Crazy Language

The English language is crazy, we all know that...we use different
pronouns - he, she, him, her...
We use all those "being verbs" have, has, had...
Then we have "figures of speech" and "puns"
Our family LOVES figures of speech and puns and the dictionary is often
at the supper table...sometimes the laptop...just so we can solve a
"discussion"
The other night oldest brother and his wife were with us for supper and
in the course of conversation we talked about my brother's computer
business.
Daddy said, "Yeah, his office is really hopping."
Joseph said, "Hopping?"
I answered, " Only the desks."
Zeke inserted gleefully, "Yeah, if the rooms would be hopping the
building would fall down."
Joseph deadpanned, "Oh."
Demetrius looked from one to the other and said "Aren't you going to
clarify that for him?"
I said, "no, he gets it." ( I really wasn't sure that he did, but I
thought he could figure it out)
Joseph just looked at Demetrius..."it means they very busy" "I'm good at
acting. I play 'I Doubt It' very well."
That you do young man!
We got another report card today...it proves we don't need to clarify
very much!

PATIENCE!!

I thought I had enough of that stuff!!
I'm trying really hard to just relax and let God take care of this stuff.
But somehow I feel like I should be doing something...
We were supposed to have our first homestudy visit on Friday, but we had
to move it back to next Friday.
I know that next week looks much calmer and I don't have as many
appointments scheduled BUT!
I really wanted to have that visit behind us...to know that we have that
milestone under our belts...
I know that this is in God's hands...he showed her to DH and left him
know that even though this makes no sense...
We should send LOI for an 18 month old child....
But I am overwhelmed with the urge to hover over people and ask them to
do the job I paid them to do...
and DO IT QUICKLY!
But I will take a deep breath and let God....
He knows what He is doing and I need to remember -- He is perfectly
capable of poking people in the ribs and telling them to get a MOVE ON!

Imagination

We realized something sad tonite.
Part of the reason that Joe has so little imagination and probably why
he has trouble occupying his time (outside of homework)
is that he never had a chance to develop it. (gotta tell you about the activity jar sometime)
He never had a book read to him until he met us!! Never! Not even in
school...I guess they don't read books to the kids after lunch like our
teachers do.
Tonite we had a couple of sessions of "close your eyes and picture this"
and had him describe the scene we suggested...was tough.
Then I suggested a game ( I don't know the name) each kid gets a piece
of paper and draws a shape...pass it to the next kid...they add to it
and so on.
You can make up your own rules (must be an animal, or a
vehicle)...little kids can play... use pen, so no erasing...there is no
winner (best part at our house) and there is no right answer.
Here are the results:

Flat Surfaces

What is it with flat surfaces? Mine are magnetic. Today I spent most of

the morning sorting clothing

And then I tackled my computer corner. My office needs a face lift, but
until I have the $$$ to get a custom built desk I will have to make do...
So I pulled out the el-cheapo computer desk...the one with all the
shelves that don't fit the equipment you own. Chased down the
dust...raccoons ( them were no bunnies!) and re-assembled my corner.
It's OK, it'll work for now
But then I had a clean flat surface...several of them in fact.
Then I left the house to take Joe for therapy and meanwhile DH brought
the other kids home. By the time I got home this is what I saw.

 Gotta get that thing out of here quickly! Hope informed me "As soon as she got home she just claimed that desk! Got everything she owned and acted like the space was hers!"

(she was just upset she didn't get there first)

Lucky Wednesdays

This weekend has been interesting. I am trying not to talk too much and

rest my voice, but of course it seems that people need instructions

repeated and obscure sentences translated....like..."Please bring the

laundry up from the basement and sort it in the garage."

Anyway I realized I have an invaluable asset in my house ...normally

known as "nosy girls"....but now I can look at them and indicate that

they repeat my instructions....the same thing works if I give

instructions to a girl. Usually there is a "nosy boy" in the vicinity

that can repeat my instructions .

This evening I made the comment that I don't have to run the household

anymore... because there is one child

 (here she is trying to control how fast the cookies disappear)

that can repeat each phrase I normally say.
She said "yeah, when you are old I will take over."
DH asked if that is when she puts us in the nursing home she keeps
talking about...
She replied "yeah, I'm going to work there on Wednesdays, that will be
your Lucky Wednesday."

At least I know she will come to visit me....

