Some lovely friends who have moved away asked how our kids are all doing. They are fine, thanks! Have a nice day.
Right? Ha. I'm sure that like most of you who hang with kids often some days I'm flabbergasted at the mischief that can ensue here and some days I'm beaming and proud. Adoption plays a small role in the crazy antics we have going on around here--you know what I'm talkin' 'bout Willis? (Willis is not who asked the question. He's the older brother in an 80s sitcom.) All our kids are adopted and our newest 4 came to live with us in June 2012 for those just getting started here.
I would like to tell you the yucky parts only so I can give examples of how they've changed and how God has been at work but I'm afraid they'll grow up to read this and hunt me down, lash me to a chair and make me watch while they abandon their forks and pile spaghetti into their mouths with their fists, open doors with sticky hands, close doors by putting their hands on the glass, bang each other around against walls and run and tell me, "MOM! He's farting on me on purpose!"(sorry for those who don't prefer such strong language) while the other kid mumbles, "no i wasn't…on purpose." all day long to pay me back. Gives me shivers, no thanks! Just ask me how I know they are capable of doing all this. *wink*
Should I bore you by gushing about their amazingness? I already have one kid who thinks he's pretty amazing. He flexes his muscles in his big mirrored wall at night when he's alone in his room and doesn't know his parents are lurking outside in the dark, watching. Don't judge me. It started innocently enough as the hubbo was adding chlorine to the pool (which you're supposed to do after the sun goes down.) He noticed this flaunting and called me down to see what was going on in our son's room. I was scared. I twisted my head "no" and loud-whispered "NO WAY!" but he insisted. Ack! Flexing and self-admiration going on. ugh. Guess it's good to know these things so I can remember to point out his many flaws and short comings. JUST KIDDING--sheesh. We did eventually confess our spying and we tell the boy he's not that special, etc.
But seriously, we've had encouraging conversations about faith with each of our kiddos and being a Christian. We appreciate the willingness of our oldest to be honest about his lack of understanding and uncertainty about things related to faith at times. We try not to encourage him to say what we want to hear. My hubbo likes to drive him to school and they pray together and the hubbster challenges him to do things with faith and invest in others. This year our son asked us to help hold him accountable to be in the Word every day and he has been pretty good at reading his Duck Dynasty devo. On a side note: Have you seen that show? Talk about a stress reliever-the library here has the DVDs. They CRACK us up and the hubbs comes and closes the door on us if Anthony and I are watching it together after the youngers have all gone to bed. "You're going to wake the kids!" he puffs and shuts the door on us.
We recently went to a parent teacher conference for another child preparing for 3rd grade testing. Can I brag about his teacher? She is WONDERFUL! She herself is a Christian and super patient with our son because she loves our "ministry" (which I know because she whispered to me as we left her classroom for the first parent teacher conference.) She has reported a lot of progress in his social skills with other kids since the beginning of the year (whatever that means, I didn't really ask for specifics as I might be mortified by the answer.) He hardly ever comes home on yellow (the "you're kid was naughty but not super naughty-orange or TERRIBLE-red" color.) He is usually on a cool color which generally represents good behavior. As an aside, the kid likes to come home and apologetically say, "Mom, I was on red today." He does it just to see my eyes bug out and hear me screech "WHAT?! WHAAAT?!?" Then he rolls with laughter and lets me in on his joke. So yes, back to the teach: She takes the time to consider what he's trying to accomplish, she redirects, she gives second chances. Which we've also tried to do so she's reinforcing home life for him. She has been a tremendous booster in this boy's life and he is becoming an all around a well-adjusted kid. I just love her and him too.
As we were at the parent teacher conference chatting with Mrs. Terrific about how things are at home and what our son's likes and dislikes are and blah blah blah at one point she caught my eye over the table while our son was saying something so he wasn't paying attention to her. "He L.O.V.E.S. you." she mouthed. But it wasn't just the words, it was how she said it. Even now it chokes me up. In a split second she wiped her smile away, lowered her head, peered at me over her non glasses, raised her eyebrows, pointed at me and she gave a slow nod as she mouthed those words using every muscle in her mouth so she there was no uncertainty in her words. The sentiment gave me chills. I had to wipe away a couple wet things that rolled out of my eyes (those are called tears? what is this odd thing?) She made my year. It was sweet of her to recognize that and to mention it. Don't you wonder what your kids think of you? I've threatened to pack her in one of our moving boxes.
All our boys are good little workers. They have shoveled us out this year. Funny story, we have a snow blower. The last 2 Toledo winters have been PATHETIC. Snow blower is packed away where all our
I've got a bunch more stories. I'll spread them out for you so you can get your door knobs wiped off and windows cleaned before your husbands/wives/roomates get home and wonder what you've been doing all day. You'll have to come back for more wee killys tales.
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