them to get thinking!

I'm No Monet!

2011-06-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

I love to paint. Not the paint-a-picture kind (although I like that too), but the roller wall kind. You could say I was an enthusiastic painter, but you could never say I was good at it. Hubs can paint an entire room and only get a few drops on himself. I can't paint a door without getting completely covered. So when I suggested I help with the painting, Hubs assured me he had it all under control. After 18 years, he knows my skills well.

So tonight when I met him at the Whoville house, I was delighted that he said he needed me to paint. With a roller! Then he told me where: The garage. Who paints inside the garage?! I think he just wanted me out of his hair, but I didn't care! I grabbed my roller and got to work. A while later, my one little wall was covered, and so was I.

So I went to give the ceiling in the girl's room a quick spray. At some point there was an over enthusiastic moment on the top bunk, and they knocked down a patch of popcorn ceiling. So, I grabbed the sprayer aimed it like I'd seen Hubs do several times, and shot. PTHTHTHTHTH! The thing went crazy! It wouldn't shut off! So, screaming all the while, I aimed it at the floor. Getting a stripe down the wall. And the window. And the floor.....the just cleaned floor.

Sigh.

I'm just not a good painter.

But it sure is fun!

Aaaaaaalmost done

2011-06-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

As much as I desperately want to be in my new house unpacking and decorating, and RESTING, we have to get our Whoville house on the market. We've been scrubbing and painting and hauling the contents of the endless pit we call the garage out. It's amazing how much bigger it looks with nothing in it!

Hopefully we'll have it all done by next weeks so it can get that big, beautiful for sale sign up!

Laundry

2011-06-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a long long time since I did laundry anywhere besides my home. Sure, in my youth, when wearing a pair of jeans three times before they got laundered was no big deal, but now? With SIX people, one named Mac, who is deeply offended by napkins? Driving 25 miles to use my own washer and dryer was no fun at all!
So now imagine my delight today as my washer and dryer arrived. I've never been so happy to do laundry in my LIFE!

Yippee for laundry!

You Just Know

2011-06-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

When you hear a Tarzan yell,

then a crash,

and you yell "WHAT HAPPENED DOWN THERE?!",

and the answer is "Nothing!",

you just know.

UN packing!

2011-06-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

After spending all those days packing, it seems strange to be unpacking. Making the decisions about where stuff will live is exhausting!

Poor Hubs was shocked by the number of books we own. The stack of boxes containing books was ceiling high, five feet long and two feet deep! When Hub's teased me that I was going to cave in the house with books he was kidding, but only a little bit! Our new school room/library is in the basement, so no more collapsing floor jokes.

We're moved!

2011-06-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

We're moved....mostly. We got the furniture in on Tuesday, and kept moving boxes and boxes and boxes and..... I keep thinking we're almost done, then we go back and find more stuff we missed. It's a good thing we only moved 20 miles away or we'd have left behind a LOT of stuff!

The kids were ecstatic, doing cartwheels in the living room, and running through their rooms as we carried stuff in. They are already planning their room decor and themes. I hope they can be patient because finding the towels takes priority for now!

Home!

2011-05-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

And, we're home.

We debated having a stay-cation and packing up the last of the house and painting, but finally settled on going ahead with out trip. Getting away was absolutely the right choice! Both Hubs and I got to relax and just enjoy ourselves, and the kids got spoiled by their grandparents.

We have one week until we close and move, so I won't be posting anything for a while!

Jungle Quest

2011-05-23T06:59:00.000-07:00

Jungle Quest is one of our favorite Colorado destinations. The kids love zipping around and jumping off the cliff, Mama loves relaxing while her kids wear themselves out!

Princess' New Do

2011-05-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

Princess has been growing her hair out since Jan for her ballet recital. The problem with that is that Princess doesn't really like her hair long. The two of us have been battling snarls and her tender head for months, so when we took Grandma to get her hair done, we snatched up the opportunity!

Before...............................and........................................after!

Colorado Fun

2011-05-19T09:53:00.000-07:00

While my goal on this vacation is to relax, we couldn't miss out on ALL of the fun stuff we do in Colorado! So we headed to the museum, on of our favorite places to visit. They had a great exhibit about pirates that was very fun, and picked up some stuff for Mimi's history fair project too.

Bailing

2011-05-15T06:38:00.000-07:00

I'm on vacation! Could you hear me singing that? After a weekend full of dance recitals, and absolutely nothing getting done around the house, we bailed and ran away. We're heading to Nana and Papa's house where we plan on doing very little, as we are all desperately in need of rest.

Princess Plays

2011-05-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

Princess had her recital this week:

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Mimi had her cello recital, and she sounded so great....until the actual recital. She's always played on carpet, and the show was on tile, so the cello kept sliding around. She spent the whole song jerking it back up to the right position, and was very disappointed at how her song went, so...no video!

Swingin' Out of the Rain

2011-05-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

What do you do when your plans to visit the park get rained out? Swing IN the house!

Vocabulary Lessons with Buddy

2011-05-06T05:23:00.000-07:00

As we were packing Buddy said:

"Fragile, Fra-Jill-Eh, That's Italian for 'don't drop it'."

Celebrating!

2011-05-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

My friends know how we love to celebrate the...., well let's call them the more obscure holidays. Like Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sept 19th), or Toasted Marshmallow Day (Aug. 30th), but amongst our favorites is May the fourth. What wonderful holiday is May the fourth you ask? Why Star Wars day, of course! Say this, out loud: "May the fourth be with you." Get it?

So, while still packing boxes, and tackling the dreaded kitchen this week, we're tossing in some fun! Here's out menu:
Breakfast-Tatoine toast
Lunch-Naboo nugget, Jaba jiggle and Obi Wan kabobs
Supper- Boba Fett-acini with Yoda Soda

We'll be heading to the park with all our lightsabers for a neighborhood sized duel, and treasure dig in the sands on Tatoine, and viewing our favorite episode!

A Visit with Serge

2011-05-01T05:15:00.000-07:00

We took some time off from packing up the house to visit with a friend. This is Serge. We go visit him a few times a year, and he gives us a ride around the park. He's a BIG boy, and a bit feisty, and he loves to run fast!

And this is Ben. He's Serge's servant. He's there to get Serge anything he needs, and arrange for visitors, like us. Oh, and to make sure Serge doesn't get too feisty and run off with my kids. Which he'd really like to do.

And this is us patiently waiting our turn. And getting only a little bit dirty.

Thanks for the visit Serge!