Inspirations

Yesterday I got this notion...I printed out the above sign and added the
reference of Philippians 4:13.
The children came home from school and immediately certain people
thought the sign was intended for them.
Another child said "I didn't know that was in the Bible. That is a short
verse."
They don't know, but the sign is actually for me...but I'll let them
think otherwise.
I finally decided to got to the Dr for my laryngitis that has been
plaguing me for the past month and the Dr recommended amonst other
things...to rest my voice as much as possible. HA! The multitudes
REALLY don't know what to do with that one! THEY were signing to me!

Feeling Better

Spent half the day fasting...well a half a cup of unsweetened oatmeal
for breakfast and again for lunch (fast of sorts) Praying that I can
hold this whole process loosely.
It is God's adoption, His timing, His plans. (Easy to say those words,
gotta work at remembering)
Nevertheless, I have a job to do...get the bedroom ready to house 3
little girls. The bunk beds are coming in two weeks and today it struck
me that they will need quilts! It would not look very good if I bought
the quilts at Wally-world...
Pictures tomorrow.

Fence Rail

Another very simple, but stunning quilt order ( I use the word stunning
because all I did was make what the lady ordered)
Can you please pray with us? We are working on our 4th homestudy.
Agencies currently require commitments - not only from the family
wanting to adopt, but other parties as well. It is proving difficult to
wait on the Lord. We vowed to accept God's will for this adoption...if
He closes a door, we will not pry it open... He is not closing
doors....but we feel like we are running an obstacle course.

Nine Years Ago!

In a far away place, we got our first look at each other. Well not really, I had gazed at a sober faced little girl for 6 weeks and wondered and worried....

She took to us like....well just like she knew us....didn't even cry just gazed....(she did her crying later)

 She taught me about bottle feeding....

 About dragging your "newborn" all over the place "touring" and having old ladies come up and tuck her little hand inside her sleeve, even when she was sweating bullets.

 That trip taught me that you can miss someone dreadfully and you can focus very hard and get through each day....but we took as many kids as possible on the next 2 trips.

Now look at her!
We celebrated with everyone going out for supper and then later we sat on the sofa and looked at the scrapbook of the trip. We let whoever wants look at it.
She loves to hear her story, BUT ever since she was very little this day is hard. She has a reaction to her book (the scrapbook of our trip)...at first I didn't really understand it and thought it was just bad behavior. But I've come realize the book awakens strong feelings that she does not know how to handle and tonite it was shown in "Is Faith touching that corner...did she wipe a boogie on that page!?...I need to sit between BOTH mommy and daddy!"

Eventually Faith was in tears and I could see Joe deciding if he was going to react. So we talked, I'm not sure if it helped Hope, but Faith and Joe seemed to be feeling better. I debated if we should even look at the book this year, but I think it is necessary and she is doing better each year. In two months we will pull out Faith's book and see her reaction....

Any advice?

"You Did that for Me Too?"

When we filled out the LOI forms for "little one" I pulled out Joe's
paperwork to compare some info. Joe noticed the paperwork and recognized
his name and immediately wondered what was going on.
I didn't see the first reaction, but daddy said there was definitely
worry in the voice and face.
So we started making it a point of mentioning the paperwork we are doing
and adding "yeah, like we did for Joseph and Hope and Faith"
Last night we were talking about a certain form and the fact that our SW
will need to visit again. Joseph said "oh for me" I told him "no, for
the new adoption, yours is finished"
"You mean I am your childrens now?"
I promptly informed him that he has BEEN "our childrens", but his birth
country likes to find out how things are going.
I mentioned that we had to ask Ch*na for permission to adopt again and
of course the question "did you have to ask for me too?"
I KNOW we talked about it before, but I said "Yes!, we had to say
PLEASE, may we adopt Gao Liang?"
I pulled out the letter that is included in every dossier and left him
read it. In the letter there is a sentence that says "we promise to
never physically abuse or abandon this child" He wanted to know if
"abandon" means to "hit me" I said "no, the physically abuse" is "not
hit you" the abandon is to never leave you.
He said, "but I dreamed that you did...in the restaurant."
He had told us about the dream before, wonder what else will come out in
the dreams....?
But we ended up looking through the pile of paperwork from his dossier
and I think he was impressed that we went to all that bother. No, Joey
it was not a spur of the moment notion.
I have noticed that Hope is paying close attention this time too. Her
Family Day is tomorrow and we need to do some celebrating.